Missouri’s new governor and first lady, Mike and Teresa Parson, are hosting a public reception at around 5:15 p.m. Monday, June 11, in the State Capitol Rotunda in Jefferson City.
The reception will follow a joint session of the Missouri legislature. According to the invitation, the governor and first lady will greet guests during and immediately after the session in the governor’s office.
Missouri hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served.
The invitation said the reception will be paid for by Parson for Missouri.
" id="d4dc97c0-bb2c-49bc-8073-e475aeb64276" style-type="fact" title="Governor to host public reception Monday " type="relcontent" width="half"}} Home is important to me, he offered for why he invited his Sunday school class to witness his private swearing-in ceremony. Im not running away from it. Im not running away from Wheatland, Missouri, or how I grew up. Relying on relationships People back home in Hickory and Polk counties seem to understand what he says, grammar aside. And people in state government apparently do, too. The key word in his vocabulary to explain his rise to the top seat in Missouri government: relationships. They helped him win election as lieutenant governor with record dominance of counties won. They put him where he could move into the top job last Friday after former Gov. Eric Greitens resigned. All of this, all of this, my entire career (and) being governor of the state of Missouri I doubt will be any different it will always be about relationships, he said. {{tncms-inline alignment="right" content=""If you really want to be a public servant, which is what I believe these jobs are — I believe that as the governor of Missouri, that’s what you are — you’ve got to be willing to admit you don’t know everything." — Mike Parson
" id="a5899f32-d5a6-4716-8760-cf00a16e4e05" style-type="quote" title="Mike Parson " type="relcontent" width="half"}} It will be about building them. Even with the people who dont always agree with you. But youve got to have them, especially up here. Youve got to be able to reach across the aisle from time to time to get good things done for the state. Because some of the things well be talking about in this administration, whether it is workforce development, whether its infrastructure, those are not political issues. Really not. Those are whats best for the state. He said some advisers wondered what signals he could be sending by inviting his Sunday school class from Bolivar First Baptist Church to his swearing-in. Would people of different faiths be offended? Thats where listening to his heart kicked in, advice offered by his older brother, a minister, during the prayer service before he took the oath of office. Parson said people are wondering who he is, what he is about, and those classmates were among the people he wanted with him that day to help identify who he is, not to signal that he will use his new authority to try to turn everyone else into Baptists. He was back in Bolivar and in that class the Sunday morning after taking his oath. Ill tell you how you can help, he told them in response to their offers that day. You can help me govern the state of Missouri, each and every one of you. He asked that every Monday morning for the next 52 Mondays they send him a Bible verse to help get his Monday started. Ill put that to my staff and people who work here, and they can do what they want with it, but thats how you can have a part in helping me govern. Learning from others It was someone else from Bolivar, Dr. Tim DeClue, head of the computer science department at Southwest Baptist University, who helped prove to him over the past year that he doesnt know everything. DeClue visited the lieutenant governors office, lobbying for computer science curriculum in Missouri schools, K-12. He asked me questions (about texting and what happens to make it possible) ... and (my) first response sitting there is to think, OK, I need to think of something to come up with, but the right response ... was (to admit) I didnt know. I had no clue. He credited DeClue for educating him about the need for that curriculum statewide, so he could help spread that K-12 CS message as part of the workforce development mission. Parson asserted that Missouri may be 15 to 20 years behind Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana regarding workforce development. They have spent a tremendous amount of resources on (it), he said, adding that he is intent on surrounding himself with the right people to start making up that ground, people who can say, Heres our mission; now, how do we get there? He wants people around him who know how to work and who will work, something he started learning at the age of 14 to 15 working in gas stations in the small town of Wheatland, where when you were old enough to work, you worked. Many friends and associates have been contacting him about jobs in the new administration. He signals that there will be no free passes because of those particular relationships. At the end of the day for me, its about who really fits the position to get the job done, and whos willing to work. DeClue is not the only one he credits for showing him what he doesnt know as an elected official. A teacher from Sedalia also opened his eyes about a particular bill he was sponsoring when he was a state representative. She told him he didnt know what he was doing, and he learned from her that she was right. The worst mistake politicians can make is to think they know everything, he said. Because they dont. Ive seen that time and time again when some of them come to Jefferson City. When they first walk in the door, they are humble. And I hope most of them are humble when they leave. But after youve been here for a while and youve talked on health issues, youve talked on pharmaceutical issues, youve talked on ag issues and economic development, all of a sudden you start thinking kind of, Oh well, Im kind of an expert on this. But the truth of it is, unless you are totally focused on one subject and its kind of in your background, like me on law enforcement, yeah I can say Im an expert in that category, but if Im talking about healthcare, talking about technology, no, Im not. Discovering middle ground Asked about people who early in his life had particular lasting influence on him, Parson mentioned two teachers, two older brothers, a Sunday school teacher and multiple characters who loafed at the gas stations where he worked. I remember the people who would loaf there, he said. They would be successful, even for a little town like Wheatland. They had done well. If you just listened, they would be talking about buying a piece of property or talking about a business venture, or what they do with their money after they make a little money. And what does that mean, to be successful? In a small town like that, your work ethics are huge and neighbors are big. Everybody helped one another out. If you had a problem, you didnt think about calling the government. It was normally a neighbor (who helped). Its too much not that way today in too many places to suit him. The first people we go to is government, he said, as much as we dislike it sometimes, or as much as we say things about (how) we dont like it being in our lives. Government, to him, should be closer to a last resort. {{tncms-inline alignment="left" content="“The worst mistake politicians can make is to think they know everything. Because they don’t. I’ve seen that time and time again when some of them come to Jefferson City." — Mike Parson
" id="fd7d9cd6-ef3b-43fe-9c44-60f58ba30930" style-type="quote" title="Mike Parson " type="relcontent" width="half"}} (It) does have a place to play, services to provide, but at the same time I dont think it is always a good idea to depend on government for all our answers. I think once you (do) everything you can do, then maybe you reach out to say, OK what is it (government) can do. But he believes government should do more to prevent problems rather than being reactive to them. One thing I have learned from being up here for a few years is that government is so used to reacting to something, he said. When a problem happens that is bad, then government tries to step in. I think you gotta really be proactive. He admits to having modified over time some of his views about always preferring smaller government that does less. There (are) things government can do, he said, especially in healthcare, to prevent things early on for our kids, our seniors, or for whoever is on Medicaid. So, as someone who has proven he can reach across the aisle, is he more in the middle than to the right? You know, sometimes you can get branded where you are in politics, he said. I believe in the Republican philosophy. I believe in being conservative. I do think there are people (so far right or left) that they are ineffective on both sides. I dont know that those people are the speakers or the voices for the multitudes. I dont know where the middle is. All I know is I feel like I have my conservative values that I believe in (and) I have stuck with them, for the most part. You know, people can brand you however they want to brand you, but at the end of the day its about getting things done, its about making accomplishments (for the people). He acknowledged that think tanks have influence over what lawmakers think, but I think that at the end of the day you do a little check with yourself; you ask, OK, what is best for the state of Missouri? And thats how Ive tried to do it, even when its not popular. Weighing in on education He provided an example of when he saw he could be in trouble back home with a vote he was preparing to make on a school voucher issue related to a metropolitan area. He said he thought it was the best move for that area and he saw no threat to his school districts back home, even though he knew school leaders there would see it differently. It was a line they didnt want to see crossed for fear they would be next. But with the facts in front of me, I thought it was the best thing to do, he said. Having made the decision, he arranged for a meeting with the school administrators back home to explain how and why he was going to vote that way. It was a productive meeting, a successful meeting, he said, even though he knew they still didnt like the way he was going to vote. They at least appreciated his willingness to explain. That was a moment that teaches you to make sure you go back home to tell people why you do what you do, and if you cant tell them that, then you probably shouldnt have voted. With education, especially the states board of education at top of mind for so many now, Parson said he would act quickly to make the necessary appointments to get that board back to where it can meet. Many educators welcomed news of his rise to the top job, because their relations with his predecessor were not good. But he made clear in the interview that he wont necessarily be in agreement with them on all issues, either. For example, he doesnt see blanket policies being right for everywhere in the state. I believe kids should have a choice, he said, making clear the importance of that availability being more critical in some places than others. And he said spending more money for something that isnt working in education would not be his solution. He stressed a particular change that he, as a former law enforcement officer, wants to see that would allow schools to be able to end employment and certification for teachers who are doing things they shouldnt be doing. Assembling a team That start in law enforcement included serving as a deputy to Sheriff Charlie Simmons in Polk County. How much did that shape who he is today? It was a privilege to work for Charlie Simmons, he said. It really was. Charlie, in all respect to him, was probably a sheriff out of his time (or at least near the end of that time). Things were changing. He was an old-time sheriff like you wanted. Because what was right was right, what was wrong was wrong. If you were a good person, Charlie would let you live your life; if you were a bad person and he got called, you probably were going to know that he was at your house. Parson said he appreciated that experience and the opportunity that came along later to be an agent of change, when the retiring Simmons encouraged him to run for the job. Looking back on my career, it was an honor to work for him, Parson said. His military background also prepared him for that step in his life, the opportunity to modernize the department. You truly realize the importance of teamwork (in the military), he said. Its mission driven. All of a sudden you have a commander come in, whether it be a captain or a major or even at some point generals, who just required that respect when they walked in the room. You knew this guy was the real guy, the real deal. And you knew he was going to make change and it was going to be for the better. When I got elected sheriff I had that opportunity and I took everything that had I learned, and I thought, OK, Im really going to become different. How do you really become different? The one thing I learned early on is you get good people around you. And I think you have to know your weaknesses. Those are things we dont like to talk about, especially in politics. You dont want to go out there and tell the public, Well, Im a little weak here and Im a little weak there. But if you want to be a true leader, go get the people that do have those skills and put them to work for you. Thats the secret of success to me. He likened it to assembling his transition team as governor. Im trying to get the best people I can around me, that I think are the best qualified. He said he doesnt want people who are going to slap him on the back and tell him how wonderful he is as governor. He wants them to join him in going to work to determine the mission and then executing it. NetRate Systems, an Okemos, Michigan-based workflow platform for commercial insurance, raised a funding round of undisclosed amount. Polaris Partners made the investment. In conjunction with the deal, Dan Lombard, a partner at Polaris Partners, will be joining NetRates board of directors. The company will use the proceeds for continued expansion. Founded by David and Karen Jordan and led by Paul Areida, recently appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, NetRate Systems provides a SaaS rating engine and workflow platform for commercial insurance. The company focuses on serving managing general agents (MGAs), program administrators and insurance carriers, who use the platform daily to rate, quote, and bind policies. Additionally, the solution generates data analytics and reporting that allows clients to track key business metrics and meet complex regulatory reporting requirements. NetRate Systems products include nationwide rating of ISO-based General Liability, Property, Commercial Auto, BOP, Crime, and Inland Marine, as well as NCCI Workers Comp. NetRate also offers custom development of all lines of business. FinSMEs 08/06/2018 Could not establish database connection. DB: bostonimc and SQL: --> The administrator has been notified and will resolve the problem ASAP. . , . - , , . , ... 080618NRI ASKED TO ORGANIZE SIMILAR CONFERENCES ON BOUGAINVILLE New Dawn FM NEWS The ABG President Chief DR.JOHN MOMIS has asked the National Research Institute to plan and organize similar Referendum Conferences as the one that ended in Port Moresby yesterday. President MOMIS said independent organizations such as the NRI can organize similar conferences in pidgin so that many people can participate really understand the Referendum. He said the Conference has been successful but if organized on Bougainville especially in the three centres of Buka, Arawa and Buin more people especially ordinary people can participate in. President MOMIS presentations by researchers provided facts and figures which are important and people can really understand. He made these remarks when talking live on FM 100 and EMTV in Port Moresby today. President Momis also answered questions from listeners who called on the Bougainville Referendum and on how Bougainville is preparing for the referendum that will be conducted next year. One caller who called from Port Moresby wanted the ABG to involve more youths in the referendum awareness as it will be their future that will be decided at the Referendum. Ends Samsung has introduced 2018 editions of Galaxy J3 and Galaxy J7 smartphones in the U.S. The phones come with 5-inch and 5.5-inch HD displays, respectively. The J3 comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera with f/1.9 aperture and a 5-megapixel front camera. The company did not reveal any other specifications of the smartphone, but a recent Geekbench listing reveals that the phone will be powered by Quad-Core Exynos 7570 14nm SoC with 2GB RAM, but the battery capacity is still a mystery. The new Galaxy J7 will feature a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/1.7 aperture and the front camera also has a 13-megapixel sensor with f/1.9 aperture. Other specifications are not available yet. Samsung Galaxy J3 (2018) specifications 5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display 1.4GHz Quad-Core Exynos 7570 14nm processor with Mali-T720 MP1 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD Android 8.0 (Oreo) Dual SIM 8MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.9 aperture 5MP front-facing camera, f/2.2 aperture 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, GPS The Galaxy J3 (2018) and Galaxy J7 (2018) will be available in the U.S. starting early June, says Samsung. Back in March @evleaks said that the Galaxy J3 (SM-J337A) and Galaxy J7 (SM-J337V) will head to Verizon as the Samsung Galaxy J7 Aero and Samsung Galaxy J3 Eclipse 2, respectively. We should wait for few more days to find out all the details, including the price. Source A coalition of 25 breweries from across the UK and Ireland have kick started a campaign today calling on world leaders to make concrete commitments to tackle the climate... Read More Image: Shutterstock Mid and smallcap stocks that provided handsome returns in 2017 lost some sheen in 2018 as investors lost over Rs 6 lakh crore. Aggregate marketcapitalisation of the BSE Smallcap and Midcap indices slipped Rs 4.6 lakh crore and Rs 1.7 lakh crore, respectively.In terms of returns, the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices saw a cut of 11 percent and over 14 percent so far in 2018, compared to an over 1 percent return in the Sensex.Stocks in the midcap space that lost the most in 2018 include: Reliance Communications, Adani Power, Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Ajanta Pharma and Bharat Electronics. The same in the smallcap space include: Vakrangee, Gitanjali Gems, SRS, Electrosteel Steels, Orient Paper & Industries.A number of factors - resignation of auditors, Securities and Exchange Board of India reclassification of mutual fund schemes and BSE's surveillance mechanism on over 100 stocks - are weighing on BSE Mid and Smallcap stocks. Apart from that, high valuations, relentless selling by foreign institutional investors and failure of earnings to catch up are some of the key factors that led to a sharp correction in the mid and smallcap space.The bull phase of CY17 provided an impetus for broader shares under the small and midcap segment to generate staggering returns for investors. Riding on this euphoria, many smallcap stocks that rose up to 174 percent or more recently came under selling pressure, Dinesh Rohira, Founder & CEO, 5nance.com, said.He cited mismatch between valuations and fundamentals as prime reason for the sell-off as earnings were not able to justify the valuation level'. It was also partially aided by SEBI's reclassification of mutual fund schemes which played a role in price correction through a churning, he said.Correction in broader market further led to a margin call on scrips, thus denting overall market sentiment, which translated into further selling.Going forward, investors will be better off investing in companies from the small & midcap space that are displaying earnings visibility and growth momentum.Here is a list of ten mid- and smallcap stocks from various global brokerage firms that can return 16-71 percent in the next one year:Citigroup maintain a buy rating on JSPL with a 12-month target of Rs 401. The steel business is doing well in Q1FY19. The Angul plant is ramping up fast which is a positive sign for the company. The Direct-reduced iron (DRI), also called sponge iron plant is likely to start in July 2018.Coal supply situation has improved, and the company is now looking to sign short-term PPAs, said the report. Valuation with improving cash flows and EBITDA appear quite attractive.Jefferies maintain buy on HEG and Graphite India which have risen sharply in the last one year. The global investment bank has a buy rating on HEG with a target of Rs 4,400 which translates into a return of 38 percent. For Graphite, the target is set at 1275, which translates into gains of nearly 60 percent.The demand supply tightness continues which led to higher realisations. New contracts are signed at higher prices hinting strong Q1FY19, said the global investment bank.Jefferies remains positive on Graphite electrode sector. Both HEG and Graphite are trading at cheap valuations providing good buying opportunity to buy.CLSA maintains a buy recommendations on Apollo Hospitals with a target price of Rs 1,500. Execution is key in FY19 for Apollo Hospitals. CLSA expects Apollo to achieve 20 percent EBITDA growth. New hospitals are also witnessing good traction.Deutsche Bank maintains a buy call on Thermax with a 12-month target price of Rs 1,350. The company has decided to enter new segments to devolatilise revenue.The company is also looking to enter into process cooling, commercial sector, rooftop solar, and industrial segment. It also plans to expand rooftop solar biz to developed markets after 18-24 months.CLSA maintains a buy rating on Torrent Pharma with a target price of Rs 1,610. Strengthening of India franchise keeps us positive despite EPS cut.The global investment bank expects to gain steam in FY19 along with its synergy with Unichem. It looks like the US sales have bottomed out, and Europe is holding strong while Brazil faces headwinds in FY19.The global investment bank retains revenue and Ebitda estimates for FY19-20CL.CLSA maintains a buy rating on Dish TV with a target price of Rs 100. The management reiterated merger synergy of Rs 5 billion in FY19. The globalinvestment bank sees 10 percent Ebitda Cagr over FY19-21 CL. However, ongoing open offer caps downside risk.Citigroup maintains a buy rating on Prestige Estates with a target price of Rs 325. The new launches is likely to keep pace of sales going and boost revenues.HSBC maintains a buy rating on Escorts with a 12-month target price of Rs 1,150. The growth momentum remains intact. The margins are likely to improve across all businesses, said the globel investment bank. Increasing captive financing is a key positive for Escorts.CLSA maintains a buy recommendation on NCC with a 12-month target price of Rs 160. The global investment bank sees several years of growth visibility. It has forecasted a 20 percent EPS CAGR over FY18-20. The guidance is robust with co expecting 45 percent topline growth in FY19.The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.Original Source: Vail Resorts has announced that it is buying Crested Butte Mountain Resort and two other resorts from the Mueller family, making The Butte its fifth Colorado ski resort along with Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone. Vail will be paying the Muellers $82 million to acquire Triple Peaks LLC, which owns Crested Butte, Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont and Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire, while also providing Triple Peaks $155 million to pay off leases owed to another resort company, Ski Resort Holdings. In a separate deal, Vail will pay $67 million to acquire the Stevens Pass ski area in Washington state. VRs Epic Pass will be good at Crested Butte and its other new acquisitions next season. Vail Resorts chief executive Rob Katz said adding value to the Epic Pass was a key reason driving the new acquisitions. I think with Crested Butte, we feel like it is one of the most unique resorts within Colorado the history, the original town and the mining component of it, kind of western feel, and the terrain, Katz said in an interview. I think the terrain at Crested Butte is some of most challenging in the state, and I think there is a kind of authenticity to the town and how the town and the mountain interact. From what weve heard from a lot of our (Epic Pass holders), this is something that would really interest them. Were pretty excited. We feel like, and obviously this is true for all of the resorts, each one really occupies a particular spot which fills a niche for us. VR also announced that it would invest $35 million over the next two years to improve its new holdings. The sale is expected to close this summer. Triple Peaks is owned by Tim and Dianne Mueller and their two children. They bought Crested Butte from longtime owner Edward Calloway in 2003. We know our guests and employees will benefit from Vail Resorts outstanding track record of resort and community investment, environmental stewardship, and employee development, Tim Mueller said in a news release. We care deeply about the legacy of these resorts, and have absolute confidence in Vail Resorts to celebrate what makes them so special, while also providing long-term stability for the communities. After the sale was announced, the Muellers wrote an open letter to the people of Crested Butte. Here is a part of that letter: While some of you may think we have only considered ourselves in this decision, this could not be farther from the truth. We have entered into this transaction with the best intentions for the ski area, our fellow employees, and the valley. If we did not think this was going to bring more opportunity for the resort in the years to come, we would not have made this decision. Our goal has never been to make Crested Butte the biggest, but to make it the best and we feel Vail Resorts is poised to do just that. With that said, it is obvious that Vail Resorts will do some things differently than us. We hope you will be open to their approach and give them the opportunity to prove their good intentions. If you live by the motto Mopar or no car and are in need of a new ride, you may want to head to South Dakota this weekend. VanDerBrink Auctions will be sending dozens of Dodge and Plymouth vehicles, plus a few Chevys and Cadillacs, across the block that were owned by Mopar fanatic Alan Rietz, who passed away late last year. Rietzs wife Linda told Old Cars Weekly that many of the vehicles are rescues that Alan bought so they wouldnt end up getting modified into dirt track racers, or entered into a demolition derby. The collection is largely comprised of Nixon-era muscle cars in varying conditions, and includes a rare 1970 Plymouth Road Runner convertible that Linda used as a daily driver, a numbers-matching 1970 Dodge Super Bee 440 6-pack and a 1976 Plymouth Trailduster SUV. The newest of the Chrysler Corporation cars is a 1983 Dodge Mirada convertible with snazzy red velvet upholstery that looks as bright as the day it came off the factory floor, but its weathered paint hasnt fared as well. There are also a few Dodge Power Wagons and Ramchargers, and a 1961 Jeep-based wrecker that could come in handy removing your purchase from the lot. The unique auction is being held on Reitz property in Mansfield on June 9 starting at 9 am. FOLLOW FOX NEWS AUTOS ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE CLASSIC CAR STORIES The best-selling motorized vehicle of all time will soon be sold in the United Sates. Honda has announced the return of the Super Cub motorcycle to the American market, where it was last offered as the Passport in 1983. Over 100 million Super Cubs have been sold worldwide since it was introduced in 1958. It was advertised in the 1960s with the slogan You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda, which became one of the most famous from the Mad Men-era. The latest version is a 125cc model with a four-speed transmission, automatic clutch and modern anti-lock brakes. It still features the Super Cubs signature step-through design and comes standard as a single-seater with a storage rack over the rear fender, but can be outfitted for two passengers instead. ARE YOU FOLLOWING FOX NEWS AUTOS ON FACEBOOK YET? Honda says it will be priced at $3,599 when it goes on sale in January, and will initially only be available in a red, white and blue color scheme. Honda currently builds the Super Cub at 15 locations around the world. Along with the Super Cub, Honda is also bringing back a new version of another classic called the Monkey. Based on the popular Grom mini-motorcycle, the Monkey is another 125 cc that features 1970s-inspired styling, with chrome bumpers, exhaust shield and a retro Honda logo. The Monkey will be available in Banana Yellow or red and is scheduled to hit dealers this fall, starting at $3,999, with ABS a $200 option. Chris Rock isnt loving the idea of Barack and Michelle Obama working with Netflix. The comedian told the Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Wednesday that he doesnt want the former president and first lady making their money on Netflix. "I don't want to live in a world where President Obama is worried about his Rotten Tomatoes score," Rock said. "I want him above that at all times. He added, Make your money, but I don't want [him] to be involved with that." Rock, who also has his own Netflix deal reportedly worth $40 million, said he would just send them over to Donald Glover for advice. "That's what I'd do." OBAMAS SIGN MULTIYEAR NETFLIX DEAL TO PRODUCE SHOWS AND FILMS The streaming service revealed in late May that the Obamas entered into a multiyear agreement to produce new films and shows with Netflix. The couple wants to produce a diverse mix of content, including a potential scripted series, an unscripted series, a docu-series, documentaries and features, according to a Netflix press release about the deal. The couple also established Higher Ground Productions, which will serve as the entity under which they will produce content for Netflix. One of the simple joys of our time in public service was getting to meet so many fascinating people from all walks of life, and to help them share their experiences with a wider audience, said former President Obama in a statement. NETFLIX'S POLITICS UNDER FRESH SCRUTINY AFTER EXCLUSIVE DEAL WITH OBAMAS TO PRODUCE CONTENT The comedian isnt the only person criticizing the couple. The announcement ignited the #BoycottNetflix and #CancelNetflix trending topics on Twitter, where users slammed Netflix over its announcement it was bringing on the Obamas. Jonathan Tobin wrote in the New York Post that the Obamas Netflix deal shows that former presidents and first ladies are cashing in on their time at the White House. Now former presidents are treated like dowager empresses to whom the nation owes not merely deference but a living in spite of the fact that their status as an ex-commander in chief has become an ATM machine with no withdrawal limits, Tobin wrote. Fox News Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report. Its been 25 years since Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss became one of the most notorious women in America. The now-52-year-old, who managed an upscale prostitution ring that catered to the rich and famous, was arrested in 1993 and charged with five counts of pandering. However, it was her infamous black book, which contained the names of her famous clients, that immediately stirred headlines. The case went to trial and a jury convicted her on three counts, which resulted in a three-year sentence. The conviction was overturned in 1996, but a federal tax-evasion case the following year resulted in a 20-month stint in a California prison. But these days, Fleiss life is completely different from her time running a stable of 500 girls born and raised in Beverly Hills for clients willing to dish out $1,500 a night. The Hollywood Reporter revealed Thursday shes currently residing in the outskirts of Pahrump, Nevada with dozens of exotic birds. And she wouldnt have it any other way. That didnt cross my mind until you mentioned it, Fleiss told the magazine about the 25th anniversary of her arrest. I feel like this: Everything in my life even my f--- ups, and theres been a ton of them everything worked out right because it led to exactly where I am right now. Most people would think Im a kook, because my heart goes out to the captive macaws. "I think every day in prison was important because it made me realize how awful it would be if someone forced you to live your entire life inside a box. And thats what happened to these captive macaws. Its not a popular subject matter. They need someone whos a little bit kooky like me to stand up for them. Fleiss recalled when Charlie Sheen testified in court and revealed he spent $53,000 a year on her services. However, she had a completely different recollection of his bill. On the stand he said a much lower amount than he actually spent with me, she claimed. He probably spent closer to $300,000 or $400,000 on girls. Fleiss shared that while she hasnt stayed in touch with Sheen since the trial and isnt friendly with him, she still likes the actor. I like that he just does what he wants and he pays for women, she explained. But I think its terrible they blackmailed him [over his HIV diagnosis]. "Big deal. Its not like AIDS is a deadly disease anymore. Its better than having asthma. You just take a medication. Diabetes is worse than AIDS. It just has a stigma attached to it, but its not a big thing. Fleiss also got candid about her ex, actor Tom Sizemore, whom she previously accused of domestic violence. People Magazine reported he was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to 17 months in jail. We had done those drug addiction shows together Dr. Drew, she said. Afterward we were friendly and he called me every now and then. Hed act like he had his stuff together. But it was all a lie. Everything is a lie. I brought him to a Humane Society event at Paramount Studios last year. He was just such a mess. So out of it. He stole money from my purse. Hes such a drug addict because hes so afraid of being fat. . Thats what his addiction is about. Its all narcissism. Its gross. I guess after #MeToo, some reporters were calling me about Tom touching a prepubescent girl like an 11-year-old little girl inappropriately. I dont know what to say. I dont know if that really happened. If it did, he should be castrated. That is so disgusting to me. Fleiss admitted she still struggles with her own addiction but is hopeful about what the future holds with her newfound passion. Its tough because Ill be doing so well, said Fleiss. And I dont know what will make me flip Sometimes Im really glad that Im here. We all have a lot of pain. And I really hurt for these birds. I wish I can do more for them. I know Ill never be able to help all of them, but maybe if I could just create a place where, when people dont want them, they can live out their lives without a cage. "Sons of Anarchy"' actor Alan O'Neill has died. He was 47. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office told Fox News that O'Neill, whose legal name is Michael Alan O'Neill, was found dead at a residence in Toluca Lake, Calif. on Wednesday at around 6 p.m. PDT. A rep for O'Neill confirmed to People magazine that the actor has died and that his girlfriend found him unconscious at her apartment on Wednesday. According to TMZ, O'Neill, who starred as Hugh on the FX series from 2013 to 2014, had heart problems and was a heavy smoker. He also reportedly had a history of "alcohol and drug abuse." However, no official cause of death was immediately released. According to TMZ, "no foul play is suspected" and an autopsy will be performed. Along with appearing in "Sons of Anarchy," the Irish-born actor, who started his career in the '90s, played Keith McGrath in "My Fair City" and had a role in Pierce Brosnan's 2016 film, "Urge." He also was set to appear in the upcoming horror film "Charlie Lives: The Family's Return." Anthony Bourdain traveled the world, bringing into American homes cuisine and cultures otherwise undiscovered. From working in a Massachusetts seafood restaurant to eating a still-beating cobra heart in Saigon, Bourdains career took him to places many adventure-seekers and wanderlusts only dream of. Bourdain, who was 61, was found dead Friday from an apparent suicide. "It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain," CNN said in a statement. "His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time." Read on for a look at Bourdains storied career. The beginning Anthony Bourdains first job was a dishwasher in Massachusetts, he told The Boston Globe. I was sharing a house in Provincetown one summer with a bunch of friends from high school. I was not contributing to the rent, and everybody I was living with was working in seasonal jobs at restaurants either as cooks or floor staff, he said. One night they just said, we need a dishwasher and its going to be you, since you are not contributing to the rent. So I got started as a dishwasher and fell in love with the whole business and the whole subculture. Bourdain dropped out of Vassar College after two years to pursue a career in the culinary world. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1978 and from there went on to work in various restaurant kitchens, including One Fifth Avenue and Sullivan's. His big break came when he was appointed executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles in 1998. A book deal Bourdains first book, "Kitchen Confidential," was published in 2000. He told The Boston Globe that the best-seller stemmed from an article he wrote for The New Yorker. He wrote several more best sellers after that. Television career Bourdain first reveled to Food Network viewers with the show A Cooks Tour. Bourdain traveled the world, teaching his viewers about local cuisine and restaurants. The show ran from 2002 to 2003. Next came No Reservations on the Travel Channel, where Bourdain traveled the world with his viewers from 2005 to 2012. In 2013, Bourdain joined CNN for Parts Unknown. For more than a decade, Anthony Bourdain has been a trailblazer in educating Americans about different cuisines and cultures around the world, as well as an outspoken commentator on social trends ranging from the rise of celebrity chefs to the impact of fast- food chains to the spread of vegetarianism and veganism, CNNs executive vice president and managing editor Mark Whitaker said at the time. Dinner with the president in Vietnam Bourdain dined with then-President Barack Obama in Hanoi. The meeting with Obama was kept a complete secret even from CNN, Bourdain said. We had been talking for nearly a year. It was very, very closely held, Bourdain told Politico. CNN did not know, the camera people did not know. Only a very tight group at [production company] Zero Point Zero, my partners, me and very few people at the White House. It was very closely held." At the dinner, Bourdain praised Obama for being on point with how he used his chopsticks. The table where they ate was preserved by the restaurant in a glass case. Highlight of his career Bourdain recently traveled to Hong Kong in what he called the professional highlight of his career in an interview with CNNs Anderson Cooper. Fox News' Sasha Savitsky contributed to this report. Anthony Bourdain spoke about having "things to live for" and feeling "reasonably happy" in what would be one of his final in-depth interviews before his death. The celebrity chef was found dead of an apparent suicide early Friday morning in his hotel room in France. He was 61. Bourdain told People in February he felt "some responsibility" to "at least try to live" after welcoming daughter, Ariane, now 11, with ex-wife Ottavia Busia in 2007. "I also do feel I have things to live for," Bourdain said. The food writer revealed he had contemplated suicide several times. "There have been times, honestly, in my life that I figured, Ive had a good run why not just do this stupid thing, this selfish thing jump off a cliff into water of indeterminate depth,'" Bourdain told the magazine. He added, "In retrospect, I dont know that I would do that today now that Im a dad or reasonably happy." Bourdain dismissed the idea of retirement and said he expected to die while working. The chef was in France to film an episode of his show when he apparently took his own life. Ive tried. I just think Im just too nervous, neurotic, driven, he said of retirement. I would have had a different answer a few years ago. I might have deluded myself into thinking that Id be happy in a hammock or gardening. But no, Im quite sure I cant. He then added, Im going to pretty much die in the saddle. The outspoken star also spoke about being the happiest he's ever been after meeting "somebody really strong." He was likely referencing his girlfriend, Italian actress Asia Argento, who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault in Ronan Farrow's expose in October. "[I am] happy in ways that I have not been in memory...[and] "happy in ways I didnt think I ever would be, for sure," he said in February. He also praised Argento in an interview last week. He raved about working with his girlfriend on his show, "Parts Unknown." He told Indie Wire in the interview published June 3: Look, anytime I can get work out of Asia even random suggestions... thats a huge help to the show, he said. Id love to have her a continuing director. I just dont think we can afford her. But, my God, Id love nothing more than to repeat the experience. She made it incredible. While speaking with People earlier this year, Bourdain went into detail about his struggle with being a recovering drug and alcohol user. "I was a heroin addict, for sure, and I was a cocaine addict, for sure," he told People. "I never stopped drinking, even after." He continued: "I think my last years working in the restaurant industry, I was definitely drinking too much because alcohol was around me at all times and you were under tremendous stress and people were willing to give you alcohol for free." Bourdain admitted he had led a dangerous life at times. He said he visited places that were unsafe. I was, frankly, asking for trouble," he recalled. "It was a daredevil move. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). In the far-flung corners of the Earth, where dishes exist that many may not have heard of, Anthony Bourdain was always there sampling food and showing the world what could be eaten. The celebrity chef-turned TV host ended his life Friday by hanging himself in a France hotel while filming an episode for an upcoming season of Parts Unknown, CNN announced. In light of his death, here are three things to know about the TV host: He once railed against vegetarians and veganism Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn, Bourdain wrote in his book Kitchen Confidential. The chef loved all kinds of food, but to him, staples like meat and cheese he could not imagine being without. To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living, he said. Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food, Bourdain added. His girlfriend accused Harvey Weinstein of raping her Bourdains girlfriend at the time of his death, Italian actress Asia Argento, had told the New Yorker that the disgraced Hollywood mogul had sexually assaulted her at a hotel in the French Riviera in 1997. Weinstein terrified me, and he was so big, she told the magazine, adding that he pulled her skirt up and performed oral sex on her despite her pleading for him to stop. It wouldnt stop. It was a nightmare. When the New Yorker article was published on October 10 last year, Bourdain showed his support for Argento. "I am proud and honored to know you. You just did the hardest thing in the world," he posted on Twitter. He didnt have a savings account until he was 44 Bourdain revealed in 2017 that he was constantly in debt until he published Kitchen Confidential, which ended up clearing the way for his lucky break into the television world and the cash that came with it. "I don't want to sound like Im bragging about this, but the sad fact is, until 44 years of age, I never had any kind of savings account," Bourdain said in an interview with WealthSimple. "Id always been under the gun. Id always owed money. I'd always been selfish and completely irresponsible." Bourdain said after publishing the book, his career change set his life on a different path. Once I did that risky thing, leaving the only profession I knew to become a professional writer and TV guy, I was, and continue to be, very careful about the decisions I make every day, he said. That was really the first time I started thinking about saving money. About not finding myself in that terrifying space, that uncertainty that goes back to childhood. Richard Stratton will never forget the time he was locked up behind bars with mob boss John Gotti. The writer and filmmaker was convicted in 1982 under the kingpin statue of conspiracy to import marijuana and hashish and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He is currently the executive producer and director of a new A&E documentary based on a April 2010 article he wrote for Playboy about the Teflon Don and his son, John Gotti Jr. But back in 1983, he found himself face to face with Gotti inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center. I kept hearing a lot about John Gotti, Stratton told Fox News. All the mob bosses were there at the time because [Rudy] Giuliani was creating a big case against them at that time In fact, his right-hand guy was there. "I remembered they arrested John and he impressed, even in a jumpsuit. He took the time to introduce himself to me, shake my hand and call me Richie Most mob guys are grumpy. Theyre not outgoing or friendly. But John was the opposite. He was always smiling, happy, telling jokes and waving to people. He seemed to be enjoying what was happening to him. But Strattons documentary, titled Gotti: Godfather & Son, doesnt focus on his encounter with the leader of the Gambino crime family. Instead, it takes place in 1999 when then-35-year-old Junior spoke to his dying father for the last time at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, MO. It was during this meeting when Junior asked his father for his blessing to take the unprecedented steps of quitting what might have been one of the last of the major mafia dynasties. The documentary features never-before-seen segments from the 90-minute video of that final visit, as well as a first-hand account from Junior. It also highlights interviews with Gottis other children Peter and Angel and former FBI agents, among others. Stratton, who was contracted by Playboy to cover Juniors fourth racketeering trial in New York City, said he kept hearing about the recording, which could have proved whether Junior was still involved with the mafia or not. Gotti was such a high-profile inmate that every visit he had was required to be videotaped. Stratton managed to get access to the tape for his story and still believes it sheds new insight into the father and son confrontation. It was very difficult for him to ask his father permission to leave [the lifestyle], said Stratton. His father wasnt happy about it. In the tape, you can see his father basically ripping through Junior. Wheres your dignity? Wheres your manhood? But then he changes at a certain point. He becomes a father, instead of the godfather and the boss of the Gambino family. He understand that the life he led can go one or two ways. You die in prison or you die on the street. Gotti passed away in 2002 at age 61 from throat cancer. In the tape, an emotional Junior is seen breaking down at the sight of his father. Gotti, who was once hailed as the charismatic Dapper Don who favored $2,000 suits and hand-painted floral silk ties, was struck by the deadly disease that resulted in parts of his jaw being reportedly gone. You can see [Junior] crying when he sees his father and how hes basically disfigured by cancer, said Stratton. But even with cancer, his father is making jokes about it. Hes talking about how he had half of his face removed, how he had some muscle taken off and put on his face. Hes like, Yeah, I told your mother I dont even have tits anymore. Still, Stratton noted Junior was brave for coming forward and asking his father for closure, an alleged code word for leaving the mob. His father wasnt happy, said Stratton. But whats interesting is you really see the father change He said, John, if this is what you want to do, youre your own man. But they will never leave you alone. The government will never accept it. You think theyre going to stop if you plead guilty? Theyll just bring another case. And another case. And when his father died, Junior said, I could still hear my fathers words ringing in my ear. John, theyre never going to leave you alone. And Junior went to trial four times after that. His father foretold Juniors future. Junior, who idolized his celebrity father from the time he was a child, was raised to follow in the dominating patriarchs footsteps. But in the documentary, Junior admitted he didnt want to suffer from a similar fate and instead, yearned to be a hands-on parent to his own children. Why did he want to leave? I think it becomes obvious, said Stratton. The life his father chose was not for him. He didnt really like it. Didnt want it. Didnt want to be a part of it. He was drawn into it because of who his dad was. He wanted to go into the military and be a different kind of person. "But he got captured by the life. Spending time with his father, hanging out at a the social club every day, meeting all these guys, and his father was a huge celebrity. He said his father was an easy person to idolize. That drew him into it. But when his father went to prison, I dont think there was anything left that [Junior] wanted. Gotti was ultimately convicted in 1992 for murder and racketeering. But Stratton said Junior had an epiphany when he attended a family gathering. He remembers going to an event and seeing all the women, said Stratton. All the men were either dead or in prison He looked around and felt that if he led the life Gotti had, there was going to be a lot of pain. He didnt want that. He wanted to be a dad to his kids. He wanted to be a very involved father. He wanted to be an uncle to his nephews and nieces. Stratton noted Junior could have easily waited for his terminally ill father to pass away and officially leave the mafia world behind. However, Junior didnt want to disappoint his father to the very end. I think that really proves the kind of man Junior is, said Stratton. All he had to do was wait until his father died. He could have said, Im not going to fight against everything he stands for. He was very nervous and tense about asking permission from his father And to say to his father, who was dying of throat cancer in prison, Dad this is your life, but this is not my life. I want out. That struck me as being very brave. Some of the FBI agents interviewed for the documentary still believe Junior never left the mob. Some even claimed that both father and son must have acted out the dramatic scene for the courtroom. But Stratton insisted Junior was telling the truth. Some believe the only way you quit is to become an informant, said Stratton. But Junior doesnt think so. He chose to leave that life And based on what we know, he left. We cant find any involvement in any criminal activity He chose his blood family over the mafia family." "Gotti: Father and Son" premieres Saturday, June 9 at 10 p.m. on A&E. MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace is under fire for making a derogatory comment Thursday about first lady Melania Trump and first daughter Ivanka, asking if they are dead inside or simply being paid off. On her show "Deadline: White House" Wallace pondered how women close to the president cope with the ongoing allegations surrounding adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had a consensual sexual encounter with Trump over a decade ago (Trump denies the allegation). Are they just the most stoic human beings, are they numb, are they dead inside, are they paid off, I mean, whats their deal? Wallace asked. The comment was immediately panned across social media and by conservative commentators. Political commentator Britt McHenry told Fox News that feminists and liberal women champion womens rights, unless those women disagree with their politics. This is yet another example, McHenry said. Ivanka and Melania cant win with the media. If they show too much emotion, theyre not taking the White House serious enough. If they dont show much emotion, apparently now theyre stoic and cold. Independent Womens Forum senior editor Charlotte Hays sarcastically asked, Does Ivanka Trump, who had a successful business career before joining her father's administration, strike you as dead inside?" Hays continued, "what about Melania Trump, who valiantly rises above it all, even when the media pursues her with baseless tales of domestic abuse, because she had had the nerve to withdraw from the public eye long enough to recuperate from kidney surgery? Is there any evidence that our gracious first lady is dead inside?" One Twitter user responded to the video by saying Wallace needs help, calling it a dark conversation. McHenry said that American people see through Wallaces comments as petty and inconsequential. Perhaps, someone doesnt like the Trump family. But its becoming easy for people to pick sides that the media has drawn when outlets like that continue to be unnecessarily salacious and cruel, McHenry said. Earlier this week, President Trump sent a tweet regarding widespread media speculation over first lady Melania Trumps recent absence from the public eye after treatment for a kidney condition. The Fake News Media has been so unfair, and vicious, to my wife and our great First Lady, Melania. During her recovery from surgery they reported everything from near death, to facelift, to left the W.H. (and me) for N.Y. or Virginia, to abuse. All Fake, she is doing really well! Trump tweeted. Wallace wasnt the only MSNBC host to make outlandish comments about the Trump family in the past 24 hours. On Friday, Stephanie Ruhle questioned if President Trump was prepared to meet North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un by bringing up a variety of incidents, alleged and otherwise, while ignoring his entire political and business resumes. When trying to determine what had prepared Trump for the upcoming meeting, she asked, When you appeared in a Playboy softcore porn movie? Was it when you body-slammed Vince McMahon, the head of the World Wrestling Federation? Or, was it when you were leaking information, when you were disguising yourself as your own PR guy, talking to tabloids about what a great lover you were? Police are looking for a group of more than a dozen diners who allegedly tried to smoke marijuana inside a restaurant before causing a scene and walking out on the $420 bill. The incident happened Sunday night at Fridas Mexican Restaurante in Memphis, Tennessee, WREG reported. The group of 16 came in at 10:30 pm, a half an hour before closing. "They came in at the last minute," Fridas manager Jesse Gonzalez told WREG. "We didnt think anything of it. MCDONALD'S MANAGER CAUGHT ON CAMERA YELLING, CURSING AT CUSTOMER According to Gonzalez, the group ordered some of the most expensive things on the menu: $11 margaritas and the Fridas special burrito. "The grand burritos, Fridas special steak, steak and shrimp, he said to WREG. Soon after, the bartender said he noticed an odd smell coming from the group. "It was just one guy smoking weed. We asked him to stop. I guess he was the leader of the group and he made a scene, Gonzalez said. Gonzalez told WREG that the group got mad and started berating the staff. "They started getting louder and louder, getting upset, yelling offenses to the server, saying come on, come on, he said. After the blow up, the group left the table and exited the restaurant one by one. Gonzalez says one of the customers pushed a waiter in the stairwell on the way out. Two women reportedly stayed behind to finish their drinks while ignoring wait staff. They each then left, leaving behind a $420 restaurant bill. Gonzalez said he was shocked by the walk out, but thinks it was planned. "Our walkouts are (usually because) they forgot to pay or theyll come back next day. Major walkouts like that, thats our first and biggest one, he said. "You dont think they're gonna do that, especially on a Sunday night," he added. "One guy got them all riled up at the same time." FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Gonzalez said he is relieved his workers were not hurt, but hopes the police catch all involved. U.S. diplomats in China are facing a case of deja vu as several Americans who work at the consulate in the country are being plagued by a mysterious illness with symptoms that are eerily similar to those that officials first reported in Cuba back in 2016. The State Department has already evacuated a handful of government employees. And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Tuesday that he has established a task force to investigate the "unexplained health incidents" overseas. "At this time, 24 U.S. government personnel and family members who served in Cuba have been medically-confirmed as having symptoms and clinical findings similar to those noted following concussion or minor traumatic brain injury," Pompeo said in an online statement. On May 16, medical officials confirmed an American government employee serving in China had similar symptoms, though U.S. officials can not expand on the injuries nor can they definitively establish a connection between the health scare in China versus Cuba. The Guangzhou consulate reported last month that a worker reported experiencing "subtle and vague, but abnormal, sensations of sound and pressure." The New York Times identified the latest American to evacuate the area as security engineering officer Mark A. Lenzi. Lenzi suffered in recent months from what he called "neurological symptoms." The U.S. government said the incidents in Cuba were "specific attacks" on American workers. While the U.S. has yet to publicly declare a cause or reveal who's responsible, many believe the sound-related health problems are a result of sonic weapons. Here's what we know so far about the mystery illness that targets the brain. What are the symptoms? Symptoms have included dizziness, sleep abnormalities, headaches and an inability to concentrate. Most of the victims in Cuba experienced "cognitive, balance, hearing, oculomotor dysfunction, or all 4, as well as sleep impairment and headaches," according to University of Pennsylvania Center for Brain Injury and Repair researchers, who studied 21 of the 24 US government personnel living in Havana at the time of the "attacks" and published their findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association in March. Many also said they heard loud "buzzing," piercing squeals or humming on top of experiencing a variety of sensory-related issues such as intense pressure or vibrations similar to something you'd feel while "inside a moving car with the windows partially rolled down," the study explains. How long does the illness last? The majority of those studied said they were still experiencing side effects after at least three months. More than 80 percent said they still had cognitive issues upon returning from Cuba. "They don't have as much cognitive reserve," Randel Swanson, a brain rehabilitation specialist at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Brain Injury and Repair who co-authored the study, said. How can high-freqency noise impact hearing? If you're exposed to high-frequency sounds for an extended period of time, then you may damage tissues in your inner ear. "Sounds can be harmful when they are too loud, even for a brief time, or when they are both loud and long-lasting," the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) explains on its website. "These sounds can damage sensitive structures in the inner ear and cause noise-induced hearing loss." The loud noise can "damage or kill the delicate sensory cells called cilia, without any sign until you start to have permanent hearing loss," Dr. Darius Kohan, director of otology and neurotology at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital, told medical site Healthline in August 2017 following the incidents in Cuba. The hair cells the sensory cells in the cochlea almost never come back [if they die]," he added. However, as NIDCD points out, noice-induced hearing loss can be temporary or permanent. Can sound cause brain damage? Sound in the audible range ... is not known to cause persistent injury to the central nervous system," authors of the study wrote, according to The Washington Post. MRIs of the 21 Havana workers didn't detect any brain disorders. Brain imaging showed nonspecific white matter changes in some individuals, but was otherwise unrevealing," the study revealed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Celebrity chef and CNN personality Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room in France of an apparent suicide, the network confirmed Friday. Bourdains CNN colleague Brian Stelter said on-air that Bourdain had hanged himself, just three days after celebrity designer Kate Spade took her life the same way in her New York City apartment, and one day after the CDC released a harrowing study on the rising suicide rates in the U.S. According to the CDC, nearly 45,000 Americans age 10 or older died by suicide in 2016, making it the 10th leading cause of death. The study noted that suicide is rarely caused by a single factor, and found more than half of cases involved a person who did not have a known mental health condition. ANTHONY BOURDAIN'S LIFE IN PICTURES This is a major public health problem but we know that prevention programs work and can be effective in reducing this tragedy, Dr. Anne Schuchat, CDC principal deputy director, told Fox News. Schuchat said the data analyzed revealed a number of factors leading up to death by suicide, including economic woes, relationship issues, substance misuse, physical health problems and others. Firearms were revealed to be the most common method of suicide by those with and without a known mental illness. The highest rise was seen in western states, with an over 57 percent increase recorded in North Dakota. Twenty-five states saw an increase of more than 30 percent. We do see increases in suicide associated with economic downturns, and it can take a long time for the recovery to kick in, Schuchat said. We can see suicide rates improve slower than the economy. The study also comes a day after Netflix announced plans for a third season of its hit series 13 Reasons Why, which focuses on a high schoolers suicide. The show also deals with bullying, rape, gun violence and substance abuse. The series includes content warnings before the start of some episodes, as well as directives to contact suicide hotlines by the series actors. The warnings came after the show was accused of glamorizing suicide. KATE SPADE HUSBAND RELEASES STATEMENT FOLLOWING HER SUICIDE At least one mother has blamed the series for her own daughters suicide attempt. Netflixs CEO defended the companys decision to bring the show back for a third season, citing its popularity and success. Its engaging content, Reed Hastings said, according to Business Insider. It is controversial. But nobody has to watch it. Schuchat said that suicide is a national issue, and that no one community is immune. We saw higher increases among middle-aged people, but we did see increases in younger people and older people essentially every age group other than those over age 75 saw increasing rates of suicide during this time period, Schuchat said. The CDC recommends that states take a comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention, and that everyone remain vigilant about possible warning signs. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). A Canadian mother put out a dire warning for other parents after her 8-month-old daughter underwent emergency surgery to remove pieces of a prickly caterpillar that had gotten stuck to her tongue and cheek. ATTN PARENTS!! Krystal Dawn Pyne posted on May 31. Watch out for those cute fuzzy orange and black caterpillars!! I am currently at the hospital with my 8-month-old daughter after she put a caterpillar in her mouth. Pyne, of Nanaimo, British Columbia, said her daughter Kenzie was outside on the back deck with her 3-year-old brother eating a cookie. Pyne said she had just finished the cookie when she let out a scream. MOM LOSES OVARIES, UTERUS AND TOES AFTER IUD ENDS UP IN STOMACH It was about time for her morning nap and I figured she must be hungry and/or tired so I made her a bottle, Pyne posted. But the infant didnt want anything to do with the bottle and had become inconsolable. As Im trying to figure out what is wrong with her, she had her mouth open while crying and I noticed the inside of her mouth had some blackness to it, she wrote. I figured maybe she got a bug in her mouth so I grabbed a wet cloth to wipe the inside of her mouth, but it wasnt wiping off and the black remained. Pyne said she started to panic and rushed her to a local hospital where a nurse mentioned that her child had gotten black on her mouth while sucking on a caterpillar. Finally the doctor came in and as soon as I mentioned the caterpillar to him, he said that is exactly what it is and all the hairs are stuck to her tongue and the tentacles are fused to her cheek, Pyne posted. The caterpillar was allegedly identified as a silver spotted tiger moth, CBC reported. The hairs can reportedly cause a stinging, burning sensation. Pyne said Kenzie was sedated and rushed via ambulance to another hospital in Victoria, where surgeons removed 98 percent of the caterpillar parts. Microscopic pieces they couldnt get were left behind, she said. She is doing much better, eating and in high spirits. Pyne has since shared that Kenzie has made a full recovery. Wine? Check. Cheese? Check. Chocolate? Check. Dogs and puppies? Check and check. For the past four years, the Canine Companions for Independence New Jersey chapter has held a social event and fundraiser at Old York Cellars in Ringoes, New Jersey. Its a great afternoon to swap stories and training tips with other puppy raisers, graduates and their service dogs. I really wanted to go, and knew Spikes brother, Swain, would be there and those two love to romp around! It would be a great opportunity to highlight some of the other puppy raisers and graduates in this blog, and bring a camera crew to capture it all. Youve heard a lot about Spike, but hes just one of many future superheros in training so lets make this week about Spike and friends! The problem was I still wasnt feeling great, being three weeks out from my thyroidectomy. Im still super tired, have zero energy, and cant talk for extended periods of time as my throat and vocal cords are still sore. The thought of just sleeping all day was really enticing. The other problem was that the winery was a 90-minute drive from my apartment in Brooklyn and you have to drive through Manhattan, which I hate. Oh, and I dont own a car. Luckily, good friends loaned me their car for the weekend, so I could save some money on a rental. And it was a sweet red convertible nonetheless! Spike and I would be styling for our Sunday drive. Unfortunately it was a cold and slightly rainy day, so the top stayed up. The drive was relatively easy, until we were about 5 miles from the venue. Many great things come from New Jersey. Bruce Springsteen. Bon Jovi. Jersey Shore. Taylor ham/pork roll. Did you know even bubble wrap was invented in New Jersey? And pot holes! Theyve got some good ones in Jersey. And I hit one. I was going maybe 40 miles per hour and the car seemed to drive fine. But about a mile before my destination, the engine light comes on. I pull into the winery, the tires dont look bad. Im running a little late, the camera crew is already there, waiting for me, so I get cracking. Im trying to keep Spike as behaved as possible while interviewing the other Canine Companions volunteers and graduates. I was juggling a lot and the husband of one of my fellow puppy raisers offered to help me out with Spike. Id never met him but puppy raisers and their spouses are always willing to give a extra hand. THE DAILY SPIKE: EARLY MORNING PUPPY TRAINING I spent the next two hours filming, interviewing graduates and puppy raisers, and hearing about how Canine Companions has changed their life in a variety of ways. Its always incredibly inspiring to hear the graduates stories about what their dogs do for them. The whole event was really special, but also very exhausting for me. I was ready for the long drive home. As Im heading to pack up the car with two cases of custom #TheDailySpike wine, Mark, the camera guy, tells me Ive got not one, but TWO flat tires. Have you ever had one of those moments where youre completely exhausted, not feeling great, have had a mentally challenging day, and then someone drops some bad news on you and you have no idea how to figure it out? That was Sunday 2 p.m. for me in Ringoes, N.J. Making matters worse? I dont own a car, and dont have triple-A. Mark and the audio guy, Randall, immediately started brainstorming. Neither of them lived in the city, but were more than willing to go ridiculously out of their way to drop me and Spike off there. That incredibly generous offer was so welcomed, but I still needed to deal with my friends car. The first tow company I called said it would cost $129 for the first 10 miles and then $4 per mile for every mile after that and I was 68 miles from home. Im normally pretty good at math, but I was having a hard time computing how much it would cost me to get the car to Brooklyn. "A lot," I figured. THE DAILY SPIKE: THE POWER OF A DOG DURING RECOVERY A bunch of fellow puppy raisers I had just met were loading their dogs and belongings into their cars near me and could see I was struggling. Jane Nagy and Ann and Bob Benson came over, asking if I needed help. I managed to tell them I had two flat tires and couldnt figure out how to get the car back to Brooklyn without taking a second mortgage out on my apartment. So after more brainstorming, Jane offered to use her triple-A membership to get the tow. However, this meant she would have to stay to show her ID when the truck arrives. So Jane, Ann, Bob, and Caryl Swain all stayed and kept me and Spike company. We headed into the wine-tasting room with the dogs. I hadnt had a chance to enjoy the wine as I was filming, and thought I would be driving. So I enjoyed a glass of wine with my new friends and watched the puppies play. They were exhausted, and soon slept on top of one another on the floor. That's the thing about dogs: They become fast friends with their humans and other dogs, and take such comfort being so close to one another. After an hour, Jane gets an update from AAA, and they said they were having trouble finding a tow company because we were so far out and needed to return to the city. After another half hour, they found someone but told me I'd need to wait another hour. I implored my new friends to go home, but they didnt. After almost three hours, the tow truck finally shows. Corey gets right to work and has us all loaded up in no time. Spike and I get ourselves into the passenger side for the long journey home. I found myself quite emotional as Spike and I said goodbye to my friends, who I now call Team Flat Tires. Spike slept almost the whole two-hour drive to the auto shop in Brooklyn. Corey couldnt have been nicer, chatting about Canine Companions and music, and getting snacks from Wawa. (Wawa! one of the great perks of driving through New Jersey.) I couldnt have had a more pleasant tow truck ride and driver for our two-hour journey. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS See, the thing about the people you meet while volunteering with Canine Companions for Independence is that they almost instantly become family. We all have a shared goal, to help people with different abilities. And raising service dogs is one way we can help. Everyone I have met at Canine Companions are such special people with loving hearts. And even the tow truck drivers who come to rescue can be just as special as the puppy lying at our feet. For more information about Canine Companions for Independence visit the organization's website. French culinary star Eric Ripert is no stranger to the spotlight. But on Friday, Ripert made news for a more sobering reason. Ripert, 53, found celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain unresponsive in a hotel room in France in an apparent suicide. Bourdain was in the country for an upcoming episode of his show Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. ANTHONY BOURDAIN'S LIFE IN PHOTOS Ripert and Bourdain, 61, were close friends. "Anthony was my best friend. An exceptional human being, so inspiring & generous," Ripert tweeted following Bourdain's death. "One of the great storytellers who connected w so many. I pray he is at peace from the bottom of my heart. My love & prayers are also w his family, friends and loved ones." In light of the news, read on for three things to know about the French chef. He got his start when he was just 17 At the age of 15, Ripert, who was born in France but moved to a small town in Spain at a young age, left home and attended culinary school in a city in southern France called Perpignan. At the age of 17, he took his first cooking job at a restaurant in Paris called the La Tour DArgent, according to his profile with Le Bernardin, his flagship restaurant in New York City. Later, Ripert went to cook at the Jamin, a restaurant in Paris with three Michelin stars. He moved to the United States in 1989 Ripert moved to Washington, D.C. in 1989 and worked at the Watergate Hotel. A few years later, in 1991, he moved to New York City where he was eventually asked to work Le Bernardin, the famed seafood restaurant located in Manhattan. He was friends with Anthony Bourdain for more than two decades Their friendship arguably blossomed after Bourdain praised Ripert and Le Bernardin in his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, according to Business Insider. Indeed, as Ripert told Hamptons Magazine in 2012: "Seventy-five percent of the industry was saying, 'it's scandalous' and 'this guy is a disgrace.' Then part of the industry was saying, 'he's genius. I called him and said, 'I read your book, and I would love to know you. Would you come for lunch?' That was the first time I met Anthony, and we have been friends ever since." Later, Ripert guest-starred on Bourdains shows, such as "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" and "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. The two chefs also worked together to find places to travel for Parts Unknown, Business Insider reported. When Ripert found Bourdain on Friday, Bourdain was in France reportedly working on an upcoming episode of the show. Fox News Sasha Savitsky contributed to this report. The University of Bristol created a record number of scientific spin-out companies last year thanks to its thriving network, including a partnership with new innovation centre Unit DX. Seven new companies, based on scientific research carried out at the University, were established in 2017 and five have located themselves at Unit DX, based near Bristol Temple Meads railway station, which has been working closely with the University and its SETsquared incubator to help new businesses thrive. The companies focus on a range of new technologies, from detecting methane gas leaks using drones to developing vaccine candidates for emerging infectious disease. The University of Bristol and Unit DX were invited to Parliament by Thangam Debbonaire, Bristol West MP, to discuss the impact of their collaboration and how best to support the resulting Bristol science cluster. One year after opening, Unit DX is home to 23 scientific and engineering companies which have created 70 jobs in the city centre. Seventeen of these have been founded by University of Bristol alumni. Bristol alumnus Dr Harry Destecroix, Director of Unit DX and co-founder of University spin-out Ziylo, said: "We started with a mission to form a scientific ecosystem in Bristol, because without lab space and a community, it is really difficult to start science companies. "This huge increase in the formation of new enterprises is the result of a lot of talented people coming together to help create and develop the Bristol science cluster. "We have also benefitted from great timing: there has been increased focus from government on the commercialisation of research, along with a cultural shift amongst researchers, who now see the spin-out route as an attainable career path. "There has also been a change in the University's approach to commercialisation, which has facilitated this shift. Now we are up and running, we will continue to focus on supporting these companies." Unit DX year one statistics: 5m in investment and grant funding raised by members 60% building occupancy 12 University of Bristol spin-outs 17 companies founded by University of Bristol Alumni Jaci Barnett, Senior Investment and Commercialisation Manager at the University of Bristol, said: "There has been a great deal of work put in across the University and the wider Bristol ecosystem to enable and encourage researchers who want to commercialise their work. "Unit DX is a key part of this, easing the transition for University spin-out companies as they leave the campus and establish a base in a commercial environment. Its been fantastic to see these companies gaining traction, taking up lab space and hiring staff from our graduate pool." University departments such as BrisSynBio and QTEC have been instrumental in facilitating these spin-outs, encouraging researchers to consider the real world applications of their work, and supporting them through the commercialisation process. Both work closely with Unit DX and other support systems in the city to make sure that founders have access to this support. Frederic Garzoni, Director and Co-founder at Imophoron, a spin-out from BrisSynBio which is developing a novel vaccine platform for use on emerging infectious diseases, said: "Working with the Unit DX team has been extremely helpful for Imophoron. I have been able to access workshops on intellectual property, grant writing, and the new GDPR regulations. The team have also helped raise investment and introduced me to key stakeholders in the local area, which has been very important as I moved to the UK from France to start the company." NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Two famous Americans -- fashion designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef and CNN host Anthony Bourdain -- tragically committed suicide this week, shining a spotlight on a growing crisis facing our country. One little-known aspect of the increasing rate of suicides is the alarmingly high number of such deaths among firefighters and police officers, who are taking their own lives at a greater rate than they are dying in the line of duty. Sadly, the Centers for Disease Control reported Thursday that nearly 45,000 people in the U.S. committed suicide in 2016 -- more than twice as many deaths as were caused by homicides in this country. In fact, suicides increased in nearly every state between 1999 and 2016, the CDC reported. In 2016, suicide was the 10th-leading cause of death in our nation. Firefighters and police officers have dangerous jobs, risking their lives every day to protect the rest of us. Yet surprisingly, suicide poses an even greater danger than fires and criminals to these courageous men and women. With suicide at such a high rate for our countrys heroes, we find it unacceptable to sit back and let this trend continue. In 2017, at least 103 firefighters from across the U.S. took their own lives -- more than the 93 who died in the line of duty, according to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance. And last year there were 140 police officer suicides across the country -- more than the 129 officers killed while on duty, research from the Badge of Life Police Suicide Prevention Program has shown. Even worse, the actual total for suicides of police and firefighters is much higher, because many deaths by suicide are not reported as suicides. For example, experts estimate that only 40 percent of firefighter suicides are reported. Based on this 40 percent estimate, twice as many firefighters die from suicide as in the line of duty. Why is suicide so prevalent among police and firefighters? First responders run towards danger every day in order to save lives. Their bravery draws media attention in the aftermath of horrific events. But for many first responders, exposure to death and destruction happens regularly; it is part of their daily routine. One survey of police officers found that on average, these men and women witness 188 critical incidents during their careers -- incidents such as being shot at, seeing a neglected child, making a death notification, and more. Police and firefighters are certainly heroes, but they are also human. We should expect to see high rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within this population, and we do. One study of PTSD among police officers found a prevalence rate that is five times as high as the rate in the civilian population. If untreated, mental illness -- including depression and PTSD -- can lead to poor physical health, impaired decision-making, and ultimately suicide. Mental illness exerts a toll not only on the first responders who live with mental illness, but also on civilians. We all need depend on first responders and we need them to perform at their absolute best. First responders susceptibility to mental health issues is well-documented and costly to society. Given their vast exposure to trauma, it should come as no surprise. Yet a life-threatening silence surrounds this issue. Less than 10 percent of law enforcement agencies across the country have suicide prevention programs, and many first responders who experience mental illness feel unable to turn to colleagues for support. In fact, there is the perception among first responders that speaking openly about mental illness is career destroying. Police officers and firefighters are suffering in silence. They do not feel supported or able to access potentially life-saving mental health care. We must eradicate the shame and stigma that surround mental illness, acknowledging that these forces are particularly powerful within professions that prioritize bravery, strength and heroism. Police and fire chiefs can effect crucial change by speaking openly about mental health and encouraging their colleagues to access the care that they need -- care that will enhance first responders well-being and job performance. We are taking steps forward. With collaborations between law enforcement and advocates -- like what the Boston Police Department and the Ruderman Family Foundation are currently working on -- we can get these heroes the treatment and care they so richly deserve. We have resources in place in our home state of Massachusetts, such as peer support programs for both police officers and firefighters. However, as of now, participation in these programs is voluntary. In the future, we call for universal, if not mandatory, participation in mental health services among first responders on a national level, including annual mental health checks. We will enhance our own well-being in this way, and probably even save lives. And hopefully, the lessons we learn working to reduce suicides among our police officers and firefighters can help our nation as well to reduce the terrible toll of 45,000 suicides America experienced in 2016. Most of those lost to suicide are not celebrities -- they are known only to their family, friends and co-workers. But our nation suffers by their untimely loss. Realistically, we know that some people will always commit suicide -- the problem will never disappear. But surely, we can substantially reduce the number of Americans who take their own lives each year if we make a concerted effort. This must be a national priority. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). William B. Evans is commissioner of the Boston Police Department. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! President Trump traveled to Quebec Friday for the annual gabfest for the Group of Seven (G-7) industrialized nations made up of the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan after saying he wants Russia readmitted to the group, turning it into the G-8 once again. As he departed the White House, the president also promised to press the other G-7 leaders on their unfair trade practices even as the French and Canadian leaders planned to ambush him over tariffs. President Trumps instinct to change the grouping is right. It was assembled in the mid-1970s in the wake of the disastrous Nixon Shock, which ushered in an era of financial chaos after the U.S. ditched the gold standard. The period also marked the turning point when America switched from trade surpluses to persistent trade deficits. The original idea of the G-7 was to gather the leaders of rich capitalist countries who had the money and shared values to tackle finance-related problems. It also helped the leaders develop personal relationships that would come in handy during crises. But since its creation and especially today, the G-7 has been too heavy on European nations, which make up the majority. This was compounded by giving the European Union (EU) a seat, which means at this summit four leaders of European governments will be supplemented by two EU poohbahs. Russia joined the group in 1997, but was suspended after it annexed Crimea four years ago. Today many of the G-7 members would no longer make the cut for membership. Canadas economy is smaller than some U.S. states. Italy is experiencing perennial financial chaos. U.S. authorities see Germanys largest bank as troubled, and its political establishment is on its last gasp after subjecting Europe to stagnation and uncontrolled immigration. The EU itself is on a path of slow disintegration. Clearly, this group isnt going to be solving any problems for us. Instead, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadas leftwing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are seeking to turn the G-7 into a venue to beat up on President Trump. They hate that he is taking steps to level the international playing field for U.S. businesses and preserve key strategic industries at home. Macron and Trudeau will sanctimoniously decry the supposed death of free trade at the hand of Trump. In reality, they are defending a managed trade system that holds the U.S. at a disadvantage. All of the other G-7 countries have higher tariffs on the United States than we have on them. For example, France and other EU countries levy a 10 percent tariff on imported U.S. cars, but we only charge a 2.5 percent levy on European imports. Canada has tariffs of about 270 percent on U.S. dairy products, 70 percent on sausage, and 27 percent on beef, to name just a few. These counties also have non-tariff barriers to free trade, which include massive Canadian subsidization of its lumber industry that puts American companies at a disadvantage. It is not a surprise that Europe and Canada want to preserve a trading system that is stacked in their favor and has enabled them to build a huge trade surpluses with the United States. Macron and Trudeau have promised a tantrum in Quebec over President Trumps use of tariffs including on steel and aluminum which Trump is using as pressure for reform and to signal a different path. On Thursday night, Macron even threatened President Trump that the summit might end with a joint statement agreed only by six G-7 members to the exclusion of the United States. This threat must have sounded more ominous in French than it does in English. A U.S. president rightly willing to walk away from an upcoming summit with North Koreas dictator if warranted is not going to be deterred by the possibility of non-consensus on an irrelevant document that will be forgotten by next week. Furthermore, if the greatest product of these expensive international confabs is a lowest-common-denominator joint statement and it often is, despite the massive expense and year of preparation required for each G-7 then we need to ask whether the G-7 makes sense anymore. Indeed, a look at this G-7s agenda after the beat-up session on America reveals the groups limitations. Thanks to the guidance of Canadas leftwing government, for example, the leaders will devote great attention to climate change and gender equality. Putting Russia back in the mix of members presumably would mean less progressive nonsense and more discussion of actual strategic issues. But the other G-7 members seem disinclined to search for common ground with Moscow. And why would they, since we effectively pay for their defense? Never have these countries been richer than they are today, and with the exception of Japan never have they done less for our mutual defense and economic security. A better path would be to recognize that the G-7 has outlived its purpose. An improved global financial grouping would involve the United States, Japan, India, Germany, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates countries with real money and the will to tackle strategic issues in a capitalist framework. The G-7 will mostly be missed by airlines, five-star hotels and other beneficiaries of diplo-tourism. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The Seattle City Council seems to think the right to speak is a privilege it can grant or withhold at its pleasure. It has slapped a year-long ban on the use of certain housing websites that allow renters to place bids on advertised rental housing, while it reviews the sites. Officials say they fear the sites might violate local housing laws or inflate housing costs, so the City Council wants to study the sites while forbidding their use in the meantime. While city leaders try to figure things out, landlords are barred from posting ads on the sites, and renters cant even do a simple search for Seattle housing on the sites. This is a clear restriction of speech protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Pacific Legal Foundation, representing a website called Rentberry and a small-time landlord, recently filed a lawsuit to raise this claim. The City Council will likely try to portray the website ban as modest and temporary, as if it is just pressing the pause button. But in fact, the City Council has resurrected a frightening government power the power to censor speech until the government has decided to approve it. In First Amendment parlance, a law that forces speakers to receive government approval in advance of speaking (including publishing) is called a prior restraint the most insidious form of government speech restriction. In 17th century England, for instance, anyone who wanted to publish a book or a pamphlet had to get the governments permission from the royal Stationers Company. John Milton famously broke that rule in 1643 by publishing a pamphlet without asking for permission that called for the legalization of divorce. When scandalized officials called for the pamphlet to be censored and burned, Milton published another unapproved pamphlet called the Areopagitica, one of the greatest defenses of free speech ever written. Milton conceded that cultivating virtue was vital, yet God commits the managing so great a trust, without particular Law or prescription, wholly to the demeanour of every grown man. In other words, were all adults here were just as wise or virtuous as the clucking politicians who would censor us for our own good. Our own Supreme Court has long frowned on prior restraints, and the prior restraints it has struck down share much in common with the website ban. In one case, an anti-Semitic tabloid lambasted a public official, who then sued to have the tabloid declared a public nuisance. The trial court issued a temporary restraining order to bar the tabloid from publishing until the court decided whether it was a nuisance or not. And in the famous Pentagon Papers case, the government sought to put a temporary halt on publishing secret Defense Department documents because the publication might endanger national interests. In both these cases, the government wanted to place a temporary hold on speech while it determined whether the speech was harmful. The Supreme Courts position was firm government couldnt just hold speech hostage predicated upon surmise or conjecture that untoward consequences may result. The Seattle City Council dallies with the same unconstitutional pattern here; it wants to place a hold on use of websites based on nothing but speculation and suspicion that these sites might be bad. Weve been here before. The governments behavior toward Milton or the Pentagon Papers may seem more oppressive than requiring pre-approval for a commercial website. But we enter dangerous territory when we let government decide what speech is worthy of protection and what speech isnt. Certainly, Miltons controversial pamphlet advocating legal divorce carries more gravity than a landlord posting an ad for a townhouse in Seattle. But speech is speech. And no one needs the governments permission to speak. The message behind this website ban whether the Seattle City Council realizes it or not is that the Council members believe people are not free to speak until the City Council says they can. This is a distressing revival of ghosts that we long ago thought vanquished. The City Councils conceit might be cured by a healthy dose of modesty. And perhaps a lesson in constitutional history. Alice Marie Johnson, the woman whose life sentence was commuted by President Trump this week, promised the commander in chief: I will make you proud. Johnson, 63, had been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole after she was convicted of a first-time nonviolent drug offense and charges related to money laundering. Reality TV icon Kim Kardashian West took up her case, even meeting with Trump at the White House to plead for clemency. In an interview Thursday night with Fox News Martha MacCallum on The Story, Johnson expressed her gratitude for Trump's decision the day before to commute her sentence. Thank you so much President Trump for taking the time to look at my case and to really look at me, she said. I promise you President Trump, I will make you proud that you gave me that second chance. Johnson spent 22 years in prison, a third of her life, and said that it was her faith and her optimism that allowed her to carry on. The only way that I was able to make it through that time, and this is the truth, was my faith in God. She said she knew that one day, He was going to bring me out. Johnson continued, I lived my life with an eye toward one day walking out of those doors a free woman and the day that I got the news that President Trump had granted my clemency and given me a second chance at life was the best day of my life. The events leading up to Johnson's offenses included divorce and the loss of her job at Fedex. It was desperation that forced her hand. Dont make a permanent decision that can change your life forever based on a temporary situation, she said looking back at her past. It was not worth it It changed the course of my life. Johnson said that now that shes free, she wants to fight hard for prison reform, including making sure people incarcerated are ready to rejoin society when their miracle does come. Johnson said that its finally starting to set in that Im truly free. She revealed, Im so happy, nothing bothers me. Fox News Martha MacCallum contributed to this report. The House narrowly approved a White House plan to cut $15 billion in previously allocated government money late Thursday, a mostly symbolic move designed to demonstrate fiscal discipline in Washington. The so-called "recissions" package was passed by a vote of 210-206, with 19 Republicans joining 187 Democrats in opposing the measure. The legislation was embraced by conservative Republicans upset by the March passage of a $1.3 trillion catchall spending bill that they say was too bloated. More pragmatic Republicans on Capitol Hill's powerful Appropriations panels aren't keen on the measure since it would eliminate accounting tricks they routinely use to pay for spending elsewhere. The measure includes $4 billion in cuts to a defunct loan program designed to boost fuel-efficient, advanced-technology vehicles, rescissions of various agriculture grant programs, and cuts to conservation programs at the Department of Agriculture, among others. "By voting to rescind these billions in unspent funds, the House supports President Trump's efforts to eliminate wasteful spending and get our fiscal house back in order," White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said in a statement. "The first of several recissions proposals, President Trump is using every tool at his disposal to put taxpayers first and drain the swamp." While Democrats blasted the cuts, the real objection to some of them, such as $7 billion from popular Children's Health Insurance Program funding, is that it would take that money off the table so it couldn't be used later as it was in the earlier spending bill. The CHIP cuts wouldn't affect enrollment in the program, which provides health care to children from low-income families that don't qualify for Medicaid. "Targeting CHIP for a rescission prevents Congress from reinvesting in other priorities like child and maternal health, early childhood education, biomedical research and our community health centers," said Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., the ranking member on the Appropriations Committee. Some GOP moderates also worry that they're casting a difficult-to-explain vote to cut CHIP funding in the run-up to November's midterm elections. "I don't think the vote's intended for people in swing districts," said Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office weighed in Thursday to estimate that the measure pushed largely by Mulvaney and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. would only cut the deficit by $1.1 billion over the coming decade. That's because most of the cuts wouldn't affect the deficit at all since CBO doesn't give deficit credit for cutting money that would never have been spent. Trump proposed the measure last month, but it was slow to come to a vote because some Republicans came out against it. The White House submitted a revised package of cuts Tuesday, removing politically troublesome proposals to cut money to fight Ebola funds and to rebuild watersheds damaged by Superstorm Sandy. Trump weighed in soon after to urge Republicans to pass the plan. The measure is unlikely to go anywhere in the Senate, where pragmatic-minded Republicans are focusing on trying to get the troubled process for handling annual appropriations back on track on a bipartisan basis. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., told Fox News Monday that "I've not been a big fan of the recissions package." The White House and tea party lawmakers upset by the budget-busting "omnibus" bill have rallied around the plan, aiming to show that Republicans are taking on out-of-control spending. "If this body cannot be trusted to reclaim money that will not or cannot be used for its intended purpose, can we really be trusted to save money anywhere else?" McCarthy said. While some Democrats opposed the spending cuts as heartless, others mostly mocked the legislation. "After spending nearly $2 trillion on tax cuts for the super-rich and blowing up the deficit, the Majority's bill is like putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound," said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. "Republicans are trying to trick the American people into thinking they care about fiscal responsibility. They're not fooling anyone." Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A mysterious move by the Senate Wednesday night is part of a Justice Department inquiry into a former Senate Intelligence Committee aide who may have leaked classified information. The Senate unanimously approved a resolution allowing the committee to provide records to the Justice Department in response to a request related to the investigation. The aide's identity and the lawmaker for whom he or she worked is not clear, but on Thursday, The New York Times published an article saying that federal investigators had seized years' worth of email and phone records relating to one of its reporters, Ali Watkins. Watkins previously had a three-year romantic relationship with James A. Wolfe, the Senate Intelligence Committees former director of security, The Times reported, adding that the records covered a period of time before she joined the paper. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, requested unanimous consent to approve the resolution at approximately 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, as the Senate was poised to adjourn for the day. "I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of S. Res. 536, submitted earlier today," Portman read off a slip of paper. A legislative clerk on the dais then read the following: "A resolution to authorize document production by the Select Committee on Intelligence." Portman, who is not a member of the intelligence committee, then made the standard request heard multiple times each day on the Senate floor: "I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate." No one objected, meaning the Senate approved the resolution. The Senate often conducts business and approves measures via "unanimous consent." That means no member objects to approving a given matter. Such issues are typically cleared with all 100 senators in advance. However, many aides and senior sources were unaware that the resolution was coming to the floor. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and ranking member Mark Warner, D-Va., issued a joint statement Wednesday: "As noted in the Senate Resolution, the Department of Justice has sought the assistance of the Committee in a pending investigation. The Committee is cooperating with the Department on this matter. Any questions about the investigation should be directed to the Department of Justice." A spokeswoman for the Justice Department declined to comment or elaborate on the resolution when asked. Fox News' Gregg Re contributed to this report. Members of Congress held a hearing on Thursday on Capitol Hill demanding answers from the Department of Veterans Affairs about what is being done to assist the tens of thousands of veterans who have fallen ill from burn pit exposure. The Committee on Veterans Affairs spent nearly two hours interviewing a panel comprised of representatives from the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., advocacy group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the VA. Curiously absent from the hearing were representatives from the Defense Department who were asked to attend but backed out just hours before with no explanation. They have every reason to be here, but chose not to, Rep. Beto ORourke, D-Texas, said of the DoD during Thursdays hearing. Nearly every other member mentioned the conspicuous absence of Pentagon officials during their statements. I find it quite disturbing that the DoD is not present, said Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Louisiana, said during the hearing. Id like to ask them who was the genius that came up with this, he added, referring to the burn pit disposal method. During the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the burn pit method was adopted originally as a temporary measure to get rid of waste and garbage generated on bases. Everything was incinerated in the pits, say soldiers, including plastics, batteries, appliances, medicine, dead animals and even human waste. The items often were set ablaze with jet fuel as the accelerant. When reached by Fox News, a Pentagon official declined immediate comment, offering instead to look into the inquiry, but never responded with further information. Also in attendance at Thursdays hearing were veterans who claim their health has suffered as a result of being exposed to burn pits while they served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of them say they came to Washington to make their plea for the VA to provide needed assistance with medical treat for the tens of thousands of service members with failing health because of their proximity to burn pits. We just want to be taken care of, Will Thompson, a former army serviceman, said during a press conference in front of the Capitol Building earlier in the day. Thompson received two double lung transplants after he returned from his tours of duty in Iraq. If you are going to send us, then take care of us when we get back, he said. Thousands of veterans and former contractors have developed cancer, respiratory problems and blood disorders from their exposure to toxins from the flaming pits, and many have died. More than 140,000 active service members and retirees have put their names on a Burn Pit Registry created by the VA. Todays hearing comes on the heels of an exclusive report on Fox News where a former environmental officer for the Pentagon recalls how he warned Pentagon officials as far back as 2006 how the burn pit method needed to be replaced with a safer protocol. A former security director for the Senate Intelligence Committee -- who was in charge of maintaining all classified information from the Executive Office to the panel -- was indicted for allegedly giving false statements to FBI agents looking into possible leaks to reporters, the Justice Department announced Thursday night. James A. Wolfe, 58, served as the panel's security director for 29 years, according to the feds. Wolfe lied to the FBI in December 2017 about contacts he had with three reporters, the indictment read. He also allegedly lied about giving two reporters non-public information about committee matters. Earlier Thursday, the New York Times revealed that federal investigators had seized years' worth of email and phone records relating to one of its reporters, Ali Watkins. She previously had a three-year romantic relationship with Wolfe, the Times reported, adding that the records covered a period of time before she joined the paper. READ THE INDICTMENT Wolfe allegedly admitted to FBI agents in 2017 that he lied about his relationship with a reporter identified in court papers as "REPORTER #2." He admitted the relationship after he was shown photos of the two of them together, according to the indictment. Wolfe was allegedly in contact with "REPORTER #2" and they exchanged tens of thousands of electronic communications and often daily phone calls. He would also meet at the reporters apartment, court papers alleged. Wolfe had extensive contact with reporters about "MALE-1," who was reportedly identified as Carter Page, a Trump campaign adviser. Wolfe received classified information about "MALE-1" on the same day he exchanged 82 text messages with "REPORTER #2," according to the indictment. A few weeks later, "REPORTER #2" published an online article that revealed the identity of "MALE-1." On April 3, 2017, Watkins byline appeared on a BuzzFeed article that revealed that Page had met with a Russian intelligence operative in 2013. Wolfe allegedly called "REPORTER #2" nearly a half-hour after the story went live and had a phone conversation for about seven minutes. In December 2017, Wolfe allegedly messaged "REPORTER #2." Ive watched your career take off even before you ever had a career in journalism. ... I always tried to give you as much Information (sic) that I could and to do the right thing with it so you could get that scoop before anyone else. ... I always enjoyed the way that you would pursue a story,like nobody else was doing in my hal1way (sic). I felt like I was part of your excitement and was always very supportive of your career and the tenacity that you exhibited to chase down a good story," the message read, according to the indictment. Watkins worked previously for BuzzFeed, Politico and McClatchy. The Wall Street Journal, citing an unnamed source, reported that Watkins disclosed the relationship when she joined The Times. Mark MacDougall, Watkins attorney, said: "It's always disconcerting when a journalist's telephone records are obtained by the Justice Department through a grand jury subpoena or other legal process. Whether it was really necessary here will depend on the nature of the investigation and the scope of any charges." Wolfe maintained that he did not share any classified information or news leads, according to the indictment. He is not charged with disclosing classified information. Wolfe used several means to contact reporters, including Signal and WhatsApp, according to court papers. He also met clandestinely in person, in secluded areas of the Hart Senate Office Building, the indictment charged. Wolfe is expected to make his first court appearance Friday. It wasn't immediately clear if he had a lawyer. Each false statement count is punishable by up to five years in prison, though if convicted, Wolfe would almost certainly face only a fraction of that time. Fox News' Chad Pergram, Mike Arroyo, Mike Emanuel and the Associated Press contributed to this report. News that Republican moderates in Congress have reached a tentative deal with the hard-right House Freedom Caucus on providing visas for so-called "Dreamers," or illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. at a young age, has thrown ongoing discussions on a comprehensive immigration bill into chaos. Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., a leader of House GOP moderates on immigration, said Thursday that the Freedom Caucus had proposed allowing some 1.8 million Dreamers to obtain a new visa that would let them stay in the country for eight years. "This was their offer to us and it's something we can agree to, but not until we see it on paper," Denham said. Later, the Freedom Caucus tweeted that the group "has not made an offer" but is engaged in talks focused on border security and the status of Dreamers. The potential deal emerged the same day that House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., held a lengthy meeting in the Capitol basement with the House GOP conference and said leaders would craft an attempt at compromise on the issue. Ryan has signaled he's hoping an accord will derail threats by GOP moderates to force a series of narrower House votes on immigration soon, using a method called a "discharge petition," that leaders say would lead to divisive debates on the House floor and damage the party's electoral prospects in November. But multiple sources suggested to Fox News that news of the tentative deal was an effort to short-circuit immigration discussions and allow moderates to forge ahead with using the discharge petition next week. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT APPREHENSIONS AT THE BORDER SPIKE IN MAY The White House and immigration hardliners in the House have insisted that any immigration bill also include full financing for a border wall with Mexico, end a lottery that distributes about 50,000 visas annually to countries with few U.S. immigrants, and limit the relatives whom legal immigrants can bring to the United States. The showdown verges on a veritable civil war over immigration within the GOP, and Thursday's developments appear to have only heightened tensions. Sources told Fox News that Ryan's meeting Thursday left some rank-and-file House Republicans scratching their heads, with lawmakers wondering why proponents of some proposals werent allowed to present their plans and then take questions to explain their measures. One source described the meeting to Fox News as a "dog and pony show." PAUL RYAN SCRAMBLES TO STOP GOP INSURRECTION OVER IMMIGRATION Conservatives have been adamant about not providing a "special" process carving out a unique way for Dreamers to gain legal status. Denham said that without a deal, the moderates' threat to force the House to consider four immigration bills remains in effect. He and Curbelo need two more GOP signatures on a petition that could force those votes, assuming all Democrats sign. If they get them by next Tuesday, the House would be on track to have those roll calls on June 25. "We have a firm deadline of next Tuesday," Denham said. "We're prepared to have the final signatures if there's no agreement between now and then." The moderates would force votes on bills ranging from liberal plans offering citizenship to Dreamers to a conservative proposal curbing legal immigration. But GOP leaders say those bills would never be able to get through the Senate, much less the White House, and become law. MILITARY BASE CALLS IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES ON PIZZA DELIVERY MAN "This effort to get our members to come to a common ground is the best chance at law." Speaker of the House Paul Ryan While Republicans acknowledged talks were underway, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., leader of the Freedom Caucus, said no immigration agreement has been reached and said the question of granting citizenship to Dreamers "has been the thorniest issue from the start." Denham said moderates would accept border security measures as part of the accord, including backing the full $25 billion Trump wants to construct his proposed wall with Mexico. Ryan described leaders' effort to find compromise after a meeting of all House GOP lawmakers that didn't resolve the party's divisions. He said leaders would work toward a draft that resembles Trump's demands on the issue. "This effort to get our members to come to a common ground is the best chance at law," Ryan said. Fox News' Chad Pergram, Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is one Republican who hasnt always seen eye to eye with President Donald Trump. But in a recent conversation with a newspapers editorial board, Murkowski said she and Trump had a surprising first phone conversation when Trump was still president-elect and she used the opportunity to try to build a connection. Murkowski told the Anchorage Daily News that she reached out to Trumps office to offer a suggestion for who Trump should pick for secretary of the interior. (The job ultimately went to Ryan Zinke of Montana.) It was a Saturday morning, and I call this number, and this man answers. I'm like, Hello, this is Lisa Murkowski, I'd like to leave a message for Mr. Trump, Murkowski told the newspaper. So he says, How are you? And then he goes on to say, You know, I really love Alaska, I'm just fascinated by Alaska. And I said, And to whom am I speaking? And he said, Well, this is Donald Trump!" Murkowski said she immediately saw an opportunity to come clean with this guy whom she hadnt supported for president. And I said, But here's the deal: You won; I won. You want to do good things for the country; I want to do good things for the state. I figure we can be working together to do just that. And he said, Absolutely, Murkowski recalled. "You won; I won. You want to do good things for the country; I want to do good things for the state." U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, recalling a phone conversation with President-elect Donald Trump And that's kind of how we have approached the issues that we've been working on, she said. But the Trump-Murkowski relationship has faced several tests since then. In July 2017, for example, Murkowski and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine were the only Republicans to oppose a procedural motion to begin a debate on rolling back ObamaCare. Trump expressed his disappointment, in a tweet. Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad! the president tweeted. Then in December 2017, Trump invited Murkowski and other Republicans to a luncheon to discuss a still-pending tax bill, but the Alaskan was a no-show, Anchorage's KTUU-TV reported. She ultimately backed the bill, for which she authored an energy provision that opened up the Arctic region to oil drilling. Then just this week, Murkowski told E&E News that she wasnt totally behind Trumps national security rationale for propping up the nations struggling coal and nuclear plants. Competition has gotten us to a pretty good place with our markets, quite honestly, she told the outlet. And now we're basically going to be directing a few, specific industries from within. I'm just not convinced that's the right way to go. Nevertheless, the data site FiveThirtyEight.com in May showed Murkowski to be in agreement with Trumps positions more than 83 percent of the time. Posted 6/8/18 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue recently announced a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Texas A&Ms AgriLife Extension Service to help military veterans New York Times reporter Ali Watkins' past tweets are raising eyebrows after revelations she had a three-year romantic relationship with a Senate Intelligence Committee aide now accused by federal prosecutors of leaking sensitive information to journalists, including herself. On Thursday, the New York Times reported that federal investigators had seized years' worth of Watkins email and phone records as part of a leak probe into James Wolfe, the former security director for the Senate Intelligence Committee indicted for giving false statements to FBI agents. Wolfe appeared for a federal court hearing in Baltimore on Friday, where he relinquished his passport and was prohibited from traveling outside of the District of Columbia and Maryland. The indictment says Wolfe leaked information to reporters about the committees work, including its subpoena last fall of an individual believed to be former Trump adviser Carter Page. But in several tweets in September 2017, Watkins, while dating Wolfe and working for Politico, seemed to point the finger at attorneys for President Trump over various media disclosures. In one tweet, Watkins noted how the Intelligence Committee is SOOO frustrated in recent weeks by the constant dribble of leaks about who's testifying to them. She then said the committee believes Trumpster lawyers will leak info about upcoming appearances, blame the committee, then use as a pretext not to cooperate. It's unclear who was responsible for those specific leaks -- the tweets were posted about a month before a different reporter published the story on the Page subpoena. But the indictment strongly suggests Wolfe was a top source for committee stories and that Watkins was among the reporters who got information from Wolfe. The indictment said Wolfe, 58, began dating Watkins -- who is in her 20's -- in 2013 when she was an undergraduate student working as a news intern. The indictment said the pair ended the relationship in December 2017. In an April 2013 tweet, Watkins also tweeted about the fictional Netflix television show House of Cards, where a young reporter has an affair with an older member of Congress. I wanted to be Zoe Barnes...until episode 4, she tweeted. Sleeping with your source- especially a vindictive congressman? #badlifechoice #HouseofCards In another tweet, Watkins asked: "So on a scale of 1 to ethical, how does everyone feel about pulling a @RealZoeBarnes for story ideas? #TOTALLYKIDDING @HouseofCards." The House of Cards tweets were posted months before prosecutors said her relationship with Wolfe began. The revelations also have raised questions about how much her employers knew about the relationship. Watkins previously worked for BuzzFeed, Politico and McClatchy. The New York Times said Watkins informed her editors about the previous relationship when she was hired. The newspaper also said Watkins claimed to have told both Politico and BuzzFeed about the relationship, though she continued covering the committee. The Times article said the newspaper only learned Thursday that the DOJ sent her a letter in February about the record seizure. She joined the newspaper in Decmber 2017. Since the story went public, her employers have expressed concerns about the government obtaining her records. JAMES A. WOLFE, FORMER SENATE INTEL PANEL SECURITY DIRECTOR, INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY LYING TO FBI This decision by the Justice Department will endanger reporters ability to promise confidentiality to their sources and, ultimately, undermine the ability of a free press to shine a much needed light on government actions, New York Times spokesman Eileen Murphy said. That should be a grave concern to anyone who cares about an informed citizenry." Were deeply troubled by what looks like a case of law enforcement interfering with a reporters constitutional right to gather information about her own government, said Ben Smith, the editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News. This is the first known instance of the Trump administration obtaining the records of a journalist. The Obama administration also drew criticism for going after reporter records, including a move to subpoena Associated Press journalists phone records and seize records for several Fox News phone lines as part of leak investigations. In the latter case, court documents showed investigators also secured a search warrant for the personal emails of former Fox News correspondent James Rosen. Facing an uproar at the time, the Justice Department eventually tightened its rules for pursuing reporter records, though Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ramped up leak investigations under the Trump administration. In the case of Wolfe, the former Senate aide is accused in the indictment of lying about his relationship with Watkins, identified in court papers as "REPORTER #2. Wolfe later admitted the relationship after he was shown photos of the two of them together, according to the indictment. Prosecutors said Wolfe communicated with other journalists, too, and lied to the FBI in December 2017 about contacts he had with several reporters -- including sharing non-public information about committee matters. He is not charged with leaking classified information. The indictment indicated Wolfe and Watkins exchanged tens of thousands of electronic communications and often daily phone calls, and they would meet at the reporters apartment. On April 3, 2017, Watkins byline appeared on a BuzzFeed article that revealed that Page had met with a Russian intelligence operative in 2013. Wolfe allegedly called her nearly a half-hour after the story went live and had a phone conversation for about seven minutes. In December 2017, Wolfe messaged her, according to the indictment, and said: I always tried to give you as much Information (sic) that I could and to do the right thing with it so you could get that scoop before anyone else. On Friday, before boarding Marine One, President Trump reacted to the indictment of Wolfe. I'm a very big believer in freedom of the press, the president said, but I'm also a believer that you cannot leak classified information. Wolfe's employment with the committee ended in December 2017. Fox News Edmund DeMarche, Jenny Buchholz, Doug McKelway and John Roberts contributed to this report. Apple and Amazon are reportedly each considering North Carolina as an East Coast headquarters. But voting rights advocates, citing the state's new voter ID proposal, are trying to convince the tech titans to go elsewhere. The bill, announced Thursday by the state's House Republicans, would establish a photo voter identification requirement in the state's constitution, the News & Observer in Raleigh reported. But Color of Change, a civil rights organization, launched a campaign this week to pressure Apple and Amazon to push back against the voter ID bill, arguing that it discriminates against African-Americans. REJECT RACISM Make your Raleigh campus contingent on EQUAL RIGHTS for ALL your employees Vote NO on racist voter ID laws! the advocacy group says in an ad. Two years ago, federal courts struck down a North Carolina voter ID law that was passed in 2013, hence this year's effort by the House GOP to make the new bill a constitutional amendment, Think Progress reported. The U.S. Supreme Court said last year that the law targeted African-Americans "with almost surgical precision, the report said. Apple and Amazon have been looking at Raleigh, the state capital, for possible additional headquarters, Think Progress reported. Brandi Collins-Dexter, senior campaign director for Color of Change, told the News & Observer that it's time for companies to "show that disenfranchising the black vote should be bad for business." We see this as a war that has been waged on these communities," she said. The giant tech companies would bring billions of dollars in investments and as many as 60,000 jobs, Forbes reported. Ironically, setting up shop in Raleigh could help with Amazons search for a diverse board director, as the Research Triangle of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill make up a combined population that is 22 percent black, nearly double that of the national black population, Forbes reported. William Matthews, who grew up in North Carolina, also launched a petition calling on Jeff Bezos and Tim Cook, the CEOs of Amazon and Apple, to say no to North Carolinas racist attacks on voting rights, according to Think Progress. State House Speaker Tim Moore is the lead sponsor on the voter ID bill. Moore called the photo ID requirement a common sense measure to secure the integrity of our elections system, the Charlotte Observer reported in an editorial. He said its needed because protecting our democracy should be one of lawmakers highest priorities. However, the state Board of Elections released an extensive and objective audit of the 2016 election that found that out of almost 4.8 million votes cast, only one fraudulent vote probably would have been avoided with a photo voter ID law, the Observers editorial said. A University of California at San Diego study found that strict photo identification laws have a differentially negative impact on the turnout of Hispanics, Blacks, and mixed race Americans in primaries and general elections, the Atlantic reported last year. In the new voter ID amendment, it is not clear if student IDs or utility bills would count, and legislators would release the details after voters pass it, the Observer editorial reported. Irked by delays in getting promised direct U.S. aid to Christians and minority Yazidis in northern Iraq shattered by genocidal ISIS attacks, Vice President Pence has ordered USAID Administrator Mark Green to head personally to Iraq in the coming weeks and return with a plan to address any slowdown. Pence made the announcement just three days after a Fox News report pointed out the extent of the delays. The story included a statement by Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Warda, whose church has been the mainstay of support for some 60,000 brutalized Christians, that seven months after Pence vowed publicly to fix the situation, we are worse off now than we were two years ago. In a statement received by Fox News, Pences office declared that both the Trump administration and the vice president himself will not tolerate bureaucratic delays in implementing the administrations vision to deliver the assistance we promised to the people we pledged to help. The statement directed Green to report back with an immediate comprehensive assessment addressing any issues that could delay the process of aid distribution. A source close to Wardas office had not returned calls from Fox News on the new Pence announcement as of press time. Restoring the rights and property of Iraqs Christian and Yazidi communities, who were nearly wiped out by ISISs genocidal campaign against them, the Pence statement said, is a top and unceasing priority of the administration. It was, in fact, as a result of that priority that Pence made his promise seven months ago which was followed up two months later with a plan to funnel $35 million in aid directly to the suffering minorities, while refocusing and closely supervising another $150 million or so in aid to be handled as in the past by United Nations agencies. Paul Manafort's prison stay was extended Wednesday nearly a week after he was sentenced to 47 months on bank and tax fraud charges in a separate case. The former Trump campaign chairman is now slated to spend a total of 81 months in prison. He was given extra prison time at his second sentencing in connection with his guilty plea related to foreign lobbying and witness tampering. In August, Manafort became the first Trump campaign associate to be found guilty by a jury as part of Special Counsel Robert Muellers long-running probe. He was convicted of eight bank and tax fraud charges at that time. PAUL MANAFORT SENTENCED ON FOREIGN LOBBYING AND WITNESS TAMPERING CHARGES Manafort has been the subject of an investigation over his dealings in Ukraine several years ago he didnt file as a foreign agent until June 2017. But Mueller has incorporated that investigation into his probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with Trump associates. Manafort was convicted on multiple counts of financial fraud last year in connection with his Ukranian work, and is in prison. In November, Mueller accused Manafort of lying "on a variety of subject matters" since his plea deal, thus violating that agreement. Read on for a look at Manafort's work with the Trump campaign and how he is connected to the Russia investigation. What kind of foreign work did Manafort do? A GOP operative who worked for former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Manafort reportedly began his work in Republican politics in the 1970s. Eventually, Manafort was hired by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a controversial pro-Russia politician who was ousted from power twice. After Yanukovych was elected president in 2010, Manafort reportedly stayed on as an adviser and worked on other projects in Eastern Europe, including the Party of Regions political party. Manafort also worked for Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska. In 2005, Manafort allegedly came up with a plan to influence U.S. politics, business dealings and the media in order to greatly benefit the Putin government, according to The Associated Press. Deripaska is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and signed a $10 million annual contract with Manafort in 2006; they maintained a business relationship until at least 2009. Financial records obtained by The New York Times indicated that Manafort was in debt to pro-Russian interests by up to $17 million prior to joining Donald Trumps presidential campaign. He also took more than a dozen trips to Moscow and frequently talked to Putin allies over a period of about 10 years, McClatchy reported. He traveled to Kiev at least 19 times in 20 months after the February 2014 removal of Ukraines pro-Russia leader. How was Manafort involved with Trump's campaign? Manafort joined Trump's presidential campaign in March 2016 to help wrangle delegates ahead of the Republican National Convention in Ohio, something he'd done for former President Gerald Ford. Just two months later, Manafort became Trump's campaign chairman. Manaforts resignation from the campaign was announced on August 19, 2016, after The Times reported that he'd received $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments from Yanukovychs pro-Russian party between 2007 and 2012. Manafort and Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, met with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June 2016. She reportedly was said to have damaging information on Trumps campaign rival, Hillary Clinton, which was "part of Russia and its governments support for Mr. Trump." What was Manafort charged with? Along with his former business associate Rick Gates, Manafort was initially indicted in October 2017 on multiple counts that included: conspiracy against the U.S., conspiracy to launder money, false statements and failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Nearly four months later, in February 2018, the pair were hit with additional tax evasion and bank fraud charges. These charges involved much of the same conduct Manafort and Gates were initially accused of, but the amount of money Manafort said to have laundered through offshore accounts increased to $30 million. In June 2018, Mueller's team brought additional charges of obstruction of justice against Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik, an associate. The charges against Manafort and Gates dont relate to allegations of misconduct during Trumps campaign. Mueller also accused Manafort of secretly paying former European politicians to lobby on behalf of Ukraine. Manafort was found guilty of eight counts in August in the first trial victory for Mueller's team. The judge declared a mistrial on 10 other counts after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. In September, Manafort pleaded guilty as part of an agreement with Mueller's team ahead of his second trial. According to Politico, the plea deal includes a 10-year cap for how long Manafort will be in prison. It also includes allowing Manafort to serve his time for both trials concurrently. He received a nearly 4-year prison sentence on March 7 after a federal jury in Virginia convicted him on eight counts of bank and tax fraud last year. A week later, on March 13, he received an additional three and a half years on foreign lobbying and witness tampering charges. Manafort previously maintained his innocence despite all of the charges brought before him but he has since expressed remorse for his actions. "I am sorry for what I have done and all the activities that have gotten us here today," Manafort said in a written statement in March, begging a judge for mercy. Fox News' Ann Schmidt, Jake Gibson, Alex Pappas, Matt Richardson and The Associated Press contributed to this report. The indictment of former Senate Intelligence Committee aide James Wolfe for allegedly lying to investigators about contacts with a reporter he was dating and others could serve to reinforce a simple message: romance and government secrets are a dangerous mix. Wolfe served as the panels security director for 29 years. He was indicted on Thursday for allegedly making false statements to FBI investigators looking into possible leaks. The indictment alleged he lied to the FBI in December 2017 about contacts he had with several reporters, though Wolfe was not charged with disclosing classified information. One of those reporters was New York Times National Security Correspondent Ali Watkins, with whom he had a romantic relationship for three years, according to the indictment. Court documents and a New York Times story detailed the fallout from that romance: Federal investigators seized years of email and phone records relating to Watkins as part of a leak probe, triggering outcry from the Times and other media groups. Wolfe, who reportedly admitted the relationship after initially denying it, now faces charges. And the indictment exposed uncomfortable details about their conversations. Wolfe allegedly messaged Watkins in December 2017: I always enjoyed the way that you would pursue a story,like nobody else was doing in my hal1way (sic). I felt like I was part of your excitement and was always very supportive of your career and the tenacity that you exhibited to chase down a good story. But the Watkins-Wolfe relationship is hardly the only case of romantic partners running into trouble over the handling of sensitive government information. In 2012, former CIA Director David Petraeus endured a stunning fall from grace over an affair with biographer Paula Broadwell, who was penning his biography, All In: The Education of General David Petraeus. Petraeus pleaded guilty in 2015 to one misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information relating to documents he had provided to Broadwell during the writing of his biography. Federal prosecutors said Petraeus knew binders he shared with Broadwell contained classified information, but provided them to her anyway. The investigation began after a Petraeus friend, Jill Kelley, complained to the FBI in 2012 about harassing emails from an unknown person who turned out to be Broadwell. Petraeus was spared prison time under a plea agreement with the Justice Department. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, this week said President Trump should consider pardoning the former CIA director and Army general, amid his spree of commutations over the last several weeks. I think Gen. Petraeus is an incredible patriot, and helped guide our country during a very difficult time in Iraq and basically pulled a rabbit out of a hat there. But he made a terrible mistake, Cornyn said on Hugh Hewitts radio show. What I respect about Gen. Petraeus is he admitted it candidly and publicly, and took responsibility for it. More recently, FBI lovers Peter Strzok and Lisa Page suffered embarrassment following the release of hundreds of texts. Strzok and Page, who both served for a short period of time on Special Counsel Robert Muellers team, faced criticism over their exchange of numerous anti-Trump messages. And throughout those now-public messages, Strzok and Page openly discussed sharing bureau information and repeatedly referenced news articles. One Aug. 30, 2016 text from Strzok to Page read: Here we go, sending a link to a New York Times report titled Harry Reid Cites Evidence of Russian Tampering in U.S. Vote and seeks FBI inquiry. Page replied: D [Comey] said at am brief that Reid called him and told him he would be sending a letter. The Hill reported on another exchange that indicated they knew in advance about a Wall Street Journal story. In October 2016, Page texted that the article in question was out. Wsj? Boy that was fast, Strzok responded. Should I find it and tell the team? The Hill reported that congressional committees, spurred in part by such text messages, were investigating whether Russia probe leaders were in contact with members of the press resulting in improper leaks. Perhaps the most infamous case of a sensitive information swap gone wrong, though, concerns the discovery of Clinton aide Huma Abedins communications on the laptop of disgraced former New York Rep. Anthony Weiner. Theirs was not a case of leaking -- rather, the kind of clumsiness with State Department communications that typified the Hillary Clinton email scandal as a whole. But the consequences were immense. Abedin and Weiner were married at the time and have since separated. The emails and files found by federal investigators were considered potentially relevant to the investigation into Clinton's handling of classified information -- and led to the reopening of the case just days before the election. Democrats, including Clinton herself, have cited FBI boss James Comey's decision to publicize that development as a factor in her election loss. Weiner was under criminal investigation for having an inappropriate texting relationship with a minor. He has since pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 21 months in prison. Fox News' John Roberts, Chad Pergram, Edmund DeMarche, and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Special Counsel Robert Mueller filed new charges against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and an associate on Friday, accusing them of obstructing justice in the investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates in 2016. The latest indictment against Manafort adds an associate, Konstantin Kilimnik, 48, of Moscow. Both were charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice, according to federal court filings. The filings, signed by Mueller, said that roughly between Feb. 23, 2018, and April 2018, the defendants "knowingly and intentionally attempted to corruptly persuade another person ... with intent to influence, delay, and prevent the testimony of any person in an official proceeding." The third superseding indictment against Manafort comes days after Mueller accused the former campaign chairman of witness tampering. Prosecutors working for Mueller this week requested that the judge overseeing the case revoke or revise an order for Manafort to be placed on pretrial release. They also said an associate of Manaforts tried to contact a potential witness more than once. Mueller said the individuals Manafort tried to contact, referred to only as D1 and D2, were principals of a public-relations company [who] acted as intermediaries between Manafortco-defendant Richard Gates, and the Hapsburg group. A Manafort spokesman fired back at the earlier request. Mr. Manafort is innocent and nothing about this latest allegation changes our defense. We will do our talking in court, the spokesman said. Through his spokesman, Manafort, 69, has maintained his innocence. The spokesman, Jason Maloni, said Friday that Manafort and his attorneys were reviewing the new charges. According to documents filed in federal court in D.C., Manafort reached out to the would-be witnesses in February after his superseding indictment was unsealed. Among other claims, the indictment accused Manafort of secretly paying European ex-politicians to lobby on behalf of Ukraines pro-Russian government in the U.S. without registering, dubbed the Hapsburg group by Manafort. According to Muellers request, Manafort tried to make at least three phone calls and sent at least two encrypted text messages to the first person in an effort to secure materially false testimony concerning the activities of the Hapsburg group. Manafort allegedly told the first person on Feb. 26, We should talk. I have made clear that [the Hapsburg group] worked in Europe. That text also linked to a Business Insider story with the headline: Former European leaders struggle to explain themselves after Mueller claims Paul Manafort paid them to lobby for Ukraine. The document said that the person was trying to avoid contact with Manafort and "understood Manafort's outreach to be an effort to 'suborn perjury'" because he believed from his experience that the Hapsburg Group lobbied in the United States and knew that Manafort knew that as well. The documents added that a longtime Manafort associate tried to contact the second person, or D2, in the days after the superseding indictment was unsealed. In earlier filings, the unnamed Manafort associate has referred to Kilimnik, a longtime Manafort contact who prosecutors have said has ties to Russian intelligence. Kilimnik, 48, has previously declined to comment on the allegations. He also has denied being connected to Russian intelligence agencies. According to the documents, the individual identified as "D2" told investigators that Manafort wanted him and the other person to "relay a message to the Hapsburg group: if the members of the Hapsburg group were contacted by anyone, they should say that their lobbying and public relations work was exclusively in Europe." The special counsel said Manafort's actions violate federal law, and therefore violate the terms of his pretrial release. Manaforts past charges remain. The five previously charged counts against Manfort remain unchanged: conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading FARA [Foreign Agent Registration Act] statements, and false statements, the special counsels spokesman said in a statement Friday. Manafort has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Manafort served as Trump campaign chairman from March 2016 until August 2016, after the Republican National Convention. Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain, John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mitt Romney addressed a closed-door tech summit in Utah on Thursday, telling the room he thinks President Donald Trump -- the man he once called a phony and a fraud -- will solidly win re-election in 2020, reports said. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, now running for a U.S. Senate seat in Utah, told a group of GOP donors that Trump will easily be the partys nominee and go on to beat his Democratic rival, Politico reported. "I think that not just because of the strong economy and the fact that people are going to see increasingly rising wages, but I think it's also true because I think our Democrat friends are likely to nominate someone who is really out of the mainstream of American thought and will make it easier for a president who's presiding over a growing economy," Romney said. Romney was a vocal critic of Trump during the 2016 presidential primaries, urging Americans to vote for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. The former governor also recently revealed he didnt cast his November vote for Trump, choosing instead to write in his wife Annes name. Romneys criticism of Trump has cooled since launching his own Senate bid earlier this year following the announcement of U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatchs retirement. The two rivals have appeared to embrace each other, with the president giving his full support for Romneys Senate candidacy in February. The 71-year-old Romney is favored to win Utah's GOP nomination in a runoff on June 26 against state Rep. Mike Kennedy, with whom he sparred at a debate last week. Other dignitaries expected to appear at the three-day Utah Technology Innovation Summit include House Speaker Paul Ryan, billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., in addition to actor Seth Rogen, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and former Domino's Pizza CEO Patrick Doyle. The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump came out swinging as he entered the G-7 summit in Quebec on Friday, vowing to fight "unfair" trade policies despite terse warnings from U.S. allies over his administration's tough new tariffs. Trump was saluted by Canadian Mounties as he arrived at a military base in Quebec Friday afternoon -- but it is unclear if greetings from G-7 leaders will be as warm. The Trump administration recently imposed a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum from Canada, Mexico and the European Union. The move was met with a chorus of condemnation from leaders of the affected countries, tensions likely to carry into the G-7 summit. But Trump, for whom trade has long been an issue close to his heart, has appeared to relish the battle, particularly with left-wing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau -- who has repeatedly criticized the tariffs in recent days. Trump says American workers have long suffered from bad trade deals, and that he plans to fix it. Canada charges the U.S. a 270% tariff on Dairy Products! They didnt tell you that, did they? Not fair to our farmers! Trump tweeted Friday morning. Trump, before boarding Air Force One to fly to Canada, told reporters that things must change and floated the possibility again of pulling out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). "We are going to deal with the unfair trade practices. If you look what Canada, Mexico, the European Union, what all of them have been doing to us for many decades, we have to change it," he said. And they understand its going to happen. If were unable to make a deal, well terminate NAFTA, well have a better deal, he said. If were unable to make a deal, we will be better off...were not going to live with the deals the way they are. But he added: That being said, I think well very easily make a deal. French President Emmanuel Macron, who repeatedly embraced Trump in a visit last month to Washington, took to the presidents favored platform to take a jab at Trump on Thursday. "The American President may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a 6 country agreement if need be. Because these 6 countries represent values, they represent an economic market which has the weight of history behind it and which is now a true international force." But Trump brushed off the barb and threat of a six-country deal. Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the U.S. massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers. The EU trade surplus with the U.S. is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out, he tweeted. "Look forward to seeing them tomorrow, he added. He is expected to have one-on-one meetings with Trudeau and Macron as well as other G-7 leaders. While the tense stand-off would typically be seen as a possible diplomatic crisis in prior administrations, Trump has embraced sharp-elbowed approaches and appears more comfortable in such scraps. He upset other world leaders with moves such as the travel ban and the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris climate deal and the Iran nuclear deal. International opinion appears to have had little effect on the America First president. On Friday, he remarked that Russia, which was kicked out of the now Group of Seven in 2014, should be reinstated. "Russia should be in this meeting. Whether you like it or not and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run. G-7 threw Russia out. They should let Russia come back in," he said. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in response that Trump is turning U.S. foreign policy into an "international joke." TRUMP CALLS FOR RUSSIA TO BE REINSTATED TO G7 CNN reported that, in a recent phone call between Trump and Trudeau, Trudeau objected to Trump justifying the tariffs as a national security issue. Trump reportedly quipped: Didnt you guys burn down the White House? in reference to the War of 1812. The White House was set on fire by British forces in 1814 during the War of 1812 with the United States. The U.S. attempted to invade British colonies, in territory that is today Canada. This will be Trump's second G-7. The member countries are: Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, the United States and Britain. The European Union also attends. Fox News Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Posted 6/7/18 Reagan Page graduated summa cum laude as valedictorian of 144 School of the Osage seniors on May 17. During high school, Page represented Osage in leadership camps, math and quiz bowls, choir, band, President Trump on Friday called for Russia to be reinstated to the group of leading industrial nations meeting at the G-7 summit in Quebec, saying the Kremlin should be a part of the talks. It doesnt matter what you call it. It used to be G-8, now Russia is out, Trump told reporters on Friday morning as he departed for Canada. Why are we having a meeting without Russia? Would recommend Russia should be a part of it. Trump added: "Russia should be in this meeting. Whether you like it or not and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run. G-7 threw Russia out. They should let Russia come back in." Russia was ousted from the group of leading nationsFrance, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and the U.S.following its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Trump's comments could fuel criticism about his stance on Russia. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is currently investigating Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates during the 2016 presidential election. Trump has repeatedly insisted no wrongdoing. TRUMP HEADS FOR G7 BATTLE WITH CANADA, EURO LEADERS OVER 'UNFAIR' TRADE DEALS "I've done nothing wrong. No collusion," Trump said Friday. The president has dubbed Mueller's investigation a "witch hunt" for months. Trump, who was headed to Quebec Friday morning for the summit, also told reporters that he "may leave a little bit early." "I may leave a little bit early. It depends on the timing and it depends on what happens here," Trump said. "All of these countries have been taking advantage of us. We have to straighten it out. We have massive trade deficits with almost every country. We have to straighten it out." He added: "It's what I do. It won't even be hard." He's heading next to Singapore for a summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. The G-7 summit is expected to be a tense and confrontational meeting with western allies to fight against what Trump has called "unfair" trade practices. The Trump administration imposted new tariffs 25 percent on imported steel, 10 percent on aluminum from Canada, Mexico and the European Union which threaten to drive up prices for American consumers and companies and heighten uncertainty for businesses and investors around the globe. The U.S. allies had been exempted, but Trump ended that temporary relief this month, seeking to pressure other countries to cut new trade agreements with the U.S. Leaders of Canada and Western European allies are bracing for battle as well, and for days have been sparring with the U.S. over new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau already signaled they will use the event to oppose the tariffs. The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump is headed to Quebec for what is expected to be a tense and confrontational G-7 summit with western allies to fight against what he calls unfair trade practices. I am heading for Canada and the G-7 for talks that will mostly center on the long time unfair trade practiced against the United States. From there I go to Singapore and talks with North Korea on Denuclearization. Wont be talking about the Russian Witch Hunt Hoax for a while! Trump tweeted Friday morning. Earlier Friday, the president blasted Canada over a high tariff on U.S. dairy imports. Canada charges the U.S. a 270% tariff on Dairy Products! They didnt tell you that, did they? Not fair to our farmers! Trump tweeted. Leaders of Canada and Western European nations are bracing for battle as well, and for days have been sparring with the U.S. over new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau already signaled they will use the event to oppose the tariffs. At a joint press conference on Thursday, Macron stressed: A trade war doesnt spare anyone. It will start first of all to hurt U.S. workers. Trudeau said: We are going to defend our industries and our workers. Macron also tweeted: "The American President may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a 6 country agreement if need be. Because these 6 countries represent values, they represent an economic market which has the weight of history behind it and which is now a true international force." Trump on Thursday night was ready with a retort. Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the U.S. massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers. The EU trade surplus with the U.S. is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out. Look forward to seeing them tomorrow, Trump tweeted Thursday night. He added: Prime Minister Trudeau is being so indignant, bringing up the relationship that the U.S. and Canada had over the many years and all sorts of other thingsbut he doesnt bring up the fact that they charge us up to 300% on dairyhurting our Farmers, killing our Agriculture! The new tariffs 25 percent on imported steel, 10 percent on aluminum from Canada, Mexico and the European Union threaten to drive up prices for American consumers and companies and heighten uncertainty for businesses and investors around the globe. The U.S. allies had been exempted, but Trump ended that temporary relief this month, seeking to pressure other countries to cut new trade agreements with the U.S. Last month, Trump and Trudeau reportedly had a confrontational phone call over the tariffs, with Trudeau questioning how Trump could justify tariffs on steel and aluminum as a national security issue. CNN reported the conversation, noting that the president reportedly responded: Didnt you guy burn down the White House? referring to the War of 1812. It is unclear if Trump was joking. The White House was set on fire by British forces in 1814 during the War of 1812 with the United States. The U.S. attempted to invade British colonies, in territory that is today Canada. Both Trudeau and Macron have vowed to confront Trump over tariffs and climate change. But the president went further Thursday night, blasting Western European allies on unfair trade practices. Why isnt the European Union and Canada informing the public that for years they have used massive Trade Tariffs and non-monetary Trade Barriers against the U.S. Totally unfair to our farmers, workers & companies. Take down your tariffs & barriers or we will more than match you! Trump tweeted. Meanwhile, Trump is expected to cut his trip to Quebec short to fly directly to Singapore for the highly anticipated summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday evening that Trump would leave the G-7 summit mid-morning Saturday. A White House aide will reportedly represent the U.S. for the remainder of the summit. "Looking forward to straightening out unfair Trade Deals with the G-7 countries. If it doesnt happen, we come out even better!" Trump tweeted Friday. The president also took a shot at Democrats -- like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and even former President Barack Obama. "Obama, Schumer and Pelosi did NOTHING about North Korea, and now weak on Crime, High Tax Schumer is telling me what to do at the Summit the Dems could never set up. Schumer failed with North Korea and Iran, we dont need his advice!" Trump tweeted. The Associated Press contributed to this report. After recently granting a pardon and considering at least two more, President Donald Trump should also consider pardoning former CIA director and U.S. Army general David Petraeus, a U.S. senator said. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the No. 2 Senate Republican, made the suggestion Thursday morning during an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, the Washington Examiner reported. While in the Army, Petraeus oversaw coalition forces during the Iraq War before moving to the CIA under the Obama administration. But his time at the CIA was short-lived. A 2012 FBI investigation unearthed emails between Petraeus and his biographer, Paula Broadwell, with whom he was having an affair. Petraeus pleaded guilty in 2015 to a misdemeanor charge of handling classified information, which he gave to Broadwell in eight notebooks. "I think Gen. Petraeus is an incredible patriot, and helped guide our country during a very difficult time in Iraq and basically pulled a rabbit out of a hat there. But he made a terrible mistake," Cornyn said on Hewitts show. "What I respect about Gen. Petraeus is he admitted it candidly and publicly, and took responsibility for it. You dont see that much in Washington. "I think Gen. Petraeus is an incredible patriot, and helped guide our country during a very difficult time in Iraq ... But he made a terrible mistake. What I respect about Gen. Petraeus is he admitted it candidly and publicly, and took responsibility for it." U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas President Trump had once considered Petraeus to be his secretary of state. But that title ultimately went to Rex Tillerson, the former Exxon-Mobil CEO who has since resigned. The prospect of pardoning Petraeus comes shortly after Trump pardoned conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh DSouza, who pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributions in the 2012 Senate race. Trump is also reportedly considering pardons for TV personality Martha Stewart and former Illinois Gov. Rob Blagojevich, Politico reported. The president also recently commuted the sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, 62, who had served more than 20 years of a life sentence without parole for a nonviolent drug offense, the report said. President Trump said Friday that he's inclined to get behind a bipartian congressional bid to ease the U.S. ban on marijuana, The Associated Press reported. It said the proposal has potential to dramatically reshape the nation's legal landscape for pot users and businesses. A national prohibition that puts pot on the same level as LSD and heroin has created a conflict with more than two dozen states that have legalized pot in some form. The legislation would ensure that states have the right to determine the best approach to marijuana within their borders, while preserving restrictions on such things as recreational sales to people under 21. The proposal introduced Thursday has support from members of Congress from both parties, including Republican Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado. "I support Senator Gardner. I know exactly what he's doing," Trump told reporters in Washington, AP reported. "We're looking at it. But I probably will end up supporting that, yes." In a statement released Thursday, Gardner said the proposal would ensure Washington respects the will of voters in each state, whatever their preference on the subject. Another co-sponsor, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, said in a statement that Washington "needs to get out of the business of outlawing marijuana," according to AP. The Associated Press contributed to this report. U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has suggested that President Trump would handle Britains departure from the European Union better than the current government -- saying hed go in bloody hard. Johnson, who campaigned for Brexit in 2016, made the remarks at a closed-door gathering in London on Wednesday -- remarks that were leaked to BuzzFeed News. According to the tape of the remarks, Johnson expressed his frustration with the Conservative governments handling of the talks with Brussels, saying that fear of short-term disruption was spooking the government. Project Fear is really working on them. Theyre terrified of this nonsense. Its all mumbo jumbo, he said. Asked about Trump, Johnson said that he is increasingly admiring of the U.S. president and that he is more convinced that "there is method in his madness." He then asked his audience to imagine the billionaire handling the Brexit negotiations. Imagine Trump doing Brexit, Johnson said. Hed go in bloody hard Thered be all sorts of breakdowns, all sorts of chaos. Everyone would think hed gone mad. But actually you might get somewhere. Its a very, very good thought. Johnsons remarks come amid increasing concerns from so-called Brexiteers in the Conservative Party that the 2016 referendum is being delayed and undermined by those in government and in the E.U. who wish the U.K. did not vote to leave the bloc and are trying to reverse the decision. Activists and U.K. media voices have expressed fears of a Hotel California Brexit, referring to the Eagles song that includes the line You can check out any time you like, But you can never leave. In his remarks, Johnson said that he was confident that there would be a Brexit, but expressed fear about what it would look like. The risk is it will not be the one we want and the risk is that we will end up in a sort of anteroom of the EU, with an orbit around the EU, in a customs union and to a large extent in the single market, he said. So not really having full freedom on our trade policy, our tariffs schedules, and not having freedom with our regulatory framework, either. Prime Minister Theresa May, arriving at the G-7 summit in Canada on Friday, was asked by Sky News about the leaked remarks and reacted tersely: "The foreign secretary has strong views on Brexit, but so do I. That's why I'm getting on with the job of delivering Brexit," she said. She did not answer directly a question about whether Johnson was "unsackable." BORIS JOHNSON BACKS TRUMP IN FACE OF 'POMPOUS' LEFT-WING CRITICS Johnson, who was born in New York, is known for his colorful language and has used it to defend Trump against adversaries in the U.K. In January he tore into London Mayor Sadiq Khan for telling Trump he was not welcome in London. We will not allow US-UK relations to be endangered by some puffed up pompous popinjay in City Hall, he tweeted. President Trump will visit London next month, where he will meet with May as part of a working visit to the country. Seven of the worlds most powerful leaders are scheduled to gather this weekend in Canada for the annual G7 summit. This years G7 summit is hosted in Charlevoix, the riverside region in Quebec, on June 8-9. This vibrant region captures everything that our country is about -- from bilingualism, to cultural diversity, to stunning scenery in every season, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. I look forward to welcoming my counterparts this year in beautiful Charlevoix. Im sure they will fall in love with the region, just as Canadians have done for generations. Read on for a look at the 44th G7 summit. What is the G7? Officially the Group of Seven, the G7 is the gathering of seven of the worlds most industrialized nations. This group is comprised of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. The leaders for this years summit include: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, British Prime Minister Theresa May and President Trump. According to the G7, the European Union is also considered a non-enumerated member of the group but doesnt chair or host the summit. The president of the European Council has attended every summit since 1981, and Donald Tusk, the current president, is expected to attend the 2018 gathering. For several decades, the group was referred to as the G8, as it included Russia. But Russia was suspended from the group in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea. As he was leaving for the summit, Trump suggested Russia should be added back "It doesn't matter what you call it. It used to be G8; now Russia is out," Trump told reporters. "Why are we having a meeting without Russia? Would recommend Russia should be a part of it." How does the summit -- and presidency -- work? Each country in the group takes a turn holding what is called the presidency every year -- with this year being Canada. During its turn, the country that holds the presidency is responsible for hosting the summit, setting the agenda and acting as speaker for the entire G7. It also schedules preparatory meetings ahead of the summit. Representatives from the G7 nations, known as sherpas, attend those gatherings. The order for the presidency is as follows: France, the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada. This will be the sixth time Canada has hosted the G7 summit, with the last one being in Muskoka, Ontario in 2010. The summit is considered to be the highest-profile event of the entire G7 presidency. Its an opportunity for the heads of state or government from each G7 nation to gather together -- potentially along with leaders of other governments and international organizations. Are there any themes this year? The Canadian G7 presidency has 5 themes this year: Investing in growth that works for everyone Preparing for jobs of the future Advancing gender equality and womens empowerment Working together on climate change, oceans and clean energy Building a more peaceful and secure world Canada is proud to put forward a progressive agenda for the 2018 G7, Trudeau said in a statement on Canadas G7 presidency website. The themes we have chosen for this year will help focus our discussions on finding real, concrete solutions to promote gender equality, womens empowerment, clean energy and economic growth that works for everyone. As G7 partners, we share a responsibility to ensure that all citizens benefit from our global economy, and that we leave a healthier, more peaceful and more secure world for our children and grandchildren, the prime minister said. Anything else to know? As Trump increases tariffs, the White House is expecting a chilly reception from Canada and West European countries already frustrated with the president for withdrawing from the Paris climate accord and Iran nuclear agreement. Merkel already told the German parliament that it is apparent that we have a serious problem with multilateral agreements here, and so there will be contentious discussions at the summit. Trump said in a June 7 tweet that he is getting ready for the G7 summit -- which comes just days before hes scheduled to travel to Singapore for a historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. At the G7 summit, Trump is expected to hold multiple one-on-one meetings, including with Macron and Trudeau. But he is unlikely to back away from the nationalistic policies that have frustrated and unnerved allies which he sees as key promises to his most loyal voters. The Associated Press contributed to this report. In August 2017, for the first time ever, scientists spotted gravitational waves generated by the merger of two superdense stellar corpses known as neutron stars. This landmark find was a major step forward in understanding the cosmos, astronomers have stressed. At the time, scientists suggested that this dramatic event, officially cataloged as GW170817, could have created a black hole and a new analysis backs this supposition up. [Neutron-Star Crash: A Gravitational Waves Discovery in Pictures] In the new study, researchers analyzed data gathered by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatoryafter the gravitational waves ripples in space-time first predicted by Albert Einstein a century ago were detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) project. LIGO data revealed that the object created by the neutron-star merger is about 2.7 times the mass of the sun. It is therefore either the lowest-mass black hole ever identified, or the most massive neutron star, the researchers said. But the study team is putting its money on the black-hole interpretation. If the two neutron stars collided to form a single, heavier neutron star, the resulting object would likely have a strong magnetic field that produces bright X-ray emissions, researchers said. However, the Chandra observations revealed low X-ray levels. "We may have answered one of the most basic questions about this dazzling event: What did it make?" study co-author Pawan Kumar, of the University of Texas at Austin, said in a statement. "Astronomers have long suspected that neutron star mergers would form a black hole and produce bursts of radiation, but we lacked a strong case for it until now." If this hypothesis is confirmed, it could shed light on black holes, the darkest objects in the universe. (The lightest-known black holes harbor a minimum of four to five times the mass of the sun.) Not all black holes form the same way, but this ultra-low-mass black hole would have taken shape after two supernova explosions left two neutron stars in a close-enough orbit for gravitational-wave radiation to help them collide a strange and complicated journey, study team members said. It would also be very interesting if astronomers determined that GW170817 generated a single gigantic neutron star. Such a result would challenge theories about the structure and formation of these exotic objects, researchers said."GW170817 is the astronomical event that keeps on giving," study co-author J. Craig Wheeler, also of the University of Texas, said in the statement. "We are learning so much about the astrophysics of the densest known objects from this one event." Fellow study co-author Bruce Grossan, of the University of California at Berkeley, voiced similar sentiments. "At the beginning of my career, astronomers could only observe neutron stars and black holes in our own galaxy, and now we are observing these exotic stars across the cosmos," Grossan said. "What an exciting time to be alive, to see instruments like LIGO and Chandra showing us so many thrilling things nature has to offer." The new study was published online May 31 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her @chelsea_gohd . Follow us @Spacedotcom , Facebook and Google+ . Original article on Space.com . Scientists have uncovered the earliest footprints left by animals on Earth, dating back more than half a billion years. The astonishing discovery reveals how creatures with paired legs were seemingly scuttling around over 100 million years earlier than we previously thought. The fossilized footprints were discovered by a team of scientists studying trackways and burrows in China. We don't know exactly what species the footprints belong to, but scientists described the creature as a bilaterian animal, like an arthropod. This means it has paired appendages, and may have been a burrowing creature. Experts previously believed that this type of creature appeared during the "Cambrian Explosion" around 541 to 510 million years ago. But these new fossils date back to the Ediacaran Period, which lasted between 635 and 541 million years ago. They were discovered by researchers from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Virginia Tech in the United States. The scientists were examining a geological area known as the Denying Formation in the Yangtze Gorges area of South China. "The trackways are somewhat irregular, consisting of two rows of imprints that are arranged in series or repeated groups," explained notes from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "The characteristics of the trackways indicate that they were produced by bilaterian animals with paired appendages that raised the animal body above the water-sediment interface. "The trackways appear to be connected to burrows, suggesting that the animals may have periodically dug into sediments and microbial mats, perhaps to mine oxygen and food." Sadly, the scientists weren't able to locate the body fossils of the animals that made these traces. It's possible that the bodies were never actually preserved, so it may be that we'll never know what they actually looked like. This story originally appeared in The Sun. Posted 6/8/18 The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services offers an online map that can help low-income families in Missouri find out where their children can receive free meals this summer. The Facebook is facing a major new privacy gaffe. A bug was live from May 18 to May 27 where about 14 million Facebook users around the world had their default sharing setting for all new posts set to public, the company revealed. After Facebook employees discovered the bug, which occurred while the tech giant was testing a new feature, the company claimed workers went back and changed the privacy settings for all posts shared by those 14 million users during that time. We recently found a bug that automatically suggested posting publicly when some people were creating their Facebook posts. We have fixed this issue and starting today we are letting everyone affected know and asking them to review any posts they made during that time. To be clear, this bug did not impact anything people had posted before and they could still choose their audience just as they always have. Wed like to apologize for this mistake, Erin Egan, chief privacy officer of Facebook, told Fox News. Affected Facebook users received a notification on the app or website starting Thursday. The message from Facebook urged users to Please Review Your Posts, and gave them a link to a list of what they shared on Facebook while the bug was active. The news followed a recent furor over Facebooks sharing of user data oversharing, in the eyes of many critics. Facebook also said Thursday it would end its data partnership with Huawei by the end of this week following a backlash over the Chinese phone makers access to Facebook user data. Huawei claimed Wednesday it neither collected nor stored Facebook user data, after the social media giant acknowledged it shared such data with Huawei and other manufacturers. Huawei, a company flagged by U.S. intelligence officials as a national security threat, was the latest device maker at the center of a fresh wave of allegations over Facebooks handling of private data. The development marked the latest major blunder for Facebook since allegations emerged in March that a Trump-affiliated political consultancy firm, Cambridge Analytica, had improperly harvested data from tens of millions of Facebook users to influence elections. Fox News Shira Bush and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Activist group Freedom from Facebook has taken out a full-page ad in MITs student newspaper slamming the social network ahead of Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandbergs commencement address Friday. Freedom from Facebook, which wants to see the company broken up by spinning off its various business units, placed the ad in the commencement edition of The Tech, MITs student newspaper. The ad quotes a number of former Facebook technologists warning about the dangers of Facebook and its potential to damage society. Its time to break up Facebook, it urges. The activist group is urging the Federal Trade Commission to break up Facebook by spinning off WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, re-establish competition in the social networking space, and also implement strong privacy rules giving users more control over how their personal information is collected and used. FACEBOOK OUTLINES STEPS TO COMPLY WITH NEW PRIVACY LAWS FOLLOWING CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SCANDAL Facebook is still feeling the shockwaves from the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. Reports emerged earlier this year that Cambridge Analytica improperly used information from as many as 87 million accounts on the social network, prompting Facebook to suspend the U.K.-based company. Cambridge Analytica, which has ties to Donald Trumps 2016 presidential election campaign, has denied any wrongdoing. On April 30, Cambridge announced it was shutting down. Speaking during her commencement address, Sandberg talked about the role that Facebook has played in supporting democracy and the Black Lives Matter movement. "I am proud of what Facebook has done around the world, I am proud of the connections that have been created," she said. However, she acknowledged the challenges faced by the social network. "When everyone can share, some people share lies, and, when everyone can organize, some organize against the things that we value the most." FACEBOOK CHANGED PRIVACY SETTINGS TO 'PUBLIC' FOR AS MANY AS 14M USERS Facebook, Sandberg added, did not see all the risks coming and didn't do enough to stop them. "It's hard when we know that we let people down," she said. "When you own your mistakes, you can work hard to prevent them," she said. "That's my job now, it won't be easy and it won't be fast, but we need to see it through." The social network faced another privacy gaffe this week when it revealed that a bug had changed the privacy settings to public for as many as 14 million users. The bug has since been fixed, Facebook said. Sandberg, a Harvard alum, oversees Facebooks operations. Prior to joining the social network, she worked for Google, McKinsey and Company, and the World Bank. She is also a former chief of staff for the U.S. Treasury Department under then-Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who worked for President Bill Clinton. Fox News reached out to Facebook with a request for comment on this story. This weekend is about celebrating the graduates, and we share our congratulations, said a Facebook spokeswoman, in a statement emailed to Fox News. Facebook has not yet responded to a request for comment on this article. This story has been updated with quotes from Sandberg's commencment address. Fox News Frank Miles and Chris Ciaccia contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers After abandoning its involvement in a Pentagon project, Google has vowed to never develop AI technologies that can be used for war or surveillance. Google's new policy around AI development is focused on building the technologies responsibly and limiting any potential misuse, the company said in a blog post. No Google AI technology will ever be used as a weapon or for surveillance, the policy states. In addition, the company will refuse to develop any AI projects that will "cause or are likely to cause overall harm." Only when the benefits "substantially outweigh the risks" will the company proceed, but with safeguards in place. The policy comes as Google employees reportedly pressured the tech giant to cancel its ongoing participation in Project Maven, a Pentagon effort to use AI to analyze footage from aerial drones. The company claimed that the research was for "non-offensive purposes," but some employees were afraid it could one day be used in actual warfare. In response, they circulated an internal letter, arguing that "Google should not be in the business of war." Resistance to Project Maven was serious enough that at least a dozen staffers reportedly resigned in protest. To placate employees, Google promised a new ethics policy around AI development, which the company made public on Thursday. Google Cloud CEO Diane Green confirmed that the company will not seek to renew its government contract for Project Maven. However, the new AI ethics policy doesn't spell an end to Google's involvement with the Pentagon. Far from it. "We want to be clear that while we are not developing AI for use in weapons, we will continue our work with governments and the military in many other areas," Google's CEO Sundar Pichai said in a separate blog post. "These include cybersecurity, training, military recruitment, veterans' healthcare, and search and rescue," he added. "These collaborations are important and we'll actively look for more ways to augment the critical work of these organizations and keep service members and civilians safe." Whether the tech giant can prevent its technologies from being weaponized (or even if that's wrong) will be up for debate. But the new policy also lays out a roadmap for Google's AI development. For instance, the company's artificial intelligence will be built and tested for safety; they'll also be designed with privacy in mind, an apparent nod to the controversy surrounding Google Duplex, an upcoming feature in the company's voice assistant that can potentially trick people into thinking it's human. Under the new policy, Google's AI technologies will give "opportunity for notice and consent." "While this is how we're choosing to approach AI, we understand there is room for many voices in this conversation," Pichai added in his blog post. "As AI technologies progress, we'll work with a range of stakeholders to promote thoughtful leadership in this area." This article originally appeared on PCMag.com. When people see machines that respond like humans, or computers that perform feats of strategy and cognition mimicking human ingenuity, they sometimes joke about a future in which humanity will need to accept robot overlords. But buried in the joke is a seed of unease. Science-fiction writing and popular movies, from "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) to "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015), have speculated about artificial intelligence (AI) that exceeds the expectations of its creators and escapes their control, eventually outcompeting and enslaving humans or targeting them for extinction. Conflict between humans and AI is front and center in AMC's sci-fi series "Humans," which returned for its third season on Tuesday (June 5). In the new episodes, conscious synthetic humans face hostile people who treat them with suspicion, fear and hatred. Violence roils as Synths find themselves fighting for not only basic rights but their very survival, against those who view them as less than human and as a dangerous threat. [Can Machines Be Creative? Meet 9 AI 'Artists'] Even in the real world, not everyone is ready to welcome AI with open arms. In recent years, as computer scientists have pushed the boundaries of what AI can accomplish, leading figures in technology and science have warned about the looming dangers that artificial intelligence may pose to humanity, even suggesting that AI capabilities could doom the human race. But why are people so unnerved by the idea of AI? An "existential threat" Elon Musk is one of the prominent voices that has raised red flags about AI. In July 2017, Musk told attendees at a meeting of the National Governors Association, "I have exposure to the very cutting-edge AI, and I think people should be really concerned about it." "I keep sounding the alarm bell," Musk added. "But until people see robots going down the street killing people, they don't know how to react, because it seems so ethereal." Earlier, in 2014, Musk had labeled AI "our biggest existential threat," and in August 2017, he declared that humanity faced a greater risk from AI than from North Korea. Physicist Stephen Hawking, who died March 14, also expressed concernsabout malevolent AI, telling the BBC in 2014 that "the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race." It's also less than reassuring that some programmers particularly those with MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts seem determined to prove that AI can be terrifying. A neural network called "Nightmare Machine," introduced by MIT computer scientists in 2016, transformed ordinary photos into ghoulish, unsettling hellscapes. An AI that the MIT group dubbed "Shelley" composed scary stories, trained on 140,000 tales of horror that Reddit users posted in the forum r/nosleep. "We are interested in how AI induces emotions fear, in this particular case," Manuel Cebrian, a research manager at MIT Media Lab, previously told Live Science in an email about Shelley's scary stories. Fear and loathing Negative feelings about AI can generally be divided into two categories: the idea that AI will become conscious and seek to destroy us, and the notion that immoral people will use AI for evil purposes, Kilian Weinberger, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at Cornell University, told Live Science. [Artificial Intelligence: Friendly or Frightening?] "If super-intelligent AI more intelligent than us becomes conscious, it could treat us like lower beings, like we treat monkeys," he said. "That would certainly be undesirable." However, fears that AI will develop awareness and overthrow humanity are grounded in misconceptions of what AI is, Weinberger noted. AI operates under very specific limitations defined by the algorithms that dictate its behavior. Some types of problems map well to AI's skill sets, making certain tasks relatively easy for AI to complete. "But most things do not map to that, and they're not applicable," he said. This means that, while AI might be capable of impressive feats within carefully delineated boundaries playing a master-level chess game or rapidly identifying objects in images, for example that's where its abilities end. "AI reaching consciousness there has been absolutely no progress in research in that area," Weinberger said. "I don't think that's anywhere in our near future." The other worrisome idea that an unscrupulous human would harness AI for harmful reasons is, unfortunately, far more likely, Weinberger added. Pretty much any type of machine or tool can be used for either good or bad purposes, depending on the user's intent, and the prospect of weapons harnessing artificial intelligence is certainly frightening and would benefit from strict government regulation, Weinberger said. Perhaps, if people could put aside their fears of hostile AI, they would be more open to recognizing its benefits, Weinberger suggested. Enhanced image-recognition algorithms, for example, could help dermatologists identify moles that are potentially cancerous, while self-driving cars could one day reduce the number of deaths from auto accidents, many of which are caused by human error, he told Live Science. But in the "Humans" world of self-aware Synths, fears of conscious AI spark violent confrontations between Synths and people, and the struggle between humans and AI will likely continue to unspool and escalate during the current season, at least. Editor's note: This is the final feature in a three-part series of articles related to AMC's "Humans." The third season debuted June 5 at 10 p.m. EDT/9 p.m. CDT. Original article on Live Science. The days of contorting around armrests to sleep at the airport are numbered. European airports could soon introduce Airpods, sleek self-contained capsules designed specifically for sleepy travelers at their gate. The pods are a minimal private escape that look like futuristic drag racers. Inside, sleep-deprived passengers will find a plush chair that converts into a bed for naps. Travelers can charge their devices, link up to a Wi-Fi connection and store their luggage. Air purifiers keep things fresh and theres even Netflix available on a TV screen. And though the pods are designed to reduce outside noise, its possible to stay connected to whats going on around the airport. Those inside can set an alarm for when its time to head to their gate and check on flight alerts. The pods will be available to rent by the hour. Airpod was developed by two Slovenian businessmen and frequent fliers. Our aim is to improve and make travel experience comfortable and enjoyable each and every hour, whilst transiting, the companys website says. The pods are still in beta, but they will start to appear around European airports as part of a commercial test later this year. Afterwards, they could appear around the globe. These pods are not the first to offer a place to nap for weary travelers. Other similar business ventures include Jabbrrbox at New York City's LaGuardia Airport, GoSleep nap pods in Helsinki Airport, private bedrooms available for rent in Las Vegas McCarran Airport, and Moscow Airports tiny SleepBox pods. This article originally appeared on Travel + Leisure. Robert Johnson, the man who his attorney described as brutally attacked by Mesa Police, made a statement Thursday afternoon with his attorney and pastor by his side. Johnson said hes stressed, hurt, and doesnt want this to happen to anyone else. Many of you have seen the video of Mesa police. I dont want this to happen to no one in this particular system. Im a family man, Im a God-fearing person, I just want Mesa to be accountable to what they have done, Johnson said. Johnsons attorney, Benjamin Taylor, said the police beat him up and hog-tied him. Taylor confirmed Thursday that Johnson suffered a concussion as a result. Taylor said in a statement: Mr. Johnson was cooperative and following police instructions. Mr. Johnson was sitting peacefully against a wall when the assault began. He did not resist. The misconduct of these officers would have gone unnoticed if it had not been captured by surveillance videos at the apartment complex where the assault occurred. We hope and pray that the Mesa Police Department will accept responsibility for the misconduct of these officers. Mesa must take concrete steps to ensure that culpable officers are disciplined, retrained, or dismissed. The Mesa Police Department must develop a law enforcement culture that meets community and constitutional norms and ensures that police and citizens go home safely after police interactions. Attorney Joel Robbins also said these are the types of cases that he does a lot. Taylor said after a police attack, its frequently the response from police to say it was the victims fault. Pastor Andre Miller is the one who found out about the incident, and brought the video to the Mesa Police chiefs attention. Miller said hes been remorseful and is taking this seriously, but also said that this type of behavior is a police culture problem in Mesa. This is not a race issue this is a culture issue, a police culture issue that has to change, Miller said. It could happen to any one of us when we have an encounter with the police and it should now. So, we are grateful at the steps that the mayor is taking, the steps that the current chief of police is taking, but we are a little disheartened at the Mesa Police Association. The police union is pushing back against the mayor, theyre pushing back against the police chief. The chief initiated an internal investigation and four Mesa police officers were removed from active duty and placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation. Mesa Police said in a statement: The incident in question occurred on May 23, 2018 when officers were called to 701 E. Main regarding a Domestic Disturbance with a firearm in the apartment. A female caller advised that her ex-boyfriend was at the apartment with a second male subject and was trying to force his way into the apartment. Officers arrived a short time later and detained both male subjects. The males were later identified as 20-year-old Erick Reyes (the ex-boyfriend) and 33-year-old Robert Johnson. Johnson was charged with Disorderly Conduct and Hindering Prosecution. Reyes was charged with Disorderly Conduct DV and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. During their contact with Mr. Johnson, a use of force incident occurred which was captured on surveillance footage from the apartment as well as multiple body worn camera angles. The surveillance footage was released yesterday (06/05/18) along with Chief Batista conducting on camera interviews with multiple local news agencies about this incident. In these interviews Chief Batista confirmed three officers and a sergeant were removed from active duty and placed on administrative leave. Chief Batista spoke about a special directive ordering a prohibition on face, head, and neck strikes unless there is active aggression being exhibited by an individual toward the officer. He discussed his vision for the culture he wants within Mesa Police to include communication, respect, and professionalism in every encounter inclusive of a review of policy, procedure and training. We have released the police report and body camera footage of the incident. An internal investigation is underway. California authorities on Thursday located a stolen van with more than a dozen show dogs inside. The vehicle had been swiped a day earlier from a fast food parking lot, and the dogs "all appear safe and sound," police said. The Redding Police Department said on Facebook that the vehicle was found in a "remote" spot in the woods, located south of Redding, and was "parked in direct sun, locked up tight." "All of the dogs" that were taken were found, police said. Responding officers had to smash a window in order to retrieve the canines "who were all barking and eager to be rescued," police said in a follow-up post. "The dogs had high heart rates from heat and stress, were thirsty, hungry, and in need of affection, but were otherwise fine," Redding police said, adding that they were brought to the Haven Humane Society. Police shared a post from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) - Northern Division, thanking them for their help. The division's air operations team said on Facebook that they'd gotten a report Thursday morning about "a possible sighting" of the van that had been taken from an In-N-Out parking lot. "Air 11 was already in the area searching for the van and responded," the Facebook post said. After spotting the vehicle, police were notified of its whereabouts, the post said. Police, who asked for information from any witnesses, said some of the breeds in the van included yellow labs, rat terriers and Rottweilers. MONSTER MOTHER SENTENCED TO 35 YEARS IN PRISON FOR BEATING SON TO DEATH ON 4TH BIRTHDAY Tony Carter, the vans owner and a professional dog trainer, told CBS 19 he left the car on so the air conditioner could keep the pups cool. "We ordered at 1:19, the van was gone by 1:23," Carter said. "It was gone. It was literally gone that fast." The dogs were en route to the Woofstock Dog Show that was scheduled Thursday in Vallejo. Carter said he does not believe whoever took the van knew there were dogs inside. SHERIFF WHO BOUGHT BEACH HOUSE AFTER POCKETING $750G FROM INMATE FOOD FUND GETS VOTED OUT Lynda Leffel, who owned one of the dogs in the stolen van, said she was devastated when she learned her pup was missing. "I'm devastated. Who on Earth would do this," she said. "This is a puppy I raised myself." A California man received a death sentence on Thursday for beating, starving, torturing and ultimately killing his girlfriend's 8-year-old son. Isauro Aguirre, 37, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. His girlfriend, 34-year-old Pearl Fernandez, was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty in February. Fernandez's son, Gabriel, was killed in a "beyond animalistic" way in 2013. MOTHER PLEADS GUILTY IN SAVAGE DEATH OF TORTURED CALIFORNIA BOY, 8; EXPECTED TO GET LIFE IN PRISON Prosecutors said he was repeatedly beaten, shot with a BB gun, forced to eat cat feces and slept while gagged and bound inside a small cabinet. According to Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge George Lomeli, the child once had his teeth knocked out with a bat. Gabriel also suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs and burns across his body. "It goes without saying that the conduct was horrendous and inhumane and nothing short of evil," Lomeli said in court on Thursday. "It's beyond animalistic because animals know how to take care of their young." Pearl called 911 on May 22, 2013 to report Gabriel wasn't breathing. She told police her son had fallen and hit his head on a dresser. The 8-year-old died two days later from blunt-force trauma and neglect. His siblings testified that his mother and Aguirre would call him gay, punish him if he played with dolls and forced him to wear girls' clothes to school. Pearl apologized during the court hearing and said she wished her son was still alive. She added that family members who have expressed grief over Gabriel's death are just looking for attention. Several agencies investigated abuse allegations leading up to Gabriel's death. On several occasions, investigators concluded there was no evidence of abuse. Prosecutors have since filed charges of child abuse and falsifying records against county social workers Stephanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement and supervisors Kevin Bom and Gregory Merrittfour in Gabriel's death. Fox News' Frank Miles and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Chicago man who died after police shot him Wednesday night had produced a gun while being chased, prompting officers to open fire, officials said. Maurice Granton Jr. died of a gunshot wound to the back, according to an early autopsy report, after he refused to stop during a chase, and instead produced a weapon, police said. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, an oversight group, said late Thursday that the investigation revealed early on that three shots were fired from the officers gun. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi released a picture of what he says was the gun that Granton produced at the scene, adding that there is evidence that shows that the gun had been fired. But the suspects family said that the firearm wasnt his. Kaeinji Jackson, Grantons sister, told WLS, No, thats not his, his [sic] doesnt have a gun. Police involved in a narcotics investigation were surveilling the area Wednesday, and said that security cameras showed Granton taking part in what appeared to be an illegal drug transaction; officers immediately were dispatched to the scene. Granton was pronounced dead at University of Chicago Hospital. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Latest on Kilauea volcano's eruption in Hawaii (all times local): 4:45 p.m. Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim says lava from Kilauea volcano has destroyed more than 600 homes since early last month. Kim told reporters in Hilo on Thursday the total includes about 320 homes in the coastal community of Kapoho. It also includes all homes in Vacationland. Kilauea began erupting lava in a residential community on May 3. Lava has since been pouring out of large fissures in the earth and down to the ocean. Hawaii Gov. David Ige says the state was giving the county $12 million to help it respond to the eruption. He says it will help pay for overtime, food and equipment, noting county employees have been working an around-the-clock operation for almost 40 days. ___ 12 p.m. Scientists say lava that poured into the low-laying coastal Hawaii neighborhoods of Kapoho and Vacationland spread across the area in just two days. The lava destroyed hundreds of homes, forever changing the landscape and forming a new shoreline that is expected to keep growing. Officials with the U.S. Geological Survey said Thursday that the lava feeding that flow is still active and there's no way to know when the eruption will end or if more lava-spewing vents will open. Lava filled Kapoho Bay and created land that now juts out nearly a mile from the former shoreline. That new land is owned by the state, but the peninsula won't look like the lush green farmland that dominates that region of the Big Island anytime soon. Posted 6/8/18 The 21st annual Firefighter Appreciation Day in St. Louis for muscular dystrophy featured the appearance of the Urbana Fire Department. Urbana was honored for its outstanding Fill the Boot efforts A Texas judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of the mother of a teenager who used an "affluenza" defense in a fatal drunken-driving wreck. Judge Wayne Salvant issued the warrant Wednesday for the arrest of Tonya Couch after she allegedly tested positive for amphetamine or methamphetamine, violating the terms of her release on bond. She had her bond revoked once before for failing a urinalysis in March. She had been released for just two weeks when she failed another urinalysis. Couch was charged with money laundering and hindering apprehension after she and her son, Ethan Couch, skipped the country for Mexico in 2015. Ethan Couch was released on probation last March. A psychologist at trial blamed "affluenza," or acting irresponsibly due to wealth, for his actions in a 2013 North Texas wreck that killed four. An arrest warrant was issued Wednesday for Tonya Couch mother of "affluenza teen" Ethan Couch after she allegedly violated her bond conditions, according to a document obtained by Fox News. Couch, 51, allegedly tested positive for amphetamine or methamphetamine, which violated the terms of her release on bond. 'AFFLUENZA TEEN' ETHAN COUCH RELEASED FROM JAIL YEARS AFTER DRUNK DRIVING WRECK KILLED 4 She had previously had her bond revoked for failing a urinalysis in March. Couch had been released for just two weeks before she failed another urinalysis. Couch was charged with money laundering and hindering apprehension after she and her son skipped the country for Mexico in 2015. Ethan Couch was released from jail on probation in April after serving two years behind bars for killing four people in 2013 during a drunk driving accident. He was dubbed the "affluenza teen" after a psychologist blamed his actions on his wealth. Fox News' Keith Harden and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Utah man was charged with child abuse homicide Thursday after his 2-year-old son fatally shot himself in the head last month with a fully loaded gun that his father slept with, authorities said. Tasman William Maile, 27, told police he always slept with his gun fully loaded and safety off, within arms reach at the West Valley home where he lived with his two sons, FOX 13 Utah reported. But on May 26, his 2-year-old son seized the gun and accidentally set it off. This is a little bit different than somebody who takes their weapon and puts it in a case up in the closet somewhere, hidden behind the clothes, and some child inadvertently finds it and shoots themselves, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill told the Salt Lake Tribune. Police responded to reports of a loud bang and a man in a bloody shirt throwing a blue bucket into a nearby dumpster, the Tribune reported. Officers found the child unconscious inside the home, lying next to a Walther CCP handgun. The boy was airlifted to a hospital, where he died three days later. This is a little bit different than somebody who takes their weapon and puts it in a case up in the closet somewhere, hidden behind the clothes, and some child inadvertently finds it and shoots themselves." Sim Gill, Salt Lake County district attorney The room where officers found the boy was disorderly and contained no furniture, police said. Officers surmised the father and his two sons slept on the floor surrounded by loose clothing and bedding. Mailes wife was not home at the time. Authorities searched the dumpster and found the blue bucket, which contained a handgun magazine, two glass jars holding more than 10 ounces of marijuana and a digital scale, the paper reported. Two other handguns and an empty gun case for the Walther CPP were also found inside a backpack. The father later admitted to police that he discarded the two guns in the dumpster after he was awakened by the gunshot blast, FOX 13 reported. Maile was additionally charged with one count of obstructing justice, three counts of possessing a firearm by a restricted person, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Just three decades ago, America was a milk guzzling nation. About 247 pounds of milk was consumed every year. But consumption dropped to 154 pounds in 2016, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. And that is impacting dairy farms across the nation, which are struggling to survive as the industry slowly vanishes. Alisha Risser and her husband bought a dairy farm in Lebanon, Penn. 15 years ago from his family. They wanted to pass it down to their children. But now their farm is under threat after the company that for years supplied their milk nationally abruptly nixed their contract. The Rissers were among more than 100 dairy farms nationwide, and 41 in Pennsylvania, to have their contract canceled by Dean Foods. The company has said a surplus of raw milk and low demands left them with little options. "In order to pay for our feed, vet services, and mortgage we need to sell our milk," Risser said. "If not, how can we operate and care for our livestock?" With fewer people drinking milk, the competition among producers has grown increasingly fierce. The collapse of the dairy industry was brought on by a convergence of factors, including more milk substitutes on the market offering less fat and more flavor, the medical debate over milk's health value, and what economists call a classic case of an imbalance of supply and demand. John Urbanchuk, a professor of agribusiness at Delaware Valley, said since the milk boom in 2014, prices have dropped rapidly. Milk is now selling for $15.30 per 100 pounds. In September 2014, it was over $25. "I was appalled when I looked at the numbers. Fluid milk consumption per capita is down by 9.7 percent in the last five years, ice cream consumption is down 3.3 percent. People are just not consuming milk, and it's putting the dairy industry in bad place." In the Keystone state, the nation's sixth-largest dairy producer, more farmers are liquidating assets, or worse, leaving the industry entirely. According to the Center for Dairy Excellence, there are 6,570 dairy farms in Pennsylvania, down by 80 from 2016, and by 800 since 2012. At the Center for Dairy Excellence, a non -profit group created by the state to make dairy farming a more profitable and viable industry, more calls than ever are coming in for help. "These are frustrating times and many farmers are looking for an exit strategy," said Jayne Sebright, executive director at the center. She said dairy farming is a global market and right now fluid milk sales have continued to drop across the world. "In 2014, American farmers saw a boost from an unprecedented milk demand in China, which helped national exports," Sebright said. According to Urbanchuk, there are other options for dairy farmers in New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania searching for an alternative cash flow. "I'm not sure exiting is the best option," Urbanchuk said. "Farmers with good soil can produce other crops, which can provide an opportunity to remain in agriculture." Rep. John Zimmerman, R-Lancaster, resides in the neighboring county and said Central Pennsylvania farmers are not looking for alternative crops. Dairy is all they know, he said. "Pennsylvania farmers are competing with factor outside of the national crisis," Zimmerman said. "We have higher real estate cost, less processing plant, and smaller farm. Transitioning may not be an option for our farmers." Risser, who has worked on farms since she was a young girl, said she understands the volatility of the market. "You expect to have the highs and lows, she said, but what was different with this particular one is that the cost of producing milk has risen over the past couple of years." The USDA said dairy farmers are getting paid 87 cents for every dollar they spend to produce. As prices fall, farmers who remain have increased production to make up for losses. Urbanchuk calls it a "vicious cycle." Many farmer advocacy groups have asked the government to intervene. Zimmerman believes that is no longer an option. "At one point, government even bought out herds, however, we dont have the finances or the means to do that today," Zimmerman said. Instead, Zimmerman hopes to restore the North American Free Trade (NAFTA) agreement to help restore stability in the dairy industry. And bring whole milk back into schools across the U.S. The Rissers are fortunate to have a new deal. In the region, four farms have already sold their cows due to the cancelation. "Harrisburg bottling company, a small, local distributor was an answer to our prayers," said Risser. He said the family-run farm is secure for now. But does not know how long that will last. "I still hope one day one of the kids will want to take on the farm," Risser said. "But after all the struggle we've been through, I want them to make that decision on their own." A Florida woman who was reportedly dragged by an alligator into a pond while walking her dogs Friday is believed to be dead, authorities said. Florida Fish & Wildlife (FWC) officials said they believed the victim, identified as 47-year-old Shizuka Matsuki, died after a witness earlier reported seeing the alligator drag her into the water. Authorities later said evidence suggested that the reptile bit the victim. A 12-foot, 6-inch alligator was removed from the lake by an FWC contracted trapper, officials said. After an initial necropsy, evidence was found that indicates that the victim of this incident was bitten by the alligator that was captured earlier today. ALLIGATOR REPORTEDLY DRAGS WOMAN INTO FLORIDA POND; SEARCH UNDERWAY The FWC believes that the victim is deceased and we will continue recovery efforts on the lake with local authorities, the update continued. This tragedy is heartbreaking for everyone involved, and our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim at this time. Human remains were retrieved from the animal, according to the Miami Herald, citing authorities. A witness at the scene told authorities that theyd noticed a woman with two dogs and then later spotted the two dogs alone, according to a statement from the FWC, who added that one of the canines had been wounded. Davie Police Detective Viviana Gallinal said the dog had a gash on its side and described it as a fresh injury. GIANT ALLIGATOR IN SOUTH CAROLINA ATTEMPTS TO SCALE FENCE TO ESCAPE TRAPPERS: THIS IS CRAZY The witness called police when he couldn't find the woman, Gallinal said. Earlier media reports indicated the witness reported seeing the gator drag the woman into the water. Police did not immediately clarify the discrepancy. The victims husband was out of town when she went missing and is trying to catch a flight back to Florida, according to the womans friend Jim Borrelli. Borrelli said he was asked to go to the park to get more information. He was also asked to break the news to the couple's son, who is in his 20s and lives in New York. Fox News Jennifer Earl and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A central Indiana high school teacher is trying to get his job back after he claims the school district forced him to resign for violating its transgender student policy. John Kluge, a former Brownsburg High School orchestra teacher, said he submitted a tentative resignation letter because he was threatened with job termination for not falling in line with the school districts new policy on how teachers should address students who identify as transgender. He told the Indianapolis Star that he did not want to violate his conscience by calling transgender students by their preferred name, rather than those given at birth. Im being compelled to encourage students in what I believe is something thats a dangerous lifestyle, the 28-year-old teacher told the newspaper. Im fine to teach students with other beliefs, but the fact that teachers are being compelled to speak a certain way is the scary thing. Kluge, who has taught at the school for four years, said the schools new policy violates his First Amendment rights. The new school policy, which will be implemented next school year, states that students must have written consent from a parent and doctor to request the name change. The schools policy allowed for teachers to call students by their last names this year, but starting next year, teachers will be required to call students by the preferred name and pronouns listed in the schools system. When you work in a public school, you sign up to follow the law and the policies/practices of that organization and that might mean following practices that are different than your beliefs, the policy said. A Brownsburg Community School Corporation representative alleged that Kluge voluntarily submitted his resignation before the end of the school year, but Kluge said he submitted a tentative resignation letter because he was threatened with job termination, adding he requested to withdraw the letter. Kluge said he still wants to work at the school and is pleading to come back. The Indiana Family Institute, a conservative education and research organization, started a letter-writing campaign to encourage the school to bring Kluge back and allow parents to have a voice in shaping the environment in which their children are educated. But LGBTQ advocates said the schools policy is a show of respect not about politics or religion. Using a trans students chosen name is an invaluable support. Educators need to lead by example with respect for students identities, names, and pronouns," Becca Mui, education manager at LGBTQ student advocacy organization GLSEN, told Indy Star. "If John Kluge couldnt model this respect for his students, he wasnt creating a classroom environment where all of his students could thrive. Kluge plans to make an appeal to get his job back at the school board meeting on Monday. I love serving the kids in the community and would like to continue teaching at Brownsburg, he said in a statement. Its unfortunate that the administration is not letting me come back and that they are unwilling to continue a reasonable accommodation that most people consider to be very common-sense. Mesa Police Chief Ramon Batista said hes angry and deeply disappointed after what he saw in the videos released depicting police and use of force, causing seven of his officers to be put on leave. I will be relentless in my pursuit of organizational excellence, preserving and protecting your safety, your trust, and your faith is my highest priority, Chief Batista said. From the bottom of my heart, I promise you we will fix this. Batista said hes brought on former Maricopa County attorney Rick Romley to help with the internal investigation. The trust and confidence by the public is paramount in this particular matter, Romley said, adding that he is "independent and I will report directly to the police chief. If I feel theres not a thoroughness in the investigation or theres a lack of objectivity, I will bring that to the chiefs attention directly. Along with this internal investigation, there will be a criminal investigation by the Scottsdale Police, and an investigation into the history of use of force and policies by the national Police Executive Research Forum. Chief Batista, expressing remorse for the use-of-force incidents, said he wants to take action to regain the public trust. But Mesas police union is pushing back against what the police chief is trying to do. Ive been around 20-plus years, I do not see a systemic issue at all I see a couple issues that hes concerned with, which we feel they acted within policy of the current policy that we had current before this new policy, said Will Biascoechea, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Mesa Lodge 9. So, Im confused as to why hes trying to change that based on a couple of incidences. I understand theres a lot of political pressure but the use of force that was established back then was done as a result of collaboration from the past and response to incidences, ambushes, assaults on officers and all that which is up now. Pastor Andre Miller, on the other hand is appreciative of the police chiefs response to the Robert Johnson incident, in which a suburban Phoenix man is seen on video being beaten by police while standing against a wall last month. "Were pretty satisfied, at least with the communication from the chief," he said. "Unions a different story. Chief, yes. Miller also said Thursday: This is not a race issuethis is a culture issue, a police culture issue that has to change. It could happen to any one of us when we have an encounter with the police. On May 17, Mesa police say officers were investigating an armed robbery and found a 15-year-old suspect, who was arrested and charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Mesa police say they reviewed body camera footage, conducted an internal investigation, and then placed the two officers on leave. This is a separate incident from the one on May 23 with Robert Johnson, the man whom his attorney described as having been "brutally attacked" by the police. Authorities in southwest Colorado ordered the evacuations of another 300 homes Friday to allow firefighters to attack an advancing flank of a wildfire that burned miles of rugged terrain, but had yet to damage or destroy any structures. La Plata County's latest order follows the evacuation of more than 1,000 homes earlier along U.S. Highway 550, a key artery connecting the cities of Durango and Silverton, roughly 135 miles (217 kilometers) northwest of the Four Corners Monument that connects Colorado with Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. The fire started June 1 in San Juan National Forest land. It comes as severe drought is gripping the American Southwest, especially the area where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado meet. Police escorts led traffic convoys along the highway during daylight hours Friday. Residents affected by Friday's order had until 4 p.m. to comply so firefighters can check the advance of the northeast flank of the fire. The order applied to an area north of the town of Hermosa, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Durango. Friday's priority was protecting structures around Hermosa, Brian Eaby, a spokesman for a federal team in charge of the firefighting effort, told The Durango Herald. He said no structures were immediately threatened. "We're going to stay vigilant, and make sure there are no hot spots," Eaby said. Temperatures were in the 80s with extremely low humidity and calmer winds Friday. Officials say 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) have burned, but no building or structures have been destroyed. Nearly 700 firefighters backed by air support were attacking the blaze, which was 10 percent contained. Its cause is unknown. Durango was operating an evacuation center and a shelter and taking in livestock at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Crews set controlled burns late Thursday that stopped the fire's southern side from spreading and were working the same tactic on the north side, national forest officials said. Firefighters faced steep and sometimes inaccessible terrain on the western side, with aircraft deployed overhead. The Philadelphia mayor, blasted by the White House after being filmed dancing in celebration after a judge ruled in favor of its sanctuary city status, was doing so because it was an important moment for all Philadelphians, his office said Friday, despite the citys recent history of illegal immigrant-related crime. A video tweeted by Mayor James Kenneys deputy chief of staff showed him giddy after U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson ruled Wednesday that the Trump administration cant withhold grants to the city over policies that limit local law enforcements cooperation with federal immigration officials. Mayor Kenney displayed excitement because it was an important moment for all Philadelphians, especially our immigrant community, Deana Gamble, his communications director, told Fox News on Friday. 'A SANCTUARY CITY': PHILADELPHIA MAYOR DANCES TO CELEBRATE COURT WIN AGAINST TRUMP Gamble said the citys policies are designed to ensure individuals constitutional rights are protected. Philadelphia does not protect or harbor criminals and the judge also found that Philadelphia has historically cooperated [with] federal law enforcement agencies in fighting crime, which is beyond dispute and widely known, she added. Philadelphia previously has said it will only hand illegal immigrants over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents if they show a warrant signed by a judge. But ICE, as recently as May, have been carrying out operations in the Philadelphia metro region that it says target criminal aliens, public safety threats, and individuals who have violated our nations immigration laws. Many people in Philadelphia have been killed, raped or assaulted at the hands of criminal illegal aliens, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told Fox News yesterday, calling Kenneys dance disgusting. Outside of the raids, illegal immigrants who have committed crimes or fugitives who have been deported from the Philadelphia area in recent years include: Milton Mateo Garcia, who was sentenced in 2016 to up for 44 years in state prison after being convicted two years earlier of raping a young woman in Philadelphias Center City neighborhood. Garcia, a restaurant kitchen worker from Honduras, came to be known as the Rittenhouse rapist after he grabbed a 26-year-old woman by her neck outside of her apartment and pushed her inside, where he sexually assaulted her. Federal officials at the time said Garcia, 28, had been living in Philadelphia illegally and had already been deported at least once before he targeted the woman. Following the announcement of the lengthy sentence, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams said Garcia does not belong on Philadelphia's streets and, as a result of today's sentencing, he won't be anymore. Darlin Navarro-Turcos, also from Honduras, who was sent back to the Central American country in 2015 after being convicted of assault in association with the stabbing death of a man on a Philadelphia street a year earlier. Navarro-Turcios, who had been going by the alias Darlin Mendoza-Sanders, served a year in jail over the attack and had entered the country illegally in March 2003, ICE said. Prior to the murder, he was convicted of driving under the influence. The crime this criminal alien is associated with is heinous, said Tom Decker, director of ICEs Philadelphia Enforcement and Removal Operations office. Edwin Estuardo Martinez-Ortega, who as an 18-year-old was deported from Philadelphia in 2014. Martinez-Ortega was identified by ICE as a fugitive wanted on murder charges in his native country of Guatemala, and was picked up by agents after they found him at a barber shop in Warminster, just north of Philadelphia. ICE said they were tracking his presence in the area after his brother Nectali Ortega-Duarte was arrested in 2011 and deported to Guatemala on charges linked to the same crime. Federal authorities said they swept up 49 immigrants in the Philadelphia metro area in late May of this year during a targeted enforcement operation aimed at criminal aliens, immigration fugitives, re-entrants, and other immigration violators. This operation resulted in multiple arrests of criminal aliens, public safety threats, and individuals who have violated our nations immigration laws, Philadelphia Acting Field Office Director Gregory Brawley said after the sweep. Some of these dangerous individuals had been released to the streets instead of being turned over to ICE on our detainers, which compromises the safety of the homeland that ICE officers strive to protect every day. ICE did not reveal the identities of those taken into custody, but said they included a 52-year-old Mexican illegal immigrant who was charged with simple assault and terroristic threats, and a 26-year-old Haitian illegal immigrant who had been convicted in the Common Pleas Court at Philadelphia, of robbery, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, and criminal attempt-theft by unlawful taking. That sweep followed another one that happened in 2017, called Operation Safe City, in which agents across the country detained nearly 500 illegal immigrants in 10 sanctuary cities. Philadelphia had the largest number of arrests in that raid with 107, in which ICE said they went after people who had committed sex crimes, sold drugs and possessed firearms, according to Philly.com. THE VICTIMS 'AREN'T DANCING': PA REP BLASTS PHILLY MAYOR FOR CELEBRATING SANCTUARY CITY WIN "Sanctuary city policies make it harder for our law enforcement officials to keep dangerous criminals off the streets," a spokesman for Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., told Fox News on Friday. "We must continue this fight to keep our communities safe." But critics said that raid against the city of Brotherly Love looked more like an act of revenge over its sanctuary status and Kenneys lawsuit against Attorney General Jeff Sessions regarding the grant money dispute. I dont think its a coincidence that Mayor Kenney sues Jeff Sessions last month, and then Philadelphia gets hit, Peter Pedemonti, director of the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, an immigration rights group, told Philly.com. Its retaliatory. Operation Safe City does not make our city safer and further sows seeds of distrust between our police and immigrants, the website also quoted Kenney as saying at the time. A pickup truck plowed into a Starbucks patio Friday in a suburban Salt Lake City shopping center, killing a woman and critically injuring three others, authorities said. Investigators believe a medical issue possibly a seizure caused the male driver to veer off a nearby road, over a curb and into the patio in Millcreek, Unified Police Sgt. Melody Gray said. They do not think it was an intentional act. A group of three people sitting on the patio were struck by the truck that also smashed through a pillar and rolled over. The patio was about 100 feet from the road, Gray said. Joslyn Nicole Spillsbury, 48, of Salt Lake City was killed, Gray said. The driver and two of the people from the patio were in critical condition. The driver's two small children who were inside the truck and sustained minor injuries. Gray said the ongoing investigation will determine if the driver faces charges. She declined to give his name but said he is a 34-year-old man from the mountain town of Oakley. . With enemies like these, who needs friends? Stepping onto the world stage for a pair of high-profile summits, President Donald Trump is scrambling the usual breakdown of allies and adversaries. In the span of a few days, he's embraced Russia and North Korea while pushing away America's closest friends, like France, Canada and Germany. It's long been Trump's modus operandi to keep people on their toes, unable to predict what he'll do next. But the impulse to pick fights with countries the United States relies on for solidarity around the world is striking many as a step too far. Joel Rubin, a deputy assistant secretary of state in the Obama administration, said the dual moves were "completely antithetical" to America's foreign policy objectives. He predicted it would inflict major damage to U.S. standing in the world. "If Obama had done that, the criticism coming down on him would have been a fusillade, coming from Capitol Hill and congressional Republicans," said Rubin, who now teaches at Carnegie Mellon University. "But there's nary a whimper." The apparent realignment has played out with dizzying speed as Trump traveled Friday to Canada for the annual Group of 7 summit. From there, he planned to jet to Singapore for an unprecedented summit with the leader of North Korea, which is technically still in a state of war with the U.S. and considered by Trump's administration to be a state sponsor of terrorism. Ironically, Trump was expected to receive a far warmer reception from Kim Jong Un than from U.S. allies in the West. He descended on the small Canadian town of La Malbaie to as frigid a welcome as an American president has ever seen from the longtime allies. Even before they broke into open conflict, Trump was the odd man out in a group that favors global cooperation and has focused on issues like climate change. Yet it was his abrupt call to reinstate Russia kicked out of what was formerly the G-8 over its annexation of Crimea several years ago that seemed to come out of nowhere. "They threw Russia out," Trump said as he left the White House for Canada. "They should let Russia come back in, because we should have Russia at the negotiating table." It was enough to appall traditional Russia hawks, even those in Trump's Republican Party. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., called the move "weak" and added that Russian President Vladimir Putin "is not our friend and he is not the president's buddy." And Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Trump was rewarding a country that is "assaulting democratic institutions all over the world." "The president has inexplicably shown our adversaries the deference and esteem that should be reserved for our closest allies," McCain said. "Those nations that share our values and have sacrificed alongside us for decades are being treated with contempt." And other G-7 nations immediately signaled they had zero interest in welcoming Moscow back into the club. A senior British government official responded to Trump by stating that Russia would need to "change its approach" before any conversations about rejoining the G-7 could occur. The official wasn't authorized to comment by name and requested anonymity. Leading up to the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau openly criticized Trump's new tariffs. Signaling he will not back down, Trump hurled himself into the fight, lashing out on Twitter about "unfair trade deals." Privately Trump complained about having to attend the meeting at all, frustrated over the criticism, the progressive agenda and preferring to focus on the upcoming North Korea summit. The conflict fueled speculation about a decisive shift in these global alliances toward what some have called the "G-6 plus one" a reference to the U.S. standing alone and appeared to mark a turning point in Trump's relationships with longtime allies. While he attended the Canada gathering, Trump showed up late and the White House said he planned to leave early, adding that a deputy assistant to the president a mid-level aide would remain in his place for the rest of the meetings. With the U.S. the odd man out, there were serious doubts that a typical G-7 "communique" a joint statement from the participants describing the progress achieved during the summit could be issued. Some diplomats were even floating the possibility publicly that a communique could be included that didn't involve the United States. Yet Trump has made clear that even if his approach should weaken the alliance, he doesn't particularly mind. In contrast with previous points in the Trump administration when advisers sought to reassure a nervous world that "America First" does not mean "America alone," Trump has now fully embraced the nationalistic policies he espoused on the campaign. The president, who has railed over trade deficits with other countries, views his protectionist trade moves as key to his base and has grown increasingly frustrated with the leaders over their critiques. Increasingly confident in his judgment, Trump is also taking less advice from aides and has shed some of his more traditional advisers. Trump's recent tariffs follow a year of policy making that has distanced the U.S. from traditional allies, including Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal. They are also a fresh reminder that efforts by other leaders to woo Trump in hopes of swaying his opinion have been largely unsuccessful. Both Macron and Trudeau have sought to turn on the charm in the past with little to show for it. "What worries me most is the fact that the rules-based international order is being challenged quite surprisingly not by the usual suspects, but by its main architect and guarantor, the U.S.," said European Council President Donald Tusk. Heather Conley, director of the Europe program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Trump seems to draw no distinction between allies who share the U.S. values of market economics and democracy, and adversaries who do not, and in the process he's upending decades of American foreign policy. "The president is pushing us to test what an ally means to the U.S.," Conley said. "I fear we'll see the answer to that test when we are in a moment of great need and our allies are no longer willing to support us." ___ Lucey reported from La Malbaie, Quebec. Associated Press writer Matthew Pennington contributed to this report. Two teenage boys, ages 13 and 14, have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a 12-year-old girl, police in Clayton County, Ga., said Thursday. The girls mother identified the victim as Sakhya Monea Bentley, who was going to enter the seventh grade later this year, Atlantas Fox 5 reported. "She was definitely one of a kind. ... My daughter will never graduate high school, the mother, Nyeisha Brown, said outside her home Thursday, the station reported. "She was definitely one of a kind. ... My daughter will never graduate high school. Nyeisha Brown, mother of slain 12-year-old Sakhya Monea Bentley Brown said her daughter had several friends over to the house Wednesday night, while Brown wasnt home, but the mother later returned and asked some of them to leave. The gunfire erupted when the friends returned, the mother told Fox 5. Emergency responders found the girl unresponsive when they arrived at the home. They tried to revive her, but were unsuccessful. She died at a hospital, Fox 5 reported. Investigators believe the shooting was accidental, the station reported, but they were looking to determine who owned the gun. The teen suspects are facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct, and possession of a weapon by a minor, the station reported. The girls family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for a funeral. The Trump administrations plan to release a suspected American ISIS fighter caught in Syria back to Syria is facing a legal challenge from a civil rights group that decried the move as the death sentence. An unidentified man, who holds a dual Saudi-U.S. citizenship, has been held in Iraq by the U.S. military for about nine months. The U.S. governments attempt to transfer the American into Iraq or Saudi Arabia failed in April after a U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan blocked the release. Last month, a federal appeals court panel upheld the ruling. The Pentagon is now seeking to release the detained American near where he was captured by Syrian Democratic Forces and turned over to the U.S. military, according to a declaration filed in U.S. District Court in Washington. Upon his release, the Petitioner will be given $4,210 in cash, the same amount he had in his possession when was captured, the Pentagon official, Mark Mitchell, said in the documents, Politico reported. He will also be provided a new cellular phone (in its original sealed packaging), which he can activate and use if he desires to do so. He will be provided sufficient food and water to last for several days, he added. The official said the planned release is considered to be safe and that it complied with traditional military practice. But the plan is facing a legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which represents the unnamed man. The group opposes his release into Syria and sued Secretary of Defense James Mattis and the Department of Defense. Instead of offering a safe release, they want to dump an American citizen onto the side of the road in a war-torn country without any assurances of protection and no identification, Jonathan Hafetz, an ACLU attorney, said in a statement on Wednesday. The Trump administration has effectively admitted it has no reason to detain our client and he doesnt pose a threat. But instead of offering a safe release, they want to dump an American citizen onto the side of a road in a war-torn country without protection or identification, the group added. The release of the man into the war-ravaged country should happen this week, but the ACLU lawsuit is expected to delay the action. The alleged ISIS fighter reportedly declined the two release options either be in a town or near an Internally Displaced Person camp. The unnamed man denies he went to Syria to fight for ISIS and says he wanted to document the violence there. A woman who kidnapped a newborn from a Florida hospital two decades ago and raised the child as her own was sentenced Friday to 18 years for kidnapping. She will also serve five years concurrently on a charge of custody interference. Gloria Williams was sentenced for the kidnapping of Kamiyah Mobley from a hospital in Jacksonville in July 1998. The 52-year-old Williams testified at her trial that she wore scrubs to look like a nurse and put the infant in a bag and secreted her out of the hospital. On Friday, Williams stood next to her attorneys wearing an orange jumpsuit as the judge read the sentence. She looked down as if in prayer and did not visibly react to the judge's words. "There are no winners and no losers in this case," Judge Marianne Aho said just before announcing the sentence. Aho said many people had suffered in the case, including Williams. "The family in this case suffered not knowing what happened to their child for approximately 18 years." Williams raised Mobley - who grew up as Alexis Manigo - in South Carolina until her arrest in 2017. She didn't tell the girl of her true identity until the girl discovered she couldn't get a driver's license because she didn't have a valid birth certificate or Social Security card. After finding out her true identity, Mobley told a friend about it. Eventually, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received an anonymous tip about Kamiyah's whereabouts, and authorities were alerted and Williams arrested. Kamiyah has also been reconnecting with her birth parents, Shanara Mobley and Craig Aiken, but has professed sadness that the only mother she ever knew faces years in a prison cell. She showed up in tears at Williams' first hearing. She has spent time with her biological parents since then, but still supports the only mother she knew. According to news reports, Kamiyah did not attend Friday's sentencing hearing. Williams testified at her trial earlier this year that when she stole the newborn Kamiyah Mobley in 1998, she had lost custody of her two other children and was in an abusive relationship that led her to miscarry about a month before. After the loss of her pregnancy, she drove to Jacksonville from South Carolina. She had testified that she had no plans to kidnap a child. "I felt like I was on autopilot. My life was out of control, I lost everything," she had said. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 The Czech Republic has honored eight Russians who protested the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. The group known as the "Magnificent Eight" gathered on Moscow's Red Square on Aug 25, 1968 in a show of a rare dissent and solidarity with the country. They unveiled banners condemning the occupation before being arrested. Acting Foreign Minister Martin Stropnicky said Friday their act required an "immense bravery." Stropnicky thanked the last three surviving members of the group, Pavel Litvinov, Tatiana Bayeva and Viktor Fainberg. They received the Gratias Agit award for promoting the good name of the Czech Republic abroad. Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia on Aug 20, 1968 to crush liberal reforms enacted in the brief era known as the Prague Spring. Doug Ford -- brother of the late Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who admitted to smoking crack cocaine while in office -- is the next premier of Ontario. Ford's Progressive Conservatives won Thursday's election in Canada's most populous province. We have taken back Ontario, Ford told supporters Thursday night. As of late Thursday night, Fords party won or was leading with 76 seats, while the New Democratic party came in at 40 seats securing the Progressive Conservatives a majority government in the 124-seat legislature, the Globe and Mail reported, citing data from Elections Ontario. The Liberal Party was winning seven seats, one shy of the eight needed to be formally recognized in the Legislature, the New York Times reported. Ford, a populist who has been compared to U.S. President Donald Trump with his opposition to carbon taxes and promise for income tax cuts, greeted supporters after unofficial results projected that his Progressive Conservative Party would be Thursday nights big winner. Together we made history, we have taken back Ontario. We have delivered a government that is for the people, Ford said in a victory speech in Toronto, according to the Times My friends, help is here, he added. Tonight we have sent a clear message to the world: Ontario is open for business. Ford, whose political resume consists of a single term on Torontos City Council, replaced veteran politician Patrick Brown at the helm of the Progressive Conservative Party after Brown stepped down in January over accusations of sexual misconduct, the Times reported. Brown has denied the allegations. Ford also served as the unofficial spokesman for his brother Rob, according to the Times. Rob Ford's tenure as the mayor of the countrys largest city was plagued by revelations about his illegal drug use. He died of cancer in 2016. I know my brother Rob is looking down from heaven, Ford told his supporters. Kathleen Wynne, premier of the Liberal Party, which had been in power for 15 years, conceded just days before the vote. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A 90-year-old woman in the United Kingdom was brutally attacked as she slept, leaving her hospitalized with severe bruising after being hit repeatedly in the face. Metropolitan Police are searching for a suspect who allegedly attacked Iris Warner at her home in northwest London on Monday. Officials said Warners son, Jeffrey Warner, found her slipping in and out of consciousness. She was rushed to the hospital where she is receiving treatment. "This was a horrific attack carried out on a very vulnerable elderly woman in her own home, and must have been absolutely terrifying for Iris," Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector Saj Hussain said in a press release. Warner told police she was awakened by a man standing over her who then hit her in the face with a weapon. She was unable to provide a description of her attacker. Officials say the attacker searched Warners bedroom but it is unclear if anything was stolen. WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW Police released the graphic images of Warners injured body to prompt anyone with information to come forward. They are searching for information regarding any person acting suspicious or if anyone saw Warner between Saturday and Monday in the Brampton Road area. Warners children say they are stunned and sickened by the attack, describing their 90-year-old mother as highly independent. She has lived on her own for decades, where she takes the bus to nearby supermarkets, reads the newspaper daily and enjoys doing crossword puzzles. We are shocked and appalled at the violence used against our mother Iris, better known as Anne to her friends and family - a defenseless 90-year-old-woman, Jeffrey Warner said in a statement. It has left us feeling stunned and sickened. We appeal for anyone with information that could assist police in their investigation to come forward. The person responsible must be brought to justice." Her condition has improved but she is expected to remain in the hospital for a long time for intensive treatment. I'd like to remind the public that crimes of this nature are incredibly rare, so we do not want the public to be alarmed, Hussain said. It always pays to be vigilant about anyone acting suspiciously that you see and to ensure that your home is as secure as you can make it. French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to take the lead of the European brigade against U.S. President Donald Trump at the summit of the Group of Seven wealthy countries in Canada. Macron called a meeting Friday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May, new Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte and top EU officials just before the G-7 opening. He told reporters the United States' attitude must lead other nations to "reforge the European front." European leaders criticize the U.S. decision to impose protectionist tariffs on steel and aluminum and to exit the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate agreement. Tweeting in English, Macron stressed: "No leader is eternal. We inherit commitments which are beyond us. We take them on. That is the life of nations." The Palestinians and their supporters are asking the U.N. General Assembly to adopt a resolution seeking investigations into events in Gaza and recommendations to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians. The move follows the U.S. veto of a Kuwait-sponsored resolution on June 1 asking Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report on ways to protect Palestinian civilians including an "international protection mechanism." Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour and Arab and Islamic representatives met Friday with Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak to officially request a meeting to vote on a non-binding resolution. Mansour said "most likely" the 193-member world body will be next Wednesday. Last December, the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to demand that President Donald Trump renounce his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital after the U.S. vetoed a similar measure. A Lebanese presidential decree to naturalize hundreds of foreigners has ignited a row over who deserves citizenship in this tiny Mediterranean country. Among those to be granted Lebanese citizenship are Iraqi Vice President Iyad Allawi and other regional elites. News of the decree which was signed in secret in mid-May but leaked to the public two weeks later has fueled the perception that citizenship, like so many other liberties in this country, is a privilege reserved for the wealthy. Prime Minister Saad Hariri has defended the decree, saying it is the president's constitutional right to grant citizenship to whomever he pleases. Meanwhile, Lebanese women married to foreigners don't have the right to pass on their nationality to their children. And one in four people is a refugee. The self-styled Libyan National Army says its forces have seized most of the western coastal city of Derna from extremist groups who have controlled it for years. Spokesman Ahmed al-Mesmari tells The Associated Press on Friday that LNA forces have captured "more than 75 percent of Derna and forced out terrorists from most of the city." Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, who leads the LNA, announced in May that his forces launched a military operation aimed at "liberating" Derna from extremist groups. Hifter's forces have surrounded the city of 150,000 people for years. Libya descended into chaos following the 2011 uprising that toppled ruler Moammar Gadhafi. The country is now split between rival governments in the east and west, each backed by an array of militias. Hifter is allied with the east-based administration that is at odds with the U.N.-backed government based in the capital, Tripoli. The United States has criticized the dismissal of the head of Montenegro's state TV, a move seen as the result of political pressure in the small Balkan country seeking European Union membership. Montenegrin state TV's managing board on Thursday removed director general Andrijana Kadija, citing an allegedly damaging agreement with a rights group. Montenegrin journalists protested the decision. Kadija has said she was replaced "because the public broadcaster was truly independent." The U.S. State Department said in a statement that Kadija's removal "undermines media freedom, the reform and preservation of which is central to Montenegro's integration into the Euro-Atlantic community." The statement released Friday by the U.S. embassy in Podgorica, Montenegro's capital, adds that "Montenegro must do more to safeguard media freedom and the editorial independence of its public broadcaster." U.S. citizens living in China received a second alert on Friday over the unexplained health issues that prompted the evacuation of a number of government employees working at a consulate in the southern city of Guangzhou. The alert, the second in just two weeks, urged Americans to seek medical help in the event they suffered any unusual, unexplained physical symptoms or events, auditory or sensory phenomena, or other health concerns. The comes just days after the State Department announced that a number of individuals had been sent back to the United States after they suffered illnesses similar to those experienced by government personnel in Cuba last year. Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Wednesday that medical screenings were ongoing for any personnel who have noted concerning symptoms or wanted baseline screening. The tests were prompted after a previous case in the Guangzhou consulate was disclosed last month. The incidents have raised fears the unexplained issues that started in Cuba in 2016 have expanded to other countries. China says it has uncovered no information that could point to a cause. In October, at least 24 Americans at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba complained of unexplained illnesses that the State Department at the time called health attacks. The employees reported hearing loud, grating noises before experiencing hearing loss, dizziness, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues and difficulty sleeping. Cuba has maintained that it had no involvement or knowledge of any such attacks. Fridays alert called for people to be attentive to the same symptoms experienced by employees in Cuba. It urged them not to attempt to locate the source of any unidentified auditory sensation. Instead, move to a different location. Asked about the latest incidents, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Thursday that the U.S. had not formally raised the matter with Beijing. "If the U.S. makes formal contact with us, China will continue necessary investigations in an earnest and responsible manner and maintain close communication and cooperation with the U.S.," Hua said at a regularly scheduled news conference. People working in The Canton Place complex, a few kilometers (miles) from the consulate, said Thursday they were just hearing about the incidents, reflecting a lack of coverage in China's entirely state-controlled media. Aled Williams, a British teacher at a kindergarten, said Thursday that the reports sounded "sci-fi-ish." "Hard to get my head around how it works," he said. "Better watch myself." Linda Chen, who runs a coffee shop in the area, said she was mystified as to why only certain people seemed to have been affected in an area known for its comfort and safety. "For me I feel it's very strange. But I don't feel that there's something to be very afraid of because it's probably a very special case," Chen said. Fox News Paulina Dedaj and the Associated Press contributed to this report. A pro-democracy group says Vietnam has released from prison and expelled a prominent human rights lawyer and another dissident, who were sent to Germany. The Brotherhood for Democracy said on its Facebook page that lawyer Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thu Ha arrived in Frankfurt early Friday. It said Dai was accompanied by his wife, Vu Minh Khanh. Dai co-founded the Brotherhood, which is banned. Dai and Ha were convicted of attempting to overthrow the government and sentenced to 15 and nine years in jail respectively in a trial in Hanoi in April. Four others convicted of the same crime were given jail sentences of 7 to 11 years. Vietnamese Foreign Ministry officials and the German Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comments. More than a dozen people were hurt, some critically, when they returned to a New York bungalow at a camp for teenage boys and it suddenly exploded, igniting a massive fire, witnesses and officials say. Fourteen people were injured when the Monroe bungalow on Cromwell Road exploded and went up in flames early Friday around 12:15, Vini Tankasali, Department Commissioner of Emergency Services for Orange County, said. Three people were critically injured and Tankasali said at least one of the injured were airlifted. The injured are being treated at an area hospital. Neighbors said at the scene that there were teenage boys from New York City, possibly Brooklyn, staying in the bungalow for a Hasidic camp. The neighbors said the boys returned to the bungalow, smelled gas and opened a window. It was then when the bungalow blew up. Tankasali could not independently confirm the explosion was the result of a gas leak. Video from the scene shows a home completely engulfed in flames and smoke as firefighters work to put out the inferno. Tankasali said eight fire departments were able to put out the blaze in about 40 minutes. He said the fire was in a non-fire-hydrant area so other departments were called in for water. A witness at the scene said the explosions was so powerful he felt in a nearby bungalow. "I was in the bungalow right near here and a guy started screaming 'fire,'" the witness said. The camp is about an hour northwest of NYC. The cause of the explosion and inferno is still under investigation. Free Freightnet Membership List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours. Two longtime employees of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office were honored upon their retirement. On hand for the celebration were numerous members of the Uniformed Services Division, Criminal Investigations Division, Support Service Division, and Corrections Divisions as well as members of the retirees family and friends. Retirees included Detective Richard (Ric) Whaley (34 years of service) and Court Officer Clarence William Willhoit (17 years of service). Sheriff Jim Hammond said, "Detective Whaley has served with honor and distinction in numerous capacities during his career with the HCSO including assignments in the Corrections, Uniformed Patrol, and Criminal Investigations Divisions. "He is also one of the first members of the newly created HCSO Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Division." Detective Whaley was joined by his wife, Kelli Whaley, and his mother and father, Wendell and Clara Whaley, and his sister LuAnn Whaley. Detective Whaleys father is a retired U.S. Marshal. "Officer Willhoit has served with honor and distinction in numerous capacities during his career with the HCSO in the Courts Division. He is a former Chattanooga Police Officer." He was joined by his wife, Renee Willhoit, and his son, Jeremy Willhoit. Sheriff Hammond said, Each of these employees have shown outstanding professionalism and devotion to duty which has reflected great credit upon the HCSO and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office. Their commitment to the Sheriffs Office has earned them the highest level of trust, loyalty, and dedication from those who have had the pleasure of working with them he noted.As a gift from the Sheriffs Office, each of the employees were given a HCSO blanket, Sheriffs Association knife, and a framed commendation and challenge coin for their years of service to the HCSO." On Saturday, June 23, and on Sunday, June 24, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will present a series of living history programs and ranger-guided tours exploring the stories of the young men who grew up in the peaceful fields of one battlefield, only to experience the horrors of another as we commemorate the centennial of World War I. World War I living history presentations will take place at Snodgrass Hill (Tour Stop 8), on Chickamauga Battlefield, at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, at 2 p.m. each day, there will be a ranger-guided car caravan tour exploring the sites of the World War I training camps at Chickamauga. This tour begins at the Chickamauga Battlefield visitor center and lasts approximately 90 minutes. In June 1918, the Battle of Belleau Wood raged in France. At this battle and throughout the European continent, young men fought in what was known as The Great War. However, among these soldiers were young men who grew up around another battlefield Chickamauga. Still others grew up hearing tales of Chickamauga and the Civil War from their grandfathers. We hope you join us as we explore the connection between Chickamauga Battlefield and its World War I history. For more information about upcoming programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, please contact the Lookout Mountain Visitor Center at (423) 821-7786, the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at (706) 866-9241, or visit the parks website at www.nps.gov/chch. Another Friday night thriller? Indians on upset alert After an emotional comeback win over Dorman, Gaffney coach Dan Jones has stressed to his team not to take a hungry Nation Ford team lightly. Gaffney has been in its... GAME, SET, MATCH Gaffney girls tennis player Lauren Mathis smashes an overhead volley back across the net Wednesday during a loss to Clover. At right, Carolyn Pierce attempts to extend a rally in... Midland Valley makes long trip for Wildcats homecoming No one would blame Blacksburg and Midland Valley football players if they dont feel a little snakebitten right now. Midland Valley had a potential game-winning field goal blocked in the... TOUCHDOWN The Cherokee Recreation Districts Football Super Saturday was held October 9th. The stadium was packed for the all-day event hosting seven games between both the flag and tackle divisions. To... The Festival of Flight, canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, is meant to honor the citys aerospace legacy and inspire an interest in aviation. In partnership with the National Park Service, Eastern National invites the public to meet Janet Elizabeth Croon, editor of The War Outside My Window: The Civil War Diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham, 1860 1865. Ms. Croon will be available Saturday, June 16 from 1-5 p.m. inside the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center to meet and sign copies of this "highly anticipated release." Funds generated from purchases support the programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. About The War Outside My Window: LeRoy Wiley Gresham was born in 1847 to a prominent slave-holding family in Macon, Ga. At the age of eight, LeRoy severely injured his leg, which left him crippled. LeRoys mother gifted him with a blank journal so that he could record his upcoming journey to see a medical specialist in Philadelphia. LeRoy, then twelve years old, began journaling almost every day. His writings would become a primary source outlining events during the Civil War in addition to detailing personal hardships with declining health during his teen years. The War Outside My Window is really a window looking into the thoughts and perceptions of a doomed teenager who watched the Confederacy die even as he was dying himself. Intimate, observant, thoughtful and often amusing, his diary offers a heartrending portrait of courage and resilience by a young man robbed of his youth, one personal tragedy amid the decline and collapse of the South. Pitiably few records survived to give us an understanding of the inner world of the young in the Civil War era. "LeRoy Greshams 'Window' lets in more light on the subject than any other source we have," said William C. Davis, author of Inventing Loreta Velasquez. About the editor: Janet Elizabeth Croon graduated in 1983 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelors degree in political science, modern European history, and Russian language and area studies. In 1985, Ms. Croon graduated from the University of Dayton with a masters degree in international studies. For almost 20 years, Ms. Croon was an educator of international baccalaureate history at Fairfax County Public Schools. She developed an interest in the Civil War by living in northern Virginia. June 12, Hixson Chamber Council Community Coffee 8 to 9 a.m. BenchMark Physical Therapy: 5022 Old Godsey Lane, #3 Please join the Hixson Chamber Council for their Monthly Community Coffee. June 13, midTown Council Meeting 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Spare Time Chattanooga: 5518 Brainerd Rd. Program: Navy Quartet, Bowling at Spare Time $12 June 14, Doing Business with the U.S. Navy and Other Government Agencies 9 to 11 a.m. INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd. (Please park across the street in the Republic Parking lot at Renaissance Park) This workshop is designed to educate small businesses on how to do business with the Navy and Marine Corps. It also will cover upcoming contracting opportunities. Co-Sponsors: Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce Department of Diversity and Inclusion, Supplier Connection Opportunity Register at tsbdc.org/chscc. No cost June 14, Small Business Orientation Morning Seminar 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd. (Please park across the street in the Republic Parking lot at Renaissance Park) This seminar addresses key topics of interest for individuals considering starting a business. We cover topics such as business entity options and tax registration, the importance of business planning, financing options, and the extensive network of resources through the TSBDC. Participants receive a packet containing vital phone numbers and addresses for getting established within State and Federal regulations. Speakers: TSBDC Staff Register at tsbdc.org/chscc. No cost June 14, Southside Council Meeting Noon to 1 p.m. green|spaces: 63 E. Main St. Speaker: Kay Huggins, Year in Review $12 June 14, Small Business Orientation Afternoon Seminar 5:30 to 7 p.m. INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd. (Please park across the street in the Republic Parking lot at Renaissance Park) This seminar addresses key topics of interest for individuals considering starting a business. We cover topics such as business entity options and tax registration, the importance of business planning, financing options, and the extensive network of resources through the TSBDC. Participants receive a Start Up packet containing vital phone numbers and addresses for getting established within State and Federal regulations. Speakers: TSBDC Staff Register here. No cost June 15, Ribbon Cutting for T-Mobile - Lookout Valley 1 to 1:30 p.m. T-Mobile - Lookout Valley: 3536 Cummings Hwy., Ste. 132 Join the Chattanooga Chamber for a ribbon cutting event for T-Mobile Lookout Valley. For the most up to date event listings, check chattanoogachamber.com. Tony Cates of Gestamp has been selected as the ACT College and Career Readiness Workforce Champion of Tennessee the states sole recipient. Workforce champions are individuals who are honored for making a difference in preparing individuals for college and career success. ACT is known for its mission of education and workplace success, said officials. Tony was nominated for his strong commitment to the development of the workforce through education," said Dr. Jim Barrott, executive vice president for TN College of Applied Technology. "His latest commitment, in conjunction with Hamilton County Schools, was the development of a high school that allows at-risk juniors and seniors the opportunity to attend high school four hours a day and work four hours a day. Classes and work take place at one of three Gestamp locations in Chattanooga. To be named an ACT Workforce Champion, nominees must have created or led a program that positively impacts their company and community through improved hiring practices,apprenticeships/internships, or community leadership. The individual must be a full-time employee at a for-profit or not-for-profit company or organization in any role, and the individuals program or initiative must have included community partnerships (education institutions, chambers of commerce, Work Ready Community, etc.). Applicants include examples of their programs return on investment and its ability to be replicated as a best practice. Mr. Cates, an employee of Gestamp Chattanooga, LLC since 2009, is a human resources manager. He began his association with Chattanooga State Community College in 1995. He has been in HR in the local area for the past 24 years. I am excited to be recognized as a workforce champion for the state and thankful for Chattanooga States recommendation, but this is an everyday part of any HR managers role," said Mr. Cates. "Making sure that your company has the best, most educated, and most skilled colleagues is crucial. Ensuring that young people know about the different pathways in advanced manufacturing and other careers is something we owe to them because they are the future. Corey Jahn, Gestamp plant director, has made it easy to get involved with our community because we both believe in developing students and partnering with our local schools and parents to ensure students are ready to work and will be successful. Companies, schools, and parents are all in this together and must invest in developing our next generations." Fire department called out : Roofs catch fire after lightning strikes in Bonn BONN Thunderstorms swept through Bonn and the Rhein-Sieg area on Thursday evening. The heavy rains were accompanied by lightning strikes, with a few buildings taking direct hits. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Thunderstorms swept through Bonn and the Rhein-Sieg region on Thursday evening, resulting in two residential buildings taking lightning hits and their roofs catching fire. In addition, several basements in Bonn became filled with water during the heavy rains. No one was injured, according to the fire department in Bonn. A spokesperson described the situation as "calm" despite the two fires. Meteorologists assume that dry weather and heavy rains will alternate for some time to come. In the north of Bonn, a multi-family house on Riegelerstrae was hit by lightning. The roof truss ignited immediately, so the fire department arrived on the scene with respiratory protection gear and extension ladders. A woman who was in the attic apartment at the time of impact was able to get to safety in time and leave the house without help. Since the attic apartment was the only part of the building that was inhabited, no other persons were in danger. The firefighters had to partially cover the roof; it took them three hours to put out the fire completely. Firefighters in Lannesdorf found a similar situation. There, after a lightning strike, the roof truss of a multiple-family dwelling on Honnefer Strae caught fire. No one had been living in the attic, directly under the roof. The rising smoke was visible far beyond the town. With several units from the Bonn Fire Department and volunteer firefighters from the area, the fire was quickly brought under control. A total of ten respiratory protection teams were in action. A spokesperson for the local fire department said there were no more people in the house when they arrived. About 50 residents had to leave their apartments. It took firefighters until late in the evening to extinguish the fire. The apartments directly under the floor that took fire remain uninhabitable for the time being, according to the fire department. In the Rhein-Sieg district there was also storm damage. In Hennef, lightning hit a tree, splitting it down the middle. In Niederkassel, lightning hit a house but did not cause a fire. Volunteer fire departments had to clear away several fallen trees that blocked the streets. Roughly three years ago, cosmetology program instructors at Chattanooga State approached the administrators at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology to develop a project called Haircuts for the Homeless. This project involved volunteering six to eight cosmetology students to provide haircuts, facials, and massages to at least 30 people on a weekly basis. Every week, a different group of students and an instructor head downtown to First Baptist Church to help less fortunate clients with a goal of instilling the confidence they need in their appearance to enter the workforce. Approval of the project has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of their clients, said officials. Seeing the faces of people in need brighten, just from a haircut, makes all my hard work in school worth it," said student Rebekah Farrow. "It also encourages me to keep bettering myself and be the best cosmetologist I can." Besides gaining first-hand experience while helping others, cosmetology students learn other skills as well. Becoming a professional involves practicing communication skills, building ones own confidence and speed levels, and maintaining those skills in preparation for their own entry into the workforce, said officials. I love that my school encourages us to serve others in our community and connect with people while improving our personal and workplace skills, said student Rachel Wells. One of the project goals is to gauge community impact. Individuals involved in the Haircuts for the Homeless project have discovered that not only are the confidence levels of their clients rising, but this service helps people look and feel their best, which in turn causes them to do their best. Being able to use my job skills to serve others, especially those in need, makes me feel as though I can make a difference in the world, said student Alli Johnson. Cosmetology instructor Elonia James and members of First Baptist Church believe that together they can help lower community homeless rates and improve employment rates, one haircut at a time. "The cosmetology program teaches its students how to create beauty from what is already there," said Ms. James. "Haircuts for the Homeless is not only a way to complete grades in the classroom, but also gives the students the practice that they need, confidence to achieve individual goals, and the skills needed to succeed in this economys workforce. Students Michaela Rogers and MaKenna Meeks say that being involved in the Haircuts for the Homeless project has helped to reaffirm their career decision and improve their own confidence level in addition to the confidence level of their clients. I am excited to see how much their skills have improved, said instructor Tammy Irvin. There is such a variety of hair textures and personalities which help students with their client consultations, practical skills and communication skills." Cosmetology is a one-year program offered through Chattanooga States Tennessee College of Applied Technology. Tennessee residents 24 years of age and older are granted free tuition through TN Reconnect, while recent high school graduates attending TCAT programs are eligible for TN Promise funds. For more information, call 697-4433 or visit https://www.chattanoogastate.edu/cosmetology. nametalkam at 8-06-2018 08:09 AM (3 years ago) (m) 20 Years ago today, one of the most wicked Tyrants in history of mankind, General Sani Abacha died mysteriously with a unknown cause of death! but years after, his extremely wealthy family and well wishers still remembers him as one of the greatest people to ever walk the earth and the saviour of Nigeria, though his family members do not mostly live in Nigeria, they are extremely rich billionaires and live in France, they take out time to remind us, how wonderful of a leader, Sani Abacha was and listed some of his achievements below: 20 Years ago today, one of the most wicked Tyrants in history of mankind, General Sani Abacha died mysteriously with a unknown cause of death! but years after, his extremely wealthy family and well wishers still remembers him as one of the greatest people to ever walk the earth and the saviour of Nigeria, though his family members do not mostly live in Nigeria, they are extremely rich billionaires and live in France, they take out time to remind us, how wonderful of a leader, Sani Abacha was and listed some of his achievements below: Quote 2. He married a Shuwa Arab, Maryam, also from Borno state, in 1965 and they had six boys and three girls. The first child, Ibrahim, died in a plane crash in 1996. 3. The last of their children was born in Aso Rock in 1994 when Abacha was 50 and his wife 47. The boy was named Mustapha, supposedly after Abachas chief security officer, Hamza al Mustapha. 4. Abacha was the first and only military head of state who never skipped a rank to become a full-star general. 5. Abacha announced the coup that brought an end to the government of President Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983, and brought Major-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to power. 6. After Buhari was overthrown in a palace on August 27, 1985, it was Abacha that announced the chief of army staff, Major-Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, as the new military president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces in an evening broadcast (the coup speech was read by Brigadier Joshua Nimyel Dogonyaro). 7. On appointment as chief of army staff in 1985, he caused a stir when he said the issue of second in command to Babangida had not been resolved, even though Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, as chief of general staff, was understood to be holding the position. It was later resolved in favour of Ukiwe. 8. Abacha was commissioned 2nd lieutenant in 1963 after he had attended the Mons Defence Officers Cadet Training College in Aldershot, England. 9. He was believed to have participated fully in the July 1966 countercoup, which led to the death of the head of state, Major-Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, and subsequently resulted in the civil war. 10. Officially, he did not overthrow the interim national government in 1993. The head of government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, resigned and Abacha, being the secretary of defence and the most senior member of government, took over. Unofficially, it was a bloodless coup. 11. He was known as a man of few words and deadly actions and he demonstrated this as head of state with one of the most brutal regimes Nigeria has ever had. There was massive crackdown on the media, civil rights groups and pro-democracy campaigns. 12. Two of the most important recommendations of the 1995 constitutional conference he set up are: 13% derivation for oil-producing areas and six geo-political zones. 13. He never held a non-military appointment in his career until he became minister of defence in 1990 (later re-designated secretary of defence in 1993). He was a Lt. Gen then. 14. His supporters describe him as a good economic manager and that he stabilised exchange rate at N22/$1 but the unofficial rate was N80/$1. This created colossal rent-seeking, with many chosen associates buying at the official rate and reselling at four times the rate in the black market. 15. It was under Abacha that Nigeria became a perpetual importer of petroleum products, as all the refineries packed up. However, 17 years after his death, Nigeria is still heavily dependent on fuel imports. 16. An unforgettable phenomenon under Abacha was the importation of foul fuel which had an offensive odour and damaged car engines. 17. He was instrumental to the restoration of peace and democracy in Sierra Leone and Liberia after years of civil wars. 18. He increased fuel price just once in his four-and-a-half years in office and set up the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund, which was widely acknowledged to have performed well in infrastructural development and intervention programmes in education, health and water. 19. His wife set up what is now known as the National Hospital, Abuja. It was originally named National Hospital for Women and Children before it was upgraded into what is intended to be Nigerias no. 1 public hospital. 20. His death is shrouded in mystery: the most popular version is that he died in the midst of Indian prostitutes flown in from Dubai but the official version is that he died of heart attack. A more likely story is that he was eliminated to end the political crisis in Nigeria. 1. A Kanuri originally from Borno State, General Sani Abacha was born and brought up in Kano state, which he made his home.2. He married a Shuwa Arab, Maryam, also from Borno state, in 1965 and they had six boys and three girls. The first child, Ibrahim, died in a plane crash in 1996.3. The last of their children was born in Aso Rock in 1994 when Abacha was 50 and his wife 47. The boy was named Mustapha, supposedly after Abachas chief security officer, Hamza al Mustapha.4. Abacha was the first and only military head of state who never skipped a rank to become a full-star general.5. Abacha announced the coup that brought an end to the government of President Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983, and brought Major-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to power.6. After Buhari was overthrown in a palace on August 27, 1985, it was Abacha that announced the chief of army staff, Major-Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, as the new military president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces in an evening broadcast (the coup speech was read by Brigadier Joshua Nimyel Dogonyaro).7. On appointment as chief of army staff in 1985, he caused a stir when he said the issue of second in command to Babangida had not been resolved, even though Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, as chief of general staff, was understood to be holding the position. It was later resolved in favour of Ukiwe.8. Abacha was commissioned 2nd lieutenant in 1963 after he had attended the Mons Defence Officers Cadet Training College in Aldershot, England.9. He was believed to have participated fully in the July 1966 countercoup, which led to the death of the head of state, Major-Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, and subsequently resulted in the civil war.10. Officially, he did not overthrow the interim national government in 1993. The head of government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, resigned and Abacha, being the secretary of defence and the most senior member of government, took over. Unofficially, it was a bloodless coup.11. He was known as a man of few words and deadly actions and he demonstrated this as head of state with one of the most brutal regimes Nigeria has ever had. There was massive crackdown on the media, civil rights groups and pro-democracy campaigns.12. Two of the most important recommendations of the 1995 constitutional conference he set up are: 13% derivation for oil-producing areas and six geo-political zones.13. He never held a non-military appointment in his career until he became minister of defence in 1990 (later re-designated secretary of defence in 1993). He was a Lt. Gen then.14. His supporters describe him as a good economic manager and that he stabilised exchange rate at N22/$1 but the unofficial rate was N80/$1. This created colossal rent-seeking, with many chosen associates buying at the official rate and reselling at four times the rate in the black market.15. It was under Abacha that Nigeria became a perpetual importer of petroleum products, as all the refineries packed up. However, 17 years after his death, Nigeria is still heavily dependent on fuel imports.16. An unforgettable phenomenon under Abacha was the importation of foul fuel which had an offensive odour and damaged car engines.17. He was instrumental to the restoration of peace and democracy in Sierra Leone and Liberia after years of civil wars.18. He increased fuel price just once in his four-and-a-half years in office and set up the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund, which was widely acknowledged to have performed well in infrastructural development and intervention programmes in education, health and water.19. His wife set up what is now known as the National Hospital, Abuja. It was originally named National Hospital for Women and Children before it was upgraded into what is intended to be Nigerias no. 1 public hospital.20. His death is shrouded in mystery: the most popular version is that he died in the midst of Indian prostitutes flown in from Dubai but the official version is that he died of heart attack. A more likely story is that he was eliminated to end the political crisis in Nigeria. Post Reply I specialize in investigative reportage across several subject matter and sectors but mainly focus on metro events and investigation. Do leave your thoughts and opinion on my reports to let me know what you think about them. Thank you Posted: at 8-06-2018 08:09 AM (3 years ago) | Hero June marks National Homeownership Month, which recognizes the value of homeownership and its positive impact on families, communities, and the nations economy. This month allows a time to celebrate and promote the American Dream of homeownership and identify the many benefits of owning that roof over your head. Most consumers know that homeownership is among the soundest investments an individual can make to begin building their personal wealth. However, owning a home is not just the best interest of the homeowner. Homeownership provides social stability, builds communities, and is a driving force for the national economy. Realtors care about our communities and are dedicated to advocating for the protection of private-property rights and making a difference by volunteering and securing grants for improvement. Below are some of the benefits of reaching the American Dream: Brings families together: Along with being more involved in their communities, homeowners are often active and connected to their own families. Family dinners and game nights at home could mean a more-connected, happier family. Social stability: Improved educational performance, lower crime rates, and improved health are a few social benefits linked to homeownership. Homeownership allows households to accumulate wealth, which opens doors to more engagement in communities through volunteer work, involvement in social activities, and electoral participation. Strong communities: Homeowners tend to stay in their homes longer than renters, dedicate more money to improve their home, and are more engaged in enhancing their community. Homeowners are often more invested in their home and their surroundings which leads to stronger neighborhoods and communities and increased interaction between neighbors. Economic force: Being a homeowner also has a positive local and national economic impact. That is because homeownership creates jobs through remodeling, landscaping, lawn service, furniture and appliances, home improvement, and real estate services. When a home is sold in the United States, the income generated from real estate-related industries is over $20,000 and additional expenditures on consumer items is about $4,500 a boom to the economy. Home is where people make memories and feel comfortable and secure. Homeownership Month is an opportunity to reiterate that anyone who is able and willing to assume the responsibilities of owning a home should have the opportunity to pursue that dream and enjoy the many benefits that come along with it. As your voice for real estate in The Gig City, Greater Chattanooga Realtors will continue advocating for our communities by working closely with public officials and doing our part to protect the private-property rights of homeowners. Join the celebration on social media with #HomeownerHero and you could be featured by the National Association of Realtors. Learn more about National Homeownership Month and keep up with house-related tips, news, stories, and policy issues through Homeownership Matters (homeownershipmatters.realtor) and HouseLogic (houselogic.com). For more information about buying or selling a home, contact Greater Chattanooga Realtors to speak with a realtor. Waukesha, WI (53187) Today Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 55F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. In a short, unanimous ruling, the Washington Supreme Court Thursday brought an end to the yearslong school-funding saga known as the McCleary decision.The justices declared the state had fully implemented its new school funding plan, lifted the contempt order and the $100,000-per-day sanctions, and ended their oversight of the case.The court's 2012 ruling found the state had violated its constitution by underfunding K-12 schools and kicked off years of fierce debate in Olympia over school funding and policies.It forced lawmakers and Gov. Jay Inslee to pour billions of dollars into the K-12 school system over the years and even sparked the court's first contempt order against the state in Washington's history.In an interview Thursday, Stephanie McCleary, one of the plaintiffs whose family is the namesake of the lawsuit, said she was happy to see a resolution to a case that began back in 2007."It feels weird to say it's done, after all this time," said McCleary, whose children were in grade school when the lawsuit began and are now college students. But, she asked, "What does 'done' mean?"McCleary and Thomas Ahearne, attorney for the plaintiffs, say the court didn't rule on whether the state's plan actually fulfills the constitutional definition of "ample" funding for programs such as special education or student transportation."The question that has not been resolved one way or the other is, are those new formulas ample funding?" said Ahearne. Other lawsuits could be brought against the state in the future in search of such answers, he added.Even as Inslee and lawmakers in both parties celebrated Thursday's order, they acknowledged that the state must do more to improve Washington's schools, particularly regarding special education."We know that our children need more than just a basic education," Inslee said in a statement. "This is not the end of our efforts to ensure schools are able to provide students everything they need to succeed and thrive."Rather than having to focus solely on satisfying the justices, lawmakers now can "get more creative in a positive way" while working on education issues, said House Minority Leader Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm.For now, the court order appears to end years of struggle at the Capitol over school funding.As legislators and the governor dragged their heels in fully complying with the original decision, the court in 2014 handed down a contempt order. It was the first such order in Washington's history.The next year, justices raised the stakes by issuing a $100,000-per day-fine against the state.The McCleary ruling and another on charter schools even sparked efforts -- ultimately unsuccessful -- to unseat three of the justices in the 2016 elections.In 2017, legislators and the governor finally tackled a plan to fund teacher and other school-worker salaries, the biggest and most difficult part of the McCleary ruling.A big chunk of that pay had been funded by local school district property-tax levies. The justices said the state needed to cover the full cost.To address that, lawmakers and Inslee in 2017 approved a complex property-tax plan that boosted the statewide tax rate in 2018 and phases in limits on future tax revenues collected by school districts through local levies.In later years, property owners in some districts will see an overall decrease in property taxes, though many districts in the Puget Sound area will continue to pay higher taxes.Last November, the justices ruled that plan didn't fully provide for schools by the September 2018 deadline established by the court, and suggested lawmakers further boost education funding. In response, lawmakers and the governor this spring provided an additional $776 million, and set aside another $105 million for the contempt fines.With so much attention going to the McCleary ruling in recent years, lawmakers now face other problems, such as finally resolving multiple court orders stemming from Washington's troubled mental-health system.One senator has already described that challenge as "McCleary 2." Voice of the People Audio Article Native son Tom Smiths history of East Chesterton (Chesterton Tribune 9-30-21 Commentary) was interesting and a poignant tribute to his five-generations back ancestors, the Morgans, who traveled from West Virginia and Ohio to settle here in 1833 to raise a family, to farm and... Voice of the People Audio Article This summer the Times of NW Indiana again suggested in an editorial that Dunes Action had been in opposition to the renovation of the State Park Pavilion. We never did. In fact, most of us had been waiting for it for decades. They did not... Guest Commentary Audio Article This is a short history of the Morgan family farm before the possible development of the remaining 49 acres east of Chesterton. Jesse and Jane Morgan arrived in Northwest Indiana in 1833 after traveling through Ohio, northern Indiana, stopping off in LaPorte County for a... Echoes of the Past Audio Article 10 Years Ago Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011 Bethlehem Lutheran Church will host a wellness screening event. . . CHS girls soccer team beats LaPorte 5-0 and clinches a share of the DAC title. Scoring goals are Rosie Biehl (2), Hannah Kollar (2), and Sam... "Most people spend a few hours a year in the doctors office. The other 364 days out of the year, people are in the care of their city."That's according to Loel Solomon, vice president of community health at Kaiser Permanente. Together with the de Beaumont Foundation as part of the CityHealth initiative, his organization examined the 40 largest cities to see how well they're helping residents live their healthiest lives. They looked at things like paid sick leave policies and whether people can bike or walk to work."Your mayor, city council and city manager has just as much of an impact on your health as your doctor," hesays.On Friday, during the opening night of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' annual meeting in Boston, 24 cities will be awarded for their work in population health. The gold medalists are Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Jose, Calif. Nine cities earned a silver medal, and 11 earned a bronze.The cities were each judged on nine policy areas: affordable housing, alcohol regulations, walkability, paid sick leave, food safety, healthy food options, universal pre-K, smoke-free places and the smoking age.To get a gold medal, cities had to show that they have implemented several policies addressing each of those issues. A silver medal went to cities that made strides in five of the policy areas, and a bronze went to cities that had made strides in four. For example, in order to earn a gold medal for earned sick leave, a city must mandate that all businesses allow employees at least two days a year for sick time or to care for a family member.While some of the policies seem obvious as influential on health, others -- like universal pre-K and affordable housing -- are less explicitly so. But according to Solomon, access to both is foundational to a healthy community.These policies arent just nice things to do. They are powerful and necessary prevention, he says.Even though just five of the 40 cities earned gold medals, Brian Castrucci, CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, stresses that several have made significant changes in the past year to make their communities healthier. San Antonio, Texas, a silver medalist, raised the legal age for buying tobacco to 21 earlier this year -- the first city in Texas to do so."There are thousands of young people in San Antonio who wont pick up smoking now as a result of the city passing a tobacco 21 law," says Castrucci.At a time when the Trump administration is taking steps to roll back provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the landmark health care law signed by President Obama, and Congressional Republicans are reportedly gearing up to introduce another ACA repeal bill this year, Castrucci says he hopes these rankings will remind mayors how they can impact their residents' health.This is an opportunity to show there are so many things we can do besides health care," he says. "Many of our diseases have origins in the community; we need to go where the problems are. Our health leaders of the future are going to be city councils and mayors." Nina Tramble isn't ready to be forced out of a home in a neighborhood where she and her children feel safe.But that could happen, she fears, if Housing Secretary Ben Carson has his way.Carson has proposed to raise rents for more than 4 million low-income households across the United States in belief that pushing more people to find jobs would set them on a path toward self-sufficiency.His "Make Affordable Housing Work Act," announced April 25, would allow housing authorities to impose work requirements, would increase the percentage of income that tenants are required to pay from 30 percent to 35 percent, and would raise the minimum rent from $50 to $150. It would eliminate deductions, for medical care and child care, and for each child in a home: Currently, families can deduct $480 per child, significantly lowering rent.But an analysis of the plan by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and provided exclusively to The Associated Press and its members shows that in the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, low-income tenants -- many of whom already have jobs -- would have to pay roughly 20 percent more each year for rent under the plan. That's about six times greater than the growth in average hourly earnings, putting poor workers at an increased risk of homelessness because wages haven't kept pace with housing expenses.In the St. Louis area, the analysis finds more than 86,000 people who rely on federal housing assistance would see their rent increase by 22 percent, or $780 a year on average. Nearly half of those affected are children, and almost a third are elderly or disabled.Tramble, 36, a single mother of three, has a federal housing voucher through the St. Louis County Housing Authority that reduces her rent to $400 a month. She said she already works 10- or 11-hour days at times, and sometimes has to work weekends to make ends meet. She's a program assistant for a physical, occupational and speech therapy rehabilitation services company.Her rent, under Carson's proposal, would rise by about $150 a month, or nearly 38 percent.That kind of increase could mean moving out of Florissant, where she rents a tidy, three-bedroom home with a garage on a quiet residential street, and out of Hazelwood School District. Tramble said she and her three children, Terrah, 15, Journie, 9, and Legend, 3, moved out of the Ferguson area this year to get them into a better school district, and into a safer area in general.After Michael Brown was fatally shot in 2014 by a Ferguson police officer, Tramble said she watched her neighborhood decline."After that incident, it caused a lot more chaos and more shootings," Tramble said. "There were more police cars, and my fear really became a fear of a stray bullet hitting my kids. I just want them to be able to play and not fear that."Without the housing voucher, Tramble isn't sure that the move to a better neighborhood would have been possible."It helped me fulfill that goal of a better school district for my children," she said. "And have more peace, you know? We're not going to sleep hearing sirens and hearing gunshots. In Florissant, we hear the coyotes." In their new neighborhood, there's a park within walking distance, and it's quiet at night.The housing voucher has also helped Tramble put healthier food on the table for her family, she said. Her oldest daughter has Type 2 diabetes, and she believes it's because of her previous routine of buying "what was cheapest and what could stretch the furthest."Jane Oliphant, a lead housing counselor at Ascend STL, said a lot of families will face similar challenges if Carson's proposal goes into effect."It's going to hit hardest, in my opinion, for people with a lot of children," said Oliphant, who helps people with vouchers find decent housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods. One person she works with has seven children, "so that would be a really big hit for her."For people living in crime-ridden neighborhoods who are already struggling to make ends meet, like she once was, Tramble can't imagine that this proposal won't affect them negatively."Where will they go from there if they can't afford where they're at now?"Carson's proposal, which needs congressional approval, is the latest attempt by President Donald Trump's administration to scale back the social safety net, under the belief that being less generous will prompt those receiving federal assistance to enter the workforce. "It's our attempt to give poor people a way out of poverty," Carson said in a recent interview with Fox News.The analysis shows families would be disproportionately impacted. Of the 8.3 million people affected nationally, more than 3 million are children.The impact of the plan would be felt everywhere.Rent for the poorest tenants in Baltimore, where Carson was a neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and where his own story of overcoming poverty inspired generations of children, could go up by 19 percent or $800 a year. In Detroit, where Carson's mother, a single parent, raised him by working two jobs, rents could increase by $710, or 21 percent. Households in Washington, D.C., one of the richest regions in the country, would see the largest increases: $980 per year on average, a 20 percent hike."This proposal to raise rents on low-income people doesn't magically create well-paying jobs needed to lift people out of poverty," said Diane Yentel, CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. "Instead it just makes it harder for struggling families to get ahead by potentially cutting them off from the very stability that makes it possible for them to find and keep jobs."While the Department of Housing and Urban Development says elderly or disabled households would be exempt, about 314,000 households could lose their elderly or disabled status and see higher rents, according to the analysis by the policy center, which advocates for the poor.The policy center conducted its analysis based on 2016 HUD data. It includes tenants living in public housing and receiving Section 8 and project-based vouchers. It excludes housing authorities participating in the Moving to Work program, which allows districts to determine their own distinct rent policies. Governments around the nation are working to design the best vaccine policies that keep both their employees and their residents safe. Although the latest data shows a variety of polarizing perspectives, there are clear emerging best practices that leading governments are following to put trust first: creating policies that are flexible and provide a range of options, and being in tune with the needs and sentiments of their employees so that they are able to be dynamic and accommodate the rapidly changing situation. Sometimes, a kiss is more than just a kiss.State Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr., a Democratic candidate for Maryland governor, has launched a television ad in which a kiss between him and his husband is portrayed as a statement of defiance against President Donald J. Trump. A leading gay rights organization says it is the first-ever kiss of a same-sex married couple in a U.S. political ad.By late Thursday, the ad and the media coverage it spawned had gone viral. After the ad's content was reported by The Baltimore Sun and The Washington Post, the story was picked up by dozens of organizations, including USA Today, CBS News and The Daily Beast.The openly gay former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, president of the LGBT Victory Fund, said the ad is a sign of changing times."I kissed my spouse on stage at my inauguration as mayor," she said. "But I don't think I would have put it in a campaign eight years ago."Madaleno, an underdog in the June 26 Democratic primary to nominate a challenger to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, is running the ad on cable television in Montgomery County, where it is certain to be seen by many Democratic voters. But the candidate also placed it during commercial breaks on the staunchly conservative "Fox & Friends" show in the Washington market Thursday morning, where his campaign was hoping it would be seen by one Republican in particular.The theme of the ad is "Take that, Trump." It focuses on the actions Madaleno has taken in his General Assembly career that would offend Trump. It portrays him not just as an opponent of the president, but the most effective anti-Trump candidate in the race.There is no mention of Hogan in the ad. Spokesman Scott Sloofman said the Hogan campaign had no comment.The 30-second spot opens with the Montgomery County lawmaker sitting on the stoop of a red brick house, telling viewers he's running for governor "to deliver progressive results and stand up to Donald Trump. Here are a few of the things I've done that already infuriate him."The scene shifts to Madaleno standing with a group of children holding signs:"I protected Planned Parenthood from the Republicans in Congress," he says."Take that, Trump," a girl says.The scene shifts to the candidate with a new group of children holding pro-gun control signs:"I helped ban assault guns in Maryland," he says."Take that, NRA," a young boy says.The ad moves to Madaleno with a third group of children."I believe in public schools, not vouchers," he says."Take that, Trump," a girl says. "And Betsy DeVos," a boy chimes in. The kids cheer.Finally, Madaleno sits with his husband, Mark Hodge, and their two adopted children."And what's the No. 1 way I piss off Donald Trump and the Republicans?" Madaleno asks. He and Hodge then kiss briefly."Take that, Trump," Madaleno says.Parker said her organization believes the ad is a first. She said it's important that gay candidates be able to present themselves in family situations just as straight politicians have long done."This is going to be an increasingly common sight," the former Houston mayor said. "Get used to it."National political consultant Dan Furmansky, former director of Equality Maryland, said he's not surprised that Madaleno would run such an ad."Rich has always been a trailblazer," he said. Furmansky noted that Madaleno was the first openly gay candidate to be elected to the Maryland General Assembly in 2002 and that he is the state's only openly gay state senator.Furmansky, a supporter, doubts primary voters will be put off."I think voters like people who are authentic and proud of who they are," he said.Todd Eberly, a political scientist at St. Mary's College, said the ad makes sense for the relatively low-budget Madaleno campaign because media outlets will help to spread the message."It's going to get a considerable amount of coverage," he said. "Any time you cut an ad and it gets linked without you having to pay for it is good strategy. ... You can maximize the exposure and minimize the expense."Eberly said the ad is unlikely to backfire."We're definitely at a point in 2018 where among the Democratic Party base, this is not something that would turn them off," he said.The Madaleno campaign was hoping that Trump himself would view the kiss when he turned on Fox News."We wanted to make sure the president had an opportunity to see this ad, and went with the network he tunes into," said Keith Presley, Madaleno's campaign manager.Madaleno said the campaign might run the ad on "Fox & Friends" again. If that happens, there is the possibility that if Trump sees the ad, it could set off one of his famous tweet storms."Absolutely, that could happen," Eberly said. "If it happens, it's just that much more free advertising." Its not an Oscar-worthy performance, but Jennifer Lawrence is certainly believable as a concerned citizen in a new video urging Maine voters to approve Question 1.What, you ask, is Question 1 and why does an A-list Hollywood actress who doesnt live in the Pine Tree State feel so strongly about it? The referendum, which is on the ballot June 12, would keep ranked-choice voting for state elections, and Lawrence is endorsing it because, as she says in the video, it would help make government work better.Turns out that JLaw, whos best known for her roles in The Hunger Games and Silver Linings Playbook, for which she won an Academy Award, has been working with Democrats, Republicans, and others to promote such nonpartisan initiatives across the country. President Donald Trump said he likely will support a congressional effort to end the federal ban on marijuana, a major step that would reshape the pot industry and end the threat of a Justice Department crackdown.Trump's remarks put him sharply at odds with Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the issue. The bill in question, pushed by a bipartisan coalition, would allow states to go forward with legalization unencumbered by threats of federal prosecution.Trump made his comments to a gaggle of reporters Friday morning just before he boarded a helicopter on his way to the G-7 summit in Canada. His remarks came the day after the bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed their measure.One of the lead sponsors is Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), who is aligned with Trump on several issues but recently has tangled with the administration over the Justice Department's threatened crackdowns on marijuana."I support Sen. Gardner," Trump said when asked about the bill. "I know exactly what he's doing. We're looking at it. But I probably will end up supporting that, yes."The legislative proposal, which is also championed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), would reshape the legal landscape for marijuana.California and eight other states, as well as Washington, D.C., have legalized all adult use of marijuana. An additional 20 states permit marijuana for medical use.But even as states legalize, marijuana has remained a risky and unstable business because of federal law making it illegal. Concerns about federal law enforcement seizures have inhibited most lenders from working with marijuana businesses. And investors have also proceeded cautiously.A lifting of the federal prohibition would bolster efforts to create uniform testing and regulatory standards for marijuana, and potentially free scientists to pursue research into the medical uses of marijuana.Trump said he is likely to support the federal legalization effort despite a warning against it from the coalition of narcotics officer groups."We urge you to see through the smoke screen and reject attempts to encourage more drug use in America," they wrote in a letter to Trump Thursday. Description GIS 08 June, 2018: The laying of foundation stone of the Henrietta Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Farm, a 2 MWp Solar PV farm project to the tune of some Rs 75 million, was performed yesterday by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr Ivan Collendavelloo, at Henrietta. The Solar PV farm is a project of the Central Electricity Board (Green Energy) Co. Ltd. The Acting General Manager of the Central Electricity Board (CEB), Mr Shamshir Mukoon, the General Manager of CEB (Green Energy) Co. Ltd, Mr Maheswur Dayal, and other personalities were also present at the event. The Solar PV Farm is located close to the Tamarind Falls Dam. After receiving all necessary permits and clearances from the local authorities, the construction of the Solar PV Farm started in April 2018 and the farm is expected to be operational by the end of November 2018. Henrietta Solar PV Farm will accelerate the integration of renewable energy into the generation mix and consequently help Government to achieve the target of 35% renewable energy in the energy mix by 2025, said the Deputy Prime Minister in his address on this occasion. He underscored that Governments aim is also to reduce the countrys dependence on the use of fossil fuel for energy production. It is within this context, that multiple projects are underway to ensure that Mauritiuss energy sector becomes modern, sustainable and dynamic, he indicated, adding that the total number of Solar PV Farms in Mauritius will reach 11 by 2019. Speaking on measures taken by Government to alleviate families registered on the Social Register of Mauritius, he mentioned that a 35% reduction has been granted on their electricity bills. Moreover, the Deputy Prime Minister underlined that, in the context of the International Solar Alliance, Mauritius is working in collaboration with countries such as France and India to develop and expand the production of solar energy. Solar PV farm project The project comprises the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a 2 MWp grid-tie ground-mounted solar photovoltaic farm with all necessary accessories supporting the structures and interconnection facilities over a surface area of 20,000 square metres. The equipment to be installed consists of 5,900 solar photovoltaic panels, inverters, ground-mounting structures, switchgears and transformers, amongst others. Upon its completion, the generated power from the 2 MWp Henrietta Solar PV farm will eventually be injected to the nearest 22 kV network. The Farm will generate approximately 3 GWh of renewable energy annually, thus avoiding the equivalent emission of 3,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Description GIS 08 June, 2018: A delegation of the European Union (EU) led by the A delegation of the European Union (EU) led by the Ambassador and Head of the EU delegation in Mauritius, Mrs Marjaana Sall, paid a courtesy call yesterday on the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis. Discussions focused on the Sixth Political Dialogue between Mauritius and the EU which was held yesterday at the Le Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel, in Port Louis under the chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Seetanah Lutchmeenaraidoo. In a statement, Ambassador Sall, spoke of the longstanding relationship and strong partnership between the EU and Mauritius and reiterated the EUs support in the form of accompanying measures for the economic development of Mauritius. She expressed satisfaction regarding the fruitful discussions with Prime Minister Jugnauth whereby both parties dwelt on several issues that were raised during the Sixth Political Dialogue namely: Governance; Rule of Law; Human Rights and Gender including cooperation in international fora; Maritime Security; Climate Change; Ocean Economy and partnership in the Fisheries sector. Other issues evoked between the two parties pertained to investment and business climate in Mauritius; cooperation in international sphere; Mauritius role on regional economic integration of the Africa Strategy and Mauritius-EU Economic Partnership Agreement as well as a follow-up on the Post-Cotonou negotiations and EU multiannual financial framework. Description GIS 08 June, 2018: An exhibition, aiming to sensitise the population on the adverse impacts of plastic inland and at sea by showcasing alternatives of plastic products, was launched yesterday at the City Council of Port Louis, in the context of World Environment Day 2018. The Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Local Government and Outer Islands, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo, the Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Environment and Sustainable Development, Mr Etienne Sinatambou, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Port Louis, Mr Ehsan Ismay Mamode, and other personalities were present at the launching ceremony. In her address, Vice-Prime Minister Jeewa-Daureeawoo highlighted that the exhibition is providing a platform for the public at large to reflect on the devastating effects of plastic on the environment. Littering of plastic bags, she underlined, contributes to a huge amount of debris both inland and at sea and pose several environmental issues such as blockage of local drainage systems as well as pollution of seas and rivers. Plastic pollution also leads to severe consequences on marine organisms as they mistakenly tend to consume floating plastic, which in turn may have an impact on human consumption of food such as fish, she added. The Vice-Prime Minister called for a change in mindset among the population and appealed for the adoption of more greener and sustainable practices for the protection of the environment. It is essential to set the right examples to young people so that they are inculcated with values on the importance of safeguarding the flora and fauna of the country, Mrs Jeewa-Daureeawoo emphasised. For his part, Minister Sinatambou stated that with more than eight million tons of plastic waste ending up in the oceans every year, marine life is being destroyed. P lastic waste takes 1000 years to disintegrate, thus severely impacting on the environment, he pointed out. To this end, he emphasised that the population should use alternative products such as those made out of glass and paper. The Minister reiterated his commitment in getting rid of plastic pollution and called upon each and every citizen to stop using plastic bags so as to promote a safe and clean environment. Following the launching event, Vice-Prime Minister Jeewa-Daureeawoo and Minister Sinatambou participated in the demonstration of the use of eco-bins meant to collect littering plastic bottles. The eco-bin project was launched on 5 June 2018 to mark World Environment Day this year. 57 eco-bins have been donated to Social Welfare Centres and 12 Local Authorities for plastic bottles collection . The population is encouraged to deposit the plastic bottles from their home at the nearest collection point. The collected plastic bottles will thereafter be sent to plastic recyclers. About the Exhibition Private companies and non-governmental organisations are participating, on 7 and 8 June 2018, in the exhibition being held at the City Council of Port Louis. It comprises the display of eco-friendly products from wood waste; recycled paper; reusable bottle glass as well as ecology and cloth bags. The public is invited to visit the exhibition and will be sensitised on the importance of living sustainably. Description GIS - 08 June, 2018: Kenya Airways will be flying to Mauritius four times weekly from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya. The inaugural flight landed yesterday at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International, Plaisance. The Minister of Tourism, Mr Anil Gayan, the Chief operating Officer of Kenya Airways, Mr Jan De Vegt, stakeholders of the tourism and civil aviation sectors and other eminent personalities were present on this occasion. Kenya Airways will be flying to Mauritius four times weekly from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya. The inaugural flight landed yesterday at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International, Plaisance. The Minister of Tourism, Mr Anil Gayan, the Chief operating Officer of Kenya Airways, Mr Jan De Vegt, stakeholders of the tourism and civil aviation sectors and other eminent personalities were present on this occasion. Minister Gayan underlined that non-stop flight will depart from Nairobi every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday thus opening gateway opportunities for both Mauritians and Kenyans to enjoy the best of what both countries have to offer which he referred to as blue safari and green safari, amongst others. He underscored that the investment and trade opportunities presented by this direct flight will greatly contribute to add value to both countries. Mr De Vegt explained that this inaugural flight is in line with the strategic intent of Kenya Airways to expand its footprint across Africa. He added that this venture is expected to help tourism grow for both countries as the airline strive to offer to its passengers affordable and improved connections from both the Nairobi and Mauritius hubs. Under the current arrangement there will be seven direct flights to Mauritius as there is already a code share agreement with Air Mauritius which already makes provision for three weekly flights. Description GIS 08 June 2018: The Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping is finalising the Regulations which will be promulgated to give legal force to Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) which was signed by Mauritius in 1995. The most important feature of this Annex is the complete ban on the disposal into the sea of all forms of plastic. This announcement was made this morning by the Minister of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Mr Premdut Koonjoo, at the opening of a seminar organised on the occasion of World Oceans Day 2018 at the Octave Wiehe auditorium in Reduit. He deplored that oceans are in danger of facing transboundary challenges such as Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing, overfishing, ocean acidification, climate change, and plastic pollution. He pointed out that plastic pollution is causing tremendous harm to marine resources while adding that our oceans are silently drowning in plastic. Mr Koonjoo highlighted that international studies revealed that eight million tons of plastic garbage end in the ocean every year. It is estimated that plastic accounts for 80% of marine litter and that by 2050, there may be more plastics than fish in our oceans, he pointed out. He recalled that Mauritius has no natural resources such as gold, minerals or petrol but a vast maritime zone of 2.3 million square kilometres which offer huge potentials. The resources of the sea, he underpinned, have to be sustainably exploited since Mauritius depends on the resources which the ocean can offer. The Minister stated that Government is fully aware of the immense potential of the ocean and has pledged for a cleaner and safer ocean while adding that his Ministry has set up a dedicated Ocean Economy Unit with the mandate to implement projects for sustainable management of the resources of the oceans, and to take meaningful measures to prevent pollution of our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). He underscored that at the international level, during the last Commonwealth Heads of States meeting which was held in London in April 2018, Mauritius joined the Action groups on Coral Reef restoration and Plastic Pollution with other Commonwealth Member States. Mauritius is also partnering with other friendly countries to tap the resources within our EEZ. For her part, the Director of the Mauritius Oceanography Institute (MOI), Dr Ruby Moothien Pillay, highlighted that plastic pollutions reality bears sobering consequences and is as dangerous as climate change. Hence the need, she underlined, to be proactive and to work collectively so as to create a sustainable ocean for the youth of tomorrow. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mauritius (UoM), Prof. D. Jhurry, spoke about the major role that the ocean plays in our lives and the impacts of human actions on the ocean. He stated that the UoM is committed to lead training research in the ocean sector while adding that the marine sector is one of the five poles of innovations for the UoM. Activities organised In the context of the World Oceans Day, the Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping is organising several activities. They are: one-day seminar at the University of Mauritius on 8 June; c leaning of beach and sea at Mahebourg and Blue Bay Marine Park on 9 June by divers of the Ministry, the MOI and other NGOs; and a cleaning campaign at Pointe Jerome. The theme this year is "Preventing Plastic Pollution and Encouraging Solutions for a healthy Ocean. The focus is on p lastic pollution which is causing tremendous harm to our marine resources. For example: 80% of all pollution in the ocean comes from people on land; eight million tonnes of plastic per year ends up in the ocean, wreaking havoc on wildlife, fisheries and tourism; plastic pollution costs the lives of 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals per year; and plastic causes $8 billion in damage to marine ecosystems each year. In April, the city of South Burlington, Vt., issued what is considered the first property deed using blockchain technology. The effort was little more than a pilot project that mostly involved the company which provides mobile and Web-based property transactions. But the transaction has been heralded as a first and a glimpse of governments future in which information can be stored and exchanged by a network of computers, without a centralized host. Often referred to as decentralized ledger, blockchain makes it nearly impossible to alter or hack the data.But was this a breakthrough moment as some have thought, or was it another example of what has become the latest in a string of tests and experiments using blockchain that has generated lots of hype but little in the way of practical, widely used applications? Its not a trivial question. Blockchain advocates believe the technology will be the next big disrupter in business and government. Dissenters see blockchain as a solution in search of a problem that will generate little in the way of transformation.Blockchain got its start in 2008 when a person named Satoshi Nakamoto wrote a white paper that described a peer-to-peer version of electronic cash known as bitcoin. In order for the digital, cryptocurrency to work, it needed a system of trust. That turned out to be blockchain, a process in which information about the currency cant be altered thanks to its unique transparency using time stamps that record each transaction, all of which is stored securely on a decentralized network of computers.At its core, blockchain is an open, decentralized ledger that records transactions between two parties in a permanent way without needing third-party authentication, explained Bernard Marr in a column for Forbes.com. This creates an extremely efficient process and one people predict will dramatically reduce the cost of transactions.Predictions about a technology that can make a wide range of transactions better, faster and cheaper, quickly caught the attention of industry, government and investors. In 2017, venture capital investments in blockchain startups reached $911 million, an 88 percent increase over 2016, according to Pitchfork , a financial data company. Nearly 15 percent of financial institutions are using blockchain, according to Marr.The public sector quickly latched on to the potential benefits of using blockchain in a variety of applications, resulting in a steady drumbeat of new projects. Start with the promise of doing things better, faster and cheaper. For government, blockchain solutions could reduce redundancy, streamline processes, decrease audit burden, increase security and ensure data integrity, according to a report by Booz Allen Hamilton. For example, blockchain could provide a permanent audit trail that could lead to faster reconciliation of the trillions of federal dollars in intragovernmental transfers that take place each year.But blockchain could also help governments build trust in citizens by creating verifiable land registries to resolve property disputes, and it could protect sensitive data by reducing single-point-of-failure risk, according to the report.On a more transformative level, experts see blockchain as a means to create a safe and reliable platform to allow online voting. In March, West Virginia became the first state to allow Internet voting by blockchain , offering the technology so that overseas military service members and their families in two counties could vote online. The state ran a pilot test using the technology in the May 8 primary election, involving a couple dozen voters. Election officials hope to expand the program statewide (for overseas military only) during the November general elections.But pilot projects dont necessarily mean a groundswell of change is about to happen. A close reading of articles on blockchain reveal tests, experiments and prototype uses; nowhere is there a killer app for blockchain in widespread use. Even that 15 percent figure for financial institutions is somewhat misleading; the majority of banks that use the technology are testing its capabilities, not deploying it.Take bitcoin, for which blockchain was created. The cryptocurrency has yo-yoed in value, has been branded the currency for online criminals and has hardly knocked Visa, Mastercard or American Express considered financial dinosaurs by bitcoin advocates out of the market. And, as one expert explained, the world already has a costless, instant way to exchange value without a middleman: cash.Similarly, skeptics have pointed out that many of the problems that have been suggested as solutions for blockchain can be readily solved with existing databases. Others wonder if the rush to use blockchain as a replacement for legacy processes from voting to property deed transactions could end up disrupting old systems before the new technology has been proven to be reliable.Somebody needs to ask the question: Is it actually better? Is it measurably better? Angela Walch, a research fellow at the Center for Blockchain Technology at University College London, toldTwenty-five years ago, local governments thought they had discovered a killer app. Called the 24-hour city hall, it was a kiosk that merged together a variety of new technologies from touchscreens and microprocessors to low cost databases and emerging networking protocols to create government in a box. Citizens would be able to carry out a number of routine transactions, from paying parking tickets to responding to quick survey questions, essentially handling just about anything that took place at a city clerks front desk. It would be like bank ATMs, only better.Kiosk enthusiasts were sure the technology would transform local government and usher in a new era of customer service. But it didnt happen. The technology never lived up to its optimistic billing and the kiosk concept quietly went away. Times have changed, of course. Technology is far more advanced and blockchain is going through a wide variety of tests and experiments across a range of industries and in the public sector.But it wouldnt hurt to be cautious about the hype, especially for state and local governments, where prudent investing in technology is expected and disruptive technologies can be challenging. Unintended consequences can be far more damaging in government than in the private sector, so let the testing continue. Every Tuesday evening, there is a civic tech meetup in Chicago, complete with food for attendees, a presentation of a successful or ongoing project, representatives from local government and more than 100 volunteer technologists.This event is called Chi Hack Night , and its been happening since 2012, sparking work that has helped foster progress throughout the city, ranging from a website that provides easy access to lobbying data to a visualization of vacant buildings to an online snowplow tracker . Chi Hack Night has drawn interest from all levels of government, been featured in the Chicago Tribune and inspired copycat efforts as far away as Toronto It is the type of thriving and localized civic tech movement many communities yearn for, the type that Code for America seeks to foster with its brigades , the type of civic organizing that so often has proven to be elusive, even as many in government have seen an increase in technologists wanting to help improve life for residents.The structure of Chi Hack Night is a relatively simple one, too. Each meetup begins with socializing and some food, followed by a brief welcome and introduction for the event with announcements, then a headline presentation and, finally, two hours of civic hacking. Its a simple yet incredibly effective event.So, what then has given rise to a movement as sustainable and successful as Chi Hack Night? The groups founders say it was a perfect storm of circumstances, combined with the occasional bit of luck and a few savvy moves. Derek Eder , one of Chi Hack Nights founders and lead organizer, remembers its beginnings. Back in 2011, Chicagos mayors office was changing administrations for the first time since 1989, going from Mayor Richard M. Daley to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the former chief of staff in the Obama White House.The transition, Eder said, made for a more malleable local government, open to suggestions, especially in terms of information technology, which had made major strides at the federal level during the Obama Administration where the new mayor had come from. At the same time, Chicago had a history of both civic organizing and civic tech.There was this community of folks advocating for this stuff, and so that, combined with this administration change, led to us having the first ever open data policy for Chicago and the first ever chief data officer for any city in the United States, Eder said. There was all this data being published by the city of Chicago that wasnt there before, and there was a group of people interested in this stuff that was ready to dive into it as soon as it was published.Chi Hack Night started with basically four volunteer technologists. In addition to Eder, the first meeting included Juan-Pablo Velez, Scott Robbin and Tom Kompare, with Christopher Whitaker and Steven Vance as other early members. Webitects, where Eder was then employed, hosted the first nine hack nights, before Chicagos 1871 tech hub hosted the event through January 2015, when it moved to its larger home at the Braintree offices.The group, Eder said, has been fortunate to have collaborators give them space for meetings. Another key factor, however, has been the impact theyve had. In short, ideas at Chi Hack Night have been regularly embraced and propagated by the local, county and state governments in the area. Projects born at Chi Hack Night have gone on to make a difference in the communities where the technologists live.Almost everyone who donates their time to Chi Hack Night is a volunteer, and so its the meaningful work that keeps them returning. As more open data came out, the technologists built more sites. Soon, they found themselves in meetings with important city leaders.It was just kind of crazy if you think about it, Eder said, and it really motivated us to keep going.Eder also said having a regular weekly time to meet has been valuable, because attendees know that Tuesday is Chi Hack Night they dont have to sporadically slot it into their regular schedules.Word of mouth has also been a valuable asset for the group. Katie OShea, who is one of Chi Hack Nights co-organizers, said she became aware of the group through a colleague and was then reeled in by a mix of professional development opportunities and commitment to helping the community.What really struck me and made me want to come back was the fact that everyone there was so committed to giving good constructive feedback and was really committed to issues like diversity and inclusion, OShea said.In terms of the future, the group is now exploring becoming a formal nonprofit organization, with a managing board for oversight. Other groups around the country have contacted them for insights into their success, and they have booked a list of presenters through September.They are now producing long-term projects and serving as a venue for initiatives by governmental agencies. For example, on the last Tuesday in May, the presentation was a project that had been in the works for over a year: Illinois Re-Entry Resources , an online version of a resource for prisoners and parolees aimed at helping them successfully return to society, a print version of which was created by the Education Justice Project Nicholas Hopkins, coordinator of Illinois Re-Entry Resources, said his own group is not very tech savvy, and prior to working with Chi Hack Night, their only online component of the resource was a 250-page PDF, to which they were in the process of adding hyperlinks.Their team was interested in helping with work on re-entries and we were really interested in hosting this online, Hopkins said.It was a natural fit. So, that project was presented on the last Tuesday in May, and then on the first Tuesday in June. Chicago government representatives also came to show the group a new resource they had built to help identify properties that put children at risk for lead poisoning.Essentially, through a mix of timing, governmental cooperation and enticing benefits for participants such as networking and professional development, Chi Hack Night has created a model for volunteer civic tech work that any city in the country would be fortunate to emulate. A PROBLEM IS OFTEN BIGGER (OR AT LEAST DIFFERENT) THAN REPORTED. IF ITS NOT PART OF THE WORKFLOW, ITS NOT WORKING. CONSIDER COLLECTIVE PRIORITIES OVER INDIVIDUAL BAD ACTORS. Ever heard of a rat ride-along? Neither had Peter Casey, Senior Data Scientist in The Lab @ DC and member of the Office of the Chief Technology Officer. But carpooling with D.C.s rodent control team was all in a days work for a data scientist tasked with building and testing the technology to predict which of D.C.s neighborhoods would be most likely to experience rodent outbreaks, a major public health concern.In fact, ride-alongs are common practice among the technology teams that build predictive models that anticipate and optimize response to urban concerns, be it restaurant health code violations, fires, substandard buildings, or housing discrimination. Case studies from Washington D.C., Boston, New York City, and San Jose highlight the potential advancements and potential pitfalls of using predictive modeling to improve city services, and offer a few common considerations.D.C., the countrys so-called rat capital, saw a 133 percent increase in requests for rodent abatement over the last few years, according to Casey. Unclear, however, was whether the drastic increase resulted from a genuine explosion in the citys rodent population or merely greater use of D.C.s 311 reporting system.The city could have simply targeted rodent controls response to neighborhoods with the highest concentration of reports. However, areas with high reporting levels tend to be characteristic of squeaky wheels (informed and concerned citizens more likely to report via 311), so Casey and his team at The Lab @ DC wanted to look more holistically at the citys rodent problem.In addition to the 311 data, the city considered a myriad of factors in developing its predictive model, including population density, zoning, building age, business licenses (in particular food vendors), and the presence of impervious spaces, which inhibit rats ability to burrow. Analysts initially added construction sites to the model, but through field testing (such as Caseys rat ride-along), the team was able to eliminate the ultimately unproven assumption that construction exacerbates the citys rodent issue. By analyzing the issue beyond the limited scope of citizen reports, the city was able to deliver services in the areas truly in most need of abatement services.For both D.C. and Boston, a diversity of data sources, validated through regular testing, contributed to the strength of their respective predictive models. Like the rodent abatement initiative in D.C., Bostons efforts to predict the restaurants most likely to be in violation of health code considered 311 reports as a critical source of data, but the team also took a more comprehensive approach to analyzing the problem. Analyzing Yelp reviews, as well as established indicators such as the last date of inspection and the history (and severity) of past infractions, ensured that Bostons model considered both citizen-driven response and best practices in data-driven decisionmaking.Innovation teams can build the most sophisticated analytics programs, noted Michelle Tat, Chief Data Scientist for the City of Boston, but if theyre not seamlessly integrated into an agencys workflow, theyre essentially superfluous. With a clear understanding that the predictive modeling around restaurant inspection initiative was initially informative rather than directive, Tat and her team created a weekly automated spreadsheet with a list of restaurants prioritized for high likelihood of violation. Her team in fact wasnt sure that inspectors were using the model until it broke, and they were inundated with a flurry of requests about why the system hadnt updated.For Craig Campbell, Special Advisor to the Mayors Office of Data Analytics (MODA) in New York City, capacity building isnt just about workflow integration within a single department. MODA also invests considerable resources in making its code available to all agencies through an open source library in an effort to bolster transparency and to replicate potential solutions, activating adaptation from fire prevention projects to protecting tenants rights.According to Tat, Campbell, and Lauren Haynes, former Associate Director of the Center for Data Science and Public Policy at University of Chicago, sometimes the greatest value an innovation team can offer is simply gathering the appropriate data sources and saving departments time. 311 data, as Tat admonished, isnt one dataset in the city of Boston: its 1,100, and curating the suitable sets is a tremendous value-add for time and resource-strapped service delivery departments. In San Jose, a major hurdle in developing a valuable building code violation model for multi-story units, noted Haynes, was simply curating the sources to generate a list of eligible buildings, which required liaising with multiple departments to secure the necessary data. Once in place, however, relevant departments can access data as needed, streamlining the processes of collection, analysis, and implementation.Data without context is dangerous, especially if the stakes are high. In the case of predicting building code infractions in San Jose for instance, the likelihood of a site having a code infraction did not necessarily correlate with the severity of the infraction itself. A staircase without handrails, for instance, might have been uncovered before a broken smoke alarm; however, one clearly deserves priority attention.As Haynes and her team were developing the predictive model, therefore, it was essential to use both in-person site visits and inspection notes to be able to ensure that the program learned how to distinguish the severity of violations, enabling inspectors to respond to the most egregious first. Without adding that critical nuance to the model, it would have failed to correctly prioritize violations and inadequately optimize responses from inspectors as a result.In New York City, a housing analytics program raised different questions around prioritization. MODA worked with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to predict the landlords most likely to discriminate against holders of subsidized housing vouchers. Analysts cross-referenced areas where landlords were most likely to engage in these discriminatory practices often characterized by low crime rates, high performing schools, and suspiciously low utilization of affordable housing vouchers in spite of available housing stock with landlords who owned a significant amount of property. In terms of optimizing response for maximal impact, Campbell explained, rather than ticking through a list of bad actors, the city targeted the largest landlords, creating a chilling effect for other landlords across the city. Gathering the data was only half of the challenge in optimization, in other words. The other half was aligning responses to the worst cases to a communications strategy that would catalyze that chilling effect.Data-driven decisionmaking can uniquely optimize governments responses to complex public challenges whether in public health, safety, or civil rights. Insights are only truly actionable, however, when the data is gleaned from the right variety of sources and aligned with an effective strategy for execution. And, as data innovation leaders from across the country agree, the efficacy of the models behind data-driven decision-making must be regularly tested and iterated. So urban technologists, better strap inyou may be headed for a rat ridealong. When a 77-year-old dementia patient wandered away from his Blount, Tenn., home in his underwear during the middle of Easter night this year, first responders were out in force, all night trying to locate the man.Blount Emergency Management Director Lance Coleman was visiting family but got the call late that morning that the man had gone missing and drove to county administrative offices to help. He asked Blount County Sheriff Chief Deputy Jeff French if it would be an appropriate time to use the IPAWS notification system to alert residents and further the search.IPAWS is FEMAs Internet-based Integrated Public Alert Warning System for issuing public alerts and warnings.French gave his go-ahead, and he and Coleman crafted a message for the alert on a laptop on Colemans Chevy Tahoe. It was the first time they had used IPAWS since the official deployment in January, highlighting a partnership with CivicReady.I hit send, and within five seconds the message went to the IPAWS [FEMA] lab in Maryland, bounced back and hit every cell tower within an eight-mile radius and woke up a lot of folks, Coleman said. And all of our phones went off at the same time.As per policy, Coleman contacted 911 operators to let them know that the alert had been sent and to expect calls. As he was talking, the dispatcher interrupted and said the man had been located. Coincidence, Coleman thought.But in fact, an alert resident had heard the message, looked out the window and saw the man.That situation was just the kind of alert notification scenario Coleman had in mind when partnering with CivicReady on the implementation. The county had previously deployed an alert system, but the process fell apart quickly.We had spent $38,000 a few years ago on a system and were able to get 800 people to sign up and then almost immediately they wanted to be taken off because they didnt want to be notified about anything and everything, Coleman said.He said the county had been kicking the tires on notification systems for about 18 months and was already familiar with CivicReady, having used it for social media and Web products before. They were all good products but came with sign-up connectivity and we didnt need that, Coleman said. It creates a cry-wolf mentality when you hear something so many times you stop paying attention to it.Coleman was able to work out a solution with CivicReady, got FEMA approval and, thus, the system that best suits the county. Its really user-friendly and very effective. It was something weve been wanting to do. We knew we needed to have IPAWS connectivity because we wanted to be able to notify folks in case something happened.There was another incident when the system wasnt as affective. A 6-year-old had gone missing in a rural area and the system was activated. Coleman said the cellphone coverage in the area was limited and the system didnt reach everyone. We used other tech to find him. Californians Will Probably Vote on Data Privacy, the Gas Tax and More in November (TNS) With help from a neighbors video surveillance camera, the Williamson County, Texas, sheriffs office last month was able to verify that someone tried to kidnap an 8-year-old girl near Round Rock.The kidnapper has not been found, Sheriff Robert Chody said, because the camera wasnt at the right angle to capture a license plate number.But the public still can help law enforcement try to solve crimes by registering their video surveillance cameras, Chody said. The sheriffs office started its video camera registration program May 31 and has had about 100 people sign up for it, he said.Residents using their own video surveillance cameras to help law enforcement solve crimes in their neighborhoods is a growing trend, said Matt Peskin, executive director of National Association of Town Watch, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that sponsors National Night Out.When neighborhood watches started you had more people out on patrols, but now weve moved into this age where video takes the place of some of the neighborhood watch activities, he said.Chody said the registration program allows deputies investigating a crime know who might have surveillance video that could be useful. Sometimes, he said, investigators cant tell just by driving down a street who might have a camera.He said he was not motivated by a particular incident to start the program, but did it because he likes the concept.A resident may not know the value their video has until we tell them, said Chody. But we wont know they have it if we dont know they have a camera.At least two other police departments in the area also have a video surveillance registration program.Pflugerville police started asking residents in February to notify them if they have an exterior-facing surveillance camera, and 215 have signed up, said Helena Wright, a department spokeswoman.The Georgetown Police Department started a video camera registration program several months ago, officials said, but information on how many people had registered was not available Thursday.Chody said camera surveillance systems are very affordable but sometimes residents are concerned about registering them with police because they think its a plot by the government to capture their data. Thats not what the sheriffs office wants to do, he said.Residents are asked to enter their name, the number of cameras and their general locations on a website so that if there is a crime in their area, investigators can ask to view footage to see if it captured the incident, Chody said.He said that a few years ago, before he became sheriff, a surveillance camera at his home caught a man trying to break into his car who was unsuccessful because the doors were locked. He said the burglar did, however, break into the cars of four or five of his neighbors, and the video that Chody had led to the man being arrested.Chody said he thinks a large percentage of people in the county have camera surveillance systems, including one called Ring.Founded in 2013, Ring sells security cameras and products that can show someone approaching a home, sense motion and send instant mobile alerts and the videos to phones. Ring also has a free app that lets people share videos from their cameras with neighbors.Lennar Homes, the nations largest homebuilder, is offering Ring security products in all its new homes, including in Austin, company officials said.These devices come at a great time in terms of awareness and neighborhood watch and crime prevention, said Peskin of the National Association of Town Watch. And the ability to share videos is just awesome. (TNS) When Sedrick Veal first lost his sight, he felt clueless with no idea what he'd do next.In 2012, Veal, now 37, went under the knife twice for open-heart surgery, and twice he fell brain dead. The experiences damaged the Lousiana native's eyesight, and he now only sees shadows.Veal said although he never gave up hope, he was scared for the future until he applied to Envision, a locally headquartered national company that advocates for people who are blind or have low vision. So Veal made the trip to Wichita, Kan., and he found a home in the community and in Envision.Now Veal says he's excited for the company's new workforce center that will train blind and low vision people to work in the technology industry."For people like myself who want to be in the next wave of job searching, this is going to be a great facility for us," Veal said. "It's going to be the next step for people who want to stay above reproach in their job search."The center was officially unveiled Thursday morning in a ceremony that brought in executives from national advocacy groups for blind people, as well as local officials and politicians.The William L. Hudson Blind and Visually Impaired Workforce Innovation Center will primarily train blind people to work in call centers and to test the usability and accessibility of software, technology and devices. The center is a result of a partnership between Envision, a company that advocates for people who are blind or have low vision, and LCI, the largest employer of blind or visually impaired people.Heather Hogan, senior vice president of foundation and mission services for Envision, said the call center work is a natural transition for somebody who is blind, and governmental mandates on accessibility will lead to an increase in the demand for accessibility testing.Were bringing intelligence to Wichita, and were bringing transformation, Hogan said. Were providing the disability community the ability to be seen right here in Wichita. Nobody else is doing what were doing here in Wichita.The center represents the next step for Envision, said Bill Hudson, CEO of LCI and namesake of the center.The basis of that idea was that our world is changing at a very rapid rate, Hudson said. We sit here and we think about our success employing people who are blind in a lot of different areas. But the one thing that we werent doing was getting into the real world that is the world of technology.The center was training people even before Thursdays unveiling. Envision has worked with Apple and Microsoft, as well as other big tech companies. Hogan said the center is working with Cox Communications to identify ways they can partner.Located on the fifth floor of Envisions headquarters at North Main Street and West Pine, the center consists of training spaces, classrooms, a kitchen area, a maker space and offices for the centers administration.The training space will allow trainees to conduct end-to-end testing of software and websites for companies. The maker space will function as an area for high tech development of applications and products for people who are blind or visually impaired.We want it to happen here, Hogan said. Were going to give people an opportunity, and were going to have competitions for college students to come in and develop applications that support this industry. Were really focusing on accessibility here.Kirk Adams, president and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind, said that only between 30 and 35 percent of the working-aged blind population is working, and that about a third of the blind community lives in poverty or experiences food insecurity. Most of the blind population works for either the government or nonprofit organizations, so the training center will do much to increase the amount of blind people who work for private corporations or are self-employed, he said.Veal cannot yet read Braille and is not yet a member of the training center, but he dreams of returning to school to complete a degree in social work so he can help other visually impaired people, and maybe even children. He thinks of his disability as a stepping stone to accomplish his dream, and he said he knows the value of a center like Envisions.A lot of people use disabilities as a stumbling block, but I see it as a stepping stone as something that I can use to elevate me to what Im called to be. Envision has so many sources, and it will help me be placed at the job I want.Mayor Jeff Longwell, Sedgewick County Commission Chairman David Dennis and Governor Jeff Colyer attended the ceremony. Colyer spoke about the need for Kansas to attract and employ people with disabilities.The first pillar of independence is work, and in Kansas, we believe in people with disabilities, Colyer said. We believe in people with disabilities because they make all of our worlds better. Corporate America is changing, and we need all of us. We need all Kansans. Frankly, Ill steal every blind person from across America to right here in Wichita, Kansas.Veal said the presence and support of Wichita and local officials underscores the importance of accessibility.A lot of communities dont have that, but to know that we as blind people are being championed by people who can fight with us and for us, thats going to be like wings under our feet, he said. The candidates may be piling up, but Brendon Hartley is for now sidestepping rumours he is set to be replaced at Toro Rosso. In recent days, McLaren junior Lando Norris was linked with the Red Bull-owned team, as New Zealander Hartley struggles. But another candidate could be Daniil Kvyat, who after his departure from Toro Rosso has suddenly turned up in the Montreal paddock. "I've never been as well as now," the Russian is quoted as saying. But sources indicate that Kvyat is merely in Canada as Ferrari's reserve driver, while Antonio Giovinazzi prepares for Le Mans. Yet another candidate is Robert Kubica. "I have some insider information, let's say it like that," Russian rally driver Aleksey Lukyanuk told SportFM. "The manager of our team, who helps us with sponsors, used to work with Kubica. He says Robert is sparing no preparation for formula one." But for now, Hartley says he is unfazed. "This is the second weekend I've been asked about rumours," he said in Canada. "They're not worth commenting on. You always have them in formula one. "I have a contract and I know the terms and I know what my speed and my abilities are. In Monaco I was not lucky in qualifying, but overall I had a good weekend. "I haven't talked to Franz Tost but honestly I'm totally focused on the weekend and don't see the point of discussing what you want to discuss," Hartley added. (GMM) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to promote economic ties of the two countries. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Friday, June 8, 2018. [Photo: gov.cn] Li said the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations is of great significance to both sides and the world. President Xi Jinping's talks with Putin again will inject new impetus into bilateral ties, he stressed. China is ready to enhance the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, expand the scale of bilateral trade, and steadily promote oil and gas cooperation projects, he said during the meeting held at the Great Hall of the People. Li called on both sides to discuss the possibility to extend industrial chains of cooperation, intensify cooperation on science and technology, aviation and finance so as to lift the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination to a new high. Hailing the high level of bilateral ties and fast development of economic cooperation, Putin said Russia is willing to enhance the alignment of development strategies, continuously promote pragmatic cooperation in various areas, and boost people-to-people and cultural exchanges. He encouraged both sides to better cooperate under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and other multilateral mechanism to further advance bilateral ties. Putin arrived in Beijing on Friday for a state visit and the attendance of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. This blog is dedicated to the understanding of the current Greek (but also European) economic, political and institutional crisis. It was created by Prof. Aristides Hatzis of the University of Athens , after many requests by his students who seek a source of reliable analysis on the Greek current affairs. Its aim is to post commentary and reports published mainly in the major U.S. and European media and to encourage a rigorous discussion. In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome! Bourdain in 2003. Photo: Fairfax Media/Getty Images Anthony Bourdain, who died today at the age of 61, was so convinced that people could be made to care about the everyday work of cooks that he channeled their exploits into crime fiction, of all genres. The excruciating, often inscrutable, and randomly glorious inner lives of decidedly un-celebrity cooks popped up throughout the then-chefs first two novels, which in the 1990s he typed out in whatever hours he had free between 12-hour shifts and drinking sessions at places like Siberia and Holland Bar. Take Mickey, a character from his 1997 novel Gone Bamboo, who has a bar on the beach yet dabbles in Escoffier-style lobster. You gotta reduce, reduce, reduce, Mickey says. And you dont let the brandy flame the shells. Thats the mistake everybody makes. You burn the little hairs the lobster got on his tail there, he explains. For a few lines, the books perma-grit transforms into tutorial, and it becomes clear that Bourdain is giving the reader a bonus recipe for beurre monte. No weights, measurements, cooking times; instead, he writes it exactly the way a cook would tell another cook on a smoke break before dinner service. Two years later, in 1999, his landmark New Yorker piece Dont Eat Before Reading This implored readers to come behind the line and spend some time in the depths of the metaphorical walk-in refrigerator. Bourdain denounced brunch as the food-safety nightmare it is. At the time, fish wholesalers took weekend days off, so he recommended that diners skip the tuna on Monday, lest they be left with bigeye thats been festering and cross-contaminated in a refrigerator over the course of several dinner rushes. The big surprise: A world of readers took the advice to heart. (So much so that the fish myth still prevails to this day, and Bourdain himself sent it up in 2015s The Big Short.) More importantly, after decades of M.F.K. Fishers concise, sublimated foodie-isms, Joseph Wechsbergs privileged visits with the titans of French food, and Craig Claibornes cheery and erudite spectatorship, Bourdain arrived to make cooks everyday anti-heroes of the food-writing world. In America, the professional kitchen is the last refuge of the misfit, Bourdain wrote. Mission to Tokyo, which appeared in the July 1999 issue of the now-defunct and influential trade magazine Food Arts, also happened to debut the chefs photo, from a shoot by Courtney Grant Winston that also yielded the now-iconic cover photo for Kitchen Confidential. Its a fascinating, hyperactive, and digressive 5,000-word account of opening a branch of Brasserie Les Halles in Tokyo. Jim Poris, Bourdains editor, knew he had received something unusual. I dont even recall whether he filed it via email or typed manuscript, Poris said this morning. I do recall that I said something to myself along the lines of buckle up. I grew up working in exactly the types of kitchens about which Bourdain wrote. This morning, after a friend texted me with the news, I asked him what it was about Bourdains writing that he loved. This friend and I had worked together for ten years in anonymous, punishing, and thankless kitchens on Long Islands South Shore, and hes been out of the business for 15. Im not sure, he texted. Most everything he writes about, I can say I have experienced in one way or another. In 2000, Kitchen Confidential nailed the sometimes-brutal nature of cooks lives. Bourdain wasnt afraid of the ugly, and the restaurant business is full of it. Further essays, screeds, and first-person travelogues evoked the already-here dystopias of Philip K. Dick, the hard-boiled punch of Raymond Chandler, and visceral poetry of Jim Harrison. Bourdain embraced the hedonism of A.J. Liebling, but took it to an extreme that had rarely, if ever, been explored in print, yet he was more likely to glorify a longtime dishwasher from Mexico than he was to praise a highfalutin chef who had just earned a new Michelin star. Bourdain shredded the unofficial guidelines that suggested food writing was, by design, reverential and stately. After Anthony Bourdain arrived on the scene, food writing no longer needed to be doled out in nice, tidy portions. Haiti - FLASH : Escape from the Croix-des-Bouquets Prison In the night from Wednesday to Thursday at the civil prison of Croix-des-Bouquets (West Dept) 3 prisoners escaped by sawing the bars of their cell. They are Daniel Belan, Rodrigue Georges and Jocelyn Doccice, all three incarcerated for theft. A 4th prisoner sentenced to life, who was in the same cell, was captured by prison agents onfirmed the Commissioner of the Government of the Croix-des-Bouquet,s Me Yvon Jean Noel. According to unconfirmed reports, one of the escapees was one of the gang leaders who operated at the commune of Delmas. According to the detainee's confession, this escape was long and carefully prepared. For the moment, the three prisoners on the run, including a recidivist of the escape, are actively sought by the National Police of Haiti (PNH) which states that these individuals did not steal any weapon at the Penitentiary Center before disappearing in nature... PI/ HaitiLibre Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8) The Philippines should file another case against China in the international arbitral tribunal to assert its sovereign rights in Scarborough Shoal and protect Filipinos fishing there, acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio said Friday. He issued the statement after a May 20 video supposedly showing members of the Chinese Coast Guard taking away fish caught by Filipino fishermen in the waters around the disputed shoal came out recently. Carpio deplored the harassment of local fishermen in Scarborough, also known as Panatag Shoal, one of the islets and reefs in the South China Sea that lie within the country's 200-mile exclusive economic zone. Malacanang said the video was "inconclusive," but the government had asked the fishermen for their written statement. "If established, it's a ground for protest," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement Friday. An international arbitral decision in 2016 ruled in favor of the Philippines and said that the waters around Scarborough Shoal were traditional fishing grounds of Filipinos. "So we should protest and if you want to be forceful about it we can bring another case against China for not complying with the ruling," Carpio said. "We can demand damages for economic loss that our fishermen suffer." He said this should be the government's course of action if it wants to protect the interest of fishermen. Carpio was part of the Philippine delegation to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that argued for and won the country's case against China. The landmark decision also ruled that China "unlawfully prevented Filipino fishermen from engaging in traditional fishing at Scarborough Shoal" through the operation of its official vessels at the shoal since May 2012. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano in a May 30 congressional hearing admitted Filipino fishermen continue to be harassed, but the situation is better now that they are allowed to fish in contested waters. "May konti pa ring harassment pero dati total harassment e. Totally hindi (pinapayagan)," Cayetano said. [Translation: "There is still a bit of harassment but before, there was total harassment. They were totally barred."] In the same hearing, opposition lawmaker Gary Alejano revealed that the best catch of local fishermen are seized by Chinese coast guards. "Yung mga huli nila iniinspect at yung magagandang isda kinukuha (Their catch are being inspected and the best fish are taken)," Alejano said, adding that some fishermen were afraid to report this to authorities for fear of being further harassed by the Chinese. China has refused to acknowledge the 2016 arbitral ruling and continues to claim almost the entire South China Sea. President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly said the country cannot afford to go to war against China, but has promised to bring up the arbitral ruling with the East Asian giant during his term. Haiti - Environment : Fight against plastic pollution As part of the World Environment Day (5 June) on the theme "Let's fight against Plastic Pollution", Mamadou Diallo, Special Representative of the Secretary-General ai, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator of the United Nations in Haiti, reiterated the United Nations support to Haiti in the fight against pollution and for the sustainable management of the environment recalling "[...] Haiti has set itself the goal of being an emerging country by 2030 and the United Nations will be at his side to walk this path, where the protection of the environment is essential and represents the commitment with our children and our grandchildren to leave them a healthy planet." UN Environment stresses the need to strengthen education to reduce the consumption of disposable plastic, protect nature and promote good practices for sustainable consumption, as well as proper waste management. UN Environment encourages Government, industries, communities and individuals to work together to find sustainable alternatives to urgently reduce the production and overuse of single-use plastics, which are the source of pollution of our oceans and pose a great threat to the health of people and ecosystems. "Protecting the environment is imperative to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. This represents the commitment of 193 countries, including Haiti, with their children and grandchildren for a better future and to leave them a healthy planet, at least in the state that was theirs when our generation inherited it [...]" stressed Mamadou Diallo. United Nations experts draw attention to the fact that good environmental practices are essential to reduce plastic pollution and move towards the sustainable management of terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The United Nations in Haiti commends the actions that the Haitian Government has carried out in collaboration with its partners for the protection of natural areas. The United Nations will continue to support the Government of Haiti in setting up a series of initiatives aimed at the rehabilitation and protection of the environment. For example, UN Environment and UNOPS have supported the creation of a hybrid (solar, wind) power generating plant, which is managed by the Electric Cooperative of the Arrondissement des Coteaux https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-22488-icihaiti-energy-installation-of-solar-panels-continues-at-the-centrale-of-coteaux.html UN Environment also supports the Town Hall of Les Cayes in formulating an integrated waste management plan. At the same time, with the support of the UN Environment, the town hall is running a pilot project for waste management on the beach at Gelee. HL/ HaitiLibre The week that was By Jo Gilbert In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have put together a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories. Top Stories: This weeks news coverage highlighted the extent to which new trends could change the face of the modern drinks trade over the next five to ten years. This came in the form of a new report, which showed the extent to which the relaxing of cannabis laws could disrupt alcohol, despite global volumes reaching a five-year high. Elsewhere, there was a focus on the rise of sparkling alternatives, while Prosecco producers in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene region announced a campaign to encourage Brits to reappraise the quality of Italian fizz. And the origin of wines, encompassing regional identity and whether or not this matters to consumers, continued to stir up debate courtesy of esteemed critic and wine aficionado Tim Atkin MW no less. Analysis and Insights: Sourcing more cannily, focusing on quality and seeking out alternatives are just some of the initiatives that came out of the seminar on global supply shortages at last months London Wine Fair. Read the full report on how companies, from logistics providers to producers are adapting to the challenges of buying, shipping and selling wine. Picking up on another wine fair theme, we also looked at the efforts being made within the trade to ensure better representation for women in the industry. And we looked at the resurgence of the port category. Despite the overall decline in volume, there are encouraging signs that this historic wine is luring new consumers into the fortified fold. People and Opinion: In this months column, Guy Woodward turned to the sometimes strained relationships between enthusiastic merchants and time-strapped sommeliers, and asked whether wine lists should reflect trends. And we rebooted our Meet the Buyers series to hone in on some of the best suppliers the to UKs vibrant on-trade. We kicked off with Doug Wregg at natural wine specialists Les Caves De Pyrene. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8) Brace for a wet weekend in most parts of Luzon and Western Visayas, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Friday afternoon. The weather bureau said Tropical Storm Domeng (Maliksi) continues to enhance the southwest monsoon, bringing rains to Metro Manila, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon Province), the Bicol Region, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Aurora, Bataan, Zambales and Western Visayas. It is forecast to exit the country this weekend as it continues to move towards Okinawa, Japan. Domeng was last spotted 560 kilometers East of Aparri, Cagayan east of Aparri, Cagayan, with center winds at 65 kilometers per hour (kph) and 80 kph gusts. For Saturday morning, the weather bureau forecasts Domeng to be 855 km east of Basco, Batanes remaining within the Philippine Area of Responsibility. Domeng is expected to leave the country by Sunday and should be 2,005 km east-northeast of Basco, Batanes, come Monday morning. PAGASA added a gale warning is up in the Camarines provinces, Catanduanes, eastern coast of Albay, Sorsogon, Quezon including Polillo Island and Northern and Eastern Samar. This will cause rough seas in these areas. Anticipating the storm's effects, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) prepared standby funds amounting to 1,156,263,394.9 with a total of 207,946,798.85 in the Central Office and Field Offices. The amount covers Family Food Packs (FFPs) worth 169,742,460.28 and Food and Non-food Items (FNIs) amounting to 778,574,135.7. DSWD said these are readily available to be dispensed to affected local government units. UPW ENDORSES GOVERNOR DAVID IGE FOR A SECOND TERM News Release from UPW, June 7, 2018 Honolulu, Hawaii - The United Public Workers Union with approximately 14,000 members state-wide gave its political endorsement to Governor David Ige. Governor Ige has spurred economic growth by creating new markets and expanding, maintaining and reviving our existing markets. Our bond rating is AA+, an all-time high, and our unemployment rate is the lowest in the nation at 2.1%. Governor Ige is a man of action, answering the citizens call for more government accountability by increasing oversight in government contracts and cracking down on tax fraud, saving the state more than $268 million. He has modernized state information systems to increase efficiency in the areas of taxation, human resources, and workers compensation. Governor Ige has tackled the issue of affordable housing. He recognizes that the housing issue is multi-faceted and has transitioned people off the streets into living situations that are safe and financially manageable. Apart from his initiatives on the economy, affordable housing, and government accountability, he remains focused on community health, environment, agriculture, education, transportation, and our cultural history. Governor Ige is the peoples candidate, said UPW State Director Dayton M. Nakanelua. Governor Ige is a well-rounded candidate and his record speaks for itself. He understands and has a practical knowledge of what it takes to move Hawaii forward in the 21st century. The Union met with two other gubernatorial candidates and completed its final interview on Friday May 25, 2018 as the State Political Action Committee members reconvened to make its decision. The members of the State PAC are working men and women from throughout the State a nd residing in all four counties. ### UPW ENDORSES DAVID IGE FOR GOVERNOR News Release from Ige Campaign, June 7, 2018 (Honolulu, HI) The United Public Workers Local 646 has endorsed Governor David Ige for a second term. The announcement was made on Thursday, June 7 at the UPW headquarters, and organized by UPW State Director, Dayton M. Nakanelua. UPW Local 646 is the Hawaii chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and a member of the Hawaii AFL-CIO. Governor Ige attended the UPW announcment and said, I am so appreciative and honored by the UPW leaders and their nearly 14,000 working-class men and women statewide. Hawaiis public workers are the backbone of our State and local government operations. We count on their crucial services working in public buildings, schools, universities, hospitals, parks, grounds, and other State and county facilities and services. These are the everyday people who are dedicated to their jobs and care about the future of our state. I am very grateful for their support and their tireless work for the people of Hawaii. Governor Ige has a long list of accomplishments, including projects in the public sector. Governor continues to promote a diversified economy that has resulted in present and future job creation, and an innovative and thriving economy. Under his leadership, Moodys Analytics named Hawaii one of only 16 states nationwide with enough cash reserves to weather the stress test of another economic recession. He has maintained Hawaiis global position as a leader in tourism with visitors contributing $16.8 billion to the local economy and supporting an all time high of 204,000 jobs. For more information, visit www.davidige.org. The David Ige for Governor Headquarters is located at 1803 N. King St, in Honolulu. ### GOVERNOR IGE ACCEPTS HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS PAC ENDORSEMENT News Release from Ige Campaign, June 12, 2018 (Honolulu, HI) The Hawaii Association of Public Accounts (HAPA) PAC have endorsed Governor David Ige for a second term. The announcement was made today by HAPAs State President and PAC member, Brian Iwata, CPA. I am thankful for HAPAs endorsement and their 650 members who represent CPAs, accountants and tax professionals throughout the state. We have implemented strong measures to ensure the States financial sustainability and enable future growth. We cut waste, improved the states bond rating, and restructured how the state does business, saving the state hundreds of millions while achieving the highest employment rate in the country. Our economic position is strong, and we have delivered a booming economy that is ready for the 21st century. I greatly appreciate and value their endorsement. For more information, visit www.davidige.org. The David Ige for Governor Headquarters is located at 1803 N. King St, in Honolulu. ### Ige, Tokuda and Fukumoto secure major union endorsements SA: One of Hawaiis largest labor unions representing blue-collar workers endorsed Gov. David Ige today in this years gubernatorial race. The United Public Workers union represents about 14,000 members employed at facilities such as schools, hospitals and correctional facilities throughout the state. Governor Ige is the peoples candidate, said UPW State Director Dayton Nakanelua in a press release that praised the governors commitment to government accountability, oversight of government contracts, a crackdown on tax fraud and efforts to increase affordable housing as some of the reasons for the endorsement. The Hawaii Government Employees Association, the states largest union with approximately 42,000 members, today endorsed state Sen. Jill Tokuda for the lieutenant governors race. State Rep. Beth Fukumoto also secured a major endorsement today from the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, which represents university faculty Earlier this week, UHPA also endorsed Hanabusa in the governors race. Our endorsement was based on input from faculty as well as Colleens solid track record of support for public higher education in Hawaii, read Ige, Tokuda and Fukumoto secure major union endorsements UPW: UNITED PUBLIC WORKERS ENDORSES MIKE VICTORINO FOR MAYOR OF MAUI COUNTY HGEA: 2018 Candidate Endorsements * * * * * UHPA Endorses Colleen Hanabusa for Governor News Release from UHPA, June 4, 2018 The University of Hawaii Professional Assemblys board of directors unanimously voted in favor of endorsing Colleen Hanabusa for governor and officially notified her campaign today. UHPAs political endorsement committee had recommended Hanabusa to the board for consideration. Our endorsement was based on input from faculty as well as Colleens solid track record of support for public higher education in Hawaii, said Lynne Wilkens, president of the UHPA board of directors. We need a governor who is predictable, driven by consistent values, decisive, collaborative, and has the integrity to keep promises all of the qualities that Colleen has demonstrated during her years as a leader in the legislature and in Congress. In the letter of endorsement to Hanabusa, Wilkens noted that affordable housing, quality child care and elder care, and the cost of living consistently top the list of critical issues raised by UH faculty. These concerns are directly linked to the ability to recruit and retain quality faculty to teach and conduct research at the University of Hawaiis 10 campuses statewide. Wilkens also noted the UH has been an economic engine for Hawaii, with faculty members attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding from national sources that create local jobs and the development of practical solutions to pressing issues in the state. We believe it is important to maintain this diversity of funding sources to ensure our faculty-led research programs remain resilient to economic challenges and not solely dependent upon state support, she said. SULLIVAN, SCHATZ INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN AMERICAS MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS News Release From US Senator Dan Sullivan R-AK WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) was recently joined by Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) in introducing S. 2980, the Integrated Missile Defense Act of 2018. The bill which builds upon the success of last years bipartisan Advancing Americas Missile Defense Act of 2017 seeks to further strengthen and integrate our nations missile defenses. Last year, Congress working closely with the Trump administration undertook much-needed efforts to dramatically bolster and advance our countrys missile defense, said Senator Sullivan. This year, continuing to work in a bipartisan fashion, our bill finally authorizes the full development and deployment of a space-based sensor layer. This important measure further helps to ready our missile defenses and make them increasingly interoperable and effective against an ever-evolving missile threat. Additionally, this bill seeks to better align our missile defenses with the 2018 National Defense Strategy including more quickly fielding advanced capabilities to address future threats, better integrating our missile defense systems, and seeking to collaborate more with allies and partners on missile defense technologies. When it comes to North Korea, we can hope for the best while still planning for the worst, Senator Schatz said. I strongly support diplomacy, but in the meantime, this bill beefs up our missile defense system and protects Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. mainland from rogue missile threats. It also speeds up our efforts to protect U.S. forces and allies in the region by improving our ability to detect, track, discriminate, and intercept increasingly sophisticated future missile threats. S. 2980 is also cosponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Tom Cotton (R-AR). Background: Develops and Deploys Space-based Sensors: Mandates the development deployment of space-based sensors as soon as practicable. Readies Our Defenses: Mandates an analysis of accelerating the development and deployment of the Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV) to Missile Field 4 at Fort Greely. Promotes a More Integrated Missile Defense: Directs a study on an integrated air-and-missile defense architecture to protect against evolving threats outlined in the 2018 National Defense Strategy. Accelerates Our Defenses Against Hypersonic Threats: Directs the acceleration of our hypersonic missile defenses and links them to the deployment of space-based sensors. Focuses of Allies: Expresses that the U.S. should work with allies and trusted partners to share missile defense capabilities. More Rigorous Testing: Seeks to discourage a risk adverse culture of missile defense testing and promotes a more rigorous testing regime to deliver capabilities at the speed of relevance. ### June 7, 2018: SULLIVAN ON NBC NIGHTLY NEWS: INSIDE THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST A NORTH KOREAN ICBM ATTACK As least were not as bad as California by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D. Grassroot Institute, Jun 8, 2018 This week I am writing to you from Dallas and the Economic Freedom of North America (EFNA) conference. Every year I join with leaders of policy think tanks from other U.S. states, plus from Canada and Mexico, to meet with economists who measure and study ways to advance economic freedom in North America. As you can imagine, its an exciting event, one that gives us at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii a lot to think about in formulating policy recommendations for our own state. As Ive reported previously, Hawaii does not perform well on the annual EFNA Index , ranking 45th out of the 50 states in terms of economic freedom. This is a reflection of our high levels of taxes and government spending, as well as our labor regulations, which are among the most extensive in the nation. In short, there is a relationship between economic freedom and a communitys prosperity, and Hawaiis poor rating helps explain many of the socio-economic ills we experience from the high cost of living to our housing shortage, rampant homelessness and the brain drain of talented young people leaving Hawaii for better opportunities elsewhere. In the past, weve looked at states with better rankings, like Texas, and asked what could we do to emulate their successes. But its also worth looking at lower-ranked states to see what we should avoid. And when it comes to learning opportunities by that measure, its hard to beat California. California is second from the bottom in economic freedom among U.S. states worse than Hawaii. And it is reaping serious economic consequences. Hawaii may be experiencing a drain on its talent, but from California the talented are fleeing. In the past seven years, more than 10,000 businesses have reduced operations in California, expanded elsewhere or left altogether. As businesses have fled, so have its citizens. According to the U.S. Census, more than 3.5 million people left California between 2010 and 2015. Im not suggesting we cheer Californias economic woes or applaud the fact that Hawaii manages to edge out the Golden State in terms of economic freedom. But California does serve as a warning. In the past, Hawaii lawmakers have often looked to California for policy ideas. Weve seen many regulatory proposals in Hawaii that were patterned after laws adopted or proposed there. But given how a lack of economic freedom has hurt California businesses, Hawaii legislators should start looking elsewhere for policy ideas. In other news, Helsinki will play host to an important military meeting, Chinese money is being sought to fund the Helsinki-Estonia tunnel, and Finnish startup Space Nation has designed the worlds first astronaut training app. This week also saw the story of Afghan migrant Mojtaba Hassani cause a stir in the international media. TOLOnews has reported that the 21-year-old is due to be deported by the Finnish police, despite the fact he has a full-time job. As was reported last month , interest from non-EU students towards Finnish universities has hit an all-time low. Study International takes a closer look at just why this is the case. Why interest in Finnish universities has hit an all-time low Study International Throughout the last decade, the world hasnt been able to get enough of Finland and its education system. Its where top teachers deliver a refreshing curriculum (or lack of) with no homework, but its students still come top in international assessments. Here, schools are even removing classroom walls so learning takes place in an open-plan environment. Naturally, global interest and applications to its universities have grown. Interest among students considering either a bachelors or masters degree within continental Europe exceeded the supply of programmes offered in the countrys universities. That is, until 2017. What happened? For a long time, Finland was one of the few countries offering free tuition to international students. Together with the prospect of living in an Insta-worthy Nordic location as well as its many universities lauded for academic performance, this proved a highly attractive combination for many students looking to further their studies abroad. Last year, the Finnish government removed one significant element of that winning combination. It introduced tuition fees for students from non-EU/EEA countries. At a range of around 4000-18000 per academic year, a Finnish education is still, for the most part, relatively cheaper than more traditional study destinations like the US, UK and Australia. Doctoral programmes still allow Ph.D. candidates to enrol for free. But for many international students, this is simply not cheap enough to warrant their interest anymore. Original article was published by Study International on 06/06/2018 and can be found here. US, Russia military chiefs to meet in Finland The Washington Post The Finnish Defense Forces says a top U.S. military chief will meet his Russian counterpart in Helsinki to discuss current issues between the countries. The Finnish military says the meeting Friday of Gen. Joseph Dunford, current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Russias chief of the militarys General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, takes place on the initiative of both countries. In Thursdays statement, the Finns said they also will meet separately with Finlands president and the Nordic countrys military chief. The Finns will not take part in the U.S.-Russia meeting. In April, NATOs top military officer, U.S. Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, met with Gerasimov in Baku for the first such encounter since relations between Moscow and the alliance sank to post-Cold War lows over the Ukrainian crisis. Original article was published by The Washington Post on 07/06/2018 and can be found here. Finland to deport Afghan migrant with full-time job TOLOnews Finnish police are preparing to deport 21-year-old Mojtaba Hassani back to Afghanistan although he has a full-time job and all of his other family members have been granted Finnish residence permits, Yle reported. Hassani has lived in Finland with his mother, stepfather and three siblings since 2015 and is currently employed full-time as a cleaner while attending Finnish ninth grade. The Finnish Immigration Service Migri decided to investigate Hassani's age, although he had a "tazkira", an Afghan identity document, which was also used to confirm his siblings' ages. However, the result of the age tests spelled bad news for Hassani: overnight, the test raised his age, declaring him to be an adult. According to Valtonen, in international jurisprudence a person's age should be determined within a two-year range, because the age-testing method does not produce precise results. In Finland, immigration officials examine the teeth or wrist to determine age. In Hassani's case, the test determined that he was 10 months older than his identity documents stated. The tazkira is an Afghan identity document. It was enough for Finnish authorities to establish age and identity for Hassani's siblings in 2011. However, Hassani had to undergo an age test four years later. Hassani appealed the test results at the EU Court for Human Rights, but lost the motion. After his family reunification application foundered, Hassani applied for a residence permit as an asylum seeker. However this application was also rejected immigration officials said it was because he failed to meet the criteria for international protection. Valtonen said that a positive outcome would have been almost impossible for someone in Hassani's position, since he had left Afghanistan when he was just 15 years old at that age he had not yet been personally threatened or assaulted. "Even the Taliban doesn't persecute children," the activist said. Hassani challenged that decision in the Supreme Administrative Court, but that motion was also turned down. Original article was published by TOLOnews on 05/06/2018 and can be found here. Finland open to plans by ex-Angry Birds executive for China funding of Estonia tunnel Reuters Finlands government is open to plans by a former executive at the Angry Birds game maker Rovio who wants to seek Chinese funding for an undersea train tunnel to link Helsinki with the Estonian capital Tallinn, a minister said. The former executive, Peter Vesterbacka, wants to seek Chinese funds for the long-standing project that has a price tag of 15 billion-20 billion euros ($18 billion-$24 billion) and which has yet to secure financial backing from the two governments and the European Union. Im very open to his plans, Finnish Transport and Communications Minister Anne Berner told Reuters by telephone. He needs state contribution and we need private sector presence. Private money often accelerates projects. It is important that this is a European project, but by stating that, we are not ruling out Chinese money, the minister who is in charge of the project said, adding that the government was in open dialogue with Vesterbacka about his plans. Berner also said more studies were needed before the two governments could determine next steps by the end of 2018. Finland and Estonia have for years considered linking their capitals that are divided by the Gulf of Finland. A feasibility study published in February said the planned 100-km (60-mile) tunnel would cost up to 20 billion euros and could open in 2040. Original article was published by Reuters on 08/06/2018 and can be found here. Finland unveils world's first app to train anyone to be an astronaut Xinhua A Finnish company has launched a new smartphone application designed to help ordinary people develop the skills required to navigate space as an astronaut. Space Nation, a Helsinki-based startup, said the Space Navigator aims to help anyone prepare for the age of space tourism. "Space is not far away. It's in our backyard," Mazdak Nassir, the company's founder and chief content officer, was quoted by Finnish national broadcaster Yle as saying. The application offers a variety of tasks, games and quizzes for astronaut wannabes. The training package, which is intended to make users both physically and mentally space-ready, is suitable even for those who "begin from zero," according to the company. Space Nation will select 12 people from the fittest users of the app for further training and give the best among them an opportunity to get an actual space tour. "Our aim is to dispel the notion that an astronaut is super-human," said Nassir. Original article was published by Xinhua News Agency on 07/06/2018 and can be found here. Dan Anderson HT Photo: Lehtikuva / Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro / DOD Photo Striving to keep climate change within tolerable limits to our planet and people is one reason I became a politician. In my former profession as an organic farmer, I very strongly realized that our future depends on how efficiently and quickly we manage to contain this phenomenon that affects the entire globe. It aims to keep global warming under 2 degrees, preferably closer to 1,5 degrees. All countries should also achieve a balance between their emissions by sources and removals by sinks during the latter half of the 21st century. The EU is committed to reducing its CO2 emission by 40 percent from the level of 1990 by 2030. A key tool in working towards this goal is the EU emissions trading scheme, ETS. ETS covers mainly large-scale industry and energy production, and around 40 percent of the EUs total CO2 emissions. Currently, the goal is to reduce these emissions by 43 percent from the 2005 level by 2030. The idea is fairly simple: polluters buy the emissions allowances they need from an EU-wide market, which operates according to a cap and trade principle, meaning that the number of allowances available on the market is limited and decreasing in an agreed way. Industries considered particularly vulnerable to carbon leakage are given free allowances. Putting a price on carbon is meant to direct investments towards climate-friendly, low-carbon solution. ETS has proven to be a cost-effective way to reduce emissions, although it has been criticized for being too weak in redirecting investments, as the price of emissions allowances on the market has lagged very low. Fortunately, the new ETS regulation for the term 2021-2030 includes a range of measures that will improve the effectiveness of ETS. The price of emissions allowances has already started to rise. The next step is to start thinking of other ways to develop the system. A couple of weeks ago a number of EU member states committed to ambitious climate policy gathered in Paris to discuss how the EU could enhance its climate action. At the meeting I presented an idea to my colleagues - EU ETS could be widened to cover also heating and cooling of individual houses. Currently, around 75 percent of heating in EU member states is based on fossil fuels, so there is a real need for incentives that would push the sector towards renewable energy sources. This way the ETS as an effective tool would cover approximately half of the total emissions. In Finland, district heating companies are already part of ETS, so the change would mainly involve houses which rely on oil heating systems. Science and research tell us that the agreed upon climate measures will not be enough to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. We must do more and faster. The EU needs to take the lead in combatting climate change and I will continue close cooperation with colleagues to make this happen. Kimmo Tiilikainen Minister of the Environment, Energy, and Housing Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu (CNN Philippines, June 8) Even after all the flak he received for kissing a woman in South Korea, President Rodrigo Duterte said he is ready to kiss another woman on the lips in public again. Speaking at the inauguration of Terminal 2 of the Mactan Cebu International Airport, the President said he would do it again if there was a volunteer. "What about the kiss? Halik...sabi ko kung may volunteer ngayon eh...eh ano?" he said eliciting laughter from the audience. [Translation: What about the kiss? The kiss...I said if anyone volunteered now...so what?] The President defended his antics towards women again, saying kissing ladies was his style, even if other people found it distasteful. He said he must've kissed one thousand women during election campaigns when he would offer them ballers in exchange for a smack on the lips. "Mag-distribute ako, sabihin [I would distribute, and ask] 'who wants to be kissed? You can have this but you have to kiss me on the lips.' And I kissed them. In the many campaigns, nauso 'yung baller [ballers were popular]. Maybe kissed a thousand ladies on the lips," he said. The President, who has been described as a womanizer, even jokingly teased Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat who he says is often perceived as his girlfriend. "Ano ba tayo, on o hindi? Magsabi ka ng totoo [Are we a couple or not? Tell the truth]. She's a very good friend," he said while looking at the Secretary who was also on stage with him. The President then cleared things up, saying he and Puyat were "buddy-buddy." "The popular notion is girlfriend ko siya [she's my girlfriend]. She's not. Honestly, she's not," he said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8) The government may resume formal peace negotiations with communist rebels in July or even earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte and National Democractic Front (NDF) Chairman Jose Maria Sison said. "I'm talking to Sison. We will start the talks maybe mid-, mga (around) July," Duterte said at the oath-taking of barangay officials in the Central Visayas region Thursday. On Friday, Sison confirmed in a statement that the "peace talks shall have begun on June 28" in Oslo, Norway. "That is close to July anyway," he said. Both sides should first agree on a stand-down agreement or a halt of offensives which "creates a favorable atmosphere for the resumption of the formal peace negotiations and the interim peace agreement to be signed in Oslo hopefully on June 28," Sison added. He reiterated a "neutral venue" like Oslo is the best place to hold negotiations, dismissing any plan to have it in Manila. The possible resumption happens eight months after Duterte walked away from the talks in November 2017. He ended the on-and-off negotiations with communist rebels as both sides accused the other of launching attacks in violation of earlier interim ceasefire declarations. The Duterte government is the sixth administration to talk with the NDF, the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines that has waged nearly five decades of insurgency against the government. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8) The final fate of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno will be known soon. "Hopefully this month," Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio said at the 117th anniversary celebration of the Supreme Court Friday. It will decide on Sereno's motion for reconsideration, which states the High Court's May 11 ruling should be declared "null and void," as it violated her right to due process as the top judge. Carpio voted with five other justices to junk the ouster case against Sereno, but they lost to eight of their colleagues who wanted to unseat her. "Whether it's correct or wrong we just have to accept it because that's how we can move on," Carpio said. "You win, you lose but we are governed by the rule of the majority. That's how democracy works," he added. If only two of the justices changed their minds and voted in favor of Sereno's motion for reconsideration, the earlier ruling would be reversed, allowing Sereno to return as chief magistrate. Carpio said the Supreme Court has been "functioning normally" despite the vacant spot left by Sereno. The Judicial and Bar Council, the body tasked to screen applicants to the judiciary, held off its search for Sereno's replacement to wait for the Supreme Court's final ruling. The Supreme Court's granting of Solicitor General Jose Calida's quo warranto petition against Sereno is highly contested, as senators and many in the legal community maintain that impeachment is the only way to unseat a Chief Justice. An impeachment was underway in Congress, but the SC decision considered it moot. Sereno is the first impeachable official to be ousted through a quo warranto petition, a legal proceeding where an individual's right to hold office is challenged. CNN Philippines' Anjo Alimario and Eimor Santos contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8) The Inter-Agency Anti-Arson Taskforce has recommended the filing of charges against at least 30 persons allegedly liable for the fatal fire at NCCC mall in Davao City last December. Interior Department Officer-In-Charge Eduardo Ano told a briefing in Davao on Friday that the charges are criminal and administrative in nature. Recommended to be charged are seven officials and personnel of the NCCC mall and five officials of the Survey Sampling International (SSI). Of the 38 victims who perished in the fire, 37 were employees of SSI, a business process outsourcing company that had offices inside the mall. One mall employee also died while rescuing the victims. The private individuals will face charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and reckless imprudence resulting in multiple physical injuries. The same criminal charges are recommended against a construction firm, Rockfort Construction that made renovation works in the building. Adminstrative complaints for violating the anti-graft practices laws are recommended against officials from the Bureau of Fire protection in Davao and two other agencies. Seven officials and personnel of the BFP were found to have committed misconduct in approving the mall's and SSI's fire safety compliance certificate. The BFP officials were already ordered relieved from their posts pending investigation. Meanwhile, three officers of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority based in Mactan, Cebu are named in the recommendation for approving the business plan of SSI and its safety compliance certificate. Ano said they had forwarded the recommendation to the Department of Justice for evaluation and filing of the charges. The task force has concluded that the fire was caused by an electrical failure due to an inappropriate wiring set-up. This is considered a violation of the electrical code. During the investigation, the task force found three violations of the building and fire codes by the mall management: the sprinkler system at the 4th floor of the mall did not functioning, there were insufficient exits and stairways were unprotected. The Task Force, however, considered the fire accidental in nature. Ano explained there was no delay in the investigation as the Task Force, which completed the probe in 60 days. However, they had endorsed the recommendation to the DOJ for evaluation and the determination of the appropriateness in the filing of charges. The DOJ has yet to come out with its evaluation. Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. (JTA)-For nearly half a century, Elaine Holstein was periodically confronted with one of the most haunting images in modern American history: the bone-chilling picture of Kent State University student Jeffrey Miller lying on the pavement seconds after being fatally shot in the mouth by an Ohio National Guardsman during an anti-war protest. Photographer John Filo later said, "The volume of blood that was flowing from his body was as if someone tipped over a bucket." And, of course, there was the teenage girl kneeling over Jeff, screaming in horror, her arms raised in anguish. Most baby boomers remember that photo as a symbol of May 4, 1970, the day four unarmed college students were killed on their own campus. For Elaine Holstein, however, the photograph depicted the cruel death of her beloved 20-year-old son. Holstein died Saturday at age 96; she was the last surviving parent of the four Kent State victims. (Three of the four students were Jewish; nine other students also were wounded in the gunfire.) I'd known her since May 1980, when as news director of the Long Island, New York, radio station WLIR, I invited her to my studio to speak about Jeff on the 10th anniversary of what became known as the Kent State Massacre. I was immediately impressed with this tiny, typical Jewish mother. She had worked as a high school secretary in Plainview, New York, before returning to college, earning her master's degree, and becoming a psychiatric social worker when she was nearly 60. As we began the interview, Holstein kvelled, proudly telling me about her boy. "He was a cute kid; dark curly hair, very bright and precocious," she said. "He did very well in school and skipped first grade, which became a problem because he was short and always felt like a baby. "When he was little, he wasn't that easy to get along with because I think he was a protester from the very beginning. Jeff had a kind of strong will. But his saving grace was he had a great sense of humor and a great intelligence, so he was marvelous company and I always enjoyed him. We had a very good, close relationship." As a teenager, Holstein recalled, Jeff was typical of the times. "He liked the Mets, music, math and motorcycles. He had posters up all over his room: Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane. ... I don't think that's the group's name anymore, right? I got a good education from him. He was very insistent that I share in what he loved so much," she said. In early 1970, on a visit to New York City, she and Jeff strolled around Greenwich Village, and he bought a small leather ring with a peace insignia. He had been an anti-Vietnam War activist since the age of 16, when he wrote a poem titled "Where Does It End?" It included the lines "A teenager from a small Ohio farm clutches his side in pain, and, as he feels his life ebbing away, he too, asks why, why is he dying here, thousands of miles from home?" At the time, Jeff had never been to Ohio and had no idea his own life would end in the state. In 1970, Jeff transferred to Kent State from Michigan State University. That May, Holstein received a phone call from her mother. "She heard on the radio there were protests at Kent State, and she was worried about Jeff. So I called Jeff and told him Nana was upset," Holstein said. "He said it's nothing to worry about. We talked about him getting a summer job in which he'd make those posters that said 'War is unhealthy for children and other living things.' "Two days later, Jeff called me in my office. He was concerned I might hear about more demonstrations and get nervous about it, and he wanted to reassure me. He mentioned Nixon's speech calling the anti-war students 'bums,' and the impression I got wasn't so much of anger but of wry amusement. There was going to be a rally at noon, and he said 'I think I'll go over there; is that OK with you?' I thought, what power do I have to tell him no, from Long Island?" Her voice breaking, Holstein said "And that was the last..." Miller took part in the May 4 protest against the expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia and against the presence of the Ohio National Guard on the Kent State campus. The shooting of those unarmed protesters led to massive demonstrations across the country. A federal commission later determined that the shootings were unjustified, although no criminal convictions were obtained against any National Guardsman. Holstein, who was divorced from Jeff's father, Bernard, heard about the shootings on the radio as she drove home from work and thought to herself, "I'm going to call Jeff and tell him to come home and wait until this blows over." She dialed his number at college; a young man answered, and she asked to speak with Jeff. After a pause, he said, "He's dead." As Holstein sank onto her bed, thinking it had to be a mistake, her soon-to-be second husband, Artie, grabbed the phone and was given the name of the hospital where the victims had been taken. "I thought maybe somebody had borrowed Jeff's wallet. This doesn't happen to people you know," Holstein said. "But then I heard Artie say, 'Oh, he was wearing a leather ring with a peace insignia?' And I knew it was Jeff." Within hours, the entire country had seen the iconic photograph, which won the Pulitzer Prize later that year. I asked Holstein how she managed to deal with it. "In the first year," she remembered, "I was just running. We drove across country to California, and walked into a place, and there was that photo, wall-sized, of Jeff lying there. I felt like someone was hitting me on the head, just pounding me. I think what's happened over time is that's how Jeff looked when he was lying in bed, so the only way I can bear to look at it is to think that's Jeff sleeping. "I kind of resent the fact that everyone knows Jeff as the figure on the ground and not as he really was." We ended our interview, I shut off the mike and Holstein grabbed her pocketbook. "I don't want you to only think of Jeff like that either," she said, taking out a well-worn red wallet. "Come, look." She showed me pictures of Jeff with her older son, Russell, photos from elementary school, of his bar mitzvah, of him playing drums. It was beyond heartbreaking. Holstein gave me a copy of Jeff's 1966 poem that day, which I've had framed on my wall ever since. I began a tradition of calling or writing her every May 4, on Jeff's secular "yahrzeit." Three years ago, she emailed saying "It means so much to me that you still keep Jeff in your thoughts. It's amazing, so long after his death, you and other people who never knew Jeff still think of him. How he would love that!" In 2016, at age 94, Holstein drove to my house for lunch, and for the first time I showed her Jeff's poem on the wall; she beamed. This year, on May 4, I emailed her, as usual. The next day my phone rang. "Steve? It's Elaine. Thank you for the email. I actually was planning to fly to Kent State this week to speak at the annual ceremony. But I was just diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I was about to call you and let you know," she said. I expressed my sorrow and concern, but Holstein immediately said, "Really, I'm perfectly content to settle for this. I'm 96, a good age, and it looks like this will go pretty fast." Author Steve North and Elaine Holstein, whose son Jeffrey Miller was killed in the 1970 Kent State shootings, seen in 2016. And then, she sighed. "I had a good life. The only horrible thing that ever happened to me was Jeff's death." Holstein raised her children in New York, first in the Bronx and later Plainview. After her 1969 divorce from Jeff's father, she lived in Queens with her second husband, Artie Holstein, a high school principal, whom she married in 1971. Elaine remained in Queens after Artie's death and spent the winters in Florida until her cancer diagnosis. She then moved to an assisted living facility in Wayland, Massachusetts, near her son Russell's home. Elaine Holstein once told me that on May 4, 1970, she woke up as one person, and by the time she went to sleep that night, she was someone else entirely. I think many of us who remember that horrendous day can say exactly the same thing. Important to every Jew, every lover of Israel... I received this letter from the World Jewish Congress. I pass it along (with my personal comments): "Israel must continue to thrive, now and always. As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the modern State of Israel, and marvel at its remarkable and inspiring achievements (in medicine, science, etc.), this is the solemn commitment that we embody in both our thoughts and our actions. Israel is the only Jewish state. It is a refuge for Jews seeking a safe haven and a beacon of hope that connects Jews around the world to one another. And it is in the name of this unbreakable bond that we must continue to fight back against the forces of anti-Semitism and those who seek to delegitimize the State of Israel, now more than ever. As an elderly Holocaust survivor is brutally murdered in her own home in France, as neo-Nazis march in the streets of Sweden and Bulgaria, as anti-Semitism reaches record levels in the UK and as member agencies at the United Nations continue to target Israel with biased and one-sided resolutions. Just as we have defeated our enemies throughout history to witness the miraculous rebirth of the State of Israel in our time, we will continue the fight against evil and hatred and bigotry. And again we will win!" (The Holocaust Survivor mentioned was Mirelle Knoll, She was found dead in her bed after neighbors called the fire department upon seeing smoke coming from her apartment. After an official inquiry, leaders of the Jewish community insisted that authorities treat the killing as an anti-Semitic hate crime.) AARP fraud watch warnings... AARP and the United States Postal Inspection Service are joining forces for Operation Protect Veterans, fighting back against fraudulent scam artists. As a military widow and a military mom, I feel obligated to pass them along: 1. VA Loan Scams-offers to refinance VA loans at extremely low rates. 2. Update your file scam-an imposter claiming to be from a government agency attempts to get a veteran's personal information to "update their file" so they can maintain their benefits. 3. Secret Veteran Benefits Scam-Veterans are told they qualify for "secret" government programs or benefits that offer thousands of dollars-but first, they attempt to collect personal information or a fee. 4. Pension poaching scam-Scammers often offer veterans lump sum payments up front, in exchange for signing over all their future monthly benefit checks. 5. Aid and attendance scam-Veterans (or their family members) receive an offer to move their assets into a living trust so that they can qualify for financial assisted-living benefits. Jewish Pavilion Mensch... Judy Appleton has been working as a program director for the Jewish Pavilion in the Winter Park, Oviedo and Winter Springs independent, assisted and skilled-nursing facilities for more than eight years. All of the senior communities she visits are "in her backyard" near her home, family and personal life. Her personal motto is "Making a Difference in the Lives of Others." Appleton adds: "My position as a program director with The Jewish Pavilion affords me the opportunity to live by my motto. Reaching out to Elders and bringing food, fun and fellowship to them... does make a difference in their lives." When asked what she loves about what she does, Judy responded "Being able to connect with elders. Touching their minds and bodies." Judy connects with the seniors on a personal level. She serves her neighbors and strangers alike in many ways. "Beyond the courtesy of opening/holding doors, financially supporting the local organizations to bringing the neighbors garbage cans up from the side of the road. There are countless ways that I spread good will." (I remember Judy as a little girl. I was friendly with her parents Helen and Larry. Besides being one of the cutest little ones I ever met, Judy was the sweetest and kindest. It seems those qualities still remain.) JCC39s Cinema Sundays... On Sundays at 2 p.m., movies are shown in the Roth JCC, Maitland, Senior Lounge. Refreshments are also available. On June 10th the movie will be "Swing Time" starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. JCC39s Meet & Mingle Mondays... On June 11th, Religion of Life will be presented by Rabbi KAPROW. The program is always followed by refreshments and social time. Robby Etzkin knows what kids love... Summer is here (well, its almost always here in Florida) and Robby says: "On Sunday, June 10th, from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Summer Sundays Pool Parties are back at the Roth Family Jewish Community Center in Maitland. Come hang out with your friends, play games, have a bite and enjoy music around our beautiful pool." Papa Johns Pizza is the sponsor. RSVP to the Maitland JCC, 407-645-5933 Judy Appleton One for the road... Moshe is driving to downtown Orlando where he has an important meeting to attend. But when he gets there, he can't find a place to park. He drives around, he waits, he even tries a bit farther away, but all in vain. So in desperation he looks up at the sky and says, "Oh Lord, if you will find me a parking place in the next five minutes, I promise you I will stop gambling, I'll eat only kosher food, I'll stop going with shiksas and I'll observe shabbes properly." Almost immediately, he sees a car pulling out of its parking place and quickly takes its place. Again Moshe looks up at heaven and says, "Oh Lord, there's no need for you to find me a parking place-I've already found one." (JNS)At a recent graduation of Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, novelist Michael Chabon berated the Jewish community of Hebron: I abhor an enclave, too, a gated community, a restricted country club, or a clutch of 800 zealots lodged in illusory safety behind a wall made from the bodies of teenage soldiers, gazing out in scorn and lordly alarm at the surrounding 200,000 residents of the city of Hebron, he said. So, here are a few points to consider in answering Chabon: While today Hebron Jews number only 800, consider that together with our adjacent sister city Kiryat Arba we are a block of 10,000 Jews. Furthermore, we are a tourist destination for 700,000 visitors and pilgrims yearly, including 35,000 just on Shabbat Chayei Sarah. The Israeli government coalition has backed Jewish rights in Hebron and recently normalized purchase of Arab properties, given authorization to build 31 new apartments, and given the Jewish community of Hebron status as an independent community. Moreover, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has consistently stated that the U.S. governments decision to leave UNESCO was a direct result of that organizations effort to rebrand the Tomb of the Fathers and Mothers in Hebron as a Palestinian World Heritage Site. Michael, while you may try to marginalize us, the people of Israel and the U.S. government stand with Hebron! The IDF defends Hebron for two reasons: Jews have every historical right to be in Hebron, and at the same time we are under constant attack from the jihad. It is not our zealousness that provokes violence, but rather a hateful ideology that has taken hold of our region. Michael, why do give the attackers a pass while blaming the victim? The Jewish community of Hebron does not gaze out in scorn at our Arab neighbors. We have many friends and colleagues among the Arab communitythose who reject jihad. We often meet with sheikhs and mukhtars in Hebron and in nearby villages. It is people like Michael Chabon, who dont know much about the reality on the ground, that prefer to paint Hebron as endlessly violent and in conflict. Michael, look past your bias and see that there is also much hope in Hebron! In general, Chabons commencement speech is reflective of a man who, on the one hand, is desperate to assimilate, hating all Jewish separateness as he does, yet possessing a great arrogant urge to condescend, to look down at his people and be judgmental. The Jews of Hebron dont suffer from this inner-hypocrisy identity crisis. Unlike Chabon, we are not opting out of Judaism, but rather staying true to 3,800 years of Jewish history in this place, and instead of assimilation, we remain committed to the vision of the founders of our peoplehood buried here as a testimony to faith, courage and humility. Maybe Michael Chabon hates Hebron Jews because he resents Jewish continuity? The Jewish community of Hebron has written to HUC the following letter: Shalom Dear HUC, It will not surprise you that Michael Chabons much-talked-about speech at your L.A. commencement was certainly disappointing to us here in the Jewish Community of Hebron. In our mind, his harsh onslaught missed many truths about our community including the fact that Jews have lived here for 3,500 years, that the tombs of the founding fathers and mothers of the Jewish people are found here and that we are its caretakers, and that we have many good relations with our Arab and Muslim neighbors. I believe and would urge you to consider, that after such a harsh denunciation of our community at your institution, that we the Jews of Hebron, should have an opportunity to redress those condemnations. If you would amenable, I would like to discuss the possibility of giving a talk at Hebrew Union College about the historical Jewish narrative of Hebron. Looking forward to your reply, Yishai International spokesman, Jewish Community of Hebron, Israel Written by the family Sharon Sherry Eisen Wright, 80, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 22, 2018, at her residence. Born in Chicago, on May 15, 1937, she was the daughter to proud parents Samuel Eisen and Gertrude (Scher) Eisen. She graduated as an honor student from Nicholas Senn High School (Class of 1954), went to Indiana University, left to start a family in Chicago, and then moved to Ft. Lauderdale in 1972. She was predeceased by her late husband, Sheldon; brother Corky, and sister-in-law Joyce. Survived by three daughtersShelly, Jodi and Rachel; one son, Michael; daughter-in-law Zanda; brother Jim; sister-in-law Madeleine; and grandchildrenJessica, Zachary, and Alise. She is also survived by many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and countless friends. She never met a stranger, always gave a smile, spoke kind words, laughed, lit up any room, was genuine, carried herself with grace and dignity, was selfless, unassuming beautiful, quick witted, joyful, loving, intelligent, and determined to make others happy. Her joys in life included being a devoted mother, grandmother, wife, sister, aunt friend, sorority sister, singing in the choir, dancing, attending theater, Friday night services, holidays, knitting, baking, traveling, dining, antiquing, playing mahjong, driving fast, laughing, and surrounding herself with the company of friends and family. She was an avid community volunteer who also belonged, and gave freely of her time and money, to countless charities, religious organizations, and international causes. She touched so many lives with her conscious decision to be happy, and spread joy to all those she encountered, as that was her sole purpose. Please honor her memory with a smile, laughter, or a kind deed. A memorial tribute took place on June 8th at 11 a.m. at Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, 640 Lee Road, Orlando 32810, to be followed immediately by a celebratory party to her legacy of joy at Cafe Murano, 309 Cranes Roost Blvd, Altamonte Springs FL 32701. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions in her memory to the Orlando Chapter of Hadassah, 645 Stafford Terrace #153, Altamonte Springs FL 32701. Arrangements entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, 640 Lee Road, Orlando 32810. 407-599-1180. 1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. 2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. 9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. 10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. 11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) 12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. 14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. 16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. 18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. 20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. 22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." 23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. 30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. 32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. 35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. 38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand. 39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems. 43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. 44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. Israel Air Force aircraft on May 22 bombed an "underground Hamas terror infrastructure" in northern Gaza and two military targets that belong to the terror organization's naval force. The IDF stated that the strikes were in response to the cross-border incident that occurred earlier in the day in which a number of terrorists infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip and set a military post on fire. Palestinian sources reported that the strike on the naval target set a boat on fire. The IDF underscored that the air strikes were carried out in response to "Hamas' ongoing attempts to dispatch drones and fire kites, with the intention of conducting terrorist activity and setting Israeli territory on fire." "The IDF views these continued attempts with great severity, specifically Hamas' daily attempts to damage Israeli security infrastructure and threats to the safety of Israeli civilians," it said in a statement. "The IDF is determined to fulfill its mission to protect Israeli civilians." "The Hamas terror organization is accountable for all threats originating from the Gaza Strip, above and below ground, and will bear the consequences for its actions against Israeli civilians and Israeli sovereignty," the statement added. Tuesday night's airstrikes occurred after an IDF tank targeted a Hamas observation post in the southern Gaza Strip immediately following the cross-border incident. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman revealed that the "underground Hamas terror infrastructure" targeted in the airstrikes was a terror tunnel. "The attempts to attack the state of Israel from the air, through the fence and underground will be blocked with a wall of steel and with the IDF's might," he stated, advising Hamas' leadership to accept "that their military project is a failure" and invest instead in "improving the lives of the residents of Gaza." This is the tenth terror-tunnel Israel has destroyed in recent weeks. Each tunnel costs millions to dig and build. On Monday night, a Palestinian drone flying from Gaza breached Israeli airspace and fell in an open field in the Sha'ar Ha'Negev Regional Council area. The IDF stated that the drone "was under inspection." These latest events occurred amid the daily violence on the Israel-Gaza border, orchestrated by Hamas, the Islamic terror group that rules the Strip and calls for Israel's destruction. The March of Return culminated last Monday with a bloody day of violence, during which some 60 Palestinians, mostly terrorists by Hamas' own admission, were killed. Since then, the border has been the quietest since the riots began eight weeks ago, while the IDF remains on high alert in the area in anticipation of another possible flare-up. (JTA)Jewish converts in America may have a much harder time being accepted in Israel because of a new set of regulations proposed by Israels Chief Rabbinate. If adopted, some activists in Israel say, the new guidelines for religious courts could drive a deeper wedge between Israel and Diaspora Jewry. The Chief Rabbinate, which controls Jewish marriage, divorce, conversion and burial in the Jewish state, is largely run by haredi Orthodox leaders. For years it has clashed with rabbis in America, even Orthodox ones, who have more liberal interpretations of Jewish law. The Chief Rabbinate does not consider non-Orthodox Judaism to be valid, so it does not accept the authority of Conservative and Reform rabbis. And in recent years, it has had a series of public disputes with Orthodox rabbis whose authority it rejects. This week, hoping to clarify exactly which Orthodox rabbis meet its standards, the Chief Rabbinate published a list of draft criteria for religious courts in the Diaspora. If a religious court meets the criteria, the Jewish conversions it conducts will be recognized by the Chief Rabbinate. If not, the Chief Rabbinate will not consider its converts Jewish. The same goes for Jewish ritual divorces: The Chief Rabbinate will accept them only if they are performed by a qualified religious court. This matters for non-Israeli converts and divorcees if they ever want their religious or marital status recognized in Israel. Those who convert in America under an unrecognized religious court, for example, would not be able to marry in Israel because the Chief Rabbinate controls Jewish marriage there. Likewise, divorced individuals would not be able to remarry in Israel if their Jewish divorce is not recognized. Children from a female converts second marriage would be forbidden to marry a Jew. The documents language is in the past tense, which means it could apply retroactivelyrejecting the status of Jewish converts who formerly were accepted in Israel. In other words, a convert accepted by the Chief Rabbinate this year could be rejected next year. The criteria demand that the courts be permanent and operate year-round. Their rabbis must demonstrate fealty to Orthodox Jewish law and be endorsed by a major Orthodox organization. This means non-Orthodox rabbis and rabbinical courts will be rejected. So will graduates of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, a liberal Orthodox seminary in New York City, because they are not recognized by the Rabbinical Council of America, the major U.S. Orthodox rabbis group. Ad hoc religious courts, often set up in small communities for a specific persons conversion, also will not be approved. If two courts are serving the same local population of Jews, only one will receive approval. Courts that want to apply for approval must submit their rabbis to an exam on Jewish law administered by the Chief Rabbinate. The Chief Rabbinate says the criteria are an attempt to set transparent, objective standards. At a Knesset meeting on the proposed criteria this week, Knesset member Uri Maklev of the haredi United Torah Judaism party said that clarifying what is Judaism is an obligation in [rabbinical] courts and a fundamental principle upon becoming part of the Jewish people. In the past, the religious authority has rejected the qualifications of an Orthodox rabbi because it deemed him insufficiently observant of Jewish law. Thats what happened in 2014 when the Chief Rabbinate rejected a conversion affirmed by Rabbi Avi Weiss, the prominent liberal Orthodox rabbi and founder of Chovevei Torah. But in other cases, the Chief Rabbinate has rejected rabbis authority simply due to bureaucratic confusion. In 2015, one of its district courts rejected the authority of Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, a widely respected Modern Orthodox rabbi in New York, even though Israels chief rabbi vouched for him. As of now, one midlevel bureaucrat, Rabbi Itamar Tubul, decides which rabbis and marriages are accepted by the Chief Rabbinate. Last year, JTA obtained a so-called blacklist of Diaspora rabbis whose authority the Chief Rabbinate had rejected. Critics are calling the criteria demeaning and overly strict. Itim, an Israeli nonprofit that works to navigate and challenge the Chief Rabbinates bureaucracy, called the list a power grab. These criteria show the Chief Rabbinates disdain for world Jewry, blatant attempt at power consolidation, and profoundly un-Jewish approach, Rabbi Seth Farber, Itims founder and director, said in a statement. Itim will fight this using every legislative and legal tool available. The Israel Democracy Institute think tank called the document very problematic. The proposal creates a reality in which the Israeli rabbinate extends its monopoly over Jews personal status in areas of marriage and divorcebeyond Israel, Shuki Friedman, director of the institutes Center for Religion, Nation and State, said in a statement. Thus the rift between Israel and Diaspora Jewry could grow, many Jews around the world may feel alienated, and immigration to Israel could decline. The Jewish Community Relations Council closed out Jewish American Heritage Month by hosting the first annual Jewish Trivia Night on May 31, at The Roth Family Jewish Community Center in Maitland. Five teams competed for the "Avodet Tzevet" (teamwork) trophy. JCRC Co-chairs Dori Gerber and Michelle Zaltsberg organized the evening, which featured multiple rounds of trivia and even more laughs. "Our goal for trivia night was two-fold: to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month and to provide an opportunity for Jewish groups in the community to come together and do something fun, as one of JCRC's initiatives is to build bridges in our community," said Zaltsberg. This year, the JCRC decided to put more of an emphasis on Jewish American Heritage Month. Every weekday for the month of May, JCRC put out a "fun fact" through social media about Jewish American heritage, encouraging others to share their thoughts on topics ranging from history and culture to veterans and inventors. After engaging the community to learn about Jewish history, the month concluded with an opportunity for people to show off their knowledge of all things Jewish at JCRC's first annual Jewish Trivia Night. By all accounts, the evening was a smash hit, with 25 eager participants competing for the trophy. "It was great to see so many Jewish organizations represented, including the Federation, BBYO, Kinneret, the Jewish Academy, Hillel and JOIN Orlando," recounted co-chair Gerber, "the enthusiasm for the event exceeded our expectations it was a great success and we are optimistic this will only get bigger and better every year." The combined team of Kinneret and the Hillels of UCF, Rollins and Stetson took home the trophy, narrowly defeating a Jewish Academy of Orlando team, who came in second. "The theme of the night, including the trophy itself, was 'teamwork,' which is what JCRC is all about," said JCRC Director Ben Friedman. "We find ways to work together to accomplish shared goals for our community. If we can have fun along the way, that's a huge plus." The Jewish Community Relations Council is a funded committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando, which works to amplify the Jewish voice in public discourse. You can stay in touch on Facebook and Twitter by following @OrlandoJCRC, or contact Friedman at BFriedman@jfgo.org. NEW YORKJewish National Fund revealed its new Plant Your Way website that easily allows individuals to raise money for a future trip to Israel while helping build the land of Israel. First introduced in 2000, Plant Your Way has allowed many hundreds of young people a personal fundraising platform to raise money for a trip to Israel while giving back at the same time. Over the last 18 years, more than $1.3 million has been generated for Jewish National Fund projects, typically by high school students. The new platform allows parents/grandparents along with family, friends, coworkers and classmates to open Plant Your Way accounts for individuals from birth up to the age of 30, and for schools to raise money for trips as well. Fifty percent of the money raised supports Jewish National Fund initiatives and the balance is applied towards a scholarship towards their trip to Israel. Yishai Goldflam, Jewish National Funds executive director for Israel Advocacy and Education shared, This new website is the easiest way for an individual to fund a trip to Israel. With contributions matched by businesses, it has never been simpler to raise and put money away for a great trip for the participant that will also help the land and people of Israel. The fact that it can be applied to any Jewish National Fund trip and the Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI-JNF) is a huge bonus because donors can take advantage of the 100 percent tax deductible status of the contributions. Some of the benefits include: Donations are 100 percent tax deductible; Its a great way to teach children and young adults the basics of fundraising, while they build a connection to Israel and plan a personal trip to Israel; Funds raised can be applied to any Israel trip (up to age 30); Participant can designate to any of Jewish National Funds seven program areas, including forestry and green innovation, water solutions, disability and special needs, Israel advocacy and education, heritage sites, research and development, and community building; The new platform is user and digital friendly, allowing a campaign to be created in only a few steps; Money raised can be applied toward the world class accredited Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI-JNF). For more information or to sign up, visit jnf.org/plantyourway or contact Education@jnf.org or call 212-879-9305 x245. Islamic Jihad militants guard outside the funeral of Islamic Jihad militant Hussein al-Amour, who was killed during an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza on May 27, 2018. (JNS)-Gaza's second-largest terrorist faction, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is leading the current dangerous escalation of the security situation, which may yet escalate further, and which represents the most serious flare-up of violence since the 2014 armed conflict between Israel and Hamas. Col. (ret.) Shay Shaul, former deputy head of the National Security Council of Israel, told JNS that PIJ could be motivated by one of two things. The first is that the terror organization is seeking retaliation for an incident on Sunday, in which three of its members "were killed by our forces, after they conducted an attack," said Shaul. "The more complex option is that there is an Iranian instruction to heat up the Palestinian arena, as part of the wider conflict between Iran and Israel, in which Iran is constantly absorbing strikes in Syria," he added. Shaul said that it is too soon to know which of these is the case, adding that the way the confrontation develops will shed further light on the situation. PIJ launched a large-scale mortar-shell attack on southern Israeli communities on Tuesday morning, two days after losing three of its armed members to an Israeli airstrike, which came in response to a gun attack on an Israel Defense Forces' unit patrolling the Gazan border. It is this kind of escalatory dynamic that, if not checked, holds the potential to drag Gaza into a new war. Hamas, which serves as the de facto government in Gaza and its most powerful armed force, is allowing PIJ to operate and is doing nothing to prevent this Iranian-backed force of some 10,000 armed operatives to launch waves of projectile attacks on southern Israeli communities. "In today's launches, the terror organization [PIJ] used Iran-made munitions," the IDF said in a statement. So far, Israel has responded to these attacks by launching a wave of intensive airstrikes, hitting more than 35 enemy targets in Gaza, as well as demolishing a Hamas underground tunnel designed to both smuggle arms and enable attacks into Israeli territory. The targets struck include military compounds, weapons-storage facilities, naval targets, and operational headquarters belonging to PIJ and Hamas. At the same time, Israel has passed messages to Gaza's factions to calm the situation down and desist fire-or face the consequences. The coming days will demonstrate whether this message has been received, or whether Gaza and Israel will be plunged into a new conflict just four years after the end of the last one. Already, however, signs are emerging that the terror factions have made up their mind to escalate things in an unusual manner. By targeting civilians, including children on their way to kindergarten, PIJ knowingly forced Israel into a stringent military response. By continuing to fire throughout the day, PIJ is sending the message that it is not backing down. 'Feels as if they are stepping things up' Dr. Col. (res.) Moshe Elad, one of the founders of the security coordination between the IDF and the Palestinian Authority, said PIJ and Hamas have been engaged in a struggle and competition over prestige and funds. PIJ, for its part, is concerned with maintaining a good image in front of the Iranians, he said. Iran, he added, "is seeking to activate organizations, whether in Yemen, the Golan Heights or in Gaza." PIJ is older than Hamas, established in 1981 with the direct backing of Iran two years after the Islamic revolution, explained Elad. When it was first set up, the organization was named after Iran's first Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, he added, before it was criticized for being too Iran-oriented as a Sunni organization. It then changed its name to Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The group's founders included Palestinian intellectuals like Fathi Shaqaqi (assassinated in Malta in 1995), and current leader Ramadan Shalah, who is based in Damascus, Syria. "Hamas's ties with Iran are artificial, motivated by financial interest. But PIJ's connection to Iran is established, older and more significant," said Elad. "Hence, when Iran decides which organization to activate, PIJ is more available. There are internal struggles in Gaza; Hamas does not want to ignite the region. But in recent days, I can't say why, it seems to have allowed PIJ to escalate." "When I listen to Shalah and to PIJ's spokespeople in Gaza, it feels as if they are stepping things up. They are allowing themselves to escalate," he added. Meanwhile, the IDF said in its statement that it "is prepared for a wide variety of scenarios." The Kremlin has given Israel a green light to launch attacks in Syria on condition that Syrian President Bashar Assads assets are not targeted, the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported Friday, according to Israel Hayom. According to the report, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu assured Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman during their meeting in Moscow on Thursday of Russias approval for Israeli strikes, the report said. After the the meeting with Shoigu, Liberman said on his Twitter account that Israel appreciates Russias understanding of our security needs and in particular the situation on our northern border. The dialogue with Russia will continue, Liberman added. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday said foreign militias should leave southwestern Syria as soon as possible, state media outlet TASS reported. Lavrov echoed comments he made earlier in the week when he said that only Syrian troops should be stationed in rebel-held Daraa province, a region adjacent to the Israeli border that has emerged as a flashpoint in a wider standoff between the Jewish state and Iran. Assad told Russian TV Thursday that Syria had no Iranian troops on its soil. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned his government would not allow Iran to maintain a military presence anywhere inside Syria. The Prime Ministers Office issued a statement Thursday, saying Netanyahu and Putin spoke by phone and discussed the latest regional developments and Irans foothold in Syria. Rabbi Chaim Lipskier (kneeling, bottom left) with the group of students from the May Mayanot Birthright trip to Israel. Rabbi Chaim Lipskier, co-director of Chabad at the University of Central Florida, returned home tired but happy after leading his 18th Birthright trip to Israel. More than 700 students have joined Rabbi Lipskier on the Birthright Israel; Mayanot tours over the last nine years while another 600 have gone on trips organized by Chabad of UCF. The 10-day trip travels all around the Holy Land, seeing ancient and modern sites, taking in Israel's history, culture, politics and stunning natural beauty. The intensive tour gives the participants a deep insight into their Jewish identity and its connection to the Jewish homeland. Rabbi Lipskier joined the trips to act as a spiritual leader, while expert Israeli tour guides taught the students about the history and meaning of the sites they visited, from museums to beaches, and deserts to archaeological digs. The groups also spend a meaningful and restful Shabbat in Jerusalem. "My experience as a participant on Mayanot Birthright was one of the most special experiences I've ever had as a young Jewish woman." said Sadie Weintraub, who went on Birthright with Rabbi Lipskier in May. "Being able to spend Shabbat at the Kotel added not only the connection to my Judaism, but also to the land of Israel." Rabbi Lipskier encourages students to take part in the transformative Birthright trip, and many of the participants are inspired to become active in Jewish life on campus on their return. "The Mayanot trips are always wonderful experiences and it's great to get to know the students so well and see them learn and grow," said Rabbi Lipskier, "But the most important thing is the lasting impact that it has on so many participants, giving them an inspirational grounding on which they can build a lifelong commitment to their Jewish Heritage." Mayanot works in partnership with more than 250 Chabad on Campus centers around the world to provide Taglit-Birthright Israel trips. Rabbi Lipskier is already looking forward to his 19th trip, planned to take place this winter. The US condemned the Palestinians following the worst day of bombing by Gaza-based terror organizations that Israel has experienced since Operation Protective Edge, and called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the UNSC "should be outraged and respond" to the largest attacks emanating from Gaza since 2014, which are "directed at innocent Israeli civilians." Throughout Tuesday and the following night, the Gaza-based Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups relentlessly fired more than 100 rockets and mortars at Israeli communities surrounding the Strip, one of which exploded in a kindergarten. The majority of the explosive projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system or exploded in open spaces, but some fell inside Israeli communities and seven Israelis, including three soldiers, were injured in the shelling. One soldier sustained moderate wounds and required intensive surgery. Haley said "the Palestinian leadership needs to be held accountable for what they're allowing to happen in Gaza." The US Mission to the UN said it expects a UNSC meeting to take place Wednesday afternoon. The European Union's (EU) foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, called for an immediate halt to the rocket and mortar fire. "Indiscriminate attacks against civilians are completely unacceptable under any circumstances," she said. Earlier Tuesday, Emanuele Giaufret, the EU envoy to Israel, tweeted that "indiscriminate attacks are totally unacceptable and to be condemned unreservedly." Israel called on the world to condemn the Hamas terror organization and take action against it. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon called on the Secretary General and the Security Council to condemn Hamas for their attacks against Israel. "Since the early morning, dozens of rockets and mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israeli population centers as a continuation of Hamas and Islamic Jihad's terror activities. These sustained attacks have continued unabated throughout the day," Danon wrote to the Secretary General and members of the Security Council. "For weeks we have warned that the violent riots along the security fence with Gaza, that included IEDs [Improvised Explosive Devices] and the firing of weapons at our security forces, were not spontaneous protests, but rather part of a coordinated violent attack against the State of Israel," the letter said. "The shells and rockets fired at our citizens leave no doubt as to the true intentions of those who incited, encourage, and even paid for those ongoing riots," he continued. "In the interest of restoring calm and protecting civilians on both sides of the fence, I request that you strongly condemn Hamas and hold the terrorist organization accountable for these latest attacks," Danon concluded. 'Indiscriminate attacks against civilians' British Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa Alistair Burt condemned Hamas and the Islamic Jihad terror groups "Indiscriminate attacks against civilians, especially those that risk killing or injuring children, are completely unacceptable under any circumstances," he tweeted. France condemned "these unacceptable attacks, which are targeted at civilians, thankfully without fatalities. France's commitment to Israel's security is unwavering," the French Foreign Ministry stated. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau likewise condemned the attacks, saying "Israel has every right to defend itself against these deplorable attacks by the terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Our thoughts are with everyone affected today." In a rare show of support for Israel, Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney "strongly" condemned the firing of rockets from Gaza at Israel. "I continue to advocate strongly for people of Gaza who live in impossible conditions-but this Hamas-led violence undermines the Palestinian cause" and is "counterproductive to political progress," he stated. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it had instructed embassies across the globe to seek similar condemnations of Palestinian fire. Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said Israel expects "decision-makers around the world" to issue "unilateral condemnations of the terror attacks." (JTA)A U.S.-drafted statement condemning rocket attacks on Israel was blocked in the United Nations Security Council by Kuwait. Kuwait is a non-permanent member of the council and represents the Arab countries. It blocked the resolution proposed on Wednesday ahead of an emergency Security Council meeting called by the United States to discuss the nearly 24 hours of rocket and mortar strikes by Hamas and Islamic Jihad from the Gaza Strip on southern Israeli communities. Kuwait had circulated its own draft resolution about two weeks ago calling for an international protection mission for the Palestinians following weeks of border clashes that left more than 100 Gaza Palestinians dead and hundreds injured. We cannot agree to the text put forth by your delegation especially as we are considering a draft resolution that deals with the protection of civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories and the Gaza Strip, Kuwait said in an email to the U.S. mission, according to the French news agency AFP, which saw the email. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, responded to the block of the resolution during the emergency council meeting. It is outrageous for the Security Council to fail to condemn Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli citizens while the Human Rights Council approves sending a team to investigate Israeli actions taken in self-defense, she said. I urge the members of the Security Council to exercise at least as much scrutiny of the actions of the Hamas terrorist group as it does Israels legitimate right of self-defense. Some 200 rockets and mortar shells are believed to have been fired from Gaza at southern Israel by the Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad from Tuesday morning until 5:17 a.m. Wednesday. Code Red rocket alert sirens were triggered at least 166 times there during that time, according to the Israeli military. Hamas on Wednesday morning announced that a cease-fire agreement had been reached, and no projectiles have been fired since the announcement of the informal cease-fire reportedly brokered by Egypt. The Israeli army said it would refrain from attacking Gaza as long as there is calm. Roseanne sobbed and apologized about racist tweet in unaired interview with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach (JTA)Roseanne Barr reportedly cried and apologized for her racist tweet in a podcast interview with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. Barr was sobbing and very apologetic about the whole thing, according to the Hollywood Reporter, which cited an unnamed source. Boteach did not air the interview. The call in to the podcast came two days after ABC canceled her show last week over the tweet mocking Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser to President Barack Obama and an African-American. The tweet said the muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj. The reboot of Barrs immensely popular late 20th-century sitcom had drawn high ratings. Barr later deleted the tweet about Jarrett, which drew widespread criticism, and issued an apology, saying she had made a bad joke about her politics and her looks. Barr, who is Jewish, and Boteach, a rabbi to several stars, have been friends for 20 years. She has not given any in-depth interviews on the tweets and her firing. On Saturday evening, Boteach tweeted about the interview: I did record a podcast with my friend @therealroseanne & I have decided not to release it out of respect for Roseanne. I want to give her space to reflect on the recent events and releasing the recording is a decision she will make at the appropriate time. He also tweeted: I have known @therealroseanne for 20 years. She has apologized for what she acknowledges is a violation of Torah values & in the spirit of Jewish repentance. It is time America learned to forgive so that we may together affirm the image of God, and equal dignity of all humankind. Barr canceled a planned appearance on comedian Joe Rogans podcast that had been scheduled for Friday. Ugandan rabbi: We as a Jewish community need to be treated like any other Jewish community (JTA)A Ugandan rabbi called on Israel to recognize his community after the government ruled against allowing members to move to the Jewish state. Rabbi Gershom Sizomu confirmed a report in Haaretz last week that the Israeli Interior Ministry had denied a community members immigration application. The Interior Ministry, according to Sizomu, said the decision represented its stance on the Ugandan Jewish community, not just the applicant, Kibita Yosef. Sizomu, who leads the community of approximately 2,000 people, urged Israel to give Ugandan Jews the same rights afforded to Jews worldwide. We as a Jewish community need to be treated like any other Jewish community in the Diaspora, he told JTA from Kampala, where he serves as a member of the Ugandan parliament. Israels Law of Return gives anyone who has at least one Jewish grandparent, is married to a Jew or has converted to Judaism the right to move there. Yosef, who is currently staying at a kibbutz in southern Israel, is the first Ugandan Jew to try to immigrate to Israel, according to Sizomu. Sizomu emphasized that his community was not looking to immigrate to Israel en masse and that the decision would not change their practices. We are not Jewish for purposes of immigration, he said. We are Jewish because that is who we are, and we will never change that, whether they recognize us or not. The Ugandan community, also called the Abayudaya, traces its roots to the early 20th century, when a former leader read the Bible and embraced Judaism. Most members were converted under the auspices of U.S. Conservative rabbis in the early 2000s and thus are not recognized as Jewish by Israels mostly haredi Orthodox Chief Rabbinate In 2016, the Jewish Agency for Israel recognized the community for the purposes of the Law of Return, seemingly opening a path for its members to immigrate to Israel. However, the Abuyudaya have struggled to obtain government recognition to do so. In December, Israel denied a visa application by another member of the community to study at a yeshiva in Israel, leading to accusations of racism. Today the community, which is based in the rural town of Mbale, has seven synagoguesincluding a 7,000-square-foot synagogue center that opened in 2016a mikvah and two Jewish schools. We feel like we have an established Jewish community that deserves to be recognized by Israel, Sizomu said. On Friday, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, who leads the Conservative movements Rabbinical Assembly, called the Israeli decision unlawful. This is completely inconsistent with more than two decades of Israeli practice of Conservative convertswho are by the way halakhically converted to Judaism under our auspiceswho had been recognized as Jewish for the purposes of the Law of Return, she told JTA, using a phrase meaning that something was done in accordance with Jewish law, or halakhah. Schonfeld said that the movement and its allies were planning to use all means at our disposal to see that this is reversed. Sizomu said that despite the latest decision he remained hopeful about his community gaining status in Israel. In August, 40 young Ugandan Jews will travel to the Jewish state on a trip organized by Birthright, an organization that provides free trips to Israel to young Jews around the world. It is the first time Ugandan Jews will participate in such a trip. Bill Clinton says public apology to Monica Lewinsky was enough (JTA)Former President Bill Clinton said his public apology for his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky was enough. NBCs Today show correspondent Craig Melvin asked Clinton in an interview aired Monday if he had ever apologized to Lewinsky, who was 22 and Clintons subordinate when they began an affair more than two decades ago. I apologized to everybody in the world, Clinton said of his public apology. Melvin followed up by asking Clinton if he had ever apologized privately. I have never talked to her. But I did say publicly on more than one occasion that I was sorry. Thats very different. The apology was public, he said. Clinton made his public apology in 1998 during the National Prayer Breakfast. I dont think there is a fancy way to say that I have sinned, he said there. It is important to me that everybody who has been hurt know that the sorrow I feel is genuinefirst and most important, my family, also my friends, my staff, my Cabinet, Monica Lewinsky and her family, and the American people. Clinton told Melvin that at the time the affair became public, I felt terrible then and I came to grips with it. He said later in the interview: I dealt with it 20 years ago plus... Ive tried to do a good job since then with my life and my work. Clinton also said that he did not regret his decision to fight impeachment, and noted that he left the White House $16 million in debt from his defense. Clinton and author James Patterson appeared on Today to promote their jointly authored novel The President is Missing. In an apparent response to the Today interview, Lewinsky tweeted Monday that she is grateful to the myriad people who have helped me evolve + gain perspective in the past 20 years. She also tweeted a link to a personal essay she wrote in February for Vanity Fair on the 20th anniversary of the investigation into the affair, in which she admitted that she suffers from PTSD over the fallout from the investigation and publicity, and that the #MeToo movement had changed her perspective on the affair and its aftermath. Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz to step down (JTA)Starbucks founder and executive chairman Howard Schultz is stepping down. Schultz, who previously served as the coffee giants CEO, is leaving his position at the end of June, The New York Times reported on Monday. In an interview with The Times, Schultz, a Democrat who has publicly criticized President Donald Trump, did not deny speculation that he was considering a political career. I want to be truthful with you without creating more speculative headlines. For some time now, I have been deeply concerned about our countrythe growing division at home and our standing in the world, said Schultz, 64. One of the things I want to do in my next chapter is to figure out if there is a role I can play in giving back, he added. Im not exactly sure what that means yet. Under Schultz, Starbucks became a vocal part of the national conversation on issues such as gun violence, gay rights, race relations, veterans rights and student debt. Its advocacy did not always run smoothly. A 2015 campaign, Race Together which aimed to spark a national conversation about race relations in its shopswas seen as a public relations failure. Recently, the coffee chain came under fire after two African American men were arrested inside a store in Philadelphia in April after they asked to use a restroom without buying anything. Schultz has written about his hardscrabble Jewish upbringing in New York, and about his transformative encounter in Jerusalem with Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, who headed the Mir Yeshiva. He received an award from Aish Hatorah, a Jewish Orthodox pro-Israel group, in 1998. Israel sends aid to Guatemala in wake of deadly volcano eruption JERUSALEM (JTA)Israel has sent emergency aid to Guatemala following the eruption of the Fuego volcano. The eruption Sunday of the volcano, which is located less than 30 miles from the capital Guatemala City, left at least 25 people dead and dozens injured, according to reports. It is not yet known how many people are missing. The volcano, whose name means fire in Spanish, erupted twice: just before noon and again after 6 p.m. Some 2 million people were affected by its ash, according to The New York Times. On Sunday evening, Israel announced that it had sent a delivery of food and medicine to the Central American country. Israels Foreign Ministry said it also discussed with local authorities how else it could be of assistance. Last month, Guatemala moved its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in a ceremony attended by President Jimmy Morales. The move came two days after the United States made its transfer. Man arrested in repeated vandalism of suburban Boston eruv (JTA)A local man was arrested a day after police in Sharon, Massachusetts, posted on Facebook that the suburban Boston communitys eruv had been repeatedly vandalized. Yerachmiel E. Taube 28, was arrested Saturday on charges of malicious destruction of property, destruction to a religious organization, interference with civil rights and disorderly conduct. He was scheduled to be arraigned Monday morning in Stoughton District Court. According to Jewish law, an eruv is an artificial boundary that allows Jews to push and carry objects outside their homes on the Sabbath and holy days. The eruv is made up of a series of poles and string. Some 40 volunteers for the Sharon Eruv Society, which helps maintain the eruv on a weekly basis, had offered a reward for information about the vandalism. The eruv was constructed in 1990. On Friday, Sharon Police in their post reported that the eruv has been the subject of extensive vandalism over the last few weeks The post included photos of downed poles and special markers that make up the boundary markers. According to the police post, the eruv has served as a critical piece of infrastructure for the Jewish community by creating a sense of togetherness for hundreds of households in the Town of Sharon. The ADL New England praised the Sharon Police for investigating the incident and making an arrest. The eruv is an important religious and communal symbol for the Jewish community in Sharon, with a long history and meaning for the Jewish people. While we do not yet know what motivated this act, we are nevertheless deeply disturbed by the repeated desecration. When one communitys ability to worship is attacked, our collective religious freedom is threatened. We are grateful to Sharon Police for investigating the incident and ensuring accountability and justice for violating the communitys right to religious practice, Robert Trestan, ADL New England regional director, said in a statement. German nationalist party co-head apologizes for calling Nazi era speck of bird poop in countrys history (JTA)The co-head of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party said that he regrets calling the Nazi era a speck of bird poop in German history. Alexander Gauland, a 76-year-old attorney and journalist, made the statement on Saturday to a meeting of the partys youth wing. He said in remarks that were widely reported and widely condemned that Germans must take responsibility for 12 years of Nazi rule but that Hitler and the Nazis are just a speck of bird poop in more than 1,000 years of successful German history. A group of party moderates on Sunday condemned Gaulands remarks and called for a public apology. Gauland on Monday issued a statement in which he said that he had used the words bird poop to express his deepest contempt for Nazism. It was never my intention to trivialize or deride the victims of this criminal system, he also said, according to The Associate Press. Chancellor Angela Merkel through her spokesman on Monday called it shameful that we have to deal with such comments by a lawmaker in parliament. The spokesman also said that the government strongly rejects any downplaying of the Nazi era. In national elections last year, the Alternative for Germany Party, or AfD, which was launched in 2013, finished in third place, securing 94 seats in the national parliament, the Bundestag, which has 709 seats in all Bjorn Hocke, the AfD party leader in the eastern German state of Thuringia, caused a stir last year when he said that paying too much attention to the Holocaust was making German history appalling and laughable. He called the Holocaust memorial in Berlin a monument of shame and has recommended a radical departure from these stupid politics of coming to grips with the past. Argentine special prosecutor Aberto Nisman was murdered, appeals court confirms BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (JTA)Argentine special prosecutor Alberto Nisman was murdered as a direct consequence of his accusation against former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of a cover-up of Irans role in the1994 AMIA Jewish center bombing, a federal court ruled. The Argentinean Federal Chamber of Appeals on Friday backed the federal judge who is leading the investigation, Julian Ercolini, who ruled last December, more than two years after Nisman death, that it was a murder and not a suicide. On Jan. 14, 2015 Nisman sued the president at that time, claiming that Kirchner and other officials of the government decided to not incriminate former senior officials of the Islamic Republic and tried to erase their roles in planning the bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires that left 85 dead and hundreds wounded due to an agreement with Iranian officials. Four days later Nismans body was found in his apartment, with one shot in his head, just hours before he was to present evidence to Argentine lawmakers that the government covered up Irans role in the bombing. According to this upper-level court, in the current investigation there are clues with sufficient importance to sustain as a hypothesis that the destiny of Nisman was decided as a consequence of the nature, seriousness and scope of the complaint filed a few days before, wrote judges Martin Irurzun and Leopoldo Bruglia. The court confirmed the original murder ruling by Ercolini and his indictment of the security officials who were tasked with protecting Nisman at the time of his death. In that December ruling, the judge also charged Diego Lagomarsino, a former IT employee of Nismans, as an accessory to murder. The Federal Chamber of Appeals also urged the judge to continue with the speed and seriousness that such a grave fact imposes (JTA)-Two congressional races have been beset in recent days with charges of anti-Semitism, and each case-in California and in Virginia-uncovers challenges for Jews in the Republican and Democratic parties. For Jewish Democrats, it's about Israel and the party's left wing. For Jewish Republicans, it's about extremists. In both cases, Jews in the respective parties are grappling with old problems made sharper by recent developments. Democrats for years have had a left wing that tended to see Israel as a problem more than an alliance, but the party's drift from the country in recent years has brought a once marginal tendency to the fore. Republicans, similarly, have repudiated fringe candidates who embrace far right and even Nazi identities, but President Donald Trump's on-again/off again embrace of the "alt-right" has lent greater urgency to facing down extremist GOP nominees. John Fitzgerald, in California's 11th District, is at least the third Republican nominee in a congressional district expected to vote Democratic who has associations with the far right. (Two others are in Illinois. In all three cases, extremists seized the opportunity when the state and national GOP ignored unwinnable races and secured the Republican nomination by default.) Fitzgerald peddles myths, for instance, that an army of Jews working in government are in fact Israeli citizens. (They are not. A list he links to on his campaign website generously includes a number of non-Jews presumed to be Jewish, among them National Security Adviser John Bolton.) In Fitzgerald's case, GOP condemnation was so swift, landing in inboxes before much of the media knew his anti-Semitism was a thing. In a statement sent Tuesday evening to the media, the Republican Party in California said it took steps to remove the endorsement automatically conferred on him when he became the nominee. "The California Republican Party's Board of Directors took swift and decisive action to eliminate any support for John Fitzgerald due to anti-Semitic comments he made recently, those views have no home in the Republican Party," the state party chairman, Jim Brulte, said in a statement. "As always, California Republicans reject anti-Semitism, and all forms of religious bigotry, in the harshest terms possible. We reject John Fitzgerald's campaign and encourage all voters to do the same." In the same release, the Republican Jewish Coalition said that "the California Republican Party has been a good ally in our fight against anti-Semitism in the past, and we proudly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them on their decision to reject support for Fitzgerald." It has been a busy season for the RJC and its condemnations of putative neo-Nazi candidates. Two weeks ago its target was Patrick Little, a U.S. Senate hopeful in California who says Jews control the United States. Little, the RJC said, "is a white nationalist whose anti-Semitic, racist, bigoted views put him far outside of the GOP and civil discourse." Little has told David Duke, the best-known American white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan leader, that he thinks Trump could one day be persuaded of the merits of his anti-Jewish arguments. His optimism is fueled in part by an administration that has been populated by alt-right figures and a president who equivocated in his condemnation last year of the neo-Nazis who marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, in a protest that included deadly violence. Charlottesville is in Virginia's 5th Congressional District, once solidly Republican, but now a possible pickup for Democrats eager to retake the U.S. House of Representatives with the sudden announcement this week by incumbent GOP Rep. Tom Garrett that he will not seek re-election. The Democratic nominee, Leslie Cockburn, is a journalist who perhaps is best known as the mother of actor Olivia Wilde ("House"). But 27 years ago she earned notoriety of a different sort when she co-wrote "Dangerous Liaison: The Inside Story of the U.S.-Israeli Covert Relationship" with her husband, Andrew. Virginia's Republican Party this month seized on the book to cast Cockburn as a "virulent anti-Semite." By way of evidence, it quoted reviews at the time from Commentary, the conservative pro-Israel magazine, and The New York Times. Neither review calls the 1991 book anti-Semitic, although Commentary does insinuate that it is hostile to Jews per se. Joined with another review I uncovered, in the Los Angeles Times, the book's principal sins appear to be that it is often vaguely sourced, sensationalist and driven by a lazy anti-imperialist agenda. (The headline to the Commentary review is, irresistibly, "Inside Dopes.") Virginia Jewish Democrats appear to agree that the book is problematic, but not anti-Semitic, as they indicated in interviews with The New York Times this week after Cockburn attended a salon organized by Charlottesville Jews, and also in a posting on Blue Virginia, a pro-Democratic blog. "We urge voters in Virginia's 5th who consider themselves allies to Jews in Virginia and throughout the country to go out and discover the truth for themselves: that these charges against Leslie Cockburn are false, made in bad faith, and should be dismissed for not even meeting the lowest bar of evidence to support them," said the Blue Virginia post by David T.S. Jonas and Lowell Feld. Jonas and Feld acknowledged that the book was lacking in some respects. "The writing can be too sensationalist at times, making it seem like the authors are pushing too hard, rather than letting readers come to their own decisions," they wrote. At the Charlottesville salon, The Times reported, the consensus was that Cockburn was not anti-Semitic, but that she represented a trend among Democrats unsettling for pro-Israel Jews. "None of us think she's anti-Semitic," Sherry Kraft, an organizer of the meeting, told the newspaper. "That's not even an issue. It's more where are you about Israel. There's a lot of negativity toward Israel from the political left right now and people who call themselves progressive." Plunging into political marriages is a delicate affair, but there are indications that the spouse who has Israel issues is not Leslie but her husband. Internet searches come up with plenty on Andrew Cockburn, who just last year was peddling the far left and baseless accusation that Israel is aligned with the Islamic State, and who in a 2007 Oxford Union debate spoke about a pro-Israel "stranglehold" on debate in the United States. For Leslie Cockburn, all I got was this 1991 appearance on C-Span with her husband pitching their book. Leslie Cockburn, who weathered Scud attacks on Israel as a journalist during the first Gulf War, seems quite enamored with the country. She fretted at the time that Israelis were vulnerable not just to Scuds but to misfired U.S.-operated Patriot anti-missile missiles. "Israelis are very interesting people, also," she said. "The fact is, Israelis love to talk and tend to be, at least in this business-in the arms business and in intelligence-fairly gregarious, and also they have a lot of feuds with each other, very strong personalities. It's a very interesting group of people to work with." Will Cockburn's co-authorship of the book hurt her? She's already pushing back hard, taking to Twitter to call Republicans "desperate" and to quote an Israeli historian, Irad Malkin, as saying the anti-Semitism charge is "outrageous." Leslie Cockburn is a Democratic congressional candidate in Virginia. In a season where partisan divisions on Israel are deepening, Republicans will naturally run on the pro-Israel relationship. Campaigning in Tennessee this week, Trump spoke at length about his decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. The move earned him a standing ovation last week at a closed-door, minimum $50,000 a head fundraising dinner in New York, according to a report in Politico. And Democrats stumping for Jewish votes will circle back to the threats posed by Trump's flirtations with the alt-right, and the overlap between the alt-right and plain old Nazis. "At a time when American Nazism is on the rise and literally has cost Virginians their lives, we don't have the luxury to simply let these bad-faith charges go unanswered," Jonas and Feld wrote. "There is a real and present danger facing American Jews, and it's not coming from authors of a book that no one has actually shown contains anti-Semitic passages." Every day Israel is subjected to a torrent of warnings from Democrats. You will pay a price for your support of President Donald Trump, we are told. He wont be president forever, and when hes gone, watch out! The basic notion, repeated over and over again is clear enough. If Israel doesnt want to be punished by the next Democratic White House, which we are warned will make us long for Barack Obama, wed better stop talking about the fact that Trump is the best ally and friend Israel has ever had in the White House. These warnings are not baseless. The data are unmistakable. Republicans are more supportive of Israel than they ever have been. Democrats are abandoning Israel in droves. In January, Pew reported that liberal Democrats side with the Palestinians over Israel by a margin of nearly two to one. Conservative Republicans support Israel over the Palestinians by a margin of more than 16 to 1. The yawning gap in support plays out in multiple ways. Last week, 70 House Democrats sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding that Israel not destroy illegal Palestinian construction in the south Hebron hills. No serving Democratic lawmakers attended the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem. How is Israel supposed to deal with this wide and growing gap in partisan support? Before taking a stab at the answer, we first must understand what is causing the Democrats to turn against the Jewish state. There are two primary causes for the current trend. The first has to do with President Trump. Never in US history has a president been demonized and delegitimized by his political opponents as Trump has been by Democrats. Since the day he was elected, Democrats have sought to overturn the election results. Every policy Trump enacts is subjected to immediate delegitimization. Democrats attack every position Trump adopts as morally defective, somehow treacherous and utterly illegitimate. Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem and move the US Embassy to Israels capital is case in point. In 1995, Democrats and Republicans joined together to overwhelmingly pass the Jerusalem Embassy Act mandating the transfer of the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. It passed the Senate 93-5. Every year since lopsided majorities in both houses have voted in favor of resolutions enjoining successive administrations to follow the law and move the embassy. In the past four presidential elections, the Democrats party platform has recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital and supported moving the embassy to Jerusalem. Given this background, the obvious move for Democrats would have been to applaud Trump for finally doing what none of his predecessors did. Instead, with some notable exceptions, Trumps move was met with stony silence by the vast majority of Democrats. And several powerful lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and prominent senators Dianne Feinstein, Dick Durbin, Chris Murphy and Bernie Sanders condemned the move. The only possible explanation for their abrupt abandonment of a policy they had dutifully followed for 23 years is Trump. They revile him and reject him to such a degree that they prefer to abandon long-held positions than admit that he did exactly what they have wanted the president to do for the past 23 years. The second cause of the Democrats abandonment of Israel is the rise of identity politics within the party. For the past decade or so, a struggle for the soul of the Democratic Party has been going on between moderate Democrats, in the Bill Clinton mold and the far Left. The Clinton Democrats ascribe to traditional liberal democratic values and views of America and its role in world affairs. They believe that the protection of liberty and civil rights are the beating heart of American identity and that America has an indispensable and uniquely moral role to play as a superpower in world affairs. Opposing them are lawmakers and activists from the far Left who believe identity politics should govern the partys positions and policies. Identity politics reject the notion that people should be judged by their achievements and character. Instead its subscribers assert that people should be judged based on their membership in various ethnic, racial, gender and sexual identity groups. Perhaps the best encapsulation of identity politics was given this week by a New York Times editor on the papers twitter feed. In a post reporting the results of the gubernatorial primaries in Georgia, the editor wrote, History in Georgia: Stacey Abrams became the first black woman to be a major partys nominee for governor after winning her Democratic primary. The paper applauded Abrams for being born a certain race and a certain gender. It told us nothing about her qualifications for office. All the Times thinks we need to know is that Abrams is black and a woman. This is why she should be governor. Unfortunately for Israel and its supporters, these same forces determined that Israeli Jews and their American supporters should be opposed and the Palestinians, including Hamas, should be supported. People are judged only by their placement on the ladder of victimhood. Obamas hostility toward Israel, his repeated intimations that Israel is a colonialist outpost while the Palestinians are the indigenous people of the land of Israel were part and parcel of his across-the-board effort to enable the radical Left to take over the party. When the causes of the Democrats alienation from Israel are properly understood, it becomes self-evident that Israel did nothing to precipitate the current situation. It is equally clear that Israel is powerless to reverse the current trends. Only the Democrats can do that. And so we return to the question: What can Israel do to minimize the partisan divide over support for the Jewish state in America? First, Democrats advise Israel to keep Trump at arms length. We should stop supporting him and applauding and thanking him for his support for Israel. Second, they say, the government should maintain faith with Obamas pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel policies. Among other things, this means that Israel should permanently deny Jews the right to exercise their property rights in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. Israel should also prop up Hamas and the PLO. If Israel does these things, the Democrats say, then a future Democratic president will be more likely to develop a constructive relationship with Jerusalem than he or she otherwise would be. There are two problems with this advice. First, it involves abandoning the proverbial bird in the hand for a bird that not only flew out of the tree but is swiftly vanishing over the horizon. If present trends in the Democratic party continue, there is little chance that a future Democratic president will be supportive of Israel. The partys rank and file would revolt. The second problem with the advice that Democrats are providing is that if Israel listens to them, it will be at even greater risk of being harmed by a hostile administration in the future. Among other things, this means securing Israels long-term strategic interests in Judea and Samaria by applying Israeli law to Area C. It means diminishing Israels strategic dependence on the US by vastly diminishing with the short-term goal of eliminating US military assistance to Israel. That aid should be replaced with US-Israeli joint projects to jointly develop weapons systems and advance other common strategic goals. Securing Israels long-term strategic interests means vastly diminishing Hezbollahs capacity to wage war against Israel from Lebanon. And it means destabilizing with the goal of overthrowing the Iranian regime. The Democrats who are saying that by supporting Trump, Israel is turning itself into a partisan issue, are themselves responsible for turning support for the Jewish state into a partisan issue. By denying that Israel has a right and a legitimate interest in standing with a president that is supportive of and takes concerted steps to advance the US-Israel alliance, they are saying Israel has no right to be supported by its supporters. Israel must support its supporters and oppose its opponents, without regard to their political affiliation. Israelis support Trump because Trump supports Israel not because he is a Republican. By the same token, Israelis support Senate Minority leader Charles Schumer not because he is a Democrat, but because he supports Israel. Democrats are right that Trump wont be president forever. Israel needs to heed their warnings not by distancing itself from the administration, but by working with the Trump administration to secure its long-term strategic interests and goals. Democratic and Republican supporters of Israel will certainly support our efforts. This article was originally published in The Jerusalem Post. When International Farhud Day was proclaimed at a conference convened at the United Nations headquarters on June 1, 2015, its proponents wanted to achieve more than merely establish a commemoration of the ghastly 1941 Arab-Nazi pogrom in Baghdad that killed and injured hundreds of Iraqi Jews. Farhud means violent dispossession. The Farhud was but the first bloody step along the tormented path to the ultimate expulsion of some 850,000 Jews from across the Arab world. That systematic expulsion ended centuries of Jewish existence and stature in those lands. Jews had thrived in Iraq for 2,700 years, a thousand years before Mohammad. But all that came to end when the Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, led the broad Arab-Nazi alliance in the Holocaust that produced a military, economic, political, and ideological common cause with Hitler. Although Husseini spearheaded an international pro-Nazi, anti-Jewish Islamic movement from India to Central Europe to the Middle East, it was in Baghdada 1,000-kilometer drive from Jerusalemthat he launched his robust coordination with the Third Reich. In 1941, Iraq still hosted Britains Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which controlled the regions oil. Hitler wanted that oil to propel his invasion of Russia. The Arabs, led by Husseini, wanted the Jews out of Palestine and Europes persecuted Jews kept away from the Middle East. Indeed, Husseini persuasively argued to Hitler that Jews should not be expelled to Palestine but rather to Poland, where they will be under active control. Translation: send Jews to the concentration camps. Husseini had visited concentration camps. He had been hosted by architect of the genocide Heinrich Himmler, and the Mufti considered Shoah engineer Adolf Eichmann not only a great friend, but a diamond among men. Nazi lust for oil and Arab hatred of Jews combined synergistically June 12, 1941, burning the Farhud into history. Arab soldiers, police, and hooligans, swearing allegiance to the Mufti and Hitler, bolstered by fascist coup plotters known as the Golden Square, ran wild in the streets, raping, shooting, burning, dismembering, and decapitating. Jewish blood flowed through those streets and their screams created echoes that have never faded. The 1941 Farhud massacre, which was launched in tandem with an attempted takeover of the British oil fields and Londons airbase at Habbaniya, set the stage for the Mufti-Hitler summit and the establishment of three Islamic and Arab Waffen SS divisions in central Europe under Himmlers direct sponsorship. After the State of Israel was established in 1948, Mufti adherents and devotees throughout the Arab world, working through the Arab League, openly and systematically expelled 850,000 Jews from Morocco to Lebanon. Penniless and stateless, many of those refugees were airlifted to Israel where they were absorbed and became almost half the families of Israel. Remembering the tragic facts of the Farhud process will make it harder for the newly invented history to take root. After the Arabs rebranded themselves as Palestinians in May 1964 with the backing of the Soviet KGB, a new narrative began to come together. In part, it pretends that the Arabs of Ottoman and then British Palestine did not arrive in the seventh century during the Arab-Islamic Conquest, as history records. Their narrative now asserts that are actually descendants of the Canaanites and the Philistines. Palestine is named for the Philistines. After the Jews were expelled by the Romans in about 135-136 CE, the name of their nation was changed from Judea to Syria Palaestina. But in truth, the Israelites gave rise to the only true surviving Canaanites. The Philistines were Greek Island sea invaders defeated by Ramses III in about 1150 BCE and sequestered into the Gaza Pentapolis, not Arabs from the Arabian Peninsula who conquered in the seventh century CE. Invented Palestinian history also asserts that present-day Israelis are almost entirely transplants from such alien regions as the Ukraine, Poland, Brooklyn, and Germanyor descendants thereof. Remembering the Farhud helps us understand that almost half the early Jewish families in newly declared Israel were not from across the sea, but rather from across the river, across the bridge, down the road, and plucked from the same culture. Whats more, the fabricated Palestinian history laments that Palestine became just a consolation prize for the Holocausta tragedy that either never occurred or was a purely European misdeed for which Arabs are not responsible and in which they were not involved. Remembering the 1941 Farhud and the Arab-Nazi alliance that sparked it, locks in Arab involvement in the Holocaust as one of full partnership with the Third Reich. This Nazi-Arab alliance thrived, complete with tens of thousands of Islamic and Arab volunteers arduously fighting in the trenches, coordinating diplomatic and strategic affairs through the Arab Higher Committee, broadcasting nightly incendiary hate messages beginning with words Oh Muslims, and undertaking all things calculated to advance a German victory which promised an Arab state in Palestine and a disappeared Jewish population. No wonder the Arab marketplaces were filled with placards that exhorted, In Heaven, Allah is your ruler. On Earth, it is Adolf Hitler. The established and incontrovertible facts chronicling the Arab worlds deep and enthusiastic anti-Jewish alliance with the Third Reich during the Holocaust, which exploded into the Farhud, plus the subsequent population shift that Arab governments engineered to expel 850,000 of their own Jewish citizens, make it impossible to weave a fabric of invented history. Recognizing, remembering, and reminding the world of those facts on International Farhud Day, June 1, will help all participants and observers of the Arab-Israeli conflict confront the true legacy that has helped create todays stalemate. Recognition is the first step along the painful path toward reconciliation. Edwin Black is the New York Times bestselling author of IBM and the Holocaust, and the prize-winning book The FarhudRoots of the Arab-Nazi Alliance in the Holocaust. In 2015, Black organized and founded International Farhud Day. By Mel Pearlman 2018 The diplomatic world is aglow with optimism regarding the apparent and sudden turnabout of Kim Jong Un, the North Korean dictator, as he appears to have overnight transformed from nuclear bully to a peace-loving flower. His rapprochement with South Korea and renunciation of his nuclear program has won him a summit meeting with President Trump in Singapore on June 12, 2018. Since the two heads of state share similar egotistical personalities and erratic mindsets it comes as no surprise that there would be bumps and surprises along the way, which as of this writing, makes the scheduled summit meeting an on-again/off-again affair. Kims initial peaceful posture and subsequent belligerence, justified the U.S. cancellation of the summit; and Kims subsequent reversal of hostility after further consultations with China, justified the American reconsideration to attend the on-again summit. Kim, at a very young age, took over the country from his late father who in turn inherited this dictatorial country from its communist founder, Kims grandfather. Each of their respective regimes has been characterized by sheer brutality, enslavement, torture, starvation and complete isolation from the outside world. In addition, no North Korean leader has ever kept any international agreement with the United States or the West. Soon after taking office from his deceased father, the young and inexperienced Kim unceremoniously had his own uncle summarily executed so as to remove him as a threat to his power. Not to be outdone by this crime, he arranged for his half brother to be murdered by hired assassins who intercepted and gassed him to death on Feb. 13, 2017, while he was passing through Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. Of course President Trump is taking all the credit for Kims almost surreal conversion and attributing his own success in doing so by out-bullying Kim and threatening North Korea with massive destruction should Kim point his nuclear tipped rockets at the United States or any of its Asian allies. Hard-core Trump supporters, but not everyone as the president contends, are talking about another premature and unearned Nobel Peace prize, the first of course being awarded to President Obama. President Trump is a long way from winning or even being considered for the prize. Was it in fact a true change of heart by a repentant Kim or a rational and thoughtful decision to reverse his belligerent nuclear policy as a result of the U.S. stance? I definitely think we can rule out the former. But what about the latter? Was Kim and his gangster government even capable of responding rationally to U.S threats? Not long after the hostile verbal exchanges between the U.S. and North Korea became so hot that it brought the reality of imminent war on the Korean Peninsula into the public conversation, another significant event occurred. Kim was summoned to Beijing by President Xi for an amicable discussion of the situation which the Chinese leadership concluded was getting out of hand. Make no mistake about the fact that China, while giving Kim a long leash, calls the international policy shots in North Korea. If you want to know how this is going to turn out, look to Chinas interests in East and Southeast Asia. China is in the process of building up its armed forces, not to go to war, but to globally challenge American leadership. China understands that its own economic growth to sustain its military build-up and keep its people content is dependent on good economic and other relations with the U.S. This is not an easy task given the erratic behavior of the two summit participants. A successful outcome of the summit meeting between Kim and President Trump is a little more likely with the invisible presence of the Chinese leader at the negotiating table. If you wish to comment or respond to any of the contents herein you can reach me at melpearlman322@gmail.com. Please do so in a rational, thoughtful, respectful and civil manner. If you wish to respond by ranting and raving, please go into your bathroom, lock the door and shout your brains out. Mel Pearlman has been practicing law in Central Florida for the past 45 years. He has served as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando; on the District VII Mental Health Board, as Special Prosecutor for the City of Winter Park, Florida; and on the Board of Directors of the Central Florida Research and Development Authority. He was a charter member of the Board of Directors and served as the first Vice President of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida, as well as its first pro-bono legal counsel. (JNS)Can the Palestinians finally not miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity? That paraphrase of Abba Ebans famous quote provides the key question to ask about the Middle East peace plan the United States is expected to unveil during the coming weeks. Its also a point of disagreement between me, and my friend and esteemed colleague Daniel Pipes, the president of the Middle East Forum. Pipes disagrees with my May 22 column, in which I argue that the putative peace plan that will be presented in the name of U.S. President Donald Trump is nothing for Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to worry about. The Trump plan will reportedly be predicated on a two-state solution and necessarily involve Israel withdrawing from much of the West Bank. Under virtually any circumstances, it would be opposed by most of Netanyahus governing coalition. But given the recent behavior of the Palestinian Authority and the continuing threat from Hamas in Gaza, there is little current support for such a scheme outside of the far left. Even in theory, the notion of repeating Ariel Sharons Gaza experiment in the far larger and more strategic West Bank strikes most Israelis as not so much misguided as utterly insane. Nevertheless, I argue that there is no need for Netanyahu to treat such a plan as a crisis. As long as the Palestinians remain unwilling to make peace under any circumstanceslet alone on terms that are clearly less generous than the ones offered by Ehud Barak in 2000 and 2001, or Ehud Olmert in 2008there is no reason to think that they wont reject the Trump plan out of hand. Pipes and I agree that the Trump plan is doomed. We both believe Palestinian national identity is inextricably tied to their century-old war on Zionism. That makes it impossible for them to accept, at least under present circumstances, the notion of a two-state solution that would end the conflict and bring actual peace, as opposed to a mere pause in the fighting before it resumed under less advantageous circumstances for the Israelis. I further agree that the only way for peace to be made possible is for the West to cease putting forward futile peace plans as long as the Palestinians fail to explicitly concede defeat and admit that their long war against the existence of a Jewish state has failed. But Pipes disagrees with my confidence that the Palestinians will continue to say no. He argues that this may be a moment like that of 1993, when Yasser Arafat pretended to make peace with Israel long enough for the Oslo Accords to be negotiated and signed. Though the pretense was soon dropped, the damage had been done, and Israelis have lived with the bloody consequences of that deception and their own understandable willingness to believe in the hope of peace. Oslo provides a precedent for the Palestinians not missing an opportunity to empower their terrorist leaders by means of a brief deception. The question now is whether history can repeat itselfwith either Abbas or whoever succeeds the ailing Palestinian leader accepting Trumps terms without ever intending to achieve peace and pocketing the concessions that he will make to them. Since it is clearly in their interests to do so, Pipes thinks that they may accept Trumps plan. I disagree because the political edifice Arafat created as a result of his Oslo ruse makes it virtually impossible for a successor to play the same game. Post-Oslo Palestinian politics is, if anything, even more predicated on the notion that credibility belongs only to those who threaten or commit violence against Jews. Far from having more leeway to compromise, they have less now than Arafat had in 1993. Moreover, the Fatah leadership is constrained by its rivalry with Hamas in a way Arafat didnt have to contend with. Any move towards a two-state solution that means accepting a Jewish state and giving up the right of return for the descendants of 1948 refugees will boost Hamas and undermine Fatahs hold on power. If Trump were willing to go as far as his predecessors in pushing for Israeli concessions, especially on Jerusalem, there might be some reason for Netanyahu to be concerned about the Palestinians taking the bait. But with the Americans only offering the Jerusalem suburb of Abu Dis (rather than all or part of eastern Jerusalem) as the capital of a putative Palestinian state, there is simply no way that any of their leaders can agree to even discuss it. If they wouldnt back down for someone as sympathetic to their ambitions as President Barack Obama, theyre not going to do it for Trump, whom they view as an enemy. Is Trump sincere about wanting Middle East peace? Hes more interested in opposing Iran, as well as in assuring his Sunni Arab allies in that struggle than in empowering the Palestinians. But theres little doubt that his ego is such that he covets the glory of brokering the ultimate deal. If the Palestinians were willing to negotiate, hed probably make the Israelis pay for Jerusalem and his appropriately tough stance on Iran. But Netanyahu knows that he can sit back and simply wait for the Palestinians to reject Trumps efforts, as they have already warned the Saudiswho told Abbas to accept Trumps offerthey will do. Pipess warning that no one should be giddy about Trump recognizing Jerusalem and moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv is sensible. But it is equally sensible for the pro-Israel community to understand that the current administration has rejected the failed Oslo mindset that governed the actions of Trumps predecessors. Trumps instinctive distrust of the foreign-policy establishments conventional wisdom means that he thinks the Palestinians have to be held accountable in way that Obama, Bush and Clinton did not. While a diplomatic ingenue like presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner might actually believe that the peace plan he has helped craft will succeed, Trumps current foreign-policy team of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton is clearly more realistic. Thats why, although caution is always commendable, predictions that U.S.-Israel relations will inevitably return to the same toxic dynamic that characterized them under the Obama administration are wrongheaded. With an Iran empowered and enriched by Obamas nuclear dealusing Syria as a base to attack the Jewish stateand Hamas undaunted by the failure of its latest assault on the Jewish state, Netanyahu has plenty of security challenges to contemplate. But a Trump peace plan with the Palestinians is still likely to be the least of his worries in the coming months. Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNSJewish News Syndicate. Follow him on Twitter at: @jonathans_tobin. Did an NVA battalion lure unsuspecting elements of the Royal Australian Regiment into a knock-down, drag-out fight, or was it a chance encounter that escalated out of control? As the lumbering Centurion tank made its approach to the village of Binh Ba very early in the morning of June 6, 1969, its Australian commander looked out over a peaceful scene. Only five kilometers from the Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat, Binh Ba and the surrounding hamlets were vulnerable to enemy infiltration, but under the protection of the Regional Forces (RF) of the South Vietnamese army they were believed to be free of Viet Cong (VC). The tank crew, accompanied by a recovery vehicle, had every reason to expect that it would carry on without incident on its assignment to support elements of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment engaged in heavy fighting eight kilometers north of Nui Dat. That is, until a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) burst out of a stand of rubber trees and hit the Centurion squarely on the turret. Fired from close range, the impact and explosion rocked the tank, jamming the turret and wounding the radio operator. Unable to traverse his main armament and without infantry support, he would be unable to hold off an attack. Securing the tank was the only option. He spotted the most likely place for the RPG team to have fired from and put down suppressing fire with his 7.62mm machine gun. Simultaneously, the recovery vehicle came up and fired its two machine guns into the same area. No more firing came from Binh Ba, so the damaged Centurion rolled away to a secure area. Believing the antitank round may have been an accidental discharge triggered by a nervous VC, the tank crew sent a report to its base at Nui Dat. For the moment it appeared to be a minor incidentbut, as it turned out, this was just the first shot in what would turn peaceful Binh Ba into a fierce killing ground for the next 48 hours. Heavy armor had at first been considered a useless part of the Australian army, especially in Vietnam, and the infantry and the tankers did not get on particularly well. The armor boys were referred to as Koalas, the quiet, cuddly little creatures which, according to Australian wildlife laws, were not to be shot ator sent overseas. Despite the jokes, the men and machines of 1st Armoured had proved their worth in earlier battles at fire bases Coral and Balmoral, and tanks became indispensable in operations to clear out dug-in VC. By 1969 the ground troops hardly wanted to go on operations without tanks. On that June morning, the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR) was mostly on stand-down, and A Company was on a short R&R at the seaside town of Vung Tau. For most of the troops it was a day in which they could get cleaned up, repair their equipment, relax and read some mail from Australia. Brian Bamblett, a section commander in Number 10 Platoon, D Company, was looking forward to a quiet day of house keeping, making beds and cleaning equipment. D Company, however, was the designated ready-reaction company, so it had to be ready to move and engage the enemy on 30 minutes notice. Binh Ba was a village of about 1,000 farmers and plantation workers typical of the area, set among the rubber plantations. The houses of the village were of solid brick and tile construction. Peace and relative prosperity, as well as proximity to the Australian Task Force base, had made the village a frequent target for VC assassination squads and tax collectors. During the Australians first tour, they had occupied the village with a rifle platoon and mortar support to provide security as part of a hearts and minds campaign. It was an effective deterrent to the VC, but eventually the Australian troops were committed elsewhere and the South Vietnamese Regional Forces (RF) assumed the security mission. After the RPG strike on the Centurion, D Company commander Major Murray Blake evaluated the available intelligence and concluded that two VC platoons had apparently infiltrated the village and that the RF elements were no longer in control. Presumably, an RPG team from one of these platoons had fired on the passing Centurion. The incident ended D Companys day of light duty as Blake ordered the company to Binh Ba. Our kit and ammunition were already packed, Bamblett later said. We knew we were on standby and anything could happen. No one knew if the VC would even still be there by the time the Aussies arrived. The reaction force consisted of D Company, a troop of M-113 armored personnel carriers (APC) and a troop of Centurions. They moved up the road to Binh Ba as fast as the APCs could manage. At 1030 hours, they formed up south of the village and discovered RF troops were engaged in heavy fighting. Although reports were still confused, it was becoming apparent that the estimate of just two platoons of VC in Binh Ba was wrong. As the APCs assembled, the Diggers could see that the RF troops were trying to evacuate the villagers. The more experienced hands knew right away that this would also be an obvious escape route for the VC. Major Blake attempted to coordinate with the Vietnamese district chief. Binh Ba would likely be ruined by the 84mm main guns of the Centurions and then the inevitable infantry assault, handing another propaganda victory to the Viet Cong. The RF unit fought on, but was making no progress. At 1120, when the Australians began taking RPG fire, Blake received word from the district chief to Do what you have to do. Four tanks under 2nd Lt. Brian Sullivan led the advance toward the village, and the APCs carrying D Company followed. Three hundred meters from the village the infantry dismounted and deployed between the APCs. The scheme of maneuver called for D Company to use Route 2 as the line of departure and to assault westward, rolling through village streets and clearing the enemy. As the Australians reached an area of the village perimeter cleared of all trees, they could see that they would encounter stiff resistance. Brian London in Number 10 Platoon said he saw about 40 figures running to take up defensive positions. The next moment several RPG smoke trails were heading in our direction. As Bamblett and his men dismounted from their APC, they too saw figures running at the edge of the village. I could see no pith helmets or floppy hats, no red stars. I couldnt tell whether they were NVA or VC. Then I saw a smoke trail from an RPG. The APCs used bursts of .50-caliber to chase them off. Bamblett looked for cover as the RPG fire became more intense and D Company organized. Blake was waiting with the rest of the unit in an open area in the rubber trees, about 300 meters out. D Company was taking increasing amounts of fire while its men waited, but the RPG teams were beyond effective range. Number 9 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force was on call to support the assault. A light fire team of two BushrangersUH-1 Hueys armed with miniguns and rockets went in to soften up the defending enemy and to prevent their escape from the village, sweeping in the direction of the Australian assault. With air support now backing them up, the tanks and APCs moved in. Binh Ba was compact, just 200 meters north to south and 500 meters west to east, with a grid system of four roads running through it. The initial plan was simple, with tanks, APCs and infantry advancing to each block of houses. The infantry would then clear the houses with support from the Centurions. A mopping-up force was to bring up the rear. Resistance, however, was far stiffer than anticipated. As they pushed through the village, Sullivan found that the well-built houses were absorbing a lot of fire and providing the enemy good cover. He quickly found that firing an 84mm high-explosive round through the wooden doors would kill anyone inside without causing too much structural damage. Despite support from the tanks, both vehicles and men were still coming under heavy small-arms fire. We received quite a shock when we came under sustained heavy fire from the first houses as we entered the village said APC commander Corporal Nick Weir. He was also taken aback when, in the midst of the battle, a French plantation owner swearing and spitting at us as we moved up confronted him. All he cared about was his rubber business, recalled Weir. The Australians found they were extremely vulnerable to a determined enemy in a built-up area as the destruction of the houses merely provided roaming RPG teams with more cover. The enemys willingness to engage the tanks further indicated that the intelligence estimate was wrong. The enemy was not acting like a typical local VC force. It was increasingly clear that there was a strong North Vietnamese Army presence in the village. Still, each small element of D Company pushed forward, making contact after contact. The APCs and tanks fired thousands of .50-caliber and 7.62mm rounds at every suspect doorway or point of fire while the Centurions main guns engaged any hardened position. Major Blake now realized that the enemy was in Binh Ba in force: They were everywhere. It was like you see in the movies. I even saw a few blokes dragging a 12.7mm machine gun up. The other problem was that there were still lots of civilians around. I saw my men stop what they were doing and run to move frightened civilians out of the way. In an hour of fighting, three tanks were disabled from battle damage and crew casualties, and Binh Ba had not yet been taken. D Company pulled out to the western side of the village. Weir was surprised by the intensity of the action, and Bamblett felt he had been kicked out of Binh Ba. Blake saw it mainly as a problem of supplyin particular, the Centurions were out of ammunitionbut there was no thought of abandoning the village. As he recalled, We just had to go back in. The Diggers prepared to assault again, this time west to east. A fresh troop of tanks moved up. The infantry led off at 1400 hours, clearing the houses while supported by X Troop, B Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment. But with the enemy now in a strong defensive position aided by the massive rubble, the going was getting even tougher. Every position of concealment had to be searched and cleared. Binh Ba was turning from a mechanized battle into hand-to-hand fighting. Each infantry platoon was supported by one tank and two APCs. The platoons were organized into house-clearing teams of three men each. Control of the teams and support vehicles proved to be problematic in the urban environment as the loss of line-of-sight contributed to confusion. The teams were supposed to clear one row of houses at a time, and then wait. If all went according to plan, they would step their way through Binh Ba one fire team at a time. As D Company moved forward again, the infantry got out of the vehicles and made immediate contact with the enemy. As his platoon reached the first line of houses, Private Wayne Teeling was shot dead. London ran to the rear of the platoons Centurion and picked up the external telephone, but it wasnt working. He climbed up on the tank and shouted down the hatch for a round of high explosive to be fired into the building. The house exploded and the Diggers rushed inside, finding six dead NVA in the smoldering ruins. That tactical pattern was repeated again and again. In the heavy fighting, the Australians pushed onward with or without direct orders. Sometimes a private led the way if no one else could. Another street was taken and another corner held; then another bunker or another room was taken. The battle became a minute-by-minute venture by privates and NCOs. Bamblett called it an intense fight replete with split-second choices and close-in fighting inside houses and inside rooms. With it now obvious that the resistance was far greater than what might have been expected from two platoons of VC, a U.S. Air Force forward air controller offered support, though Lieutenant Richard de Vere was confident that the Australians could manage with their own resources. De Vere himself was directing rocket fire from the Bushrangers onto targets. But the situation was difficult enough to require reinforcements from B Company, which arrived in the late afternoon. Bill OMara of B Companys Number 6 Platoon had expected the whole affair to be a walk in the park. A photographer, OMara was hoping he would finally get the chance to take some good pictures. It was late afternoon as he took in the view from atop an APC as they approached the village. As we got closer, I saw that the houses were on fire and there were gunships buzzing back and forth. OMara began to realize that it might not be so easy after all. Company B was supposed to ensure that no enemy forces left or entered the village, so they deployed among the rubber trees on the outskirts of Binh Ba. The enemy was now reeling from the grinding effect of Australian combined arms. Many chose to fight to the finish in their defensive positions, but some decided that a tactical withdrawal was the best way to serve the revolution. A light helicopter carrying 5RARs intelligence officer flew over some of the NVA troops as they fled from the ruins of the village. As two Centurion tanks chased them, one was stopped by an RPG round. Without infantry support, further pursuit by the tanks would have been foolish. At sunset, the firing had tailed off as the last of the houses were cleared. Most of the buildings in Binh Ba were now hardly recognizable and the search went underground as the Diggers pulled open the coverings of dugout shelters built close to or within each of the houses. Many of the enemy added to the chaos by changing into civilian clothing in an effort to escape. It had been a long and hard day for the Australians, but if anyone was to get some rest he would have to sleep through the artillery. Harassing fire commenced with Number 105 Field Battery working off an extensive list of targets. B Companys men and APCs formed into a 360-degree defensive perimeter with the M-113s and riflemen facing out. The night was quiet. But at 0600 on June 7, a large group of NVA soldiers moved toward B Companys position. In a bizarre exchange, perhaps because of the Australians floppy hats and jungle green uniforms, the two sides initially waved at each other. Regional Forces were still in the area and B Company thought it was a column of friendliesbefore a brisk exchange of fire ensued. For D Company that morning, the endgame was in sight. Its last sweep of Binh Ba was to finish the job once and for all. Then the awful, final clearing tasks had to be doneprobing for booby traps, bringing out the dead and searching corpses for vital documents. Abandoned weapons and ammunition had to be collected as indicators in the difficult business of estimating enemy casualties. Intelligence gatherers were always pressing for prisoners, wounded or not. The greatest tragedy of all, however, was the deaths of civilians who had been unable to escape. The battle of Binh Ba concluded after a final sweep at 0800 hours on June 8 and was followed by Australian civil affairs elements to assist in the resettlement of the villagers. OMara and the Number 6 Platoon moved into the devastated village and encountered a camera crew. I was just amazed, he recalled. They were trying to get some of the Diggers to reenact the battle so they could film it. The intelligence picture that soon developed confirmed what the Diggers had already suspected. Binh Ba had been occupied by the NVAs 1st Battalion, 33rd Regiment when the Centurion rolled up to the village. Most of the Australian casualties had been from small-arms fire and fragmentation. Despite the intensity of the battle, Private Teeling was the only Australian killed in action. On the other hand, the NVA had been severely mauled in the action, with 91 confirmed killed. Captured documents later showed that the 33rd Regiment had been moving across Phuoc Tuy province to reach sanctuary areas in the northeast. There is no doubt that the NVA made a valiant stand at the village and was determined to destroy large elements of the Australian Task Force. But it remains unknown whether the battle of Binh Ba was a deliberate choice by the NVA or not. Certainly the first shot on the morning of June 6 was not much of an ambush. Was the NVA surprised by the Australians retaliation, or was it a ploy to lure a part of the task force out to fight on ground that it had not chosen? There had been classic encounter battles before, but few where the NVA had been so prepared to take on armor. Since the actual intentions of the NVA 33rd Regiment that day are not known, debate will surely continue. What is certain, though, is that 5RAR engaged relentlessly and overcame a formidable enemy, bringing to bear a high level of combined arms skill that has long distinguished the Australians in combat. Raymond Gallacher writes from Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, England. For additional reading, see: Australias Vietnam War, by Jeffrey Grey, Peter Pierce and Jeff Doyle; and Vietnam ANZACs, by Kevin Lyles. Originally published in the August 2008 issue of Vietnam Magazine. To subscribe, click here. What makes America different from its enemies? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE AMERICA I KNEW AS A POW? When my German father-in-law asked me that question for the first time right after the news broke about abuses in Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, I didnt have a good answer for him. His own experience, however, provides perhaps one of the best illustrations of why a clear policy and practice forbidding torture or mistreatment of POWs is in the best interest of the United States. My father-in-law was a squad leader in the German armys Infanterie Lehr Regiment during World War II. He was severely wounded and then captured at Anzio. He believes to this day that had he not been captured, he would have died there in Italy, as his own army did not have the medical resources necessary to save his life. But he was capturedin a manner of speakingby two American GIs who were also badly hit, but less severely wounded than he was. They kept him alive until a collecting party recovered all three of them, and then he and the two Americans were evacuated to a field aid station, side by side in the same ambulance. That experience gave him a pretty strong clue that all the Nazi propaganda about the savage and barbaric Americans might not be quite accurate. After recovering at a hospital prison in North Africa, my father-in-law was shipped to the United States, where he spent the rest of the war picking cotton in Mississippi. By the time he finally got back to Germany in 1947, he, along with literally hundreds of thousands of other German and Italian POWs, had learned a valuable and lasting lesson about America, its people and their valuesa lesson that did much to shape the rest of the worlds view of America for many years after World War II. Thats what made it so hard to answer his question. American GIs dont treat prisoners that way. The American leadership would never condone such behavior. However, in the years since the first revelations about Abu Ghraib, there have been additional exposures of prisoner mistreatment at Guantanamo and other locations. My father-in-laws question is still hanging there, and I still dont have an answer for him. This isnt to say that the United States has never tortured or mistreated prisoners before. Unfortunately, it has. So in many ways this debate is nothing new to anyone who knows a little history. The torture technique known as waterboarding isnt new either. It was not invented in response to 9/11. American troops were using a form of waterboarding on captive Filipino insurgents as early as 1900. In one incident, a military judge advocate named Captain Edwin Glenn was actually court-martialed for his direct role in super vising the water torture of a Filipino prisoner. The court-martial board acquitted Glenn, but the Judge Advocate General of the Army, Maj. Gen. George B. Davis, registered a fierce dissenting legal opinion of the verdict. In a memo to the secretary of war, Davis wrote, No modern state, which is a party to international law, can sanction, either expressly or by a silence which imports consent, a resort to torture with a view to obtain confessions, as an incident to its military operations. That brings us to the current U.S. presidential elections, where the treatment of prisoners in the so-called Global War on Terror is one of the issues, and that debate has been profoundly shaped by the experiences in Vietnam of the Republican Party candidate. Senator John McCain knows from firsthand experience what it is like to be a POW, and to endure prolonged brutal torture in violation of every norm of international law and every basic standard of decent human behavior. McCain has generally opposed coercive and abusive interrogation techniques. In 2005 he proposed an amendment to a defense authorization bill requiring that interrogations of all detainees conducted by the U.S. military conform to the standards of the U.S. Armys field manual FM 34-52 Intelligence Interrogationwhich in September 2006 was revised and reissued as FM 2-22.3 Human Intelligence Collector Operations. McCains amendment passed, and has since been called the Detainee Treatment Act. But in February 2008, McCain inexplicably failed to back another bill that would have restricted the Central Intelligence Agency to using only those techniques specified in the Army field manual. Despite McCains inconsistency in applying the same standards to the CIA, many still support his general position that using torture to interrogate captured militants is unacceptable. Many others do not. Those who disagree are often all too ready to dismiss those who do as the usual suspects: bleeding-heart liberals who have never served their country in harms way and dont have the faintest idea what war is really all about. But it isnt quite that simple. In September 2005, 25 retired generals and admirals from one- to four-star rank, along with three former Vietnam POWs, signed a letter to McCain strongly supporting his proposed amendment. In December 2005, 33 retired professional intelligence experts and interrogators also signed a similar letter to McCain. The majority of those on both lists are Vietnam veterans, and several of them have written for or been interviewed by Vietnam Magazine over the years. And as with McCain, their understanding of armed human conflict is deeply rooted in their personal experiences in the war in Southeast Asia. Many arguments are advanced to justify enhanced interrogation techniques, a euphemism for torture that only a government bureaucrat in a safe and comfortable office could dream up. One such argument asserts that our enemies are a bunch of barbarians who launched a devastating surprise attack against us, do not adhere to even the basic rules of civilized human behavior and, therefore, do not deserve civilized treatment. If there is any justification to that argument, we certainly could have applied it to the soldiers who served the Nazi and Japanese regimes. But for the most part, we didnt, and we and the rest of the world were far better for it once World War II was over. Furthermore, as McCain so correctly points out, this debate isnt about themits about usabout who we are and what makes us different from the enemy we are fighting. Its about our values and our standards. Once we compromise those values, we find ourselves on the slippery slope to being just the same as we think they are. Where is the line? At what point do the compromises to our most cherished ideals as a nation start to corrupt our institutions and corrode them from within? For a stark example of how the cancer of incremental compromise can rot and slowly eat away at a great institution, one has only to take a good look at what happened to the German army during the Third Reich. Another argument goes that Al Qaida and the Taliban are transnational terrorist organizations, gangs of thugs, not armies of established states, and that since their fighters are illegal combatants rather than real soldiers, they are not entitled to the protections of the Geneva Conventions. This, too, is a discussion we have had before. At the start of the Vietnam War, the Saigon government insisted that the Viet Cong (VC) were little more than common criminals rather than enemy soldiers. Accordingly, they were imprisoned, tried and executed under what passed for due process of law in South Vietnam in the early 1960s. But as American involvement in the war grew, U.S. advisers started getting captured. The staff judge advocates at MACV headquarters quickly realized that if American GIs were going to have any chance whatsoever of surviving their captivity, the Saigon government had to be convinced to change its policy and start giving POW status to captured VC and treating them in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. In the end, we did not get anywhere near the reciprocity from the VC and North Vietnamese that we had hoped for; but as badly as American POWs were treated, it could have been much worse. A similar mechanism is in operation today. There can be little doubt that reports of prisoner abuse at the hands of Americans only gives the radical Islamic militants a blank check in their own minds to subject American captives to the most barbaric treatment possibleand so far they have been doing just that. This brings us to the issue of military necessity, the argument that rough interrogation of detainees is justifiable if it produces intelligence that will save American lives. But that begs a more fundamental question: Does it work? Many experts swear that it does. Unfortunately, all too many of those people have no real-world intelligence experience or have never spent a single day of their lives in uniform. Nor do most of them have sons or daughters serving on the front lines of the present fight. While the current director of the CIA endorses the effectivenessand lawfulnessof the more aggressive interrogation techniques, a great many other senior intelligence officials, including at least one former CIA director, are equally adamant that they do not work. Admittedly, harsh interrogation techniques do produce answersfast answers. But just how good is the information? A person being tortured will simply say anything he thinks his tormenters want to hear in order to stop the pain. Whether that information is accurate or relevant is something almost impossible to determine at the time, and in the long run it almost always turns out to be bogus. Experience shows that slow, methodical, long-term rapport-building interrogation tactics always produce better results. In March 2008, retired Lt. Gen. Harry Ed Soyster, a former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency who was severely wounded in Vietnam as an artillery officer, flatly stated that people who support the harsh methods do not understand the craft of intelligence and do not know what they are talking about. If they think these methods work, theyre woefully misinformed. Torture is counterproductive on all fronts. It produces bad intelligence. It ruins the subject, makes them useless for further interrogation. And it damages our credibility around the world. I have served with General Soyster. He is among the finest American soldiers I have ever known. Nonetheless, some self-appointed experts still insist that torture produces valid, actionable intelligence. Last year, a prominent hysteria-monger on talk radio insisted that torture works, as proved conclusively by John McCains own admission that under relentless and brutal interrogation he finally broke and divulged more than his name, rank, service number and date of birth, as specified by the U.S. Armed Forces Code of Conduct. But what kind of information did McCain provide? He eventually signed a confession written by his captives in the stilted comic-opera language of Communist rhetoric, admitting to black crimes and other vague generalities. And as McCain stated in his book: Eventually, I gave them my ships name and squadron number, and confirmed that my target had been the power plant. Pressed for more useful information, I gave the names of the Green Bay Packers offensive line, and said they were members of my squadron. When asked to identify future targets, I simply recited the names of a number of Vietnamese cities that had already been bombed. Pushed further, McCain gave up more phony facts: Once I was instructed to draw a diagram of an aircraft carrier. I decided to comply with the order, but took considerable artistic license in the process. I drew a picture of a ships deck with a large swimming pool on the fantail, the captains quarters in a chain locker, and various other imagined embellishments. The key point is that every human being has a breaking point, whether he is the chief operational planner for Al Qaida, a U.S. Navy fighter pilot, a future candidate for president of the United States or just some poor foot soldier who was unlucky enough to get captured. But if you subject any of them to enough torture, you will get the most amazing pieces of information, all of them exactly what you want to hear. Major General David T. Zabecki, Army of the United States (retired), is editor of Vietnam Magazine and senior historian at Weider History Group. He holds a doctorate in military history from Great Britains Royal Military College of Science, Cranfield University. Originally published in the October 2008 issue of Vietnam Magazine. To subscribe, click here. The Long Shadow of My Lai Merle Wilberdings article on My Lai (What Really Happened in Pinkville, April) places the massacre at the feet of Lieutenant William Calley and a handful of grunts, even while downplaying the number of murdered Vietnamese. In fact, the massacre involved all C/1-20th Infantry (the company commander and all three rifle platoon leaders pulled triggers along with their men) plus a platoon from B/4-3rd, as well as gunship pilots who cut down those civilians fleeing the ground sweep. It involved the destruction of not only My Lai 4, but also neighboring My Khe 4 and Binh Tay. In other words, two companies, being super vised from above by the task force commander, the brigade commander and the division commander, methodically shot and burned their way through three hamlets, leaving approximately 500 dead civilians in their wake. There were also numerous rapes. All of this was confirmed by the Armys own investigation. Perhaps it is easier to pin the tail on a donkey like Calley than to accept that a battalion-size unit conducted an illegal operation at the behest of officers who then played cover-up when certain outraged junior officers reported what they had witnessed. Those were tough times, and ugly things happened. It wasnt just Calley, however consoling that thought. Keith Nolan Weldon Spring, Mo. After reading Merle F. Wilberdings article, I was left speechlessand angry! Does the author simply have no grasp of his material? Or does he set out to whitewash and reverse the facts? The question What really happened at Pinkville? was answered a long time ago by extensive research, not only by journalists, but also by the American military itself. Some say 20, some say 100, some say 500 were killed in My Lai? Dead wrong! Since the early 1970s, the verified number is known to be at least 350 in My Lai 4 alone, not taking into account other civilian deaths occuring only miles away at the same time. The authors attempt to link My Lai to the previous Tet Offensive is pure speculation and further serves to give the actions at My Lai some sort of excuse, if not justification. Furthermore, Wilberding paints the whole incident more or less as the crime of a single man by putting Calleys actions against those of several men who refused to participate in the killing. Dead wrong again! It wasnt just Calleys platoon, it was a company-size operation with more than 100 men participating. Thats to say nothing of the widespread rape and mutilations that took place during the operationwhich Wilberding most certainly does not mention since it doesnt serve his purpose. Andreas Gewinner Bischofsgruen, Germany Courage is not exclaimed, its exhibited. Hugh Thompson did what was right at My Lai, and the right thing is often the hardest to do. Fortunately for me, as an infantryman in Vietnam, I never encountered such a dilemma. I have no idea how I would have acted. I was 19 years old, and I had officers I admired. I cherished their respect for me, so if ordered to do something, I would have felt great pressure to follow their orders, and great pressure to do what my fellow soldiers were doing. No man wants to be viewed as a wimp, so some behave cowardly to show courage. In the murky world of combat, camaraderie acts to counter fear. In that environment, errors in judgment occur, because false courage supersedes character. I dont think I had in me what Hugh Thompson had; few did. Rich Marcell San Diego, Calif. I found the article by Merle Wilberding too narrow in focus. It basically was a contrast between William Calley and Hugh Thompson, a legal view of black and white. But if you were in Vietnam, you know it was never that simple. I think a little context is in order. The 11th Light Infantry Brigade was formed in Hawaii. I was in Company A, and Calley was in Company C. I was not in My Lai and I have never spoken to Captain Ernest Medina. My comments are based on my knowledge of the individuals involved. When we hit Vietnam, Company C had its share of hardship. One platoon leader was killed shortly after he arrived in country. It was a gruesome incident in which he pulled out punji stakes in a boobytrapped boobytrap. Another platoon leader was killed when he was shot through the neck by a sniper. At the time of My Lai, there were two other rifle platoon leaders with Calley, one being Steve Brooks. As Mr. Wilberding states, all the platoons were present in My Lai; but there is no mention of the activities of the other platoons. I saw Brooks again that summer in Chu Lai. He told me something bad had happened, but he did not go into details. He did tell me that he had extended his tour, and there was angst in his voice, as if he could not go home. I found out later that he was KIA in 1969. For the record, Steve was a fine man and his life might have turned out differently if he had not been associated with Medina. His only crime was being young and impressionable. I believe that Calley was young and impressionable also, and that his actions partly reflect his desire for approval from Medina. I have no idea why someone would shoot the innocent and the elderly, but I have seen incidents where such people became the focus of a soldiers rage. In one case, it was after a fellow soldier was killed by a boobytrap while eating his lunch. This time, however, another soldier stepped in, saying, I know how you feel, but this is not the right thing to do. I consider My Lai a bizarre anomaly, something that should not have happened but did happen because of an unusual alignment of individuals, their personalities and the situation. There was, however, a definite depersonalization of the Vietnamese. I was fortunate never to be exposed to such a circumstance. Daniel Flynn Marco Island, Fla. Author Merle Wilberding replies: The letters certainly reflect the intensity of the feelings about the events at My Lai. Mr. Flynn correctly notes that my article concentrates on William Calley and Hugh Thompsontoo much, in his view. More than a dozen books have been written about My Lai, and each of them adds a unique perspective to a different facet of My Lai. I chose to concentrate on the evidence presented in the Calley court-martial because I believe that it constitutes its own unique perspective on the events, particularly because the retelling of the events at his courtmartial was firsthand and presented as sworn testimony under penalty of perjury. Mr. Gewinners concerns are a testament to the continuing controversy of the actions at My Lai, their treatment in history and their im pact on military training and military justice. Mr. Gewinner asserts that the verified number of dead victims was at least 350 in My Lai 4 alone. I said that the number of victims killed by Calleys platoon in My Lai was some say 20, some say 100, some say 500. In the early 1970s there were estimates of 500 or more, which suggests that the readers point of 350 is within the purview of my statement. The number veri fied by the Calley prosecution was not less than twenty. When Lieutenant Calley was charged with the murders by his platoon, he was charged in Specification 1 of not less than 30 and in Specification 2 of not less than 70 (total: 100). The court-martial at Fort Benning said not less than 20 and so found in its guilty verdict. This number was affirmed by the Army Court of Military Review, 46 CMR 431 (1973) and by the U. S. Court of Military Appeals, 22 USCMA 534 (1973). Mr. Gewinner wants more emphasis on other members of the platoon who participated in the killings but were not charged and, perhaps more to the readers point, were not named in the article. As I said in the article, the primary reason that others were not convicted is that the most culpable individuals had already been discharged from the Army, leaving the military without any jurisdiction to prosecute them. As a prosecutor, the purpose of my article was not to justify the actions of Calley, his platoon or Charlie Company. Instead it was to focus on Calley and the continuing impact of his conviction in military law and in our society. I drew from the facts in the trial transcripts and judicial opinions. One of the reasons for continuing controversy about My Lai is that different people draw different conclusions from those very same facts. So, Where Was Pinkville? The 1968 edition of AMS 1:50,000, Series L7014, Sheet 6739 II Quang Ngai shows clearly that the reddish-pink area referred to by the author was My Lai (1) and not the scene of the attack by Charlie Company, which was My Lai (4). The issue is complicated because Vietnamese and American names for specific Vietnamese administrative divisions did not necessarily coincide, namely at the subhamlet level. South Vietnamese administrative divisions were composed of provinces, districts, villages, hamlets and sub-hamlets. There were also a number of autonomous municipalities such as Hue, Da Nang and Sai Gon. The author correctly refers to Son My village (also known as Tinh Khe), but he incorrectly spells it Song My. Son My village was composed of four hamlets: (1) Tu Cung, (2) My Khe (also known as Truong Dinh), (3) My Lai and (4) Co Luy. Each hamlet was composed of a number of sub-hamlets. One of the sub-hamlets of Tu Cung hamlet was Thuan Yen (also known as Xom Lang); on American maps this was designated My Lai (4). One of the sub-hamlets of My Lai hamlet was My Khe (not to be confused with My Khe hamlet); on Ameri can maps My Khe sub-hamlet was labeled My Lai (1). My Lai (1) was a built-up area and colored reddish-pink on 1:50,000 topographic maps, thus Pinkville. Route 521 ran through My Khe sub-hamlet. My Lai (4) was two kilometers from My Lai (1). The author mentions that some say 20 or 100 or 500 were killed in what came to be known as the My Lai Massacre. The present-day Son My Memorial has a wall that lists the names of 504 people allegedly killed on March 16, 1968. This includes the names of 97 people killed at My Hoi subhamlet of Co Luy hamlet; My Hoi subhamlet was designated My Khe (4) on American maps. My Hoi sub-hamlet was the scene of the attack by Bravo Company. It was about 212 kilometers from My Lai (4). The My Lai Massacre, normally associated with Charlie Company, took place in Quang Ngai province, Son Tinh district, Son My village, Tu Cung hamlet, Thuan Yen (Xom Lang) sub-hamlet (My Lai (4)). The less well-known incident, associated with Bravo Company, took place in My Hoi sub-hamlet (My Khe (4)) of Co Luy hamlet. It seems that My Lai has become a generic term and synonymous with a village or a hamlet or Pinkville. For additional reading, I recommend the report of the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Service Committee, published in July 1970, Investigation of the My Lai Incident and the 2006 work by Kendrick Oliver, The My Lai Massacre in American History and Memory. Daniel R. Arant Annapolis, Md. Any More Volunteers? On September 22, 1969, I was inducted into the Army in Buffalo, N.Y. Standing at attention, a large Marine went down the line stopping in front of each of us. They were selecting a few good men for the best team, to quote him. He chose a handful, and I felt fortunate at the time to be among them. I was discharged in 1971 after serving a year in Vietnam. Bud Forti Green Harbor, Mass. Originally published in the August 2008 issue of Vietnam Magazine. To subscribe, click here. Memorial Wall records now available via the Web The National Archives and Records Administration and Footnote.com have together launched a virtual replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall, making historical records of tens of thousands of deceased Vietnam War veterans available online. The site contains casualty records and agency photos, and is searchable by name, hometown, birth date, tour date and dozens of other categories. Footnote.com is working with NARA to make photos from the war available on its Web site and create links to the service records and casualty reports of those whose names appear on the digital wall. Until now, the records of deceased veterans were only available through the NARA archives, and searching capabilities were limited. The Web site also allows visitors to post photographs they may have of a deceased veteran and to make comments. Data available on the site will include each veterans specialty, rank, posthumous decorations, regiment, cause of death and whether the body was recovered. Although veterans groups have praised the site, many say it should be expanded to include all Vietnam War veterans. Its a wonderful thing theyre doing, said Rick Weid man, executive director for policy and government affairs at the Vietnam Veterans of America. We certainly have to do much to honor our dead. But we continue to press for access for living veterans. Helicopter pilot gets Air Force Cross for 1968 rescue mission An inquiry into one Vietnam veterans military pension led to the discovery that he deserved the Air Force Cross. Dennis Richardson flew helicopter rescue missions in Vietnam and, after the war, he spent the next 30 years flying rescue missions with the Air National Guard. Not until the military pension inquiry 10 years ago did evidence appear that Richardson, of Amityville, N.Y., was eligible for the nations second-highest military honor. In an unsuccessful March 1968 rescue effort near the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Richardson had exposed himself to enemy fire as a door gunner aboard one of two rescue helicopters trying to recover an American pilot who had ejected near the border of Laos. Enemy gunfire hit the helicopters, but Richardson persevered. In the end, they couldnt save the pilot. To have that guy right there and we couldnt get him, youre pretty upset, Richardson said. In April, he received his medal at the New York Air National Guards 106th Rescue Wing in Westhampton Beach. Released documents confirm CIA activities in Laotian operations The National Security Archive, a private research group, has published previously classified U.S. Air Force official histories of the Vietnam War that, according to the organization, prove that the Air Force actively considered nuclear weapons options during the 1959 Laos crisis and during the 1968 battle at Khe Sanh. The documents also reveal that CIA employees had a direct role in combat air attacks, flying Lao tian government aircraft on strike missions; and that the U.S. ambassador in Laos served as the field commander of the so-called secret war there, a role that has been largely undocumented. The National Security Archive released these classified documents after winning a lawsuit that charged the Air Force with failing to process requests, destroying records, discouraging requesters, and excessive delays. The court ordered the Air Force to process all the Archives requests. The history of the war in northern Laos was written in the 1990s but remained locked up, as did Air Force historical studies on specific years of the Vietnam War. In complying with the courts order, the Air Force released the more than 500 pages of previously classified histories. Other revelations are that the CIAs commitments to the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion hindered the Agencys ability to carry out Kennedy administration policy in Laos, and that Air America, a CIA proprietary airline, ran search-and-rescue missions in Laos in addition to its role in combat operations. War reporters remains interred at Newseum Four celebrated Vietnam War combat photographers have been laid to rest in Washington, D.C.s Newseum, a new $439 million museum devoted to the history and practice of journalism. The interment ceremony came 10 years after a U.S. military search team in Laos found bits of wreckage along with camera parts, film and broken watches, confirming that a South Vietnamese helicopter was shot down there in 1971. The helicopter carried the four photojournalists and seven South Vietnamese soldiers. The photographers were The Associated Press Henri Huet, 43; Larry Burrows, 44, of Life magazine; Kent Potter, 23, of United Press International; and Keisaburo Shimamoto, 34, a Newsweek freelancer. At the ceremony, a capsule with the scant human remains was interred. A small silver plaque honors the photographers at the foot of a soaring glass memorial dedicated to fallen journalists. They are among 74 journalists who died in Vietnam. Richard Pyle, a former Associated Press bureau chief in Saigon, said the four compelled the world to see Vietnam as they saw it, through a camera lens that told the truths about the war. Last of the boat people find Canadian home The last group of 160 displaced Vietnamese boat people in the Philippines is obtaining permanent residence in Canada. They were among the hundreds of thousands of refugees who fled Vietnam by sea in flimsy, overcrowded boats in 1975 to escape the new Communist regime. At the peak there were about 2,500 Vietnamese refugees in the Philippines. Many of the stateless refugees were unable to convince immigration screeners from the United States, Australia and Western European countries that they were political refugees. Canada, which already has 150,000 Vietnamese immigrants, ultimately decided to accept the remaining refugees from the Philippines. Wallaby Airline pilots receive U.S. Air Medals in Canberra After more than 40 years, the United States has finally honored the Royal Australian Air Forces No. 35 Squadronthe first RAAF operational unit that was sent to Vietnam in 1964, and the last to leave in 1972. In the largest single U.S. decoration ceremony in Australia, held at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on April 4, the U.S. Air Force awarded 128 Air Medals to Australian pilots and ground crew. United States Ambassador to Australia Robert McCallum presented the awards, many posthumously. Referred to as the Wallaby Airlines by the Americans, the squadron worked and fought alongside American troops. The United States gave the squad its orders, which involved operating Caribou transports during 12-hour days in which they dropped and extracted supplies, rescued soldiers and recovered remains. For nearly 20 years, veterans of the squadron lobbied for recognition. Australian veteran Ron Workman, who was a pilot in Number 35 Squadron, has been the driving force behind the push for the medals since 1995, when he attended an air force reunion in the United States. Veterans were required to send statutory declarations and other official documents to the United States, which were then checked out by the CIA and FBI before Congress passed the motion to award the medals. Originally published in the August 2008 issue of Vietnam Magazine. To subscribe, click here. It's imperative that there is a legally binding guarantee in place to prevent the emergence of a hard border on the island of Ireland, irrespective of the debate around the status of time-limits as set out by the UK Government, says Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Brexit Lisa Chambers TD Deputy Chambers made the comments following the publication of proposals by the UK Government on the proposed backstop arrangement. Deputy Chambers added that such a backstop arrangement cannot, by definition, be time limited. Deputy Chambers said, The UK Government has today put forward proposals setting out a temporary customs arrangement to be put in place for the whole of the UK until such a time as a future customs arrangement can be introduced. "They state their view that they expect such a new arrangement to be in place by the end of December 2021. Whilst I acknowledge the attempt to move this issue forward it is critical that, irrespective of the shape, scope or type of future trading relationship agreed between the EU and the UK, that there is a guarantee in place specifying that there will be no hard border on the Island of Ireland in the event of failure to reach agreement." She continued: The issue of the border can no longer be fudged. Whilst todays proposals have to be examined in full we cannot continue to kick this issue down the road. We were told by the Tanaiste and the Taoiseach in December that the commitments given in the December agreement in relation to the border were cast-iron and bullet-proof. "The time has come to see if those statements will actually ring true, concluded Deputy Chambers. Not one Irish university is currently in the worlds top 100, according to the shock findings of the latest global university rankings. Six out of eight Irish top-ranked colleges have fallen down the rankings while Trinity College Dublin lost its ranking as Irelands only top-100 university, falling from 88th to 104th in the world. Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Education Thomas Byrne TD says the latest global university rankings show that the Governments current approach to higher education is failing.Deputy Byrne said, These results are disappointing and mark a sustained downward trend for Irelands universities on the global stage. "These rankings are an established method of measuring the reputation of third level institutions internationally. "They by no means tell the complete picture but Minister Brutons decision to basically ignore them is negligent and delusional and suggests he does not truly understand the difficulties facing Irish third level institutions." He added: Minister Bruton has shown little interest in wanting to tackle the challenges facing third level education. Senior academics have expressed alarm at the difficulties facing third level education yet their concerns have fallen on deaf ears for years now. Minister Bruton needs to publish a detailed plan setting out how the Government intends getting Ireland back up in the global rankings. "The current inertia surrounding third level education policy is unsustainable and is only serving to undermine Irish universities." Meanwhile, the Labour Party Education spokesperson, Aodhan O Riordain has said that unless the Minister for Education addresses the issues with higher education funding, the sector will remain stagnant. Senator O Riordain said: While I am no fan of education ranking systems, the fact that Irish universities continue to fall in the QS World University Rankings, is a damning inditement of the lack of the lack of investment in the third level sector. We hear the Minister for Education repeat ad nauseum that he wants to create the best education and training system in Europe, however precarious work is rife in our universities, student-teacher ratios are rapidly increasing and there is a huge problem with under-investment. Like in our primary and secondary schools, many employees in the third level sector are leaving Ireland for better opportunities in universities abroad, where there is better job security and conditions. The Minister cannot continue to hide behind Action Plans that are not delivering and the Oireachtas Committee on Education when it comes to the future funding of third level education. Fine Gael cannot continue to be so evasive on this issue. The Indie-R&B trio were Hot Press cover stars back in February. Crawl is the latest single from Wyvern Lingos 2018 self-titled album, which was released in February and warmly embraced by fans and media alike. This is also the first single following the Bray natives successful UK and European headline tour in support of their acclaimed debut album. The single tees up an exciting run of summer dates for the band, where fans old and new can see them at the following shows: 20th July - King Johns Castle, Limerick (with Walking On Cars) 21st July - The Big Top, Galway (with Walking On Cars) 22nd July - Boyle Arts Festival, Roscommon 23rd July - The Trinity Sessions, Dublin (with Grace Jones) 3rd August - Indiependence Festival, Mitchelstown, Cork 25th August - Reading Festival, UK 26th August - Leeds Festival, UK Wyvern Lingos next headline show in Dublin is 28th September at The Academy. Advertisement A fresh club remix of Crawl from Peter Vogelaar is also out now. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Superior Court Briefs: May 30 - June 7 Cases heard before Judge Maureen Hogan on Wednesday, May 30. Raekwan Jackson, 22, of Springfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on March 21, 2018. Cases heard before Judge Mark Mason on Wednesday, June 6. William Fiske III, 29, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to single counts of breaking and entering in the daytime, assault by means of a dangerous weapon, larceny from a building, assault and battery, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, vandalize property, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, and failure to stop for a police officer in relation to an incident in Pittsfield on March 23, 2016 and involved a 56-year-old man and two women, ages 22 and 24. He was ordered to serve 729 days, time served, at the Berkshire County House of Correction on the charges of breaking and entering a building in the daytime, assault by means of a dangerous weapon, and larceny from a building charges. He was given concurrent six-month sentences on the assault and battery, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and vandalize property changes. The others were placed on file. Single counts of armed assault with intent to murder, violation of a restraining order, assault and battery, and threat to commit a crime were dismissed by the state. Fiske also pleaded guilty three counts of assault and battery on a correction officer and a single count of threat to commit a crime in connection with an incident at the Berkshire County House of Correction on May 5, 2016. He was ordered to serve concurrent six-month sentences on those charges. Christine Bradley, 55, of Pittsfield had a not guilty plea entered on her behalf on a single count of trafficking in oxycodone. She was released on personal recognizance. The charge stems from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on April 13, 2018. Antonio Hernandez, 27, of North Adams had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of manufacturing cocaine, conspiracy to violate drug laws, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, illegal ownership of a firearm, possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, and improper storage of a firearm. He was released on $5,000 bail. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at his home on March 2, 2018. Brittany Sanders, 32, of Pittsfield had a not guilty plea entered on her behalf on a single count of trafficking in oxycodone. She was released on personal recognizance. The charge stems from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on April 13, 2018. Cases heard before Judge Mark Mason on Thursday, June 7. Isaac Harris-El, 43, of Watervliet pleaded guilty to a single count of assault and battery on a disabled person. He was given a one-year suspended sentence at the Berkshire County House of Correction and placed on one-year probation. Harris-El assaulted a student while employed by Eagleton School between March 1, 2015 and March 31, 2015. A single count of intimidation of a witness was dismissed by the state. Lindsay Lancto, 28, of West Stockbridge had not guilty pleas entered on her behalf on two counts of illegal ownership of a firearm, two counts of improper storage of a firearm, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and single counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, illegal possession of a large capacity weapon, improper storage of a large capacity firearm, possession of a large capacity firearm durin the commission of a firearm, illegal possession of a large capacity feeding device, and possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card. She was released on $1,000 bail. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at Pebble Street in North Adams on February 1, 2018. Jamel Nicholson, 29, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of armed career felon, illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of a loaded firearm, and possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card. He was released on personal recognizance. The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in Cheshire on February 28, 2018. Noel Torres, 29,of North Adams had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on two counts of improper storage of a firearm, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and single counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute - his second offense - possession of cocaine, illegal possession of a firearm - his second offense - illegal possession of a large capacity weapon, improper storage of a large capacity firearm, possession of a large capacity firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, illegal possession of a large capacity feeding device, and armed career felon. He was released on $2,500 bail. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at his home on February 1, 2018. Representatives for Cumberland Farms' plans for Commercial Street appear before the Zoning Board on Thursday. This schematic shows the actual size and location of the convenience store, pumps and curb cuts. PreviousNext Cumberland Farms to Consider Adams Site Concerns Neighbors and abuttors of the property fill the meeting room at Town Hall. ADAMS, Mass. After hearing a flood of concerns from the Zoning Board of Appeals and residents, Cumberland Farms representatives asked to extend the public hearing to alter their plans. The convenience store chain is looking to construct a new Cumberland Farms at Al's Service Center on Commercial Street, just south of its older, smaller location. At the end of a two-hour meeting Thursday night, Cumberland Farms representative Thomas Reidy thanked the board and the dozens of residents for airing their concerns about the proposed 95 Commercial St. gas station and asked for the opportunity to go back to the drawing board. "I think we have heard a lot this evening and I think we have a lot to think about," he said. "I think we really need to take a harder look at the project and take a look at what the neighbors, the board and the town has brought up and talk to Cumberland Farms to see what we can do if anything." The hearing to review three variance requests was postponed late last month by request of Cumberland Farms. Although there was no business conducted during this May 23 meeting, many residents still attended to voice their concern over the project. Cumberland Farms is proposing the construction of a gas station and convenience store. The facility would sit on three parcels one of which contains Al's Service Center. Two homes along with the service center would be demolished. Cumberland Farms needs variances to redevelop the property, create two curb cuts and permission to operate 24 hours in an R-4 zone. Chairman Peter West started off the discussion by stating the board very likely may not reach a decision that night and that it will try to work toward a compromise with Cumberland Farms. "My goal would be to hear everything and really look at and it get input and then figure out a compromise that works for everyone," West said. "Will it be perfect? No. Is anything perfect? No ... and I would like to balance that." West said his first major concern was traffic and asked if Cumberland Farms conducted a traffic study. Reidy said they have conducted the study but have yet to submit it because typically it would come into play during the Planning Board hearing. He turned the podium over to the company's traffic engineer Paul Furgal. After running a traffic study against state Department of Transportation numbers, Furgal said the expectation is a minimal increase in traffic and delays. He said the average is nearly 40 extra cars in the morning and 46 additional cars in the afternoon. West had concerns about a bus stop in the area and general safety with more cars exiting and entering the gas station. Furgal said crash data is far below state averages for similar traffic situations and the projection is that with the improvements, it will actually be safer with clearer lines of sight exiting on to Commercial Street. West was concerned about the curb cut on Prospect Street, on the property's north side, with so many residents parking on the side of the road. "That street is a nightmare today and it is really a one-lane road used as a two-lane," he said. "There are so many cars that are parked on that road you can't get two cars to pass through. This is really bothersome form my perspective." Board member Brian Tenczar asked if it was possible to eliminate the curb cut and simply keep traffic out of the neighborhood. The board was told most of the traffic will be using the Commercial Street entrance and the second entrance is needed for tanker trucks to be able to navigate the parking lot. Even though West was told that the truck drivers are skilled, and Cumberland Farms has verified that a tractor-trailer could make the turn on to Prospect Street, West said he didn't believe it. "You can't get a car through there never mind a truck," he said. "I'd like to see it because I can't get my car through there half of the time. That is a real problem." Reidy said the feedback was helpful and that they can look at other options and possibly return to the board with a different plan. "We will take a look and I will challenge the engineers and we can see if there is another way," he said. "Cumberland Farms is a convenience store and if they are not safe and convenient they are not going to make any money, so I think they want the layout to work as well as you do." West went on to say he also has heard concerns about the store being open 24 hours. "It has been forever a service station of yesteryear and it has turned into a towing business," he said. "Yeah they are open 24 hours, but this is Mayberry and they may not tow in the middle of the night for three or four nights versus a 24-hour gas station." Reidy said although it would be more profitable to be open 24 hours, Cumberland Farms may be open to limiting hours from 5 a.m. to midnight and putting limitations on night operations. Interim Town Administrator Donna Cesan asked the commission to inquire about the three actual variances Cumberland Farms was requesting and West asked what hardships, besides a loss in profit, Cumberland Farms faced that would satisfy the variances. Reidy said he agreed 24-hour operation could be considered a matter of financial profit but that without the other two variances, the project simply could not move forward. He added that the service station is currently a non-conforming use and if allowed to go forward the site would be cleaned up and remediated. He said this would be a financial benefit to the town and otherwise the area would likely sit as is. Tenczar said he felt they were creating their own hardships. "It seems like you are on the border of self-imposed hardship here," he said. "One of the three sites have the right to be used commercially, the other two do not." Cesan asked the board to consider if the existing use is obsolete by modern standards and asked them if a modern service station could exist on the property. "I don't think it can. You need to think about the requirements for zoning setbacks, underground storage tanks, environmental requirements," she said. "I think that is the nature of the hardship. Can today a modern service station be placed on such a small property?" The board then opened the floor up to the public and residents and abutters aired their concerns about smells, increased traffic, and the loss of views. The company says it will clean up and improve the corner lot now occupied by a service center; neighbors are worried about noise, smells, traffic and disturbances. This image is a rendering of what the station might look like. Resident Steve Dadak asked that the three parcels be looked at separately and cited the town's zoning bylaws. He made the case that allowing the use would be illegal in an R-4 district and felt the current non-conforming use did not qualify. "Anything besides a no vote will set a precedent that they don't need to follow zoning law," he said. "It is clearly an illegal use of an R-4 district. A couple illegal parked cars in an R-4 district does not allow them to undermine our zoning laws and turning it into a 24-hour gas station will be a great detriment to the public good." Resident and tractor-trailer driver Wayne Piaggi had more specific concerns about how the big trucks will traverse the tight neighborhood. "This is a logistical nightmare ... it is going to be quite a show," he said. "I drive in Manhattan and a location like this -- we are going to think about it when we leave in the morning just because it is going to be a headache." Resident Dave Roberts said his property value is slated to decrease 40 percent if the Cumberland Farms is built and he had concerns about garbage and crime. The only voice in favor of the new facility was James Leitch, who lives next to the current Cumberland Farms. He said when a truck delivers gas, traffic needs to be stopped. He added the curb is cut along the entirety of that property and that gas station is even closer to a school. "To me, this is a thousand times better than what we currently have, and I think if they are talking about the negative the negative is 100-fold down the street," he said. "To have this would eliminate these problems." Confetti drops as Drury High School graduates the class of 2018. PreviousNext Drury High Graduates Ready to Make Lemonade Out of Life Valedictorian Cady Denning tells the class that Drury has taught them the ingredients they need to make lemonade out of what life throws them. See more photos here. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The class of 2018 first entered Drury High School unsure of what to expect, and perhaps a little disappointed at first. It wasn't anything like "High School Musical," complained class valedictorian Cady Denning. No one was breaking out in a musical numbers in the hallways, no one was dancing on the tables. But what the class did get was preparation for the "so-called real world" among the science experiments, math lessons, music and sports. "As cliche as it may sound, high school has prepared us for a lifetime of lemons," Denning told the crowded Drury gymnasium on Thursday night. "We've learned that sometimes when life throws you lemons, you can't just make lemonade. You have to bring your own sugar and water to the table first or else it just wouldn't taste right." Sugar and water in terms of learning how to manage time, how to solve problems, how to seek help, how to face challenges. Denning said she found inspiration in her 72 classmates as the group persevered through troubled times and cheered each other in the good times. "Each of these students sitting up here tonight has faced many personal obstacles and challenges," Denning said. "They've dealt with every lemon life has thrown their way and now they're here ready to receive their diploma. So I raise my glass of lemonade, which is bittersweet just like this moment, to everybody in the room." Bittersweet perhaps, but it was a most definitely joyous night at Drury as the graduates broke out into song and dance and grinned with happiness as they received their diplomas and congratulations from Mayor Thomas Bernard and Superintendent Barbara Malkas. It was Bernard's first time handing out diplomas as the city's new mayor and chairman of the School Committee. Just one year ago, he reminded the gathering, he'd sat on the other side watching his daughter, the class of 2017's valedictorian Alexandra Bernard, graduate. And it was almost to the moment when he'd been on stage himself 30 years ago to receive his diploma, he said. Now he had the honor of pronouncing this latest crop of graduates from Drury. The evening began with the processional into the gym and the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Class President Cassandra Crosier lead the Pledge of Allegiance, the band played "Fort Massachusetts" and the chorus sang "I Hope You Dance." Class Vice Presidents Emily Stewart and Anthony Neff led the processional and took turns reading the names of graduates as they stepped on stage for their diplomas. Salutatorian Allison Zoito, a member of the band, couched some of her advice in musical references. They came down to certain attributes she'd learned while at Drury: don't rush; use indoor and outdoor voices appropriately; life is short; life changes pitch so go with the flow; and attend to personal problems. The gist was to take time to enjoy life and not be afraid to take chances. "If I were to share a piece of advice, I'd say make decisions based on what you want for yourself and what you know will make you happy and fulfill your goals based on what you want for yourself and not what you think others want of you," she said. "There are enough followers in the world, be the person to stand up for what you believe in even if others don't agree with you." Life has its ups and downs, failures are a chance to learn, she said. "We each have written our composition, which we customized with both successes and shortfalls. And it's our failures that define the parameters in which we live ... branch out and don't be afraid," Zoito said, leaving the class with the words spelled out on her mortarboard: "Where words fail, music speaks." Principal Timothy Callahan said he'd tried to get a handle on the class, first thinking he could compare them to kids' cereal Count Chocula but then realizing they could be portrayed in numbers: 27, 35, 78 and 100. Twenty-seven percent of the class was nontraditional in that the students had were pursued different paths to graduation, such as college courses or the E3 Academy. And 35 percent of the seniors ahd actually transferred in from other schools, although some had started at Drury, left and come back. "They have this cosmopolitan air, they're world travelers, they've been to strange lands like McCann Tech, Hoosac Valley and BArT," he said to laughter. "Maybe that's what defines this class." Or maybe it's the fact that 78 percent of the graduating class had taken one or more Advanced Placement classes, the highest number of AP participants the school's seen. Even the non-AP students had taken higher level classes that challenged them. But Callahan thought the real number was 100 percent: every single student on the stage was graduating that night. A few had to finish up some online courses, but not one student was being required to attend summer school, he said. "Even though we can't predict the future, we are I am 100 percent confident that they will surprise and make their mark on the world," he said. Before the class broke out into singing Springsteen's "Glory Days" and the alma mater, before the confetti fell from the ceiling and the caps were tossed the air, Malkas sent them off with a last bit of advice. "No matter where life takes you college, military or directly to employment please remember the lessons you've learned here at Drury High School, your Mother on the Hill, to participate, to be authentic and fair, and to provide support for each other," she said. "By doing this your future and our collective future is certainly bright." Storey welcomes the participating students, some of whom are seen here. The book was dedicated to Elizabeth 'Ebbie' Patenaude, left, seen here with Noella Carlow, the public school's 21st Century coordinator. The students interviewed local leaders such as James Holmes, Lt. Jason Wood and Ricco Fruscio, who attended the event. PreviousNext North Adams Elementary Pupils, Storey Publish Book on Leadership Eleven North Adams pupils participated in the book project. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Storey Publishing unveiled a new book about leadership this week that was written by 11 students from Brayton, Greylock and Colegrove elementary schools. Students involved in the after-school community service learning project program gathered at Storey's headquarters on the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art campus on Monday with family, teachers and Storey staff to reveal "The Road to Leadership" that features biographies on known leaders as well as interviews with local and school leaders. "Kids have a voice more so then we think, and I think that they wanted to get their message out to community leaders and school leaders," said Noella Carlow, the site coordinator for the North Adams Public School's 21st Century After-School Programs. "The thought was put all of this into a book that all could read, and maybe more children and adults would be inspired to become leaders." Carlow said this is NAPS second year working with Storey and leadership was the focus of this project. The children in the 21st Century after-school leadership club first researched historical figures and wrote a quick paragraph about them and why they are considered a great leader. Leaders ranged from Martin Luther King Jr. to George Washington to seat belt inventor Nils Bohlin. These bios were followed by interviews with local leaders such Police Lt. Jason Wood, retired teacher James Holmes, City Councilor Benjamin Lamb, Brayton Principal John Franzoni, program coordinator of the North Adams Chamber of Commerce Ricco Fruscio and many more. Students asked pointed questions such as: What is the definition of a good leader? What habits did you practice when you were growing up? And have you ever made a bad choice? Students also wrote a quick bio on themselves. Storey Production Director Caroline Burch said the students visited Storey on two occasions in May and during the first visit they met individually with editors who helped them clean up their writing as they would with any other writer. On their second visit, students met with Storey designers who helped them pick out the font and color palette and showed them how to place photos in their individual sections. "Because of that you will see that each section that the students did is so different than the others, which is really unique," designer Michaela Jebb said. "The designers just clicked buttons the student really did it on their own." After this, the book was sent out to be printed. Before handing out the books to the students, Carlow made a note to say a few words about who the book was dedicated to Brayton first-grade teacher Elizabeth "Ebbie" Patenaude. "Three years ago, Mrs. Patenaude came to me with an idea, and if you know anything about Mrs. Patenaude she is always thinking about ways to help children," Carlow said. "She had this idea for children to practice some basic goal-setting habits. She thought all children could benefit academically, socially and emotionally." These habits are listed in the book embedded in Patenaude's interview -- they include being proactive, begin with the end in mind, think win-win, synergize and seek first to understand, then to be understood. Carlow said these goal-setting habits and language have become part of the public schools' community. "Three years later, students in the schools are beginning to use this language and vocabulary and appreciate the habits in school and at home," she said. "We have had parents actually tell us they are using the language at home and because Mrs. Patenaude had this great idea that led North Adams students to success with their goal setting we decided to dedicate the book to her." Patenaude thanked the students for the dedication and the administration for allowing her to go forward with her goal-setting program. "I am honored, and I think the leader in me is a great set of habits to have and I am happy that we did it," she said. The students included a quote by children's book writer Andrew Clements in the dedication: "So many things have gone out of date. But after all of these years, words are still important. Words are still needed by everyone. Words are used to think with, to write with, to dream with, to hope and pray with." Before disbanding, Fruscio addressed the students and said he saw a future leader in each and every one of them. "We try to take our vision for a better life and better community and instill it in younger minds so that they grow through that and they become our new leaders," he said. "So I am in the business of always promoting North Adams sand this is one of the most important things that I have seen so take a moment to look around at these kids because these kids are the next generation leaders." iciHaiti - Politic : Weekly Review of Parliament's Activities The week of May 28 to June 1, 2018 was once again marked by a lack of legislative activity at the Parliament level. No plenary meeting, no meeting in the Commission has been held; it has been three weeks since the start of the beginning of the holiday period of the deputies that nothing moves in the Senate... To be noted, a convocation of the Superior Council of the National Police (CSPN) made by the Justice and Security Committee of the Senate for the 1st of June 2018 around the Presidential Order https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24541-haiti-politic-the-government-explains-about-the-decree-concerning-the-decisions-of-the-pnh.html ruling the report of this entity with the General Directorate of the National Police of Haiti. A convocation canceled due to the unavailability of Jack Guy Lafontant President of the CSPN and Prime Minister. Convocation postponed to June 5, 2018. IH/ iciHaiti iciHaiti - Politic : Latin American Day of Freedom of the Press Thursday, during the Latin American Day of Freedom of the Press, the Ministry of Communication congratulated the journalists and the media who continue to inform the population despite the challenges they face and reiterated the will of the Government to continue to respect and enforce the freedom of the press and expression in Haiti and to work for journalists to enjoy better security conditions to exercise their profession. As part of this commemoration, the Ministry expresses the wish that freedom of the press and expression can continue to be exercised in all its fullness, but that it is also exercised in a more and more responsible way. The Ministry has renewed its support and sympathy for all the journalists who have been victims in the exercise of their profession and their families and calls on the judicial authorities to speed up the ongoing procedures for justice to be done. IH/ S/ iciHaiti Photo Friday: Celebrate Israel The Fellowship | June 8, 2018 Photo Friday: Celebrate Israel This past weekend, thousands of people who stand for Israel filled the streets of New York City for the annual Celebrate Israel Parade. And this year, they had even more to celebrate, what with the Jewish state celebrating her 70th anniversary. Shabbat shalom, friends. Salem man charged with murder Crider A confrontation involving two Salem men Saturday night ended in an alleged murder, according to state police. Kentucky State Police h... 911 Center Seeks Your Information 911 Center Director Kellye Dalton In order to improve public safety and to better serve the community, Marion-Crittenden County Emergency 91... Flippin' Fantastic opening this weekend behind Darben Plaza Click Image to Enlarge A new store opening in Marion will be Flippin' Fantastic. The grand opening for the store is Oct. 15-16 at the fo... Bunch Brothers selling unique treasures Oct. 23 Click Image to Enlarge Unique antiques, guns, knives and tools will be on the auction block when Steven and Joe Bunch conduct an auction on ... This content is from: Corporate OMelveny & Myers retained its position as the best international firm for women in business law for the third year in a row, while Dentons took home the most innovative international firm award In this photo taken Jan. 10, 2017, an intern works at start-up company Hacklab.in, in Bengaluru. In India, thousands of young people dream of becoming the next tech titan, but according to 2016 report by the IBM Institute for Business Value and Oxford Economics, 90 percent of Indian start-ups fail within five years. (Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images) Leaf Wearables, based in New Delhi, won the $1 million Anu and Naveen Jain Womens Safety XPRIZE, creating a necklace that can be pushed to send alerts to family and police in an emergency. From left to right: Indian American Naveen Jain, Leaf Wearables team leader Manik Mehta with team members Niharika Rajiv and Avinash Bansal; Anu Jain, and Peter Diamandis, founder and CEO of XPRIZE. (Image Source: Anu & Naveen Jain Women's Safety XPRIZE) Oscar Morel has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering Imam Maulana Akhonjee and his friend Thara Uddin, as they exited a mosque in Queens, New York. The slayings sparked a wave of protests in the Indian American and larger South Asian American community, who believe they were a hate crime. (NYPD Muslim Officers Society photo) And from the creation of Iluka in 1998, the company was reliant on Eneabba for its zircon supply. This lasted until 2006, when a combination of deposit depletion and declining grades meant, for Iluka, the beginning of the end of the importance of the West. The companys geographic center shifted to the Murray Basin, in Australias south-eastern state of Victoria. But it has more recently shifted again to the companys Jacinth Ambrosia deposit in the Eucla Basin in South Australia. Jacinth Ambrosia came online in 2009 at the tail end of declining global zircon supply, which gave it a strong global economic situation during a period of steady growth in zircon demand. Jacinth Ambrosia produced 151,000 tonnes of zircon in its first year, and doubled this in the following year. A production increase in 2011 coincided with record high zircon prices, exceeding $2,000 per tonne and approaching $3,000 per tonne. The soaring prices were blamed on increased Chinese demand, static global supply, and a lack of new projects that was blamed on the difficulty of finding funds. Zircon supply switched from deficit to surplus some time in late 2011, following end-use substitution and thrifting. This change in global supply and demand fundamentals would mean that output from Jacinth Ambrosia would fall below 2010 levels, to just under 140,000 tonnes of zircon. But as zircon prices stabilized after 2013, supply from Jacinth Ambrosia increased, and so did the deposits significance. Meanwhile, the Murray Basins zircon output was already falling before 2015, and that year mining operations were closed, and stockpiles began to be drawn down. Despite a 20-month idling of the Jacinth Ambrosia deposit between April 2016 and December 2017, output has remained a high proportion of the companys overall production. It was estimated by TZMI and Iluka Resources, in the latters presentation on May 17 this year, at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch conference in Miami, that global zircon supply was around 1.2 million tonnes in 2017. This means that Jacinth Ambrosia accounted for nearly 18% of global supply (213,500 tonnes), and about 70% of Ilukas total zircon output that year (a further 100 tonnes of zircon was produced across the whole company). Today, Jacinth Ambrosias role in Ilukas business is as important as ever. In the companys 2018 annual report, it described it as the worlds largest zircon mine, and outlined plans to increase throughput by about 30% to offset any decline in ore grades, such as those experienced in Eneabba earlier in the companys life. Plans for expansion at Jacinth Ambrosia, at a cost of A$40 million ($30.49 million), include the installation of a second mining unit to increase the amount of ore pulled out of the ground, as well as an upgrade for the wet concentrator plant, where ore is first processed. The expansion will allow the company to keep up with current global demand, with a definitive feasibility study due in mid-2018, and project completion due in 2019. Jacinth Ambrosia is made up of two parts of a continuous deposit. Mining is set to commence at the Ambrosia side of the mine, and will progress alongside the Jacinth side of the mine for several years beginning in 2019. This is likely to further increase zircon production, but it must be noted that overall production is limited by the amount of processing capacity that the project possesses. The company also hopes that the addition of its Western Australian Cataby mine in the first half of 2019 will also help to alleviate some supply tightness. The mine is set to produce an average of 50,000 tonnes per year of zircon, which is some way short of the 200,000-300,000 tpy that Jacinth Ambrosia can produce. Cataby and Jacinth Ambrosia are key projects for Iluka if it wishes to maintain its zircon market share, and they are major components of Ilukas broad strategy to mitigating extreme price increases for zircon. Iluka is also planning to exlarge its operations in Sierra Leone, with expansions at its Lanti Dry and Gangama deposits, as well as a proposed new mine at Sembehun. Commissioning of both expansions is planned for 2019, while the new mine at Sembehun is planned for a commissioning date of 2021. These operations have historically been insignificant in terms of zircon production, however, with just 3,000 tonnes of zircon produced in 2017. Simarily, Ilukas exploration in Sri Lanka is focused on sulfate ilmenite production. Here, work is currently being undertaken in technical and community engagement areas. And Iluka continues to explore in Canada, targeting deposits rich in rutile and ilmenite, in conjunction with Vior Inc. We now offer lithium prices and coverage free for reference. Click here to read all about it. Join our growing community of participants who want to learn more about electrification and how this market is developing. The Embassy of Indonesia kicked off the Kolkata leg of The Pride and Glory of Bali-Yatra today. As a part of the Yatra, a pictorial exhibition, a Coffee-table book and a documentary film all put together by writer, photographer and filmmaker Sudip Sen, got unveiled at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). The pictorial exhibition will be held at ICCR till June 11. There will also be a Balinese food festival at a Hyatt Regency from June 9 to 11 to celebrate the cultural ties. "I am an Indonesian by birth and nationality and I feel privileged to represent my country here in India - a country we believe much of our heritage and culture came from. I am happy to present this unique project that highlights Indian cultural influence in Indonesia - a name that literally means 'Indian Islands' - and will, naturally, interest Indians at large ", said Sidharto Suryodipuro, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, while inaugurating the Kolkata leg of the celebrations at the ICCR. This is a very good initiative and will help to further strengthen the good old bonds between India and Indonesia, said Goutam De, regional director, ICCR. On the sidelines of the event, Suryodipuro spoke exclusively to Indulge on the cultural ties between Indonesia and India and his love for Indian food. Indonesian Ambassador to India, Sidharto Suryodipuro This celebration is all about the ties between Bali and Kalinga. Are you kicking off this celebration across India? For Bali Yatra in particular, we have organised the event in three cities across India -- Delhi, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar, with which we have deep-rooted and historical cultural ties. We concluded the event in New Delhi back in February, and now, in Kolkata. Later, we plan to have another event in Bhubaneswar in November. Coffee table book launch. (Left to right) Sudip Sen, director, Resource Indica, Dr Nitin B. Jawale, director, Odisha Tourism, Goutam De, regional director, ICCR, Sidharto Suryodipuro, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Prof. I Gde Pitana, deputy minister, Indonesia Tourism What are the other cultural tie-ups that you are planning to further strengthen the relationship? Oh, we have many, in fact, this is only one aspect. We are working on others as well. Also, for many years now, we have been very actively promoting Ramayana troupes, which visit India and vice versa, to know and study our culture and common heritage and deepen the ties. This is very strongly propagated and we are proud of the increasing interest among people in both the countries about our mythologies, most of which are common. What are the things about Bali and Indonesia that you want to highlight in India? Culturally, we share the same heritage and yet there are variations. Like in Mahabharata there are many characters in the Indonesian version which dont exist in India and vice versa. Same goes for the Ramayana. Also, we have many things in common in terms of arts, textiles and weaving patterns. There are a lot of similarities. Once I saw a beautifully patterned, woven textile and thought it to be an Indosenian product, but I was surprised to find out that it was actually an Odishi work of art. There is such a striking similarity between your and our style of weaving. How long have you been in India and what are the things you like most about India? It has almost been 11 months now and I find the people very warm and engaging here, just like my countrymen. There are also a lot of similarities between the cities of the two countries, dynamic traffic being the foremost of them. Which Indian foods do you like the most? I love the fish that you Bengalis prepare with mustard seed paste. It is just too good and I eat it often. I also like the prawn dishes. The food here is just lip smacking (Laughs). A 28-year-old suspected fraudster, James Nwagalezi, was yesterday, arraigned before a Lagos Magistrates Court for allegedly conniving with Okoli Nmesoma, already facing trial, to hack into the mobile app account of Eko Bank Plc and unlawfully withdrew N207 million. Nwagalezi is facing a four-count charge bordering on felony to wit unlawfully hacking into bank account and stealing, preferred against him by the Police. . Police prosecutor, Inspector Jimoh Joseph, told the court that the defendant and others still at large committed the offence on April 27 at Igboelerin, Okokomaiko, Ojo, Lagos. . He said that Nwagalezi was arrested after several months of manhunt. His arrest brings the number of suspects arrested and charged to court to six. The Police are still hunting for more suspects involved in the alleged fraud. However, Nwagalezi pleaded not guilty to the charge. Magistrate B. I. Bakare granted him N1 million bail. He adjourned the case till July 4 and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Ikoyi Prison, pending when he is able to perfect his bail conditions. -Gistreel Innoson and GTBank have been in a prolonged legal battle over claims by the industrialist that the bank made arbitrary deductions in his bank accounts. Guaranty Trust Bank has dismissed the media reports that the Supreme Court ordered the bank to pay the sum of N12 billion to the Chairman of Innoson Motors, Innocent Chukwuma , within 14 days. The bank described the statement credited to the Innoson Group , as false, mischievous and malicious. In a statement issued on Thursday, June 7, the bank said the development would not deter it from its recovery drive against recalcitrant debtors. The Banks Customers and the General Public are hereby kindly urged to disregard these false statements as nothing could be further from the truth.There was no directive or Order issued by the Supreme Court of Nigeria to the Bank to make any payment to any of its debtor Customers, the statement signed by the banks Secretary, Erhi Obebeduo, said. The Bank as a highly responsible corporate citizen will in accordance with its culture and tradition refrain from making comments about on-going litigation matters and will continue to focus on using legal means to recover its bad debts. We again reiterate that there is no iota of truth in the falsehood being peddled by desperate and mischievous elements and the General Public should disregard same in its entirety, it added. Former Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabes son-in-law was taken into police custody yesterday for allegedly holding an airline lawyer hostage. Simba Chikore, the husband of Mugabes only daughter Bona, was held for questioning following a labour dispute, the police said. He was picked up and a warned-and-cautioned statement was recorded following a report by his lawyer for kidnapping, said police spokesperson Charity Charimba. The lawyer, Bertha Zakeyo, an employee of Zimbabwe Airways (ZimAirways) whose ownership is controversial, told the police that Mr Chikore locked her up in the office. I called my lawyer but she was denied entry, she said in a statement to the police. She said the security guards had been instructed not to allow anyone to see her. When the police came, they said they had been called by Simba to observe my ejection from the office, Ms Zakeyo added. With the authorities present, she demand to see her lawyer who was allowed in after about two hours. Ms Zakeyo said Mr Chikore accused her of selling confidential information about the airline. -Ladunliadi Tonto Dikeh suffered some backlash yesterday after she commented on a prayer post by Ghanaian actor and evangelist, Majid Michel. Tonto Dikeh typed in tongues on the comment section and this brought her massive heat as people could not understand how anyone can type in tongues. She was slammed for abusing the Holy Spirit and also being hypocritical, as social media influencer Tunde Ednut also wrote: So people now type in tongues Na wa o! #ThisIsNigeria Reacting to this, Tonto Dikeh who claimed she is a radical for Jesus, said if people can sing the skrrrr pa from the Mans not hot single, she can also speak and type in tongues. Leave a Comment comments The dendrites of newborn neurons (green) are covered with spines, similar to the thorns on a rose stem Tassilo Jungenitz Even in adult brains, new neurons are generated throughout a lifetime. In a publication in the scientific journal PNAS, a research group led by Goethe University describes plastic changes of adult-born neurons in the hippocampus, a critical region for learning: frequent nerve signals enlarge the spines on neuronal dendrites, which in turn enables contact with the existing neural network. Practise makes perfect, and constant repetition promotes the ability to remember. Researchers have been aware for some time that repeated electrical stimulation strengthens neuron connections (synapses) in the brain. It is similar to the way a frequently used trail gradually widens into a path. Conversely, if rarely used, synapses can also be removed for example, when the vocabulary of a foreign language is forgotten after leaving school because it is no longer practised. Researchers designate the ability to change interconnections permanently and as needed as the plasticity of the brain. Plasticity is especially important in the hippocampus, a primary region associated with long-term memory, in which new neurons are formed throughout life. The research groups led by Dr Stephan Schwarzacher (Goethe University), Professor Peter Jedlicka (Goethe University and Justus Liebig University in Gieen) and Dr Hermann Cuntz (FIAS, Frankfurt) therefore studied the long-term plasticity of synapses in new-born hippocampal granule cells. Synaptic interconnections between neurons are predominantly anchored on small thorny protrusions on the dendrites called spines. The dendrites of most neurons are covered with these spines, similar to the thorns on a rose stem. In their recently published work, the scientists were able to demonstrate for the first time that synaptic plasticity in new-born neurons is connected to long-term structural changes in the dendritic spines: repeated electrical stimulation strengthens the synapses by enlarging their spines. A particularly surprising observation was that the overall size and number of spines did not change: when the stimulation strengthened a group of synapses, and their dendritic spines enlarged, a different group of synapses that were not being stimulated simultaneously became weaker and their dendritic spines shrank. This observation was only technically possible because our students Tassilo Jungenitz and Marcel Beining succeeded for the first time in examining plastic changes in stimulated and non-stimulated dendritic spines within individual new-born cells using 2-photon microscopy and viral labelling, says Stephan Schwarzacher from the Institute for Anatomy at the University Hospital Frankfurt. Peter Jedlicka adds: The enlargement of stimulated synapses and the shrinking of non-stimulated synapses was at equilibrium. Our computer models predict that this is important for maintaining neuron activity and ensuring their survival. The scientists now want to study the impenetrable, spiny forest of new-born neuron dendrites in detail. They hope to better understand how the equilibrated changes in dendritic spines and their synapses contribute the efficient storing of information and consequently to learning processes in the hippocampus. Publication: Structural homo- and heterosynaptic plasticity in mature and adult new-born rat hippocampal granule cells. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1801889115 (Jungenitz et al. PNAS, 115:E4670 2018) Picture material can be downloaded at: www.uni-frankfurt.de/72306770 Caption: The dendrites of newborn neurons (green) are covered with spines, similar to the thorns on a rose stem (Credit: Tassilo Jungenitz). Further information: Dr Stephan Schwarzacher, Institute for Anatomy I, Faculty of Medicine, Niederrad Campus, Tel.: +49 (0)69 6301-6914, schwarzacher@em.uni-frankfurt.de Current news about science, teaching, and society in GOETHE-UNI online (www.aktuelles.uni-frankfurt.de) Goethe University is a research-oriented university in the European financial centre Frankfurt The university was founded in 1914 through private funding, primarily from Jewish sponsors, and has since produced pioneering achievements in the areas of social sciences, sociology and economics, medicine, quantum physics, brain research, and labour law. It gained a unique level of autonomy on 1 January 2008 by returning to its historic roots as a foundation university. Today, it is among the top ten in external funding and among the top three largest universities in Germany, with three clusters of excellence in medicine, life sciences and the humanities. Together with the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Mainz, it acts as a partner of the inter-state strategic Rhine-Main University Alliance. Internet: www.uni-frankfurt.de Publisher: The President of Goethe University Editor: Dr. Anne Hardy, Referee for Science Communication, PR & Communication Department, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Tel: (069) 798-13035, Fax: (069) 798-763 12531. Carbon emissions Taxation could prove to be a key method for combatting global warming Global revenue from carbon pricing rose by 50% in 2017 compared to 2016, says a new report from the World Bank. While companies can expect green taxes to keep rising, this statistic doesn't quite tell the whole story. The report, said that 45 national jurisdictions and 25 sub-national jurisdictions have adopted carbon pricing initiatives, raising $33 billion in 2017 50% up from the $22 billion raised in 2016. China is set to enact its emissions trading scheme (ETS) in 2018, which will make a big difference to the numbers, and this could contribute to the total annual value (not revenue) of carbon pricing initiatives rising 58% from $52 billion to $82 billion in 2018. "Governments at all levels are starting to see the effectiveness of carbon pricing in their efforts to cut harmful carbon pollution while also raising revenues for climate and other policies, including environmental action," said John Roome, World Bank senior director for climate change. "As countries take stock of their Paris Agreement commitments and set a path towards increased ambition, carbon pricing mechanisms with robust pricing levels are proving to be essential elements of the toolkit." The global environmental tax take will continue to rise A key accelerator of growth is the rise of carbon tax rates in jurisdictions that already have such policies in place, most notably France. France's carbon tax was first introduced on April 1 2014 at a rate of 7 ($8.20) per tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. The tax rose incrementally to 14.5/tonne in 2015, 22/tonne in 2016 and then 30.50/tonne in 2017. Such increases are particularly significant as at lower levels there is no direct price impact for companies as France's domestic consumption tax (DCT), of which the carbon tax is a component, is already higher than the carbon tax and the two components do not 'stack'. France's carbon tax will continue to rise, having already jumped to 44.60/tonne for 2018, to 55/tonne in 2019, 65.40/tonne in 2020, 75.80/tonne in 2021 and 86.20/tonne in 2022. "That's going on an upward, quite ambitious path," Kurt van Dender, head of the tax and environment unit at the OECD, told International Tax Review. "They [France] increased it in 2017 and 2018 and will keep doing so. That will have a big effect." Van Dender said that he is not surprised by the 50% rise in global carbon tax/ETS revenue, but cautioned that "it's a big percentage change of a very small number". In the example of France, the senior tax economist said: "That's a high tax, and if you start from a low base then it's a big percentage change." Another key driver of rising green tax revenues is the implementation of new initiatives in jurisdictions in the Americas such as Chile and Colombia, as well as the US states of California, Massachusetts and Washington and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and oil-rich Alberta. "Off the top of my head, all of these taxes are certainly below 7 per tonne," said van Dender. "Often, these taxes are set with the ETS price of 7 in mind. So these are very, very low numbers." "But given that all of the other carbon taxes and ETSs also show quite low numbers, it's still quite a big percentage change." In December 2017, China announced a plan to phase in its national emissions trading scheme (ETS). This would be done sector by sector, in a similar manner to which the country brought in VAT, and the power sector will be the first to come under the ETS. EU emissions trading scheme Another driver for increased carbon pricing revenues will be the EU's ETS. The scheme, which Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway also take part in, operates on a 'cap and trade' principle. Companies receive or buy 'emission allowances', which they can trade among themselves. Having a market-based system means, theoretically, that emissions will be cut most where it costs least to do so. The EU ETS is in its third phase, spanning from 2013 until 2020. In this phase, more industry sectors are included and auctioning emission allowances, rather than giving them out for free, is the standard. Both of these changes increase the tax intake. It's also worth noting that carbon dioxide emissions rose in the EU in 2017, in tandem with the economy grew. "As the economy does better, the cap becomes more stringent that's quite an important effect, an important explanation, in terms of the upward pressure on prices in emissions trading systems and how they actually work," said van Dender. But, despite companies having to pay a higher market rate for emission allowances, as they are buying from each other in a market system this does not lead to an increase in revenue from the ETS, just in its 'value'. California, which emits the most carbon dioxide of any US state apart from oil-rich Texas, is among the jurisdictions which has brought in an ETS recently. "You'll also have higher prices in the emission trading scheme in California beginning to show in 2017 and probably more strongly in 2018," said van Dender. "There's a bit more trading there." Emission trading schemes are also part of the World Banks report Excise taxes dwarf carbon taxes and ETSs Where the 50% increase in green taxes figure becomes misleading is that there are other taxes excise taxes, mainly which have the same economic effect as taxes usually considered 'green' or 'environmental' taxes on carbon. "You have carbon taxes and ETSs, which are instrumental for putting taxes on carbon," said van Dender. "But then, you can also look at excise taxes on energy, which can also put a price on carbon." "Even if they're not introduced with that intention, they still have the same economic effect. That's what we here at the OECD call the effective carbon rate," he continued. "The effective carbon rate, to us, is the sum of: specific excise taxes on energy use, carbon taxes and ETSs." The global excise tax take on carbon-related goods is $421 billion, according to the OECD, dwarfing the $33 billion sum of carbon pricing initiatives. As the $421 billion figure remained effectively static in 2017, the $11 billion increase in carbon-related tax take can be expressed as a far more modest 2.6 percentage point increase. "If you really think of excise taxes as we should, from an accounting point of view as being part of the overall carbon pricing system, excise taxes completely dominate the picture compared to carbon taxes and ETSs," said van Dender. In addition, in many jurisdictions VAT/GST is charged on goods after excise rates are applied, compounding the price effect. Carbon taxation in the future This is not to say, however, that progress in the carbon pricing arena is negligible. Van Dender expects changes to become more significant in numerical as well as percentage terms in the coming years, for many of the reasons explained above. He also adds that China's roll-out of its ETS, starting this year with the power sector, "will make a huge difference". If revenues from such initiatives continue to rise, they could even be a shot in the arm for government revenues in the context of falling corporate tax rates around the world. The material on this site is for financial institutions, professional investors and their professional advisers. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws. 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQ. Share this article OTTAWA - June 8, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The Cannabis Council of Canada ("C3 or Cannabis Canada") commends the Senate for approving bill C-45, the Cannabis Act for third reading and returning the bill to the House of Commons. While C3 is grateful for the dedicated hard work of the Senate, we are concerned that some of the substantive amendments advanced in the final stages of the Act's progression through the upper chamber will serve to work against our common goals of keeping cannabis away from kids and profits away from organised crime. "Canada's emerging legal cannabis industry is competing against a well funded and sophisticated illegal market," Said Allan Rewak, Executive Director. "Some of the amendments offered in the final stages of debate will place the pioneers of our legal sector at a significant disadvantage in displacing illegal operators," added Rewak. Moving forward C3 encourages the government of Canada to reject the non-technical amendments to the act that carry unintended consequences, while also ensuring that the commitment made to Canadians, that adult use cannabis will be regulated and legalised in the summer of 2018, is fulfilled. About the Cannabis Council of Canada: C3 is the leading organization of Canada's Licensed Producers of Medical Cannabis under Health Canada's Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). The Council's mission is to act as the national voice for our members in their promotion of industry standards; support the development, growth and integrity of the regulated cannabis industry; and serve as an important resource on issues related to the safe and responsible use of cannabis for medical and non-medical purposes. Members of Cannabis Canada share a philosophy of both patient-centric care and improved public health, and are committed to product safety and quality, secure and reliable access and the promotion of the safe and healthful use of cannabis. SOURCE: Cannabis Canada Association For further information: Allan Rewak, Executive Director, Allan.Rewak@cann-can.ca, (647) 206-1231 More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp June 8, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Prospects for this craft oil company focused on small plays in domestic oil fields are discussed in this interview with Maurice Jackson of Proven and Probable. Maurice Jackson: Today we will highlight a world-class upstream oil and gas company. I'm speaking of Jericho Oil. Joining us today is Brian Williamson. He is the CEO of Jericho Oil Corp. (JCO:TSX.V; JROOF:OTC). I'd like to begin our discussion today at the 10,000 foot level and discuss the different between big oil versus craft oil. Brian Williamson: Most of the folks in the world that look at oil and gas have heard of all the large majors out there, your Exxon/Mobils, your Gulf Oils, your Anadarkos and most of the big ones around the world. What they haven't heard about are the smaller players who are focused on specific regions, specific areas, like us, where they know one play, one opportunity, and they drive trend, technology, and development in some of the best plays in the world. It's just that they focus on that play, that opportunity, just like Jericho does. Maurice J.: How does Jericho fit into the narrative of craft oil, and the value proposition it presents to the market? Brian W.: We believe the value is all about understanding and delivering best-in-class results in a particular opportunity in a particular play, and in our world, the ability to find oil gets harder and harder every year. You want to be aligned with a team that knows an asset, knows a region and knows how to develop the hydrocarbons in that area. At Jericho, that's exactly what we built: a team geared around developing the stack, a team that understands, lives, and has breathed Oklahoma oil and gas development for the last 40 years. That local knowledge, that rock knowledge, that geology knowledge, that development experience translates very, very well into successful after successful development program. For Jericho, where the value started was almost on day one in the downturn. It was our ability to take that very deep technical knowledge that we get as being a craft oil company, and executing on it by buying what we believe to be world-class assets in our region, that we understand, at what we believe to be discounts to what would be their normal market value. How you would see us fitting in is through the migration or the transition from the buying opportunity that existed for two and a half years to now, the development opportunity that exists. It's using those very specific, very focused technical skills to take, from an acquisition standpoint to a development standpoint, this particular region, this particular play, with this particular team. You're starting to see that as we've moved into higher prices in 2018. We've begun executing on that with the Wardroom well, which was our first, and now our second well, the Swordspear, and then we will move on down the line. Maurice J.: You referenced the use of optionality and that was one of the virtues that attracted me to Jericho Oil. We discussed plays here briefly. Just for someone new to the Jericho Oil story, please share the name of the plays that you have in Oklahoma. Brian W.: Sure. The most well-known play that we focus on in Oklahoma is the STACK play, and it's all about our opportunity to extract hydrocarbons from a known basin and a known field. So, the Anadarko basin has been around for maybe a hundred years, and it was developed vertically. And the field was deemed drained in the 1990s, whenever it was. You know, not much left to do with it. Along comes the development of horizontal drilling, and low and behold, field after old oil field are now seeing development opportunities transcend generations that were thought done. Now you're seeing it in the Anadarko basin and the STACK, particularly. So for us, that is our focus, that is our largest play in the portfolio, and it continues to grow and be an area of what we think to be great opportunity, and getting better and better each day as more and more is known about it. We have two other plays in the portfolio, no less in quality, but they're all in the same region. The other is considered a Mays play, and the third is Woodford play. Those are all source rocks that are well known to the region. Been there, been developed vertically in various different time periods over history. But to us, they all have consistent themes. High upside, low entry cost, and strong barriers to entry due to the HPV land position we control in each one. Maurice J.: Catch us up to speed since our last interview. You have updates on a joint venture and an acquisition. Brian W.: By no means, as a small oil company, do we believe that we have all the answers to how best to develop the STACK. So we thought it best to partner, and do a couple of joint ventures with other deep, experienced teams that we have a lot of respect for, and vice versa, on a couple of our flanks, one being our western flank, and the other being our northern flank. In each one of those, we had a very specific target in mind. On the western flank, the joint venture was focused on understanding the development of the Meramec, which is the shale portion of the STACK play. The other joint venture, which was our northern joint venture, was focused on the development on the lower Osage, which dominates our portfolio. We haveround numbers700 feet of lower Osage rock as pervasive from our eastern to our western flank of the 16,000 acres we have now in the play. The first joint venture was all about developing the Meramec, which was the Wardroom well, and that has turned out to be an outstanding well. So far, so good. Its peak IP was 950 BOEs a day. Its 30 day was 750. The 60-day moving average has been over 450, so right on line with our tight curve. It came in under cost from a drilling perspective. Everything about the Meramec and the Wardroom has been real positive for us on our western acreage. Pretty excited about that. On the Swordspear drill, it's exactly as we thought it would be. The frack went as we thought it would go. Because it's lower Osage, the flow back takes longer. You tend to see peak production somewhere after the first 30 days of flow back, post 10% of recovery, and then you'll see peak 30 day somewhere after day 60, probably around 75 to 100. Being a small craft oil company, we need to be a little more patient, because we don't have eight rigs running, and so our wells tend to deliver results not in as quick of batches as you would get from just a major or very large independent. We're very well by well-focused. We will continue down the path of doing high science with each well so that we have more and more understanding of the acreage, but we are very excited to see the results of the Swordspear. We think it's going to take another 30 to 60 days. That's our guess at this point. But everything we've seen so far indicates that it will be a very positive experience for us. The next set of opportunities will be probably not too dissimilar to the last with the Swordspear. It's just a question of wherever the next location will be. Maurice J.: So to confirm here, the targets met or exceeded expectations. Is that correct, sir? Brian W.: So far they did, Maurice. That's correct. Maurice J.: As a reminder regarding the acreage acquisition, we basically doubled our acreage package, is that correct? Brian W.: We did. We are opportunistic, and we've been that way since the beginning. That is not new for us. Maurice J.: Switching gears, Brian, what is the next unanswered question for Jericho Oil? When can we expect an answer, and what determines success? Brian W.: I think the next unanswered question for us is capital and continued development. We will look to bring on two more wells before year-end, and then to move to a full field development program. The question will be how do we grow, post that? I think we'll have an answer to that as we get closer to the end of the third quarter. Maurice J.: Now, if plan A fails, what is plan B? Brian W.: I think plan A is the STACK. Plan B would be to move capital in. In some extent, we already do this, but to move more capital into developing one of the two formations in the STACK, and then adding one of our second assets into the mix. To us, the STACK has a lot of value, and we think it may take a little bit to figure it out. Drilling wells is a science, but it's also an art, and we see nothing that suggests that the STACK can't be all that we think it can be, in terms of the opportunity. Just may take a little bit of time to figure it out, Maurice. Maurice J.: Mr. Williamson, what keeps you up at night that we don't know about? Brian W.: Volatility. We continue to see massive movements, almost on a daily basis, in the price of hydrocarbons, particularly oil. It seems that everyone is trying to read the tea leaves, and guess where prices are going. What you'll see is that the market would tell you that it has very little confidence in long-term oil prices, which is disappointing to us, because we believe that there are not a lot of places to go right now where you're going to find significantly accretive oil-producing formations around the world. We are believers that the best locations and the known plays have been or will be all drilled out in the next 12 to 18 months. So you will be drilling B, and C, and D locations, which, to ascribe the same consistent results to would be inappropriate. To us, we see the idea of backwardation in the prices as something that's a concern, because it shows the market has no long-term belief in oil prices at this level, and we just think that that's completely inappropriate in what we're seeing in the field, at the field level. Maurice J.: I'm going to play devil's advocate here, as a shareholder. With lower oil prices, does that mean an opportunity to acquire more land? Brian W.: It takes more than that, Maurice, unfortunately, because landowners are now conditioned for a higher price environment again. You tend to get that same mentality from $100 oil to these quick run-ups. They jump right up in terms of price. You need to be patient in how you approach the landowners, because if there's a mass rush, they're very sophisticated when it comes to selling their minerals, and they will be immediately looking to achieve a higher bonus in their sale. Maurice J.: Last question. What did I forget to ask? Brian W.: For us, the question that people forget to ask is that what makes you guys so interesting, and the STACK so interesting to you? I think one of the things that gets lost is that each STACK well delivers at $60 oil $3.5 million of PV10 value to our company. If you look at that, and say, "Well, how many locations do you have?" we have 200 locations. If you look at that, and model that out, you're looking at $700 million of PV10 value. Obviously, that's post drilling those wells, and we have to drill those wells, but that's the upside of Jericho. It's not so easy to see, because as a small oil company, we've only done a handful of things in the play, but that $700 million PV10 value is the upside that exists in Jericho right now. Maurice J.: For someone who wants to get more information regarding Jericho Oil, please share the contact details. Brian W.: Jericho Oil is traded on the TSX Venture under the symbol JCO, and over the counter under the symbol JROOF. You can email at investorrelations@jerichooil.com. Maurice J.: And last but not least, please visit our website www.provenandprobable.com where we interview the most respected names in the natural resource space. You may reach us at contact@provenandprobable.com. Maurice Jackson is the founder of Proven and Probable, a site that aims to enrich its subscribers through education in precious metals and junior mining companies that will enrich the world. Disclosure: 1) Brian Williamson: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Jericho Oil. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: Jericho Oil. 2) Maurice Jackson: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Jericho Oil. 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Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Today Areas of patchy fog early. Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 83F. Winds light and variable. Tonight Clear skies. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 71F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. The International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] Appeals Chamber acquitted [judgment, PDF] former vice president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and military leader Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo Friday on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. In 2016, Bemba was found guilty and sentenced [JURIST report] to 18 years imprisonment for two counts of crimes against humanity (murder and rape) and three counts of war crimes (murder, rape, and pillaging) committed from about October 2002 to March 2003. The court determined Friday that the crimes of which Bemba was convicted were not within the facts and circumstances described in the charges against him, and therefore the trial court could not have entered a judgment upon him. Writing for the majority, Presiding Judge Christine Van den Wyngaert said Mr. Bemba cannot be held criminally responsible for the crimes committed by troops who were under his command. Simply listing the categories of crimes with which a person is to be charged or stating, in broad general terms, the temporal and geographical parameters of the charge is not sufficient to comply with the requirements of the regulations that had led to his conviction, she said. The courts ruling was a majority, with two dissenting opinions of Judge Monageng and Judge Hofmanski, who disagreed with the majoritys opinion that the Trial Chamber erred when it found that Bemba had failed to take all necessary and reasonable measures to prevent or repress the organization known as the Mouvement de liberation du Congo (MLC) crimes. Bemba remains in detention for another case in which he has been convicted [JURIST report] of offenses against the administration of justice, awaiting another decision on this case. Two transgender women represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) won [opinion] a challenge Wednesday against Iowas Department of Human Services in the Iowa District Court for Polk County [official website] over its ban on Medicaid coverage for transition-related surgeries. The court found that the regulation banning Medicaid coverage for transition-related surgeries violates the Iowa Civil Rights Act and the Iowa Constitution. It ordered that the language of the regulation that excludes transition-related surgeries shall be stricken from the Regulation and the remaining language must be interpreted and applied in a manner allowing transgender individuals coverage under Iowa Medicaid for medically necessary gender affirming surgery for the treatment of Gender Dysphoria. A number of courts have held in favor of transgender activists within the last month. A federal judge in Missouri held [JURIST report] that a prisons policy of refusing hormone therapy treatments to its transgender inmates was an unconstitutional violation of the Eighth Amendment. And federal judges in Pennsylvania and Virginia rejected arguments that disfavored school districts transgender bathroom and locker room policies [JURIST reports]. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea [official website], Tomas Ojea Quintana, urged [UN News Centre report] North Korea Thursday to begin to release its political prisoners in anticipation of the proposed June 12 denuclearization talks with the US. It might be a gradual process, its not that Im saying you should open up all these prisons and release the prisoners, because I am a reasonable expert, said Quintana. Human rights experts believe there may be more than 80,000 political prisoners in North Korea. Quintana said that human rights must be part of the talks, saying human rights and security and peace are interlinked. He criticized the rights of the North Korean people being left out of previous unsuccessful denuclearization talks with the DPKR. In December the UN human rights chief said [JURIST report] that sanctions against North Korea limit aid efforts. In November US President Donald Trump placed [JURIST report] North Korea on a list of state sponsors of terrorism. In October the US Treasury imposed [JURIST report] sanctions on North Korea due to the countrys human rights abuses. A blog about life under, and resisting, a dictatorship Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging think tanker, aspiring novelist, hanger on of academia, parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, Speedboat, proudly banned from Twitter so officially more dangerous than the Taliban, eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me. BubbaJones said: I have said, from the beginning, that Trump may be THE most compromised person ever elected to office. Certainly the most compromised president ever elected. Click to expand... I firmly believe he OWES various Russians a substantial amount of money. More than enough to bankrupt him if they called the loans. Some estimates as high as $650 MILLION dollars, possibly as much as one third of his estimated net worth. Click to expand... Almost ALL of Russia's oligarchs have connections to Putin. Click to expand... Some people floated the idea that Obama was some sort of Manchurian candidate. I always argued that a skinny black man with a funny, not to mention islamic sounding, name would be the LAST person chosen for that. Click to expand... Trump on the other hand is tailor made !!!! Click to expand... They're all compromised! The big panic about Trump is that he got into office without going through the usual hoops and testing that the usual political candidates for high office go through. But once inside...especially on geopolitical issues like Israel, I'm betting their more than happy that he will carry out their will.I posted a couple of reports from the Real News Network's- Aaron Mate previously(which libs and cons here didn't notice or ignored) which show that if Trump is compromised..it's to Israel and Jewish American Zionist hawks like Sheldon Adelson...rather than this usual bullshit of looking for Russian billionaires! That game is being played because it has no consequences for the players...now lets see one of them go after Adelson, the Kochs or Jeff Bezos!Often claimed/never substantiated with evidence. Just once I'd like to see one of these CIA-sponsored hit pieces show us how Putin controls all of Russian business/ while American billionaires have no connection to US government and policy.Obama was a manchurian candidate in the sense that he was brought in and presented as a representative of the common people and a man of peace, and...just by measuring his Clinton-like increase in wealth since leaving office, it's pretty obvious that his siding with the big banks over the interests of poor..and largely black homeowners being forced into bankruptcy earned him large backdoor payments after leaving the White House. In most countries, if a politician(like one of my former MP's, is given a large gift after leaving office, or in between government office, Revenue Canada and the RCMP starts snooping in and looking for signs of corruption and political payoff! And yet in the US, this is just considered one of the rewards of public service!And, on that front, if we look at what Trump does, rather than what Trump says, he's still an enemy of Russia: arming Ukrainian Nazi militias like the Azov Battalions, sending more US special forces into the Syrian War and bombing and trying to prevent the Syrian Arab Army from overrunning ISIS and Al Qaeda strongholds, trying to blackmail European nations with sanctions if they accept Russian natural gas at one third the cost of US LNG shipped over there........so how exactly is Trump a Russian..let alone Putin ally again? If he is talking about any deals with Russia...like bringing back the G-8 that Obama cancelled, that would be a good thing on his ledger! Because that would be one step in the direction of de-escalating a cold war that could quickly turn into a hot war and kill off everybody on the planet! justoneman said: A spy is an "outsider" whose role is to gather information in a covert fashion. An informer is an "insider" whose role is to gather information in a covert fashion . Click to expand... justoneman said: If an "informant" wears a wire that would be covert right? Its word salad. An insider can be approached by the FBI to do every single thing that a "spy" might do. This is yet again another attempt by the left to play a word game. the FBI is not supposed to be spying on the President and the FBI is not supposed to intentionally misinforming the President the way the FBI has. Now FBI heads will roll. Guaranteed. Click to expand... I suppose since readers can see that it's in the OP and tell that this is not properly being indicated as a quote that it's not that big a deal, but a few days ago I did point out on another thread that someone else was plagiarizing something because they didn't properly indicate what they wrote was a quote.Folks (this goes to anyone anywhere posting on any online forum), when you're including something that you yourself didn't originally write as content for the post, you need to indicate that you didn't create it; this can be done in several ways, such as putting quote marks, making it italic, indenting, or using the quote tags. The main issue I have with it is that it leads to confusion about who actually wrote what.I was listening to the Mark Levin show last night; Dan Bongino was guest hosting. Both Mark Levin and Dan Bongino are siding with President Trump & defending him in this Trump campaign "Spygate" issue, and I don't believe you'd label either one of them as "left."During the show, Bongino was making the argument that the individual that the FBI put into the Trump campaign is a spy because that person's an outsider. WHY IS THIS concept so difficult to grasp? THESE guys!! GUYS! MEN! Who will never be pregnant--will never know the pain, the life-threatening bleeding, nausea/vomiting, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, anemia, kidney infections, stroke, enlargement of the heart, blood poisoning, ectopic pregnancy, placenta previa, embolisms......but YEAH-- MY BODY IS MY BODY. YOUR BODY IS YOUR BODY.....and until MEN are willing and ABLE to GET PREGNANT, ALL OF them need to shut their pie holes. By ANGELA CHARLTON , Associated Press PARIS (AP) Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity chef and citizen of the world who inspired millions to share his delight in food and the bonds it created, was found dead in his hotel room Friday in France while working on his CNN series on culinary traditions. He was 61. CNN confirmed the death, saying that Bourdain was found unresponsive Friday morning by friend and chef Eric Ripert in the French city of Haut-Rhin. It called his death a suicide. Bourdain's assistant Laurie Woolever would not comment when reached by The Associated Press. Widely loved and rarely afraid to speak his mind, he mixed a coarseness and whimsical sense of adventurousness, true to the rock 'n' roll music he loved. Bourdain's "Parts Unknown" seemed like an odd choice for CNN when it started in 2013 part travelogue, part history lesson, part love letter to exotic foods. Each trip was an adventure. There had been nothing quite like it on the staid news network, and it became an immediate hit. Within hours of his death, "Kitchen Confidential" was in the top 20 on Amazon.com. "We are constantly asking ourselves, first and foremost, what is the most (messed) up thing we can do next week?" he said in a 2014 interview with the AP. Bourdain's breakthrough as an author came with the 2000 publication of his "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly." The book created a sensation by combining frank details of his life and career with behind-the-scenes observations on the culinary industry. Colleagues, friends and admirers shared their grief Friday. CNN chief executive Jeff Zucker sent a company letter calling Bourdain "an exceptional talent. A storyteller. A gifted writer. A world traveler. An adventurer." As president, Barack Obama sat down for some bun cha in Hanoi, Vietnam, with Bourdain in an episode of "Parts Unknown" in 2016. On Friday, he shared a photo of the interaction on Twitter: "'Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer.' This is how I'll remember Tony. He taught us about food but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together. To make us a little less afraid of the unknown. We'll miss him." As he left the White House for the G-7 summit in Quebec, President Donald Trump, whom Bourdain had sharply criticized, offered his "heartfelt condolences" to Bourdain's family, which includes his 11-year-old daughter, Ariane. Jamie Oliver wrote on Instagram that Bourdain "really broke the mould ... he leaves chefs and fans around the world with a massive foodie hole that simply can't be replaced." Others noted Bourdain's strong defense of the #MeToo movement. His girlfriend was actress Asia Argento, who has accused Harvey Weinstein of rape. After Mario Batali was accused of sexual assault, Bourdain published an essay in Medium in which he wrote that "one must pick a side." "I stand unhesitatingly and unwaveringly with the women," he wrote. Argento posted this note on Twitter: "Anthony gave all of himself in everything that he did. His brilliant, fearless spirit touched and inspired so many, and his generosity knew no bounds. He was my love, my rock, my protector. I am beyond devastated. My thoughts are with his family. I would ask that you respect their privacy and mine." Another Weinstein accuser, actress Rose McGowan, tweeted a video of herself, sobbing. "Anthony I am so mad at you," she said. "You were so loved, the world is not better without you. I have a message for those considering suicide as a solution to a temporary problem. Please call a hotline." Bourdain's death came three days after fashion designer Kate Spade killed herself in her Park Avenue apartment in New York. Spade's husband and business partner said the 55-year-old business mogul had suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. In a 2008 interview with the AP, Bourdain had said that his daughter's birth had changed his outlook on life. "I feel obliged to at least do the best I can and not do anything really stupidly self-destructive if I can avoid it," he said. Bourdain's "Parts Unknown" seemed like an odd choice for CNN when it started in 2013 part travelogue, part history lesson, part love letter to exotic foods. Each trip was an adventure. There had been nothing quite like it on the staid news network, and it became an immediate hit. Besides showcasing food, a "Parts Unknown" trip to Japan in the series' first season included an odd show with robots and scantily clad women, a visit with a death metal band and a meal shared with a woman involved in the city's sadomasochistic community. Bourdain was reluctant to analyze why his series succeeded. "If you think about who the audience is and what their expectations might be, I think that's the road to badness and mediocrity," he told the AP. "You go out there and show the best story you can as best you can. If it's interesting to you, hopefully it's interesting to others. If you don't make television like that, it's pandering." Bourdain was born in New York City and was raised in Leonia, New Jersey. He had written that his love of food began as a youth while on a family vacation in France, when he ate his first oyster. He was candid about his personal struggles, saying that drug use led to his dropping out of Vassar College after two years. Working in restaurants led him to the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated in 1978, and began working in kitchens in New York City. He became executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles in 1998. In the preface to the latest edition "Kitchen Confidential," Bourdain wrote of his shock at the success of his book, which he wrote by getting up at 5 a.m. to steal a couple of hours at the computer before appearing at the saute station for lunch. He said he never intended to write an expose or to "rip the lid off the restaurant business." He said he liked the restaurant business the way it was. "What I set out to do was write a book that my fellow cooks would find entertaining and true," he said. "I wanted it to sound like me talking at say ... ten o'clock on a Saturday night, after a busy dinner rush, me and a few cooks hanging around in the kitchen, knocking back a few beers and talking." Bourdain said he really had no idea that anyone outside the world of chefs would even pay attention to his comments. "The new celebrity chef culture is a remarkable and admittedly annoying phenomenon. While it's been nothing but good for business and for me personally many of us in the life can't help snickering about it," he wrote. "Of all the professions, after all, few people are less suited to be suddenly thrown into the public eye than chefs." Bourdain's introduction to "Kitchen Confidential: Insider's Edition" was scrawled in his own hand in block letters offering the sense of making it personal right away. He wrote of the difficulty of long hours, hard work and poor pay, and said that one of the side benefits of his success was the ability to pay the rent. Yet there was more than a sense of wistfulness about times gone by. CNN is currently airing the 11th season of "Parts Unknown," and Bourdain was in France shooting an episode for the 12th season. CNN said it has not made a decision yet on whether it will proceed with the current season Bourdain was twice divorced and has a daughter from his second marriage. Funeral arrangements were not immediately available. Suicide is a growing problem in the United States. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a survey Thursday showing suicide rates increased by 25% across the United States over nearly two decades ending in 2016. Twenty-five states experienced a rise in suicides by more than 30%, the government report finds. How to get help: In the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also can provide contact information for crisis centers around the world. KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. A lawsuit filed against federal authorities in May by the Klamath Tribes was done in the wrong jurisdiction, according to a statement from the Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA). The KWUA represents a coalition of Klamath County irrigators and farmers who fear that attempts to preserve fish populations in the Klamath Basin will lock them out of receiving any water for their livelihoods. The Yurok, Hoopa Valley and Klamath Tribes have spearheaded those efforts to rehabilitate fishsome of which are already being enforced by courts. CLICK HERE for background on the ongoing struggle between water users and local tribes over water allocation. The Klamath Tribes' lawsuit alleges that water levels at Upper Klamath Lake need to maintained at an even higher level in order to revive declining populations of sucker fish. That lawsuit was filed at a federal District Court in San Francisco. According to the KWUA, San Franciso is "not a proper venue under the law." There are laws about where a lawsuit can be filed, said Ben DuVal, a KWUA board member and President of the Modoc County Farm Bureau. You cant just file a lawsuit in New Jersey because that is where you want to go. Thats what our motion says. The Klamath Tribes lawsuit claims that part of the Klamath Project is in the judicial district based in San Francisco, but thats not correct. However, previous rulings on the Klamath Project have come from the District Court in San Francisco. Judge William Orrick sided with the Hoopa Valley and Yurok Tribes to enforce "disease management flows"maintaining water levels in Upper Klamath Lake and then occasionally flushing them into the Klamath River to prevent the spread of disease among fish like the Coho salmon. The Klamath Tribes have a hearing with the same judge on July 11. According to KWUA President Brad Kirby, an injunction issued by Judge Orrick would shut down water for the Klamath Project until the year 2020. They want to require Upper Klamath to be held at unprecedented and artificially high elevations for suckers year-around, said Kirby. I wouldnt expect there to be any water at all available for Klamath Project irrigation and wildlife refuges until there are new biological opinions, which is not expected until 2020. Below is a drawing submitted by a KWUA supporter outlining the water districts that make up the Klamath Project. MEDFORD, Ore.- Tonight city council members voted on an ordinance that would have placed a limit on how many chickens you can have in a backyard. City Council voted 7-1 to remove the cap on the number of chickens one can have in a backyard. The council approved a change that would remove the cap on the number of chickens someone can have. That cap was implemented in October 2017. The city also removed rules related to the odors, noises, and infestation of flies that chickens bring. Council members cited their reason for doing this is there are already current ordinances in place that address these items. Moving forward, roosters are not allowed, large domestic foul (emus, ostriches, peacocks, and turkeys) are not allowed, and chickens cannot be located in the front yard of a property. The city council updated a section that requires chickens to be confined to the property and chicken coops cannot be any closer than four feet of the property line. By CHAD DAY and ERIC TUCKER , Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) Special counsel Robert Mueller has brought additional charges against President Donald Trump's campaign chairman and a longtime associate, accusing them of obstructing justice. The new charges were unsealed Friday against Paul Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik just days after prosecutors accused the two men of attempting to tamper with witnesses as Manafort awaits trial of felony charges related to his work on behalf of Ukrainian interests. The indictment charges both men with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice related to contacts they had with two witnesses earlier this year. The witnesses, who had worked with Manafort as he represented a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine, have told the FBI that they believed Manafort and Kilimnik were trying to get them to lie about the nature of their work. Through a spokesman, Manafort has maintained his innocence. The spokesman, Jason Maloni, said Friday that Manafort and his attorneys were reviewing the new charges. Kilimnik has previously declined to comment on the allegations. Prosecutors say the contacts via phone and encrypted messaging applications first occurred in February, shortly after a grand jury returned a new indictment against Manafort and while he was confined to his home. Kilimnik also reached out to witnesses in April. The charges mark the second time since October that an indictment against Manafort has been amended to include additional allegations. The latest charges increase Manafort's legal jeopardy if he continues to refuse to cooperate with prosecutors, and could be an effort by Mueller to induce a guilty plea and secure the testimony of a critical campaign adviser to Trump. Manafort is awaiting trial in federal court in Washington and Alexandria, Virginia. His co-defendant, Rick Gates, pleaded guilty in February and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. UPDATE: A statement from the Lake County District Attorney's office has shed more light on the accidental shooting incident on Thursday. Deputies received a 911 call around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday for a request of medical assistance at a house on Bowens Lane in Silver Lake. When the deputies arrived, they found a 13-year-old boy that had been shot in the chest. Although responders tried administering CPR, the boy died at the scene. Investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) and Oregon State Police (OSP) revealed that the gun was fired by another 13-year-old boythe victim's best friend. Evidence points to an accidental shooting, but the DA's office says that the investigation is ongoing at this time. (Updated as of 4:15 p.m. on Friday, June 8) CHRISTMAS VALLEY, Ore. The communities of North Lake County are coming together after the accidental shooting death of a 13-year-old boy on Thursday. Although few details have been officially released regarding the incident, Executive Director Trace Wonser of the Lake District Wellness Center confirmed that the shooting death was considered accidental, calling it a "terrible event." "The Lake District Wellness Center staff send our support, thoughts, and prayers to the Christmas Valley community regarding the recent tragedy," Wonser said in a statement. Staff with the North Lake Clinic in Christmas Valley announced on Friday that they would be opening their doors both Friday and Saturday afternoons to provide "free and confidential" mental health services to those affected by the tragedy. Wonser also said that the Wellness Center would be sending trained clinicians to Christmas Valley on Monday to provide support for anyone in need. Meanwhile, the North Lake School District announced that they would be picking up students for a gathering on Monday, offering counseling and activities to help students through the grieving process. This is a developing story, and we will be updating the article as more information on the incident emerges. Quoted Facebook posts from North Lake Schools regarding details on the mental health services and District response may be viewed below. From North Lake School District: "North Lake School is providing an opportunity for our youth that have been impacted by the death of one of our own students to come together to share memories, thoughts and just have time to be together as classmates. We will have counseling available and other activities to help the grieving process. Lunch and snacks will be provided. This will take place at the school on Monday June 11, from 10-2 pm. We will provide transportation from our three communities. Buses will pick up students at single sites, at the local post offices in Fort Rock, Christmas Valley and Silver Lake. Pickups will start at 9:30 am at each site. At approximately 2:00 pm buses will leave the school to return students to the same locations." From Hayley Roark: "For any teens or adults who need someone to talk to that are affected by the recent tragedy in North Lake county... We will be providing Mental Health Services at the North Lake Annex on Friday June 8 between the hours of 1 and 5:30 pm and Saturday June 9 between the hours of 12 pm and 4 pm. These services will be free and confidential, no appointment necessary. The address is 87127 Christmas Valley Hwy. Christmas Valley Oregon. For after hours services please call 541-947-6021. Teens can also contact the Oregon Youth Line through text - Teen2Teen 839863 or call 877-968-8491." By DAN SEWELL and JOHN SEEWER , Associated Press CINCINNATI (AP) Do you have to vote even if you don't want to? Not doing so could put you on the path to losing your vote in some states. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on a lawsuit filed against Ohio's secretary of state over the practice of flagging registered voters after they've missed one federal general election. They get a mailed notification asking them to confirm their address. If they don't respond and don't vote during the next two federal general elections, they could be purged. In oral arguments Jan. 10, an attorney for civil rights groups said Americans not only have the right to vote, they have the right not to without worry about losing their registration. Attorneys for Ohio and the United States President Donald Trump's administration reversed the position by former President Barack Obama by siding with Ohio contended they are only trying to ensure the integrity of voting rolls. Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has said repeatedly that the state wants to "make it easy to vote and hard to cheat." Some questions and answers about the case: WHY SHOULD I CARE IF I DON'T LIVE IN OHIO? Attorneys told the high court that at least six other states Georgia, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have similar practices. A ruling upholding Ohio's practices could lead to more states adopting similar procedures. Those in favor say states are mandated to maintain up-to-date voter lists. Those opposed to Ohio's system see it as among moves by Republican officials in different states to add requirements such as presenting photo IDs or proving citizenship that tend to reduce voting among minorities and low-income people more likely to vote Democratic. "All of us should be concerned if you have people who are running the electoral system who instead of trying to promote as much democracy as possible are trying to distort it in subtle ways to gain political advantage," said attorney Paul Smith, of Washington, who argued against Ohio's law before the justices in January. Some states allow same-day voter registration and voting, but most don't. BUT DON'T WE WANT TO BE SURE ONLY LEGAL VOTERS VOTE? State election officials and voting experts agree that having accurate registration lists is important to running smooth, fair elections. Removing people who have died, moved out of state, or are in prison for felony crimes helps reduce opportunities for fraud. "Properly done, efforts to clean up voter rolls are important for election integrity and efficiency. Done carelessly or hastily, such efforts are prone to error, the effects of which are borne by voters who may show up to vote only to find their names missing from the list," Jonathan Brater, counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice's Democracy Program at New York University, wrote in a report earlier this year. A 2013 Supreme Court decision cleared the way for local election officials in some parts of the country to make changes to election procedures without having to submit those plans for Justice Department review. Civil rights groups say that loss of protections has led to instances like one in 2015 in Hancock County, Georgia, where some black residents received summonses requiring them to appear in person to prove their residence or be removed from voting rolls. President Trump's unsupported assertions that millions voted illegally in the 2016 presidential election have added to uneasiness among voting rights groups about what steps states might take to add voter requirements. Trump hoped to prove widespread fraud when he appointed a commission to study the issue, but abandoned it as states refused to cooperate with expansive demands for personal voter data. IS IT REALLY THAT BIG OF A DEAL IN OHIO? The secretary of state's office said Ohio has followed similar procedures for seeking voter confirmation of their status under both Democratic and Republican administrations since 1994. Ohio records show more than 3 million notices seeking voter confirmation of their addresses beginning in 2011, when Husted, who is Republican, took office as secretary of state. Numbers under his Democratic predecessor weren't available. Smith told the justices that some 70 percent of those receiving mailed notifications didn't respond, often throwing them away without reading. The numbers of voters listed as stricken or ready for striking Ohio halted purges after the federal lawsuit was filed two years ago were in the tens of thousands in urban counties such as Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton and Lucas, where Democrats tend to do better than in much of the rest of the state. However, it's not clear how many voters lost their registrations even though they should have remained eligible. Associated Press calls to more than 100 people listed as removed in five mostly urban counties found that in the vast majority of cases, the people were no longer at the address where they lived when registered. Some voters in the Ohio case say they were given provisional ballots, which are subject to verification, but believe their ballots weren't counted. Miami University political scientist Christopher Kelley said in a closely divided swing state like Ohio, anything done to "put your finger on the scales" can be decisive. He pointed to the 2004 election, when voting under a Republican secretary of state was plagued by long lines, faulty equipment and other problems in Ohio. President George W. Bush won by some 118,000 votes to carry Ohio and clinch his re-election, four years after he won election with a disputed 537-vote margin in Florida. WHAT DO AFFECTED VOTERS SAY? Joseph Helle, an Army veteran, was removed from the rolls while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. He called voting a fundamental right that ensures all of the other ones protected by the Constitution. "It affects me and it affects any veteran," said Helle, now the mayor of Oak Harbor, Ohio. "But it also affects anyone who has never served. It affects everyone equally. It takes away our voice ... I was incredibly emotional when I was taken off the rolls ..." Helle, who attended the Supreme Court arguments in January, said that not voting also is a right of free expression; it can be a way to express dissatisfaction with the candidates or the way the system is working. Lisa Keil, of Toledo, found out she had been removed from the list of eligible voters when she tried to cast a ballot in a special mayoral election in 2015. "It made me look really stupid. I felt humiliated," she said. She remembered that she tried to vote in 2012, but she showed up to find long lines and was worried she wouldn't have enough time to get to her job, so she skipped voting. Keil said she never knew that could lead to her being removed from the voting rolls. She was separated from her husband for a short time and doesn't recall getting a notification from the secretary of state. Jennifer Arlinghaus, of Cincinnati, was listed in Hamilton County records as subject to removal for not voting or responding. She acknowledged that sometimes she doesn't vote if she's not that interested in the candidates or issues. She said removing people for voting isn't "necessarily good." But she cast her ballot without problem in 2016, for Trump. And she's "very pleased" that she could exercise that choice. ___ This story has been corrected to show that voters could be purged if they don't vote in the next two federal general elections, instead of any general elections. ___ Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writer Christina Almeida Cassidy in Atlanta and AP News Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report. ___ Follow Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell WASHINGTON, D.C. Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined other Senate Democrats on Friday in penning a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan, urging him to schedule a vote on Net Neutrality before the policy expires on June 11. Without these protections, broadband providers can decide what content gets through to consumers at what speeds and could use this power to discriminate against their competitors or other content, the senators wrote Ryan in a letter. The U.S. Senate successfully passed a bill that would overturn the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) decision last month, when several Senate Republicans joined Democrats in support of the bill. CLICK HERE for more background on the Senate push to preserve Net Neutrality. Republicans who have spoken out about Net Neutrality have largely supported the spirit of the policy, but referred to the FCC regulation of internet service providers as 'antiquated,' meanwhile characterizing the Democrat-led bill as 'political theater' since the prospect of getting it through the House was so unlikely. Under this new regime, the internet would no longer be a level playing field. Instead, big corporations who could pay would enjoy the benefits of a fast lane and speedy delivery of their content to consumers while those who could not pay these tolls such as startups and small businesses, schools, rural Americans, and communities of color would be disadvantaged, the Democratic senators wrote. Democrats have also launched a website to bring attention to the subject, beneath the banner of #SaveTheInternet. The site counts down the days, hours, minutes and seconds since the Senate passed their Net Neutrality bill without any action from Speaker Ryan. "As we approach the June 11th formal implementation date of the FCC's net neutrality repeal, we strongly urge you to take up and pass S. J. Res. 52. It is essential that you take this step to protect...all who rely on the free and open internet," the letter concludes. Collaborative and world changing Kellogg brings bold ideas to the table, and we gather the people who can affect change. The world knows us for combining the power of analytics and people. This is what we teach. This is how we equip leaders to think bravely. David Dunn, whose wife took her own life earlier this year after she was denied assisted death, sits for a photograph in his home in Saskatoon, Wednesday, June 6, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards A man in a kilt poses in front of the new IKEA store in Halifax on Monday, September 25, 2017. IKEA is promising to eliminate all single-use plastic products from its home furnishing range by 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese Anthony Bourdain poses for a photo during an interview with The Canadian Press in Toronto on Monday, October 31, 2016. Renowned chef Anthony Bourdain has been found dead in France while working on CNN program. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn Snohomish County Cold Case Detective Jim Scharf, left, presents new images rendered using phenotype technology of a potential suspect in the unsolved case of the 1987 double homicide of Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg during a press conference in Everett, Washington on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, The Herald, Ian Terry *MANDATORY CREDIT* Shirley Taylor wears a "Burnt by Phoenix" sticker on her forehead during a rally against the Phoenix payroll system outside the offices of the Treasury Board of Canada in Ottawa on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018. The federal government says the recent hiring of new staff at its pay centre in Miramichi, N.B., has helped cut the backlog of problem files created under the troubled Phoenix pay system. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball speaks in Corner Brook N.L. on Friday, June 8, 2018 in this handout photo. Newfoundland and Labrador is undertaking reconciliation initiatives today, including the announcement of a partnership to send Indigenous students from the province to the University of Saskatchewan's law school.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Darek Nakonieczny, Government of Newfoundland *MANDATORY CREDIT* Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer for Qatar Airways, listens during a panel discussion of the 70th International Air Transport Association in Doha, Qatar on June 2, 2014. Canada's transport minister is calling out the newly-installed chairman of a global airline association for saying that his job as head of Qatar Airways was too difficult for a woman to perform. Akbar Al Baker, the CEO of Qatar Airways, made the controversial comments earlier this week after being selected as chairman of the board of governors of the International Air Transport Association, which has its head office in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Osama Faisal FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2017 file photo, Executive Producer and narrator chef Anthony Bourdain attends the premiere of "Wasted! The Story of Food Waste" at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in New York. Bourdain has been found dead in his hotel room in France, Friday, June 8, 2018, while working on his CNN series on culinary traditions around the world. (Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP, File) FILE- In this Jan. 31, 2018, file photo, emergency personnel work at the scene of a train crash involving a garbage truck in Crozet, Va. The Amtrak passenger train was carrying dozens of GOP lawmakers to a Republican retreat in West Virginia. The Albemarle County Police Department said in a statement Friday, June 8, 2018, that 31-year-old Dana W. Naylor Jr. was indicted on one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of maiming another while driving under the influence. (Zack Wajsgrasu/The Daily Progress via AP, File) Detroit News, "wants to make Michigan the first state in the nation with its own Medicare-for-all government health insurance system under a proposal he unveiled Wednesday." Blue America's thing has always been House races. Occasionally we stray a little and support people running for Senate, state legislatures and governor-- but not that often. This cycle, for example, we found 4 candidates -- at least so far-- running for governor who are right up our ally. It's never a thing about backing a Democrat because a Republican would be worse. That's almost always the case and no one needs Blue America to tell them about lesser of two evils. You never see someone like Gavin Newsom or Gina Raymond or Colleen Hanabusa on our list of endorsees. We've tried explaining over the last few months why we have been happy to endorse Michigan progressive Abdul El-Sayed . And this week, he gave us-- and hopefully-- lots of Michigan voters another reason for backing his bid. "Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed," wrote Jonathan Oosting in the, "wants to make Michigan the first state in the nation with its own Medicare-for-all government health insurance system under a proposal he unveiled Wednesday." Abdul explained to Michiganders that "Michiganders today are trapped in a broken health insurance system that leaves too many families suffering from high costs and lack of affordable coverage. Nearly 600,000 Michiganders still lack health insurance coverage, even after the expansion of Medicaid thanks to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)... Michicare is a plan for Medicare for All for the state of Michigan, providing publicly financed health insurance to all Michigan residents under age 65. Michicare would cover a comprehensive set of benefits based on the essential health benefits outlined by the Affordable Care Act, and every Michigander would choose a primary care provider to help direct their care. Michicare would eliminate co-pays and deductibles for medically necessary services, so you would not pay out-of-pocket fees when you are seeking needed care. Michicare would decrease overall healthcare costs in Michigan by moving to a streamlined system with lower administrative costs and fairer prices. Instead of deductibles, out-of-pocket costs, and premiums paid to private insurers, Michicare would be publicly financed through a combination of a payroll tax and a business tax. Private insurance companies would still be permitted to offer supplemental health insurance, but Michicare would provide comprehensive benefits to all Michiganders, diminishing the need for private coverage. Michicare is an ambitious and realistic plan to secure truly universal healthcare in Michigan." His campaign website explains in great depth why Michigan needs Medicare-For-All, what the system would do (including how it deals with prescription drugs and, unlike Medicare, with vision and dental issues) and how it would be paid for. El-Sayed is a doctor and the former director of the Detroit health department and his plan will result in significant health care savings for families and employers. Needless to say, conservatives oppose it and are already screaming like stuck pigs, screwing the same bullshit about it that they spewed when Social Security and Medicare were first proposed-- and fought by Republicans. "Government monopoly" is their mantra. James Hohman of the reactionary Mackinac Center for Public Policy emphasized the cynical right-wing talking points: "I cant imagine a lot of voters will be happy to pay higher taxes in order to pay for wealthy peoples health care costs." Yeah, sure... that's what Medicare-For-All is all about. And, of course, Establishment Democrats, like Whitmer oppose single-payer as well-- even if they're afraid to say so out loud, just avoiding a substantive discussion of the idea and hoping voters don't notice. Whitmer's campaign is getting lots of money from executives from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the state's largest private health insurer. So... sshhhhhh. This is an opportunity to stand up for health and human rights, to give health care to 600,000 Michiganders who have been locked out of the system," El-Sayed told The Detroit News ahead of a mid-day press conference. The plan would do away with things like co-pays, deductibles and premiums, which are tools the insurance companies use to extract value out of the health care system, he said. The plan also potentially could cost billions of dollars to implement and administer for state government. El-Sayed declined to share any cost or proposed tax revenue projections beyond what he estimates could be $5,000 a year in health care-related savings for an average Michigan family. Single-payer health care-- or government-subsidized health care-- is an increasingly popular idea among Democrats, especially the progressive wing of the party. El-Sayeds detailed proposal might help him stand out in his primary race against Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer of East Lansing and Ann Arbor entrepreneur Shri Thanedar. Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who won Michigans 2016 presidential primary over eventual Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, is a leading advocate for a federal Medicare-for-All type program. El-Sayeds state version would cover all Michigan residents, until the age of 65, when traditional Medicare coverage kicks in, according to his campaign. But it would continue to provide additional prescription drug, vision and dental coverage for seniors. To pay for it, El-Sayed is proposing a new 2 percent tax on gross receipts for businesses with fewer than 50 employees and a 2.25 percent tax for businesses with more than 50 employees. But first $2 million in receipts would be tax exempt, meaning about 75 percent of all Michigan businesses would not be subject to the tax, he said. The Shelby Township Democrat also wants to move to a graduated income tax. His plan calls for raising the state's 4.25 percent personal income tax to 5 percent for the lowest earners and up to 8 percent for the states wealthiest residents. The increase would be administered through a payroll tax deducted from employee wages. Moving to a graduated income tax would require voter approval for an amendment to the Michigan Constitution. Other elements of the plan could require sign off by the state Legislature, currently controlled by Republicans, or GOP President Donald Trumps administration. Despite the potential road blocks, El-Sayed said hes confident it's "possible" the plan could be law and noted fall elections could dramatically reshape political power in Lansing. Weve got an opportunity here to put policy ahead of politics, to present a plan that Michiganders want and that will save Michiganders money, he said. Well worry about the political reality after that. El-Sayed's "Michicare" coverage would be based on required essential health benefits outlined in the federal Affordable Care Act insurance law, including outpatient, emergency and hospital care, maternity and newborn care, reproductive health, mental and substance abuse care, prescription drugs and rehabilitative services. Michigan residents could still choose to purchase private health insurance to supplement the Michicare program, and business could also offer supplemental health insurance to their employees if desired. The average Michigan family making $48,432 a year would save almost $5,000 a year on insurance, out-of-pocket health costs and auto insurance, which could get cheaper if unlimited medical benefits are not required, according to the El-Sayed campaign. I don't know many people who like Pelosi any longer. It's hard to imagine she could win the Speakership again with so many Democrats pledging they will not vote for her The new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows that most voters are "sour"on her. So sour that "45% say theyre less likely to support a candidate who wants Pelosi as speaker, versus 21% who are more likely to back such a candidate." McInturff, the GOP pollster for the bipartisan poll pond out that "She continues to be a serious drag and a net-negative" for Democrats." A few months ago I spoke at some length with the top two Democratic candidates who primaried her this year, Shahid Buttar and Stephen Jaffe. Both thought they could beat her and both had the feeling that no one in San Francisco could stand her any longer. They were very wrong. In fact the 12th district had the highest turnout of any district in California-- 130,36 voters turned out. (For comparison sake, there were half a dozen California districts with contested primaries where less than 50,000 voters turned out last Tuesday. And, one (CA-35) had only 38,993 people voting. Pelosi took 89,337 votes (68.5%) to Buttar's 10,090 (7.7%) and Jaffe's 7,639 (5.9%). I used to live in San Francisco. I guess I lost track of how the voters feel there. Nationally, the population of the average congressional district is 710,767. Two real outliers are the Montana at-large district with 994,416 people and Rhode Island's first CD (526,283). There's a huge difference between districts in terms of how many people turn out to vote-- especially in primaries. That was clearly demonstrated Tuesday in California. This list only includes the 41 districts where there were at least 3 candidates. CA-12 (San Francisco)- 130,360 CA-04 (northern Sacramento suburbs)- 124,713 CA-49 (south Orange Co, northern San Diego Co)- 112,000 CA-24 (Santa Barbara)- 111,710 CA-48 (coastal Orange Co.)- 109,343 CA-01 (northeast state)- 108,301 CA-33 (Santa Monica, Beverly Hills)- 103,301 CA-45 (Orange Co.)- 102,688 CA-02 (Marin, Sonoma)- 102,669 CA-52 (northern San Diego)- 102,182 CA-03 (western Sacramento suburbs)- 94,097 CA-18 (silicon Valley, Palo Alto)- 92,566 CA-50 (Inland San Diego Co.)- 88,782 CA-53 (eastern San Diego)- 87,349 CA-26 (Ventura)- 87,608 CA-05 (Napa Valley)- 85,946 CA-39 (northeast Orange County)- 85,786 CA-30 (souther San Fernando Valley)- 82,544 CA-11 (San Francisco N.E. suburbs)- 81,921 CA-28 (Burbank, Glendale, Hollywood)- 81,205 CA-23 (Central Valley, Bakersfield)- 80,313 CA-25 (Santa Clarita, Antelope Valley)- 78,205 CA-22 (Central Valley)- 73,534 CA-36 (Palm Springs, Idio)- 72,244 CA-08 (High Desert, San Bernardino suburbs)- 70,879 CA-47 (Long Beach)- 69,374 CA-15 (Hayward, Fremont)- 69,264 CA-07 (eastern Sacramento suburbs)- 66,076 CA-10 (Central Valley)- 65,342 CA-20 (Central Coast)- 64,241 CA-17 (Silicon Valley, San Jose)- 61,530 CA-42 (Inland Empire)- 59,233 CA-43 (Inglewood, LAX)- 58,358 CA-31 (southwest San Bernardino)- 56,717 CA-09 (Central Valley)- 55,191 CA-51 (San Diego to Nevada)- 46,938 CA-34- (Downtown L.A.) 43,506 CA-29 (Central San Fernando Valley)- 41,954 CA-46 (Noah Orange Co.)- 40,404 CA-44 (Southe L.A. San Pedro, Compton)- 40,041 CA-35 (East L.A., Inland Empire)- 38,993 Let's turn to NY-14 for a moment. The NRCC doesn't contest the district which spans a section of northern Queens and the Bronx. The PVI is a prohibitive D+29 and Trump only drew 19.8% of the vote. It's Queens Country machine boss' Joe Crowley's district and this cycle, ardent progressive Alexandria Ocasio is making an excellent case to the voters to replace him with her. No one primaries Crowley and 2014 not even a Republican ran against him. In the general election the Conservative Party ran a candidate instead, Elizabeth Perri, who won 6,735 votes (10%), considerably less than events blank and voided ballots (15.3%). In total only 67,372 people voted. In the 2016 general election 178,132 people voted, 82.9% for Crowley (AKA, the Democrat) and 17.1% for the vanity candidate, a random Republican. Crowley spent $3,107,073 and Frank Spotorno, the Republican, put $140,000 of his own into the race and spent $95,880. This year will be Crowley's first real contest. He and his family live in Virginia and few in the district know who he is. He's counting on a low turnout-- but not taking any chances. as of the March 31 FEC reporting deadline he had already spent $2,306,48 (most of it from PACs). Alexandria raised $115,653 and spent $67,128. Please watch this: Crowley wants to hold down voters participation. Alexandria wants to get as many people registered and voting as she can. That's what her campaign strategy-- aside from her platform-- is all about. The political boss of Queens has made sure as few people of color register as possible. Only 19% of the voters are white and that's his base. Let's compare the number of voters who turned out in 2014 in NY-14 with the other districts in Queens. NY-05- 94,400 NY-06- 77,306 NY-07- 68,522 NY-08- 95,113 NY-12- 117,420 NY-14- 67,372 NY- 16- 138,655 June 8, 2018 Rally FOR Religious Liberty in Sacramento Eagle Forum members will be attending the Day of Action Rally on June 12 at the State Capitol in Sacramento to protest and speak out against two terrible bills AB 2943 and SB 320. AB 2943 is a bill that is trying to silence and hinder religious liberty. The rally will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m, on the west steps of the Capitol building followed by a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee at 1:30. The bill has already passed the Assembly. Pastors and concerned Christians and liberty-loving conservatives from around the state will be gathering at the capitol to protest this bill, a last-ditch effort to stop it from being passed in the Senate. AB 2943 Is Entitled Unlawful Business Practice sexual orientation change effort It essentially would make illegal under Californias consumer fraud law any attempt for a church pastor, leader, counselor to give conversion therapy to any adult person questioning their sexual orientation and seeking help to change that orientation. The state legislators have already passed a bill that would ban anyone giving any such therapy to a minor under the age of 18. AB 2943 has already passed the Assembly and is now on to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it will be heard on Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. The bill will also ban along with counseling any books, literature, conferences which would be dealing with this subject of gender or sexual orientation. Would that also ban the Bible, which also mentions such words? The California Family Council, with which Eagle Forum of California is closely aligned, is co-hosting the Day of Action Rally to speak out against this bill. Jonathan Keller, CEO, made the following statement about this bill: The implications of AB 2943 are staggering. Despite attempts to spin the bill as narrowly tailored, its effects spread far beyond merely regulating licensed therapistsit threatens religious non-profits, churches and pastors. Anybody who provides paid resources and services to help people practice their faithwill be in the crosshairs if this bill is signed into law. If you cant make it to the rally and hearing in person, please call the member of the Senate Judiciary Committee where the bill will be heard on Tuesday: Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (Chair) 916-651-4020 Senator John M. W. Moorlach (Vice Chair) 916-651-4037 Senator Joel Anderson 916-651-4038 Senator Robert M. Hertzberg 916-651-4018 Senator Bill Monning 916-651-4017 Senator Henry Stern 916-651-4027 Senator Bob Wieckowski 916-651-4010 http://senate.ca.gov/sd10 SB 320 Attack on Liberties of Universities to Say What is Provided in their Own Health Clinics: If this bill passes then all CSU and UC colleges would be mandated to give their women students chemical abortion drugs. The bill states that the drugs are extremely safe, but that is not the case. The following is what Orlean Koehle wrote about the safety issue on Eagle Forum letterhead stationery that was sent to the Assembly Judiciary Committee, where the bill will be heard on June 12: Chemical abortions are very painful, cause enormous bleeding and sometimes death. RU-486 requires a two-step process of starving the unborn baby to death and a subsequent chemical application for the expulsion of the dead child. With one young girl, the cramping, nausea, the pain, and constant bleeding lasted continuously for 12 hours. There are also side effects that can go on for months. Some complications result in bacterial infections that ended in the death of four California women. According to 2006 statistics from the New York Times, the rate of death due to women who have taken RU-486 is one in 100,000. According to a 2011 report by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), 14 American women died, and 2,207 reported serious adverse side effects: 612 women required hospitalizations, 339 experienced blood loss significant enough to require a transfusion, 256 experienced infections, and 48 women experienced severe infections. Do we want any of our college students to risk being part of any such statistics? SB 320 will also be heard June 12, 2018: If you can attend the rally about AB 2943 and also speak out at the both of hearings (at 1:30 p.m.), it would be much appreciated. For those of you who cant come, please call the members of the committees Monday or Tuesday morning and express your opposition and please pray. Help us stop it now! You can see the 13 education committee members names and phone numbers by going to http://ahed.assembly.ca.gov/membersstaff, Members | Committee on Higher Education EUGENE, Ore. -- Members of the Bethel community met Wednesday with officials from St. Vincent de Paul to discuss a proposed group home for teenagers. Some community members who attended voiced their concerns over the proposed facility. They said they weren't notified about the proposed facility and worry that it's too close to Bethel Community Park and Meadow View school. One man in the heated meeting said he's thinking of suing in order try and stop the process. St. Vincent de Paul officials told KEZI 9 News they did everything they could to get the word out ahead of time, including canvassing the neighborhood on a Saturday and sending out flyers. "So what we're trying to do is building a system that is a trustworthy, balanced system but then invite the neighborhood to participate because the more you know your neighbor and the more you know the people in your neighborhood, the safer you are," said Terry McDonald, director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County. McDonald said the main reason they waited to announce the location was to make sure the land survey was completed first. Neighbors said they wished they could have had a vote on where the facility would be before it was decided. "It still doesn't pass any of my measures of common sense to put a shelter right next to a school," neighbor John Tillotson said. "And it's not right next to a high school where they might go to high school, it's right next to a school for little kids." EUGENE, Ore. -- Greenhill Humane Society has raised enough money to begin construction at their Green Hill Road location. The $2.1 million will be used to build, expand and remodel the facilities. The money raised is short of the $5.6 million goal but is enough to move the project forward. Sasha Elliott, Director of Operations at Greenhill, said the project is nearly ten years in the making. We have spent a tremendous amount of time doing research, working with local construction and architects, and deciding what the community needs and what the animals need in this community so that we can provide a better quality of care for them, Elliott said. The first phase of the project will replace the 60-year-old dog kennel building with a new, 12,000-square-foot dog housing and care building. Theres much better opportunity to care for animals in a lower-stress, higher-safety environment, Elliott said. The cat housing will be improved, parking will be expanded and other upgrades will be made to the site as well. The shelter will remain open during construction. Crews will start construction Wednesday, June 13, and expect to be done in about a year. Greenhill is continuing to raise funds for the project. To learn more or to donate, visit the humane shelter's website. EUGENE, Ore -- Community members are invited to get outdoors and explore on "Get Outdoors Oregon Day." #GetOutdoorsOR is a social media campaign to encourage Oregonians to explore rivers, forests, wetlands and wild places on June 9. There are 21 events taking place, including a celebration at Green Island. Green Island is a conservation site that the nonprofit McKenzie River Trust acquired more than a decade ago. It is located north of Coburg where the McKenzie and Willamette rivers meet. For a list of other events in Oregon, click here. Get Outdoors Day is Saturday, June 9, at Green Island from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's free to attend, but if you register in advance, you can enter to win a $100 REI giftcard. Please note, no dogs are allowed on Green Island. MASON CITY, Iowa Dean Huse, 62, is charged with assault with intent to commit sexual abuse resulting in bodily injury after an incident on Wednesday. It happened at a home on the 800 block of N. Federal Ave around 5:15 pm. The criminal complaint says Huse tore the victims swim suit off and tried to pull her shirt and shorts off. Authorities say the victim sustained cuts and bruises to her legs when she kicked to get him off of her, and a witness found Huse on top of the victim on the floor. Huse is being held on $5,000 bond in the Cerro Gordo County Jail. Flood Warning Areas Affected: Cerro Gordo NWS DesMoines (Central Iowa) The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a * Flood Warning for... Cerro Gordo County in north central Iowa... * Until 130 PM CDT Saturday. Storm coverage: Flooding photos in north Iowa Storm coverage: Residents in Manly, Nora Springs asked to reduce water usage Storm coverage: Flood warning in effect until Saturday Storm coverage: Drone footage captures flooding Storm coverage: 3 rescued from Mason City apartment complex Storm coverage: 2 Mason City apartment complexes evacuated * Doppler radar and automated rain gauges showed that heavy rain had fallen over the area last night and early this morning with widespread rain totals of 2 to 4 inches across the county with close to 6 inches in a few places in the northeastern part of the county. Cerro Gordo Law Enforcement and media reports show flooding ongoing in Mason City with impacts expected to continue through the afternoon and possibly into tonight. * Some locations that will experience flooding include... Mason City, Nora Springs, Rockwell, Mason City Municipal Airport, Clear Lake, Ventura, Thornton, Plymouth, Meservey, Swaledale, Rock Falls, Burchinal, Portland, McIntosh Woods State Park and Clear Lake State Park. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Flash Flood Warning Areas Affected: Cerro Gordo; Worth NWS DesMoines (Central Iowa) ...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN WORTH AND CERRO GORDO COUNTIES... At 1020 AM CDT, local law enforcement reported several county roads closed with a few county roads washed out. Widespread 2 to 4 inches of rain has fallen over this area with isolated amounts around 5 inches. Flash flooding is occurring in some locations already. Rain is beginning to end over the western part of the warned area and will end in the next hour or so over the rest of the warned area. Despite this, flooding may continue until later this morning or early this afternoon. Some locations that will experience flooding include... Mason City, Nora Springs, Manly, Rockwell, Mason City Municipal Airport, Clear Lake, Ventura, Thornton, Plymouth, Fertile, Kensett, Meservey, Grafton, Hanlontown, Swaledale, Rock Falls, Burchinal, Portland, Bolan and McIntosh Woods State Park. This includes Interstate 35 between mile markers 178 and 209. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Flood Warning Areas Affected: Floyd; Mitchell NWS LaCrosse (Southwestern Wisconsin, Southeastern Minnesota, and Northeast Iowa) ...A FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CDT FOR MITCHELL AND FLOYD COUNTIES... Although rain has ended in parts of northern Iowa, area creeks and streams remain high in parts of Mitchell and Floyd Counties. Rock Creek and Slough Creek are just some of the waterways that are experiencing flooding this afternoon. An estimated 3 to 5 inches of rain has fallen. Some secondary roads are closed or have water over them. Never cross a flooded roadway. The good news there will be a break in the rainfall going into this evening. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall is causing flooding of small creeks and streams, country roads, farmland, and other low lying spots. ROCHESTER, Minn. In front of the steps of Rochester City Hall on Thursday morning, mayoral candidate Regina Mustafa called the dismissal of Leiutenant Roy Alston an example of institutionalized racism and made some requests of city officials. She is asking Mayor Ardell Brede to defer his police chief selection to the next Rochester mayor, and is asking Mayor Brede and the Rochester City Council to disband the Police Civil Service Commission. On Tuesday night, the Police Civil Service Commission voted 2-1 to officially remove Dallas Police Lieutenant Roy Alston from the running for Rochester's new police chief because they say they think he was being purposely deceptive on his application. Community member Manal Abbadi attended Mustafa's public statement. KIMT asked her if she thinks the mayor should defer his decision until there is a new mayor. "I believe that's a decision that would be best left up to the mayor himself. I think that's something that might be a good decision if the mayor feels that there was some type of discrimination that went on in the decision that was made," she said. KIMT went to Mayor Brede's office, but he is currently out of state at a conference and is unable to respond at this time. KIMT also reached out City Council member Nick Campion, who gave this statement: "Picking a police chief is a process I hope will unite our community around shared values. I am watching the deliberations closely. Ultimately, this process is overseen solely by the Mayor. He alone has the authority to appoint a police chief. Any changes to the City's charter is significant and should be weighed with appropriate gravity by the City's Charter Commission." Currently, Mayor Brede is the one person to choose the new police chief out of the two remaining candidates. Modifying or disbanding the Police Civil Service Commission would require changing Rochester's city charter. (Kitco News) - As this newsletter is being written, the Group of Seven summit is about to begin in my home province of Quebec. And it looks like this G7 gathering might be one of the most bitter in years; with the world on the brink of a trade war, the stakes are high. Before arriving in Canada, President Trump noted he may leave early in preparation for his upcoming Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He also said that Russia should be readmitted as part of the group of countries meeting, breaking with other world leaders who have insisted that Moscow remain ostracized after its 2014 annexation of Crimea. Trumps comments, made just hours before arriving in Canada, have the potential to further upend talks with other leaders who are already furious about his protectionist trade policies. On the topic of trade, Canadas sweetheart, Kevin OLeary came back on the show this week to tell us that Capital is Leaving Canada Like Rats Abandoning A Ship. Not one to mince words, OLeary said that Canada is still uncompetitive relative to its peers, primarily due to high corporate taxes. This has a lot to do with not just being competitive on a tax basis; [but] not being competitive on a carbon tax basis, not being competitive on a corporate tax basis, and then on top of all this youve got tariffs coming in, OLeary told Kitco News. On to the gold front now, Kitco commentator Todd Bubba Horwitz said that investors might want to buckle up for a wild ride this week. The next seven days can be huge for equities, metals and commodities. It all starts with the G-7, followed by the North Korean summit on Tuesday, the Fed on Wednesday and the grand finale -- Super Mario and the ECB -- on Thursday. Anyone of these events could have a dramatic effect on all markets, especially the metals, Horwitz said. As for gold, a market that has been in consolidation at the bottom end of the range for weeks, Horwitz said investors might now see a move higher. Martin Murenbeeld, president of Murenbeeld & Co., said that the threat of a global trade war, political uncertainty in Europe, and on-again-off-again negotiations with North Korea are all reasons to hold gold as a long-term insurance policy. In the current environment, he said that he is comfortable holding a 7% allocation in gold in his portfolio. He added that with prices hovering around $1,300 an ounce, now is a good time for investors to quietly buy and build an allocation if they dont already have one. There are an awful lot of balls up in the air and you just dont know if one of them will drop, he said. Meanwhile, on the mining front, dont miss David Erfles comments this week where he notes that the mood in the junior resource complex is nearing contrarians dream status. Not only has the retail speculators' collective outlook become uber-bearish, one of the most respected newsletter writers in the complex has stated we are now in a gold bear market. At the Metal Investors Forum (MIF) in Vancouver last month, junior miner analyst John Kaiser began his opening remarks with this statement regarding the gold sector: "We are back in a bear market and my own feeling is it is not clear what is going to take us out of the bear market any time soon. But Erfle reminds us to keep in mind Rick Rules words of wisdom: are you a contrarian or a victim? Alright, moving on now, last week I asked readers and viewers to guess which far away location I will be headed to in July. I received responses varying from the Maldives to Argentina, but it can now be revealed that I am headed to Noosa, Australia known as the Sunshine Coast of the country. I will be covering the Noosa Mining Conference and am very excited to explore and bring you the latest news from companies presenting there. Sponsored by Morgans, the Noosa Mining Conference is considered by many as the Diggers and Dealers of the East. More than 700 delegates expected to attend the event along with more than 50 presenting companies. So if you are still looking for something fun to do this summer (or winter in Australia), come and join the Kitco News team, well laugh, well learn and hopefully see some Koalas, you can register here: Noosa Mining and Exploration Investor Conference, 18-20 July 2018 ---------------------- And Finally I didnt want to talk about it but how can I not? Waking up to the news today of Anthony Bourdain has left a very deep hole in my stomach; as a journalist, I have nothing but the utmost respect for his writing, honesty and candor. Rest in peace chef. Enjoy the weekend; for our U.S. readers, if you are headed for a Saturday morning Starbucks run, keep in mind they quietly raised prices - again. LA MALBAIE, Quebec (Reuters) - Top U.S. allies scrambled on Friday to keep a Group of Seven nations summit from veering off track as President Donald Trump vowed to deal with unfair trade practices by Canada and the European Union. Washingtons partners in the G7 have been reeling since the Trump administration last week imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, the EU and Mexico, prompting retaliation and raising the specter of a global trade war. Canada, the host of the two-day summit in La Malbaie, Quebec, and the nation that has borne much of the brunt of Trumps trade fusillades in recent days, is holding out hope that progress can be made on less controversial issues. Asked whether Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus team was engaged in frantic damage control, a Canadian government official said it was always clear there would be disagreements at the summit over trade and relations with Russia. Trump set the tone before leaving Washington on Friday. Were going to deal with the unfair trade practices. If you look at what Canada, and Mexico, the European Union - all of them - have been doing to us for many, many decades. We have to change it. And they understand its going to happen, Trump said. He also said that Russia should be attending the summit, an idea that was unlikely to gain much traction at the G7 gathering, which groups Canada, the United States, Japan, Britain, Italy, France and Germany. The EU is also attending. Russia was suspended from what was then called the G8 in 2014 because of its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Trump said Russia should be readmitted, but even Moscow seemed to reject that suggestion. Russia is focused on other formats, apart from the G7, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a statement reported by the government-controlled Sputnik news agency. Trumps presidency has been clouded by a federal investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, and possible collusion by his campaign. Both Moscow and Trump have denied the allegations. A source within the French presidency said Trumps proposal did not seem coherent, and that it would be discussed in Quebec. A spokesman for Canadas Trudeau said Ottawas position against allowing Russia back into the G7 had not changed. New Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte struck a contrarian note, saying Russia should be readmitted. NERVOUS MARKETS Trump, who aides said has scant interest in multilateralism, is set to have bilateral meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadas Trudeau at the summit. The White House said he would leave four hours earlier than originally planned to fly to Singapore to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The Canadian government official said there could be meaningful progress on less controversial issues at the summit such as economic growth, the environment and gender equality. We have no reason to believe there will be problems on those issues, the official said on condition of anonymity. The U.S. leader will miss talks about climate change and clean energy, and will have left Canada by the time the other leaders begin closing news conferences likely to be laden with criticism of Washingtons policies. While the G7 chiefs have largely praised Trump for his efforts to stabilize the Korean peninsula, they are unhappy he pulled out of an international agreement designed to limit Irans nuclear ambitions. Officials have conceded the mood at the summit will likely be exceptionally tense. Although Trump says his tariffs are necessary to protect U.S. industry and workers, Canada and the EU have denounced them as illegal. Canada has proposed levies on a range of U.S. goods next month and the EU has pledged its own retaliatory measures. That has financial markets worried about tit-for-tit escalation that could tarnish an overall rosy global economic outlook. U.S. stock indexes initially dipped on Friday, partly due to investor nervousness over the G7 summit, but later turned positive. When it comes to trade - the positions are very clear. The President of the United States thinks that the U.S. has been treated in an unfair way by Europe and by others, and the others think that this is not the case, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told a press conference in La Malbaie. We will explain this through facts and figures, that this is not the right view one should have on this topic, Juncker said. Canada is also frustrated by what it sees as unacceptable U.S. demands in talks to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement, a deal that Trump has frequently criticized and threatened to terminate. Mexico is also a member of NAFTA. Harmony Gold Mining Co. Ltd. (NYSE: HMY) reports that an employee was killed after a fall of ground incident at the Bambanani mine Friday. An investigation is occurring. Management express[es] their deepest condolences to the deceased employees family, friends and colleagues, the company says. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Teranga: Wahgnions Gold Resources Rise 33% Teranga Gold Corp. (TSX: TGZ) reports that drill results for its Wahgnion gold project in Burkina Faso, West Africa have resulted in combined measured and indicated mineral resources of 2.4 million ounces of gold, an increase of 33% from the 1.8 million ounces announced in a feasibility study last September. The combined measured and indicated mineral resource is now 50.5 million tonnes at a grade of 1.51 grams per tonne, the company says. Teranga expects to release an updated mineral reserve estimate and related NI 43-101 technical report for Wahgnion in the third quarter. Based on these excellent results, we are targeting a conversion rate of more than 50% of these additional 600,000 ounces of mineral resources into reserves, exceeding our guidance range of between 175,000 and 350,000 ounces of gold, says Richard Young, president and chief executive officer. With financing in place and major construction advancing, we are on our way to building a mid-tier gold producer in West Africa. Wahgnion, which will be Terangas second mine, is expected to increase company-wide annual production by 50% to between 300,000 and 350,000 ounces. The first gold pour is expected by the end of 2019, Teranga says. By Allen Sykora For Kitco News Follow @AllenSykora Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. (Kitco News) - Gold and silver prices are trading near unchanged levels in early U.S. trading Friday. Selling interest in the safe-haven metals will be limited today, heading into the weekend and pending major geopolitical developments. August Comex gold futures were last up $0.30 an ounce at $1,303.50. July Comex silver was last up $0.015 at $16.83 an ounce. There is some uncertainty and even some anxiety among traders and investors heading into this weekends Group of Seven meeting in Canada between the major industrialized countries of the world. Trade and import tariffs will likely be the major topic of discussion among the finance ministers of the major world economies. The tone among the world leaders attending the meeting is not good, regarding resolving trade the disputes. And then early next week President Trump is scheduled to meet with North Korean President Kim Jong Un. The results of this meeting are very much up in the air and hard for the markets to gauge. This adds another element of uncertainty heading into the weekend, to put the marketplace is a more risk-averse mood today. World stock markets were lower overnight and U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward lower openings when the New York day session begins. The key outside markets today find Nymex crude oil prices weaker and trading above $65.00 a barrel. The U.S. dollar index is higher today on a rebound from this weeks losses and a bit of safe-haven demand. U.S. economic data due for release Friday is light and includes the monthly wholesale trade report. Technically, August gold bulls and bears are in a level overall near-term technical playing field. A seven-week-old downtrend on the daily bar chart has been negated. Gold bulls' next upside near-term price breakout objective is to produce a close above the May high of $1,332.40. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is pushing prices below solid technical support at the May low of $1,286.80. First resistance is seen at this weeks high of $1,307.80 and then at last weeks high of $1,312.60. First support is seen at last weeks low of $1,293.10 and then at $1,286.70. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 5.0 July silver futures bulls have the slight overall near-term technical advantage. Silver bulls' next upside price breakout objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at $17.00 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at the May low of $16.07. First resistance is seen at this weeks high of $16.935 and then at $17.00. Next support is seen at todays low of $16.645 and then at $16.50. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 5.5. JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Earthquakes such as the one in which seven miners died last month in South Africa are impossible to predict and a fact of life for deep level operations there, the chief executive of the mines owner Sibanye-Stillwater said on Thursday. Precious metals producer Sibanye has been the object of strong criticism from unions, local media and the government after the earthquake at its Driefontein gold mine that killed the miners. Another miner was killed there last week. Seismicity is a feature of mining in the region and deep-level mining layouts and support systems have been designed specifically to cope withy seismicity, Neal Froneman said in a presentation to investors. At Sibanyes Driefontein and Kloof operations west of Johannesburg, Froneman said that from 2013 to the middle of May 2018, there were an average of 649 seismic events per year measuring between 1 and 2 magnitude on the Richter scale. In 2018 alone there have been 234 to that date. Over the same period there were an average of 84 seismic events per year that were stronger than 2 magnitude. Seismic events at the operations killed one miner in 2015, one in 2017, and now eight in 2018 in the two recent quakes. You cannot predict seismic events ... That kind of technology does not exist, Froneman said. The event that killed seven workers last month measured magnitude 2.2 and is being investigated to see what went so horribly wrong. Magnitude 2 events we have all the time, its not unusual and these events generally happen on seismically active structures, Froneman told Reuters. What was unusual in this case was that the quake shook the ground in an area that was not seismically active and the epicenter was only 25 meters in front of the rock face where the drilling and blasting was taking place. We are trying to understand the mechanism of failure in this unusual case, Froneman said. Safety concerns are high on the investor radar screen in South Africas mining industry, which extracts metals from the worlds deepest mines. Sibanye noted in a recent operational update that last months disaster was a concern among its investors and a factor behind a roughly 28 percent fall in its share price last month. The 2017 death toll in South Africas mines increased to 88, surpassing the 2016 figure of 73 and ending nine straight years of falling fatalities in a country with an unforgiving geology that has produced a third of the gold ever mined in recorded history. First round of Khachaturian contest kicks off The first round of Khachaturian's 14th competition has begun on June 7 and continues today. Young cello players perform at the Tatyana Hayrapetyan Concert Hall in Tchaikovsky Secondary School. Michael Petrosyan from Gyumri is studying at Yerevan State Conservatory for the 3rd year. He is the last performer of today. He notes that participating in Khachaturian's contest is a great experience for him. "I think it's pleasurable for every musician, cellist, to participate in such a big, prestigious competition." He says that he is familiar with each and every participant of the contest, their performances, and notes that a difficult stage is expected for them. To note, Michael Petrosyan is the Grand Prix winner of the Veratsnund (Renaissance) contest-festival in Gyumri in 2015. Chi-Wong Hong, representing the Republic of Korea, notes that Khachaturian's competition is very important for him as it is well-known throughout the world and is a very important experience for each an every contestant. Sargis Balbabyan, who is responsible for the artistic part of the contest, underlines the fact that some works of Aram Khachaturian are compulsory for the competition: Sonat-fantasy for solo cello, the Cello Concerto or Concerto-Rhapsody of the Armenian Composer's. The winners of the first stage of the contest will be announced tonight. To remind, Khachaturian's 14th international contest is held under the high patronage of RA President's wife Mrs. Nune Sarkissian. The competition is being held thanks to joint efforts of the RA Ministry of Culture, Aram Khachaturian-Competition Cultural Foundation and Yerevan State Conservatory after Komitas. The main partner of the competition is the Intergovernmental Foundation for Educational, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation (IFESCCO). Six servicemen were wounded by the attack of the Azerbaijani armed forces in Artsakh, two of them in critical condition S&P Improved the Outlook on Ameriabank to Positive Ararat Mirzoyan to visit to Minsk Foreign Minister of India visits the Memorial of Armenian Genocide 1217 new cases Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group At UCOM only: Tv sets at 10% discount + 1 month free UMIX package + 4k tv channel Ameriabanks Special Offer for New Clients of Hrazdan Branch "Fall forward": Gurgen Khachatryan, the Co-Founder of the Galaxy Group of Companies, addressed a message to young people in Armenia UCOM hosted interns of Russian CBOSS corporation for a month The 20-episode Bloody bet thriller to be broadcast on Ucom's Armenia Premium TV channel Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group UCOM offers affordable gadgets at bigger discount Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency Google Ad UCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden. "The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer Generation A 13 your chance to be the change President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev "uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road Call on the international community for an adequate response against azerbaijani aggresssion Transformation and trust are important for success in modern banking. Artak Hanesyan UCOMS LEVEL UP 1700 REGIONAL TARIFF PLAN USERS TO RECEIVE MORE THAN THOSE IN YEREVAN Joint statement Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group OSCE conducts monitoring, Azerbaijan does not lead mission to its frontline with Karabakh In accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh, the OSCE Mission on Friday conducted a planned monitoring of the ceasefire on the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, to the northeast of Martakert town in Artsakh. From the positions of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh, the monitoring was held by Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO), and his field assistant Mihail Olaru (Moldova), the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Armenian News-NEWS.am From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Ognjen Jovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), field assistant to the Personal Representative of the OSCE CiO; and Simon Tiller (Great Britain), Personal Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative. The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. The Azerbaijani side, however, did not lead the OSCE mission to its frontline with Karabakh. From the Artsakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense. By Dong Sun-hwa Two sisters will go head to head in the 2018 Miss Korea Pageant on July 4. Kim Hee-ro, 23, was chosen as first runner-up in the regional preliminaries for Seoul, while Kim Hee-ran, 21, was selected in the contest in China. The younger sister was eligible to take part in the regional preliminaries in China because both sisters have lived in Beijing. The sisters are students in the Modeling department at Dongduk Women's University. The 2018 Miss Korea Pageant's 17 regional preliminaries began on April 7 and ended on May 31 with about 50 contestants heading to the final. Lee Jae-myung, left, a leading candidate for the Gyeonggi gubernatorial election, and actress Kim Bu-seon . By Kang Hyun-kyung Author Gong Ji-young has broken her silence about the rumor that Lee Jae-myung, a leading candidate for the Gyeonggi gubernatorial election, had an affair with actress Kim Bu-seon who is three years his senior. Gong claimed she heard about the scandal two years ago from journalist Joo Jin-woo who is close to Lee, 54, and knows about the affair better than anyone else. "At that time Joo and I were in a car heading somewhere. We were talking about the candidates for the then forthcoming presidential election," she wrote in a social media post Thursday. "I myself was (and still am) a supporter of Moon Jae-in for the presidential election but also liked Lee Jae-myung. So I told him about my preferred politicians. Upon hearing this, Joo was embarrassed and told me Lee had an affair with actress Kim. He went on to say that he (and others) were trying to persuade Kim not to reveal this, but the problem was barely solved." Gong said she was in disbelief at what she heard about Lee, so she asked the reporter if what he had said was true. "He said he and others were still talking to Kim. I was so disappointed by Lee." The author said she decided to gather the courage to speak about what she knew because she wanted to help out the actress who had problems after the affair with the politician was made public ahead of the June 13 local elections. The writer deleted her Facebook post Friday as it caused a stir and a backlash from Lee supporters. Gong, who has released several best-selling books including "Our Happy Time" (2004) since she made her literary debut in 1988 with the short story "Dawn," is an outspoken writer. She has spoken of her liberal political orientation on several occasions and openly supported such politicians, including the late President Roh Moo-hyun. The scandal surfaced in May when minor opposition Barenmirae Party candidate Kim Young-hwan raised the allegation to discredit the leading candidate of the ruling Democratic Party. Lee, 54, immediately denied it and maintained he had met Kim several times while participating in rallies but never had intimate relations with her. The two candidates have since exchanged a war of words over the matter. The issue took a drastic turn Thursday after a voice recording of the actress speaking about her relationship with the politician was posted on YouTube. In the recording, Kim, a costar in several films including "Spirit of Jeet Keun Do" (2004), confirmed her affair with the politician and claimed their relationship had lasted for 15 months between December 2007 and May 2009. Lee visited Kim's apartment in Seoul most of the time, she claimed. The actress said she met with the politician because she was "lonely." "He didn't pay me and enjoyed my company for free. I tried to protect him and lied about our relationship twice (after the scandal was reported) but he is now painting me as a patient suffering from mythomania," she said in the voice note. Earlier, Kim had denied the affair after the issue was raised in late May during a KBS TV debate among candidates running in the election to select the Gyeonggi Province governor. In the audio, Kim said she was terrified with the thought of the man she had an affair with but denied for his sake becoming president someday. "If he is elected president (in the future), I think he would be even worse than Park Geun-hye." Lee has kept denying the affair happened, claiming it was a baseless, politically-motivated allegation ahead of the election. The South Korean government has lost a legal dispute with an Iranian firm over the failed takeover of Daewoo Electronics in 2011, officials here said Thursday. Iran's Dayyani group, a major shareholder of Entekhab Industrial Group, sought an investor-state dispute settlement after South Korea's state-run Korea Asset Management Corp. (KAMCO) canceled a contract to sell a major stake in Daewoo Electronics to Entekhab in 2011 due to funding uncertainties. Dayyani filed the complaint with the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), criticizing Seoul for violating a bilateral investment treaty and demanding the Korean government pay 93.5 billion won (US$87.4 million). Earlier this month, the ICSID ordered the Korean government to pay 73 billion won, according to South Korea's financial regulator, the Financial Services Commission (FSC). The government is reviewing follow-up measures in the wake of the ruling, the FSC said in a statement. KAMCO picked Entekhab as the preferred bidder for acquiring a controlling stake in Daewoo Electronics in 2010. Entekhab paid 10 percent of the total value, or 57.8 billion won, after signing a deal, but KAMCO terminated the contract in May 2011, citing Entekhab's request for a discount. (Yonhap) By Yoon Ja-young The Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corp. (KHNP) chief said that the firm is seeking to take the lead in exports of nuclear reactors. The company will also seek transformation into a comprehensive energy firm by expanding its business to renewable energy and consulting services. "We have the capacity to lead nuclear exports on our own, but we have used the Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) as a platform for this. We will be running at the frontline for exports projects in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and the Philippines," KHNP CEO Chung Jae-hoon said in a meeting with the media, Thursday. KHNP CEO Chung Jae-hoon By Yoon Ja-young Strategy and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon is throwing his backing behind innovation policies, one of the major economic strategies of the current administration along with income-led growth. The minister, who is celebrating one year in office, has recently protested Cheong Wa Dae's steep wage hikes, but now is expected to concentrate on deregulation and support for start-ups. "The government will concentrate all its efforts to speed up innovative growth. Most of all, deregulation should come up with visible outcomes," he said while presiding over his first ministerial meeting on the issue Friday. Strategy and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon In this image taken from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation video, South Korean backpacker Han Joo-hee, 25, center, is assisted to a hospital after being rescued by helicopter, Thursday, in Tully, Queensland, Australia. Australian Broadcasting Corporation via AP A South Korean tourist was found safe and "in good spirits" six days after falling into a deep ravine while taking photos from a mountaintop in northeastern Australia, officials said. Rescuers said the chances of survival for 25-year-old Han Joo-hee had been "near zero" after spending nearly a week without food in the remote area. Han disappeaered on June 1 after telling friends she was going to climb Mount Tyson, a peak in bushland south of Cairns in northern Queensland state, police said. She was not reported missing until Wednesday, when police, soldiers and emergency crews launched a search, finally locating her Thursday stuck in a deep ravine near a waterfall. She was winched to safety by helicopter and taken to a local hospital suffering only minor injuries. Han told rescuers she slipped while taking photos from a rocky outlook and was knocked unconscious for around five hours from the fall. She tried crawling out through heavy undergrowth but could get no further than the waterfall, where she remained for six days. "She'd managed to find in the ravine running water coming down the rockface. The entire time she was missing she'd had no food with her at all," said Hannah Gaulke, the Queensland Ambulance service flight medic who treated Han in the helicopter. "Despite that, she's actually in really good condition ... in good spirits," Gaulke said. "From all the data that is known, and from even the data the police have, this is a first for someone in these conditions, where temperatures overnight had dropped below 10 degrees (50 Fahrenheit)," she said. "She had minimal gear for survival and for that length of time her chances of survival were near zero," she said. (AFP) The view of Resorts World Sentosa island in Singapore is pictured on June 6, 2018. A highly anticipated meeting between US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will take place at a resort island off Southern Singapore. AFP By Kim Jae-kyoung SINGAPORE U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un must meet each other halfway to produce tangible outcomes at the June 12 summit, according to an international security expert, Wednesday. "Unless both leaders understand each other's red lines and come ready to compromise, this summit might turn out to be a wasted opportunity," Liang Tuang Nah, a research fellow of the Military Studies Program at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, said in an interview. The institute is a constituent unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He stressed before any discussion begins, both Trump and Kim need to understand what either are prepared to initially give up and where they insist on holding firm. "On Trump's end, he would need to understand that quick disarmament?within six months?is extremely unrealistic and that Kim will not relinquish his nuclear and missile program before sanctions relief," he said. "On Kim's part, he must realize that he is in no legal position to demand the withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea, the abolition of the American nuclear umbrella over the ROK, or a permanent end to U.S.-ROK military exercises." President Trump and Chairman Kim are scheduled to meet at the Capella Hotel on Singapore's resort island of Sentosa on June 12 to discuss North Korea's denuclearization. There are reports emerging that the summit may continue for another day, although nothing has been confirmed. Tuang, a specialist on nuclear weapons politics and North Korean affairs, said there are three thorny issues to be addressed to ensure success for the historic summit between a sitting American president and a North Korean leader. "U.S. military activities in South Korea, Washington's need for irreversible denuclearization and North Korean impatience for the lifting of sanctions are going to be key," he said. In his view, in as much as Trump wants the Korean crisis to be resolved quickly to add a "feather in his cap," a more realistic outcome is a phased reciprocal approach where Pyongyang trades irreversible and substantial denuclearization steps for partial sanctions relief and steps toward a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War. "The key is that Washington must see that Pyongyang's treasured sword is being rendered inert, while the Kim regime must perceive that sanctions will eventually be fully lifted," he said. "Also, it would help if political moves toward a peace treaty were discussed and eventually agreed upon at the summit." Tuang believes one of the major challenges for the Trump-Kim summit is to build trust as they have yet to find common ground. Trump wants complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) immediately, while Kim Jong-un wants phased denuclearization calling for security guarantees and economic aid. "Trust can only be built up over time and the best way of doing so is when each side sees the other honoring their side of the bargain," he said. He suggested that in the interim, Beijing and Seoul step in as guarantors of Pyongyang's good behavior. "For example, Beijing supplies almost all of Pyongyang's oil needs and could advise that Pyongyang acts in good faith, fulfilling all agreements, to ensure an uninterrupted supply," he said. "As for Seoul's part, it could seek waivers from UNSC sanctions to allow South Korea to resume operations at the Gaeseong industrial park together with North Korea, as a reward for continued denuclearization progress." Lastly, he suggested a significant confidence-building measure could be for officers of the Korean People's Army be invited to observe the less sensitive portions of South Korea-U.S. military exercises. Similarly, U.S. and South Korean military experts could be invited to witness the decommissioning of North Korean nuclear infrastructure or missiles, he added. Senior North Korean official Kim Yong-chol and U.S. Secretary of State shake hands after meeting in New York last week to discuss the Pyongyang-Washington summit. Yonhap By Kim Bo-eun U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean official Kim Yong-chol have played major roles in enabling the North Korea-U.S. summit arranged for June 12 in Singapore. Meanwhile, National Security Chief John Bolton appears to have been sidelined due to his earlier remarks about the Libya denuclearization model, which led to a hostile response from Pyongyang and endangered prospects of the summit taking place. Meetings between Pompeo and Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, are seen to have laid the groundwork for the summit. Pompeo, as the former director of the CIA, is known to have led U.S. efforts with a team including Andrew Kim of the agency's Korea Mission Center. Kim Yong-chol, meanwhile, has played a key role this year as the North Korean leader's right-hand man in terms of both inter-Korean affairs and diplomacy. He has attended all of Kim Jong-un's summits this year _ two meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and two with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He was previously the chief of North Korea's intelligence agency. U.S. President Donald Trump smiles during his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Thursday (local time). AP U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he could invite North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the United States if their meeting next week goes well. The highly anticipated summit in Singapore is five days away as the two sides try to reach a deal on dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program in exchange for security guarantees. Trump said he is prepared to walk if the negotiations don't go well, but he also dangled the possibility of a follow-up meeting in Washington. "Certainly if it goes well. And I think it would be well-received. I think he would look at it very favorably. So I think that could happen," he said during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House. "Maybe we'll start with the White House." A visit to the U.S. would serve as a powerful symbol of normalizing ties between the former Korean War foes. Trump said it's possible they will use next week's meeting to sign an agreement to end the conflict. The 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, leaving the two sides technically at war. "As you know, that would be a first step. It's what happens after the agreement that really is the big point," he said. "Normalizing relations is something that I would expect to do, I would hope to do, when everything is complete." Trump earlier expressed confidence that he is ready for the summit. "The summit is all ready to go," he said at the top of his meeting with Abe, adding that both sides have been preparing for a long time. "I think I'm very well prepared. I don't think I have to prepare very much," he said. "It's about attitude. It's about willingness to get things done ... So this isn't a question of preparation; it's a question of whether or not people want it to happen, and we'll know that very quickly." Trump and Kim are slated to meet at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The president said it will be more than just a photo-op and could be followed by additional meetings. "I think it's not a one-meeting deal. It would be wonderful if it were," he said. "They have to denuke. If they don't denuclearize, that will not be acceptable." In this June 7, 2018, photo, a man walks past an advertisement board of cartoon caricatures of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un which are supposed to be the inspiration behind a local dish, the "Trump-Kim Chi Nasi Lemak" at a mall, in Singapore. AP By Kim Jae-kyoung SINGAPORE Most Singaporeans are excited about their country playing host to the historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. But not all are happy about the city-state bearing the cost of the summit slated to be held at the Capella Hotel on Singapore's resort island of Sentosa, June 12. Proponents believe that this is a great chance for Singapore to upgrade its international image, so the government and people are taking a strategic approach. In other words, paying the direct costs for North Korea, such as lodging, transport and dining, can be a monetary loss in the short-term, but successful hosting the summit will bring greater value for the country. "This kind of opportunity does not come often. I think we can afford to bear the cost and it will help leverage our international status," said a senior executive at one of the five-star hotels in Singapore on condition of anonymity. "Singapore is a very small country and we need to take advantage of this opportunity to solidify our position as a neutral, trusted country," he added. Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen recently said that the city-state is willing to foot some bills for the planned summit. When asked if Singapore will be bearing the cost during the recent Shangri-La dialogue, Ng told reporters, "Obviously yes, but it is a cost that we're willing to bear to play a small part in this historic meeting." On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department said that the U.S. is not paying for North Korean officials to stay in Singapore during next week's summit. People walk along Orchard Road, the most famous shopping street in Singapore, Friday. / Korea Times photo by Kim Jae-kyoung Chua Boon Ping, chief executive officer of SPH Ventures, also approves of the government's stance. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to arrive in Singapore Sunday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. AP North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to fly into Singapore's Changi airport on Sunday ahead of a high-stakes summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, a source involved in the planning of the trip said on Friday. Pictures of U.S. military aircraft at nearby Paya Lebar air base, including a white-topped helicopter commonly used for transporting high-ranking U.S. officials, were published in a newspaper on Friday. Talks between the leaders on June 12 are expected to centre on ending the North's nuclear weapons and missiles programmes in return for diplomatic and economic incentives.Changi airport directed Reuters' query to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. The Aviation Authority did not immediately have comment.Neither delegation has made its travel plans public. Media said Trump was likely to arrive at the Paya Lebar air base, where previous U.S. presidents landed on visits to Singapore. Since becoming the North's leader in 2011, Kim has only taken one known overseas trip by air to Dalian in China in early May flying in his personal Ilyushin-62M jet and accompanied by a cargo plane. Singapore is easily in the range of the Soviet-era narrow-body Il-62M aircraft which flies on four engines, but some media speculated that it may stop in China as a precaution since it was not frequently used in recent years for such a long distance. (Reuters) By Kim Jae-kyoung SINGAPORE U.S. President Donald Trump will fly into Singapore and check in at The Shangri-La Hotel on Sunday, two days ahead of his historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to hotel officials, Friday. They said Trump plans to spend four days from June 10 to 13 and leave a day after the summit, which is due to begin June 12 at 10:00 a.m. (KST). The North Korean leader is also expected to arrive in Singapore on Sunday. Reuters reported on Friday that Kim will land at Singapore's Changi airport on Sunday, citing a source involved in the planning of the trip. It is unknown if the same-day arrival of the two leaders was decided through negotiations of the two countries. It's possible Trump and Kim could meet secretly somewhere in the city-size state before their first official summit on Tuesday. A group of western men, presumably members of the U.S. Secret Service who will guard U.S. President Donald Trump, board on mini buses at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, Friday. A hotel official said that they arrived today and checked sites and facilities at the hotel. / Korea Times photo by Kim Jae-kyoung Trump to check in Sunday evening "President Trump is scheduled to check in at our hotel on Sunday evening and check out on June 13," a Shangri-La official said on condition of anonymity. "A group of bodyguards from the U.S. government for Trump arrived today and they checked sites and facilities at the hotel. I think more people from the U.S. will join tomorrow. Since Sentosa's Capella Hotel was announced as the summit venue, there has been growing speculation on where President Trump would be based during his stay here. This is the first time a hotel official has confirmed his stay at the 792-room five-star hotel sitting on land off Orchard Road. The Korea Times first reported the delegation from the U.S. will be unpacking its bags at the hotel designated as a special event area by the Singapore government together with the Capella Hotel. The U.S. Embassy in Singapore reserved most of the rooms at the hotel from June 8 to 14 for the summit. The White House said Thursday Trump plans to cut short his visit to the G7 Summit in Canada, Saturday, and fly directly to Singapore for his planned meeting with Kim. "President Trump will depart the G7 Summit at Charlevoix at 10:30 a.m. Saturday," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "The president will travel directly to Singapore from Canada in anticipation of his upcoming meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, Tuesday." As of Friday afternoon, security at the hotel and surrounding areas, according to spot checks by The Korea Times, was not that tight but another Shangri-La official said it will be increased greatly on June 10. "From Sunday, those who are not staying at our hotel must go through tight security checks," the official said. "People and cars entering the hotel will be subject to spot checks and inspections. I think security will be much tighter than during the Shangri-La Dialogue held earlier this month." The Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia's highest-level annual security summit attended by defense ministers and military chiefs from 28 Asia-Pacific states. This year's summit ended last Sunday. The Korea Times reporter Park Si-soo contributed to this article from Seoul. South Korea's public broadcaster KBS said Friday that one of its reporters has been detained in Singapore ahead of the landmark summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump. KBS did not provide details on the circumstances under which the reporter was detained as it could not have access to him due to an ongoing probe by Singaporean police. "We will respect the results of the police investigation and take necessary steps as soon as results are available," KBS said in an emailed statement. The French news agency AFP said police detained two men who work for KBS on Thursday for alleged illegal entry into the residence of the North Korean ambassador in Singapore. By Suh Chung Ha Singapore is set to host a summit June 12 between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un, the first-ever meeting between a sitting American president and a leader of North Korea. The decision to hold what could be one of the most significant meetings in Korean history in Singapore is a testament to the remarkable diplomatic significance of the "little red dot." Already renowned as one of the world's leading trading and financial hubs, the tiny city state can now add another service to its distinguished portfolio: diplomatic host. Singapore's skillful balancing among the region's major powers has helped promote its security and prosperity, not to mention its reputation as a leading player in the regional diplomacy and made it an acceptable host for both the United States and North Korea. As hope grows that North Korea might open up and reform its economy in a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula, the example of Vietnam has also received growing South Korean interest. Vietnam's decision to pursue its "Doi Moi" policy of economic reforms in the late 1980s successfully helped the country emerge as one of Asia's fastest-growing economies in recent years. Indeed, Kim is reported to have expressed his interest in the Vietnamese model. South Korea has been one of Vietnam's key partners in supporting its economic development through investment and also one of its biggest beneficiaries. Today, South Korea is Vietnam's second-largest trading partner while Vietnam is South Korea's fourth-largest. The South Korea-Vietnam relationship is one of Asia's great success stories: two former Cold War adversaries who overcame their past enmity to forge a peaceful and prosperous partnership. This story holds many lessons as we closely watch North Korea's next steps. In addition to Singapore and Vietnam, key members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, also have many insights to share for Korea's future and their unfulfilled potential. One important insight has been these countries' underappreciated collective significance through the ASEAN grouping. In the wake of Chinese economic retaliation following South Korea's deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, South Korea has increasingly recognized the need to diversify its partnerships. ASEAN has been the main focus of this policy re-orientation. In recognition of ASEAN's significance, President Moon Jae-in announced his New Southern Policy in November 2017 during a visit to Jakarta, Indonesia. The New Southern Policy aims to pursue mutually beneficial cooperation and elevate relations with ASEAN on par with Korea's traditional great power neighbors. It is often forgotten that ASEAN as a grouping is South Korea's second-largest trading partner and investment destination with a consumer market of over 600 million people. South Korean popular culture, known as hallyu, has received perhaps its most enthusiastic reception in Southeast Asia. Every year, millions of tourists, students and workers travel between the two sides strengthening people-to-people ties. Furthermore, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will present even more opportunities for exchanges, cooperation and interaction between South Korea and ASEAN. For example, South Korea can learn a lot from Singapore's technological achievements in smart homes, autonomous vehicles and medical solutions using robotic technology. Intergovernmental and private sector cooperation in emerging industries such as e-commerce, e-finance, smart cities, smart agriculture and a shared economy are all untapped opportunities. Despite all of this, South Korean public awareness of ASEAN's significance continues to lag far behind reality. A recent survey by the ASEAN-Korea Centre found that most young South Koreans see ASEAN primarily as a tourist destination, but also unfortunately associate it with negative terms such as "poverty" and "backwardness." This suggests there is much work to be done in changing South Korean attitudes towards Southeast Asia from the current superficial stereotypes if we are to realize the relationship's full potential. ASEAN, and Southeast Asia more broadly, is not only an emerging economic giant that will be central to Korea's ongoing prosperity, it is a diverse region full of rich experiences that South Koreans can learn much from. The relationship has come far, but it has much farther to go. At the 13th Jeju Forum, which starts June 26, senior officials, scholars and journalists from South Korea and ASEAN will come together to discuss ways to strengthen South Korea-ASEAN cooperation. I hope the Jeju Forum will enhance South Koreans' understanding about ASEAN and contribute to the success of the New Southern Policy. The writer is president of the Jeju Peace Institute and former Korean Ambassador to Singapore. At the Korea Vietnam Culture Communication Center in Guro-gu, Seoul, November 2011, Vietnamese women who migrated to marry Korean men sing the national anthems of both countries after graduating from a class where they learned about Korean culture and language. Korea Times file By Ko Dong-hwan Fewer international marriages in South Korea are ending in divorces. Often hastily arranged marriages are arranged through agencies, usually involving Korean men and foreign women. There can be a high risk of a split because of cultural barriers that couples cannot overcome before wedlock. But thanks to an international marriage guide program that the Ministry of Justice introduced in 2011, the divorce rate has fallen from 115,000 to 7,100 in 2017. First tested for six months in October 2010, the program was officially launched in March 2011. Korea's immigration laws now state that Koreans who want to marry citizens of China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Thailand, or invite them to Korea after marrying them, must attend the four-hour program offered at one of 15 immigration offices in Korea and acquire a program-completion license to apply for international marriage certification. Yun Byung-seung, Deputy Director of the ministry's Immigrant Integration Division, told The Korea Times the program was run by people with a plenty of experience in consulting about international marriages and people who have so far enjoyed a successful international marriage. Participants get to know the past cases of international marriage that were either successful or ended in a split. "The program explains cultures of countries from where spouses come to Korea to marry and settle, mostly from Vietnam and China," said Yun. "It helps the soon-to-marry Koreans understand their future spouses and their cultural backgrounds, as well as informing others interested in international marriage to understand the concept better." With Korean men as the grooms in at least 90 percent of international marriages, with their brides as migrants, the program aims to enlighten in advance Koreans about their future spouses to lower the risk of friction, including problems based on communication errors because Koreans rarely get enough time to study the language of their new spouse. From 2010 until 2017, almost 77,000 Koreans took the program. The number of international marriage certificate applications increased as well. The ministry surveys every six months Korean spouses who had completed the program, with 80-90 percent of respondents saying they benefited from the program. Most of those who took the program were Korean men in their 40s with a high school diploma, who were marrying Vietnamese women. The program comprises four sessions about the cultural and social aspects of countries of foreign spouses, the process of obtaining an international marriage license, case studies of good/bad international marriages, and protecting human rights. "It may be short and provide only basic information," Yun said. "But for those who need a pedestal to improve their relationships with foreign spouses, the program is a good starting point." Foreign spouses from the seven countries do not need to learn the program because they usually learn the Korean language and customs before coming to Korea. The program, which accepts people only through online applications, varies in content based on the nationalities of the applicants' spouses. It uses a pool of instructors, two to three per session, and textbooks for each country. The pool has a varying number of instructors for each of the 15 immigration offices nationwide, excluding branch offices and those at airports. In this photo from March 2011, marriage migrants from Mongolia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia serve elderly South Koreans at a seniors' welfare center in Sujeong-gu, Sungnam, Gyeonggi Province, as voluntary work. Korea International Cooperation Agency President Park Dae-won, third from left, and the agency's honorary ambassador and then-Hannara Party Rep. Cho Yoon-sun, second from left, joined in. Korea Times file By Jung Da-min A local court's decision to punish a teacher for leaving a student behind at an expressway rest area during a field trip has sparked controversy over teachers' duties versus teachers' rights. In May, the Daegu District Court fined an elementary school teacher 8 million won ($7,470) for leaving her student behind. The sentence could disqualify the teacher from teaching and working with children for ten years. While some favor the verdict, others have petitioned to the Cheong Wa Dae website urging a retrial. One petitioner urging a retrial garnered support of over 40,000, while another criticizing the ruling of the judge accumulated over 70,000. When unpredictable accidents occur during field trips, it is impossible to solely abide by safety manuals, according to the Korean Pragmatic Teacher's Federation (KPTF). "In reality, the current safety manual does not guarantee safety," the KPTF said. "Teachers lack administrative or staff support. Each teacher is in charge of around 30 students and needs to handle all emergencies on their own." The KPTF said the court's decision could demoralize teachers. "There could be differences of opinion about how the teacher dealt with the situation, but it is very unfair to see it as intentional child abuse and fire the teacher," it said. The incident occurred in May last year, when a student suffering from a stomachache asked the teacher to stop the bus. The driver, however, could not stop on the highway because it's against the law. The teacher asked the student to take care of her needs on the bus. When the bus arrived at the rest area, the student wanted to discontinue the trip and her mother agreed to pick her up at the site. The teacher left the rest area with the other students on the bus, while the student was left alone for about an hour before her mother arrived at the scene. Her mother filed a complaint with the school and the school reported the case to a child abuse organization. This became an issue in the school community, and teachers nationwide voiced concern about their authority. "I think the teacher did the best he could do," an elementary school teacher said. "He had to take care of the other students. If issues like this keep emerging, schools should reduce field trips." However, some agree with the court's decision, claiming the teacher could have dealt with the situation better. "There are plenty of rest areas on the highways and there was an assistant teacher that could have stayed with the student," said a lawyer in his interview with CBS radio program. The Child Welfare Act prohibits sexual, physical and emotional abuse of children and punishes abandonment. Any violations can be fined up to 50 million won or be sentenced for up to five years in prison. Cho Hee-yeon, incumbent Seoul superintendent of education announces key pledges for his re-election bid during a press conference at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Friday. Yonhap By Kim Hyun-bin Cho Hee-yeon, the incumbent Seoul superintendent of education, said Friday that he will abolish autonomous private and foreign language high schools in the capital. Cho, who is running for a second term, held a press conference at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and revealed his key pledges before the upcoming June 13 local elections. The elections will select 17 mayors and governors as well as numerous local council members and education chiefs. Abolishing private and foreign language high schools has become the most controversial issue among the pledges of the three candidates running for education superintendent. Cho is the sole candidate who aims to eliminate the institutions. "We need to erase the education enforcement ordinance and transform the schools into regular high schools," said Cho. "We need the Presidential Committee on National Education to gather public opinion and put forward interim measures to help the changeover from private schools to public ones." He vowed to implement a lottery system for private high school admissions and provide support for schools that are going through a transition from private to public. The incumbent superintendent also vowed to place a foreign English teacher at every elementary school. This is in contrast to the other two candidates, conservative Park Sun-young and moderate Cho Young-dal, who pledged to set up "playful" after-school English class programs for first and second grades. Starting this school year, the Moon Jae-in administration banned after school English programs for first and second graders claiming it was too stressful for children to learn a foreign language before third grade. Cho also pledged to finish construction of three special education schools within his second term. Construction of the special education school in Jungnang district has been postponed for over two years as it was difficult to select a site for construction due to strong protests from residents. There are seven districts within the capital without a special education school. In 2014, during his first election for education superintendent, he pledged to establish a special institute in every district in Seoul. However, due to the strong protests he has backed down on his old pledges. "After we have finished building the three special education schools we will conduct a comprehensive review to see if the other districts are in need," he said. Cho introduced some new pledges for his second run for office. He promised to allow elementary through high school students to use public cultural centers including the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and Seoul Arts Center free of charge. President Moon Jae-in hugs Kim So-hyung, whose father was killed during the May 18th Gwangju Uprising, during a ceremony marking the 37th anniversary of the democratic movement in Gwangju last year. Yonhap The government launched a fact-finding commission Friday to look into sexual assaults by soldiers who were sent to suppress a pro-democracy uprising in the southern city of Gwangju in 1980. The fact-finding mission is part of the government's wider efforts to find out who was responsible for the mobilization of military forces against the civilian protest against the then-ruling junta of Chun Doo-hwan. The new commission, jointly headed by the vice minister for gender equality and the secretary general of the National Human Rights Commission, will collect and investigate cases of sexual violence by the military during the May 18th Democratization Movement by going through military documents and gathering reports from victims and their families, according to the government. It starts on Friday and runs till Oct. 31 and will have 12 members from the ministries of gender equality and defense, as well as the national human rights commission, plus the two co-heads. The results of the probe will be transferred to another government task force launched in early March to find the truth behind the deadly military crackdown on the Gwangju uprising. The task force followed the March 13 passing of a special law on looking into the truth surrounding the democratization movement. "I could not repress the sense of misery when I recall the women whose ordinary lives were ravaged and damaged in the historic scene, as well as the Gwangju civilians who sacrificed themselves to safeguard the value of democracy 38 years ago," Vice Gender Equality Minister Lee Sook-jin said in a press release. "The joint fact-finding commission will put in its utmost efforts to excavate the full historic truth behind sexual violence committed by the then-martial law army and others so as to prevent a repeat of any sexual violence on women by government authorities on this soil." In May 1980, angry students started protests against the Chun regime. As paratroopers beat and arrested them, many indignant ordinary citizens joined the demonstrations. When the troops fired into a crowd, protesting civilians began to arm themselves, forming a defense force called the Citizens Army. The bloodshed led to the deaths of around 200 people, and 1,000 others were wounded, according to an official tally. But other estimates put the death toll at 1,000-2,000. (Yonhap) By Kim Hyun-bin The Ministry of Education said, Friday, it has requested the prosecution to investigate 17 people, including former Cheong Wa Dae senior officials, who were involved in the now-scrapped state-authored history textbook plan. According to the ministry, the 17 are five former presidential officials, including former chief of staff Lee Byung-kee and Kim Sang-ryul, a former senior secretary for education and culture, eight then education officials and four people from the private sector. However, the list failed to include former President Park Geun-hye and her presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon, believed to have masterminded the drive for the books for middle and high school students. On March 28, the fact finding committee under the education ministry initially requested that 25 people be questioned, including Park and Kim, for possible abuse of power and other violations of related laws. The history book plan was ditched by President Moon Jae-in last year right after he took office. "We are not authorized to investigate those who do not belong to the education ministry, so we could not look into the presidential office," said an official at the ministry. The ministry also called for disciplinary measures for the six officials at the ministry and affiliated organizations. "Instead of punishing low- to mid-level officials who followed government guidelines, we will punish high-ranking officials," it said. Prosecutors are expected to look into whether they drew up a blacklist for academic research projects, violated publicity payments, set up interest groups and exerted pressure on rigging public opinion about the government-issued textbooks. The fact finding committee's investigation results will be revealed in a "white paper," which the ministry plans to distribute to public libraries nationwide including the National Assembly Library and the National Library of Korea. Education Minister Kim Sang-gon criticized the previous government's plan, calling it an abuse of power and an attempt to monopolize the nation's history textbooks. "It is a known fact that the Ministry of Education was at the forefront to implement the textbooks. As the head of education I feel heavily responsible and would like to deeply apologize to the public," Kim said. In 2015, the previous government unveiled the history textbook plan out of concern that privately published textbooks reflected leftist views and promoted pro-North Korea sentiment. However, the plan faced a huge backlash from all sides. Many critics claimed that the government was trying to glorify the dictatorship of former President Park Chung-hee, President Park's father, while high-profile historians called it an anti-democratic move that would prevent citizens from gaining a balanced understanding of the past. Capella Hotel, on the resort island of Sentosa, Singapore, where U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are supposed to meet on June 12 / Yonhap By Choi Ha-young North Korean state-run media outlets have kept mum for over 10 days about the planned summit between their leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump which is slated for June 12, possibly out of uncertainty about its denuclearization initiatives. Pyongyang's main newspaper Rodong Sinmun briefly mentioned the summit on the front page of the paper, May 26. Afterward, however, the paper as well as state-run Korean Central News Agency stopped reporting on the summit, including North Korean envoy Kim Yong-chol's four-day Washington visit. This is in contrast with Western media outlets that are closely chasing the progress of the preparations for the summit. The U.S. government also confirmed the summit schedule, saying the two leaders will meet at the Capella Hotel on the resort island of Sentosa, Singapore, at 9 a.m. local time. A voter casts a ballot in Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim hyun-chul Korea Times photo by Shim hyun-chul Korea Times photo by Shim hyun-chul Korea Times photo by Shim hyun-chul South Korea kicked off two-day early voting Friday for the June 13 local elections and parliamentary by-elections, which are seen as a referendum on liberal President Moon Jae-in. The advance voting began at 3,512 polling stations nationwide and will run until Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to the National Election Commission (NEC). Up for grabs are 4,016 local administrative, legislative and educational posts, including 17 metropolitan mayors and provincial governors. The by-elections will be held to fill 12 vacant parliamentary seats. As of 1:00 p.m., turnout was 4.49 percent, according to the election watchdog. It was higher than the 2.51 percent recorded on the first day of early voting for the 2014 local elections at 1:00 p.m. The advance voting system was introduced for the by-elections in April 2013. A poll released by the NEC showed Thursday that 76.5 percent of those surveyed said this week that they will definitely vote in the upcoming elections, up from 70.9 percent recorded two weeks earlier. It said that 30.3 percent of those who intend to vote said they will cast ballots during the early voting. President Moon and his wife Kim Jung-sook cast their ballots earlier in the day, joined by a number of senior secretaries, including chief of staff Im Jong-seok. Rival parties have been ramping up their campaigns to boost turnout for the early voting. Higher turnout in the advance voting usually leads to a higher voting rate on election day. Recent polls show that the ruling Democratic Party (DP) is taking a sizable lead in both elections. President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook participate in early voting for the June 13 local elections at a polling station in Samcheong-dong community center, Friday. This is the first time for an incumbent president to take part in early voting after the system was introduced in 2013. Moon did so to encourage voter participation. / Joint press corps By Kim Rahn President Moon Jae-in cast his ballot for the June 13 local elections in early voting, Friday, as part of efforts to encourage voter participation. This was the first time for an incumbent president to take part in early voting after the system was introduced in 2013. Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook visited the Samcheong-dong community center, the nearest polling station to Cheong Wa Dae, at around 8:45 a.m. By Kim Bo-eun U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday his country has expectations to normalize relations with North Korea if Pyongyang's denuclearization is agreed upon in his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un next week and follow-up talks. Normalizing relations with the U.S. has been something North Korea has been seeking as part of measures to have the safety of its regime guaranteed. By establishing diplomatic ties with Washington, Pyongyang hopes to remove any military threat from the U.S. "Normalizing relations is something I would expect to do," Trump said in a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who visited the White House for a summit. However, Trump said it was something he "would hope to do when everything's complete," signaling that establishing ties with North Korea would take place toward the end of the denuclearization process. By saying so, he again affirmed that denuclearization would be a process, not a one-shot deal. The U.S. president also said he could invite the North Korean leader to the White House if the June 12 summit in Singapore is successful. A day earlier, Bloomberg reported that Trump might invite Kim to the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for follow-up talks. By Jung Min-ho China has tightened regulations on religious freedom, cracking down on construction of large outdoor religious statues of all kinds. With churches and other religious facilities being demolished in China amid the Communist Party's increasing restrictions on religion, the Korean government has warned citizens in China to take special care. "China's government has been tightening regulations on religious groups and their activities," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on Facebook on May 23. "Some Koreans have been caught violating the rules. We urge Koreans who are residing or visiting China to take special precautions." In a message to Christian missionaries, the ministry warned that China had banned missionaries from targeting Chinese. The Constitution of China states that it protects freedom of religion but with a caveat: the government only protects "normal religious activities" that take place within government- sanctioned religious organizations and registered places of worship. In other words, there is no protection for religions the government does not like. Chinese authorities increasingly see religions, especially Christianity, which is growing more quickly in China than in most parts of the world, as potential rivals and crack down on them. Concerned about any organized movements outside their control, the Chinese government has harassed and detained church members. But in many places, house churches have been flourishing. In an extra effort to limit the growing influence of Christianity, the government recently banned online retailers from selling the Bible, according to the New York Times. As a result, Christianity has become the only major religion whose holy text cannot be sold through normal commercial channels there. By Choe Chong-dae The year 2018 marks the centennial anniversary of Latvia's declaration of independence and formed statehood in 1918. That, in and of itself, makes this year the ideal time to visit Latvia and the other Baltic states of Lithuania and Estonia, as each country is hosting numerous nationwide and local events. One of the highlights will be the Song and Dance Festival. Though on the surface Latvia might be perceived as culturally different from Korea, the two countries actually share a deep love for peace. To me the "Baltic Way" is an inspirational symbol of democracy achieved through a nonviolent democratic movement. It is the name given to the event on Aug. 23, 1989, the 50th anniversary of the infamous Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact between two totalitarian regimes, when 2 million people, irrespective of gender, age and social status, joined hands to form a 600km-long human chain through the Baltic states. The strong message sent was one of unity in resisting occupation powers that exercised Communism and political domination for almost half a century. The Baltic Way helped the Baltic states regain their sovereignty and also gave impetus to democratic movements elsewhere such as in Germany. By 2004, Latvia had joined the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization. What a wonderful example for other peace-loving nations to follow. Korea had its March 1st Independence Movement against Japanese colonial rule in 1919 which turned into a nationwide nonviolent movement seeking restoration of Korean sovereignty. Korea was finally liberated in 1945 and thereupon the Republic of Korea was established in 1948 based upon democratic principles. Similar to the Latvians, Koreans advocated for democracy, liberty, fraternity, justice and self-determination. It is no surprise that the Baltic States Tourism Seminar, organized by the Latvian Embassy in Seoul, was held in Seoul last month. Many trade and tourism professionals from the three Baltic states and Korea attended. Some of the distinguished guests included Latvian Ambassador to Korea Peteris Vaivars and Lithuanian Ambassador to China and Korea Ina Marciulionyte. The obvious charming attributes that draw visitors to Latvia from around the world are its pristine forests, lakes and river valleys, coupled with myriad historic churches, castles and resorts. Geographically, Latvia has been a crossroads of Europe both between East and West and between North and South, and its culture today is a reflection of this confluence of various nations. Riga, founded in 1201, is the political, economic and cultural center of Latvia and is a stimulating setting for trade today just as it was when a part of the Hanseatic League. More than a third of Latvians live and work in this elegant capital city which boasts an Old Town that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sometimes referred to as "Small Paris," Riga features distinctive Art Nouveau architecture along with medieval stone buildings and well-preserved wooden architecture from the 17th and 18th centuries. Although Latvia has a not-so-big population of 2 million, their own language has made it possible to establish and maintain a national identity. The crucial cultural and social developments played a significant role in the growth of Latvian national identity such as the first Nationwide Song and Dance Celebration, a tradition that continues to this day. Great investment potential for Korean companies lies in Latvia. It can be a hub for creating, testing and distributing new products. Latvia's short distance from major European Union sales markets, proximity to Eastern markets and well-developed transportation infrastructure (ports, airports and rail) can translate into a faster revenue stream and higher profit margin for Korean investors. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are certain to become popular tourist and trading destinations for Korean travelers. Choe Chong-dae is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at choecd@naver.com By Doug Bandow The summit with North Korea is back on. But if the Trump-Kim tete-a-tete goes badly, what is needed is more diplomacy, not war, as the administration suggested. By Andrew Hammond The G7 presidents and prime ministers met in Canada on Friday and Saturday in what is likely to prove one of the group's most challenging such summits in many years. On a range of issues from trade to climate change and Iran, the United States appears to be dividing from key Western partners at a time of significant geopolitical and international economic turbulence giving rise to talk of a "G6 plus 1." While the fissures within the G7 did not begin with U.S. President Donald Trump's election in 2016, they have been exacerbated by it. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there have been a series of intra-Western disagreements over issues from the Middle East, including the Iraq War opposed in 2003 by France and Germany; through to the rise of China with some European powers and the U.S. having disagreements over the best way to engage the rising super power. Yet, despite occasional discord, key Western nations generally continued to agree until the Trump presidency around a broad range of issues such as international trade; backing for a Middle Eastern peace process between Israel and the Palestinians along the Oslo principles; plus strong support for the international rules-based system and the supranational organizations that make this work. Yet today, more of these key principles are being disrupted if not outright undermined by Trump's agenda. Take the example of international trade which will see Trump isolated in Canada following the U.S. imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports against all its G7 partners. At last weekend's G7 Finance Minister meeting, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was warned of the possibility of a pending trade war and received the "unanimous concern and disappointment" of Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany and Italy. The tensions over trade are especially pressing for the G7 hosts Canada given that Trump also warned, again, last Friday that he is considering scrapping the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In this contentious context, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will push an agenda that includes trade and the macroeconomy, tackling income and gender equality, female empowerment, climate change, and peace and security. With the Trump tensions over trade and climate change, much of this could be stymied as proved the case last year at the Italian-hosted event. It is therefore reported that significant emphasis will be put at the meeting on finding greater G7 consensus on a range of security and geopolitical issues. Potential examples here could include the June 12 Singapore summit between Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, plus the continuing clampdown against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. It is also possible, despite potential Trump reservations, there will be a statement on Russia following the expulsions earlier this year from the G7 and other allied countries of numerous of Moscow's diplomats. There is little sign that Russia, which joined the then-G8 summits from 1997 to 2013, will be invited back to the club soon and it has been told it can only rejoin if "it changes course and an environment is once again created in which it is possible for the G8 to hold reasonable discussions." There is also a strong possibility of a further G7 statement over its concerns over the process leading to the re-election of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Western leaders remain worried about the destabilizing political effects of the Caracus crisis for the wider region, including bordering states of Brazil and Colombia, and the fact that Venezuela is the third-largest oil exporter to the U.S. and has the world's largest proven oil reserves. Should the G7 put this emphasis on such issues it will underline, yet again, the group's often under-appreciated importance as an international security linchpin despite the fact that it was originally conceived in the 1970s to monitor developments in the world economy and assess macroeconomic policies. Last year's Italy summit, for instance, was dominated by the aftermath of the Manchester terrorist attacks and development of a new G7 terrorism action plan; plus the-then brewing nuclear tensions on the Korean Peninsula. In Italy, Trump also pushed other G7 members for NATO to become a full member of the global coalition against Daesh. The G7's involvement in this multitude of geopolitical dialogues is not without controversy given its original macroeconomic mandate. For instance, China strongly objected to discussion of maritime security in Asia at the 2016 Japan-hosted summit. It is sometimes asserted, especially by developing countries, that the G7 lacks the legitimacy of the U.N. to engage in these international security issues, and/or is a historical artefact given the rise of new powers, including China and India. However, it is not the case that the international security role of the G7 is new. An early example of the linchpin function the body has played here was in the 1970s and 1980s when it helped coordinate Western strategy toward the then-Soviet Union. Moreover, following the September 2001 terrorist attacks, the then-G8 (including Russia) assumed a key role in the U.S.-led "campaign against terrorism." Taken overall, this year's G7 could see very significant splits, especially on trade. While some of these fissures predate the Trump presidency, his agenda has grown these gaps into what could soon become unprecedented strains in the Western alliance. Andrew Hammond (andrewkorea@outlook.com) is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics Beijing reveals ambition to prop up own industry The Chinese government is investigating a case of suspected price-fixing by foreign memory chipmakers, including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix of Korea, and Micron Technology of the U.S. According to news reports, investigators from China's antitrust agency abruptly visited the offices of the three major semiconductor makers in Beijing and Shanghai, May 31, to investigate what they see as collusion to fix prices. Given the dominant authority of the trust-busting agency launched by the merger of three similar organizations in March the ongoing probe might lead to strong punitive steps. Beijing thinks it necessary to hold foreign chipmakers in check to bolster the Chinese industry. That means investigators are highly likely to apply strict criteria to foreign firms. Some industry watchers say the agency may slap fines of up to $8 billion, backdated to 2016, if its suspicions prove correct. That would no doubt deal a critical blow to the two Korean companies. It is also noteworthy that the investigation has been launched amid a U.S.-China trade row. The two countries appeared to have found a compromise in mid-May when China vowed to reduce its trade surplus with the U.S. and revise domestic laws to better protect U.S. intellectual property rights. However, U.S. President Donald Trump's consequent decision to impose 25-percent tariffs on Chinese high-tech imports rekindled the trade dispute. If negotiations between the world's two largest economies break down, Washington will slap hefty import duties of $50 billion on imports from China, and Beijing will retaliate in kind, escalating a trade war. It is against this backdrop that the Chinese government is about to use the semiconductor probe as a bargaining chip in the trade fight, inflicting collateral damage on the Korean makers. The prolonged rally of memory chip prices is due to a sharp rise in demand resulting from the spread of new technology, such as artificial intelligence, big data and the internet of things. Beijing should refrain from abusing the current investigation for purposes other than purely economic ones, such as promoting its domestic industry and waging a trade war with the U.S. Time to make efforts to revive four rivers The Moon Jae-in administration has taken a significant step toward establishing an integrated water management system. This step calls for the Ministry of Environment to take charge of managing both the quantity and quality of water. This is a far cry from the current dual management system. The environment ministry has so far been responsible for water quality, with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport controlling the quantity. This division has long stood in the way of effective water management, resulting in deteriorating water quality, overlapping investment and a waste of manpower and the state budget. To overcome those problems, President Moon has actively pushed for the new system since his inauguration in May 2017. The National Assembly approved three bills, including a basic water management bill and a government organization revision bill, last month. The approval has laid the legal groundwork for the unified water management system. On Tuesday, the government decided to transfer 188 land ministry officials as well as financing of about 600 billion won ($558 million) to the environment ministry. The Korea Water Resources Corp. will also come under the wing of the ministry. But it will take a year or so for the Basic Water Management Act to go into effect. Thus, the Moon administration should make thorough preparations for the launch of the new system. More noteworthy is that the new law calls for the creation of a presidential National Water Management Committee to be co-chaired by the prime minister and a nongovernment expert. This panel is to approve a 10-year basic water management plan which will be worked out by the environment ministry. One of its major tasks is to settle disputes over the use of water resources. The establishment of the unified framework marks an end to the turf war that the two ministries have waged over water management authority for the last 25 years. If such an integrated system had been introduced far earlier, the country could have avoided former President Lee Myung-bak's four river refurbishment project, which turned out to be an environmental disaster. It wasted 22 trillion won in taxpayer money over nearly four years from 2009. We hope the new system will prevent a recurrence of the river-destroying project. The environment ministry should speed up its efforts to revive the four rivers -- the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan. It also needs to ensure water supply as the country is expected to suffer a water shortage from 2025. But it is still not without problems. Regrettably, the land ministry still retains part of the right to manage rivers. This is why environmental activists are accusing the Moon government of adopting a half-baked measure. To deflect their criticism, the authorities should do their best to manage water effectively and in a more environmentally friendly manner. By Kim Yoo-chul Senior Chinese government officials have asked Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to cut memory chip prices for leading Chinese consumer electronics companies, sources familiar with the matter said Monday. "Officials at China's commerce ministry and anti-trust agency asked Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to cut the prices of DRAM chips they sell to Chinese technology companies. Samsung representatives met with Chinese officials, the results of which were notified to Korea's trade ministry. SK hynix is keeping an eye on further developments on the price issue," a high-ranking government official said. Samsung Electronics declined to comment. No latest updates are available. The requests were apparently made due to China's concern over the continuing price increases for DRAMs, which are used in all digital devices. Chinese PC makers have been struggling under component cost pressure as Samsung and SK control over 75 percent of global demand as of the first quarter of 2018. China says it wants to ensure "fair competition" in the market, so that no single supplier becomes too dominant and manipulates prices. The two Korean companies are most likely to be investigated due to "limiting the amount of products for sale" as a violation of antitrust laws, said market researchers. If Samsung and SK pay a fine, it will be a one-time event. Sources at Samsung and SK say "price correction" isn't the only reason behind the latest action by China, adding it may want more cross-licensing with the Korean pair. China has been keen to establish a foothold in the semiconductor industry, as it looks to move into high-value manufacturing and maintain national security with "Made in China" components. Samsung, SK and Intel of the United States have established memory fabrication facilities in China over the past decade thanks to lower labor costs and favorable tax policies. "However, China is dissatisfied with the South Korean firms as they have been highly protective with less cross-licensing and often use older technology _ two or more generations behind _ to safeguard their intellectual property rights," said a Samsung source on the condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to officially speak to the media. "With several failed efforts to acquire memory technology from the two companies, China wants to protect its companies from any sudden fallout by helping them save chip procurement costs from major suppliers. I believe more will happen as technology is critical to the cost structure in the memory chip industry," an SK source said. The indigenous memory technology in China remains three to five years behind that of the Korean companies. Lagging in competition by one generation often implies at least a 30 percent cost disadvantage. After factoring in the more rapid wafer density growth, Samsung and SK, for example, are expected to maintain a minimum five-year advantage in wafer density. "This implies significant losses for new entrants in an oversupply scenario that China doesn't really want to see," said the source. DRAMeXchange, a leading market research firm, anticipates such anti-trust investigations may happen again, and that may restrain price increases. By Jhoo Dong-chan Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) is facing an increasingly uncertain outlook for its expanding business deals with Iranian companies amid the renewed U.S. sanctions against the Middle Eastern nation. The world's largest shipyard was supposed to deliver ordered container ships to an Iranian shipping company starting April, but has yet to deliver a single vessel. In December 2016, HHI signed a deal with Iran's state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) to build four 14,500 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containerships and six 49,000-ton tankers for petrochemical products. The contract was worth 820 billion won ($700 million). It was the first shipbuilding order from Iran since economic sanctions against the country were lifted in January 2016. Under the deal, HHI built the four container ships while its affiliate Hyundai Mipo Dockyard built the tankers. The vessels were supposed to be delivered from the second quarter of this year. "All we can do now is take a wait-and-see approach," said an HHI official. "Not a single ship has been delivered to IRISL. It is impossible for us to deliver the ships with U.S. sanctions back in position." This isn't the first time for HHI to experience difficulties in delivering ordered vessels to IRISIL. In 2008, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard signed a deal with the Iranian shipping firm to build 10 tankers and 7 bulk carriers. IRISL completed the payment for its order, but Hyundai Mipo Dockyard managed to build and deliver only one ship due to the sanctions against Iran over the country's nuclear enrichment program. HHI reportedly reflected the payment of the remaining 16 ships in the December deal. "Expectations were high since the nation's shipbuilding industry has long experienced difficulties due to an 'order cliff,'" said an industry insider. "Iran is one of the largest countries in the Middle East. The industry expected the country's demand would help boost sales. Now with the U.S. sanctions, however, it will be difficult to do business with the country." By Lee Suh-yoon K-beauty skin products are known for using innovative ingredients such as ginseng, aloe and even horse milk. Now, there is a new addition to the list pure gold. Skin products packed with 24K gold powder are flying off the shelves of duty free stores, thanks to their rising popularity among Chinese consumers. Interestingly, it is medium-sized companies, not established K-beauty giants like AmorePacific, that are raking in profits. One of the first small cosmetics brands that started this new trend is Skinature, which recorded 10 billion won ($9.3 million) in sales in the first quarter of the year, five times its total revenue for 2017. Part of Skinature's success was its access to Chinese consumers. In 2016, Lotte Duty Free Shop selected Skinature to open a counter at the small brands incubation zone of Lotte's main department store in Myeong-dong, downtown Seoul. Lotte's investment paid off. In March this year, Skinature recorded the third-highest revenue among 800 brands currently operating at its Myeong-dong store. Gold has been used in cosmetics products before but not at the same level of intensity. Skinature's signature 100ml ampoule is saturated with 50mg of gold. Darman Mediccs, another brand which recently rose to fame with a gold-packed skin ampoule, has already expanded into gold skin water and eye cream. "The new popularity of gold-fortified skin products is partly because new products include higher concentrations of gold powder than before, and at a lower price," said a Lotte Duty Free Shop PR officer. "Chinese consumers like gold. Popular products by brands like Hu also use gold-and-red packaging." Kendallville, IN (46755) Today A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. High 62F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 47F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 63F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Overcast with rain showers at times. Low 48F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. ABC News(MIAMI) -- The woman who pleaded guilty to kidnapping a baby from a Florida hospital hours after she was born was sentenced Friday to 18 years in prison. Gloria Williams posed as a nurse and stole Kamiyah Mobley from a Jacksonville hospital in July 1998 before giving the child a different name, Alexis Manigo, and raising her as her own in South Carolina. Williams, who was arrested in 2017, entered guilty pleas to charges of felony kidnapping and interference earlier this year as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. At Friday's sentencing, Williams, 52, was given credit for her 511 days of time served. After the sentencing was announced, Mobleys birth mother left the courtroom with a smile on her face. The sentencing "closes a painful chapter for all involved," Mobley's attorney, Justin Bamberg, said in a statement. "Kamiyah is now processing what it means for the woman shes known as [her] mother to receive an 18-year prison sentence," he said. "However, she understands Gloria had to be held accountable for her actions. She also understands that her biological parents have the absolute right to view today as a joyous day. We can only ask that everyone respect her privacy, give her time to take things in, and continue to pray for the well-being of each and every person whose life has been touched by this almost 20-year chain of events." Williams declined to address the media but extends "her appreciation to everyone involved in her defense as well as all of the people who either wrote letters or appeared on her behalf," Williams' attorney, Diana Johnson, said in a statement. "Though the sentence imposed today was more than we had hoped for, we appreciate the time and attention Judge Aho took to fully consider this matter," Johnson added. Last month in court Williams apologized to Mobley's birth parents. "I know I wronged you and Im so sorry," Williams said. "So many days ... I wanted to pick that child up and say, 'Lets get in this car and go' -- I just couldnt." Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Guest Commentary / Opinion / Our Readers Write: Last month, we reported about the status of efforts to address the increased commercial jet noise from San Diego airport caused by the FAAs new NextGen SoCal Metroplex flight departure and landing paths. Our May column covered the background facts, the March and April Citizen Advisory and Technical Advisory meetings, the status of litigation filed by other parties against the FAA over NextGen, and Representative Scott Peters support for Quiet Skies La Jolla and other communities seeking a balanced compromise. We also reported on the San Diego Regional County Airport Authoritys (SDCRAA) commencement of an accelerated Part 150" study to analyze noise impacts inside the 65 CNEL contour directly adjacent to the airport and a parallel Flight Procedures Study to address noise abatement outside the 65 CNEL contour, which includes La Jolla. Several developments have occurred since our last report, which we will address more fully at the La Jolla Town Council meeting, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 14 at La Jolla Rec Center. Technical Advisory Committee meeting On Thursday, May 31, the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) held its second meeting, where a presentation was made by the SDCRAAs consultant, Ricondo & Associates. The preliminary draft report addresses the feasibility of the recommendations made by the Airport Noise Advisory Committee (ANAC) subcommittee, which proposed flight path and procedure changes to mitigate noise in La Jolla, Point Loma and surrounding communities. The Airport Noise Authority office distributed a preliminary draft design and feasibility analysis to the TAC members for feedback, which will occur over the next two weeks. Thereafter, the consultants report will be made public at the next Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 19 at the San Diego Airport Authority office, 2722 Truxtun Road. The public is invited to attend and we encourage you to be there. Thereafter, the report will also be posted on the Airport Noise Authoritys website san.org/Airport-Noise Based on public comments made at the TAC meeting, the consultant believes that some of the ANAC subcommittee recommendations are feasible, subject to significantly more vetting, diligence, comments and the discretion of the FAA. The consultant emphasized that it would not be practical to advocate for changes that the FAA will not implement based on safety and/or strong policy reasons, such as shifting noise to other communities or flight procedures that affect minimum descent gradients or required separation between aircraft. Recent FAA flight procedure changes Our community advocacy efforts are working. On May 24, the FAA adopted and implemented one of the ANAC subcommittee recommendations, raising a key altitude on the COMIX2 arrival procedure back to its pre-NextGen 9,000 foot level from 8,000. This change should keep southbound arriving aircraft 1,000 feet higher over La Jolla, which should be alleviating some of the noise. If you live along UC San Diego, La Jolla Shores , The Cove and/or the Muirlands we would be grateful for your feedback regarding whether youve noticed a positive change. Culver City litigation challenge to FAA over Next Gen The FAAs opposition brief was filed on May 15, addressing Petitioners opening brief. The Department of Justice represents the FAA in the litigation and made strong arguments attacking the Petitioners standing to litigate and their substantive arguments. The FAAs main arguments include that 1) neither Congress or the courts have ever imposed noise reduction requirements on the FAAs design of new air traffic procedures; 2) the FAA thoroughly considered noise impacts during the environmental review process; 3) the FAA complied with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); 4) the FAA disclosed all proposed flight path changes to the public in meetings and publications; 5) and even if the court agrees with Culver City, the remedy is not to require a new Environmental Impact Study or a return to pre-NextGen flight paths and procedures. The FAA addressed the contention it used an incorrect noise model by noting that the noise monitoring tool used by the FAA to support its FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact) was correct when the study was commenced and that subsequent testing with the new tool confirmed the original results. The FAA also emphasizes that the court must defer to the FAAs fact-finding and conclusions where there is substantial evidence to support those findings, unless they are arbitrary and capricious. The FAAs brief does concede that it endeavored not to move aircraft out of the historical flight tracks so that new neighborhoods would not experience increases in noise that meet well-established significance thresholds. While that refers to the 65 CNEL areas, the statement is marginally helpful to La Jolla, which has experienced new noise impacts resulting from planes flying closer to the coast on departures and lower over La Jolla Shores, The Cove and the Muirlands on arrival. The Petitioners reply brief will be filed on June 29 and the parties will file simultaneous summation briefs on July 20. Oral arguments will likely be held in late 2018 or early 2019. What you can do Please attend the June 14 La Jolla Town Council meeting and subsequent meetings where we will present the SDCRAAs consultants report and seek community feedback. We need your views and input. It is also important that your voice be heard and data collected regarding Next Gens impact in La Jolla. This can be done via the Airport Authoritys noise complaint form (flighttracker.casper.aero/san/complaint/) or much more quickly and easily using the Air Noise Complaint Button, which can be acquired at airnoise.io Please also visit the Quiet Skies La Jolla website at quietskieslajolla.org to join our mailing list and for other updates. Our Readers Write / Opinion / Letters to the Editor: Letters to the Editor from recent issues of La Jolla Light as La Jollans speak out on local issues: Bravo, teen filmmakers! Id like to thank the La Jolla Light for advancing this years La Jolla Film Festival and alerting us that there was a time and venue change. We wanted to go, perhaps just to reminisce about the days when our kids attended La Jolla High School and remember and relive the great energy, creativity, talent, intelligence that we were so lucky to experience back then. This years films screened on June 2 did not disappoint. We experienced the gamut of emotion from humor to sadness, love and love lost, and courage. The sixth-graders film about Holocaust survivor psychologist Dr. Edith Eger was precious, reminding us of the power of the human spirit. We left Parker Auditorium inspired and hopeful, that despite troubling national and world news, we have a bright future with perceptive young folks willing to work hard for what they believe in. Thanks to all those who sponsored the event. I sure hope it continues next year. Neva Sullaway City Council remiss in scooter situation The City Council is ignoring a law and code that exists in the statutes 407.5 (a)(b) California Vehicle Code about motorized scooters. What is the purpose of the statute? They will continue to ignore the law until someone gets seriously injured or dies (only a matter of time) and the City is sued. We will read it about that headache to taxpayers very soon. So sad that the City Council does not uphold the laws that are supposed to guide them. Doug Wheeler Helicopter noise is rattling nerves Helicopters are flying solo over houses along the shore throughout the day and rattling residents walls and the windows. Lately, Ive been keeping a log of what type of helicopter is flying by because its almost nearly impossible to sleep. Not only do I jot down the time and the date, but I take my binoculars out and look at the craft. Almost every time its the San Diego Police Department. Theyre constantly flying back and forth and my tax dollars are paying for all that fuel. There are some nights or early mornings the chopper leaves and then 10 or 15 minutes later, its back. Ive documented evenings when there were more than 25 fly-bys in one night! Are the police serious? I wrote a letter to Mayor Kevin Faulconer regarding these constant, numerous fly-bys so low and loud, and never heard a response back. Because the economy in San Diego City/County is higher than anywhere else in the nation, except maybe San Francisco, my house is expensive, my property taxes are high, the cost-of-living goes up each year, and now all my hard work and everything I try to provide for my family, has been totally damaged by the constant helicopter noise pollution. The Mayor is in charge of the police chief, who is in charge of the police force, and all of us who work hard to have nice homes with beautiful views, have to live with noise pollution created by our government agencies. Even if I try to sell my house, most buyers will not accept the noise and the constant distraction from the helicopters. It sure seems that La Jolla Light is willing to write about the problem and yet theres no follow-up on the story. Margaret McDaniel Time has come to limit short-term vacation rentals In reference to Logan Jenkins guest commentary in the May 17 La Jolla Light lamenting the outbreak of short-term vacation rentals (STVRs), we can only say thank you for his thoughtful essay on a topic that has become a source of misery for our family. We moved to the Muirlands area less than a year ago with our two young children and were quickly and warmly welcomed by our neighbors, many of whom have lived here for literally dozens of years. So imagine our frustration when the house next door was purchased and turned into a party house listed on VRBO, Airbnb and the like. Weve watched hordes of strangers flow in and out of the house, been interrupted at all hours of the day and night by music, smoking, alcohol, drug use and excessive noise. The driveway and street overflow with cars. Last week, there was even a party bus that picked up a large crowd of young people at 11 a.m., who returned at 5 p.m. to regale us for hours with a chorus of yelling, screaming and partying. It was yet another evening where we could not enjoy our backyard. Every few days, another caravan arrives with new faces not familiar to the neighborhood and who have no regard for the community. The owners of the house live in La Jolla (but far enough away not to be inconvenienced by this nuisance) and provide no supervision or management whatsoever. Their online claim that parties are prohibited goes completely unenforced. No real surprise when their listing also notes that their four-bedroom house (which they inaccurately list as a five-bedroom) is a wonderful option for up to 16 people. Weve complained to them, of course, but they do not respond. This property has become a neighborhood parasite. It is unsafe to have strangers coming in and out of the community on a nightly basis. And it ruins the culture of our neighborhood to have each set of residents treat the house as a party scene. Because some homeowners have zero regard for their neighbors, our elected political leaders need to stand up and prevent the destruction of our residential communities. We certainly dont object to having a long-term rental next door and believe that STVRs have their place, but that place is not in a neighborhood that is overwhelmingly occupied by year-round residents. As Jenkins notes: STVRs in typical family neighborhoods are a pox on all our houses. We couldnt agree more and can only hope that Mayor Faulconers office is reading these articles and will propose a solution that provides appropriate limits on these clear detriments to our community. Weve heard rumors that his proposal involves requiring permits and the imposition of taxes on STVRs. That is fine but not nearly sufficient. A failure to prohibit STVRs rentals in family neighborhoods is wholly unacceptable. Taxes and permits will only enrich the Citys coffers while continuing to leave residents at the mercy of greedy homeowners. We too are taxpayers and we are voters. Our leaders need to heed our voices more than those of the Airbnd and VRBO lobbyists. Martin Price and Sandra Velvel In defense of dockless bikes in La Jolla In a community often gridlocked by traffic and where parking is a competitive sport, shouldnt alternate forms of transportation be something to celebrate? Dockless vehicles are a relatively pollution-free component to alleviating at least some of our traffic woes and one that is not being underwritten by the taxpayer. Are there issues with them crowding sidewalks and being vandalized? Yes. But those incidents can be minimized with education and dialogue. Outright bans and knee-jerk reactions will not make this problem go away. Frankly, what concerns me is people who lack the common sense needed to park (or move) a bike out of the way or who feel entitled to damage property not belonging to them. Lets work with these companies to help solve their problems and some of our own. Charles Stephens Id like to see cost breakdown on parks restrooms project Attention: Mark Brunette, Senior Planner, City of San Diego : According to the La Jolla Light May 10 article: Last Call for Comments on Scripps Park Restroom Replacement Project, the Citys most recent budget puts the pricetag at $3,060,784" for two relatively small buildings with toilets, benches, outdoor showers and storage for beach equipment. At that price, using a $250 per square foot measure, one could build a luxury house of over 12,000 square feet. I believe it to be unconscionable to estimate that cost, which if anything like the La Jolla Shores lifeguard station, will increase substantially before completion. I would like to ask for an itemized breakdown of the cost, a daily penalty to the construction company for delay on preset completion date, and procedures for dealing with faulty material that needs to be replaced i.e. the windows at La Jolla Shores lifeguard lifeguard station. S. Walden La Jolla Light policy on election-related letters In order to be consistent about which endorsement letters advocating for or against a candidate, ballot measure or political party are published in La Jolla Light, election-related Letters to the Editor are considered advertising. Endorsement letters are subject to a charge of $95 for the first four inches and $20 an inch thereafter. As with other Letters to the Editor, they must be submitted with the writers name, address and phone number (only the writers name is published). Political endorsement letters may or may not run on our Opinion pages and will be identified as paid letters. La Jolla Light retains the right to reject any letter that doesnt meet its publishing standards and will decide whether a letter is subject to the endorsement-related fee. At this point, the writer will be notified and may decide whether to pay to have it published. Whats on YOUR mind? Letters published in La Jolla Light express views from readers in regard to community issues. To share your thoughts in this public forum, e-mail them with your name and city of residence to editor@lajollalight.com or mail them to La Jolla Light Editor, 565 Pearl St., Suite 300, La Jolla, CA 92037. Letters reflect the writers opinions and not necessarily those of the newspaper staff or publisher. In Lauren Groffs second story collection, the dark and engrossing Florida, the title state is almost always home to bad news. Snakes are persistently underfoot, personal finances are cratering, and theres always bad weather to match the relationships that have bent and broken. Groff expresses little overt interest in religion, but she grasps the metaphorical power of all that storming and slithering: We were once in Eden, but were getting our eviction notice. Every novelist is required to have a feel for busted relationships. But Groff has proven to be particularly expert and inventive on the subject. Her 2012 novel, Arcadia, chronicled the rise and fall of a hippie commune in pointillistic detail, and 2015s Fates and Furies, a National Book Award finalist, shattered the mythologies that surround the idea of happy marriages, not least the self-delusions that fester within the couples themselves. From the first line of Florida I have somehow become a woman who yells its clear that Groff is still on-brand. Her writing about relationships rarely sticks within the narrow, Updike-ian confines of domestic dysfunction, though. Even in short stories, she prefers broader canvases, and much of Florida is filled with hurricanes and other violent storms that run parallel to the personal crises she describes. While the world is on its bender, we try to literally pave over it and pretend all is well. At the Round Earths Imagined Corners, for instance, follows Jude, the son of a herpetologist whose inheritance a large tract of land where dad did most of his snaking is slowly crushed and redeveloped. Such a delicate ecosystem, so precisely calibrated, in the end destroyed by Judes careful parceling of love, of land. Greed, the universitys gobble. Those scaled creatures, killed, she writes. Advertisement But Groff suggests that such efforts to build our way out of our troubles will only stoke a creepier human ferality. In Ghosts and Empties, a woman on her nightly walks witnesses her neighborhoods civilized facade slip off, from a declining local convent to regular catcalls from a man in a bodega. He has yet to do more than hiss, the narrator thinks. But there is a part of me that is more than ready, that wants to use whats building up. Florida by Lauren Groff (Penguin Random House ) These slow-motion environmental and emotional crises are usually gendered. Most of the characters in the collection are women who are forced to navigate increasingly dangerous territory: two girls abandoned on an island in Dogs Go Wolf, a female college student slipping into homelessness in Above and Below, a woman whose rare opportunity to cut loose on vacation is undermined by a violent storm in Salvador. Being women doesnt cause their problems, but theyre notably unified by the fact that they have a hard time finding help out of them, forced to rely on their own devices. Groffs favored stylistic tone to describe these predicaments is straightforward but moody and metaphorical magical realism without the sparkle and sense of wonder. But she also has a gift for mordant humor. To entertain themselves, the two abandoned girls in Dogs Go Wolf tell each other stories that are one part fairy tale, one part horror-movie franchise: The boy and the girl stayed all winter eating the cookie house, and when spring came, theyd turned into adults. Then they went to find the boyfriend. Why? The little sister said. To eat him, the older sister said. People eat people? The little sister said. Sometimes you just have to, the big sister said. And thats part of the myth of modern Florida, isnt it? If you see the word Florida in a book title today, you can safely assume itll be about a place on the knifes edge of civilization and criminality. That notion has fueled countless Florida man memes, the acclaimed movie The Florida Project and plenty of serious contemporary fiction too: Peter Matthiessen, Russell Banks, Karen Russell, and the late Tom Wolfe have all made something of the way life goes profoundly sideways there. Were nearly a century distant from Ernest Hemingways vision of the state as a place that manly men can command and master with hard fishing and hard drinking. Now, our status there is wobblier its a swing state in more ways than one. Groff is firmly part of that trend of thinking about Florida as dank and reckless. But shes also careful not to simplistically summarize the place. The impoverished unnamed hero of Above and Below is an academic whose faith in words and themes have vaporized along with her money and home. You run away from your man? Thats the story? asks a cop who finds her sleeping in her car. Theres no story, she responds. Shes kept her copy of Paradise Lost, but has no time or energy to read it; words are all but dead and useless. And even the glimpse of redemption on the final page is a denial of pat narratives. Toward the end of the book, in the closing Yport, Groff pokes fun at a fiction writer: Shes a novelist, which is tantamount to being a one-woman card catalogue for useless knowledge. To be sure, fiction especially its ill-selling subset, the short story can seem like a weak bulwark against a tidal wave of real-world political and environmental problems. Still, Groff means her joke to be just that a joke. Culturally, were in a time where all knowledge seems threatened to be deemed useless. A writer who grasps how we make myths and exposes how words fail in such an environment is still a valuable resource. Snakes and hurricanes are Florida problems. But the storms that Groff describes are everywhere. Athitakis is a critic in Phoenix. :: Florida Lauren Groff Riverhead: 288 pp., $27 I was never sitting in a garret struggling over an unpublished manuscript, Anthony Bourdain once told me about how he got started as a writer. As he chronicled in his bestselling gonzo memoir Kitchen Confidential, he was a chef in New York with excess appetites (food, booze, drugs) and a great gift for storytelling. He landed that book contract completely by accident. Hed written an essay about working in a restaurant kitchen for the New York Press the now-defunct scrappy free weekly that was always overshadowed by the Village Voice but his editor couldnt get it in. Week after week, we kept getting bumped, Bourdain said when we talked in Manhattan in 2011. Out of frustration and drunken rage, I sent it to the New Yorker. The New Yorker published it. And a book contract soon followed. Advertisement Published in the summer of 2000, Kitchen Confidential was, Los Angeles Times reviewer Laurie Stone wrote, tremendously appealing, joyously penned and an elegant meld of insider reporting on the food business and personal memoir. That memoir had a unique point of view, more Hunter S. Thompson than Julia Child, and something in it instantly appealed. He readily strips down to his foulest and most wolfish impulses because he enjoys showing them off and because hes parlayed them into a career though at times theyve gotten the better of him. Assuming that years of Oprah have schooled us in the origins of self-loathing, he doesnt convene a support group to inventory his addictions, rather he matter-of-factly refers to years doing drugs (including heroin), smoking three packs a day (he still does) and screwing any woman who moved in any space available (sometimes on 50-pound flour sacks), Stone wrote. Though drugs are out of his life for nearly sabotaging his career, he doesnt repent his past behavior, she continued. He needs to be contained (pretty much every minute of the day and night), and hes found his ideal holding cell in the restaurant kitchen, where hes free to be a barking, swaggering, finger-sniffing, keen-eyed beast. Anthony Bourdain in 2001. (Bloomsbury Press ) Kitchen Confidential spent 92 weeks on our Food books bestseller list and was named one of The Times best nonfiction books of the year. The memoir made it possible for him to leave kitchens behind, something hed later say his body wasnt up to anymore, anyway. Stone captured something about it that would carry through Bourdains career. Resentment and rage, Bourdains cherished motivators, fuel many of his life choices but not this narrative, she wrote. The book is a love letter to what has nourished him. That love of food prompted the Food Network to offer him a contract: A Cooks Tour premiered in early 2002 and ran into 2003. The fit was awkward hed soon leave for the Travel Channel and later move to CNN but not as awkward as his relationship with the literary establishment. If you track his output in The Times books pages, Bourdain got one shot at being bad-behavior Bourdain, and then he was supposed to shape up. His next book was also titled A Cooks Tour; its contents parallel the television shows travels to Cambodia, Vietnam, the Sahara, Northern California and beyond. He lacks what a concerned elementary school principal might call critical faculties, which is a polite way of saying he does not know when to stop, sniffed the critic Karen Stabiner in our review. Whether it is garbage in (drugs, of which nicotine is the most innocent) or garbage out (a predilection for sequential, multilingual obscenities), Bourdain is your guy. He retires the notion of the restrained, cerebral, artful chef. Here comes the real pearl-clutching: This time around, Bourdain is off in search of the perfect meal. Not your idea of a perfect meal, which might revolve around such civilized thrills as a beautiful wine or a bottomless bowl of caviar, Stabiner wrote. His idea which reads more like a catered screening of Apocalypse Now. What Stabiner missed and Im not sure how, because he lays it out in those first pages is that Bourdain headed into the land of Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness because he wanted to talk to, eat with and get drunk with the people who lived there. When this happened in between pages, a book critic (who dreamed of caviar as an ultimate thrill seriously?) could swiftly dismiss it. But when it happened on screen, Bourdains enthusiasm and curiosity came through. And so he became a TV star who got to explore the cuisines and cultures of the world. Although he would publish other books notably The Nasty Bits in 2006 and Medium Raw in 2010 The Times turned away from Bourdain as a writer, skipping them entirely. Was it because hed become too much of a TV brand? Bourdain had become popular in a way writers rarely do. Even as he switched networks, he had a solid fanbase. When he died Friday in France, he had 7.5 million Twitter followers. And it wasnt just online: I saw one fan who had planned her Vietnam vacation based on Bourdains travels. Anthony Bourdain at 2016s Creative Arts Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Richard Shotwell / Invision / Associated Press ) Its too bad that Bourdain and the literary culture parted ways: Bourdain was ridiculously well-read. Before he entered kindergarten, he was reading books, real books. He had a tattoo referencing the 16th century essayist Montaigne. (He asked me, had I read Montaigne, and I had to answer no.) The occasion was the announcement of his new imprint at publisher Ecco. He wasnt sure what shape it would take, but his publishing output would eventually include Roy Chois memoir with recipes, L.A. Son; The Prophets of Smoked Meat by Daniel Vaughn; North Dakota food critic Marilyn Hagertys collected reviews, Grand Forks; and wd~50 by Wylie Dufresne. On the news of his death, Daniel Halpern, Eccos president and publisher, said, Ive known Tony as an author and friend for many years. He not only revolutionized the memoir genre with his groundbreaking and iconic work Kitchen Confidential, he supported emerging voices and chefs with his imprint Anthony Bourdain Books. His death is a great personal tragedy. Our thoughts are with his daughter and family at this difficult time. The final two releases from Bourdains imprint will be We Fed an Island by chef Jose Andres and Prisoner by Jason Rezaian, the Iranian-American journalist Bourdain met with in Iran on Parts Unknown who was imprisoned there for 18 months. When he started out with his travel shows, Bourdain wrote that he thought of the works of writers Joseph Conrad and Graham Greene. He cast himself, then, as the villain or the conflicted company man who enters a seductive, foreign world and is altered by it. But his television programs showed him grow out of that. He deliberately went to places that Americans had identified as other Iran, Libya, Russia, Cuba, poor neighborhoods in America and showed the people there with understated empathy. And the episodes were artworks themselves, referencing classic cinema or playing with form (an episode in South Korea was backwards) and winning four Emmy Awards. The shows delivered international relations lessons in a package that, on the surface, might just bring in a Guy Fieri fan or two. I always hoped that Bourdain would have the time, between television shows, to tell us his version of that experience, in writing, in his own words. Im deeply sad that he wont write another book. But at least we have the television record. carolyn.kellogg@latimes.com @paperhaus UPDATES: 2:03 p.m. This article was updated with additional information about Anthony Bourdain Books. A top U.S. executive with South Koreas Hyundai Motor Co. said President Trump has targeted international car companies with tariff threats, showing little regard for whether those automakers build vehicles in the United States and employ Americans. The scary thing is there seems to be a lot of conversation around import-based companies and not even much realization that theres a huge amount of vehicles produced here by international companies, said Brian Smith, chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor America, which is based in Fountain Valley. The whole tariff conversation isnt around, Well, well produce here in the United States and everythings fine, Smith said. Its more about, the international companies seem to be being targeted. Smith was among 10 auto executives who met with the president in the White House last month to discuss issues including trade. Within weeks, the Commerce Department began investigating whether imported cars are threatening U.S. national security, and the Trump administration is said to be considering tariffs of as much as 25%. Advertisement Trump traveled to Canada on Friday for a Group of Seven meeting after having stoked trade tensions with U.S. allies. Hyundai produces more than half the models it sells in the United States including the Sonata sedan and Santa Fe sport utility vehicle at a factory in Alabama that employs 2,700 full-time workers. For all his gastronomic globe-trotting, Anthony Bourdain remained, in his words, a man of simple needs. When he would return to Los Angeles from his far-flung adventures, hed hit up his favorite haunts: Olvera Street for taquitos drenched in avocado sauce, Myung In Dumplings in Koreatown for pillowy mandu, In-N-Out for animal-style cheeseburgers. There it is: my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles, Bourdain once said of the fast-food chain. A city with many fine restaurants, by the way. Just Im a cheap, nasty, low-down, trailer-park burger slut. The outspoken chef, author and television host brought to the table a relatability and innate curiosity, a quality he called my only virtue. His legions of fans benefited through his writing and his many television and online shows, Bourdain transcended mere food celebrity to become an adept storyteller who weaved together tales on cuisine, culture and the connections between them. Advertisement Bourdain, known to friends as Tony, died Friday in an apparent suicide. He was 61. It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain, CNN, home to Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, said in a statement. His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. French chef Ludo Lefebvre, of L.A.s Trois Mec and Petit Trois, praised Bourdain for giving viewers and readers a broader understanding of the food culture of the world. No matter what I asked him, regardless of the subject, he knew something about it, Lefebvre said. CNN said Bourdain hanged himself in eastern France, where he was working on an episode of Parts Unknown. French chef Eric Ripert of New Yorks Le Bernardin, a longtime friend, found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room, according to the network. READ MORE: Anthony Bourdains death stuns girlfriend Asia Argento and celebrity admirers Bourdain, then a little-known chef whod spent more than two decades toiling away in New York kitchens, rose to fame with his 1999 New Yorker essay, Dont Eat Before Reading This. In it, he spilled juicy kitchen secrets and dispensed advice to restaurant-goers on the best day to order fish (Tuesdays), the proper way to eat meat (never, ever well done) and how often food is manhandled in a nice restaurant before its served (Its had dozens of sweaty fingers all over it). Good food, good eating, is all about blood and organs, cruelty and decay, he began. Its about sodium-loaded pork fat, stinky triple-cream cheeses, the tender thymus glands and distended livers of young animals. Its about danger risking the dark, bacterial forces of beef, chicken, cheese, and shellfish. The essay written in Bourdains evocative and occasionally sneering prose became the basis for his bestselling tell-all book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, in which he described himself as the poster boy for bad behavior in the kitchen. Besides exposing the inner workings of restaurant kitchens, Bourdain also revealed his own personal demons. He was open about his addiction to heroin and other drugs, a habit he kicked in the 1980s. Im still here on my third life, or maybe fourth. Who knows? I shouldve died in my 20s, he said in a 2016 interview with Biography.com. But he continued to struggle with depression. In a 2016 episode of Parts Unknown, he spoke about feeling isolated and kind of like a freak, and he shared that an insignificant thing like a mediocre airport hamburger could set him down a dark path. Suddenly I look at the hamburger and I find myself in a spiral of depression that can last for days, he said. His 11-year-old daughter, Ariane, gave him something to at least try to live for, he told People magazine in February. There have been times, honestly, in my life that I figured, Ive had a good run why not just do this stupid thing, this selfish thing jump off a cliff into water of indeterminate depth, he said. READ MORE: From In-N-Out to Chateau Marmont, Anthony Bourdain understood what makes L.A. great Bourdain was born in New York City on June 25, 1956, and grew up in Leonia, N.J. His father was a recording industry executive and his mother a staff editor for the New York Times. Bourdains love affair with food began on a summer vacation in France when he ate an oyster straight from the ocean. After dropping out of Vassar College, he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. After graduation, he worked at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center and as a chef in a number of Manhattan restaurants throughout the 1980s. He made a name for himself as executive chef at the brasserie Les Halles, during which time he wrote Kitchen Confidential. Bourdains candid and vividly told tales made the memoir a hit and turned him into a media sensation. His willingness to speak his mind and ability to connect with the people he worked alongside in kitchens made him a buoyant and likable TV personality. By 2001, he was hosting his own series on the Food Network, A Cooks Tour. He then spent nearly eight years on the Travel Channel with his series Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and The Layover. Bourdain jumped to CNN in 2013 to host Parts Unknown, which became the centerpiece of the cable networks push into original programming not tied to the news of the day. In Los Angeles, which Bourdain featured twice on Parts Unknown, he paid special attention to Latino immigrants role in the restaurant business. He cared more about the line cook a lot of the time than he did about the exalted chef, said Jonathan Gold, The Times food critic. Anthony Bourdain spoke against pretentious idiots, against exploitation and harassment, Gustavo Arellano, author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, said in a tweet Friday. But for me, his greatest achievement was his full-throttled defense of the food industrys most exploited class: Latinos. Arellano, who is a contributor to the Los Angeles Times Opinion section, recalled Bourdains rock-star status when he joined the Parts Unknown host on an episode. We filmed after hours in Olvera Street. Daytime shooting wouldve been impossible, the producers told me, because the masses wouldve swarmed Anthony Bourdain like the prophet that he was, Arellano tweeted. Bourdains CNN series earned five Emmy Awards during its run and a Peabody Award in 2013. In his later seasons, he became much more attuned to the culture of the places where he was going, Gold said. Its so easy to just sort of parachute drop into a place your assistants have done all the research, youre there for six hours, youre on camera, you make pleasant conversation but he didnt seem to do that. President Trump paid tribute to Bourdain during his impromptu news conference on the White House lawn before leaving for the G-7 summit Friday morning. I enjoyed his show, Trump said. He was quite a character. READ MORE: CNN will salute Anthony Bourdain with slate of weekend programming Bourdain was divorced from his second wife, Ottavia Busia, mother of their daughter Ariane. At the time of his death, he was dating Italian actress Asia Argento, one of many women who accused former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. Bourdain became an outspoken advocate of the ensuing #MeToo movement, penning a Medium post in December in which he said: I stand unhesitatingly and unwaveringly with the women. Because late in life, I met one extraordinary woman with a particularly awful story to tell, who introduced me to other extraordinary women with equally awful stories. I am grateful to them for their courage, and inspired by them, he wrote. That doesnt make me any more enlightened than any other man who has begun listening and paying attention. It does make me, I hope, slightly less stupid. He went on to repeatedly call out Weinstein on Twitter cheekily posting a prison menu two weeks ago with the comment, Whats on the menu for #Weinstein and publicly lambaste those in Hollywood he saw as being complicit in covering up for the disgraced producer. In April, Bourdain posted a photo of him with Argento on Instagram, simply captioning it: Just a perfect day. You made me forget myself @asiaargento. Argento mourned Bourdains death in a tweet Friday, writing that he gave all of himself in everything that he did. His brilliant, fearless spirit touched and inspired so many and his generosity knew no bounds, she wrote. He was my love, my rock, my protector. I am beyond devastated. To viewers, Bourdain was endlessly entertaining a charismatic personality with a rebellious nature and an iron stomach. During his travels, he famously feasted on maggot fried rice, seal eyeball, fetal duck egg and bull penis, which he declared rubbery as hell. Among the insights he shared was the value of moving as far as you can, as much as you can, and he urged fans to get comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable. Travel isnt always pretty, Bourdain once wrote. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But thats OK. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind. If you or a loved one is considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255. Times staff writer Jenn Harris contributed to this report. andrea.chang@latimes.com Twitter: @byandreachang stephen.battaglio@latimes.com Twitter: @SteveBattaglio UPDATES: 4:30 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional detail and reaction. 11:40 a.m.: This article was updated with Bourdains involvement in the #MeToo movement. 10:40 a.m.: This article was updated with additional information about Bourdains early life, books and television series and with comments from Ludo Lefebvre and Asia Argento. 8:25 a.m.: This article was updated with information about Bourdains ties to Los Angeles. 6:20 a.m.: This article was updated with CNN President Jeff Zuckers email to employees and President Trumps statement. This article was originally published at 4:35 a.m. Fox News commentator Charles Krauthammer issued a public statement Friday announcing that he is terminally ill and has a few weeks to live. Krauthammer, a Washington Post columnist and long considered one of the most rational and informed conservative voices on Fox News, has been missing from the cable network since August 2016 after surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his abdomen. The cancer has returned and is spreading rapidly, Krauthammer said in the letter, which was published in the Washington Post. My doctors tell me their best estimate is that I have only a few weeks left to live, Krauthammer said. This is the final verdict. My fight is over. Advertisement Krauthammer thanked his colleagues and his Fox News viewers, adding he is grateful to have played a small role in the conversations that have helped guide this extraordinary nations destiny. I leave this life with no regrets, Krauthammer added. It was a wonderful life full and complete with the great loves and great endeavors that make it worth living. I am sad to leave, but I leave with the knowledge that I lived the life that I intended. Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of Fox News parent 21 st Century Fox, praised Krauthammers contributions to the network in a statement. Charles has been a profound source of personal and intellectual inspiration for all of us at Fox News, Murdoch said. His always principled stand on the most important issues of our time has been a guiding star in an often turbulent world, a world that has too many superficial thinkers vulnerable to the ebb and flow of fashion, and a world that, unfortunately, has only one Charles Krauthammer. Krauthammer, 68, has been a Fox News contributor since 2002, most frequently as a panelist on the networks Washington-based news program Special Report With Bret Baier. He has been a columnist at the Washington Post since 1985. He earned the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1987. Krauthammer was a board-certified psychiatrist before he became a columnist. He wrote for Time and the New Republic before joining the Post. At age 22, Krauthammer was injured in a diving board accident while attending Harvard Medical School, leaving him paralyzed and with limited use of his arms. stephen.battaglio@latimes.com Twitter: @SteveBattaglio Texas is facing a burning question thats pitting the states economy against its environment, and oil drillers against each other. With natural gas pipelines in the Permian Basin reaching 98% of capacity, Texas is weighing whether to keep intact or loosen strict state regulations that limit flaring, the process used by drillers to burn off excess gas pumped up along with their oil. Now the limit for individual wells is 45 days. After that, without a rare-granted exemption, the gas must be piped away or the well must close. Shut wells mean less revenue for companies and the state, at a time when oil prices and production are surging while regional gas prices are in a tailspin. Ending or expanding the cap solves the problem. But it also gives drillers who havent paid for space on existing pipes a competitive edge over those who have, and could spark environmental protests. Advertisement This is not a simple thing were talking about, said Ryan Sitton of the Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees the West Texas oilfields. Itd be a pretty big policy shift and we want to be very thoughtful about what the ramifications could be. Sitton said hes meeting with producers across the Permian, and hopes to have a decision within six months, when he believes the dilemma will come to a head. Multiple gas pipelines criss-cross the Permian, with a total capacity of 8.1 billion cubic feet a day. But as the price of crude has risen, so has production, growing 25% in the last year. The gas associated with that boom had filled up all but 2% of pipeline capacity as of the end of April, according to RBN Energy LLC, and Rystad Energy AS suggests oil output may grow 10% more by the end of 2018. Natural gas prices in the Permian, meanwhile, are the cheapest in the nation. Spot prices at the Waha hub in West Texas were down 49% this year. The region is ground zero for the oversupply caused by associated gas production, John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC in New York, said in an email. If oil output continues to boom, gas prices could certainly go to zero. Theres relief on the way, with as much as 10.5 billion cubic feet a day of gas pipelines proposed or being built. But the bulk of it wont arrive until late next year or in 2020. In the meantime, changing the rules could affect different constituencies in different ways. Drillers such as Centennial Resource Development Inc., for instance, have paid up-front to guarantee room on existing pipelines, assuming that the current limits wouldnt be dramatically altered. Concern that extended flaring could punish companies already heavily invested in the last space on existing lines is key to the railroad commission, according to Sitton. Going hand-in-hand with the financial questions are those revolving around air quality. Flaring releases toxic compounds such as cancer-causing benzene and matter linked to respiratory illnesses, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, which is against looser flaring regulations. Suzanne Franklin, 67, and her husband, James, can see 17 flares breathing fire into the sky from the front porch of their ranch in Reeves County. The visible pollution has definitely affected their life. We used to go out and look up at the stars, she said. Now, you dont see any stars. She believes the flaring has affected her breathing. Since the first flare was lighted up about a year ago, her doctor has put her on three different medicines just to breathe right. Seven counties in the region already rank in the top 10 nationwide for childhood asthma attacks, according to the Clean Air Task Force. More flaring could increase that standing, according to Colin Leyden, the funds senior manager of regulatory and legislative affairs. Texas now flares about 3% of the gas produced. Matt Portillo, analyst at Tudor Pickering Holt & Co., said that could rise as much as five times higher in the next year. Sitton said a primary role for the railroad commission is to prevent waste. If you believe that waste is not dollar waste, but the waste of the hydrocarbon molecule, then we have to be very judicious about when we grant flaring exemptions. Those are the questions that we are trying to get our heads around. Shares of Apple Inc. and several of its suppliers declined Friday after a report that the technology giant has warned its supply chain of a drop of about 20% in new iPhone component orders. Apple stock was down 1.7% at 9:42 a.m. Eastern time. Shares of Austrian supplier AMS AG dropped as much as 7.2%, and in the United States, Cirrus Logic Inc. fell 3.5%, Skyworks Solutions Inc. fell 2.6% and Qorvo Inc. fell 1.2% after the Nikkei newspaper said Apple told its supply chain to prepare about 20% fewer components for iPhones debuting in the latter half of this year, compared with 2017s orders. The newspaper cited people in the industry whom it didnt identify. Apples sprawling supply chain comprises hundreds of companies, and it can be difficult to glean an overall picture of demand from speaking to individual firms. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook also has warned investors against picking up cues from disparate data points. We believe the bark is worse than the bite as we saw last quarter with erroneous reads out of the Asia supply chain, GBH Insights analyst Daniel Ives said. We believe the upgrade opportunity is massive for Apple over the next six to nine months, and we view this report as noise. Advertisement Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple plans to release three new phones this fall, including a model with some of the flagship iPhone Xs features but a lower price tag, and the largest iPhone ever. Apples shares were up about 14% so far this year through the close of trading Thursday, while European suppliers have had mixed fortunes. Dialog Semiconductor Plc is down 42% in 2018 after Apple, its biggest customer, decided to scale back orders. Mellor and Viita write for Bloomberg. A federal bank regulator that has fined Wells Fargo more than $500 million over its creation of unauthorized accounts and other consumer abuses has found evidence of sales practice problems at other large and midsize banks but is refusing to name those institutions. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the nations main bank regulator, found bank-specific instances of accounts being opened without proof of customer consent as part of a review of more than 40 banks spurred by the Wells Fargo scandal, agency spokesman Bryan Hubbard told The Times in an email Friday. However, the agency will not be naming the banks where it found potentially unauthorized accounts or providing details on banks specific conduct, he said. We do not comment on specific supervisory matters pertaining to particular banks, and exam findings are not released, Hubbard said. Advertisement American Banker, which first reported the story this week, reported that the agency warned banks about five industry-wide issues and more than 250 institution-specific problems turned up by the review. Hubbard wouldnt comment on the number of specific or industry-wide issues banks were warned about, but said the review wrapped up at the end of last year and banks received letters regarding their specific issues early this year. The review started under previous Comptroller Thomas Curry, an Obama appointee. The OCC is now run by Joseph Otting, a former Los Angeles banker who was appointed last year by President Trump. Otting, who so far has taken a more industry-friendly tack than his predecessor, could face questions from Congress next week about the OCCs decision to withhold information related to the review. He is scheduled to testify Wednesday and Thursday before the House and Senate banking committees, respectively. The OCCs decision to not publicly release its findings drew the ire of consumer groups. They have said that the aggressive employee sales goals and other problems that led to the creation of millions of unauthorized accounts at Wells Fargo first documented in a 2013 Los Angeles Times investigation were not unique to the San Francisco finance giant. Ed Mierzwinski of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group said that the OCC appears to be sweeping its findings under the rug and that the agency should release the results of the review and publicize its warnings to banks. Its apparent that the toxic culture at Wells Fargo that led to millions of fake accounts was no outlier, he said. We know now that Wells Fargo wasnt the only wrongdoer; only full disclosure by OCC can let us know if Wells was Patient Zero of a growing epidemic of banks behaving badly. Still, the OCCs finding is not surprising. In 2016, executives at a few large banks who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity said they were nearly certain that some workers had created unauthorized accounts at their institutions, though they did not believe the practice was widespread. Banking consultant Margaret Kane agreed, saying at the time that because nearly all banks use incentives to encourage workers to open accounts, it was likely that other banks would have similar issues. Sales practices, specifically incentives that pushed workers to open a set number of new accounts each day, were at the root of Wells Fargos problems. The bank had an aggressive program to cross-sell different services to its customers, with former Chief Executive John Stumpf encouraging employees to open as many as eight accounts for each customer. Though Hubbard said the agency would not release details of specific issues at specific banks, he did say that there were isolated instances of employee misconduct with no clear connection to sales goals, incentives or quota programs. Hubbard said some banks showed they did not have proper controls in place while running short-term promotions, leading to cases where banks could not prove customers had authorized new accounts. In some cases, banks could not prove customers had given consent because of poor documentation, incomplete records or technology issues, he said. Generally, Hubbard said the review did not find systemic issues with bank employees opening accounts without the customers consent, though most institutions did not take a holistic approach to managing risks associated with sales practices. He said most banks took timely actions during the review to address weaknesses in their risk-management practices and should be better prepared to identify inappropriate sales activities in a timely manner. At Wells Fargo, more than 5,000 workers were fired over the creation of as many as 3.5 million potentially unauthorized accounts created over many years. The OCC, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Los Angeles city attorneys office fined Wells Fargo $185 million in 2016. As more bad practices have come to light, regulators have piled on. The Federal Reserve in February ordered Wells Fargo to stop growing until it could improve its risk management operations, an unprecedented punishment that is expected to cut into the banks profits. In April, the OCC and CFPB each fined the bank $500 million over more recently discovered problems, including the practice of charging improper fees on some mortgage borrowers and forcing auto loan borrowers to pay for unnecessary insurance policies. Wells Fargo spokesman Ancel Martinez declined to comment on the OCCs review of other banks. Since taking over the OCC in November, Otting, a longtime commercial banker, has pushed to scale back rules and reporting requirements for banks, recently lifting restrictions put in place by his predecessor on banks offering small consumer loans. Hes also made it a priority for the OCC to rewrite federal rules that require banks to lend in low-income and minority communities. Hes one of a few Trump appointees, along with Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin and interim Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Mick Mulvaney, who are key players in the administrations push for broad financial deregulation from limiting the power of the CFPB to rolling back parts of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. Before they reunited in Washington, Otting and Mnuchin were the chief executive and chairman, respectively, of Pasadenas OneWest Bank, an institution built from the shell of failed mortgage lender IndyMac. Both Mnuchin and Otting faced questions about OneWests foreclosure practices during their confirmation hearings. james.koren@latimes.com Follow me: @jrkoren UPDATES: 1:20 p.m.: This article was updated with more background on Joseph Otting and his tenure at the OCC. This article was originally published at 12:45 p.m. The Trump administration may shut down a federal database of consumer complaints about the financial-services industry. Banks think thats a swell idea. The attorneys general of California and more than a dozen other states think its a foolish move. Want to guess which way President Trump will go on this? In what world does it make sense to give consumers less critical information and transparency about a product or service they may purchase? asked California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra. What is the Trump administration trying to hide? Advertisement Allow me. The Trump administration wants to spare its business buddies the annoyance of customers revealing unfair, unethical and unscrupulous practices. If, as they say, sunlight is the best disinfectant, then darkness is the perfect place to grow the mold and mildew of corporate chicanery. The comment period closed this week for possible changes to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus complaint system. Its already clear which way the bureau is leaning. Mick Mulvaney, Trumps budget chief whos serving as interim head of the CFPB, said at a banking industry conference last month that theres nothing in the law that created the watchdog agency requiring a complaint database. I dont see anything in here that I have to run a Yelp for financial services sponsored by the federal government, he said. I dont see anything in here that says that I have to make all of those public. A bureau representative declined to elaborate on his remarks. Before the business-lovin Trump gang rode into town, the complaint database was a routine and well-regarded part of the CFPBs operations. It went live in 2012 as a way for consumers to share negative experiences with financial firms and alert officials to potentially troublesome practices. The searchable database now contains more than a million listings. Businesses say the database is unfair because it allows disgruntled customers to publicly besmirch their good name. In a letter to Mulvaney this week, the American Bankers Assn. said allowing public complaints to be made available to the public has eroded customer privacy, impaired the confidential nature of the exchange between customer and banker, compromised the supervisory process, and introduced unreliable and misleading information into the market. Of course, the database has done none of those things. Customer privacy isnt an issue because customers themselves are posting the complaints. Theyre likely taking this step because the exchange between customer and banker has produced an unsatisfactory result. Is information in the database unreliable and misleading? Unlikely. The way it works is that when a complaint is filed, it first goes to the company involved so it can review and respond to the matter. The company has 15 days to submit a response before a complaint is posted online. The CFPB says 97% of complaints get timely responses from companies. The database is a valuable resource for consumers because it allows people to search for specific companies before doing business with them. Numerous complaints can serve as a red flag. Reasonable responses from a business can demonstrate integrity. In their own letter this week to the CFPB, the attorneys general noted that federal law defines one of the bureaus primary functions as collecting, researching, monitoring and publishing information relevant to the functioning of financial markets. We have used information gleaned from the CFPBs database in connection with investigations into debt collection companies, student loan servicers, for-profit universities and other companies whose misconduct was initially brought to our attention through a critical mass of complaints filed with the CFPB, they said. Becerra told me that the bureaus database helps us determine where to put our investigative resources. Without such a tool, he said, this work would be exponentially more difficult. Any reasonable person would hear that from him and other law enforcement officials and conclude that the bureaus database plays a key role in consumer protection. But were not talking about reasonable people here. While mulling over the fate of the complaint database, Mulvaney this week also sacked the CFPBs 25-member Consumer Advisory Board, which includes consumer advocates, academics and industry execs who provide input on the bureaus policies. He said hed put together a new advisory panel in coming months. The move came after a news conference Monday at which 11 members of the advisory board criticized Mulvaney for ignoring the groups advice and canceling legally required meetings. John Czwartacki, a CFPB spokesman, said in a statement that board members seem more concerned about protecting their taxpayer-funded junkets to Washington, D.C., and being wined and dined by the bureau than protecting consumers. Anthem kneelers, one and all. Chi Chi Wu, a staff attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, was one of the 11 board members who spoke their mind before being handed their hats. She told me the extent of the boards wining and dining was muffins and coffee and a room at the Hampton Inn. Wu noted that Mulvaney told banking executives in April that, while still a South Carolina congressman, he had a strict rule about only meeting with lobbyists if they gave him campaign cash. We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress, Mulvaney said. If you were a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didnt talk to you. If you were a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you. The comments were taken as a none-too-subtle message to the banking industry that the new head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was open for business. Wu said it looks like Mulvaney would rather grant audiences to handpicked supplicants rather than people with broad experience in consumer protection. Its also increasingly looking like hell make those money-giving lobbyists happy by pulling the plug on the CFPBs complaint database. Fun fact: Eight of the 10 financial institutions with the most complaints in the database contributed to Mulvaney while he was in Congress, according to an analysis by the advocacy group Public Citizen. Mulvaney may be corrupt, but at least hes consistent. David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com. Twenty years ago in San Diego, L.A.s beloved comedy trio Culture Clash premiered Bordertown, a collection of skits inspired by the experiences of immigrants crossing the Mexican-American border. The show was a comedy but its depiction of the Arizona desert as a brutal, lawless, lethal no-mans-land came as a shock to audiences. In Bordertown Now, a reboot at Pasadena Playhouse directed by Diane Rodriguez, the three members of Culture Clash Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas and Herbert Siguenza along with guest artist Sabina Zuniga Varela take us back to the same terrain. It hasnt grown any more welcoming. Now, in fact, it has walls. Big, daunting ones, 20 feet by 20 feet, with bars. They slide across Efren Delgadillo Jr.s set like prison gates designed for giants. When the action begins, two men (Montoya and Salinas) are slogging through the desert. An alarm blares, lights blaze and a stranger in Army fatigues (Siguenza) is aiming a gun at them and calling them wetbacks. Ric Salinas, left, and Richard Montoya are crossing the desert when they encounter a man in fatigues played by Herbert Siguenza in Bordertown Now. (Philicia Endelman ) Advertisement But as soon as the men start to explain themselves, the threat dissipates. Even though they look Hispanic, they explain, theyre American. Theyre not drug mules, theyre thespians. A pill bottle found in one of their designer backpacks contains Viagra. Were as American as Chipotle, one of them insists. The man in the fatigues, meanwhile, is a civilian who has taken it upon himself to prowl the border for illegals. Like other characters, hes based on real people Culture Clash interviewed. Its not a flattering portrait. Its hard to find the heroism in a guy who goes around emptying water bottles in a desert. But what makes the scene really crackle is the way the writers mock their own privileges and pretensions at the same time theyre mocking his. Nonprofit theater is no game, Mister! one character shouts. Its impressive that so many of the jokes here work, because comedy especially the topical political humor at which Culture Clash excels doesnt always age well. Case in point: The original Bordertown included bits about Marshall Applewhite, the leader of the Heavens Gate cult, who had been in the news a lot in 1997. There are no Marshall Applewhite jokes in Bordertown Now; theyve been swapped out for newer references, like ABCs cancellation of Roseanne. (Although, yes, a Close Encounters of the Third Kind gag might be a bit past its prime.) The remodel isnt just cosmetic: Montoya conducted new interviews over the last few years and shaped the material into new sketches. The technological landscape has been updated, with fancy screen projections and even a faux TED Talk. (Every once in a while, the imposing production values feel too heavy for the improvisational performances, just as bursts of moral indignation occasionally flatten the comedy.) The most notable addition to the cast is the character of Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff in Arizona convicted of violating a federal court order to stop racial profiling and then pardoned by President Trump. Montoya met with Arpaio (or so were led to believe, as we are shown a photograph of the two talking), and he plays him in what we assume is a dramatic re-enactment of their conversation. (Varela steps in as the interviewer and handles all the female roles.) Its not altogether clear whats a faithful re-enactment or whats satire. The longer Arpaio is on stage, swaggering and drawling and saying awful things, the more distracting this uncertainty becomes. A running joke throughout the play is that the subjects assume theyre being filmed for a documentary; the interviewers have to keep explaining that theyre researching a play. (Oh, thats neat. So, nobodys ever going to see it, Arpaio replies.) Culture Clash could have made this material into a documentary. Their choice to write a play suggests that they wanted to explore the various borderlands the theater opens up between fact and fiction, between satire and agitprop, between 1998 and 2018. The show doesnt always keep its footing. But even its missteps reinforce the message that the person who tells a story gets to decide whos the villain and whos the hero. The question, in our fractured culture, is whether anybody who doesnt already agree will be listening. Bordertown Now Where: Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena When: 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays; ends June 24 Tickets: $25 and up Information: (626) 356-7529 or PasadenaPlayhouse.org Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes See all of our latest arts news and reviews at latimes.com/arts. Ever obstinate nearly two centuries after his death, Beethoven still wont roll over. Despite the occasional efforts to knock him off his pedestal, Beethoven remains more present than ever, influencing leading composers and keeping the classical music establishment in business. John Adams has been late-Beethoven-besotted in recent years, and Thomas Ades conducts Beethoven at the Hollywood Bowl this summer. But now comes Patricia Kopatchinskaja, this years irrepressible Ojai Music Festival music director. For her opening festival evening Thursday, the Moldovan violinist began an elaborate process adoring and adorable one minute, downright disturbing the next of waving bye-bye to Beethoven in Libbey Park. She surrounded herself with tombstones or wrecked pedestals with the names Schubert, Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler and Brahms, as if an antsy anarchist had bombed a Vienna cemetery, ready to start World War III. Advertisement Yet it was also a happy site, next to a picnic area and a playground with squealing children riding swings a perfect place to enjoy an Ojai signature pink moment, as the sun set. Into all this, amid stations of music stands and surround-sound loudspeaker installations, wandered an impishly oracular Kopatchinskaja. It was an evening that began with a utopian vision of a future meant to feel both distant and nostalgic, an otherworldly late piece by the 20th-century Italian avant-gardist Luigi Nono. Three hours later in Libbey Bowl, a glorious, life-affirming performance of Beethovens Violin Concerto by Kopatchinskaja and the superb Mahler Chamber Orchestra came to its shocking end. Just before it was over, one by one, the orchestra members threw their music stands violently to the floor and stormed offstage. Kopatchinskaja soldiered on, best she could, but it was all too much. She ended up alone, supine and lifeless as the backdrop was dismantled revealing those fragmented composer monuments from the park. Meanwhile a recording of a turntablist had taken over, scratching away at Beethovens Ninth and whatnot. Beethoven rolled over. Would he have wanted it that way? Whos to say? But Ojai, where new growth is beginning to appear after the devastating fires late last year, and where musical questing is a tradition, is a very good place to ponder the meaning of renewal. Like nature, Kopatchinskaja takes no prisoners, and she tread an astonishing path from Nono to no no, Beethoven. The piece in the park, a free community event of the festival, was Nonos 1989 La Lontananza Nostalgica Utopica Futura (Nostalgic Distant Utopian Future), for solo violin and eight-channel electronic soundscape. The violinist wanders from music stand to music stand, pausing at the dummy ones. The electronics, controlled by Scott Worthington, included recordings of improvisations by Gidon Kremer heard straight and electronically altered along with background studio noises. Played outdoors, there were other ambient sounds and we all became wanderers following the soloist from station to station. Nono toyed with every violin effect under the sun, and Kopatchinskaja toyed with her listeners, stopping to make a scratchy or an eerie sound, and to give a bemused look to someone in the crowd. At the end, Kopatchinskaja wandered into Libbey Bowl playing a high-pitched G drone and then went off into the distance. That G hung in the air for 45 minutes as the audience took its seats, driving some to distraction (pleas to turn it off were refused), but creating a mysteriously tingling sensation of expectation, leading directly to Ives Unanswered Question. OJAI: Composer Michael Hersch on music as memorial Thus begun Kopatchinskajas Bye Bye Beethoven, her scandalous concert program she created with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and stage director Maria Ursprung. There have been three previous performances of it in Europe. Most presenters wont touch it. Even proudly adventurous Ojai patrons said in a talk-back with the violinist and Mahler members after the performance that they were taken aback by such Beethovenian antics. Ives never-answered question was followed by the last movement of Haydns Farewell Symphony played backward. Then came a movement for vocal quartet (chanted and whistled by Kopatchinskaja and three orchestra musicians) from John Cages Living Room Music, with a text by Gertrude Stein (Once upon a time the world was round and you could go around it). Then Bachs Es ist Genug (It is enough). Then Gyorgy Kurtags The Answered Unanswered Question, music on the edge of obliquity that answers nothing. Leading up to the Beethoven concerto, a large swatch of gauzy fabric was brought onstage, and Kopatchinskaja was ritualistically wrapped in it. Dressed now like an abbess, she then conducted the Mahlerians without conducting. Rather she persuasively leaned her head into the music and made expressions that indicated exactly how she felt each ever-changing minute. It was exactly the look a sitarist might give his tabla player in a raga. This was a performance like no other, fabulously virtuosic with soloist and orchestra uncannily on the same wavelength. Kopatchinskaja played passages at the edge of audibility (which Beethoven actually asks for but never gets) and she threw herself into bravura instances like a folk musician with a political cause that cant wait. Tenderness and ferocity came out of nowhere. The first movement cadenza, which Kopatchinsakaja patterned after one Beethoven wrote for a piano transcription of the concerto, had her in riotous dialogue with the timpanist and other members of the ensemble. The last movement was the most joyous Id ever heard it, which made the vandalism of the ending all the most stunning. It had to be Beethoven, greatest of them all and her idol, the violinist said in the talk-back. He was a revolutionary who has become commercialized and no longer shocks. He once moved music into the future and now stands in the way of it moving into the future. But ironically, in all the bye-byes, Beethoven almost seemed to be in the room, his every wish in the concerto magnified and made to sound utterly alive. And, that of course, is what gave the train wreck the power to shock. mark.swed@latimes.com I ate Anthony Bourdains food before I ever met him. For a time, in the late 1990s, my husband and I happened to live around the corner from Les Halles, the small brasserie where Bourdain served as chef starting in 1998. Les Halles wasnt the best French restaurant in Manhattan. But it was a great neighborhood restaurant. Stuffed with locals ordering red wine and steak frites. For a time, it was our go-to for special occasions: small celebrations, a place to take out-of-town guests and, for several years running, the place we ate our Christmas Eve dinners because we were too damn lazy to cook. It was cramped. And in summer, a little sweaty. But the mussels were solid and sometimes the maitre d was happily drunk and at Christmas, hed be decked out in a red Santa suit. Les Halles was an oasis in a neighborhood that was emptied of its office workers at night, when the blocks would be turned over to clusters of prostitutes and the artists and writers who lived in their midst. (Back then, this stretch of Park Avenue South, on the fringes of Kips Bay, had yet to experience the blandifying effects of urban renewal.) Advertisement I mentioned all of this to Bourdain when I met him earlier this year, to shoot a web episode for his CNN program Parts Unknown. He laughed and responded that sometimes maitre d Santa could also get a little smelly. All of this made the news of his death on Friday morning, from apparent suicide, all the more difficult to digest. Bourdain was cantankerous. He was funny. He was curious. He was a charismatic writer. And in person, he was razor-whip sharp, ready to drop cultural references high and low like a string of word bombs. A still from a Parts Unknown webisode on Los Angeles captures Anthony Bourdain with Carolina Miranda mid-conversation. (Still captured by Carolina A. Miranda ) He was funny. He was curious ... and, in person, he was razor-whip sharp, ready to drop cultural references high and low like a string of word bombs. He was also a complicated cultural figure to wrestle with: a brilliant observer who was also swashbuckling levels of macho especially in his earlier days. (Something noted by Tamar Lewin in an essay in the New Yorker in 2012: Bourdain, she wrote, turned good, plain meals into a demonstration of virility. For him, there is no quiet meal of tripe grated with cheese. One cannot eat in peace: In the land of Bourdain, no dinner is complete without stentorian grunting, cursing, and beating ones chest.) This was something he admittedly came to regret being part of a meathead culture that he helped propagate. But my interest in Bourdain wasnt related to his gender politics. It was the lens that he used to frame his work. Bourdain wasnt simply a food writer. He was a broad-minded, intellectually curious cultural critic. In an age in which there is an Instagram account devoted to slavishly covering foods every last mannerist turn, Bourdain was more interested in pulling the camera back and revealing foods social and cultural contexts. This was not a man whod devote his time to covering sugar cages. He was more interested in its politics. When my former colleague Nathan Thornburgh approached me about leading Bourdain through an outdoor Guatemalan food market in the Westlake-MacArthur Park neighborhood for an online segment, I told him that he might be better off finding someone who was a Guatemalan food expert, or who, for starters, was Guatemalan. (My background is South American and Im always wary about U.S. media depicting Latin American nationalities as being largely interchangeable.) But Thornburgh told me that Bourdain wasnt interested in having someone deconstruct the food. (For that, they would interview the people who made it.) He was more interested in speaking with someone who could give him some historical and cultural context on the city and the neighborhood. That was something I could do. And that was what inspired me about Bourdains work over the years. His television shows were never simply about food. They were about the landscapes and the people that shaped them. On Parts Unknown, he sat down for a riveting meal with Mexican investigative journalist Anabel Hernandez, author of Narcoland: The Mexican Drug Lords and their Godfathers, to talk about the ways in which the cartels had penetrated every echelon of Mexican society. READ MORE: For Anthony Bourdain, food was just the entry point for a much wider cultural discussion For his earlier Travel Channel show, No Reservations, he hung out in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with Saudi American filmmaker Danya Alhamrani. The episode explored the country with humor and clear eyes addressing issues of politics and gender inequity but without confusing the countrys everyday people with its systems of law. It was an episode that was dear to my heart: My family lived in Riyadh for almost a year when I was a kid in the 70s. We had landed in the city because of my fathers work in heavy construction. U.S. television rarely, if ever, gets the nuances of Saudi Arabia right. The focus is often on corrupt Saudi royals, terrorism and the limited rights of women. All of those issues are important and real. But Saudi, to me, is also festive family parties, illicitly distilled booze and the joy of watching camel races in the desert. In his segment, Bourdain offered a more complete picture of Saudi Arabia and its people along with its quivering street foods. In this way, his curiosity was relentless. Los Angeles artist Guadalupe Rosales received an email from Bourdain in 2017, inquiring about an archival art project she was undertaking called Veteranas and Rucas, which chronicled Chicano youth culture of the 1990s. He reached out because he wanted to invite her to contribute an essay to the Parts Unknown website about the work. Full coverage of Anthony Bourdains death Rosales told me by telephone Friday morning that she was impressed by the respect with which he and the staff of the series approached her work. This isnt someone who will appropriate a culture or who is just interested in the fashion or the stereotypical cliches of living in L.A., she said of Bourdains interest. He really wanted me to talk about my own experience in L.A. In shooting our segment with Guatemalan street food vendors, he was interested in knowing about the history of the neighborhood, about the ways in which the Los Angeles landscape could host tiny, thriving enclaves, about the ways in which the city was growing and developing. Food was simply the entry point for that much larger discussion. This is a goal Ive taken for my own work as an arts writer to write about art and architecture not for its own sake, but as a way of understanding the forces that shape it. I cant claim to know Bourdain well. And I cant claim to offer any insight into the personal demons that led him to possibly take his own life. I simply had the good fortune to eat his food and, years later, spend a solid hour talking Los Angeles with him as we munched on fried chicken and palm flower fritters. But his broadminded curiosity will remain with me always. And thats where his greatest achievement lies: Anthony Bourdain made us all just a bit more curious about the world. Anthony Bourdain, in 2007, when he hosted the Travel Channels No Reservations. (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press ) If you or a loved one is considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255. ALSO: Jonathan Gold: Anthony Bourdain opened the working-class kitchen to the world and the world to us Anthony Bourdain wasnt just a food lover he was a music freak, too CNN, Travel Channel will salute Anthony Bourdain with slate of weekend programming In Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain searched the world for human moments and for his own place in it Critics Pick: United Shades of America, Parts Unknown, My Nazi Legacy Eat what Obama and Bourdain ate: Where to find great bun cha ha noi Obama and Bourdains dining table memorialized in Hanoi From In-N-Out to Chateau Marmont, Anthony Bourdain understood what makes L.A. great Anthony Bourdain, world-traveling chef and TV star, dies at 61 in apparent suicide Books were good to Anthony Bourdain but TV was even better Anthony Bourdain was the eternal compadre of overlooked Latinos Anthony Bourdains death stuns girlfriend Asia Argento and celebrity admirers Sign up for our weekly Essential Arts & Culture newsletter carolina.miranda@latimes.com @cmonstah Anthony Bourdain, world-traveling chef and TV star, dies at 61 in apparent suicide Anthony Bourdains death stuns girlfriend Asia Argento and celebrity admirers The Dolby Theatre, home of the Oscars, was completely transformed into a gala dinner space Thursday night for the American Film Institutes 46th Life Achievement Award ceremony held in honor of George Clooney. Oversized film stills commemorating the stars work in films including O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Syriana, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Ides of March and Good Night, and Good Luck adorned the walls behind the stage, opposite the dais where Clooney, wife Amal and parents Nick and Nina sat with a coterie of friends and stars. Clooney was honored by fellow actors and peers including Laura Dern, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Julianna Margulies, Bill Murray, Miley Cyrus, Richard Kind, Anna Kendrick, Cate Blanchett, Don Cheadle, Jimmy Kimmel and former AFI Life Achievement Award recipients Diane Keaton and Shirley MacLaine. Video messages from Julia Roberts and Barack Obama were also included over the course of the two-hour long ceremony. Kimmel spoke about Clooneys propensity for practical jokes, saying, Maybe the best prank of all happened when he was back on Roseanne. He convinced her to open a Twitter account. Advertisement Though he was never mentioned by name, there were a handful of allusions to President Trump and Clooneys own political activism over the course of the night. In his opening remarks, AFI Chairman Howard Stringer, acknowledging how young the 57-year-old Clooney is to be a recipient of a lifetime achievement award, quipped, We now know that old entertainers never die, they simply become politicians. (Clooney responded with a good-natured hey, hey, hey.) Clooney himself alluded to the president in one of his prerecorded interview clips. The star, talking about his numbskull character in O Brother, Where Art Thou? said he played the role as someone who thought himself the smartest person in the room, as weve seen in other walks of life recently. There was also frequent mention of Clooneys Oscar-nominated Good Night, and Good Luck. Stringer called the 2005 film Clooney wrote, directed and starred in about CBS News anchor Edward R. Murrows handling of Sen. Joseph McCarthys communist witch hunt eerily prophetic. Its a story of a man who stood up to power unchecked with truth, summarized Blanchett. Its a masterwork, George, that has never proven more relevant than it is today. In fact, over time, it has only grown in importance and impact. Murrow was a huge hero to my father, Clooney said in a pre-recorded interview clip. I was angry when I wrote Good Night, and Good Luck about a lot of things. I was being called a traitor to my country because I was against the war [in Iraq]. I was really angry at the idea that the industry that my father held so dear and I held so dear was so timid and so scared. Clooney whose father worked as a journalist, anchorman and show host studied broadcast journalism at Kentucky University before deciding to be an actor. In a letter read aloud by Amal, the late broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite praised the actors style, character and class. Walter was right, said Amal. And his words are all the more poignant at a time when many of us feel that character is lacking in some of the leaders we count on the most. This comment, the most pointed of the night, was met with a round of applause. At the end of the night, Clooney took the stage to thank the AFI and everyone for saying such incredibly nice things about me, in particular his parents and his wife. You make every single day, every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday feel as special as tonight, he said to Amal. And tonight was very special and I will treasure it always. So thank you, and from the words of someone who is much more intelligent, which we probably need now more than ever, goodnight and good luck. The L.A. Times is at the @AmericanFilm Institute's Life Achievement Award tonight, honoring George Clooney! The gala (also honoring #BlackPanther cinematographer Rachel Morrison) will broadcast June 21 by @tntdrama pic.twitter.com/AtIsChByhn LAT Entertainment (@latimesent) June 8, 2018 sonaiya.kelley@latimes.com follow me on twitter @sonaiyak Apart from a few exteriors and some flashbacks, the pungent, eccentric Hotel Artemis confines its story to a single night, 10 years in the future, inside the beautiful ruin of a downtown Los Angeles hotel. Outside, the worst riots in the citys history rage on; Angelenos are thirsty, punished for their presumed sins by a near-total lack of access to L.A.s corporate-owned water supply. Like the assassins den in John Wick, the Artemis operates under a no-kill policy. Unlike the swank quarters in John Wick, this one has been retrofitted as an emergency room facility for career killers, thugs and lowlifes, who are given code names based on their suites. Its essentially the Hotel Earle from Barton Fink, augmented by the latest in robotic surgical techniques for bullet extraction. Speaking of Barton Fink: When Jodie Foster first appears as the mysterious figure known as the Nurse, fidgeting, muttering, doing a little hip-hoppity walk, she appears to be channeling a little bit of Steve Buscemi, along with Barbara Stanwyck. The Artemis may be owned by shadowy underworld figures, but the Nurse, as efficient as she is secretive, runs the place along with her mountain of an orderly, Everest (Dave Bautista). The prologue, crisp and bloody, throws audiences smack in the middle of a messed-up bank robbery conducted by Sherman (Sterling K. Brown) and his junkie brother, Lev (Brian Tyree Henry). This immediately spills out into a street clash between police and the citizenry. Whatever political, economic and sociological advantages L.A. and California enjoy in 2018, according to writer-director Drew Pearce, its all going straight to hell in a few short years. Advertisement Sherman and Lev make it into the Artemis and are dubbed Waikiki and Honolulu, respectively; Waikiki is the unwitting owner of a very valuable pen belonging to a Malibu mobster known as Wolfking (Jeff Goldblum), who becomes Niagara upon check-in. Pearces story toggles among rooms and characters, all of whom are destined to not get along while theyre hiding out and making plans. Charlie Day is a coarse arms dealer trying to hail a heli-cab out of L.A.; Sofia Boutella portrays a French assassin whos a Luc Besson dream and a sleek nightmare of knife-fighting and stiletto-kicking skills. The movies nicely packed yet spacious enough to let its characters talk a little in between killings. A wounded police officer, played by a restrained and effective Jenny Slate, begs for shelter, and the Nurse relents because they share a connection Hotel Artemis reveals with the aid of the aforementioned flashbacks. Zachary Quinto snivels in prime form as the insecure son of Niagara, and Pearces screenplay saves some of its sharpest stuff for their less-than-idyllic relationship. Hotel Artemis is Pearces feature directorial debut. Its not on the level of Snowpiercer, say, where a hurtling train provides the momentum. But at its best, this one taps into a similar futuristic-societal-microcosm vibe. Pearce shapes bursts of action coherently yet kinetically. The movie benefits considerably from its sparing use of CGI and the deep saturation of expressive color provided by cinematographer Chung Chung-Hoon. There are times when the narrative stalls a bit, turning visually static rather than effectively claustrophobic. Pearces jaundiced way with a comeback, however, is most welcome. When a shooting victim asks Fosters character whether she can patch him up, she shoots right back with a quick glare and the reply: This is America, honey. Ninety-five percent of what I fix is bullet holes. Michael Phillips is a Chicago Tribune critic. ------------- Hotel Artemis Rating: R, for violence and language throughout, some sexual references and brief drug use Running time: 1 hour, 37 minutes Playing: In general release See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour Movie Trailers calendar@latimes.com Anthony Bourdains love of music will forever be eclipsed by his passion for food culture. But the late chef, writer and TV stars life was propelled by music, and he never wasted an opportunity to serve as rock n roll ambassador. As Bourdain, who died Friday of an apparent suicide, was rising as a literary foodie of the highest order, he injected attitude into a restaurant culture that at the time was mostly reliant on Muzak subscriptions for audio atmospherics. Music, he argued, helped define a space as much as menu and decor. When a restaurant failed, he named the culprits where the music in the dining room sucked. When he landed Parts Unknown, his Emmy- and Peabody-winning show on CNN, he didnt rely on producers to pick the theme song. He commissioned Queens of the Stone Age and Mark Lanegan to write it. He may have celebrated lesser-known culinary rock stars, but he admired the real ones too. READ MORE: Jonathan Gold on Anthony Bourdain: He opened the working-class kitchen to the world and the world to us Advertisement In the imaginary soundtrack of Bourdains breakout book, Kitchen Confidential, guitars are booming from the Lower Manhattan restaurants kitchen stereo as he and his team work the line. He describes the soundtrack as a pretty good collection of mid-1970s New York punk classics on tape: Dead Boys, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Heartbreakers, Ramones, Television and so on, infusing guitar-fueled distortion within a score of clangs, sizzles and shouts. Bourdain was as likely to quote Joe Strummer or Patti Smith as Mark Twain or Marcel Proust when trying to capture the essence of a meal or experience. He consulted musicians for their thoughts and stories. In a Parts Unknown episode devoted to a post-Kadafi Libya, for example, Bourdain didnt seek out academics or advocates; he spoke to Libyan rappers. His episode on Miami featured the chef eating with 2 Live Crews Luther Campbell, discussing Miami rhythms with drummer Questlove and hanging with Iggy Pop. READ MORE: From In-N-Out to Chateau Marmont, Anthony Bourdain understood what makes L.A. great Bourdain harnessed his good fortune in service of music. During an interview with the Archive of American Television in 2016, he recounted how Queens of the Stone Age came to make the Parts Unknown theme. It involved the band traveling to Bourdains home in Connecticut and performing in matching Christmas sweaters to play carols. A typical episode of his show would contain songs that Bourdain helped pick. His Berlin segment featured selections from David Bowies so-called Berlin trilogy, the experimental electronic group Neu, producer Brian Eno and the rock band Brian Jonestown Massacre. He seemed to revel in making playlists and contributed a great Spotify one for CNNs show The Seventies. Another playlist, for the Travel Channel, further defined his tastes by including annotations of the songs. Of Kanye Wests Monster, he wrote, Just as good as he probably thinks it is. And Nicki Minaj is terrifyingly good on it. Of R.E.M.s Crush With Eyeliner, he admitted that he was never a big R.E.M. fan before but rediscovered this one late in life. He also tips L.A. garage rocker Sky Saxon and Chicano rock band Tito & Tarantula. He even compared the camaraderie and collaboration among a kitchen staff to the thrills and spills of being in a rock band. In Kitchen Confidential, Bourdain wrote of putting together a staff (and referencing a late-1960s rock super-group): [W]e recruited every young, pot-smoking, head-banging hooligan wed ever worked with, filling their heads with dreams of glory. Were forming like a rock and roll band, man, an all-star group of culinary superstars kinda like Blind Faith. The goal, Bourdain wrote: A faithful re-creation of the kitchens wed grown up in: insular, chaotic, drenched in drugs and alcohol, and accompanied constantly by loud rock and roll music. When he traveled to the Congo for an episode and conveyed his love of Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness and Francis Ford Coppolas Apocalypse Now film adaptation, Bourdain was continuing a story that began when he was part of a trio that took over the restaurant Work Progress in Lower Manhattan. Full coverage of Anthony Bourdains death At the restaurant, he recalled beginning each shift with the soundtrack to Apocalypse Now. Emulating the title sequence, wed play the soundtrack album, choppers coming in low and fast, the whir of the blades getting louder and more unearthly, and just before Jim Morrison kicked in with the first few words, This is the end, my brand new friend the end ... wed soak the entire range top with brandy and ignite it, causing a huge napalm-like fireball to rush up into the hoods. Thats rock n roll. If you or a loved one is considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255. ALSO Jonathan Gold: Anthony Bourdain opened the working-class kitchen to the world and the world to us In Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain searched the world for human moments and for his own place in it CNN, Travel Channel will salute Anthony Bourdain with slate of weekend programming For Anthony Bourdain, food was just the entry point for a much wider cultural discussion Critics Pick: United Shades of America, Parts Unknown, My Nazi Legacy Eat what Obama and Bourdain ate: Where to find great bun cha ha noi Obama and Bourdains dining table memorialized in Hanoi From In-N-Out to Chateau Marmont, Anthony Bourdain understood what makes L.A. great Anthony Bourdain, world-traveling chef and TV star, dies at 61 in apparent suicide Books were good to Anthony Bourdain but TV was even better Anthony Bourdain was the eternal compadre of overlooked Latinos Anthony Bourdains death stuns girlfriend Asia Argento and celebrity admirers For tips, records, snapshots and stories on Los Angeles music culture, follow Randall Roberts on Twitter and Instagram: @liledit. Email: randall.roberts@latimes.com. Television by and large fails to live up to its promise and its responsibilities. That isnt to say that much of what constitutes this failure isnt wonderful or worth talking about. But as an invention to bring the far world near, to build bridges, to bring to the struggling classes culture that otherwise would only be available to the comfortable, it has often settled for quick thrills, cheap effects, unearned enthusiasm. That was never true of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, one of the mediums best and most valuable series, whose 11th season (since its premiere in 2013) began last month on CNN. The culmination of the late hosts TV work following A Cooks Tour, The Layover and No Reservations, whose nine seasons on Travel Channel constitute a kind of less exquisitely realized version of Parts Unknown it is not a travel show, really, or a food show, but an encyclopedia of human variety, ingenuity, adaptation, survival and aspiration. Parts Unknown lives at the point where tradition resists or accommodates change, the difficult crossroads where the old world meets the future; it is a history lesson and a news bulletin. It acknowledges the ill with the good but lives in hope sometimes unspoken, often stated that better things are ahead and that they will be delicious. It is an anti-nationalist project steeped in local pride: All localities, it suggests, are worth knowing, and every culture, worth respect. (Nowhere is this attitude more in evidence than the 2016 episode in which Bourdain sat down with President Barack Obama in an ordinary Hanoi noodle shop.) Where most travel-based shows have a touristic bent, Bourdains, which ranged from Korea to Koreatown, Iran to Antarctica, Chicago to Shanghai to Boreno to Senegal, were never about where you, as a viewer, as a consumer, could go he often went places you couldnt and what to do when you got there. Their message is that true luxury is in the learning and the company, in being human among humans and earthy upon the Earth. And while Parts looked with passing interest on the fancy works of mankind, it repeatedly came back to the land including the sea and how it shapes those who live on it, and off of it. Advertisement Every so often, the show would turn its focus on Bourdain himself, following him into a martial arts class or a tattoo parlor or through a night of drinking he was a recovered drug addict but no teetotaler or into some double-act adventure with his good friend the French chef Eric Ripert, who had been filming with him in France before Bourdain apparently took his life Friday. These episodes could feel like distractions from the series main business, but one sees now that they were part of the larger story he was writing there, that of a troubled evolving consciousness, a person in the world struggling to see the world and his place in it. CNN will mark Bourdains passing with Remembering Anthony Bourdain airing Friday at 7 p.m. PT, repeating Sunday at 7 p.m.; a collection of Bourdains favorite episodes Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. PT, and the next scheduled episode of Parts Unknown, focusing on Berlin, with an introduction by Anderson Cooper. There is nothing television can offer that is more worth your while. Full coverage of Anthony Bourdains death If you or a loved one is considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255. ALSO: Jonathan Gold: Anthony Bourdain opened the working-class kitchen to the world and the world to us Anthony Bourdain wasnt just a food lover he was a music freak, too CNN, Travel Channel will salute Anthony Bourdain with slate of weekend programming For Anthony Bourdain, food was just the entry point for a much wider cultural discussion Critics Pick: United Shades of America, Parts Unknown, My Nazi Legacy Eat what Obama and Bourdain ate: Where to find great bun cha ha noi Obama and Bourdains dining table memorialized in Hanoi From In-N-Out to Chateau Marmont, Anthony Bourdain understood what makes L.A. great Anthony Bourdain, world-traveling chef and TV star, dies at 61 in apparent suicide Books were good to Anthony Bourdain but TV was even better Anthony Bourdain was the eternal compadre of overlooked Latinos Anthony Bourdains death stuns girlfriend Asia Argento and celebrity admirers robert.lloyd@latimes.com Follow Robert Lloyd on Twitter @LATimesTVLloyd Anthony Bourdains rough edges and uncensored way of looking at the world were irresistible to the many fans of his travel food shows, cookbooks and tell-all books on what life was really like in the kitchen. As the host of A Cooks Tour on Food Network, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on the Travel Channel and 11 seasons of Parts Unknown on CNN, Bourdain brought viewers into his reality and into the homes and kitchens of people around the world. And he spent quite a bit of time in Los Angeles over the years. The Los Angeles I love is about the family-run restaurant, said Bourdain in a recent episode of Little Los Angeles, his online miniseries that explored the many neighborhoods of Los Angeles. This is one of the last major cities for that. Visiting the restaurants and bars Bourdain featured on his show and on his Instagram account became a sort of pilgrimage for fans. And its a particularly fitting way to honor him. Bourdain was found dead Friday in his hotel room in France, where he was working on an episode of Parts Unknown. CNN said he was found hanging in an apparent suicide. Advertisement Heres a look at some of the restaurants, hotels and bars he liked most in Los Angeles. In-N-Out Like most visitors to Los Angeles, or at least those who appreciate a good burger, Bourdain appreciated the magic that is In-N-Out. He was often quoted saying he visited every time he came into town. And he couldnt resist a Double Double. BKCsfIRAmPl Chateau Marmont When he visited Los Angeles, he preferred to stay at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood. He once told Travel + Leisure magazine that if he had to live out the rest of his days in a hotel, it would not be in Tokyo or Paris. It would be at the Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard. 8221 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, (323) 848-5908, www.chateaumarmont.com. BJ8A9sog7Le Cielito Lindo Cielito Lindo is a restaurant on Olvera Street dating back to 1934. Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times Bourdain devoted his Parts Unknown premiere episode in spring 2017 to Mexican food and culture in Los Angeles. He visited Cielito Lindo, the Olvera Street restaurant thats been around since 1934, known for its taquitos smothered in avocado sauce. Bourdain ate taquitos and burritos stuffed with beans and machaca with comedian Al Madrigal and Gustavo Arellano, a contributor to The Times and author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America. E. 23 Olvera St., Los Angeles, (213) 687-4391, www.cielitolindo.org. We also ran a recipe for that excellent avocado sauce here. CNN will salute Anthony Bourdain with slate of weekend programming Parks BBQ Bourdain had a particular love for Koreatown, the 2.7-square-mile stretch that spanned from Beverly Boulevard to Olympic Boulevard, Crenshaw Boulevard and Vermont Avenue. The restaurants, bars and spas here were the subject of multiple visits and episodes on his shows. And he was especially fond of Parks BBQ on Vermont Avenue, Jenee Kims Korean restaurant lauded for its use Wagyu beef and ggot sal marbled rib-eye. His dish of choice? The tongue. 955 S. Vermont Ave G, Los Angeles, (213) 380-1717, www.parksbbq.com. BZML9XHBZ8K Jumbos Clown Room Jumbos Clown Room in East Hollywood was one of Anthony Bourdains favorite bars. Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times Bourdain was a fan of the family-owned bar, located in a strip mall in East Hollywood. The bar is known best for its pole dancing, stiff drinks and pictures of clowns on the walls. 5153 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, (323) 666-1187, jumbos.com. Anthony Bourdains death stuns girlfriend Asia Argento and celebrity admirers Myung In Dumplings Bourdain visited the Koreatown restaurant on his CNN show Parts Unknown. He sipped on Hite beer and feasted on Wang mandu king dumplings (thick-dough wrapped around pork, kimchi and vegetables) with street artist David Choe. 3109 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, (213) 381-3568. Bgc0cC0APGl Tacos Villa Corona The Atwater Village restaurant is known for its killer breakfast burritos and tacos. Bourdain visited for more than a little of both on his show No Reservations. 3185 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 661-3458. Full coverage of Anthony Bourdains death Osteria Mozza Nancy Silverton behind the bar at her restaurant Osteria Mozza. Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times Bourdain frequented Nancy Silvertons Italian restaurant and was often quoted saying this is where he brought friends. 6602 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, (323) 297-0100, la.osteriamozza.com. Musso & Frank Grill At Musso & Frank Grill in Hollywood, bartender Brian Perrulli creates their classic martini. Mariah Tauger One of Bourdains favorite cocktails was the Negroni (equal parts Campari, sweet vermouth and gin). If you need evidence, see his Instagram account. He was also a fan of the bar at Musso & Frank. And we like to imagine him sipping one, or an ice-cold martini at the Hollywood bar. 6667 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 467-7788, mussoandfrank.com. Sapp Coffee Shop The Boat Noodles at Sapp Coffee Shop in Los Angeles. Lia Reconsal While shooting an episode of No Reservations, Bourdain visited Sapp Coffee Shop, a strip mall restaurant in Thai Town celebrated for its steaming bowls of Thai boat noodles. He slurped and sweated his way through a bowl of noodles, chile-spiked broth and bits of meat, and decided that in L.A., the much-maligned strip mall is your friend. 5183 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 665-1035. If you or a loved one is considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255. ALSO Jonathan Gold: Anthony Bourdain opened the working-class kitchen to the world and the world to us In Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain searched the world for human moments and for his own place in it Anthony Bourdain wasnt just a food lover he was a music freak, too CNN, Travel Channel will salute Anthony Bourdain with slate of weekend programming For Anthony Bourdain, food was just the entry point for a much wider cultural discussion Critics Pick: United Shades of America, Parts Unknown, My Nazi Legacy Eat what Obama and Bourdain ate: Where to find great bun cha ha noi Obama and Bourdains dining table memorialized in Hanoi Anthony Bourdain, world-traveling chef and TV star, dies at 61 in apparent suicide Books were good to Anthony Bourdain but TV was even better Anthony Bourdain was the eternal compadre of overlooked Latinos Anthony Bourdains death stuns girlfriend Asia Argento and celebrity admirers Please consider subscribing today to support stories like this one. Get full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. Already a subscriber? Your support makes our work possible. Thank you. jenn.harris@latimes.com Instagram: @Jenn_Harris_ More and more, Esquire magazine disappointments me, joining movies, pop music, the NFL, the DMV and casinos as American institutions that have completely let me down. Do I complain? Of course, I complain. Its no secret, at least to neighbors, that I lead a life of noisy desperation. At middle age, I possess a quiet dignity, spoiled only by frequent spurts of frustration and defeat. Indeed, Im our cul-de-sacs angry French despot. The castle is crumbling, the empire fading before my very eyes. In the latest major fiasco, the air-conditioning condenser conked out 4 grand. Trust me, there is nothing grand about spending that kind of coin on anything besides Paris. Advertisement In inspecting the rooftop unit, I found a soft spot in the shingles dry rot or termites? And it seems Ill never get to that new kitchen faucet. The old faucet has a swollen prostate, which interferes with ferocity and flow. At least thats my early diagnosis. Its not till you get deep into a new patient that you ever really know. Thing is, I wake every weekend to the thought of mixing fun with obligation, and obligation always wins. The other day, I was busy not fixing the bathroom sink -- but really trying, you know, really pouring my heart into it -- and my wife, Cleopatra, was in the next room napping, so I couldnt curse at the drain I was trying to fix. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to repair your house without cursing? Cursing is the main tool in my toolbox. You could take away all the other tools, and without a little cursing, you will never accomplish anything. In fact, you may well make things worse. I had to pause at one point to visit my buddy, Paul, so I could curse a little, in his garage man cave. An hour later, I returned home refreshed, as if having played a nice game of badminton. It was an emergency situation, the bathroom. The sink stopper had clunked down, permanently closed, so some idiot (probably me) had yanked it out by his fingernails and placed it to the side. This was fine, except there was nothing to catch the meds, toothpaste caps, tweezers, car keys and anything else that dropped in the sink. Like strawberry jam, great gobs of my daughters auburn hair filled the P-shaped drain pipe that leads towell, actually, I dont know. I fussed and I wiggled and I contorted under the sink. At this stage of my life, home repair has really replaced sex for me, and Im not complaining. When it is over, the feelings of fatigue are very much the same. Then I sleep a deep sleep. But you should see the new front yard I put in, thick with new flowers and landscape lighting and drip irrigation, all done by hand, over various weekends, on a patch of lunar landscape riddled with rocks and weeds. My main goal: To install the kind of yard where the dogs would be proud to pee. And I think I accomplished that. Then I replaced the under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen, which had fried two years ago, and I paused long enough to finally assemble the barbecue smoker I got for Christmas. Big and substantial, like an old locomotive. Like me, I guess. (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times ) This new smoker makes me so happy I bought it flowers. Every dad needs a barbecue smoker; it should almost be a law. You know how when you get married or have kids, you think: Now Ill always have company now Ill always have someone around who makes me smile, and it doesnt quite pan out that way? Well, with a smoker it does. This thing makes me so happy I bought it flowers. Suddenly, I seem to have adopted the values of my Italian wife, in that I have a need to overfeed family. I buy twice as much food as necessary, and I spend too much time making feasts sometimes days. With the smoker, you cook under low heat, one oak log at a time. Patience has always been my strong suit, and smoking anything takes eight hours -- ironically, the same amount of time it takes me to repair a sink. The smoker leaves me feeling so much better. If I dont burn down the neighborhood, it may be the best thing that has ever happened to me. It was a Christmas gift from the lovely and patient older daughter and her boyfriend, Finn. This smoker is hot, solid proof that if you wait long enough, your children will start to give back. Takes a while -- like brisket, like ribs. But when they do? Magic, I tell you. Pure magic. Chris.Erskine@latimes.com Twitter: @erskinetimes Brunch or a steak dinner is standard for Fathers Day, but that shouldnt be the only treat of the holiday. For the paternal figure in your life who is especially interested in well being and longevity, here are some ideas to help him stay active and healthy -- plus a tip for the wellness journey of a lifetime. For cellphone users who err on the side of caution, theres the SafeSleeve, an anti-radiation case for phones, tablets and laptops that was tested in a lab accredited by the Federal Communications Commission. The cases were shown to shield more than 99% of the radio frequency waves emitted by cellphones. (Late last year, the California Department of Health released guidelines around cellphone usage stating that long-term high use may impact human health.) The SafeSleeve cases come in cool colors (sky blue, burgundy) and have room for credit cards and cash. Starting at $40, safesleevecases.com :: The just-launched Versa from Fitbit is smaller and lighter than its predecessors. Credit - Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless ) Advertisement The just-launched Fitbit Versa smartwatch is an easy entry point for the dad who is intimidated by the idea of a fitness tracker. The Versa is smaller and lighter than other Fitbit styles, and has enough features that he can leave his phone at home when out for a walk; it will alert him to calls and texts, and will do all the things Fitbit is known for -- logging steps, calories burned, heart rate patterns. Its also designed to carry a ton of music, making those post-dinner strolls even more enjoyable. $199, verizonwireless.com :: The Ultimate Dad box from Los Angeles based Makers + Goods has several feel good items for dad (Makers + Goods ) Heres a gift idea that dad and you can feel good about. Los Angeles company Makers + Goods sources feel-good products that benefit various causes, arrays them in gift baskets and delivers to your door. The Ultimate Dad box contains several items, such as an organic cotton robe, soap using leftover products from craft breweries, Ethiopian coffee and locally handmade incense sticks. A gift basket purchase supports causes such as the donation of underwear to the Los Angeles Mission. $345, makersandgoods.com :: Buddhists grail pouring water (Byjeng / Getty Images/iStockphoto ) And if your dad is curious about esoteric wellness practices, tour operator TCS World Travel is organizing a Mystic Kingdoms of Asia trip led by noted integrative medicine practitioner Andrew Weil. The three-week luxury jaunt kicks off in Singapore and takes in a visit to a Chinese medicine facility, drops in at a school of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, includes sacred evening rituals at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, and stints at a holistic retreat near Kathmandu and a monastery in Bhutan. There are yoga sessions in Chiang Kai, meditation with monks in Laos and a final stop in Ogimi, a village in Okinawa known for its preponderance of centenarians, who will share their secrets over lunch. The whole thing is done via private jet. It doesnt take place till next February, but you might want to start saving up now: Its $82,950 per person. tcsworldtravel.com health@latimes.com Californias attorney general on Thursday filed a lawsuit accusing two food manufacturers of selling toddler formulas with illegally high levels of lead. Graceleigh Inc. and Nutraceutical Corp. are accused of violating Proposition 65, which requires businesses to warn customers about exposure to toxic chemicals. The complaint also accuses them of violating the states unfair competition and false advertising laws. There is nothing more important than ensuring the safety of our children, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said at a Sacramento news conference. Its a parents worst nightmare to learn you may be feeding your child something that may actually threaten their health. Graceleigh, a Newport Beach company, operates as Sammys Milk and sells a goat milk formula for toddlers called Sammys Milk Free Range Goat Milk. The formula contained lead levels more than 15 times the allowable level, Becerra said. Advertisement Nutraceutical, based in Park City, Utah, sells a variety of products, including body washes and vitamins. The companys Peaceful Planet Toddler Supreme, a rice protein powder for young children, contained lead levels greater than 13 times the allowable level, Becerra said. The milk and powder formulas also exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations more lenient acceptable exposure levels, Becerra said. The two companies pulled the products out of California after cease-and-desist letters were sent last week, the Justice Department said. Ten California district attorneys joined the lawsuit. Neither company returned emails and calls for comment. Violators of Proposition 65 are subject to a $2,500 fine per day, and violating the unfair competition and false advertising laws carries a fine of no more than $2,500 per violation, according to the suit. Graceleigh was accused in 2016 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of not properly testing one of its Sammys Milk Baby Food products for a type of bacteria that could be fatal in infants. The company recalled the product. High levels of lead adversely affect a developing childs brain and have been linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and aggressive behaviors, said Dr. Daniel McCrimons, a Sacramento-based pediatrician who spoke at the press conference. Dr. Timur Durrani, an associate professor at UC San Francisco who also spoke at the conference, recommended that parents who had bought the products stop using them and take their children to their primary care providers. Durrani said providers occasionally use medication to treat lead exposure, but medical treatment isnt usually necessary. ethan.millman@latimes.com Twitter: @MillmanEthan Engineers have built about 24,000 bridges in California over the last century, but a new one under construction in Madera County for the states bullet train project shows that they can still lead to serious blunders. Tutor Perini, the lead contractor building a 32-mile section of railway near Fresno, had completed part of a tall highway bridge that would go over future train tracks when the California High-Speed Rail Authority last year issued a stop work order. The firm was told to tear down the construction on the Avenue 8 bridge and start over, the agency said this week. In a statement, the authority said the Avenue 8 bridge design did not meet its level of quality for a work product and showed signs of distress. Some time after last September, the authority had Tutor Perini start on an entirely different design, agency documents show. The decision has not been previously reported. The rail authority said it is discussing who will bear the cost of the rework. Advertisement Ron Tutor, chief executive of Tutor Perini, said the redesign was not his firms fault and called the issue trivial. We designed it and they approved it and then they changed their minds, Tutor said. They had a change of heart. At least three other bullet train bridges in the Central Valley used the same design as the Avenue 8 bridge and are now being redesigned, according to a January rail authority status update, raising questions about whether potentially more costly designs will be required in the future. The previous design for Avenue 8, using what is known as mechanically stabilized earth walls, is generally considered cheaper than the new design, using cast in place abutments. The rail authority has acknowledged that it is behind schedule and facing sharply escalating costs, but a new team of executives who took over this year has vowed to make improvements to the execution of the program and re-establish its credibility as the project comes under the leadership of a new governor next year. Engineering experts say the bridge errors show such changes are badly needed. Having to tear down work and redesign it is an early warning sign of lack of program management, said Robert Bea, a civil engineering professor emeritus at UC Berkeley and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. It is very unusual. It is not common. Tutor Perini has won a series of prestigious construction jobs in recent years, but also had its share of setbacks. San Francisco transportation authorities ordered the firm and its subcontractor this year to tear out 3.2 miles of installed steel track in a subway project because it wasnt strong enough. Two months ago, the firm settled a suit by Los Angeles World Airports alleging that a runway completed by the firm in 2013 was defective and cracking apart. The company agreed to pay $28.3 million, airport records show. And the company is in complex litigation over a tunnel under downtown Seattle, in which a boring machine became stuck and portions had to be vertically extracted. Exactly who will pay for the Avenue 8 bridge problem is undecided. The rail authority said in its statement that the cost is with the contractor, but acknowledged it is the subject of discussions involving a change order. The Avenue 8 bridge, like many the authority is building in the Central Valley, will soar high above the surrounding pancake-flat farmland, meaning it will have high structural loads. The bridge needs enough clearance for the rails elevated bed of stone ballast, the steel rail, the train and high-voltage overhead wires, along with the thick highway deck on top. All of that reaches about the height of a four-story building above ground. The original bridge design had a retaining wall built with mechanically stabilized earth, which uses horizontal layers of reinforcement fabric to hold up retaining walls and concrete support pillars. Rail authority documents say thousands of cubic yards of soil were brought in to build the bridge approaches. The new design uses poured concrete abutments. Mechanically stabilized earth structures are typically less costly to build than cast concrete systems, but have a higher failure rate, said an engineering executive who asked not to be identified to avoid professional repercussions. A mechanical stabilized earth wall looks good on paper, but unless it is done perfectly it can fail, he said. A poured-in-place wall can fail too, but it is more robust. Bea said he suspects the signs of distress cited by the rail authority involved cracks or fissures that developed from weak foundations. He said responsibility resides with the rail authority and the contractor, both of whom should have recognized problems much earlier. Bea, whose career has spanned decades as an oil industry engineering executive and academic, said soil conditions in the Central Valley are as difficult as anywhere on Earth. He calculated the loads that the bridge would place on the weak soil at about 12,000 pounds per square foot, based on estimates of its dimensions and weight. The rail authority has issued its contracts under a design build approach, in which state engineers and their consultants provide 15% of the design of structures and then leave contractors to complete the other 85%. Construction industry experts say the decision to issue contracts with only a 15% design completion was risky in a complex project in which the state has no prior experience. In many cases, government agencies issue such contracts with 30% of the design provided to the contract bidders. The new design for the bridge was done by Tutor, the rail authority said. We have made significant progress with the new structure, the agency said in its statement. ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @rvartabedian Caltrans plans to install small spikes on the San Diego-Coronado Bridge as a temporary suicide deterrent while it pursues a permanent barrier. The spikes, similar to those used to prevent pigeons from roosting on ledges and roofs, would sit atop the short wall that now lines the bridge, where more than 400 people have jumped to their deaths since it opened in 1969. Officials hope to have them installed within one year. I think its a start, and something is better than nothing, said Wayne Strickland, a retired Coronado firefighter and president of the Bridge Collaborative for Suicide Prevention, a grassroots group that has been leading the push for barriers. The way it is now, its just too easy, and thats why people go there. Advertisement Caltrans announced the temporary measure as it released a final feasibility study this week that showed a barrier would be suitable for the bridge, which is one of the regions most iconic structures but may soon surpass the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco as the nations deadliest span for suicides. The year-long study explored almost a dozen deterrent options, several of them patterned after barriers that have worked on bridges in other places. They include mesh fences, glass panels and spike-like thistles that would be six to eight feet high, as well as a steel net, similar to what is being installed on the Golden Gate Bridge, that would sit about 20 feet below the roadway surface. Caltrans will now narrow the choices, calculate the costs the estimated price tag for the various options ranges from $30 million to $137 million and identify possible funding sources. Add in the necessary environmental reviews and approvals from regulatory agencies and it could be five to 10 years before a permanent barrier is in place, said Ed Joyce, a Caltrans spokesman. Many in Coronado are tired of waiting, and Caltrans acknowledged the significant community concern as it moved forward this week. Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey said he thinks temporary spikes could deter both suicides and attempted suicides. Dozens of times every year, the bridge is shut down as emergency crews try to stop someone from jumping, creating traffic snarls that in the past have lasted up to 12 hours, he said. On average, 83,000 cars cross the bridge daily. For many years, suicide has been a very taboo topic but weve finally made it through the threshold of having an open, honest conversation about it, Bailey said. Now we have leaders on both sides of the bridge stepping forward and saying, We need to do something. Joyce said the height and type of temporary spikes to be used hasnt been determined, but the plan is to install them along the 7,400 feet of the bridge that crosses the bay. Caltrans is counting on any visual, historical or other impacts to be minor enough to qualify the project for an exemption from full environmental review. Cost of the spikes would be about $100,000 to $300,000, Joyce said. They would be in place for no more than five years. Officials said they hope the obstructions would at least slow someone contemplating suicide long enough to reconsider, or to allow emergency crews or others to intervene. Caltrans got the idea to use spikes from Coronado resident Eric Dawson, a retired attorney who suggested it as a temporary measure during a public outreach meeting the transportation agency held on the island in August. The bird spikes are not intended to act as a physical barrier like a fence, he wrote in a subsequent note to the agency. Instead, if they work, it will be because they provide a visual, psychological deterrent. He said some people determined to jump from the bridge will find a way over the obstructions, but the threat of injury from the spikes might be enough to dissuade others. Thats part of the thinking behind the steel nets being installed on the Golden Gate Bridge. Someone will still be able to go over the side, but it will be a two-story drop into the net likely to cause injury, not death. Dawson noted that a similar net installed at Muenster Terrace in Bern, Switzerland, has stopped suicides there. No one has attempted to drop first into the net and then jump again proof, Dawson said, that it acts more as a psychological barrier than a physical one. Some Coronado residents have been pushing for three decades for something to be done, scarred by the suicides and their ripple effects through the community. In a city with just 25,000 residents, many know someone who has died or their survivors. They know the emergency crews who recover the bodies. Theyve seen cars abandoned on the bridge, or been caught in traffic during bridge closures. Wilkens is a reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Under growing community and political pressure, Caltrans plans to install small spikes on the San Diego-Coronado Bridge as a temporary suicide deterrent while it pursues a permanent barrier. The spikes, similar to those used to prevent pigeons from roosting on ledges and roofs, would sit atop the short wall that lines the bridge, where more than 400 people have jumped to their deaths since it opened in 1969. Officials hope to have them installed within one year. I think its a start, and something is better than nothing, said Wayne Strickland, a retired Coronado firefighter and president of the Bridge Collaborative for Suicide Prevention, a grass-roots group that has been leading the push for barriers. The way it is now, its just too easy, and thats why people go there. Advertisement Caltrans announced the temporary measure as it released a final feasibility study this week that showed a barrier would be suitable for the bridge, which may soon surpass the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco as the nations deadliest span for suicides. The yearlong study explored almost a dozen deterrent options, some patterned after barriers that have worked on other bridges. They include mesh fences, glass panels and spike-like thistles that would be six to eight feet high, as well as a steel net, similar to what is being installed on the Golden Gate Bridge, that would sit about 20 feet below the roadway surface. Caltrans will now narrow the choices, calculate the costs the estimated price tag for the options ranges from $30 million to $137 million and identify possible funding sources. Add in the necessary environmental reviews and approvals from regulatory agencies and it could be five to 10 years before a permanent barrier is in place, said Ed Joyce, a Caltrans spokesman. Many in Coronado are tired of waiting, and Caltrans acknowledged the significant community concern as it moved forward this week. Dozens of times every year, the bridge is shut down as emergency crews try to stop someone from jumping, creating traffic snarls that in the past have lasted up to 12 hours, Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey said. On average, 83,000 cars cross the bridge daily. For many years, suicide has been a very taboo topic but weve finally made it through the threshold of having an open, honest conversation about it, Bailey said. Cost of the spikes would be about $100,000 to $300,000, said Joyce, adding that the height and type used havent been determined. The plan is to install them on the 7,400 feet of the bridge that crosses the bay. The California Department of Transportation is counting on any visual, historical or other impacts to be minor enough to qualify the project for an exemption from full environmental review. They would be in place for no more than five years. Wilkens writes for for the San Diego Union-Tribune. The estranged wife of the Golden State Killer suspect asked for privacy for her family and offered prayers for the victims of the series of rapes and killings he is accused of committing. My thoughts and prayers are for the victims and their families, Sharon Huddle wrote in a statement released Friday by the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department. The press has relentlessly pursued interviews of me. I will not be giving any interviews for the foreseeable future. I ask the press to please respect my privacy and that of my children. Huddle was married for years to Joseph DeAngelo Jr., who was arrested in April at his home in suburban Citrus Heights near Sacramento. DeAngelo is charged with the shooting deaths of two people in Sacramento and 10 more counts of murder in three other counties. His arrest culminated a four-decade manhunt for a serial burglar and rapist who often hit multiple homes in one night, stole mementos from his victims or taunted them later with phone threats. Advertisement Golden State Killer: A primer on an elusive predator Whole communities were stricken with fear as the crime wave that started in the early 1970s grew to both ends of the state and the Central Valley. Families bought guard dogs and guns and installed extra locks on their doors and windows. Authorities say DeAngelo was active in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Orange counties, where several women were raped and fatally beaten between 1979 and 1986. One couple was found bludgeoned to death with a fireplace log in Ventura. Another was found tied up and shot to death in Santa Barbara County. Investigators also think DeAngelo was responsible for a crime wave in Visalia that involved dozens of home burglaries, assaults and one killing. Authorities say he may have begun his criminal activity as a cat burglar in Rancho Cordova in the early 1970s. DeAngelo worked as a police officer for small towns in California until 1979, when he was fired in Auburn for shoplifting a hammer and dog repellent. He then worked for decades as a truck mechanic, living in a suburb north of Sacramento and other communities that were fear-stricken by sexual assaults and killings now attributed to the Golden State Killer. After his arrest, prosecutors from Sacramento, Ventura, Orange and Santa Barbara counties met to discuss where and how to put DeAngelo on trial for the slayings because the crimes cover multiple jurisdictions. No decision has been made. joseph.serna@latimes.com Twitter: @JosephSerna A state appeals court has ruled that a San Diego ordinance closing Childrens Pool during the pupping season for seals is legal, reversing a lower court decision that said the city had overstepped its authority. The ruling by the 4th District Court of Appeal on Thursday is the latest round in the ongoing, years-long battle among seal advocates, pool-access proponents and the city over the small crescent-shaped La Jolla beach that served as a swimming spot for decades and, since the 1990s has been a favorite haul-out spot and rookery for harbor seals. The case centered on an ordinance adopted by the city in 2014 that closed the artificial cove from Dec. 15 to May 15 every year. Violators faced misdemeanor penalties of up to $1,000 in fines or six months in jail. Seal advocates said human activity on the beach caused the animals to flush, or flee, into the ocean with some mother seals leaving pups that were too young to swim while others were trampled on the sand. Advertisement The appeals court said that in a 12-month period in 2013-14, 250 such flushing incidents at the cove occurred. After the ordinance was adopted, a group called Friends of the Childrens Pool sued the city and the state Coastal Commission. The suit contended that the ordinance violated the state Coastal Act and the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, which gives the federal government control over protection of species like the seals. In May 2016, an Orange County Superior Court judge agreed and struck down the ordinance. The appellate court, however, said that the city had acted properly, concluding the ordinance was an exercise of San Diegos inherent power to regulate use of its property. Associate Justice David Thompson, writing for a unanimous three-judge panel, said the law is not directed to conservation or taking of seals. Rather, it is a land use regulation, which falls within a traditional state police power. A spokesman for the San Diego city attorney praised the ruling. The issue of the seals at Childrens Pool Beach has been debated for many years and the City has worked hard to implement an effective policy that balances the interests of everyone involved, Deputy City Atty. Michael Giorgino said in an email. Were pleased that the Court of Appeal agreed that the citys decision to close the Childrens Pool Beach during pupping season was appropriate. Notably, the Court of Appeal commended the city for its measured response to the problems at Childrens Pool Beach. The battle over the ordinance may not be over, however. We strongly disagree with the courts ruling and we will petition the California Supreme Court to have this decision reversed, attorney Bernard F. King II said in an email Friday. The publics right to access beaches, especially man made beaches like the Childrens Pool, must be preserved. Moran writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. UPDATES: 7:30 p.m.: This article was updated throughout. This article originally published at 2 p.m. Celebrity real estate developer Mohamed Hadid is being sued by Bel-Air residents living downhill from the unfinished mansion that led him to be slapped with criminal charges. Their goal: to force Hadid to tear down the building. Hadid, known for his opulent homes and his stints on reality television, was accused by city prosecutors of illegally building a home bigger and taller than city rules allowed estimated at roughly 30,000 square feet and flouting repeated orders to halt construction. Building permits were revoked for the towering home on Strada Vecchia Road. Prosecutors said it included whole areas, including bedrooms, decks and an IMAX theater, that the city never approved. Last year, Hadid pleaded no contest to criminal charges, was sentenced to community service and fines and ordered to craft a plan to stabilize the hillside. Advertisement Hadid has turned in revised plans for the Bel-Air house, which are still under review with the building department, and says he is working to get approval for a smaller home that falls in line with current codes. Now neighbors living downhill are suing him, contending that the city of Los Angeles has failed to enforce its own order, which demands that builders of the Bel-Air home either get city approval or tear down all unauthorized, unapproved construction. In the meantime, the neighbors say that they live in constant fear of the hillside collapsing, that their home values have suffered, and that their privacy and serenity are invaded by the illegal and unsightly structure looming above them. Mohamed Hadid arrives at a screening at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images ) In their lawsuit, Bel-Air residents John and Judith Bedrosian and Beatriz and Joseph Horacek urge the court to order Hadid to remove all improvements on the Strada Vecchia property and fully restore the hillside between his and their properties, bringing the slope back to the same condition it was in when Hadid bought the site. Mohamed Hadid has made a mockery of the citys laws and the safety of his neighbors, and astonishingly the city of Los Angeles has turned a blind eye, their attorney Victor De la Cruz said in a statement. At this stage, the only way to bring this illegal mansion into compliance is to tear it down and start over, De La Cruz added. Hadid said Thursday that he had yet to review the lawsuit, but denounced the push to tear down the house as a witch hunt by a neighbor seeking financial gain. He and his attorneys have said the Bel-Air house was inspected frequently during construction. The house was totally signed off by every single inspector, Hadid said. Its nonsense to say it was not approved. This lawsuit is total nonsense. Hadid said he had done nothing wrong, but pleaded no contest to the criminal charges tied to the house to move on and avoid embarrassing the city inspectors. Russell Linch, the project manager for the Strada Vecchia site, told The Times that a city inspector was 100% aware of every change and deviation and told him to get the permits revised after the fact. It was totally standard, Linch said. I didnt think we were doing anything wrong. Joseph Horacek, standing at the entrance to his home in Bel-Air in 2014. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times ) Building department spokesman Jeff Napier said the process described by Linch has never been a policy of the Department of Building and Safety. All construction work on a permitted project is required to be on the approved plans prior to it being constructed, Napier said. The lawsuit, which also names Los Angeles as a respondent, calls for the city to be ordered to take action to abate the nuisance. Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for the city attorneys office, said the office was reviewing the complaint and had no further comment. The Bel-Air residents said it was inexplicable that the city had not forced Hadid to remove the disputed parts of the building. Napier said that although the order to address the unapproved construction was issued three years ago, the criminal case was ongoing and that the timeline for compliance was under court control. So far, only a portion of the unapproved construction a deck had been removed, Napier said. Hadid and his attorneys have argued that tearing down the home would be a long, impractical process that would burden the neighborhood. De la Cruz countered that legalizing the home would send a dangerous message to other developers and reward Hadid for breaking the law. The lawsuit also targets a company identified as the legal owner of the Bel-Air property, along with a Virginia attorney linked to that firm, which the suit alleges were the alter egos of Hadid himself. In addition to demanding that the building be removed, the Bedrosians and the Horaceks also want the court to choose a receiver to take possession of the Strada Vecchia site and order Hadid to cover the costs of fixing it, as well as attorney fees and unspecified damages. emily.alpert@latimes.com Twitter: @AlpertReyes The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a 46-year-old man wanted in connection with multiple armed sexual assaults across Los Angeles, officials said Friday. Greg Alyn Carlson, a native of Washington, D.C., fled across the country to South Carolina after he was arrested in September 2017 by Los Angeles police on suspicion of assault with intent to commit rape, burglary and assault with a deadly weapon, according to a statement released by the FBI. He has been charged with one count of assault with intent to commit rape and with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, the FBI said. Carlson posted bond weeks after his arrest and traveled to a family home in Mount Pleasant, S.C., authorities said. He then left that area with a significant amount of cash, a stolen handgun and a rental car, according to the FBI. Carlson has indicated that he will not return to Los Angeles to face prosecution, the FBI said in its statement. Advertisement The 46-year-old was considered a suspect in multiple sexual assaults in Los Angeles, the FBI said. Police spotted Carlson in Hoover, Ala., in November last year, where he led local officers on an erratic, high-speed pursuit that was eventually called off due to the potential danger to the public. He was also seen in Jacksonville and Daytona Beach, Fla., roughly one week later. The FBI described Carlson as armed and extremely dangerous. Carlson is white, 5 feet 11, weighs about 170 pounds and may be driving a stolen white, four-door, 2017 Hyundai Accent with South Carolina license plate NKI-770. He also once resided in Santa Monica, though investigators did not say if they believed he might travel back to the area. Anyone with information about Carlsons location should contact the FBIs Los Angeles field office at (888) 226-8443. james.queally@latimes.com Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California. A retired Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department lieutenant has pleaded not guilty to charges of tipping off a West Hollywood massage parlor about potential raids in exchange for sexual favors or other gifts, according to a criminal complaint made public Friday. David Smith, 59, was accused of giving information about law enforcement activities to an employee at the massage parlor and has been charged with two counts of obstruction of justice, according to a statement issued by the Los Angeles County district attorneys office. Smith, a former lieutenant with the West Hollywood station, is accused of advising an employee at Pine Therapy Massage on Santa Monica Boulevard about vice operations being conducted in the area, according to the complaint. In June 2017, Smith told the woman he believed police were in the area and suggested she should be careful or close for the evening, according to the complaint. Prosecutors also accused Smith of visiting the parlor and paying for acts of prostitution in 2016 and 2017, the complaint said. In addition, Smith utilized on-duty [Sheriffs Department] personnel to determine whether authorities were involved in any law enforcement actions in the area, according to the complaint. Advertisement Under questioning from Sheriffs Department investigators last June, Smith admitted to warning the employee about potential law enforcement activities and said he frequently visited the parlor for sex, according to the complaint. If convicted, Smith could face up to three years in prison. Calls to Smiths attorney, Vicki Podberesky, seeking comment were not immediately returned Friday. Smith made a brief appearance in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Friday and is due back in court July 23, prosecutors said. Greg Risling, a spokesman for the district attorneys office, described the employee Smith was in contact with as an uncharged co-conspirator and did not say whether she might face prosecution in the case. While the complaint names the parlor connected to the case as Pine Therapy Massage, the only business listed at that address on Santa Monica Boulevard is named Fine Therapy. An employee who answered the phone at Fine Therapy declined to comment. Smith was arrested after the Sheriffs Departments Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau launched a comprehensive undercover investigation, according to Nicole Nishida, a Sheriffs Department spokeswoman. Nishida said Smith left the Sheriffs Department in September, ending a 35-year career, and a case was presented to the district attorneys office in December. Nishida did not say whether Smith was fired or resigned. The district attorneys office described him as retired. Smith, who worked in the West Hollywood station for roughly three decades, was a beloved local cop who went by the nickname Smitty in the neighborhood, according to a profile published in the WeHo Times in March of last year. I love the community, Smith, who was described as a father of five, told the publication last year. Its something new every day. Its not stagnant. This is a fun place to work. Theres always something new to discover and challenges that we have to work on to make it the safest city possible. james.queally@latimes.com Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California. UPDATES: 1:05 p.m.: This article was updated with new information from court documents. 11:15 a.m.: This article was updated with information about Smiths appearance in court Friday morning. 11 a.m.: This article was updated with additional information from court documents and comments from the Sheriffs Department. This article was originally published at 10 a.m. A small group of current and former students gathered on the USC campus Saturday for a march to show support for the women who have accused a former university gynecologist of sexual misconduct and to call for an investigation of campus officials who were complicit in his alleged misdeeds. The crowd of mostly women gathered outside the Engemann Student Health Center, where Dr. George Tyndall was allowed to treat students for nearly 30 years. From there, they marched to the center of the sprawling campus south of downtown. Ariel Sobel, 22, one of the organizers of the march, told the group that the purpose of the march was to draw attention to all those women who complained about Tyndalls suspected behavior over the years and went ignored. These were real human beings, with real stories, she said. Advertisement As the group marched toward the statue of Tommy Trojan, the universitys mascot of a sword-wielding warrior that stands in the schools central plaza, a chant rose up: What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now! One woman, a USC student who asked that she not be named for fear of retaliation, held up a sign as she marched that read USC Knew. She said she had been a patient of Tyndalls around 2010. My experience of him was an extremely creepy vibe. I saw him once and was like, Im never going back to see that person, she said. Im really upset that it took the L.A. Times for me to learn, eight years later, that this person had a history of sexual misconduct allegations that had been reported. The Times first reported on the allegations against Tyndall in May. More than 400 women have contacted a university hotline to address concerns about the physician since then. Tyndall is accused of improperly photographing students genitals, touching women inappropriately during pelvic examinations and making sexually suggestive remarks. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating at least 52 complaints of misconduct involving Tyndall, and more than two dozen former patients have sued the doctor and the university in recent weeks. The university did not inform Tyndalls patients or report him at the time to the Medical Board of California, the agency responsible for protecting the public from problem doctors. Tyndall has denied wrongdoing in previous interviews with The Times. In a letter to the newspaper dated May 17, the physician said he had heard of only one patient complaint before March 2016: an allegation that he did not wear gloves during a pelvic exam. He wrote that the claim was debunked by administrators. Patients sometimes fabricate stories, Tyndall wrote. He continued to practice at USC until 2016, when a report from a nurse led to his suspension. An internal USC investigation determined Tyndalls behavior during pelvic exams was outside the scope of current medical practice and amounted to sexual harassment of students. He resigned quietly last summer with a financial payout. At the Saturday gathering, speakers included Elizabeth Reyes, the interim director at the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services program at USC, who discussed the resources that were available to any potential victims as well as reporting options on the student health center website. Also in attendance was attorney Gloria Allred, who filed a lawsuit against the university on behalf of one student who said she felt violated during a 2016 exam. Allred said the lawsuit will be amended to add more than 20 young women who are going to have the courage to stand up and say USC has to be accountable. We are not going to stop until justice is done, she said. Viva Symanski, who is also being represented by Allred, grew emotional as she addressed the crowd to offer a message of hope and healing. She alleged Tyndall touched her inappropriately and asked repeatedly about her sex life during a January 2014 appointment. Visibility has not been easy. Choosing to speak here today was not easy, Symanski said, her voice breaking. But I draw strength from the courageous women who came before women that stood up to authority in meager numbers, women that were not heard, women that were not believed. We are at a breaking point. Things have to change, USC must change. Symanski later threw her fist in the air and said, Times up, prompting cheers from the crowd. The fallout from the Tyndall scandal, coupled with past revelations in The Times about rampant drug use by former USC Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito, led to the resignation of USC President C.L. Max Nikias last month. brittny.mejia@latimes.com Follow @brittny_mejia for breaking news in California. UPDATES: June 9, 4:05 p.m.: This article was updated with new information about the march and comments from demonstrators. This article was originally posted on June 8. U.S. officials are preparing to house up to 1,000 immigration detainees at a federal prison in Victorville as part of a Trump administration plan to expand the use of detention during its crackdown on immigrants in the country illegally. The use of the facility and others run by the Bureau of Prisons is intended to be a temporary measure until ICE can obtain additional long-term contracts for new detention facilities or until the surge in illegal border crossings subsides, Danielle Bennett, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Friday. The number of people apprehended at the Southwest border has increased steadily in recent months. While overall apprehensions remain at historic lows, the numbers are up significantly compared with figures from President Trumps first months in office. The plan to use the federal prisons was first reported by Reuters. Advertisement In addition to the recent surge in crossings, Bennett said the increase in detention space is needed because of the Justice Departments zero tolerance immigration policy, which calls for the prosecution of all people who illegally cross the southwest border. The Victorville Federal Correctional Complex houses about 3,700 inmates in a high-security prison, two medium-security prisons and a minimum-security camp. It is just a few miles from the Adelanto Detention Facility, which can house nearly 2,000 men and women pending the outcome of their immigration cases. In addition to 1,000 prison beds in Victorville, ICE will have access to 209 federal prison beds in SeaTac, Wash.; 230 in La Tuna, Texas; 130 in Sheridan, Ore.; and 102 in Phoenix. The agency also plans to work with the U.S. Marshals Service, private detention facility operators and local government agencies as it expands the number of beds available for immigrant detainees, Bennett said. ICE continues to enforce immigration laws consistent with the administrations directives and the law. This includes ensuring sufficient detention space to hold aliens prior to removal or adjudication by an immigration judge, she said. The move comes several months after California approved a law limiting the expansion of for-profit detention centers in the state. It also comes as employees at the Victorville prison have been loudly complaining about nationwide budget cuts and staff reductions, which they say create dangerous situations for staff and inmates. In a letter to employees of the Victorville Federal Correctional Complex, John Kostelnik, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3969, which represents workers at the prison, said the union had learned about the plan Monday. We are not staffed adequately to accommodate this change in our mission. Nothing should be implemented prior to ensuring we are at a proper level of staffing, he wrote. In April, the union put up dozens of billboards around Southern California that read, Budget cuts may lead to death in federal prisons. Kostelnik said in his letter that information about the transfers had been scarce. The answers I am currently getting from management are I dont know. That is not sufficient and if they dont know then it probably shouldnt be done, as these so-called leaders should never throw us into a mission where they simply do not know! he wrote. Bennett, the ICE spokeswoman, said questions about staffing at the facility should be directed to the federal Bureau of Prisons. Officials there did not immediately return requests for comment. paloma.esquivel@latimes.com Twitter: @palomaesquivel The Orange County Board of Supervisors officially opposed a proposed mobile needle exchange service Tuesday in Santa Ana, Anaheim, Orange and Costa Mesa. The supervisors resolution opposing the proposal which passed 4-0 with Supervisor Shawn Nelson absent directs the boards clerk to submit the resolution to the California Department of Public Health. The state agency is considering the application for the mobile exchange submitted by the Orange County Needle Exchange Program. The group formerly operated out of the Santa Ana Civic Center before it was shut down in mid-January by the city, which cited an increased number of discarded syringes in the area. The needle exchange was the first and only one of its kind in Orange County. Board Chairman Andrew Do and Supervisor Michelle Steel co-wrote the resolution in an effort to prevent the programs return. Advertisement Its a failed experiment, Do said at the meeting. It failed because it subjects the public to major health risks because of the number of needles found. Steel said a mobile program could result in even more needles in our streets. The California Department of Public Health has said the needle exchange doesnt need approval from the cities it plans to operate in. As part of the state agencys authorization process, department officials will consult with local law enforcement and health officers. Do said it was important to note that the state can approve the program over the countys objection. However, Do said if the state authorizes the needle exchange, he intends to ask the Board of Supervisors to file a lawsuit to fight the action. The approval process for the mobile service is currently in a public comment period that ends June 25. Needle exchanges seek to provide drug users with clean needles to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, like HIV and hepatitis C, and other dangers posed by needles. The practice is endorsed by the American Medical Assn., the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others. Supervisor Todd Spitzer, while supporting the resolution against the mobile exchange, said its a major public health issue when people share needles and hed like to see an analysis of what the county is doing to reduce transfer of diseases. It falls on the taxpayer when people get communicable diseases, Spitzer said. Needle-exchange representatives, in an emailed statement, took issue with many of the points brought up in the meeting. Do stated during the meeting that the needle exchange is a giveaway program because it gives 20 needles in exchange for one. The needle-exchange statement says this is incorrect. Rather, for every needle a person turns in, the exchange gives that amount plus 20, with up to 200 needles maximum, the statement says. For example, if a person brings in 10 needles, they receive 30 in return. The California Department of Public Health recommends a needs-based distribution program, where clients receive as many needles as requested irrespective of how many they turn in. Dallas Augustine, a needle-exchange board member, has said the group chose locations away from residential zones, in light industrial areas. She also said being open for more hours will allow people to have a better chance to dispose of their used syringes with the needle exchange. The group will also conduct walkthroughs of the planned sites to gather discarded syringes. There will be a phone hotline and email address for people to report used needles. The group will also continue handing out Sharps disposal containers to clients. The days leading up to a key funding vote on the delta tunnels project were marked by intense politicking and head-counting by board members at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The behind-the-scenes campaign to get the board to approve nearly $11 billion in financing for the water delivery project is spelled out in a series of texts and emails that Metropolitan released Thursday in response to a Public Records Act request filed by two groups that challenged the April 10 approval. Food and Water Watch and the First Amendment Coalition argue that the board communications amounted to a violation of the Brown Act, Californias open meeting law. Metropolitans general counsel has denied any violations. Even so, the agency announced Thursday that it was scheduling another tunnel vote for July 10 to ensure there is no question concerning the validity of the boards consideration of, and its vote on, whether to authorize increased funding of WaterFix. Advertisement Brenna Norton, a Food and Water Watch organizer, was not convinced. They violated the law. Otherwise they wouldnt be having another vote, she said. Metropolitans decision to pay for roughly two-thirds of the $17-billion project to build two massive tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta kept the plan alive after big agricultural districts refused to pay their expected share. That refusal had prompted a recommendation from Metropolitan staff to settle for a less expensive and less financially risky one-tunnel version. Given that the motion to pick up much of the bill for two tunnels passed by a healthy margin, it is unlikely a re-vote will change the outcome. Nor do the texts and emails reveal any backroom deals. But they do flesh out the political maneuvering at a crucial point in the tortured history of the California WaterFix proposal, which Gov. Jerry Brown desperately wants to advance before he leaves office at the end of the year. In an April 2 text exchange between board member Brett Barbre of the Municipal Water District of Orange County and Jeffrey Kightlinger, Metropolitans general manager, Barbre complained that Westlands Water District the San Joaquin Valleys biggest irrigation district just killed the CA Water fix, in my estimation. Barbre, who led the effort to round up support for two-tunnel financing, expressed concern that the project would die if it were downsized and had to go through another set of environmental reviews. You have thrown in the towel, Barbre said. The Governor has thrown in the towel; our US Senators have done nothing to advance the fixLA is spending their time trying to kill the projectSan Diego is spending their time to kill the projectwe had the votes to build it all and now there is nothing Dont give up yet, Kightlinger replied. Im never throwing in towel. Lets discuss on Wednesday In the same exchange, Kightlinger told Barbre that state officials were worried that if a final decision wasnt made before Browns term ended, the next governor could halt it. Gavin [Newsom] could be free to revisit the issue As the vote approached, Kightlinger apparently asked Brown to call board members and urge them to underwrite both tunnels. Make sure the Governor reminds Leticia [Vasquez-Wilson] that they took a selfie together last year, Barbre advised Kightlinger in a text. Could be enough to flatter her into a YES vote. By April 5, Barbre figured there were enough votes to approve the two-tunnel financing by a slim margin. He was still counting hours before the $11-billion package passed with 61% of the vote. The Governor got us over 60%, he later said in an email to a San Diego reporter. bettina.boxall@latimes.com Twitter: @boxall To photograph the U.S. assault on Okinawa, a World War II battle so fierce it was remembered as a typhoon of steel, David Douglas Duncan lay suspended under the wing of a P-38 fighter plane. Duncan, a combat photographer with the Marines, was sealed inside a cramped, acrylic-tipped tank designed to transport wounded troops. His camera in one hand, he kept a towel in the other to wipe sweat and condensation from the glass, allowing him to capture the precise moment at which Marine bombers dropped napalm on Japanese pillboxes. The tank was not ventilated, and Duncan later said the heat was so great he lost about 11 pounds in 45 minutes. Duncan, who died Thursday at 102, was widely considered one of the finest photojournalists of the 20th century. In Life magazine photo essays, television specials and about two dozen books, he captured the seemingly incongruous subjects of war and art, traveling from battle lines to the treasure troves of the Kremlin in Moscow and the French studio of Pablo Picasso. Advertisement A self-described photo nomad, Duncan played a key role in shaping public perception of World War II and the subsequent conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. Many of his photos have been exhibited by institutions including the Whitney Museum of American Art and Museum of Modern Art, both in New York. Hes really one of the giants of the medium, said Michael Carlebach, a photographer and photojournalism scholar. Duncans work in Korea published in Life, featured in his 1951 book This Is War! and adapted for a set of 22-cent postage stamps was described by the photographer and museum curator Edward Steichen as the highest tide that combat photography has achieved. Embedded with the Marines in Korea in 1950, he photographed the thousand-yard stare of servicemen defending a hill near the Nakdong River, the destruction of Seoul as United Nations forces retook the city and the American retreat from Chosin Reservoir, where temperatures fell to 40 below zero. The weather was so cold, he said, that some of his film just snapped, like a pretzel. Duncan shot in black and white, with lightweight Leica cameras and Nikkor lenses made by the Japanese company Nikon that he helped popularize in the West. He focused on the eyes and inner anguish of such Marines as Capt. Ike Fenton, whose men ran out of ammunition during one engagement, and Cpl. Leonard Hayworth, a machine-gunner reduced to tears. This Is War! was dedicated in part to Hayworth, who was killed in action one day after seeing his portrait in Life. I felt no sense of mission as a combat photographer, Duncan told the New York Times in 2003. I just felt maybe the guys out there deserved being photographed just the way they are, whether they are running scared, or showing courage, or diving into a hole, or talking and laughing. His one rule, he said, was to never photograph the faces of the dead, out of respect for their families at home. Duncan largely allowed his photographs of the Korean War to speak for themselves, refraining from commentary on the events they depicted. His outlook changed in Vietnam, when he photographed the 1968 defense of Khe Sanh, a Marine outpost that was pummeled for 77 days by North Vietnamese rockets and mortars. We seem determined to impose our will and way of life upon most of the rest of the world, whether or not they want it, appreciate it or ask for it, he wrote in I Protest! a scathing 1968 book that collected some of his Khe Sanh images. Published by the New American Library for $1, the paperback volume sold about 250,000 copies and placed Duncan at the fore of photojournalism, alongside Associated Press photographers Eddie Adams and Nick Ut, whose respective photographs of a Viet Cong prisoners execution and a naked girl running from a napalm bombing helped turn public opinion against the war. Duncan said he took a more artistic approach to some of his Vietnam images one photo of a wounded Marine illuminated by candles and a lantern recalled the work of Rembrandt after developing a friendship with Picasso. From 1956 until the artists death in 1973, Duncan took an estimated 50,000 photographs of Picasso and his work, beginning with an image of Picasso in his bathtub, smiling and scrubbing behind his ear. Duncan told the Sunday Times of London that Picassos lover, Jacqueline Roque, had greeted at him at the door at that first meeting. Without a word she took me by the hand, he said. We went past a goat called Esmeralda on the stairs, through a sitting room with a couple of sketches on the wall, through a dark corridor and there was Picasso, just sitting there in a bathtub. Duncan was born in Kansas City, Mo., on Jan. 23, 1916. His father was a businessman who opened one of the regions first movie theaters. Duncan acquired his first camera at 18 a 39-cent gift from his sister and was said to have taken his first newsworthy photo while studying at the University of Arizona in Tucson. According to some accounts, Duncan had traveled downtown to photograph a hotel fire and snapped a picture of a man dragging a suitcase out of the smoldering building. The man, he learned, was gangster John Dillinger, who was apparently attempting to salvage a stash of stolen money. Duncan submitted the image to a local paper, which misplaced it. Duncan transferred to the University of Miami, graduating in 1938 with a bachelors degree in Spanish and zoology. He contributed to National Geographic, including images of Caribbean sea turtles and swordfish off the coast of Chile and Peru, before joining the Marines in 1943. While stationed in the Solomon Islands, he met a young Navy lieutenant, Richard M. Nixon. The two reconnected in 1968, when Duncan photographed Nixon alone, before a pile of legal pads crafting his acceptance speech for the Republican presidential nomination. Duncan talked his way aboard the USS Missouri at the Japanese surrender in 1945, finding an elevated position to photograph what he later called a landscape of tranquility. In short time, a fellow photographer aboard the ship, Life magazines J.R. Eyerman, helped him obtain a staff position at Life. Duncan conducted his job interview while still in uniform. His military decorations included the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart. Based in Europe and the Middle East, Duncan covered stories including the 1946 bombing of Jerusalems King David Hotel by militant Zionists and the Vietnamese war of independence, in what was then French Indochina. A 1953 photo essay on that conflict drew the consternation of Henry Luce, Lifes politically conservative owner. Duncans photos and accompanying captions seemed to say, correctly, that the war had already been lost and the days of French control were numbered a conclusion Luce reportedly found unsatisfying. Near the end of a contentious two-hour meeting, Duncan told Luce: If you dont like it, then go ahead and fire me. Duncan remained on the job but left the publication three years later for Colliers magazine, dissatisfied with Lifes presentation of a photo essay he prepared on Afghanistan. Beginning in the 1960s, Duncan focused on book-length collections of his photographs. Among his most acclaimed works was The Kremlin (1960), which featured color photos of Russian artwork and other holdings that were inaccessible to most foreigners. To gain access to the artwork, Duncan had obtained permission from Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Duncan followed with books about the 1968 political conventions (Self-Portrait: U.S.A.), Islamic societies in the Middle East (The World of Allah), the reclusive photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson (Faceless) and eight books on Picasso. Using a custom-built, silent-shutter camera to avoid bothering the artist, Duncan captured Picasso painting, dancing in his underwear, jumping rope with his two young children and playing with Duncans dachshund, Lump. The dog ended up living with Picasso for six years and was featured in 15 of his Las Meninas paintings, reworkings of a piece by Spanish artist Diego Velazquez. Duncans marriage to Leila Hanki ended in divorce. He married Sheila Macauley in 1962. He died of a pulmonary infection at a hospital in Grasse, France, according to French news reports. A complete list of survivors could not be confirmed. Two weeks ago, Eric Greitens was the governor of Missouri and for him, thats where the good news ended. He was also facing two separate felony criminal cases on charges of sexual misconduct and campaign-related malfeasance. But now that Greitens, a Republican, has resigned from office, both cases have disappeared a dramatic turn of events for Greitens, whose political career began with a victorious outsider campaign in 2016 only to crash to earth in recent months. Greitens will not face criminal charges over allegations that he photographed a woman naked without her consent, a Kansas City-area prosecutor announced Friday. Investigators did not have enough evidence to convict Greitens, and the statute of limitations for filing charges will expire this weekend, according to a statement from the Jackson County Prosecutors Office. Advertisement Its the second time in two weeks that prosecutors have decided not to pursue criminal charges against the Republican, who was also facing threats of impeachment from the Republican-led Legislature before he stepped down June 1. A second case disappeared when Greitens agreed to resign from office in a plea deal with the St. Louis city circuit attorney, Kim Gardner. In exchange, Gardner dropped a felony computer-tampering case over allegations that Greitens used a list of donors from his charity for veterans to solicit campaign contributions. As part of that deal, Greitens, while not admitting wrongdoing, conceded that prosecutors had enough evidence to take him to trial, according to confidential settlement terms obtained by local media outlets. Gardner had also previously pursued a felony invasion-of-privacy case against Greitens over allegations that hed photographed and blackmailed a woman by far the most explosive scandal to rock Greitens administration. In January, news outlets revealed that Greitens had an affair with his St. Louis-area hairdresser in 2015 and that she had privately accused him of tying her up, stripping off her clothes, photographing her naked and then threatening to release the photo if she told anyone about the affair. The woman later testified to lawmakers that Greitens had also coerced her into giving him oral sex. Greitens admitted having the affair but denied the rest of the womans allegations, which only became public because the womans ex-husband, without her consent, had recorded a private conversation of her talking about Greitens. The ex-husband later released the recording to the media against her will, and she declined to give interviews about Greitens. The St. Louis City Circuit Attorneys Office originally filed a felony invasion-of-privacy charge against Greitens over the allegation, but was later forced to drop the charge after Greitens attorneys accused an investigator of mishandling the investigation. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker was then appointed special prosecutor to review if charges should be re-filed, culminating in Fridays decision not to pursue a trial. Bakers office said in a statement that investigators had exhausted potential leads and that still missing was corroborating evidence for an invasion of privacy case. In a statement, the hairdressers attorney thanked prosecutors for their work on the case but criticized her treatment by journalists, her ex-husband and by Greitens legal team, which had questioned her account in a deposition and asked whether she was aroused. No woman should have to endure the trauma that comes from her ex-husband selling her private story for a six-figure payout, said the statement from her lawyer, Scott Simpson, alluding to mysterious cash payments that were delivered to the ex-husbands attorney before the story went public. No woman should have to turn on the television and watch as the most private and difficult moments of her life are broadcast despite pleading with the reporter for privacy, the statement said, according to the Kansas City Star. No woman should be forced to answer countless hours of highly personal questions that are in no way relevant to the issue of whether a nude photograph was taken without her consent. Representatives for Greitens did not respond to a request for comment. matt.pearce@latimes.com Matt Pearce is a national reporter for The Times. Follow him on Twitter at @mattdpearce. More national headlines When President Trump turned against the global tide and withdrew from the landmark, multi-nation Iran nuclear deal, he cited its failure to curtail the Islamic Republics other malign behavior. That included Irans development of ballistic missiles and its support of militant groups beyond its borders. Now, as he is about to embark on the potentially historic negotiation of an agreement with nuclear-armed North Korea, those criticisms of the Iran agreement could potentially put the president in a bind. He faces a challenge similar to the one President Obama faced in his dealings with Iran. In the view of much of the international community, North Korea is every bit as guilty of malign behavior as Iran, including robust missile production, assassinations of rivals on foreign soil, brutal human rights abuses and efforts to export its weapons technology to other trouble spots. Advertisement And yet, the Trump administration has shown little appetite to tackle those other issues. The great irony, experts and diplomats say, is that any North Korea deal will probably be as limited as the Iran deal was: a narrow, laser focus on the nuclear program. Perhaps even more limited, experts say. At minimum, that comparison will create an inconsistency that Trump will have to explain. He repeatedly attacked the Iran deal which was comprehensive and by most accounts successful in doing what it was designed to as horrible and one of the worst ever. So a deal with North Korea has to be better, more far-reaching and yet it probably cant be, experts say. I really think it would be a mistake to overload the agenda, Joseph Yun, who until recently served as the U.S. special envoy for Korean policy, testified to a Senate committee this week. As pressing as issues such as human rights and chemical weapons might be, Yun said, taking them on alongside the enormous complexity of dismantling Kim Jong Uns vast nuclear arsenal would be a recipe for disaster. The talks must concentrate on denuclearization above all else, he said. Yuns comments won quick approval from several Republican senators, whose support in the North Korean negotiations would be valuable to the administration and who, like Trump, opposed the Iran agreement. Look, were all about human rights, Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) responded to Yun. But if you try to overload this and try to resolve all these things at once, I think youre just setting things up for failure. One reason Trump felt unencumbered in tossing out the Iran deal, against the advice of most of his national security team, was that it was not a formal treaty ratified by Congress. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has made clear that any future pacts with Iran will have to be sanctioned by a treaty. Thursday, briefing reporters at the White House, he indicated that the same would hold true for a North Korea agreement. Were hoping to submit a document that Congress would also have a say in, he said. That move could give a North Korea pact the sort of political support that the Iran deal lacked. But it could also open any agreement to partisan political battling of the kind that the Obama administration hoped to avoid by not handling the Iran deal through a treaty that would require ratification by the Senate. Nuclear negotiations with North Korea are even more complex than those with Iran. To begin with, North Koreas nuclear program dwarfs the program that Tehran had and agreed to mothball. Iran does not have any nuclear weapons; North Korea has somewhere between 20 and 60, according to U.S. estimates. Any agreement to eliminate that stockpile would require detailed negotiation that no one including, as of recently, Trump himself expects to see resolved in Tuesdays summit in Singapore. We are literally talking a multiyear process, said James Carafano, a security and foreign policy expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation, which has advised Trump. Its kind of like an arranged marriage. I have very low expectations, and if it works out, great. Even if Trump and Kim agree on a basic definition of denuclearization, the steps to begin to eliminate Pyongyangs stockpile are formidable and time-consuming and would require a cast of thousands of experts and inspectors. Teams would have to be assembled to shut down facilities, dismantle warheads and unravel procurement systems. U.S. intelligence agencies believe North Korea has built a widely dispersed network of 100 or more clandestine production facilities to create fissile material and testing components, and to assemble and store the actual warheads. Unlike Iran, North Korea has long been a closed, isolated nation. Inspectors from the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency, the group that is monitoring Iran and would be tasked to do the same in North Korea, last set foot in the country nearly a decade ago. The very first step toward denuclearizing would require Kim to declare what weaponry and materiel he has amassed, and on that he could easily cheat. Critics of the Iran deal argue that Tehran also cheated in its initial declaration because it failed to list archives that compiled much of the technical know-how that Iranian scientists had accumulated. Some experts say North Koreas status as a nuclear-armed nation is so vastly different from conditions in Iran that comparing the two is a matter of apples and oranges. Its very hard to make comparisons, said Robert Gallucci, who led 1994 talks with North Korea for the Clinton administration. Iran doesnt even have fissile material used to produce nuclear weapons, he noted. Suzanne DiMaggio, a senior fellow at the New America think tank in Washington who has been involved in past negotiations, said the administration should use aspects of the Iran deal as a model on issues like multilateral diplomacy, conflict resolution and its intrusive inspection regimen. The administration would be lucky to get a deal as good as the JCPOA, she said, using the acronym for the Iran deal the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Where North Korea will be looking to the Iran deal is in the prospect of sanctions relief. The Iran deal lifted key international sanctions, allowing the country to rejoin global markets and finance systems and to export oil. Kim appears to want two achievements from the summit meeting: international recognition and a lifting of his countrys isolation, which he has already won; and removal of the international punitive measures that have helped cripple his economy. He is eager to modernize and normalize what has been a backward, impoverished country. When [Kim] looks down the road and he sees 10 U.N. Security Council resolutions, maximum pressure 2.0, hes seeing that he will not be able to rule for 50 years under those conditions, said Victor Cha, who worked on Asia issues under the George W. Bush administration. That may be why hes coming to the table. Regional geopolitics will also figure into how successful the negotiations can be. In the Middle East, Iran has several neighbors that sustain hostilities with the Islamic Republic, another dynamic that eased the way for Trump to abandon the deal. In Asia, however, a policy favoring war with North Korea is not viable, said Catherine Killough, a senior fellow at the Ploughshares Fund, an organization that promotes nuclear nonproliferation. Japan and South Korea, as well as China, know that a war would be calamitous for the region. I see it as a very convenient moment for [Trump] to have a win in Asia and have a war in the Middle East, she said. It plays very well to his base. When Trump left the Iran deal, world leaders, diplomats and foreign policy experts predicted the action would erode American credibility and discourage countries from trusting Washingtons promises. That, however, is probably not an issue in the early encounters with Kim: There is no trust, and it would be a long time in coming, former negotiators say. Instead, unlike talks with Iran, where most of the international players already were familiar with one another, the Trump-Kim summit will be more about atmospherics, broad principles and what the president has called getting to know you. I dont see Kim Jong Un bringing out schemata of his nuclear facilities and talking about how to dismantle them, said Michael J. Green, senior vice president for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. And I dont see Donald Trump doing that. The process will quickly revert to Pompeo and others to put meat on the bones, Green predicted. Pompeo, at the White House, said that Trump would not accept a bad deal with Pyongyang. The fact that our two leaders are coming to the table shows that the two sides are very serious, he said. The diplomatic model weve used to date is different from past efforts. ... This is different. tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter Times staff writers Noah Bierman and David S. Cloud contributed to this report. Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Friday, June 8, and heres whats happening across California: TOP STORIES U.S. border authorities, in a significant escalation of the Trump administrations zero tolerance immigration policy, are planning to introduce a fast-track prosecution program to criminally charge more people who cross the border into California illegally, according to attorneys in San Diego. Under the program, called Operation Streamline, migrants will be moved through the criminal justice system in group hearings, with cases handled in a matter of hours, from arraignment to sentencing. Los Angeles Times Plus: House Republicans emerged from a meeting Thursday morning without clear agreement on immigration legislation, opening the door for a group of moderate lawmakers to move forward with a maneuver to force a vote over GOP leaders objections on the issue. Los Angeles Times Advertisement Nothing short of evil Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli sentenced Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, 34, to life in prison without parole and Isauro Aguirre, 37, to be executed for the 2013 torture killing of Fernandezs 8-year-old son abuse that the judge characterized as horrendous, inhumane and nothing short of evil. It was the worst abuse hed seen in nearly 20 years on the bench, he said, telling the defendants he hoped they woke up in the middle of the night plagued by their actions. Los Angeles Times Looking back On the 40th anniversary of the rainbow gay pride flag, one of the women instrumental to the flags creation says history has largely forgotten some of the artists who made it happen. It would be nice to get credit, said Lynn Segerblom, a tie-dye artist who concocted the dyeing process for the giant flags and who was then known as Faerie Argyle Rainbow. Los Angeles Times Get the Essential California newsletter Lynn Segerblom, one of the women behind the creation of the rainbow flag for the 1978 Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco, is photographed with a rainbow flag near her home in Torrance. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times ) L.A. STORIES Beautiful: Check out how your neighborhood voted in Californias gubernatorial primary earlier this week. Los Angeles Times Sad but also uplifting story: How Mike Shinoda found life after the death of Linkin Parks Chester Bennington. Los Angeles Times Ambitious goals: Former Los Angeles schools Supt. Michelle King made 100% graduation her central goal for the nations second-largest school district. Now LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia wants to up the ante and, by 2023, have every student graduate meeting requirements to enroll in one of the states public four-year universities. Los Angeles Times Tejon Ranch update: The development of a long-discussed planned community in northern Los Angeles County faced renewed debate Wednesday at a public hearing of the Regional Planning Commission. Los Angeles Times IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER To prison: U.S. authorities are transferring into federal prisons about 1,600 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees in the first large-scale use of federal prisons to hold detainees amid a Trump administration crackdown on people entering the country illegally. Reuters Fighting back: The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will yank visas from several Nicaraguan officials it blames for the countrys response to a wave of anti-government demonstrations in which state security forces have killed dozens of people. Los Angeles Times Separated: The heartache of a migrant boy taken from his father. New York Times POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Stepping back: That was quite a tag team: Gavin Newsom and President Trump. They helped elevate obscure Republican John Cox to the runoff for California governor against Democrat Newsom. It was a bizarre but effective narrow coalition, writes George Skelton. Los Angeles Times Taking stock: In the heart of the Central Valley, a push to get Latino voters to the polls. Los Angeles Times Plus: California Democrats favor mainstream House candidates, despite liberal energy. New York Times Tracking the money: In the primary, well-heeled winner Newsom had small donations. Guess who didnt? CALmatters Follow this space: A former campaign worker for Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts lifted her fortunes after following him to City Hall as his assistant in 2011, rebounding from a personal bankruptcy to a position that earned her $312,000 in total compensation last year. Pasadena Star News CRIME AND COURTS Hit-and-run suspect: The Los Angeles Police Department on Thursday announced the arrest of a driver suspected of running over and killing a 22-year-old bicyclist in South Los Angeles and leaving the scene two months ago. Los Angeles Times Boom! California authorities say they broke up one of the biggest illegal firework operations in state history, seizing nearly 50,000 pounds of fireworks and arresting six people. Associated Press This seems like a problem: Without interpreters, Californias deaf prisoners are getting stuck behind bars. Mother Jones Ruff stuff: He left his van running when he stopped at In-N-Out, and in minutes it was stolen with 15 show dogs inside. Los Angeles Times THE ENVIRONMENT Surfs up or not: Hitting the beach should be cleaner this summer, as long as you avoid a few bad stretches. Los Angeles Times Calling a mulligan: Why Southern California is calling for a do-over on its vote to bankroll the Delta tunnels. Sacramento Bee CALIFORNIA CULTURE Uh-oh: Three seconds before a Tesla Model X on Autopilot slammed into a concrete barrier in March in Silicon Valley, killing the driver, the car sped up, the brakes were not applied, and there was no evasive action. Los Angeles Times Sordid stuff: Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss made millions a week running a high-class escort service to the stars; now the former sex-work mogul runs a bird sanctuary in the Nevada desert as she talks about Harvey Weinstein and Tom Sizemore. The Hollywood Reporter Exciting: A proposed new ballpark for the Oakland As would have an easier path to construction through new legislation introduced this week. Los Angeles Times History lesson: How movie stars decades ago conquered the gig economy. Politico CALIFORNIA ALMANAC Los Angeles area: sunny, 79, Friday and Saturday. San Diego: sunny, 74, Friday; sunny, 76, Saturday. San Francisco area: cloudy, 66, Friday; cloudy, 64, Saturday. Sacramento: sunny, 88, Friday; partly cloudy, 80, Saturday. More weather is here. AND FINALLY Todays California memory comes from Barbara Berner: From 1950 to 1957 my family lived in San Bernardino. Occasionally, in the summer, a friend of my father would pick us up on a Sunday in his white Oldsmobile convertible with big winged tails and drive us up to the Arrowhead Springs Hotel. This was a great big white hotel with a long pool and cabanas on one side. It was a beautiful setting against the mountain filled with fir trees, spotted with cabins in the hillside and clear skies. Famous actors and glamorous actresses used to go there. Judy Garland, Esther Williams, the Marx Brothers, Elizabeth Taylor, Conrad Hilton, Tallulah Bankhead. But all I wanted to do was to go in the pool and dive for pennies! If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad. Freedom of speech on college campuses is under enough pressure without the federal government adding to the problem by threatening to withdraw funding to punish people for expressing their political opinions. That would be a real possibility if Congress enacted and President Trump signed a bill called the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2018. The legislation, which has recently been reintroduced in both chambers, purports to target harassment of Jewish students on college campuses, which has occurred in California and elsewhere. But this proposal would blur the distinction between unacceptable, intimidating expressions of intolerance directed against Jews with criticism of the state of Israel. The latter, even when expressed in intemperate terms, is protected by the 1st Amendment. Civil rights law already protects Jews, Muslims, Christians and other religious groups at federally funded campuses from discrimination. What would change under this legislation is that, in investigating complaints of anti-Semitism on campus, the Department of Education would have to take into consideration a definition published by the State Department in 2010. Advertisement This proposal would blur the distinction between unacceptable expressions of intolerance directed against Jews with criticism of the state of Israel. But that lengthy document, which was never intended to serve as a speech code for American college campuses, conflates anti-Israel speech with anti-Semitic speech. For example, it offers examples of ways in which anti-Semitism manifests itself with regard to the state of Israel, taking into account the overall context. That includes: Blaming Israel for all inter-religious or political tensions and applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation. It also includes demonizing Israel. But is it necessarily anti-Semitic to harshly criticize the Jewish state or to do so without, in the same breath, criticizing Saudi repression? Is it anti-Semitic to argue that Israel should be replaced by something else, such as a secular, binational nation? Even those who believe such criticisms of Israel are simplistic or unfair should see that they are far removed from the sort of insults or personal attacks that a university or the federal government can police without running afoul of the 1st Amendment. Even strong supporters of the state of Israel should acknowledge that while there are, of course, anti-Semites among Israels many critics, not all opposition to Israel is inherently anti-Semitic. The proposed legislation should be shelved. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook If Aaron Persky were the only judge affected by Tuesdays vote to boot him from the Santa Clara Superior Court in response to his too-lenient ruling in the notorious Brock Turner rape case that wouldnt be a catastrophe. He had a job, he served at the peoples pleasure, and the people fired him. Hell find other work. The problem is not what happened to Persky. The problem is how his recall will affect all the other California trial judges, some 1,500 of them, who now may be more likely to craft their sentencing decisions to take into account the degree to which an angry public wants the defendant punished. No doubt most judges will claim that public reaction will have no bearing on their decisions, which they will continue to make in good faith without concern for their continued employment. And perhaps they will believe that about themselves, and perhaps some of them will manage to live by that rule. Many states dont elect judges. Perhaps they are onto something. Advertisement But certainly the outraged activists who campaigned to recall Persky for giving a six-month sentence to a man who raped an unconscious woman believe that judges will pay heed to their movement and keep it in mind when handing down sentences. The whole point of the action was to make clear in no uncertain terms that leniency in rape cases will bring serious employment consequences. That means that the final say over individual cases in California lies not with judges but with the people. That may sound at first blush like a fine idea. After all, voters here can bypass the Legislature and make laws through the initiative process. They can recall their governor or any other elected official without waiting for the next regularly scheduled election, and they can replace him with a movie action hero. Such decisions may be smart or stupid, but either way they are the essence of democracy. Democracy, though, is not always compatible with justice. Recalling judges in response to unpopular rulings undermines the bedrock principle that justice should not be meted out by mobs, crowds, headline writers, talk radio hosts or even reasonably thoughtful voters. It should be administered by jurists who act in accordance with the law and independent of the publics view of any given case. Legal errors can be overturned on appeal. Misconduct is punished by the Commission on Judicial Performance. Perskys ouster is the first successful California judicial recall since 1932. But it is merely the loudest and most recent populist warning shot heard by judges, who can be thrown out by voters in regular elections every six years. That means fundraising and political campaigning already have a solid foothold in trial courts here. Judicial candidates dont run on partisan tickets in California, as they do in some other states. But the judiciary here is politicized nonetheless. The essential predicament of California judicial elections is that few voters bother because they have such little information about the candidates yet what they really want to know is precisely the kind of thing they should avoid in their decision-making. For example, are the candidates liberal or conservative? Democrat or Republican? Will they be tough or lenient on rapists? On drunk drivers? On shoplifters? The interplay between democracy and justice need not be quite so fraught. Many states dont elect judges. Perhaps they are onto something. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook The public water boards in the southern San Joaquin Valley are only nominally public. Of 565 water board seats in Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties, 491 a stunning 87% went uncontested in elections over the last four years, according to the Visalia-based Community Water Center. Candidates ran unopposed so often that three-quarters of the boards didnt even bother to hold elections. These boards are the closest thing to local government in more than 300 unincorporated communities in the water-scarce San Joaquin Valley. They manage delivery of drinking water to residents and water to farms and dairies. They fund investments in pumps and pipes, set water rates and collect fees, and in some cases manage groundwater consumption. Most pertinently, they are responsible for water quality in agricultural communities where chemical runoff and naturally occurring contaminants such as arsenic have poisoned wells. As a result, a million or more Californians, most of them living in poor farmworker communities, cant safely drink the water that comes out of their taps. As Laurel Firestone, the Community Water Centers co-executive director, explained to me, local water boards have the potential to change that, particularly if board members are drawn from the communities that are directly affected by the boards decisions. Advertisement Unfortunately, as the San Joaquin Valley study showed, few boards meet that criterion. Instead, power gets concentrated in the same set of hands over time, often district good old boys older white males who may not even live where water quality is the worst. The story of West Goshen, an unincorporated town of 500 or so mostly Latino farmworkers and their families in Tulare County, shows both the harm that unrepresentative boards can do and the benefits of invigorating them. A million or more Californians, most of them living in poor farmworker communities, cant safely drink the water that comes out of their taps. Until 2007, most West Goshen residents didnt even know that an elected local water board existed. Then the board, in the form of the West Goshen Mutual Water Co., quadrupled their water rates. It turned out that a single family had run the board and the company for more than a decade, according to Lucy Hernandez, a West Goshen resident who led opposition to the incumbents. West Goshen homeowners should have been voting regularly for those who oversee their water, but partly because of the boards obscurity, the members never faced opposition; they skipped elections. The board held public meetings that community members didnt know about. Father, wife, son, niece it was like a family business, Hernandez told me. The rate increase, which was triggered by the need to repair a broken pump, provoked a community revolt. When new board members took over, West Goshen applied for state grants and received money to fix the pump. But the systems problems werent over. A few years later, tests showed West Goshens water was contaminated with nitrate from agricultural runoff. Residents could use their tap water, risking health problems from diarrhea to cancer to death, or they could spend a sizeable portion of their scant incomes on bottled water. Again the board applied for state grants, this time $3 million, so that its constituents could be hooked up to the robust water system in the neighboring city of Visalia. Not only was West Goshens drinking water made safe, but the towns rates dropped by half or more because it was sharing costs with Visalia. West Goshens success story stands for the crucial work water boards do at the local level. But Firestone believes such grassroots water activism will also have an impact on statewide water policy. Not least because their members often move on to seats on regional water boards, where their power multiplies. Heres an example of whats at stake. Gov. Jerry Browns current budget includes provisions for a Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, which would provide money to fix tainted drinking water systems throughout the state its approval would constitute one of Browns most important accomplishments. Payments for the fund would come from farmers, as a way of resolving their legal responsibility for the water contamination caused by agricultural chemicals, and from a 95-cent monthly fee on municipal utility users water bills (with low-income residents exempted). Farmers, environmentalists and water-stressed communities support the fund. The primary opponent is the Assn. of California Water Agencies, a statewide coalition of 448 public water agencies. Timothy Quinn, ACWAs executive director, told the Sacramento Bee last week that a problem caused largely by farming shouldnt be solved by putting a charge on somebodys bill in Los Angeles or San Diego or San Francisco. Given that approval requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature, ACWAs opposition could prevent passage of the measure. ACWAs position shows how disconnected many water agencies are from the communities within their own jurisdictions, Firestone said. With more local representation on the water boards, the agencys stance could change. The Community Water Center has held workshops in unincorporated communities to explain the water boards significance and the opportunity to run for seats. Some residents have felt too intimidated to run, so the center has established a water leaders network for current and newly elected board members to share information and support. The benefits are obvious. Sham democracy gets replaced with the real thing, and we get that much closer to making good on the human right to clean water for hundreds of thousands of Californians. Jacques Leslie is a contributing writer to Opinion. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook On a recent Sunday, I drove past the historic First Baptist Church in the Oakwood section of Venice. The church was the heart of Venices African American community for more than a century. Now its paint is peeling, its windows and doors boarded up. The A-frame building is a short walk from the Venice boardwalk, and an even shorter walk from the trendy shops and restaurants of Abbot Kinney Boulevard, which Forbes recently declared the coolest street in America. I live less a than a mile from the church. When I bought my house in 1996, the median home price in Venice was around $260,000. Today the median home price is $1.8 million. Homeowners like me have benefited from the real estate boom, of course. But homeowners like me have also lost, as our neighborhood became less diverse and our common history was washed away. African Americans have more than a century of history in Venice. In fact, they helped build the town back in the early 1900s. When developer Abbot Kinney began to realize his dream of creating a seaside attraction modeled after Italys city of water, he hired black laborers to dig the canals in the marshlands and to work as janitors at his beachfront amusement park. Advertisement Those early workers settled in the roughly one-square-mile area known as Oakwood. The area was home to families like the Tabors, who had come from Louisiana, and whose patriarch, Irving Tabor, was Kinneys driver and confidant. When Kinney died in 1920, he left his home to Tabor. But because black people were not allowed to live in any other part of Venice, Tabor had to cut the structure in half and move it from the canals to Oakwood. Many of the areas residents worshiped at First Baptist Church, which had opened by 1913. African Americans have more than a century of history in Venice. In fact, they helped build the town back in the early 1900s. As recently as the 1980s, African Americans made up 9.6% of Venices population, according to a city Planning Department report. Many of them still lived in Oakwood. The neighborhood was largely ignored and suffered from crime and gang violence. But about a decade later, in the mid-1990s, real-estate investors and home buyers discovered Venice, and Oakwood along with it. Black families were gradually priced out by rising rents or bought out by developers, many of whom razed wood-frame cottages and modest bungalows to make way for multi-story steel and concrete homes. When I moved into the area in the late 1990s, African American families still flocked to the church, dressed in their Sunday best. Across the street at Oakwood Park, many of those same families barbecued, enjoyed picnics and celebrated birthdays. They were neighbors and an important part of our community. Venice today is home to companies like Google and Snapchat, part of a booming Westside tech hub known as Silicon Beach. African Americans make up only 5.4% of the districts residents, according to census data compiled by The Times. Very few original black families are left, one longtime Oakwood resident, Jatuan Valentine, 81, told me recently. Valentine, a great-great-niece of Irving Tabor, added: I see very few blacks [here] in the future. The First Baptist Church, after taking out millions of dollars in loans and suffering from declining membership, sold its property for $11.8 million in early 2017, according to court records. The church is slated for conversion to a spacious two-story home with a four-car garage spread over three lots, city planning documents show. Neighbors have rallied to save the church, vowing to fight the project as it makes its way through the permit process. This is about history, preservation and respecting the African American community, said another Oakwood resident, Laddie Williams, as she and others protested in front of the church. Williams is right. Venice was built on the sweat equity of black workers, but their descendants and other African Americans who followed can no longer afford to live here. Robert J. Lopez is a journalist. He was part of a team of Los Angeles Times reporters that won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for public service. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook After the all-important college acceptances, the next vital pieces of paper arrive: financial aid award letters. High school seniors and their parents have to scrutinize each grant, scholarship and loan option to figure out which college they can afford and exactly what it will cost to set foot on campus in the fall. Colleges make this much harder than it needs to be. An analysis of financial aid letters from more than 500 colleges and universities conducted by New America and uAspire shows that they provide information that is at best confusing and at worst, downright misleading. One-third of the letters we reviewed did not include the total cost of attending college tuition, fees, room and board at all. One high school senior in Pennsylvania who got such a letter was ecstatic when he read that he received a $20,000 scholarship from his first-choice school. He put down a nonrefundable deposit. But because the letter did not list the total cost, he didnt realize he would still have to pay more than $17,000 just for his first year of college until he got a bill in August. He had to forgo college entirely for that semester. Financial aid jargon is particularly bewildering. In our analysis, we found that institutions itemized one type of student loan, the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, 134 different ways. Nearly two dozen colleges and universities didnt even use the word loan in the description. Advertisement Many colleges and universities present financial aid as a package without distinguishing between whats free money, such as grants, and loans that have to be repaid. As just one of many examples, the University of Arizona sent a student in our study a letter saying her net costs were $0. Upon examination, this award included more than $40,000 in federal student and parent loans bundled in there with some grants. Borrowing $40,000 for a single year of college is not $0 in costs; it is debt the student and her family will be paying off for years. The cost of college has been outpacing the availability of financial aid for decades. More students are taking on more debt. Sometimes the high cost leads them to drop out with no degree. More than 1 million people default on student loans each year. Many colleges and universities present financial aid as a package without distinguishing between whats free money, and loans that have to be repaid. So how well colleges communicate cost and financial aid does matter. A 2015 survey by New America found that 88% of current and soon-to-be college students listed the availability of financial aid as a key factor in determining which college to attend. A lack of precise and comparable aid information from colleges imperils students education and financial health, not to mention taxpayers investment in higher education. The Higher Education Act, which established this system of student financial aid, is overdue for renewal. After the midterm election, Congress should use that opportunity to include legislation that demands clarity from award letters, including: standardizing the terminology that colleges use, stating costs plainly, separating loans from scholarship and grant aid and providing clear instructions on next steps for accepting a financial aid package. These reforms would enable students to make financially informed choices when selecting a college. When picking out a car, consumers know exactly how much they have to pay because of the federally required disclosures on window stickers. And yet no federal or state policies require consistent information, terminology or formatting on financial aid letters. A new car costs, on average, about $33,000. A college education can cost tens of thousands of dollars more and is an investment that should last a lifetime. Surely Americans need clarity around college costs as much as they do car prices. Anne-Marie Slaughter is the CEO of New America, a nonpartisan public policy think tank. Bob Giannino is the CEO of uAspire, a nonprofit focused on college affordability. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook To the editor: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedys majority opinion in the case of a Colorado business owner who refused to make a cake for a same-sex couple signifies that he did not experience a change of heart regarding his past decisions that ruled on the side of gay plaintiffs. Kennedy has shown that he recognizes that the primacy of the individual conscience is a fundamental part of religious freedom, which is an unspoken principle of the 1st Amendment. Business owner Jack Phillips believed in accordance with his conscience that designing a cake for a same-sex wedding would violate his conscience and his religious beliefs. As a church member, I disagree with some of the practices instituted by the men around me because of my conscience. If I were a bakeshop owner, I would have taken pleasure in creating a wedding cake for Charles Craig and David Mullins and reflected on how we should love one another as God has loved us. I wish them many blessings throughout their lives. Advertisement Barbara Lorenz, La Jolla .. To the editor: The ruling itself is not as disheartening as the fact that this matter wended its way through the judicial system with significant expenditure of time, effort and money. Law is not needed when civility reigns. Here is how this whole thing could have been settled quickly: Gay couple: We want to buy a wedding cake. Baker: Gay marriage is wrong in my religion. For me to make wedding cake for you, I would be participating in an act contrary to my faith. You are welcome to purchase any other cake. Gay couple: Thank you for your offer. We shall look elsewhere. How difficult was that? Mark Stephen Mrotek, Carson .. To the editor: The legally vague ruling on the rights of a business that serves the public leaves a number of possible orders for cakes needing to be addressed. Can an African American baker refuse to decorate a cake with the Confederate flag? Can a Native American baker decline to portray the American flag? Can a Jewish baker refuse to serve Nazis? What about the rights of feminist bakers or animals-rights bakers? Need I go on? William Landau, Los Angeles Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: Antonio Villaraigosa lost because the Latinos realized he was a political sham. A power grabber who could easily have outpaced Gavin Newsom if Latinos had trusted him and come out to vote. John Cox may have been little known in Los Angeles and San Francisco liberal circles, but in San Diego and south Orange County he was a respected businessman who spent millions of his dollars to help fund USO operations for our veterans. If both Newsom and Villaraigosa were on the ballot, there would be no democracy, would there? What would be the choice? Liberal vs. liberal. There would be no challenge to the unfair gas tax. There would be no challenge to the outlandish and money-wasting bullet train. There would be no pushback on the states sanctuary city position. So what happened? Conservatives came out to vote and liberals did not support Villaraigosa. Advertisement Denis Montenaro, Laguna Niguel .. To the editor: It appears we are finally saying good-bye to Villaraigosa on the California political scene. His hairline receding, his posturing as a man of the downtrodden, the working class, the Latino underclass, unconvincing from a man who made millions off Herbalife. Perhaps too many also remembered he wasnt quite the family man he liked to portray himself as. Understandably, Villaraigosa could never integrate the life and lifestyle of an entitled aristocrat with a message of working-class hero. Mitch Paradise, Los Angeles .. To the editor: The Times article on the defeat of Antonio Villaraigosa omitted two important causal factors. Villaraigosa, since leaving the mayors office, earned big money as a consultant for Herbalife and Cadiz, among other companies. Herbalife has been said to entice poor Latinos, among others, into a trap within which they purchase goods from Herbalife which they then struggle to sell to their friends and neighbors. Cadiz is a company that wants to drain a desert aquifer in order to sell the water. This could prove to be devastating to the plant and animal life of the desert. I worked as a volunteer for Villaraigosa when he ran for mayor, walking precincts and manning phone banks. He betrayed my trust in him, and I voted for Newsom. Bob Lentz, Sylmar .. To the editor: Like many others, I was stunned to see Los Angeles former mayor drop to a distant third place on election night. Not because I was rooting for him, but because of something I noticed after seeing the major candidates TV commercials endlessly. Gavin Newsom projected an air of strength and leadership, while Villaraigosa looked old and tired and seemed to take for granted he would be the runner-up going into November. William Winkler, Burbank Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Newsoms budget proposes $3 million for Alzheimers research, brain task force By Melody Gutierrez Amyloid plaques, shown here in human brains, are a hallmark of Alzheimers disease. (UCLA School of Medicine) Gov. Gavin Newsom will call for the creation of a brain health task force and dedicate $3 million annually from the states general fund to Alzheimers disease research in the budget proposal he will release Thursday, a source close to the administration said. The money for Alzheimers research would target the new grants at understanding why the disease is more prevalent in women and people of color. Former California first lady and Alzheimers activist Maria Shriver pushed for the funding to be included in the state budget. Shriver said in a statement Wednesday that the funding would make California the first state to make understanding our brains a priority. The states former first lady, whose late father Sargent Shriver was diagnosed with Alzheimers, founded the Womens Alzheimers Movement, an advocacy group raising awareness about womens increased risk for developing the disease. In 2011, she wrote a comprehensive assessment on the disease, to which Newsom then mayor of San Francisco contributed a portion called What one city is doing. This is personal to me, just like it is to millions of California families, Shriver said. Alzheimers is one of the largest medical, social and economic crises in our state, and of our time. I am so proud that, once again, California is leading the way. Wiping out Alzheimers is going to require bold thinking, and there is no doubt in my mind that California is home to bold thinkers who can make this happen. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Gavin Newsom orders reinvention of troubled California DMV By Patrick McGreevy A line of people stretches around the South L.A. location of a California Department of Motor Vehicles Office on Aug. 7. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered an overhaul of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which has been plagued by hours-long wait times at field offices, computer crashes and voter registration errors involving tens of thousands of customers. Just a few days after taking office, Newsom appointed a top advisor to a new DMV Reinvention Strike Team to revamp the beleaguered agency over the next six months. By any metric, California DMV has been chronically mismanaged and failed in its fundamental mission to the state customers it serves and the state workers it employs, Newsom said in a statement, adding Its time for a reinvention. The governor appointed state Government Operations Agency Secretary Marybel Batjer to lead the strike team with a goal of modernizing the agency and enacting changes that improve customer satisfaction, employee performance and transparency. Newsom also ordered an accelerated review of initial findings of an ongoing audit ordered last year by Gov. Jerry Brown. The action was welcomed by lawmakers who have been critical of the DMV, including Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield). The egregious management failures of the DMV have been self-evident, which is why I have been calling for new leadership and a comprehensive independent audit of this troubled state agency over and over again as the problems grew significantly worse, Fong said. Last summer, Californians seeking new driver licenses complained of wait times of four to six hours at DMV offices, which the agency blamed partly on snafus caused by a rush of people trying to get Real IDs, a new identification card design required for airline passengers starting in late 2020. Delays were also blamed on computer crashes at DMV offices as the agency struggled to update its aging automation systems. The DMV also admitted that there were an estimated 23,000 errors as people either were unknowingly registered to vote or mistakes were made in their registration status as part of the states new motor voter program. The agency registered to vote as many as 1,500 people with legal U.S. residency but no citizenship. Last month, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto retired from the agency. Legislators were angered earlier this week when the DMV said it needed an additional $40 million to prevent the return of long lines at its field offices. In addition, the agency has been under fire for issuing driver licenses in the last year that do not comply with the federal Real ID standards requiring two forms of identification by applicants. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California police unions are preparing to battle new transparency law in the courtroom By Maya Lau Just as a landmark police transparency law is going into effect, some California police agencies are shredding internal affairs documents and law enforcement unions are rushing to block the information from being released. The new law, which begins to unwind Californias strictest-in-the-nation protections over the secrecy of law enforcement records, opens to the public internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. But the lawsuits and records destruction, which began even before the law took effect Jan. 1, could tie up the release of information for months or years, and in some instances, prevent it from ever being disclosed. The fact that police unions are challenging this law is on some level not surprising, said Peter Bibring, director of police practices at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, one of the principal supporters of the new law. They have a long history of fighting tooth and nail against transparency. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Secretary of State Alex Padilla begins second term with challenge to ensure every Californian is counted By Jazmine Ulloa Secretary of State Alex Padilla takes the oath of office as his family stands by his side on Monday in Sacramento. (Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times) Secretary of State Alex Padilla was sworn in for a second term on Monday, saying he would continue the battle to protect the right to vote at a time when voter suppression efforts, online disinformation campaigns and interference from foreign adversaries have polarized the public and threatened to undermine trust in U.S. elections. I am doubling down on our fight here in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C., to defend our democracy, he said. Working on the front lines with so many of you, I know that our collective resolve has never been stronger. But the loudest applause came when Padilla promised to fight back against the Trump administrations changes to the U.S. census, saying he will ensure every Californian gets counted. Padilla, a former state senator and Los Angeles City Council member from the San Fernando Valley, led the cause for a new motor voter registration law in 2015, and a new system for online business registrations. But the programs have had experienced problems: More than 23,000 Californians were registered to vote incorrectly by the state DMV, the agency reported last year. On Monday, Padilla said he would continue to push back against false claims of voter fraud in California and pointed to the states voter turnout as proof that his office was involving more people in the democratic process, a promise he made when he was first sworn in four years ago. More than 12.7 million voters cast ballots in the Nov. 6 midterm election, representing roughly 65% of the states registered voters, the highest number of any midterm election since 1982, according to state certified results. I made that promise based on a shared belief that we are a stronger democracy and a better California when we hear all voices from all corners of California, and when those voices are not just heard but counted, Padilla said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Ricardo Lara, Californias first statewide officeholder to come out as gay, sworn in as insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara on the floor of the state Senate in 2016. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Ricardo Lara took the oath of office as California insurance commissioner on Monday, pledging action to boost healthcare coverage and combat climate change. Lara, a Democrat from Bell Gardens, is the first elected statewide officeholder in California who has come out as gay. He began his speech in downtown Sacramento by thanking LGBTQ leaders who came before him and celebrated the occasion. Today, because of you, weve shattered the pink ceiling, Lara said. In his inaugural speech, Lara announced the creation of an executive position in his office to address climate change. There is no other industry that has the necessary expertise to ensure that California is prepared to mitigate and reduce risk to our communities and our environment, Lara said. Our planet cant wait. Im ready, and I hope you are too. Lara served as a state legislator and in 2017 introduced a bill to create a single-payer healthcare system in the state. He promised to work with new Gov. Gavin Newsom to expand coverage across California. Lara was sworn in by retired U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who declared unconstitutional Californias Proposition 8 gay marriage ban. State Sen. President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) was on hand for the ceremony along with multiple other state lawmakers. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis says she will help expand access to universities in the state New Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, center, is shown in June talking with attendees at the Power to the Polls rally in Sacramento. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) More Californians should be given access to public universities, Eleni Kounalakis said as she took the oath of office Monday to become the states first woman elected lieutenant governor. Kounalakis was given the oath of office by Gov. Gavin Newsom, her predecessor in the job, who pledged they would work together. As lieutenant governor, Kounalakis serves on the University of California Board of Regents and the California State University Board of Trustees, she noted in a speech at her swearing-in ceremony at the main Sacramento Library. In that role, she said, she will be committed to expanding access to affordable public higher education here in our state. Its wise, its smart and it is the best way to address our rapidly changing digital economy. Kounalakis is former president of a development company founded by her father, Angelo Tsakopoulos, and served during the Obama administration as the U.S. ambassador to Hungary. In November, she won her first run for statewide office. Also attending the ceremony were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California meets Dutch Newsom, who steals the show at his fathers inauguration By Taryn Luna Gov. Gavin Newsom gives his inaugural address while holding his youngest son, Dutch. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) In the California political world, all eyes were on Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday until his 2-year-old son stole the show. Dutch, the youngest of four children in the Newsom brood, climbed onstage in the middle of his fathers inaugural address in a tent outside the Capitol on Monday. The unplanned moment saw the 51-year-old governors big day interrupted by the toddler, bringing levity to the ceremony. Newsom was recounting Gov. Jerry Browns last inaugural speech and reference to the Sermon on the Mount, a biblical story about two men who built separate homes on sand and rock, when Dutch approached his father, a pacifier in his mouth and blanket in hand. Now more than ever we Californians know how much a house matters and children matter, Newsom said, improvising as he scooped the boy into his arms. The governor kissed Dutch on the cheek and held him for several minutes as he continued with the speech. This is exactly how it was scripted, Newsom joked. Newsom eventually put his child down and Dutch walked to the edge of the stage before retreating behind the podium to hide from his mother, First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The crowd roared. Siebel Newsom was able to briefly divert her son only for him to return to the stage minutes later. She grabbed him again and this time, the crying toddler did not reemerge. When fires strikes, when kids cry and the earth shakes, well be there for each other, Newsom said. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said the moment humanized Newsom, threw cold water on any theories that Dutchs cameo was planned. No, I know it was not, Garcetti said with a laugh after Newsoms speech concluded. I could see that look of absolute abject terror [on Newsoms face]. Weve all been there. Kids always think its about themselves and theyve proved it. California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) agreed. I worked in early childhood education for 20 years and theres no way you can ever get a child to do anything when you want them to do it, Rendon said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Fiona Ma takes oath as Californias new treasurer By Liam Dillon State Treasurer Fiona Ma. Fiona Ma took the oath of office in Sacramento on Monday as the states 34th treasurer, promising to boost Californias economy. Ma previously served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, in the state Assembly and on the California Board of Equalization. I want to thank everyone for entrusting me with this important job. I understand my role here as your state treasurer is to build that financial wall around California so that we will remain the fifth-largest economy, Ma said in brief remarks. That is my promise to you. California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye administered the oath to Ma. Following the ceremony, Ma held an ice cream social for guests. On Wednesday, she will host a public event in San Francisco to celebrate her swearing-in. State Treasurer Fiona Ma takes the oath of office. (Liam Dillon / Los Angeles Times) Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Expectations are high for newly sworn-in state schools chief Tony Thurmond Tony Thurmond shakes hands with retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gordon Baranco after taking the oath of office. (Melody Gutierrez / Los Angeles Times) Tony Thurmond took the oath of office as Californias state superintendent of public schools on Monday, promising a labor-friendly agenda before the teachers, students and Democratic officials who filled an auditorium at McClatchy High School in Sacramento to watch him being sworn in. We cant close the achievement gap without a great teacher at the head of every class, Thurmond said Monday to applause. We have to make sure we provide quality compensation and support to our teachers and our classified staff and all the educators who support our kids. Thurmond, a Bay Area Democrat who served in the state Assembly, won a hotly contested and expensive race with the help of labor leaders against charter school executive Marshall Tuck. The race took several days to sort out after Tuck held an initial lead in early returns on election night before falling behind thereafter. Thurmond was sworn in Monday by retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gordon Baranco. He was joined on stage by labor rights leader Dolores Huerta and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount). Thurmonds former colleagues in the state Assembly took turns praising him and promising to be an ally in improving schools. Many said they expected Thurmond would be a strong leader focused on improving student outcomes. We know we are going to work hard to give you the money you need and the budget you need to fully fund education and our schools so we can put our money where our mouth is and make sure our children have everything they need, Assemblywoman Connie Leyva (D-Chino Hills) said. As state superintendent, Thurmond will oversee the education of 6.2 million students at 10,000 schools. Thurmond was a member of the West Contra Costa County School Board and a Richmond city councilman before he was elected to the state Assembly. Tony is the right man at the right time to fight the federal, Donald Trump, Betsy DeVos anti-child, anti-education, anti-civil and -human rights agenda, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said. Tony is going to do that for us. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State Controller Betty Yee takes oath of office with call for more affordable housing and healthcare State Controller Betty Yee California Controller Betty Yee took the oath of office Monday for a second term, saying she still has work to do addressing problems that include a lack of affordability in housing, healthcare and higher education. A San Francisco native, Yee is the chief financial officer of California the fifth-largest economy in the world having first won election to the post in 2014 before winning reelection in November. No region is spared from the widening inequality and increased poverty that plague our state, fueled by the lack of affordable, stable housing, the cost of healthcare and transportation, limited educational opportunities, student loan debt, displacement caused by disasters and more, she said. Yee was administered the oath of office by California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento before an overflow crowd that included state Senate leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and San Francisco Mayor London Breed. As a public official it is about governance that delivers results and stays accountable while upholding the underlying value of dignity for all, Yee said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra begins new term promising to fight Trump policies California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra ( (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Monday took the oath of office for a new term, saying he would continue his role as a leading challenger to Trump administration actions that he believes are counter to the states interests. Becerra, a former 12-term congressman, has become a national opposition figure to Trump, having sued the federal government 45 times since he was appointed as the states first Latino attorney general in 2017. Weve been a little busy stopping the dysfunction and insanity in Washington, D.C., from infecting California, Becerra told an audience during a swearing-in ceremony at the California Museum in Sacramento. Whether its the criminals on our streets or the conman in the boardrooms or highest office of the land, Becerra said, the California Department of Justice, well, weve got your back. Becerra won his first statewide election as the states top cop in November, two years after he filled the post vacated when predecessor Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate. He has peppered the Trump administration with lawsuits challenging federal policies on healthcare, the U.S. census, the environment and immigration. Our state builds dreams, not walls, he said in a direct criticism of Trumps proposal to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Just last week, Becerra led a coalition of 17 Democratic attorneys general in announcing an appeal of a federal judge in Texas that ruled the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. The ACA has been the law for nearly a decade and is the backbone of our healthcare system, Becerra said last week. This case impacts nearly every American workers covered by employers, families, women, children, young adults and seniors so we will lead the ACAs defense as long and far as it takes. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California Democratic Party Vice Chairman Daraka Larimore-Hall announces bid to lead group By Christine Mai-Duc Daraka Larimore-Hall. (Dominic Parisi / Courtesy of Daraka Larimore-Hall) Daraka Larimore-Hall, a top official at the California Democratic Party, said Monday hes running to replace former chairman Eric Bauman, who resigned abruptly in November after being confronted with allegations of sexual misconduct. Larimore-Hall, a longtime state party activist and former chairman of the Democratic Party of Santa Barbara County, was one of the party leaders who urged Bauman to resign following the allegations. In an email to supporters announcing his bid, he urged both structural and cultural change at every level of our Party. He also repeated his call for a top-to-bottom investigation of the allegations, the party and its culture. In a Times investigation, 10 party activists and staff members said Bauman made crude sexual comments and engaged in unwanted touching and physical intimidation in professional settings. In order to be where we need to be for 2020, we have to confront the culture of abuse and fear that allowed someone to behave in such a vile way for so long, Larimore-Hall said in an interview. We cant brush it aside or think that our activists or our candidates or our donors are going to forget about this overnight. Larimore-Hall said his first priority would be to fully investigate the allegations and restore rank-and-file confidence in the partys leadership. The second would be to refocus the party on political priorities as the 2020 presidential election nears. The Bauman episode, Larimore-Hall said, threatens to derail the Democrats plans to help defeat President Trump and keep the seven congressional seats gained in the midterm elections. Its definitely a crisis, Larimore-Hall said. But the component parts the energy, the enthusiasm, the volunteers, the infrastructure its still there. We just need to direct it toward something. Larimore-Hall was elected vice chairman of the state party in February following Baumans razor-thin victory over Bay Area activist Kimberly Ellis. Ellis has announced another bid for the chairmanship and former state Senate leader Kevin de Leon is also mulling a run. The vote will take place at the partys May convention in San Francisco. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom will vow to seize this moment, and swipe at Trump in Monday inaugural address By Melanie Mason Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and his family attend an Inauguration Family Event at the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento on Jan. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Building on the theme of California exceptionalism that defined his campaign, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will depict the state as a guardian of progressive values and a counterweight to President Trump in his inaugural address Monday, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks. What we do today is even more consequential, because of whats happening in our country, read the excerpts obtained by The Times. Peoples lives, freedom, security, the water we drink, the air we breathe they all hang in the balance. The country is watching us. The world is waiting on us. The future depends on us. And we will seize this moment. The speech casts Californias political stakes in a decidedly national scope, promising an agenda that will unify and be an example to the rest of the country. It contrasts the governing goals of Newsom, a Democrat, with that of Trump, the incoming governors perennial foil. We will offer an alternative to the corruption and incompetence in the White House, the excerpts say. Our government will be progressive, principled, and always on the side of the people. Newsom campaigned on an ambitious and wide-ranging platform, promising sweeping solutions on housing, healthcare, education and other issues that rank among Californians top concerns. In the weeks after his election, he struck a more muted tone, taking pains to emphasize his fiscal caution and need for patience in achieving those goals. The inaugural excerpts indicate a return to lofty pledges. While Newsom will vow to prepare for uncertain times ahead by building budgetary reserves and paying down debt, the prepared remarks quickly turn to a vow to be bold. Newsom has already floated several proposals for his first budget that carry significant price tags, including a nearly $2-billion plan to boost early childhood development for low-income families and a dramatic expansion of paid family leave from six weeks to six months. When asked for a preview of his inauguration speech during a news conference Sunday evening, Newsom predicted pundits would criticize his address as short on specifics. Well, of course, Im at an inaugural, Newsom said. But Ill be very detailed in the budget, a few days later. And then we will architect, in much more nuance and detail, in state of the state. I really see this as three opportunities to communicate over the next few weeks our agenda, our vision for the state. Times staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom-hosted benefit concert raises nearly $5 million for wildfire victims By Taryn Luna Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom speaks at a concert to benefit wildfire victims at the Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Jan. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) On the eve of the gubernatorial inauguration, Californias political class rubbed elbows in Sacramento for a benefit concert hosted by Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and headlined by the rapper Pitbull. Newsom told the crowd gathered at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday evening that the fundraiser brought in nearly $5 million for the California Wildfire Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that supports the families of fallen firefighters and communities affected by wildfires. You know, a lot of folks feel anxious about not just politics, but government, Newsom said on stage before introducing the rapper and activist Common. But those firefighters, they are the antidote to the fear and cynicism; they are the manifestation of why government matters and why you should care. Top sponsors, including Salesforce, Kaiser Permanente and other interest groups, paid up to $1 million each to support the cause and curry favor with the new administration. Nathan Click, a spokesman for Newsom, said organizers sold more than 7,000 tickets. Several state lawmakers attended the concert alongside Capitol staff, lobbyists and business types, who mingled on the floor of the arena and offstage in private VIP areas. The rock band X Ambassadors and a duo called the Cold Weather Sons from the town of Paradise, which was destroyed by fire in November, were among several performers who entertained the crowd during the four-hour event. The California Rises concert is the final in a series of festivities held Sunday to celebrate the inauguration of Californias 40th governor. Earlier in the day, Newsom attended a private brunch at Sacramentos Crocker Art Museum and his inaugural committee hosted a free party for families at the California State Railroad Museum at the Old Sacramento Waterfront. Newsoms inauguration is set to begin at 11 a.m. Monday on the steps of the Capitol. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Inauguration fever hits Sacramento as Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom prepares to take office By Phil Willon Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom holds his son, Dutch, as he and his family attend an inaugural event at the at the state Railroad Museum Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Incoming Gov. Gavin Newsom doesnt officially take the oath of office until Monday, but the parties celebrating his inauguration were in full swing all day Sunday. Newsom and his family were mobbed by well-wishers at the California State Railroad Museum at the Old Sacramento Waterfront in the afternoon, where his inaugural committee hosted a free party for families. He just has charisma. Hes able to really connect with people, said Rosielyn Pulmano, an attorney from Elk Grove who came to see Newsom with her husband, two sons and her niece. I think he cares about working Californians and a lot of their issues. Newsom arrived with his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and their four young children, and the governor-elect spent a good deal of his time wading through crowds, taking selfies with supporters and signing autographs as music boomed in the background. As the family toured the inside of the museums locomotives and the bevy of exhibits, Newsoms two-year-old son, Dutch, was wide-eyed, impressed by all the train cars and seemingly a little overwhelmed by the crowd. Newsom said that for his son, all that was missing from the museum was Thomas the Train, popular fictional locomotive in childrens books and cartoons . If theres one thing I can contribute to Sacramento maybe its getting a Thomas the Train exhibit for the two years olds, Newsom joked when talking with reporters afterward. Newsom said he wanted to include such an event in his inaugural festivities to highlight families and children, whose wellbeing will be among the top priorities of his administration. Youll see that not only as a preamble to the inaugural and the budget that well be submitting next week, but I think itll be a big part of the administration, Newsom said. The museum event followed a private, high-dollar brunch at Sacramentos Crocker Art Museum. A steady rain failed to dissuade as many as 200 guests who sipped wine and dined on chicken and salmon while waiting for a photo with Californias new first couple. Seen at the event were representatives of some of the states most powerful political interests, among them organized labor, healthcare companies and tribal gaming interests. A few other high-profile guests attended, too, including Larry Baer, CEO of the San Francisco Giants, and Erika Jayne, a singer and cast member of the reality TV show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Im excited to see someone like Gavin young, vibrant taking over the state and leading us into the future, Jayne said after attending the brunch with her husband, attorney Tom Girardi. Hes got a lot of great plans. Attendees said the event, which was closed to reporters and held under a tent in the museums outdoor atrium, did not include prepared remarks by Newsom. Among those seen leaving the event were representatives of AT&T, the California Medical Assn., Uber, Kaiser Permanente and the State Building and Construction Trades Council. A fundraising invitation obtained by The Times offered bundled tickets to all of the inauguration events, including those on Sunday and the Monday ceremony, ranging in price from $25,000 to $200,000. The money will be collected by a committee specifically organized to pay for Newsoms inaugural weekend. Sundays festivities are scheduled to end with a benefit concert headlined by Pitbull at the Golden 1 Center, home of the NBAs Sacramento Kings, to raise money for the victims of Californias recent deadly wildfires. Among the attendees at @GavinNewsoms pre-inaugural leadership brunch: Real Housewife of Bev Hills @erikajayne. Im excited to see someone like Gavinyoung, vibranttaking over the state and leading us into the future. Hes got a lot of great plans. pic.twitter.com/561NHiy2XQ Melanie Mason (@melmason) January 6, 2019 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement As Newsom inaugural events begin, he unveils more state budget promises on education and paid family leave Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, seen here last April, will propose new state budget efforts on paid family leave and education subsidies. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Californias incoming governor, who must send his first state budget plan to the Legislature this week, has already signaled a significant new focus on programs to help families and children from infancy to college. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom campaigned on a platform that included a number of child-focused efforts specifically aimed at helping lower-income families. The price tag for the initial efforts is expected to approach $2 billion a cost paid out of an unrestricted tax revenue windfall that could be one of the largest in state history. Newsom may also seek help for families through new subsidies paid by California employers. The governor-elect is expected to propose a dramatic expansion of paid parental leave from six weeks to six months according to an internal document provided by a source close to the Newsom transition team, first reported on Sunday by the New York Times. The document doesnt offer a full explanation for how the program will be funded, saying instead that the budget will set a goal of ensuring that all newborns and newly adopted babies can be cared for by a parent or a close family member for the first six months. Employers across the state are currently assessed a payroll tax that helps offer a subsidy to parents who temporarily leave their job to care for a newborn. Newsoms plan, according to the document, would pay for some of the new costs by shrinking the mandated cash reserve of the state fund that administers the program, allowing more of the money to be paid in benefits. The increase in paid leave would not all happen at once but instead be phased in over a multi-year period. A task force to help implement the expanded care plan is also envisioned, according to the document. It would determine whether two parents could split the six months of paid leave and whether an extended family member could be enlisted to help care for the child of a single parent over the six-month period. The incoming administrations focus on young children will also include $1.8 billion in new spending on early childhood education programs, with a particular focus on training childcare workers and pushing for more California schools to offer full-day kindergarten. Those costs, according to an overview memo obtained by the Los Angeles Times, are considered to be a one-time expense while leaving the long-term costs of the effort to be determined later. More community college students would get free tuition under a third initiative expected in the new governors budget plan. Newsom will propose spending $40 million to offer a second year of tuition-free college to California students, according to an outline provided by a transition official, first reported by Politico. Students are already eligible for a single year of paid tuition under a plan agreed to by Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers in 2017. The incoming governor embraced the idea of free community college during the 2018 campaign as part of a broader focus on additional investments in higher education. Education is an economic development strategy, Newsom said at a higher education forum last spring. We need to significantly increase the investment from the general fund of this state on higher education. Theres no greater higher return on investment. Whether the proposal would be targeted to students based on a familys financial need is unclear. Many low-income students are already eligible for fee waivers at community colleges. The new governor must submit his full state budget plan to lawmakers no later than Thursday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gavin Newsom and his family decide Sacramento is the place to be The Old Governors Mansion State Historic Park in Sacramento. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will move his family into the mansion. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and his family will give up the Marin County life and move to the Victorian-style governors mansion in Sacramento after he takes the oath of office Monday. Newsom and his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, had debated whether or when to relocate to the state capital since his election in November. The couple have four young children and expressed reservations about moving in the middle of a school year. To best serve the people of California while also maximizing family time together, the Newsoms have therefore decided to move to Sacramento, said Newsoms spokesman, Nathan Click. On Monday, they will move into the Governors Mansion along with their four children, their two family dogs, and their family bunny rabbit and reside there for the immediate future. The Newsoms currently live in Marin County. Gov. Jerry Brown and his wife, Ann Gust Brown, moved into the grand house in 2015 after it underwent $4.1 million in renovations to update electrical and plumbing systems, as well as to remove lead-based paint and install a fire sprinkler system and other security features. The mansion was built in 1877 and has been home to 14 governors, but before Brown it had not housed a California governor for nearly half a century. The state bought the mansion from a wealthy Sacramento hardware merchant, Albert Gallatin, in 1903 for $32,500. It was one of the few California homes at that time to have indoor plumbing. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom announces top labor, business liaisons as he prepares to take office Julie Su will be secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency for Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on Friday named two advisors on issues related to the California economy, each recognized for their expertise on business and labor. The incoming governor will appoint Julie Su as secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and Lenny Mendonca as chief economic and business advisor and director of the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development. Su, 49, has served as state labor commissioner under Gov. Jerry Brown since 2011 and has led an office tasked with the enforcement of Californias labor laws. She won a MacArthur Foundation genius grant in 2001 and previously worked as a civil rights attorney representing low-wage workers. In her new position, Su will be tasked with coordinating the work of several workforce departments in state government, including those that administer unemployment benefits and oversee the relationship between agriculture workers and employers. Mendonca, 57, has been a longtime advocate for rethinking government operations as co-chairman of the nonprofit organization California Forward. Previously, he was partner at McKinsey & Co., a global management consulting firm. While he will be a key advisor to Newsom on the states economy, Mendonca will also lead the office often referred to as Go-Biz, designated as a high-level way to encourage job growth and economic development. In his new role, Mendonca will help ensure that California is rolling out the welcome mat to current and future California businesses and growing a sustainable economy for every Californian, said a statement from the Newsom transition team. Newsom will take the oath of office as governor Monday. He has previously selected key advisors on the state budget, legislative affairs and the executive branchs wide array of agencies and departments. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Joshua Groban, aide to Gov. Jerry Brown, sworn in to California Supreme Court By Taryn Luna California Supreme Court Justice Joshua Groban gives remarks after he is sworn into the court by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday. (Taryn Luna) California Supreme Court Justice Joshua Groban, a lawyer and longtime aide to Gov. Jerry Brown, was sworn into the states highest court Thursday in Sacramento. The ceremony marked Browns fourth appointment to the state Supreme Court and gave the seven-member bench a Democratic majority. We live in a highly chaotic, ever-changing and ever-confusing world, Groban said in prepared remarks at the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building. But Im happy to report that Im joining an institution whose fundamental purpose, at core, is to provide stability and consistency amidst this chaotic place we live. I look forward to doing that with a sense of reflection, respect, fidelity to the law and compassion. None of Browns appointees, Groban included, have judicial experience. Groban served as legal counsel to Browns 2010 gubernatorial campaign and joined the administration as a senior advisor to the governor, overseeing the appointments of some 600 judges over the last eight years. Prior to working with Brown, Groban, 45, practiced law for more than a decade. In perhaps his final public appearance before his successor, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, takes office next week, Brown pushed back on notions that he stacked the court. I dont want this to be known as a Brown court, the governor said before administering the judicial oath of office. First of all, the so-called Brown appointments do not agree with themselves and nor should they. They are individuals. They will differ. Its not anybodys court. The governor called the court a high calling and said Groban possesses the values for the job. Probably, next to my wife, Ive talked to no person as much as Ive talked to Josh Groban, Brown said. I think youve talked to him more, Californias First Lady Anne Gust Brown interjected. I cant tell you what the hell hes going to do, Brown later quipped. I warned him, dont screw up, at least not at first. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California campaign watchdog agency seeks law barring use of campaign funds to fight harassment claims Former state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia). ( (Steve Yeater / Associated Press)) Elected officials accused of harassment or discrimination would be barred from using political contributions to cover their legal defense costs under legislation proposed by Californias campaign watchdog agency. The state Fair Political Practices Commission has agreed to pursue a law change to clear up confusion after an attorney for one former state lawmaker argued political funds could be used in such legal defenses. Commission Chairwoman Alice Germond said putting a prohibition into the law would provide some much needed clarity. As chair, I would like to show the public their lawmakers are held to a standard that is above reproach, Germond said in a statement. People dont give money to campaigns for lawmakers to use it to defend their own bad behavior, so lawmakers shouldnt be able to use it in that manner. The issue came up a year ago when an attorney for former Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) sought a formal opinion from the FPPC after the Senate launched an investigation that later concluded Mendoza likely engaged in a pattern of harassment against female aides. Mendoza resigned in February under threat of expulsion by the Senate. In a Jan. 10, 2018, letter, Cassandra Ferrannini, an attorney for Mendoza, wrote to the FPPC that she believed Mendoza should be allowed to establish a legal defense fund able to defray his legal expenses in defending himself against the allegations. The use of campaign funds for attorneys fees under these circumstances would fall squarely within the scope of legislative matters, since it involves the alleged conduct of a legislator with regard to legislative staff that he supervised, Ferrannini wrote. The commission staff originally issued an advice letter that said Mendoza may use campaign and legal defense funds to defend himself from claims of sexual harassment that arose directly out of his activities or status as a candidate or elected officer. But the panel later rescinded the letter after some members questioned using campaign funds to fight sexual harassment claims. That left uncertainty about what was allowed, which Germond said could be cleared up by a new law. The FPPC is still looking for a legislator to carry the bill, a spokesman said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias landmark police transparency law takes effect after court denies police union effort to block it California Supreme Court building (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) A new state law allowing the public disclosure of internal police shooting investigations has gone into effect after the California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a bid by a police union to block it. The law opens to the public for the first time internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Employees Benefit Assn. challenged the law last month, asking state Supreme Court justices to decide that the law only apply to incidents that occur in 2019 or later. The court rejected that request Wednesday, allowing members of the public to seek all applicable records held by police departments. Union president Grant Ward said in a statement that his organization was disappointed with the decision and is now seeking other legal options. We feel this is a statewide issue and should be considered accordingly, Ward said. Last month, the city of Inglewood authorized the destruction of more than 100 police shooting investigations and other records in advance of Jan. 1, when the disclosure law was scheduled to take effect. California law requires police departments to keep such records for five years, and Inglewood City Council voted to destroy records older than that. Mayor James T. Butts has said the decision had nothing to do with the new law. In Los Angeles, Police Chief Michel Moore has said that complying with the new disclosure rules could take hundreds of thousands of hours of work. State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), the author of the transparency law, has said she has no immediate plans to propose changes to it. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Few complaints of racial profiling are sustained by police agencies in California, state panel finds CHP Officer J. Nelson stands outside the office of Gov. Jerry Brown as activists in 2015 support requiring the tracking of police stops. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Law enforcement agencies in California sustain few citizen complaints of racial or identity profiling, according to a report Wednesday by a state panel set up to help reduce bias in policing. The states Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board recommended in its annual report that law enforcement agencies improve training and adopt clear guidelines for tracking and reporting data on who is stopped by officers. The panel said that 453 law enforcement agencies in the state received 9,459 civilian complaints in 2017, including 865 complaints alleging racial or identity profiling. Of the racial and identity complaints that reached a disposition that year, 1.5% were sustained, 14.6% resulted in officers being exonerated and 83.9% of complaints were not sustained or were determined to be unfounded, the report said. A clearer picture of the issue is expected from a 2015 law that requires police agencies to report demographic data on all detentions and searches. The first reports by the eight largest agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, are due to be submitted in April. California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, whose office oversees the board, said tracking of all detentions and searches will be helpful to understand the scope of the issue. The Boards recommendations will help make our law enforcement agencies more transparent and promote critical steps to enhance, and in some cases, repair the public trust, Becerra said in a statement Wednesday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California housing crisis podcast: What Minneapolis decision to end single-family zoning might mean for California A view of downtown Minneapolis in 2014 (Stephen Maturen / Getty Images) Theres a national movement brewing to roll back zoning rules in cities that only allow one house on a plot of land. The epicenter of that movement is Minneapolis, which passed a plan last month to eliminate single-family zoning citywide and let landowners build duplexes and triplexes on residential property. On this episode of Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast, we talk about the reasons why Minneapolis leaders took this action, including their desire to combat a history of racial exclusion and spur more housing density to fight climate change. We also debate how Minneapolis decision might affect housing politics in California. Our guest is Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender, who helped shepherd the new zoning rules to passage and a former San Francisco city planner. The episode also crowns 2018s Avocado of the Year the most ridiculous story exemplifying Californias housing woes and includes our predictions for the most under-the-radar important themes in housing politics in 2019. Gimme Shelter, a biweekly podcast that looks at why its so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it, features Liam Dillon, who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times Sacramento bureau, and Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CALmatters. You can subscribe to Gimme Shelter on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Google Play and Overcast. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement How young immigrant Dreamers made flipping control of the House a personal quest By Jazmine Ulloa Gabriela Cruz, who was brought to the U.S. illegally when she was 1, couldnt vote, but in the final hours before the Nov. 6 election, she was making one last run to get people to the polls. The sun was setting in Modesto when she found Ronald Silva, 41, smoking a cigarette on a tattered old couch behind a group home. He politely tried to wave her off until she reminded him he had a right that she as an immigrant without citizenship didnt have. It could really make a change for us, said Cruz, 29. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will propose almost $2 billion for early childhood programs (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Seeking to frame his new administration as one with a firm focus on closing the gap between children from affluent and poor families, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom will propose spending some $1.8 billion on an array of programs designed to boost Californias enrollment in early education and child-care programs. Newsoms plan, which he hinted at in a Fresno event last month, will be a key element in the state budget proposal he will submit to the Legislature shortly after taking office Monday, a source close to the governor-elects transition team said. The spending would boost programs designed to ensure children enter kindergarten prepared to learn, closing what some researchers have called the readiness gap that exists based on a familys income. It would also phase in an expansion of prekindergarten and offer money to help school districts that dont have facilities for full-day kindergarten. The fact that hes making significant investments with his opening budget is really exciting, Ted Lempert, president of the Bay Area-based nonprofit Children Now, said Tuesday. Whats exciting is the comprehensiveness of it, because its saying were going to focus on prenatal through age 5. A broad overview document reviewed by The Times on Tuesday shows that most of the outlay under the plan $1.5 billion would be a one-time expense in the budget year that begins July 1. Those dollars would be a single infusion of cash, an approach favored by Gov. Jerry Brown in recent years. Most of the money would be spent on efforts to expand child-care services and kindergarten classes. By law, a governor must submit a full budget to the Legislature no later than Jan. 10. Lawmakers will spend the winter and spring reviewing the proposal and must send a final budget plan to Newsom by June 15. Though legislative Democrats have pushed for additional early childhood funding in recent years a key demand of the Legislative Womens Caucus those actions have typically come late in the budget-writing season in Sacramento. Quite frankly, to start out with a January proposal that includes that investment in Californias children reflects a new day, state Sen. Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) said. The governor-elect will propose a $750-million boost to kindergarten funding, aimed at expanding facilities to allow full-day programs. A number of school districts offer only partial-day programs, leaving many low-income families to skip enrolling their children because kindergarten classes end in the middle of the workday. Because the money would not count toward meeting Californias three-decades-old education spending guarantee under Proposition 98, which sets a minimum annual funding level for K-12 schools and community colleges, it will not reduce planned spending on other education services. Close behind in total cost is a budget proposal by Newsom to help train child-care workers and expand local facilities already subsidized by the state, as well as those serving parents who attend state colleges and universities. Together, those efforts could cost $747 million, according to the budget overview document. An expansion of prekindergarten programs would be phased in over three years at a cost of $125 million in the first year. The multiyear rollout would, according to the budget overview, ensure the system can plan for the increase in capacity. Lempert said the Newsom proposal is notable for trying to avoid the kinds of battles that in recent years pitted prekindergarten and expanded child care against each other for additional taxpayer dollars. The reality is we need to expand both simultaneously, he said. Another $200 million of the proposal would be earmarked for programs that provide home visits to expectant parents from limited-income families and programs that provide healthcare screenings for young children. Some of the money would come from the states Medi-Cal program, and other money from federal matching dollars. Funding for the home visits program was provided in the budget Brown signed last summer; the Newsom effort would build on that. Emphasizing a policy area with broad appeal in his first state budget could reflect Newsoms political sensibility about the challenges ahead. Democratic lawmakers and interest groups will be especially eager to see how Newsom addresses the demand for an overhaul of healthcare coverage in California especially after a 2017 effort to create a single-payer, universal system fizzled. The path forward on healthcare is complex and costly, making early childhood education a more achievable goal in the governor-elects early tenure. Newsom is likely to face considerable demands for other additional spending. In November, the Legislatures independent analysts projected that continued strength in tax revenues could produce a cash reserve of some $29 billion over the next 18 months. Almost $15 billion of that could be in unrestricted reserves, the kind that can be spent on any number of government programs. Kim Belshe, executive director of the child advocacy organization First 5 LA and a former state health and human services secretary, said the initial Newsom budget proposal suggests the next governor will focus on a comprehensive approach to improving outcomes for children from low-income families. School-ready kids deserve quality early learning, strong and well-supported families, and access to early screening services, Belshe said. Newsom understands the whole child, multifaceted needs of our kids and is clearly ready to lead. Mitchell, the chair of the Senate budget committee, said shes eager to see the details of the governor-elects proposal to determine whether it might signal the beginning of an even broader expansion of early education efforts. Similar efforts have been hindered by a lack of money and ongoing debate over which services to help children 5 and younger need state funding the most. Universal preschool, in particular, has been debated for more than a decade. California voters rejected a ballot measure to fund a full prekindergarten system in 2006. Its clear theres a new movement afoot trying to engage on investment for universal preschool, Mitchell said. How we invest, and how we prioritize that investment, is going to be a great conversation for the coming months. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Politics Podcast: A final conversation with Gov. Jerry Brown No Californian has served longer as governor, signed more laws, granted clemency to more felons or waged more high-profile campaigns than Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown will leave behind a unique legacy when he packs his last belongings for the trip from the governors mansion in Sacramento to his Northern California ranch. His final two terms in office could be his most consequential. The governor reviewed some of the more notable moments from the past eight years in a far-reaching interview with The Times on Dec. 22. This weeks podcast episode includes extended portions of that conversation. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A sagging economy could doom a 2020 ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes, Gov. Jerry Brown says Gov. Jerry Brown, at his Colusa County home on Saturday, said a ballot measure to raise commercial property taxes could struggle in 2020. (Randall Benton/For The Times) An effort to remove commercial property in California from the tax limits imposed by the landmark Proposition 13 could be felled by an economic slowdown, Gov. Jerry Brown said. In a Saturday interview with The Times at his Northern California ranch, Brown said liberal activist groups that have successfully placed the proposal on the November 2020 statewide ballot shouldnt read too much into early poll numbers showing support for the plan. That isnt as easy as you think, Brown said. Because youre going to be in a downturn of the business cycle. And youre talking many kinds of business. And the cost of doing business in California is already high. The ballot measure would allow counties to more frequently assess the market value of commercial property in California than allowed under Proposition 13, a 1978 ballot initiative that amended the state constitution to place strict limits on assessing property values and taxation for both homeowners and businesses. An analysis of the new measure, which qualified in October for the 2020 ballot, estimates it could bring in some $10.5 billion a year in new tax revenue. The business community will fight it, Brown said. And the minimum wage, the family leave, the environmental rules business[es] have left California, thats going to be the big argument. And I think thats something you really have to think a lot about. The governor, who leaves office early next month due to term limits, declined to either endorse or oppose the ballot measure. He said Californias economic health in two years time could be a key factor in how voters weigh the proposal. Well be in a recession by then, Brown said. So its anybodys guess. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Inglewood to destroy more than 100 police shooting records that could otherwise become public under new California law By Jack Dolan Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times) The city of Inglewood has authorized the shredding of more than 100 police shooting and other internal investigation records weeks before a new state law could allow the public to access them for the first time. The decision, made at a City Council meeting earlier this month, has troubled civil liberties advocates who were behind the state legislation, Senate Bill 1421, which takes effect Jan. 1. The law opens to the public internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The legislature passed SB 1421 because communities demanded an end to the secrecy cloaking police misconduct and use of force, Marcus Benigno, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said in a statement. Inglewood PDs decision to purge records undermines police accountability and transparency against the will of Californians. California law says police departments must retain records of officer shootings and internal misconduct investigations for five years. The city of Inglewood, however, had kept records longer than that, including case files of police shootings dating to 1991. State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), the author of SB 1421, intended for her bill to allow public access to all qualifying records held by a department, no matter the date of the incident. Inglewood City Council approved the destruction of records that have been in the police departments possession more than 100 cases longer than required by law. The city staff report and council resolution describing the action makes no mention of the new police transparency law. Instead it says the affected records are obsolete, occupy valuable space, and are of no further use to the police department. It added the traditional method of destroying such records is to shred them. It is unclear whether the records have since been destroyed. A spokesman for the Inglewood Police Department along with Inglewoods city manager, attorney, clerk, four council members and Mayor James T. Butts, a former Santa Monica police chief, did not respond to requests for comment. Inglewoods City Hall is closed the last two weeks of December. The Inglewood Police Department has a reputation for secrecy and using excessive force. In 2008, the departments officers fatally shot four men in as many months, three of whom turned out to be unarmed. The U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights probe and found significant flaws in the way the department oversaw use-of-force cases and investigated complaints against officers. Civil rights advocates still question why Inglewood police opened fire on a couple found sleeping in a car in 2016, killing them both. California police have a long history of shredding records to avoid scrutiny of their actions. In the 1970s, the LAPD famously destroyed more than four tons of personnel records after defense attorneys began requesting them as part of criminal cases against their clients. The move resulted in the dismissal of more than a hundred criminal complaints. In response, the Legislature demanded that records be preserved but then took other measures, supported by police unions, to ensure the public had very little access to them, making California the most secretive state in the nation when it comes to police misconduct. Skinners legislation begins to unwind those laws, which have been on the books since 1978. No video or audio of the Dec. 11 council action is available on the citys website and neither are meeting minutes or any record of the decision. A city spokeswoman, Courtney Torres, confirmed that the council had voted in favor of the police records purge, and said all the relevant reasons for the decision were included in the city staff report. The Jan. 1 implementation for SB 1421 has prompted other police officials to act. A police union in San Bernardino is asking the state Supreme Court to determine that Skinners bill only applies to incidents that occur in 2019 or later. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore sent a letter to Skinner earlier this month warning that complying with the law in regard to older records in the departments possession could take hundreds of thousands of work hours. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Federal officials question California DMVs process for issuing Real IDs (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has notified the California Department of Motor Vehicles that its process for providing residents with federally recognized identification cards is not adequate. DMV spokesman Armando Botello said Friday that 2.3 million residents who received Real IDs under the current process will have to submit additional documentation when their cards are renewed in five years but will be able to use them in the meantime. The DMV is developing a way for residents to submit more documentation online or via email to comply with the stricter federal requirement, he said. But some state legislators are upset about delays in notifying them of the problem and say Homeland Security could eventually require additional documentation provided by current holders. The DMV has known for a month that millions of Real IDs theyve been dolling out are potentially invalid, Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) said. The DMVs only hope is that the Department of Homeland Security takes pity on California and gives the DMV more time to fix this mess. Real IDs are a new kind of driver license and identification card that federal law will require legal residents to present when boarding domestic flights or visiting military bases and other federal facilities starting Oct. 1, 2020. The DMV has only been requiring one form of documentation, including a current lease or utility bill, to verify the residence of a card applicant. But the federal government said in a Nov. 21 letter to the agency that two such documents are needed. On Friday, DMV Director Jean Shiomoto released a letter defending the current process but said her agency will start requiring a second document to prove residency in April. In order to minimize confusion among our customers, the CADMV will work to inform individuals who have been issued a Real ID under the current process that their card will be accepted for official federal purposes, even if their renewal occurs after the October 1, 2020, final enforcement date for Real ID, Shiomoto wrote to the federal agency. Legislative officials worry there is still a possibility that those issued Real IDs in the past might be required to present a second document to have their cards designated as compliant. The more complex process for obtaining Real IDs has led to hours-long waits for customers at DMV field offices this year, although wait times have been reduced recently by an increase in staffing. Shiomoto last month announced that she is retiring amid problems with the motor voter registration system and after the governor ordered an audit of her agency in response to the long wait times. On Friday, Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron of Escondido blasted the DMV for waiting a month to tell legislators of the problem. This is unacceptable and flies in the face of security for our citizens, which is what Real ID was created for in the first place, she said in a statement. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom taps Keely Bosler to be his finance director Keely Bosler, the director of the California Department of Finance, will continue in that role under Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom. (California Department of Finance) Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom on Friday appointed Keely Martin Bosler as director of the California Department of Finance, continuing the role she has served under Gov. Jerry Brown since August. Bosler will become Newsoms chief fiscal advisor, and will play a pivotal role in shaping Newsoms spending plan for the state that will lay the foundation for his top policy priorities. Newsom must roll out his first budget plan within days of taking office on Jan. 7. Californias brighter future depends on a strong, stable fiscal foundation, Newsom said in a statement released Friday afternoon. Keely is an accomplished public servant of sound fiscal judgment. She understands that state budgets are more than numbers on a page they are value statements affecting the fate and future of millions of families reaching for the California Dream. We are fortunate to have her on our team. Prior to being appointed finance director, Bosler served as Browns cabinet secretary for two years and, before that, as the chief deputy director for budget in the Finance Department for three years. Earlier this year, Brown picked Bosler to lead an audit of the Department of Motor Vehicles, which had come under fire for long wait times at DMV field offices and numerous computer problems, including errors in the new motor voter program that registered Californians to vote. As we have discussed, long wait times at the Department of Motor Vehicles do not reflect the high standards of service that Californians expect from their state government, Bosler wrote in a letter in September to DMV Director Jean Shiomoto. The audit is still ongoing, but Shiomoto has since announced she will retire at the end of the year. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias legislative analyst, after decades of nonpartisan research for lawmakers, calls it a career Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor, who has led the state research unit since 2008, will retire on Dec. 31. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Only five people have led the independent research office of the California Legislature since its creation in 1941. And each of them has had a pretty simple mantra to live by in reviewing public policy proposals and government programs: Call it like you see it. The job of any analyst, to me, is you maintain that nonpartisanship, Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor said. Taylor, 65, will retire from the post at the end of December after a four-decade career with the research team that began, as he likes to tell it, just after the passage of the landmark property tax rollback, Proposition 13, in 1978. He became the leader of the office, with the title of legislative analyst, in October 2008. Two months later, state government found itself in arguably the worst fiscal crisis in its history a projected shortfall that ultimately grew to $42 billion by the following winter. There were forces beyond our control, Taylor said of that time. But dont underestimate the policy changes that were made afterward. Those changes, most notably a boost in taxes paid by high-income earners and a robust state budget cash reserve fund, have helped lead to successive years of fully funded government services. The state is projected to have some $24 billion in reserves by the end of the current fiscal year. Taylor announced his intention earlier to step down this year. Leaders from both houses of the Legislature select the analyst, who leads a staff of almost five dozen researchers. The office provides in-depth reports on pending legislation, as well as on broader policy topics like education and healthcare, and produces an independent analysis for every proposed ballot measure. A succession of lawmakers and governors alike have praised or panned the work of the Legislative Analysts Office based on their own political worldview. Taylor said his staff is mindful that they work for legislators, but try to ignore the rhetoric that follows the release of a major report. People are going to do what theyre going to do with our information, he said. They dont always like it, but they appreciate that we give them our best advice. Taylor oversaw a transformation in the way the Legislative Analysts Office distributes its information, embracing the release of research reports through social media instead of relying on traditional printed copies and journalist roundtable events. But he said the work of the researchers has remained largely unchanged through the decades. Having an independent take on things, I think, is good for the Legislature, he said. No replacement for Taylor has been announced, which means a short transition for his eventual successor before Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom sends his first budget proposal to lawmakers in early January. Taylor, who lives in the Sacramento suburbs, said he will honor the tradition of his predecessors in stepping away from public policy debates in order to give the new analyst space to lead the team as he or she sees fit. He said he hopes to travel in the coming years and spend time with his children who have moved to the East Coast. Forty years in state government, Taylor said in why he was stepping aside now. Isnt that enough? Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Jerry Brown sues to save California sentencing laws By Don Thompson, Associated Press (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown sued Thursday to protect one of his signature actions in office, a voter-approved measure that allows most prison inmates to seek earlier release and participate in rehabilitation programs. His administration filed a lawsuit challenging a pending 2020 initiative that seeks to toughen criminal penalties as part of an effort to roll back reforms adopted by voters within the last decade. Browns lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court contends the measure lacked enough valid signatures to overturn a previously approved constitutional amendment. County officials and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla certified the signatures in July but said they were submitted too late to qualify for last months election. The lawsuit names Padilla and the ballot measures official proponent, Nina Salarno Besselman, president of the advocacy group Crime Victims United. Padilla said the measure exceeded the required roughly 366,000 valid signatures, equal to 5% of votes cast for governor in 2014. Browns lawsuit says he used the wrong threshold. It says changing the state Constitution requires 8%, or more than 585,400 signatures. That makes the pending initiative more than 150,000 signatures short, the lawsuit says. Hes wrong, said Jeff Flint, a spokesman for the campaign backing the measure. He predicted a judge will be reluctant to reject a measure that already has qualified for the ballot. The secretary of state told us how many signatures are required, and thats how many we collected, Flint said. Padillas office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The measure would reverse reforms adopted by voters through Proposition 47 in 2014 and Proposition 57 in 2016. Proposition 57 allows most inmates to seek earlier paroles, and Proposition 47 reduced some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. The combination has helped keep Californias inmate population below a population cap set by federal judges. Corrections department spokeswoman Vicky Waters said the measure gives corrections and parole officials broad discretion to protect our communities and fashion a rational system of rehabilitation and punishment. This new initiative unlawfully seeks to supplant the departments constitutional authority to implement these critical reforms to our criminal justice system. The pending initiative would shorten the list of crimes that qualify for earlier parole and change some theft crimes from misdemeanors back to felonies. It would also increase the number of crimes for which DNA is collected, a list that was limited when some crimes went from felonies to misdemeanors. Those supporting the tougher penalties say easing criminal penalties has increased the number of dangerous criminals on the streets, but those backing the changes say they have helped reduce mass incarceration and rehabilitate convicted criminals. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Supreme Court orders records unsealed in pardon of ex-state Sen. Roderick Wright Former state Sen. Roderick Wright (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times) The California Supreme Court has granted a request to unseal court records involving Gov. Jerry Browns decision last month to pardon former state Sen. Roderick Wright for felony convictions involving lying about living in his legislative district, officials said Thursday. The court order was in response to a request by the nonpartisan First Amendment Coalition, which argued that the public has a right to know what information went into the governors decision to grant clemency to Wright. This is an important victory for public access to court files involving the exercise of executive clemency, said coalition spokesman Glen A. Smith. We are gratified the court has recognized that these decisions should be subject to the same public access rules that apply to other judicial records under California law. The court gave Browns office until Jan. 2 to redact confidential material before giving the court documents that can be released to the public. The court files submitted by the governors office include letters of support for a pardon and an internal review of Wrights case. The court denied a motion to unseal the records of all clemency cases but left open consideration of requests on other individual cases. Browns office is currently evaluating the courts decision, said spokesman Brian Ferguson. The governor argued against unsealing records in a recent court filing that said confidentiality is consistent with historical practice and is supported by state law. In pardoning Wright on Nov. 22, the governor wrote: He has shown that since his release from custody, he has lived an honest and upright life, exhibited good moral character, and conducted himself as a law abiding citizen. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California political watchdog agency fines BART, urges prosecution over using public funds for campaign A Bay Area Rapid Transit train leaves the station in Oakland in this 2013 file photo. (Ben Margot / AP) Californias state political watchdog agency on Thursday imposed a $7,500 fine against the Bay Area Rapid Transit District and called for a possible criminal or civil prosecution over allegations the district used public resources to campaign for a 2016 bond measure. The state Fair Political Practices Commission levied an administrative fine against BART for its failure to disclose spending on YouTube videos, social media posts and text messages to promote Measure RR, which authorized $3.5 billion in general obligation bonds. Though the panel lacks authority to seek criminal charges over the misuse of public funds, it also urged county district attorneys in the BART service area and the state attorney general to pursue possible criminal or civil charges over the spending of taxpayer dollars for campaign purposes, Commission Chairwoman Alice Germond said. It is the concept of misusing public funds that I think we all here are very disturbed about, and we want to send a warning and not create a precedent that is a minor, little slap on the wrist, Germond said, adding that the referral to criminal prosecutors would further send a message that this is wrong. Commissioner Brian Hatch also called for the state Legislature to consider granting the FPPC power to go after public agencies that spend taxpayer money on campaigns. Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) called on the agency to increase the fine to the maximum level of $33,375. The proposed $7,500 fine represents a slap on the wrist for a very serious violation of the law and the publics trust, Glazer said in a letter to the panel. In supporting the fine recommended by the staff, Germond said BART has agreed to pay the penalty. Somebody did something wrong and they have admitted it, she said. A staff report said there were factors in favor of a fine below the maximum. Although the Commission considers BARTs violations to be serious, the absence of any evidence of an intention to conceal, deceive, or mislead; the voluntary filing of the delinquent campaign statement; and the absence of a prior record are mitigating, the report said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California police union seeks state Supreme Court review of new law disclosing internal investigation records Los Angeles Police Department officers. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) A police union is asking the California Supreme Court to block the release of internal officer investigations before a new state law takes effect next year. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Employees Benefit Assn. filed a petition Tuesday asking justices to rule that only investigations of incidents that occur after Jan. 1 would be available under the law and not those the department has on file from years prior. The litigation comes after this years passage of Senate Bill 1421, which opens to the public for the first time internal investigations of officer shootings and other major uses of force, along with confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. The law goes into effect Jan. 1, and the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department has told the union it intends to make available in response to public records requests all the information it has. The union is very concerned about any plans to retroactively apply Senate Bill 1421, Grant Ward, the unions president, said in a statement. We believe retroactive application violates our members rights and we hope the California Supreme Court will consider the serious issues raised by our legal challenge. The bills author, Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), does not agree with the unions interpretation. She has said her legislation should apply to all the records in a police departments possession because the law simply declared that affected records were no longer confidential. If the record exists, its disclosable, Skinner said. A decision on what records will be available under the law is key to how far-reaching it will be. If the court restricts access to incidents that occurred prior to 2019, those cases will not be subject to public scrutiny. The police union in San Bernardino County is not the only one raising concerns about the law. Earlier this month, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore sent a letter to Skinner expressing concern that his agency would be overwhelmed if the law required the department to disclose older incidents. Even if the law only applied to the previous five years, Moore wrote, it could take nearly 300,000 hours of work to comply with its provisions. The LAPD operates with a guiding principle of Reverence for the Law; as such, we will diligently comply with SB 1421, Moore wrote. We maintain, however, that a retroactive implementation of SB 1421 will be exceptionally burdensome and would require significant reallocation of front-line investigative personnel. Skinner said if complying with the law becomes untenable for law enforcement agencies that maintain records for a long time, she would consider modifications. But she said agencies did not raise this concern during discussion over the bill. SB 1421 went through multiple committee hearings, multiple floor debates, extensive opportunity for all parties to weigh in on concerns with its structure, she said. That was not an issue that was raised by law enforcement at the time. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Brown warns of backlash for Republicans in 2020 if Obamacare repeal is upheld Gov. Jerry Brown at the National Press Club in April. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) Gov. Jerry Brown warned Republicans on Tuesday that repeal of the Affordable Care Act would devastate the partys political chances in the 2020 election. Brown, speaking at a Sacramento Press Club event moderated by Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton and Brown family historian Miriam Pawel, said a federal judges ruling last week to strike down the 2010 law if upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court will build such a backlash that the Democrats will not only take over the Senate, theyll win the presidency and will win with the kind of momentum, particularly on the issue of healthcare, that [the law] will be replaced probably with something even better. The governor, who leaves office in less than three weeks, said he did not believe the ruling by a Texas judge would ultimately prevail. I think the decision will probably be overturned, Brown said. Few states have embraced the law championed by former President Obama more than California, both through its healthcare exchange, Covered California, and by expanding access to government-funded services under Medi-Cal. Some 12 million Californians now receive healthcare through Medi-Cal, and Brown said a final ruling affecting the federal dollars that subsidize that care would be a serious blow. California would not be able to afford it without the subsidy, the governor said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Bars in Los Angeles, San Francisco could stay open until 4 a.m. under new bill A bar in Sherman Oaks (acuna-hansen) For the third year in a row, a California lawmaker is trying to keep bars open until 4 a.m. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is reintroducing legislation that would allow Los Angeles, San Francisco and seven other cities to extend the sales of alcohol in bars, clubs and restaurants by an additional two hours. Nightlife brings people together, fosters creativity and innovation, supports small businesses, and creates middle-class jobs, Wiener said in a statement. Its time to embrace our nighttime economy and give our cities the tools they need to foster the best nightlife possible. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill by Wiener, writing: I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem. Should this years measure, Senate Bill 58, advance through the Legislature, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom would decide whether to sign it into law. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed SB 58, saying the city should have more flexibility than it does now. Every community has its own needs, and cities should be able to make informed decisions about what nightlife hours make sense for residents, visitors, and neighborhoods, Garcetti said in a statement. The bill would create a five-year pilot program where Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Coachella, Cathedral City and Palm Springs could decide to allow restaurants and bars within their cities to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. with the approval of the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Bars in Los Angeles and San Francisco could stay open until 4 a.m. under new bill A bar in Sherman Oaks. (Acuna-Hansen) For the third year in a row, a California lawmaker is trying to keep bars open until 4 a.m. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is reintroducing legislation that would allow Los Angeles, San Francisco and seven other cities to extend the sales of alcohol in bars, clubs and restaurants by an additional two hours. Nightlife brings people together, fosters creativity and innovation, supports small businesses and creates middle-class jobs, Wiener said in a statement. Its time to embrace our nighttime economy and give our cities the tools they need to foster the best nightlife possible. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill by Wiener, writing: I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem. Should this years measure, Senate Bill 58, advance through the Legislature, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom would decide whether to sign it into law. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed SB 58, saying the city should have more flexibility than it does now. Every community has its own needs, and cities should be able to make informed decisions about what nightlife hours make sense for residents, visitors and neighborhoods, Garcetti said in a statement. The bill would create a five-year pilot program where Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Coachella, Cathedral City and Palm Springs could decide to allow restaurants and bars within their cities to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. with the approval of the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias DMV director announces retirement amid problems with motor voter program (Kent Nishamura/Los Angeles Times) The director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles will retire at years end with a number of questions unanswered about the implementation of a major voter registration system and long wait times experienced by customers for much of the past summer. Jean Shiomoto will not continue in her current role as Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom takes office, and announced to staff several weeks ago her intent to retire at the end of the year after 38 years in state service, spokesman Armando Botello said in an email to The Times on Friday. Newsoms transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on who might lead the department in 2019. Shiomoto was appointed DMV director by Gov. Jerry Brown in the fall of 2013, having served in prior leadership roles with the department. DMV officials have been sharply criticized by lawmakers in recent months for delays in serving customers at its field offices across the state. Last week, DMV officials revealed errors in registering California voters for the November election mistakes that followed a series of problems in the rollout of the states new motor voter registration system. Secretary of State Alex Padilla last week said he had lost confidence in Shiomotos leadership as a result of the voting registration problems. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement New law could break the stalemate over housing on the site of a near-vacant Cupertino mall By Liam Dillon For more than a decade, developers have tried to build new housing on the site of an all-but-empty mall in Cupertino, a city in the heart of Silicon Valley and home to Apple headquarters. A well-organized group of neighbors, upset about traffic, building heights and the potential loss of the communitys suburban lifestyle, turned away every plan. Now, for the first time, the stalemate might be broken thanks to a decision made in the state Capitol. In an effort to address Californias housing affordability problem, legislators passed a law last year that requires cities and counties to approve housing projects if they comply with local zoning rules and other standards, forcing some resistant communities to agree to new homebuilding. In September, the city of Cupertino, citing the state law, approved developer Sand Hill Property Co.s proposal to build an office park and more than 2,400 homes where the Vallco Shopping Mall sits. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Local government was a last bastion for struggling California Republicans. Not anymore By Mark Z. Barabak Theres no shortage of watery metaphors to describe the disaster that befell California Republicans this midterm election. A blue wave. A Democratic tsunami. But the most apt may be a flood, with the casualties steadily rising as the vote count climbed in the days and weeks following Nov. 6. Eventually half the GOP congressional delegation was washed away, along with the entire slate of statewide Republican candidates. In Sacramento, Democrats claimed 29 of 40 state Senate seats and seized three-quarters of the 80-member Assembly the largest number since 1883, when Chester A. Arthur was serving in the White House. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print For the Republicans left in Californias Legislature, fewer lawmakers will have to do more work By John Myers From January to late summer every year, the California Legislature is a perpetual motion machine. And in the new year, the people most likely to struggle in keeping up will be Republicans, vastly outnumbered but still responsible for representing millions of the states residents. There are 22 standing committees in the state Senate, plus at least a dozen more subcommittees or special committees. And after Novembers election, only 11 Republican senators will be left to divvy up the work. To the victors go the spoils. To the vanquished go the extra assignments. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Californias DMV failed to finish registering 329 new voters before November election (Los Angeles Times) Officials at the California Department of Motor Vehicles said Friday that the agency failed to send information for 329 new voters to state elections officers in time for the November election, the latest revelation in a string of mishaps regarding voter registration. Secretary of State Alex Padilla responded with a blistering letter, calling on Gov. Jerry Brown or Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom to replace Jean Shiomoto, the DMV director. The Director of DMV has lost my confidence and trust, Padilla wrote. In all, the agency revealed that 589 mailed voter registration records that should have been processed under election deadlines werent sent to Californias secretary of state until late November, including forms from 260 drivers who had intended to update their address on existing voter registration records. The DMV had been instructed to not send registration forms that came in after Oct. 22, but the voters in question had forms that were postmarked before the deadline. In some cases, when the postmark wasnt legible, the agency said, documents inside indicated the voter had intended to finish their registration in time for the Nov. 6 election. The DMV recognizes the pause in transmittals was an error and affected the timing of the registration of the 589 individuals referenced above relative to the November election, Shiomoto wrote in a letter to Padilla on Friday. The pause was due to a misunderstanding on the part of the department, for which we take responsibility. Those who were trying to update their address for voter registration would not have been blocked from casting ballots. But officials said its unclear whether any of the 329 new voters were able to participate in the election. Shiomoto said in her letter that DMV will work with elections officials. The errors were not related to previous DMV mistakes about registering voters, problems associated with the rollout of the states new motor voter law. In those cases, multiple registration forms were sent to local elections offices for some voters, some people were assigned the wrong political party preference and others who are noncitizens were incorrectly placed on the list of registered voters. DMV officials have yet to respond to questions posed by The Times over the last several weeks about who knew of those mistakes and when. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom appoints a labor advocate and a former staffer as his chief deputy Cabinet secretaries By Taryn Luna A labor advocate and a San Francisco political operative have accepted positions in Gov.-elect Gavin Newsoms new administration. Angie Wei, a Capitol insider with deep ties to organized labor in California, will serve as a chief deputy Cabinet secretary with a focus on policy development. As a legislative director and chief of staff at the California Labor Federation, Wei has represented more than 1,200 unions and 2.1 million workers in Capitol fights over a host of policy issues, including drug-pricing transparency and paid family leave. The governor-elect also tapped Jason Elliott, a policy advisor to Newsom during his time as mayor of San Francisco and a chief of staff to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, as another chief deputy Cabinet secretary overseeing executive branch operations. Elliott and Wei will serve under Ana Matosantos, Newsoms previously Larry Kudlow, President Trumps economic advisor, insisted to reporters earlier this week that the president was looking forward to the annual G-7 summit despite tensions over trade. Reports of Trumps enthusiasm were premature. Late Thursday, amid escalating tensions with France, Canada, Britain and other G-7 nations, the White House announced that Trump would leave the meeting in Quebec early, skipping most of Saturdays session. The quick departure will give Trump more time to plan for Tuesdays scheduled summit in Singapore with Kim Jong Un, although the president insisted Thursday that he doesnt need much advance time. I dont think I have to prepare very much. Its about attitude, he told reporters at the White House. Advertisement Sign up for the Essential Politics newsletter TURNING THE G-7 INTO THE G-6 OR MAYBE THE G-8 Trump has few fixed views on policy. On issues from abortion to taxes his views have flipped around over the years. Not long before deciding to run for president as a Republican, he hosted a fundraiser for Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader. But on a few issues, Trump has long-held and deeply set ideas. None more so than trade. In Trumps mind, trade is a competition, not a mutually beneficial arrangement. If the U.S. runs a trade deficit, that means other nations are taking unfair advantage, he believes. Hes advocated for a tougher U.S. trade policy for decades. Most Americans dont share Trumps view, polls indicate, but the voters who care the most about trade tend to be the ones who feel oppressed by it especially older, former blue-collar workers in industrial states who, with some justification, blame globalization for the declining economic fortunes of their communities. Theyre a key Trump constituency. So Trump sees trade fights as good politics, and hes dived into them with relish. Last week, he angered allied leaders by imposing tariffs on their exports of steel and aluminum. The idea of being declared a national security threat Trumps rationale for the tariffs outraged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Laura King wrote. The Canadian leader pointed to the thousands of soldiers from his country who died fighting side by side with Americans in wars throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. Opposition to the metals tariffs and threatened tariffs on other goods, such as German automobiles likely will dominate the Quebec meeting of the G-7, the annual meeting of the heads of government of the worlds wealthiest nations. As Eli Stokols wrote, Trump likes to proclaim that because of him the U.S. is more respected overseas than ever. The reality, however, is that U.S. alliances have been badly strained. The American President may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a 6 country agreement if need be, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote Thursday, borrowing Trumps favored medium, Twitter, to make his point. Trump fired back in kind, Noah Bierman wrote. Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the U.S. massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers, he wrote. The EU trade surplus with the U.S. is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out. Before heading to Quebec on Friday, Trump issued another blast, telling reporters that he wants the G-7 to readmit Russia. Moscow was kicked out of the group four years ago after Russias invasion of Crimea. The tariffs have also drawn fire from Republican members of Congress, many of whom have long argued for free trade. Several senators, led by Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), have started to push a measure that would require Congress to vote before new tariffs could be imposed. The proposal is a long way from becoming law, but the degree of support it has gotten provides evidence that on this issue, at least, Trump has not been able to snuff out dissent within the GOP. Trump also paid tribute to CNNs Anthony Bourdain during his impromptu news conference on the White House lawn before leaving for the summit. I enjoyed his show, Trump said. He was quite a character. Bourdain, a celebrity chef, author and TV host, died of an apparent suicide Friday at the age of 61. TOP TWO IS OVER, WHATS NEXT? Californias much-discussed top two primary is behind us, and Democrats avoided the fate that some feared getting shut out of the November election in some districts by having too many candidates split the partys vote in the primary. As Mark Barabak wrote, the outcome, coupled with favorable results for Democrats in primaries in New Jersey and New Mexico, moved the party a step closer to its goal of retaking control of the House. Now, the question remains: How many more seats can Democrats squeeze out of Californias already heavily blue congressional delegation? My colleagues have been tracking the key contests all year. Theyve updated their list of the most competitive races, and as subscribers of this newsletter, youre the first to see the rankings. Democrats appear to have their best shots in two districts: The 49th stretches from southern Orange County through much of coastal San Diego County and is currently represented by Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, who is retiring. The 25th, in northern Los Angeles County, is held by Rep. Steve Knight, a longtime Democratic target. Knights opponent, Katie Hill, is a rising Democratic star. The identity of the Democrat in the 49th district is still uncertain, pending tens of thousands of votes yet to count. Another strong possibility for a Democratic pickup is the 48th district in coastal Orange County held by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. There, too, the identity of the Democratic challenger has yet to be determined. Two Democrats have been nearly tied for second place in the primary, and either one has the potential to defeat the increasingly controversial incumbent. After that, the pickups get harder, although Democrats have decent chances in at least two other Orange County districts and maybe a third district in the Central Valley. Democrats need to flip 23 districts nationwide to gain control of the House. Winning several in California is almost certainly a necessary part of that equation. Want to see how every precinct in L.A. County went in the race for governor? Sure you do. Its a fascinating look at the intersection of politics and demographics, and its all on this map prepared by Anthony Pesce and John Schleuss. With some 2 million votes statewide still to be counted, there are a number of key races yet to be called. Track all the live election results as they come in. Well be posting about important races on our special primary news feed. And well be updating the rankings of competitive districts up until the November election. Make sure to sign up for breaking news alerts so you dont miss a moment. SINGAPORE SUMMIT AHEAD Trump has told associates that he believes the summit with Kim can bring him a big political dividend. He may be correct, although foreign policy events only rarely have a major impact on U.S. elections. Look for him to ballyhoo whatever does emerge from Singapore. White House aide Kellyanne Conway, at a breakfast with reporters this week, was already talking up the idea that Trump was bringing an end to 70 years of war, referring to the fact that no final peace agreement has been reached to bring a formal end to the Korean War. Despite such heady talk, major disagreements remain on central issues. Most importantly, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters Thursday, the two sides continue to disagree about what they mean by denuclearization the ostensible goal of the summit. My colleagues have written several insightful pieces this week about key issues in advance of the summit. There will be more strong coverage to come from Singapore. Bierman and Matt Stiles examined the big gap on the central issue of denuclearization. Tracy Wilkinson wrote about the reality that any agreement Trump reaches will almost certainly be compared with the Iran nuclear deal, which Trump pulled out of and has derided as weak. The administration seems headed toward an agreement that at best looks much more like the Iran pact than Trump would like to admit. All that is part of the reason why Trump for the past two weeks has steadily tried to lower expectations for the summit. As Wilkinson wrote, hes gone from insisting that North Korea must totally, and immediately, abandon its nuclear arsenal to saying that denuclearization is a process that could require years. Bierman wrote that the North Korea summit has turned into a test of Trumps approach and his challenge to the foreign policy establishment. Trumps blustery approach rankles foreign policy professionals and experts. The president doesnt mind that. In his eyes, his aides say, the experts have failed for years in dealing with North Korea, so why should he follow their lead? Washington and Pyongyang are not the only world capitals with a lot at stake in the summit. Don Lee looked at what China wants, and why it makes U.S. officials nervous. And Matt Stiles examined the role of South Koreas President Moon Jae-In, who has served as the matchmaker for the summit and has a huge interest in seeing it be a success. SUPREME COURT GETS DOWN TO WORK Its June, and that means the Supreme Courts term is coming to a close, and the justices will be stepping up the pace of issuing decisions in this years cases. The biggest headline this week was something of a punt. The court faced a major conflict between the rights of gay couples and those of conservatives who say they have religious objections to same-sex marriages. They decided not to decide. As David Savage wrote, the court, in an opinion by Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, sided with a baker from Colorado who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. But they ruled on very narrow grounds, and a majority appeared to reject the religious conservatives main claim that the 1st Amendments freedom of religion provides a broad shield against anti-discrimination laws. The court meets again on Monday. Heres a rundown of the major decisions still to come. PARDON ME, PARDON ME Trumps new-found enjoyment of his clemency power continued this week as he freed a woman who had been sentenced to life in prison on a cocaine charge. As Stokols wrote, the woman, Alice Johnson, had been championed by Kim Kardashian West, who visited Trump in the Oval Office last week to press the case. White House aides say Trump has a long list of pardons and commutations hes looking at, mostly bypassing the long-standing Justice Department process for vetting such moves. But the move most in the news this week was the possibility that Trump might pardon himself. Trumps talkative lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, got the speculation started by declaring in a television interview that Trump probably has the power to pardon himself, but wouldnt use it because, Giuliani said, he hasnt done anything wrong. The next day, Trump, himself, weighed in. He dropped the probably, declaring on Twitter that he has the absolute right to pardon himself. For good measure, he called the special counsel unconstitutional, Stokols wrote. One person who probably wont be getting a Trump pardon the former security director for the Senate Intelligence Commitee, James Wolfe. He was arrested Thursday and charged with lying to federal investigators about his contacts with four reporters. The charges stem from a leak investigation aimed at finding out how reporters learned information about Carter Page, a former Trump campaign aide who has had contacts with Russian intelligence agents, according to U.S. officials. One of the reporters who wrote about Page, Ali Watkins, who was recently hired by the New York Times, has admitted to having a three-year romantic relationship with Wolfe. Federal investigators have seized her telephone and email records. Conservative media groups have already begun labeling Wolfe a deep-state leaker. A TEST ON IMMIGRATION The fairly small band of Republican moderates has been pushing the House leadership to bring an immigration bill to the floor that could provide a path to citizenship to the so-called Dreamers young adults who came to the U.S. illegally as children. To overcome opposition from the leadership, theyve turned to a seldom used parliamentary device, the discharge petition, which allows a majority of House members to force a vote on a measure. House Speaker Paul Ryan has been trying to find a compromise that would avoid the discharge petition. But talks stalled on Thursday, and the dissident Republicans, backed by the House Democrats, stepped up their pressure, Sarah Wire wrote. Theyve set Tuesday as a deadline for Ryan to come up with an alternative. LOGISTICS That wraps up this week. My colleague Christina Bellantoni will be back Monday with the weekday edition of Essential Politics. Until then, keep track of all the developments in national politics and the Trump administration with our Essential Washington blog, at our Politics page and on Twitter @latimespolitics. Send your comments, suggestions and news tips to politics@latimes.com. If you like this newsletter, tell your friends to sign up. David.lauter@latimes.com @davidlauter Allies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch Live: White House holds surprise news briefing amid government shutdown Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause. #Georgia Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush. The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump as recently as Tuesday continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops You really are our heroes, he said as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see. James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes he last won reelection by a 14-point margin suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election again, in blowout fashion but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10. Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history. Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters... Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice. Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children the older ones are 5 and 2 about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican she the race felt m The former security director for the Senate Intelligence Committee was arrested Thursday on charges of lying to federal investigators probing a leak of information involving a former campaign aide to President Trump. As part of the investigation, federal law enforcement officials seized several years worth of email and phone records from a reporter who currently works for the New York Times, the paper reported Thursday. The reporter, Ali Watkins, had a three-year romantic relationship with the former Senate staff member, James A. Wolfe, 57, the paper reported. The relationship and the seized records pre-dated her employment at the New York Times, which hired her late last year. The seized material does not include the contents of Watkins emails, but does include customer records from Verizon and Google covering two email accounts and a phone she used. Advertisement The seizures would mark the first known time that the Justice Department under Trump has authorized prosecutors to obtain a reporters records as part of a leak investigation. Get the latest news from the nations capital on Essential Washington >> Trump has complained bitterly and loudly about leaks and has demanded that the Justice Department step up investigations of them. Federal prosecutors took similar actions to seize reporters records in several cases under President Obama, but the Justice Department in Obamas second term adopted new rules designed to shield reporters in many circumstances. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions has said that the Justice Department may change some of those rules, which some prosecutors say have hindered investigations. In a statement, Watkins personal lawyer, Mark J. MacDougall, said its always disconcerting when a journalists telephone records are obtained by the Justice Department through a grand jury subpoena or other legal process. Whether it was really necessary here will depend on the nature of the investigation and the scope of any charges. Wolfes three-count indictment was unsealed late Thursday after his arrest. He is accused of making false statements to investigators in an effort to conceal his communications with four reporters. According to the indictment, he communicated extensively with the reporters using encrypted phone apps. Wolfe was questioned by FBI agents in December, according to the indictment. He retired from the committee staff last month. He is expected to make an initial court appearance on Friday. The indictment indicates that FBI agents were trying to determine how reporters had learned about contacts between the former Trump campaign aide, Carter Page, and Russian intelligence operatives. The contacts were revealed to the Senate committee by law enforcement officials in classified documents, the indictment says. According to the indictment, a journalist identified as Reporter #2 published an online article on April 3, 2017, revealing the identity of a person the indictment calls Male 1. An article under Watkins byline appeared online on the BuzzFeed news site on that date revealing Pages contact with a Russian intelligence operative. The indictment does not name Watkins, but the description of Reporter #2s employment history matches hers. Wolfe was not a source of classified information for Watkins stories, she said, according to the Times. It is unclear whether any of the information Wolfe is suspected of revealing was, itself, classified, although the indictment states that he had access to classified documents. Watkins began working for the New York Times late last year, covering national security. The seized records cover a period during which she worked at BuzzFeed and Politico. She began her career in Washington in 2013 as an intern for the McClatchy Washington bureau while she was a journalism student at Temple University in Philadelphia. A prosecutor informed Watkins on Feb. 13 about the seizure, the Times reported. The paper learned of the matter on Thursday, the day after the Intelligence Committee made a terse announcement that it was cooperating with the Justice Department in a pending investigation. David.Lauter@latimes.com For more on Politics and Policy, follow me @DavidLauter The former security director for the Senate Intelligence Committee made an initial court appearance on Friday after his indictment on charges that he lied to federal investigators probing a leak involving a former campaign aide to President Trump. The indictment of James A. Wolfe, 57, indicates that FBI agents were trying to determine how reporters learned that Carter Page, the former Trump campaign aide, had contacts with Russian intelligence operatives. The contacts were revealed to the Senate committee by law enforcement officials in classified documents, according to the indictment, which was unsealed late Thursday after his arrest. On Friday afternoon, Wolfe appeared before Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson at the U.S. District Court in Baltimore. Dressed in a white shirt and gray pants, Wolfe was expressionless and composed. He was represented in court by a public defender and requested a court-appointed lawyer. By Friday morning the case had already begun setting off partisan fireworks. The Breitbart news site and other conservative media dubbed Wolfe a deep-state leaker, saying the charges against him bolstered their theory that a cabal of government officials conspired to go after Trump and members of his campaign team after he won the presidency. Advertisement Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for the G-7 summit in Quebec, called the case very important its a very important leaker. It could be a terrific thing, Trump said Im a big, big believer in freedom of the press. But Im also a believer in classified information has to remain classified. The extent to which the case involves classified information remained uncertain. The chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and the panels ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia, issued a joint statement noting that the charges do not appear to include anything related to the mishandling of classified information but adding that the committee takes this matter extremely seriously. The two said the news of Wolfes arrest was disappointing, noting that he had worked on the committee staff for more than 30 years, under both Democratic and Republican majorities. The Intelligence Committee has fully cooperated with investigators since learning about the case late last year, they said. Get the latest news from the nations capital on Essential Washington >> The case took on additional sizzle because one of the reporters to whom Wolfe is alleged to have provided information, Ali Watkins, now works for the New York Times a favorite target of Trumps and had a romantic relationship with Wolfe, the paper reported. Federal law enforcement officials seized several years worth of Watkins email and phone records in connection with the Wolfe investigation, the New York Times reported Thursday. The seized material does not include the contents of Watkins emails, but does include customer records from Verizon and Google covering two email accounts and a phone she used, the newspaper reported. The seizures would mark the first time that the Justice Department under Trump is known to have authorized prosecutors to obtain a reporters records as part of a leak investigation. Federal prosecutors obtained reporters records in several cases under President Obama, but the Justice Department in Obamas second term adopted rules designed to shield reporters in many circumstances. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions has said that the Justice Department may change some of those rules, which some prosecutors say have hindered investigations. No changes have been made public to date, however. In a statement Thursday, Watkins personal lawyer, Mark J. MacDougall, said its always disconcerting when a journalists telephone records are obtained by the Justice Department through a grand jury subpoena or other legal process. Whether it was really necessary here will depend on the nature of the investigation and the scope of any charges. Free-press advocates also questioned whether prosecutors had acted appropriately. Seizing a journalists records sends a terrible message to the public and should never be considered except as the last resort in a truly essential investigation, Bruce Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said in a statement. The Justice Department should explain how its actions adhered to its own guidelines, he said. Wolfe was charged with three counts of making false statements to investigators when they interviewed him in December. He denied then being in contact with reporters, but, according to the indictment, he had communicated extensively with four reporters in part by using encrypted phone apps. The indictment indicates that investigators obtained copies of many of those messages. According to Judge Coulson, each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Wolfe officially retired from the committee staff last month. According to the indictment, a journalist identified as Reporter 2 published an online article on April 3, 2017, revealing the identity of a person the indictment calls Male 1. An article under Watkins byline appeared online on the BuzzFeed news site on that date revealing Pages contact with a Russian intelligence operative. The indictment does not name Watkins, but the description of Reporter 2s employment history matches hers. Watkins began her career in Washington in 2013 as an intern for the McClatchy news services Washington bureau while she was a journalism student at Temple University in Philadelphia. She later worked for BuzzFeed and Politico. She began working for the New York Times late last year, covering national security. The seized records all predate her employment there, the paper reported. A prosecutor informed Watkins on Feb. 13 about the seizure of her records, the New York Times reported. The paper learned of the matter on Thursday, the day after the Intelligence Committee made a terse announcement that it was cooperating with the Justice Department in a pending investigation. Wolfe, who was arrested in Maryland but charged in D.C., was released Friday without bail. A federal prosecutor did not seek pretrial detention. His pretrial conditions included an appearance at the FBI Field Office in D.C. for processing on Monday at 9 a.m., and an appearance before Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday at the D.C. District Court. Wolfe must also surrender his passport by Monday, cannot travel beyond Maryland except for his court appearance in D.C., cannot apply for employment involving security clearance without court approval and must check in regularly with his pretrial office, among other conditions. David.Lauter@latimes.com For more on Politics and Policy, follow me @DavidLauter UPDATES: 1 p.m.: This story was updated with details from Wolfes court appearance. This story was originally published at 11:55 a.m. Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III ramped up the pressure on Paul Manafort on Friday, releasing a new indictment accusing President Trumps former campaign chairman of obstructing justice and conspiring to do so by contacting potential witnesses in his case. Manafort was already facing two rounds of previous indictments, starting in October, with nearly two dozen charges of financial crimes, including tax evasion and bank fraud related to his lobbying for Ukraines former pro-Russian government. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to face trial in Virginia next month and in Washington later this year. Manaforts legal team defended him in a court filing Friday evening, saying the allegations come nowhere near conduct that would qualify as tampering. Mr. Manafort asked no one to provide a false affidavit or false testimony at trial, or perjure themselves, and he has not given nor offered to give any potential witness anything in exchange for false testimony, the filing said. Advertisement The latest indictment also levies the same obstruction charges against Konstantin Kilimnik, a Manafort business partner who Mueller alleges has ties to Russian intelligence. Kilimnik had not been previously charged. According to Mueller, Manafort and Kilimnik tried to convince two public relations professionals who had previously worked with them to provide false information about Ukrainian lobbying. Although prosecutors said the advocacy included work in the United States which would be a violation of federal law because it wasnt disclosed Manafort and Kilimnik allegedly wanted the men to say the lobbying took place only in Europe. Mueller first detailed the witness tampering allegations in a court filing Monday in which he asked a judge to reconsider whether Manafort should be allowed to remain free while awaiting trial. If the judge agrees with Mueller that Manafort violated the terms of his release, the former Trump aide could be sent to jail until his trial concludes. A hearing has been scheduled for next week. Manafort has not been charged with any crimes related to the Trump campaign or Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. But the latest indictment is a reminder that hes facing an avalanche of accusations that could send the 69-year-old to prison for the rest of his life. Renato Mariotti, a lawyer who worked for nine years as an assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago and has been writing about the case, noted that Muellers prosecutors have extensively documented the charges against Manafort and appear to have built a powerful case. Unless Manafort is expecting a pardon from Trump, Mariotti said, he should be pleading guilty, now. Alex Whiting, a Harvard Law School professor and former federal prosecutor who has written about the special counsel case with Mariotti, said Mueller is moving forward by the book. There is no overcharging, no nefarious strategy, he said. This is how its done day in, day out, in federal court. Manaforts lawyers said there was no reason for a judge to revoke his pretrial release. The Court should not condone such heavy handed gamesmanship by the Special Counsel when there is no reason to believe that the latest charge has somehow increased the risk of flight in this case, they wrote. Prosecutors said Manafort and Kilimnik began attempting to tamper with witnesses after Richard Gates, another former business partner and Trump campaign aide, pleaded guilty in February to charges of conspiracy and lying to federal agents. As part of his plea deal, Gates is cooperating with the special counsel investigation. Manafort and Kilimnik repeatedly contacted their former colleagues in an effort to secure materially false testimony concerning the activities of the Hapsburg group, a collection of former European politicians helping promote Ukrainian interests, according to Mondays court filing. Manafort began calling one of the public relations people, who avoided him, the court filing said. Manafort later followed up with a message about the Hapsburg group on an encrypted app. We should talk. I have made clear that they worked in Europe, he wrote. The target of Manaforts outreach became concerned that he was being asked to provide false testimony and provided the messages to prosecutors. Kilimnik followed up with his own messages to the two public relations people and urged them to talk with Manafort, according to the court filing. Basically P wants to give him a quick summary that he says to everybody (which is true) that our friends never lobbied in the US, and the purpose of the program was EU, Kilimnik wrote. The outreach continued until the end of February, and then restarted in April, according to the court filing. My friend P is looking for ways to connect to you to pass you several messages, Kilimnik wrote. Can we arrange that. Manaforts lawyers said he had done nothing wrong. Mr. Manaforts disagreement with the Special Counsels theory and the freedom that he, and any defendant in this country, has to express those views does not provide a basis to revoke or revise the current Release Order, they wrote in the court filing. chris.megerian@latimes.com Twitter: @chrismegerian UPDATES: 7:45 p.m.: The article has been updated with a response from Manaforts legal team. 3:10 p.m.: The article has been updated with reaction from legal analysts. This article was originally published at 1:35 p.m. The Trump administration has elected not to defend key parts of the Affordable Care Act against a sweeping legal challenge filed by a group of conservative states, marking an unusual departure from the Justice Departments traditional responsibility to safeguard federal law. The practical effect of the move may be relatively minor, as the challenge is widely viewed as a long shot that stands little chance of threatening the 2010 law, often called Obamacare. And though the federal government will apparently no longer defend a pillar of the law, a group of left-leaning states, including California, have stepped in to back it in court. The Justice Department legal position nevertheless signals a remarkable willingness by the Trump administration to abandon landmark consumer protections in the healthcare law that for the first time prohibit health insurers from turning away sick consumers. Advertisement The administrations decision also is likely to further roil insurance markets that are seeing very large premium increases, fed in part by other moves by the Trump administration to loosen insurance regulations. The president has backed new rules that would allow for an expansion of skimpier health plans that do not have to cover a full range of health benefits. These plans are overwhelmingly opposed by consumer and patient advocates and others, who have warned that they will drive up costs for sicker consumers who need more comprehensive health coverage. The healthcare laws core consumer protections, which the president once signaled he supported, have been among the most popular parts of the law and have helped extend coverage to millions of previously uninsured Americans. The legal challenge led by the state of Texas argues that these consumer protections as well as the laws multibillion-dollar program for expanding the Medicaid safety net to poor Americans should be scrapped because Congress last year repealed the penalty on Americans who dont have health coverage. That penalty, Texas and the other conservative states argue, is so central to the law that without it, the rest cannot stand. Many healthcare experts disagree with that position. And the Trump administration has not asserted that the Medicaid expansion made possible by the healthcare law should be rolled back. But Justice Department lawyers do argue that with no penalty for not having coverage, the federal government cannot make health insurers cover sick consumers or prohibit insurers from charging sick consumers higher premiums, as was routinely done before the healthcare law was implemented. The individual mandate is not severable from the [Affordable Care Acts] guaranteed-issue and community-rating requirements, the department said in its legal filing. The Trump administrations move drew strong criticism from defenders of the healthcare law and some legal scholars, who noted how unusual it is for the Justice Department not to defend federal law. Equally notable, three career prosecutors in the department withdrew from the case just before the administration announced the decision not to defend the healthcare law. Withdrawing from a case en masse like this, right before the brief is filed, is unheard of, said Nicholas Bagley, a former Justice Department lawyer who now teaches at the University of Michigan Law School. These attorneys are civil servants. They routinely defend policies they dislike and make arguments they personally disagree with. Thats the nature of the job. Their withdrawal signals that they believed the arguments in the brief went far beyond the pale -- that they were so frivolous they could not endorse them and remain faithful to their professional duties. Obamacare 101: A primer on key issues in the debate over repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. The latest from Washington More stories from Noam N. Levey noam.levey@latimes.com @noamlevey A day after being hit with a lawsuit by Stormy Daniels, her former lawyer slapped back Thursday with a countersuit alleging that he was defamed by the pornographic film actress and her current counsel. Attorney Keith Davidson cited a tweet sent by Daniels attorney, Michael Avenatti, on Wednesday in which he suggested Davidson was once arrested for extortion. Watch him try now and distract away from his unethical conduct, Avenatti wrote. Ms. Daniels deserved better. Keith Davidson has never been arrested for extortion as falsely alleged by defendants, his countersuit said. The lawsuit added that the statement and similar ones by Daniels and Avenatti were made with hatred and ill will toward [Davidson] and the design and intent to injure him, his good name, his reputation, employment and employability. The claim of extortion apparently referred to an FBI sting operation involving Hulk Hogan. Advertisement In 2012, Davidson sought $300,000 for a client for a secretly taped video of the pro wrestler having sex, law enforcement records show. Davidson met Hogan in a Florida hotel room unaware it was wired with recording devices monitored by FBI agents in an adjacent room. As soon as Hogans lawyer handed Davidson a phony check for $150,000, the supposed first installment, FBI agents stormed in and detained him, according to the records. Davidson was not charged with criminal wrongdoing in that case. Daniels, in the lawsuit filed Wednesday, claimed that Davidson went behind her back to pursue President Trumps interests in the scandal over an alleged one-night stand in 2006. Citing text messages between Davidson and Trumps attorney Michael Cohen, she accused her lawyer of colluding with Cohen to her detriment. Daniels called Davidson a puppet of Trump and Cohen. Cohen has acknowledged paying Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her liaison with Trump. Davidson denied any impropriety and his countersuit Thursday issued a point-by-point denial. He accused Cohen of illegally taping his phone conversations. Cohen attorney Brent Blakely could not be reached for comment. Davidson said Daniels, while his client, expressed more interest in making sure she kept the $130,000 than ensuring the public knew the truth about her relationship with Trump which she now cites as justification for speaking out. In an emailed statement, Avenatti lashed back at Davidson, calling him a proven liar. He is an embarrassment to the profession and seems to have forgotten what the attorney-client privilege is all about, Avenatti said. We look forward to having his frivolous claims thrown out of court. Meantime, in Washington, a spokeswoman for First Lady Melania Trump pushed back on an assertion from Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trumps outside counsel, that she believes her husband in denying an affair with Daniels. I dont believe Mrs. Trump has ever discussed her thoughts on anything with Mr. Giuliani, spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told the New York Times. Giuliani made his statement at a financial conference in Tel Aviv. She believes her husband, and she doesnt think its true, Giuliani said. mark.barabak@latimes.com @markzbarabak President Trump said he likely will support a congressional effort to end the federal ban on marijuana, a major step that would reshape the pot industry and end the threat of a Justice Department crackdown. Trumps remarks put him sharply at odds with Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions on the issue. The bill in question, pushed by a bipartisan coalition, would allow states to go forward with legalization unencumbered by threats of federal prosecution. Sessions, by contrast, has ramped up those threats and has also lobbied Congress to reduce current protections for medical marijuana. Trump made his comments to a gaggle of reporters Friday morning just before he boarded a helicopter on his way to the G-7 summit in Canada. His remarks came the day after the bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed their measure. One of the lead sponsors is Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), who is aligned with Trump on several issues but recently has tangled with the administration over the Justice Departments threats to restart prosecutions in states that have legalized marijuana. Advertisement I support Sen. Gardner, Trump said when asked about the bill. I know exactly what hes doing. Were looking at it. But I probably will end up supporting that, yes. The legislative proposal, which is also championed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), would reshape the legal landscape for marijuana if it becomes law. California and eight other states, as well as Washington, D.C., have legalized all adult use of marijuana. An additional 20 states permit marijuana for medical use. But even as states legalize, marijuana has remained a risky and unstable business because of federal law making it illegal. Concerns about federal law enforcement seizures have inhibited most lenders from working with marijuana businesses. And investors have also proceeded cautiously. If you are in the marijuana business you cant get a bank loan or set up a bank account because of concern over the conflict between state and federal law, Gardner said at a news conference Thursday to unveil the new bill. We need to fix this. It is time we take this industry out of the shadows, bring these dollars out of the shadows. He called it a public hypocrisy that the firms are expected to pay taxes yet are barred from participation in the financial system. A lifting of the federal prohibition also would bolster efforts to create uniform testing and regulatory standards for marijuana, and potentially free scientists to pursue research into the medical uses of marijuana. Trumps support could potentially have a major impact, providing political cover for Republicans who worry about being tagged as soft on drugs. Still, the proposal faces a tough road in Congress. Even though most lawmakers now represent areas where pot is legal for at least medical use and public opinion polls show majorities of Democratic and Republican voters nationwide favor legalization congressional leaders have shown little appetite for loosening restrictions. The House is blocking the District of Columbia from permitting sales of recreational pot, even after its voters chose to legalize. A 2014 budget amendment that protects medical marijuana businesses from Drug Enforcement Administration raids is perpetually under attack. It faces tremendous head winds, John Hudak, a marijuana policy expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said, referring to the Gardner-Warren bill. Trump said he is likely to support the federal legalization effort despite a warning against it from a coalition of narcotics officer groups. We urge you to see through the smoke screen and reject attempts to encourage more drug use in America, they wrote in a letter to Trump Thursday. The marijuana industry continues to be whipsawed by mixed messages from the administration. In January, the Justice Department sent pot businesses into a panic by rescinding an Obama-era policy that restricted prosecutors from targeting sellers who operate legally under state laws. Sessions warned at the time that any pot business could find itself in the crosshairs of prosecutors regardless of whether marijuana was legal in their state. The move enraged Gardner, who said the administration had earlier given him assurances that there would be no such raids, at least in his state. At Gardners behest, Trump in April ordered an abrupt retreat from the announced crackdown. Trump made the order without even consulting Sessions, a sign of their tense relationship. But prosecutors did back off. During this administration, there have apparently been no federal raids or seizures of pot companies for sales that are legal under state law. Remarkably little, if anything, has changed, said John Vardaman, a former Justice Department attorney who helped draft the Obama-era rules, known as the Cole memo, after former Deputy Atty. Gen. James M. Cole, who issued it. Almost every U.S. attorney in states where marijuana is legal has decided to apply the same principles as the Cole memo, said Vardaman, now an executive at Hypur, which sells banking compliance software to marijuana companies. Banking is the area in which the Gardner bill could most help pot companies. The Senate proposal, and a companion bipartisan measure in the House, would amend the Controlled Substances Act so that its marijuana provisions do not apply to any person or business that is in compliance with state laws. To put bankers at ease, it specifies that such marijuana sales would not be considered trafficking and do not amount to illegal financial transactions. The very people you want involved in this market are the ones who have been most reluctant to get involved because of the banking issue, said Vardaman. If you address that, you would have enormous beneficial effects for the industry. While Trumps comments were welcomed by marijuana activists, they remain on edge, especially because of Trumps spotty record at actually pushing legislation through Congress. We have seen this president voice his support for a lot of things related to cannabis, but he has done absolutely nothing to move legislation, said Hudak. This is just more empty rhetoric from a president who is vague on this issue. Gardner is hoping he can persuade more of his conservative colleagues to join the crusade by framing the issue as one of states rights. Several Republicans, including Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Don Young of Alaska, are demanding an end to federal marijuana laws that intrude on the states. Their movement is slowly growing in Congress. This is a chance for us to express that federalism works, said Gardner, who like some other Republicans was not a proponent of marijuana but took up the cause after his states voters endorsed legalization, to take an idea that states have led with and provide a solution that allows them to continue to lead. evan.halper@latimes.com Follow me: @evanhalper UPDATES: 2:10 p.m.: This article was updated with additional analysis and reaction. This article was originally published at 8:50 a.m. Escalating his confrontation with American allies, President Trump came to the summit of the Group of 7 major economic powers in Canada on Friday with a stunning proposal: that Russia be reinstated into their ranks, four years after its expulsion for its global transgressions. Now I love our country. I have been Russias worst nightmare, Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for Joint Base Andrews for the flight to Quebec. But with that being said, Russia should be in this meeting. Why are we having a meeting without Russia being in the meeting? Russia was expelled from what was then the G-8 in 2014, after Moscows annexation of Crimea. Subsequently, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded it interfered in the 2016 presidential election, and Trumps campaign is currently under criminal investigation for possible collusion with Russia. Britain, a G-7 member, this year charged Russia with using a nerve agent to nearly kill two Russian exiles in an English town. European Council President Donald Tusk, who wrote in the New York Times this week that the G-7 nations must stay together despite Trumps unfortunate and worrying actions on trade and other issues, splashed cold water on his call to reinstate Russia during a news conference in Quebec prior to Trumps arrival. Advertisement Lets leave seven as it is, Tusk said. Its a lucky number. British Prime Minister Theresa May told the British TV network Sky News: Lets remember why the G-8 became the G-7. And before discussions could begin on any of this, we would have to ensure Russia is amending its ways and taking a different route. Trump later acknowledged to reporters, at separate one-on-one meetings with the summit host, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and French President Emmanuel Macron, that the group hadnt even discussed his idea. His proposal nonetheless further strained relations between the U.S. and its closest allies, many of whom have taken a more confrontational posture in recent days after Trumps decision to impose steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union. Tensions were already simmering over his abandonment of the Paris climate accord and the multinational Iran nuclear deal. The drama drew uncommon attention to the usually sleepy annual summit, even as Trump prepares for his much more anticipated meeting on Tuesday in Singapore with North Koreas Kim Jong Un. This G-7 conference now could be one of the most consequential in the 45 years since the major powers formed their economic alliance in response to the Arab oil embargo, and for a once-unthinkable reason: Americas estrangement from its closest allies, even as Trump openly advocates for Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin. Its not just unorthodox. Its ineffective and its disgraceful for an American president to act this way, said Nicholas Burns, who served in high-ranking diplomatic positions from the Reagan through George W. Bush administrations, including as ambassador to Greece and NATO. Its one thing to be tough on Iran and North Korea but France and Britain? Come on. Burns called Trumps pitch for Russias readmittance preposterous and suggested the president who likes to tell audiences that the United States is respected again is no longer taken seriously around the world. I dont take comfort in that, he added. We dont want our president to be laughed at. At the summit site in a Quebec resort town, the appearance of the leaders for the traditional family photo, standing against the scenic backdrop of the St. Lawrence River and shoreline, captured the mood. The participants, including Trump, seemed unusually stilted in their interactions, and their posing was over in a matter of seconds. Trump deflected a reporters shouted question whether he would relent on tariffs, as he left alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel for a brief conversation. The White House had announced late Thursday that Trump would leave the summit early on Saturday, but he arrived late as well after delaying his departure, partly to talk with reporters outside the Oval Office. That forced the postponement of the bilateral meeting with Macron, with whom Trump had traded Twitter taunts this week. Tusk, in prepared remarks opening the summit before the tardy Trump arrived, warned that the G-7 division played into Putins hands, though he did not mention the Russian president by name. It is clear that the U.S. president and the rest of the group continue to disagree on trade, climate change and the Iran nuclear deal, Tusk said. What worries me most, however, is the fact that the rules-based international order is being challenged, quite surprisingly, not by the usual suspects but by its main architect and guarantor the U.S. Naturally, we cannot force the U.S. to change their minds, Tusk continued. At the same time, we will not stop trying to convince our American friends and President Trump that undermining this order makes no sense at all, because it would only play into the hands of those who seek a new post-West order where liberal democracy and its fundamental freedoms would cease to exist. Other members of the group are Canada, France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Japan. Russia joined in 1997, several years after the fall of the Soviet Union, and was suspended in 2014 for its international aggressions, chiefly annexing Crimea. Trumps advocacy for Russias reinstatement drew bipartisan condemnation. Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York, the Senate Democratic leader, said on Twitter: The presidents support for inviting Russia back into the G-7, just after they meddled in the election to support his campaign, will leave millions of Americans with serious questions and suspicions. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, assailed Trump in a statement. The president has inexplicably shown our adversaries the deference and esteem that should be reserved for our closest allies, he wrote, while allies are being treated with contempt. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the senior Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said Trump was serving as Vladimir Putins cheerleader. Republican Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Ben Sasse of Nebraska likewise weighed in, with Sasse tweeting that Putin is a thug using Soviet-style aggression to wage a shadow war against America, and our leadership should act like it. Trump, in his remarks to reporters at the White House, and in his one-on-one meeting with Trudeau, reiterated his threat to withdraw from the two-decades-old North American Free Trade Agreement unless Canada and Mexico make concessions. As he sat next to Trudeau, he suggested he might negotiate separate deals with each country. Trudeau remained silent. In the presence of his counterparts, Trump at least publicly showed none of the petulance of his tweets against them in the days before the summit. At his meeting with Macron, he flattered the French president, saying, Youve got courage; youre doing the right thing. On its eve, however Trump had engaged in an increasingly acrimonious Twitter back-and-forth with Macron, and attacked Trudeau as well, over both leaders criticisms of his recent tariffs on steel and aluminum. Trudeau in pre-summit interviews had damned the tariffs as an insult to U.S. allies. Both Macron and Trudeau had worked to court Trump in hopes of building a constructive personal relationship with their mercurial American counterpart. Yet both have been disappointed as Trump disregarded their pleas on the Paris climate accord, the Iran nuclear deal and tariffs. After Macron tweeted on Thursday that the other leaders might sign a memorandum to work together without the American president, Trump lashed back. He complained in a tweetstorm, sometimes misleadingly, about existing trade barriers in the European Union and Canada and threatened to escalate the budding trade war that began with his tariffs. Heather A. Conley, who served in the State Department under President George W. Bush, said the vast array of disputes between Trump and Americas traditional allies made the current transatlantic tensions more serious than any previously. This feels as if the United States is uprooting the international system that we designed, Conley said. The G-7 in particular is important, she added, for being a coalition defined not only by economics but by values: Thats why Russias not there, because they dont share the values that you cant invade an adversarys territory. She warned that diplomacy in the Trump era may be entering a values-free policy space. And that is shredding 70 years of American foreign policy and global leadership. In his wide-ranging 20-minute back-and-forth with reporters as he left the White House, Trump also reasserted his absolute right to pardon himself and said that more presidential pardons are in the offing as he reviews about 3,000 candidates for clemency, including dead celebrities he mentioned boxing champion Muhammad Ali, though Alis draft-dodging conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court nearly 50 years ago. Trump also said that embattled Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt was doing a great job, though he added that Pruitt was not blameless in the many controversies swirling around him. Stokols is a special correspondent. estokols@gmail.com Twitter: @EliStokols Times staff writer Noah Bierman in Washington contributed to this report. The latest from Washington UPDATES: 4:25 p.m.: The article was updated with summit developments and new quotes from Trump and veteran diplomat Nicholas Burns. 12:15 p.m.: The article was updated with summit developments and reactions to Trumps Russia comments, including from Prime Minister May and Sens. Schumer, McCain, Flake and Sasse. 9:20 a.m.: The article was updated with postponement of a meeting between President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron. 8:20 a.m.: This article was updated with remarks from the European Council president. 7:40 a.m.: The article was updated with additional remarks from President Trump and context. This article was originally published at 6:45 a.m. Just 129 votes separate the two Democrats vying to take on Rep. Dana Rohrabacher Democrat Hans Keirstead, shown in 2017, is running to unseat Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) Its pretty much certain that a Democrat will make it on the November ballot to challenge GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, but as of Friday we still dont know who. In the latest tallies released by Orange County elections officials Thursday, stem cell scientist Hans Keirstead was just 129 votes ahead of fellow Democrat and real estate investor Harley Rouda. Thats an increase in the lead for Keirstead, who had been ahead by just 45 votes the day before. While national Democrats cheered the fact that their candidates appear to have advanced through Californias top-two primary in all of the key House districts they hope to flip, it would be something of a strategic failure for them if Keirstead makes it onto the November ballot. Thats because the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the national partys arm to help candidates win House races, stepped in at the last minute to explicitly back Rouda, dropping $400,000 on joint TV and cable ads with Roudas campaign. It was a clear indication that they believe Rouda, a former Republican with endorsements from a dozen House members including Nancy Pelosi, to be better positioned to take on Rohrabacher in the fall. The committee also spent more than $1.7 million attacking Republican challenger Scott Baugh, who threatened to keep both Keirstead and Rouda out of the the November contest by snagging the second-place spot on Tuesday. That investment seems to have paid off: As of Thursday, Baugh was trailing both by more than 1,200 votes and has already conceded and endorsed Rohrabacher for the fall. It may be days before the final winner of the second ballot spot becomes clear. As of Thursday, Orange County officials still had more than 168,000 ballots left to count and voters in the 48th District make up about a quarter of registered voters there. On Tuesday, the Rouda campaign made a statement declaring victory, but by Thursday afternoon was asking his donors to contribute to a Harley Rouda Recount Fund. Rouda campaign manager Mike McLaughlin said the fund was the legally responsible thing to do as the vote canvass continues and that the campaign is using the funds to pay several attorneys who are observing the countys vote-counting process. Well retain every right to pursue all options here to make sure that everything happens legally, McLaughlin said. We fully intend to be ahead on the count by the end of this. In a statement provided by his campaign, Keirstead said hes committed to protecting the integrity of the vote, but that regardless of the outcome, a Democrat gets to face Dana in the fall. DCCC spokesman Andrew Godinich also pointed out another bright spot for Democrats: Rohrabacher received just 30% of the primary election vote, the lowest share of any congressional incumbent in California. Keirstead and Rouda both had about 17%. Gavin Newsom and John Cox see eye-to-eye on very little and Californians can expect to hear plenty about those disagreements from now until November. With the contours of the gubernatorial election exactly five months from now set as a matchup between Newsom, the Democratic lieutenant governor and former mayor of San Francisco, and Cox, the Republican businessman based in Rancho Santa Fe, voters are in for a partisan battle that will litigate the states recent gas tax now under siege by a repeal effort and competing visions of how to address Californias high cost of living. And above all, Donald Trump, whose polarizing presidency has turned nearly every electoral contest into a referendum on the current administration. Hes changed politics in this country, Newsom told The Times this week. Politics in this state, politics in every state, politics in every congressional race. Id argue every city council race, every mayors race, certainly the governors race. Advertisement Newsom has been an eager and vocal critic of the president, frequently goading him on social media. By drawing a Republican opponent, Newsom predicted he would seize the ability to contrast that and have a substantive policy conversation around that contrast, those differences, our values and whats at stake, and their values and Trump. Sure enough, while Newsom did not mention Cox by name in his election night speech on Tuesday, he pointedly jabbed his opponent as a foot soldier in [Trumps] war on California. Trumps endorsement of Cox several weeks before election day and reiterated several times on Twitter helped the gubernatorial hopeful consolidate support among Republican voters, with whom the president remains popular, and propelled him into the second-place finish ahead of several Democrats who once seemed poised to claim a spot in the general election. Cox often touted the support and drew parallels between Trumps resume and his own. He endorsed me because he knows Im a businessman who can get results just like hes done improving the economy, affordability, lower taxes, Cox said in an interview. Full coverage of Californias primary But Trump may prove to be more of a detriment as Cox seeks to boost his appeal beyond the GOP faithful. The partys voter registration now ranks below those registered as independents, and Californians have not elected a Republican to statewide office in more than a decade. Trump, also, is widely unpopular among California voters. Cox has repeatedly said on the trail that while he supports Trump, I am my own man. Aside from not voting for the president in 2016, he has not articulated any major break from Trump and has aligned himself with the administrations stance against illegal immigration and the sanctuary efforts in California to limit cooperation with federal immigration officials. A central plank of Coxs candidacy with perhaps broader appeal is the effort to end the gas tax, which was passed last year. A repeal measure is poised to qualify for the November ballot soon, and the successful recall of a Democratic lawmaker who voted for the tax hike on Tuesday augurs trouble for the taxs future. A USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll in May found 51% of registered voters in the state favored repealing the taxes and fees from last years legislation, which would raise money to repair roads and bridges, and improve mass transit. The survey indicated that abolishing the tax hike has resonance beyond the states Republican diehards. Cox, who often touts his involvement in the repeal measure, has used the gas tax as a springboard into a larger debate about taxes, a time-tested GOP campaign staple. Newsom wants to double the income tax, he wants to increase property taxes and he wants to make sure that we dont repeal this gas tax, Cox said in an interview on Fox News on Wednesday. I say the people of this state have been taxed enough. Theyre going to rebel. And were going to lead that revolt here. While Newsom has backed pricey government programs such as single-payer healthcare, he has not made specific proposals on how to pay for such plans and has not called for hikes in income or property taxes. A Cox spokesman did not respond to a question about what the candidate was referring to in his appearance. Newsom did say he plans on leaning into the gas tax debate and will defend the money it will raise for roads, despite the issues unpopularity in the polls. Im going to try to shape that conversation, make a strong and vigorous case for it, he said. They want to demagogue it, they want to act like somehow money is just going to fall from the trees and you can repeal it and somehow all the streets will be repaved with gold. Thats just gobbledygook nonsense. Cox and Newsom do agree on one thing: California has become an increasingly unaffordable place to live. Both men took time in their election night speeches to lament those who cannot afford a roof over their heads and vow to address the states high poverty rate. Their prescriptions for reining in the cost of living differ wildly. Newsom has proposed guaranteed universal healthcare, increased state money for housing and a cradle-to-college array of government services for the states youth. Cox opposes single-payer healthcare and has called for more market-driven, as opposed to state-subsidized, healthcare policy, and has said rolling back environmental regulations on builders is the solution to the states housing crisis. Deriding his opponents plans as nanny state government, Cox has signaled he does not see state spending as the solution to high costs. This debate is going to set up a clear choice between Venezeula, which is what Gavin Newsom wants California to look like, and the California dream restored, which is what Im aiming to do, he said. Times staff writers Seema Mehta and Jaclyn Cosgrove contributed to this report. melanie.mason@latimes.com Follow @melmason on Twitter for the latest on California politics. In a city most known for its prison and farmland, the modest, one-story home of Mary and Raul Gomez has the feel of the quintessential American dream with its trimmed green lawn, little porch and white picket fence. In the driveway, theres even a remodeled 1968 black Chevrolet Biscayne visible from Dairy Avenue. For 20 years, it also has served to foster a truly American value the civic duty of voting as the campaign headquarters for the Kings County Latino Roundtable. There, in a shaded backyard decked with Oakland Raiders memorabilia, members meet over hot dogs and cold beverages to strategize voter canvassing routes, host candidate meet-and-greets and craft their trusted election guide logistics for the crucial task of getting Latinos to cast ballots. Some think that voting doesnt matter; it does, Raul Gomez said as he arranged lawn chairs for Tuesdays primary night watch party. Every vote counts. I have seen where people have won by three votes or four votes. It could matter a lot this year in the Central Valley and across California, where Democrats are targeting seats long held by Republicans in a national bid to flip the House in November. In many of these congressional contests, low voter turnout has been a perennial hurdle for Democrats, and some campaigns plan to take more active measures to reach residents historically marginalized or shut out of the process. One key constituency: the Latino voter. As the fastest-growing electorate, Latinos have vastly reshaped California politics and will hold increasing sway over coming elections as sophisticated voters supporting the candidates who share their values and party affiliation, regardless of heritage. But some political analysts say the population is not meeting its potential, as both parties have failed to connect with the community. Fernando Guerra, professor and director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University, takes a view thats at once positive and pessimistic. Early results show this weeks primary brought out a record number of Latino voters compared with similar elections in the past. That Latinos made it onto the November ballot in four statewide races is a fact that should be celebrated, he said. But when you compare what occurred to what could have occurred, that is where you struggle with how to improve it, Guerra said. Since the 1970s, political analysts have resorted to an overused label to describe the Latino voter bloc: that of the sleeping giant, an untapped power that could sway the outcome of an election if only it were awakened. Latinos now make up Californias single largest ethnic group and 34% of the adult population. Only 18% are likely voters, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Voter turnout has lagged behind voter registration in every primary and general election since at least 2002, according to the data firm Political Data Inc. Raul and Mary Gomez in their backyard in Corcoran, Calif. Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times Why these California Republicans keep winning in Democratic-leaning districts The 2016 presidential election was supposed to be different. Donald Trumps call for mass deportations and a border wall was expected to drive Latinos to the polls in higher numbers than before. When those predictions didnt materialize, voter groups and immigrant rights organizations pledged to try again and focused on increasing Latino voter turnout during this years California primary. The Gomez family has been ahead of it all. On Tuesday, the couple were on call to pass out voter guides, field last-minute calls for help from voters and give rides to the polls. If there is a so-called sleeping giant, they said, they havent seen it. Mary Gonzales Gomez points to a voter canvassing map used by Kings County Latino Roundtable members. Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times These leaders organized the Kings County Latino Roundtable because they were fed up with the lack of Latino representation on city and county boards. All were retired, and many had worked in the fields. Mayor Raymond Lerma, part of that original cohort, remembers that the idea came after a battle with the city to rename a main thoroughfare in Corcoran for human rights activist Cesar Chavez shortly after his death in 1993. One City Council member told me, I dont care if you get 10,000 voters on that petition, I am not going to sign it, Lerma said. They eventually had a park named in Chavezs honor, but the group realized that empowering Latino voters could ensure fair access to the polls and increase the ranks of Latinos in leadership at all levels of government. Mary Gonzales Gomez like her husband, raised in Corcoran soon started running for office herself. She has served on local hospital and school boards and is a board member for the Kings County Office of Education. Because of the Latino roundtable that was the force this is the first time in the history of Corcoran that we have four minorities sitting on City Council, she said. The group now has a core of 12 organizers. They bill it as a Democratic club, though they say their mission is to get all Latinos out to vote regardless of party affiliation. They walk streets and talk to voters, sometimes dodging German shepherds, all throughout Kings County, including nearby Kettleman City and Avenal. Over the years, they have seen the same struggles with turning out the Latino vote for congressional races. Low levels of education and poverty keep many from the polls. Some are simply uninterested; many others believe their vote wont make a difference. Or they are confused by the ballot. Or they dont speak English. More often, Kings County Latino Roundtable members say, getting out the vote is a lot of work, and national campaigns dont bother to invest the time in their small cities and counties. Candidates dont knock on doors or make personal connections. Jess Garcia said it often feels like outsiders choose their candidates for them. Its like we are born Catholic, we live Catholic, we will die Catholic, he said. Its not about questioning the doctrine, and it should be. Full coverage of the California primary Anthony Gracian, a Kings County Latino Roundtable member, works the polls during Tuesday's primary. Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times In a year of historically low voter turnout in California, Latinos were hugely underrepresented in the 2014 primary, casting 12% of the votes even though they made up 23% of registered voters. That general trend has held true across the state for years, but perhaps nowhere has the effect been more significant than in the Central Valley, where voter drives and turnout efforts have been sparser than in urban areas such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. This year, action could pick up as Democrats are running three nationally targeted races against Republicans there in an attempt to recapture the House. In the 10th District, spanning all of Stanislaus County to the north, Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) will probably face Democrat Josh Harder in November. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) will face Democrat Andrew Janz in the 22nd District, covering Fresno and Tulare counties. And Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) will face Democratic businessman TJ Cox in the 21st District, where the Gomezes have focused their efforts. Some organizations already have been at work: The nonprofit Civica Latino, which has members in Fresno, was created with the ambitious goal of boosting Latino turnout statewide by as many as 700,000 voters for the primary. NextGen America, a progressive nonprofit founded by billionaire Tom Steyer, has been organizing young people in Valadaos district, where the population is more than 75% Latino. Ballots are still being counted, and it will be weeks before a clearer picture of turnout emerges in the Central Valley. Latino voter energy in the area seemed absent Tuesday despite solid Latino candidates in every major state race. At a primary night party in Fresno for Janz, pop music blasted from speakers and attendees munched on churros. Jim Mendez, a retired physician, blasted Nunes track record on immigration, healthcare and taxes but then pointed to the crowd of attendees, many of them white retirees. Asian and Latino voters represent untapped potential, Mendez said. This crowd is going to be a problem for [Janz] in November, he said. As small as it is, Kings County is a harbinger for Democrats, crucial for statewide and national candidates, regardless of their ethnicity, said Mark Martinez, a political science professor at Cal State Bakersfield. When you get above 30% of the vote, or in the 40s, you stand good chances of winning, said Martinez, whose father, Angel, was one of the countys Latino roundtable founders. Whether you are running for Assembly, state Senate or Congress, if you dont crack 40% in Kings, it is not going to happen. Yet at the Gomezes, the day went by with few calls from voters and no requests for rides to the polls. They said it was quieter than in previous years, even for an off-year primary. At a nearby precinct, another Latino roundtable member was working the polls. Anthony Gracian, 31, said many people from his generation dont believe in voting. One man even registered his frustration by ripping up a voter guide in front of Gracian when he was out knocking on doors. He keeps at it, Gracian says, telling his friends, If you dont vote, you cant complain. jazmine.ulloa@latimes.com Twitter: @jazmineulloa Homelessness prevention efforts around the state will receive more than $600 million in new funding under a state budget deal announced Friday between Gov. Jerry Brown and top lawmakers. The money is one of the highest-profile efforts to increase spending in a year in which a strong economy has left the state flush with cash. Brown on Friday celebrated the plan and the financial turnaround from when he took office seven years ago. After detailed discussions, California is on the verge of having another on-time, balanced budget, Brown said in a statement. From a $27 billion deficit in 2011, the state now enjoys a healthy surplus and a solid rainy day fund. The budget deal increases state spending for other priorities from Democratic lawmakers over what Brown had proposed in his May revision to the budget, including higher education and anti-poverty programs. The University of California system will see more than $100 million in new funding, primarily for general operating needs. California State University campuses can increase enrollment by 3,000 students as part of the more than $200 million in one-time and ongoing revenues it received. An eligible family of three will receive an additional $71 a month through a new initiative to boost CalWORKS, the states welfare assistance program. Advertisement Coverage of California politics The homelessness agreement is $250 million higher than what Brown had proposed in May. Large cities and counties will receive $500 million for their homelessness prevention efforts, including funding emergency shelters. Roughly $100 million in additional spending is targeted for existing state health, emergency and social service programs designed to help homeless victims of domestic violence, the mentally ill and poor senior citizens. Legislators and local officials had pushed Brown to increase spending on homelessness as dollars previously approved by legislators have been slow to reach the streets and the number of homeless people across the state has swelled to 130,000. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti cheered the new funding in an interview Friday. This is exactly what we need, exactly at the right time, Garcetti said. Im very excited to see Sacramento step up and not just join us in this fight, but really lead in this fight. The $500 million for local governments is a third of what Garcetti and mayors from Californias 10 other largest cities had originally requested for homelessness programs. Garcetti said the funding makes the case for greater state involvement in housing and encourages Browns successor, who will take office next year, to continue spending. That was our wildest dream, Garcetti said of the initial $1.5-billion request. This is something that helps us move away from the nightmare. The budget agreement, however, sidesteps one of the more contentious issues: whether to offer access to Medi-Cal, the states healthcare system for the poor, to young adults and seniors who are in the U.S. illegally. Children without legal status from low-income families are eligible for full healthcare services with Medi-Cal, along with similar programs in five other states and the District of Columbia. For a portion of the adults in the U.S. illegally, only emergency medical care is offered. The framework instead will create a commission to broadly study Californias healthcare needs. That represents a concession by legislative Democrats, who had wanted general fund tax dollars spent on offering more services to the immigrant population expanding full services to more young people and to senior citizens without legal status. Gov. Jerry Brown offers part of a historic budget bonanza to help ease Californias homelessness crisis The lack of funding to expand access to care drew criticism from healthcare and immigration activists. Todays budget deal is devastating for the health of all that call California home, said Cynthia Buiza, the executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center. We are specifically disappointed that our low-income immigrant neighbors, friends, colleagues and communities will continue to suffer from exclusion from Medi-Cal. Last month, Brown proposed a $199.2-billion budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, and Fridays agreement adds about an additional $1 billion. The agreement calls for fully funding the states rainy day reserve at almost $14 billion, the largest in state history. Under the provisions of a 2014 ballot measure approved by voters, the fund can grow to no more than 10% of projected general fund revenues. After that, any revenue required to be set aside must be used for infrastructure or debt payments. Fridays announcement comes one week before the Legislatures constitutional deadline to send Brown a budget. That deadline was routinely missed in the past but has been honored since voters enacted Proposition 25 in 2010 a law that allows budgets to be passed with a majority vote in each house and docks the pay of legislators for missing the June 15 deadline. Lawmakers serving on a two-house conference committee were slated to review the fine points of the spending plan late Friday, in anticipation of formal votes in the Assembly and Senate next week. Times staff writer Melanie Mason contributed to this story. liam.dillon@latimes.com Twitter: @dillonliam john.myers@latimes.com Twitter: @johnmyers UPDATES: 6:00 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. 12:10 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. This article was originally published at 11:25 a.m. A Burbank man was convicted on Thursday of the 2016 attempted murders of six Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies after he was stopped at a DUI checkpoint. It took jurors only two hours to find 41-year-old Juan Manuel Martinez guilty of six counts of attempted murder, five counts of assault on a peace officer with a semiautomatic weapon as well as one count each of false imprisonment of a hostage, dissuading a witness by threat of force and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the Los Angeles County district attorneys office. Martinez, who has previously been convicted on drug and grand-theft charges, was driving through Bellflower on June 23, 2016, when he was stopped at a DUI checkpoint near Lakewood Boulevard and Oak Street. Authorities said, at the time, that Martinez passed through the checkpoint but was then pulled over by a motorcycle officer. Martinez then stepped out of his vehicle and shot at the motorcycle officer, hitting the deputy multiple times. The deputy then returned fire, but Martinez was not injured, according to a statement sheriff officials released after the shooting. Martinez fired on more deputies as he fled from the checkpoint on foot, injuring another officer near Lisa and Laurel streets. He then hid in a guest home in the 9000 block of Mayne Street with a male hostage for eight hours. Members of the sheriffs SWAT unit eventually used tear gas to force their way into the home and arrested Martinez, authorities said. The hostage was not harmed during the incident. The injured deputies, Christopher Allende and Chad Vandenberg, were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment of their wounds. Martinez faces a possible maximum of more than 200 years to life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 30. andy.nguyen@latimes.com Twitter: @Andy_Truc Cynthia Rowleys vibrant swimwear, wetsuits and free-spirited dresses seemed destined for a place like Newport Beach. The fashion brand opened its new 1,526- square-foot retail store at Lido Marina Village on April 10. Rowley, who lives in New Yorks West Village, said her brands expansion to the West Coast with a recent Malibu pop-up location sparked the companys interest in opening more stores along the coast. Newports location and charm is the perfect locale for our CaliYork lifestyle, Rowley said. But were not stopping here, one more store is set to open late September. Our e-comm and social media has been really strong in California and our focus on surf/swim naturally fits with Newports vibe. The Newport store is also selling Beau Lake stand-up paddleboards. For summer, Newport customers can expect flirty summer dresses, casual CaliYork sweatshirts, fitness and beachy separates and wetsuits, Rowley said. Nothing is too fussy, its a very relaxed vibe, she said. If I could sell ice cold beer along with the collection, I would. She said having a store in Newport is helping the brand ramp up its performance surf collection. If I could design a wetsuit every day, my life would be amazing, she said. We just did our first mens collection with my friend Garrett McNamara, who broke the world record for biggest wave ever surfed. I love the collection board shorts in a million prints, cool sweats and gnarly tees. Cynthia Rowleys new shop at Lido Marina Village carries her brightly colored wetsuits, swimwear and clothing. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer ) Rowley said the fashion line has many new collaborations on the horizon, including an exclusive swim and surf collaboration with Goop, Gwyneth Paltrows lifestyle brand; sneakers and slides with shoe company the Greats; and female surfers designing their dream wetsuits. Kloe Colacarro, senior vice president of retail innovation at DJM Capital Partners, which owns Lido Marina Village, said the retailer fits in well with the shopping center. Given Cynthias affinity towards water culture, surf and fitness, she and her designs were a perfect complement to the collection of boutiques and restaurants at Lido Marina Village, Colacarro said. Jessica Peralta is a contributor to Times Community News. Geoff Mitchell wants people to find their own unique meaning in his art. People tend to ask, Whats this about? said Mitchell, 46, of Anaheim. I leave my work up to interpretation. I like to capture my audience with mystery. Mitchells surrealistic art is on display at the exhibition, Ghost Stories and Fairy Tales: A Ceremony of Make Believe, at the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim. With 45 paintings, two films, self-produced music and a miniature diorama, Mitchells ability to create in a variety of mediums is showcased. The exhibit captures all the senses. The display room lighting is dim, only spotlighting the artwork. The music recorded by Mitchell playing over the loudspeaker is haunting and captivating. Its all meant to create a meditative experience, said Josh Spears, museum executive director. This exhibit is so unique because it takes you into a different world, said Spears. It takes your mind somewhere else. You can so easily get lost in Geoffs pieces. Artist Geoff Mitchell talks about one of his pieces, A Land of Great Inventions, at his Ghost Stories and Fairy Tales exhibit at the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer ) The exhibits centerpiece is a three-part diorama that tells a ghost story. Mitchell started crafting miniatures in 2013 and the scenes displayed at the museum were originally meant for a stop-motion film. Instead, he decided he was more interested in making fixed scenes. The diorama all created by hand is accompanied by an ethereal, dream-like soundtrack that Mitchell composed. While Mitchell now engages in a variety of art forms, he focused on painting when attaining his masters degree from Memphis College of Art and Design and his bachelors from Western Michigan University. Two of Mitchells short films made in 2004 and 2005 are also on display. All of Mitchells work is abstract and tends toward nostalgia. One of his favorite paintings features a blindfolded girl either tethered to or leading a young boy with a handgun and cowboy hat. The Locket Miniatures is one of three story scenes created by artist Geoff Mitchell as part of Ghost Stories and Fairy Tales on display at the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer ) Mitchell said he values ambiguity because he wants viewers to have a chance to make the art their own. Personally, I get bored when something is defined for me, Mitchell said. Mitchell said hes also been working toward creating imaginative experiences rather than art shows. Abstraction beckons deep thought. I want to create a journey for people, Mitchell said. The nostalgic qualities of Mitchells work is meant to further the arts storylike qualities. I avoid the present because we know it so well, Mitchell said. Things of the past arent known so well anymore. We are separated enough from them through time that theyre easier to fantasize about. If You Go What: Ghost Stories and Fairy Tales: A Ceremony of Make Believe art exhibit Where: Muzeo Museum at 241 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim When: Exhibit runs until July 15; the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday Cost: Adults are $10, children are $7 and students/seniors/military members are $8 Information: muzeo.org/?exhibition=ghost-stories-and-fairy-tales benjamin.brazil@latimes.com Twitter:@benbrazilpilot Firefighters expect to reach full containment by Friday night on the brush fire that temporarily displaced thousands of Laguna Beach and Aliso Viejo residents last weekend, officials said. Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito said Friday morning that firefighters were nearing 100% containment on the Aliso fire, which broke out shortly after 1 p.m. June 2 below Lagunas Top of the World neighborhood and behind Soka University in Aliso Viejo. The blaze chewed through 175 acres of thick brush. All Laguna Beach residents who were evacuated because of the fire, which was initially exacerbated by strong winds, were permitted to return to their homes the following day. Initially, 1,500 residents were evacuated from the Top of the World and Old Top of the World neighborhoods. The blaze also forced the evacuation of more than 2,000 homes in Aliso Viejo. That order was lifted at 9 p.m. June 2 after authorities determined the fire was no longer a threat to those homes. After getting a handle on the fire over the weekend, crews have been increasing containment since Monday. Firefighters have been digging up and extinguishing hot spots under the surface for the past several days, authorities said. The nature of the root systems means they smolder for days at a time, Fire Authority Battalion Chief Mike Summers said Tuesday. We want to make sure the hot spots are truly out. Fire crews often remain at brush fires for days after active flames have been extinguished to watch for flare-ups and help park and wilderness agencies restore hiking trails. Firefighters also help prepare the area for potential flooding caused by the loss of ground cover and trees, Bommarito said. Firefighters are expected to leave the area Friday night, he said. Hundreds of firefighters from cities across Southern California, including Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, helped battle the blaze. Eleven air tankers and eight helicopters were on the scene over the weekend at the height of the fire, officials said. Five firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. No structural damage has been reported. Investigators who are trying to determine what sparked the blaze are reviewing video from law enforcement and the public showing the area just as the fire got underway. So far, the cause is unclear. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN A Huntington Beach man was sentenced Tuesday to six years and six months in federal prison for his role in a scheme that led to the fraudulent purchases of more than 100 condominiums around the country. U.S. District Judge Andrew Guilford also ordered Maher Obagi, 32, to pay about $10 million in restitution. A federal jury in 2015 found Obagi guilty of one count of conspiracy and three counts of wire fraud. Mohamed Salah, 43, of Mission Viejo also was convicted in 2015 of one count of conspiracy in the scheme. He was sentenced Tuesday to 57 months in federal prison and ordered to pay about $7 million in restitution, according to court records. Several other people also have been charged in the case, including Ali Khatib, 53, of Newport Coast, who pleaded guilty to a felony count of bank fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced July 16. Prosecutors alleged that Obagi and Salah, along with other defendants, operated a builder bailout mortgage fraud scheme through Excel Investments and related companies based in Santa Ana and Irvine. The scheme involved kickbacks from condominium builders during the 2008 financial crisis, kickbacks that were hidden from lenders to convince them to fund loans in excess of actual purchase price, the U.S. attorneys office said in a statement. Prosecutors said the group identified condominium developments in California, Florida and Arizona where developers were struggling to sell units and then arranged with the builders to buy multiple condos at a discount. Group members bought units for themselves and their relatives and on behalf of straw buyers with good credit scores who were recruited under the guise that the purchase was an investment opportunity that required no down payment and would generate rental income, prosecutors said. The builders benefited by making it appear that their condos were selling and maintaining their value, while members of the conspiracy obtained the kickbacks, according to the U.S. attorneys office. To get mortgage loans, authorities said, the group used fake employment and income information and fabricated pay stubs, W-2 forms and bank statements. Based on the false information in the loan applications, mortgage lenders provided more than $21 million in financing to buy more than 100 properties, according to authorities. Many of the loans went into default and mortgage lenders lost more than $10 million after foreclosing on the properties. The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. and the Federal National Mortgage Assn. purchased dozens of the loans on the secondary mortgage market and lost at least $1.3 million because of the defaults and foreclosures, prosecutors said. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN A settlement agreement between Laguna Beach and the American Civil Liberties Union filed Wednesday in federal court outlines changes in accommodations for disabled homeless people at the citys night shelter and marks an end to a class action lawsuit that has spanned nearly three years. The ACLU filed the suit in 2015 on behalf of five chronically homeless people with mental and physical disabilities. The organization accused Laguna Beach of trying to push homeless people especially those with disabilities out of the city by not providing adequate accommodations for them. Laguna Beach City Manager John Pietig said in a statement Wednesday that the allegations in the lawsuit of violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 were grossly misguided and resulted in years of staff time and substantial financial resources that could have been devoted elsewhere. We are happy to be moving past it, he added. It isnt clear how much money the city spent fighting the lawsuit. No money changed hands as part of the settlement. Eve Garrow, an ACLU homeless policy analyst and advocate, said Thursday that the settlement puts other cities and counties on notice that they must be conscientious and flexible in providing services to homeless people who suffer from mental and physical disabilities. A federal judge must certify the settlement agreement before it can take effect. A date for that has not been set, according to court records. The 17-page agreement, signed March 23, focuses extensively on conditions at the shelter in Laguna Canyon called the Alternative Sleeping Location. The site provides shelter nightly for up to 45 homeless people, plus meals, laundry, showers and van service to Lagunas bus depot. The Laguna Beach-based nonprofit Friendship Shelter has operated the facility under contract with the city since 2009. As part of the settlement, the city agreed to pilot a program that will identify sleeping areas at the shelter for disabled people who cant tolerate crowded or noisy conditions, provide raised cots for those with disabilities that make it difficult for them to sleep on a mat on the floor, and provide refrigeration for medication and access to electrical outlets. The settlement also puts a process in place for homeless people to appeal a denial of a request for a certain accommodation. In addition, the city committed to have daytime hours at the shelter for people to use the laundry services, shower or eat a meal. ACLU attorney Ian Kysel said the agreement provides a blueprint for necessary accommodations that other cities can use to provide services to homeless people. These changes are all reasonable accommodations that should have been made available under the law, Kysel said Thursday. Some of the key changes provide a road map for municipalities to ensure their most vulnerable population can access shelter and services without being kicked out or limited because of their disabilities. Laguna Beach Mayor Kelly Boyd said in a statement that the city has made unparalleled efforts to help the homeless population in the area. Unfortunately, this is a regional crisis and not one we alone can solve, Boyd said. The ACLU and the city have been at odds before. In 2008, the ACLU challenged a Laguna Beach ordinance that allowed police to ticket homeless people who had no other place to sleep. That case was settled quickly, with the city agreeing to repeal sections of the ordinance that prohibited sleeping or camping in public places. The Alternative Sleeping Location was established after that lawsuit. As part of the settlement in the latest case, the Laguna Beach City Council agreed to adopt a resolution to affirm its commitment to end homelessness in the city, encourage Orange County to fund and expand affordable housing for unsheltered people and coax other cities in the county to take a similar stance. Its a call to county government to get serious about taking a leadership role in a regional solution to ending homelessness, Garrow said. The settlement comes at a critical time for Orange County communities that have been grappling for months to find locations for homeless shelters. A civil lawsuit was filed in federal court in January after hundreds of homeless people were removed from encampments along the Santa Ana River. U.S. District Judge David Carter, who is overseeing that lawsuit, has called for a regional approach to homelessness in which the county would be split into three zones, each with a shelter. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN Astor is a 95-year-old, 86-foot-long racing sailboat with the power and stamina to sail around the globe with the style and grace of a duchess. Thats the appeal of a wooden boat: a boat of substance that does more than get by on its good looks. Its built by craftsmen. Its something to enjoy and admire, said Astors owner, Richard Straman of Newport Beach. At the same time, theyre extremely strong and able crafts. As one of just a handful of schooners designed by William Fife, Astors teak planks and Douglas fir masts make it like a piece of Chippendale furniture in the water, Straman said. Astor is one of about 50 boats expected to be on display Saturday during the fifth annual Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival at the Balboa Yacht Club. Visitors can climb aboard the boats or watch them in action during a parade and sail-by on Sunday. Astor is based at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. But Straman and his wife, Lani, have cruised about 90,000 miles in the boat over the 31 years theyve owned it, sailing to islands as diverse as the Azores, Oahu and Catalina. As a retired designer of cars from Honda to Ferrari, Richard Straman made his living on the pavement. But with Astor, he found a life on the water. In 2000, when the Stramans daughter graduated from Newport Harbor High School, the family kicked off what became a six-year tour of the South Pacific aboard Astor. When they visited Australia, where Astor was famous as a racing vessel in the mid-20th century, other sailors recognized it. Lani Straman likes to show off the boats gimbaled, self-righting table and flame-grained mahogany paneling in the main parlor. The space is decorated with carved masks and ceremonial staffs from the couples travels and photos of their 2-year-old grandson, whose favorite word is boat. Atop the table is a bouquet of miniature flags, one from every country the boat has visited. In addition to islands in the Pacific, Astor has been to the Caribbean, the west coast of Mexico, the Panama Canal and the East Coast of the United States. It has crossed the Tropic of Cancer and toured the Mediterranean Sea and the United Kingdom. Richard said the boat could make another world tour tomorrow. The Stramans are Astors fifth and longest-tenured owners. They had wooden boats before, but Richard always wanted a schooner. Wooden-boat enthusiasts say their vessels have personalities. Richard said Astor is good-natured, but not for beginners. Shes a grand dame, he said. We should all be so lucky to be 95 years old, let alone 95 like she is, he said. Rick Ingolds Phantom will be making its second appearance at the festival. The 50-foot wheelhouse cruiser was launched in 1936. Its a luxurious yacht made of double-planked cedar over oak stringers, with teak houses and deck and Honduran mahogany interior paneling. Its Monel bathtub is impervious to the marine elements, Ingold said, and its ladies vanity now serves as a bar. The boat used to have a fireplace too, but that is long gone, as is the 30-caliber Browning machine gun that was mounted on the foredeck when the Navy requisitioned Phantom during World War II to protect the Kaiser Steel works along Oregons Columbia River. Ingold has owned 60 boats during his 74 years. Half of them have been wooden, a fondness he picked up from his father. Ingold was born and raised in Newport Beach, and he owned his first wooden boat at age 12 a powerboat built in the lapstrake method. Its name was Skippy. Ingold has owned up to three boats at a time, but these days he only has Phantom, plus a dinghy. The vessel is docked at the Balboa Yacht Basin, where maintenance workers spend about two days a week keeping it healthy. Ingold acquired Phantom last year from a widow in Portland, Ore., who had researched him to ensure he would love the boat as much as her husband did. Ingold said contemporary fiberglass boats have dramatic lines but arent pretty. Wooden boats have style, he said. And wood smells better, goes through the water better, handles the waves better. Other boats expected to be on display near Astor and Phantom are Lady Isabelle, which was used to help evacuate 330,000 Allied troops stranded in Dunkirk, France, in 1940. The Spirit of Dana Point will bring a tall ship silhouette to the harbor. The 118-foot replica of a 1770s privateer is familiar to anyone who has visited the Ocean Institute in the vessels namesake city. The festival also will feature live music, maritime art and exhibits, food, a silent auction and the Kids Toy Boat Building Pavilion. Parking and shuttle service will be available at 1600 Newport Center Drive, and a water taxi will pick up visitors at several locations around the harbor. IF YOU GO What: Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival When: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. parade and 1 p.m. sail-by Sunday Where: Balboa Yacht Club, 1801 Bayside Drive. Sundays parade starts at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, 1601 Bayside Drive, and the sail-by starts at the top of the bay. Cost: Festival admission, parking and shuttle and water taxi service are all free. Information: newportbeachwoodenboatfestival.com hillary.davis@latimes.com Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD Re: Bert Rings cartoon (May 12-13) panning texting while driving and pedestrians texting while crossing the street (aside from the problem of car windows being overly tinted): If our politicians really wanted an effective deterrence against such unsafe, behind-the-wheel behavior, theyd allow automobile insurance companies to be able to raise their insurance rates on drivers convicted of cellphone and/or texting violations. Well, Senate Bill 1030, scheduled to be voted on in the Assembly Transportation Committee on June 11, would indeed make it a one-point DMV violation. Now, the state of New York already requires the assignment of five points upon conviction for such violations. Albeit, the cartoons depicted pedestrian could well wind up paying the greatest price of all for her cavalierly dangerous mistake in judgment. (In Honolulu, this, too, has already been made illegal, but only on a fine basis.) By the way, another related California state law proposal (one from yours truly) would allow drivers who are held to be at fault in a vehicular-bodily injury accident say, where the bumper of your car barely tapped another moving vehicles rear end access to the names and/or business addresses of the treating physician, who purportedly treated a resultant, so-called soft tissue injury. This latter law could be important too, because If it turned out that the good doctor had ever had his or her license suspended or revoked, the case could well be thrown out of court. Harvey Pearson Los Feliz We are two of the nearly 119,000 Californians whose names did not appear on the voting roll when we went to cast our ballots on June 5. At first, we were upset and baffled, but the poll worker at our table told us the same thing had happened to her and a number of other voters. We filled out provisional ballots, hoping our votes would count. TV news that night reported that the county election commission blamed a printing error, saying it would be investigated and that all provisional ballots would, in fact, be counted. We certainly hope so, and we certainly hope that the problem wont arise again on Nov. 6. Now we wonder just how many of the disappeared are, like us, registered Democrats, and we wouldnt be surprised to hear that the anti-California Trump administration and its alleged Russian collusion had something to do with it. Sadly, these days such a scenario isnt beyond mere speculation. Jean and Tom Stapleton Glendale The painting of a nude woman quickly became a media sensation. But local officials, claiming it would distract drivers, ordered the Pink Lady removed. After attempts with high-pressure hoses and paint remover failed, the Pink Lady was covered up with brown paint. On the 25th anniversary of the Pink Lady, artist Lynne Westmore, who had scaled the rocks above a Malibu Canyon Road tunnel to paint the 60-foot-tall figure, was profiled by Los Angeles Times staff writer Michael Arkush: For an instant, artist Lynne Westmore spotted the naked lady who changed her life 25 years ago. I see her breast, said Westmore, 56, searching the rocks on a cliff in the Santa Monica Mountains for any sign of her creation. Advertisement Its not there, she said a few seconds later. Actually, I cant make out anything. There was nothing there. Cars zoomed through the tunnel on Malibu Canyon Road, four miles north of Malibu. Nobody stopped. In late October 1966, everybody had stopped. Overnight, a painting of a pink, naked woman had appeared on the rocks above the tunnel. For a few days, the painting made more headlines in Los Angeles than President Johnson and the Beatles. She was art to some, an obscenity to others. She was dubbed the Pink Lady, and those who saw her have never forgotten her. I was blown away by it, said Dan Rich, an Encino hairstylist, who was 8 at the time. Every time I go through that tunnel, I mention the Pink Lady. I look up to see if shes popping back through. Westmore, now a grandmother, isnt surprised by the ladys enduring legacy. The Northridge woman was 31 when she scaled the cliff after dark and painted one night what she imagined would be another anonymous contribution to the California landscape. Instead, she lost her privacy and her job. She received marriage proposals and death threats. Nudist groups asked her to join; Hollywood asked for her story. And the Pink Lady wasnt even her first choice. Initially, Westmore hoped to draw a bird, but realized its wings would be obstructed by the brush. The lady won by default. There was graffiti on the rocks all the time, said Westmore, who passed by the tunnel frequently on the way to her mothers Malibu home. If someone was going to that trouble, why not do something creative? Gradually, the lady took over Westmores life. Several nights each month, starting in January 1966, when the full moon provided sufficient light, she climbed the mountain to prepare her canvas. Supporting herself with nylon ropes attached to her waist and nearby bushes and pipes, Westmore took months to erase the graffiti. In August, she sketched the outline, which remained undisturbed on the cliff for two months. Finally, on Oct. 28, 1966, a Friday, starting at 8 p.m. and working with just the light from a full moon, Westmore finished her work a 60-foot-tall naked woman, running with pink flowers in her hand. At dawn, Westmore drove home to greet her dog, who had delivered puppies overnight, wake her two children and resume her normal routine. For two days, she did. But, on Monday, word of the painting spread. By Tuesday, stories about it were all over local newspapers and TV newscasts. County officials, who werent concerned with its artistic merit, complained that it would become a traffic hazard. Any motorist approaching the tunnel from the south could be distracted and miss oncoming vehicles. The Pink Lady had to go, officials said. On Nov. 3, 1966, using 14 gallons of brown paint, workers covered up the Pink Lady. Arkushs full Oct. 27, 1991, story Legend of the Pink Lady is online. Nov. 3, 1966: A Los Angeles County employee, supported by nylon ropes hung from above, uses a brush and paint remover in a vain effort to eradicate the Pink Lady above Malibu Canyon Road. (R.L. Oliver / Los Angeles Times ) The Pink Lady coverup was covered in the Nov. 18, 1966, issue of LIFE magazine. Artist Lynne Westmore Bloom passed away Jan. 6, 2017. Her Los Angeles Times obituary by Steve Marble is online: Lynne Westmore Bloom, the artist who surprised Malibu with the Pink Lady, dies at 81. This post was originally published on Jan. 8, 2017. Oct. 10, 1991: The artist poses with a sketch she used as model for the Pink Lady. (George Wilhelm / Los Angeles Times ) See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here Baha Abu Ayash winced as a nurse unraveled the bandage around his right ankle. There was a whiff of rotting meat as a gaping bullet wound came into view. A doctor pinched his toes. They were black and cold. For six days, the 23-year-old and his family had held out hope that his foot might be saved, if only he could be evacuated from the Gaza Strip. But it was too late now, the doctor from Jordan told them. Even if Israel agreed to the transfer, the decision would be the same. This patient needs a life-saving amputation, the doctor said. Gangrene has set in . It is very critical. Still, the family hesitated. Nobody in the family had steady work. Who would support the young man if his foot or leg were removed? Its not an easy decision, said Mohammed Abu Ayash, one of his 12 siblings. Doctors at Gaza's Shifa Hospital paperwork before starting amputation surgery for Baha Abu Ayash. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Rasmiya Mohammed Abu Ayash cries after being told that her son Baha will lose his leg. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Left, Doctors at Shifa Hospital prepare paperwork before starting amputation surgery for Baha Abu Ayash. Right, Rasmiya Mohammed Abu Ayash cries after being told that her son Baha will lose his leg. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) The toll of violence during two months of protests along the Gaza Strips border with Israel is most often measured in deaths: at least 127 Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire. But more than 14,000 have been wounded 3,700 of them took bullets according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. Nearly 60% of those gunshot casualties were hit in the legs a strategy employed by the Israeli military to limit killings. Doctors say many of these wounds are unusually severe and will require multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation. In most cases, the patients will be left with life-long disabilities. In Gaza, a 12-year-old amputee holds on to his dreams At least 28 people have lost limbs, a figure that the International Committee for the Red Cross says could triple simply because the enclaves hospitals are collapsing and do not have the ability to cope with the massive trauma load. The wounded are not the only ones who will suffer. Entire families depend on the injured, most of them young men in their 20s and early 30s. Many joined the protests because they already had lost hope of finding a job, getting married or building a future in this deeply impoverished enclave of 2 million people wedged between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. Now they are incapacitated, said Marie-Elisabeth Ingres, head of mission for the French aid group Doctors Without Borders in the Palestinian territories. What is the future for this new generation? Friends and family members care for Baha Abu Ayash after his amputation at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Even before the current round of violence, Gazas hospitals were beset by chronic shortages of medicines, equipment and basic supplies, including dressings, antibiotics and painkillers. Salaries for doctors and nurses have been slashed and sometimes go unpaid. With electricity available just a few hours a day, health facilities depend on generators that destroy their equipment. The causes of the shortages are disputed. Israel has imposed a stifling blockade on Gaza since 2007, when the armed Islamist group Hamas seized control from its secular rival Fatah. The Palestinian Authority, which is headquartered in the West Bank and run by Fatah, has also imposed retaliatory measures against the Hamas government in Gaza. But Israel accuses the militants of diverting funds for public services to military activities, an allegation Hamas denies. The protests, held each Friday, have pushed the healthcare system to the brink. Hospital personnel compare the weekly influx of patients to what they experienced during the bombings of 2014, when Israel was at war with Hamas. An estimated 1,350 protesters with complex injuries will each need three to five operations, the Red Cross said in a recent statement. Such a caseload would overwhelm any health system, it said. In Gaza, the situation is worsened by chronic shortages of drugs, equipment and electricity. Faris Salah works on fine-tuning a prosthetic limb at the Artificial Limbs and Polio Center in Gaza City. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Wounded Palestinians wait patiently for medical care at the MSF facility in Gaza City. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) A wounded patient awaits medical treatment at the MSF facility in Gaza City. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Physiotherapist Mohammed Hamed works with Hamza Abu Jameh, 16, to exercise his legs, during a physiotherapy session at the Palestine Red Crescent Society branch of Al Amal Hospital. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Clockwise from top left, Faris Salah works on fine-tuning a prosthetic limb at the Artificial Limbs and Polio Center in Gaza City. Wounded Palestinians wait for medical care at a Doctors Without Borders clinic in Gaza City. Physiotherapist Mohammed Hamed helps Hamza Abu Jameh, 16, exercise his legs during a physiotherapy session at Al Amal Hospital in the Gaza Strip. A wounded patient awaits medical treatment at the Doctors Without Borders clinic in Gaza City. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) With just 2,200 hospital beds in all of Gaza, health authorities ordered all elective surgeries canceled for the duration of the protests. Even with no new injuries, the Red Cross estimates that up to 90 people will eventually need to be fitted with artificial limbs and 300 with other orthotic devices. The Artificial Limbs and Polio Center, the only facility in Gaza that manufactures prostheses, is struggling to get the materials it will need. It recently had to stop production for nearly two months when Israel delayed a shipment of resin, a material that receives special attention from authorities because some types can also be used for military purposes. The shipment finally arrived last month, but center officials say it wont meet current needs. Israeli military officials blame Gazas rulers for the mounting toll, accusing Hamas of using the protests as cover to try to break through security barriers and carry out attacks in Israel. Non-lethal methods, such as rubber-coated bullets, have proved ineffective at deterring the crowds, Yoav Galant, a member of Israels Security Cabinet, recently told reporters. But he said the policy was to aim at demonstrators legs to minimize fatalities. The severity of the injuries has raised questions in Gaza about the type of ammunition used. Israeli officials say soldiers employ only standard weaponry that complies with international laws. The worst bloodshed occurred May 14, when the demonstrations reached a peak. Israeli forces unleashed barrages of tear gas and gunfire against crowds trying to break through the fence. Nearly 60 Palestinians were killed and more than 2,200 injured 1,300 of them shot. Hadeel Kharoub cares for her husband, Yousef, who is in the Intensive care unit at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Yousef Kharoub was shot in the legs during a border protest. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) At Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the strips largest, a triage tent was set up in the front courtyard. Pandemonium reigned. Ambulances pulled up every few minutes with screaming, bloodied patients. Fistfights broke out between armed guards and panicked relatives, who jammed the hallways trying to find missing loved ones. By 9:30 p.m., doctors had performed some 30 surgeries, sometimes working on two patients in the same operating theater. And there were more than 30 cases still waiting. I cant find the words to describe the shortages we have here, said Dr. Rami Hamdan, as he slumped into a chair to catch his breath in between surgeries. In many cases, bullets had shattered bones, destroyed tissue and left large exit wounds. Hamdan said surgeons had to share the hospitals only orthopedic drill. We clean and disinfect it, but we arent sterilizing it, he said. The sheer number of surgical cases was forcing doctors to make agonizing choices: spend hours repairing severed veins to try to restore blood flow to a limb, or quickly stanch the bleeding and move on to the next patient. Many of them, they tried up to exhaustion to save the limb, said Ana Lucia Bueno, deputy health coordinator for the Red Cross in Gaza. But they know that outside that room there are 10 more patients waiting for the operating theater And of course the priority is always life. To make room for the next wave of casualties, the hospital is often forced to discharge patients early. Wadieh Ras falls to the ground after getting shot by Israeli forces during a protest at the border fence between Gaza and Israel east of Gaza City. Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times Wadieh Ras, 24, pleaded with staff not to kick him out. It had been just three days since he was shot in the leg at the fence east of Gaza City, and he had metal pins sticking out of his thigh and an exit wound the size of a fist. But his bed would be needed the next day. Three relatives carried him yelling to the parking lot, where they had a car waiting to take him to a warren of narrow alleys and crumbling apartment blocks known as the Beach refugee camp. Three days later, as he lay sweating and moaning in bed, ants crawled over his bandages, soaked through with blood and pus. His family decided not to wait for his next scheduled appointment at the hospital and took him to a Doctors Without Borders clinic. The courtyard was jammed with young men with claw-like metal braces protruding from bandaged legs. Ras waited nearly four hours for an exam. The wound was infected, the doctor told him. He would need antibiotics and daily dressing changes. There was also damage to the bones, muscles and veins. He would need more surgeries. Wadieh Ras grimaces in pain after getting shot by Israeli forces during a protest east of Gaza City. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Wadieh Ras waits with an overflow of patients to be treated at a Doctors Without Borders clinic in Gaza City. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Wadieh Ras is carried by relatives and friends to a vehicle to drive him to the clinic to get medical care. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Top, Wadieh Ras grimaces in pain after getting shot by Israeli forces during a protest east of Gaza City. Left, Ras waits with an overflow of patients to be treated at a Doctors Without Borders clinic in Gaza City. Right, Ras is carried by relatives and friends to a vehicle to drive him to the clinic. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) The first hospital where Baha Abu Ayash was taken was full, so he was transferred to Shifa on the floor of an ambulance hauling two other wounded protesters. He lay on a gurney for hours, his family at his side. Maybe he would have had a chance if they dealt with him directly, said his distraught mother, Rasmiya. It was past midnight on May 15 more than 11 hours since hed been shot when he was wheeled into surgery. Doctors worked on his ankle for more than three hours but could not say whether the operation was a success. One said the leg was too severely damaged and would most likely have to be amputated. Others said there was a chance it could be saved. Baha, stocky with a quick smile, once dreamed of becoming a lawyer. But there was no money for education after high school. The protests, called to demand the lifting of the blockade and a right to return to ancestral homes in what is now Israel, were an exciting distraction from the grinding poverty. Baha said he was burning tires and carrying a Palestinian flag when he was shot near the fence in central Gaza. He and four brothers were regulars there. They go out of despair, because there is no money, their mother said. Mohammed Abu Ayash waits in the hallway after signing hospital paperwork allowing for a life-saving amputation for his brother Baha. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Baha Abu Ayash and his friends head outside for fresh air as they spend time together in anticipation for his amputation surgery at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Baha Abu Ayash, center left, and his family members relax and dine outside as they break their Ramadan fast a day after his amputation surgery at Shifa Hospital. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Concerned family members sleep overnight in the hallways at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Clockwise from top left, Mohammed Abu Ayash waits in the hallway after signing hospital paperwork allowing for a life-saving amputation for his brother Baha. Baha Abu Ayash and his friends head outside for fresh air as they spend time together before his surgery at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Concerned family members sleep in the hallways at Shifa Hospital. Baha Abu Ayash, center left, and family members relax and dine outside as they break their Ramadan fast a day after his amputation at Shifa Hospital. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) The close-knit family depends on a quarterly food package from the United Nations relief organization for Palestinian refugees. Rasmiya said she sold two bottles of oil from the last distribution to cover her taxi fare to the hospital. She brought tubs of rice, chicken and hummus for Baha, because the hospital does not provide food. His brothers chipped in to buy pain medicine to help him sleep. But it didnt seem to do much. On the third day, when doctors proposed another operation, his older brother Mohammed, who the family entrusted to make medical decisions for Baha, got scared they might cut off the leg and refused to sign the paperwork. The family hoped that he might be sent to Jordan or Turkey for treatment. Gaza health officials say they have submitted hundreds of such requests to evacuate the injured, but Israel and Egypt, which restrict who can leave Gaza for security reasons, have approved just a few dozen. Israeli authorities provided their own numbers, saying that as of Thursday they had received 113 requests, approved 62 and rejected 42. Baha Abu Ayash and his family go outside to break their Ramadan fast a day after his amputation at Shifa Hospital. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) "It has been decided that every request to enter Israel for medical treatment for any terrorist or rioter who took part in the violent events on the border will be refused, a spokesman for Israels Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said in an email. Still, exceptional humanitarian cases are evaluated on the basis of an appraisal of the security situation and according to the judgment of the military commander of the area. By the time Bahas family received word that he had been cleared to travel, it was too late. Three more days had passed, and all three teams of visiting doctors that evaluated his leg reached the same conclusion: The only choice was to amputate. Reluctantly, Mohammed agreed, but only if the surgeon promised not to cut above the knee. I cant promise, the surgeon said the next morning. You have to understand, we dont know what we will find. Defeated, Mohammed finally signed. Dont be sad, Baha told friends and family at the hospital. It is my fate and what Allah has written for me. His mother retreated into the hallway so he wouldnt see her cry. She was still sitting there when he was wheeled back from surgery. Her face contorted into a silent scream. Behind Baha was his brother, Ahmed, carrying a plain, cardboard box. It contained the foot, which Ahmed planned to bury in a cemetery, so it might one day follow Baha to heaven. Salah is a special correspondent. alexandra.zavis@latimes.com Twitter: @alexzavis UPDATES: 12:40 p.m.: This article has been updated with the death toll rising to 127 and number of wounded to 14,000. This article was originally published at 11:30 a.m. The search for a killer or killers that left a man dead on a Massachusetts street brought investigators to Allentown this week. A man was shot multiple times at about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Hampshire and Alder streets in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and died at the scene. On Thursday, Lehigh Valley police were told to be on the lookout for a dark-colored Hyundai registered to an Allentown address in connection with the Lawrence homicide. On Friday, Allentown police confirmed they found the car. "While arrests haven't been made, we are working with Massachusetts State Police currently on the investigation," Captain Glenn Granitz said. No arrests have been made in the case, and authorities are still waiting for a positive identification of the victim, said Essex County District Attorney spokeswoman Carrie Kimball Monahan. Anyone who may have information about the shooting can call Allentown police at at 610-437-7753 or Lawrence detectives at 978-794-5900, ext. 625. Anonymous tips can also be made via the Allentown police app. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area's persistence in protecting a historical nesting area for peregrine falcons has finally paid off. A pair of chicks hatched earlier this year in a nest on the cliffs of Mount Minsi in the 70,000-acre park on the border of northern New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Park staff and volunteers thought something was up when there were reports of territorial behaviors along the cliffs, and in February the park closed the area to hikers, according to a news release. Pennsylvania Game Commission staff and volunteers confirmed eggs were laid, and then saw adult brooding and feeding behaviors -- signs the eggs hatched. Game Commission staff, park staff, and volunteers recently banded the pair and they will be monitored over the next several weeks. One leg was banded with large letter and number combinations that can be seen with binoculars. The other leg was banded with a uniquely numbered silver band tracked by state and federal agencies. These aren't the only peregrine falcon chicks in the area this spring. Three baby falcons were born in May at the landmark PPL Building in Allentown. It was the first nesting pair of peregrine falcons since 2008. Art McMorris, peregrine falcon coordinator for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said four peregrines were born this spring at the Martins Creek plant owned by PPL spinoff Talen Energy in Lower Mount Bethel Township. The Mount Minsi cliffs were a historical nesting site for the falcons, but officials hadn't seen a pair in that location until 2009. There was no offspring that year, and in 2010 the area was closed to hikers in order to try and encourage the pair to nest again. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A car crash into a utility pole closed Route 57 in both directions Thursday afternoon in Greenwich Township. The crash was reported a little before 3 p.m. on Route 57 between Beacon Street and Prospect Street, in front of the Stewartsville Post Office. The crash damaged the utility pole and wires, but the pole was not knocked down. Greenwich Township police could not immediately be reached for details about the crash, including if anyone was injured. Jersey Central Power and Light reported an outage in the area affecting between 21 and 100 customers. Power was estimated to be restored by 6 p.m. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Federal officials called it a public safety risk. The state classified it as high-hazard. Almost 40 years after environmental experts first warned the Warren Glen Dam should come down, the political muscle to make it happen may finally exist. Sandwiched in a gorge of the Musconetcong River between Warren and Hunterdon counties, the 37-feet tall dam once generated hydropower. It has been out of commission for decades due to the river's unreliable flow and lack of sufficient strength, and environmental groups now say leaving the dam intact is more trouble than it's worth. U.S. Reps. Leonard Lance and Josh Gottheimer have sponsored a bipartisan amendment to the Water Resources Development Act of 2018 that directs the secretary of the Army to expedite a study of the feasibility of removing the dam. The act, including the amendment, passed Wednesday in the House of Representatives. Removing the dam -- which is the river's largest -- would make the area safer, create a larger habitat for fish and enable people to boat through that section of the river, said Alan Hunt, executive director of the Musconetcong Watershed Association. Among the species of fish in the river are American shad, which come to the river to breed but live in the Atlantic Ocean. Opening up room on the Musconetcong helps them to increase their historically declining numbers. The risk of the dam crumbling on its own, letting out a powerful stream of water that could destroy nearby structures and release a lot of sediment into the rest of the river, would also be eliminated by removing the dam in phases, Hunt said. And, taking down the dam would decrease the chance of flooding by opening up a floodplain on which water could spread, said Eric Schrading, field supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's New Jersey Field Office. "You basically return the river to an ecosystem as it existed prior to the dams," he said. The movement to take down the Warren Glen Dam is part of a years-long effort by the Musconetcong Watershed Association and partner organizations to remove the river's dams, moving from the base near the Delaware River north roughly 42 miles to Lake Hopatcong so fish can migrate progressively upstream. After the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1981 called the Warren Glen Dam a public safety hazard, the dam was still used for awhile. Then, the private landowner decided it was a liability that could impede the sale of a former paper plant nearby, Hunt said. The dam is owned partly by International Process Plants and Equipment Corp. and partly by the State of New Jersey. Environmental groups also had to get regulatory authorities comfortable with the removals and figure out the funding mechanisms. The Hughesville Dam, which straddled the border of Warren County's Pohatcong and Hunterdon County's Holland, required more than $1.6 million to take down. Hunt said destroying the Warren Glen Dam will cost even more, although an exact estimate is still in the works. It will be paid for with federal funds and money from court-determined legal settlements. The amendment sponsored by Lance, R-7th Dist., and Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., encourages the Army Corps to choose the Warren Glen Dam removal as its one ecological project for the next year. Taking down the dam will be a logistical challenge, as workers will need to remove some of the sediment behind it before destroying the dam itself, Schrading said. Plus, getting equipment into the gorge will be a tight fit. But, Schrading said, it will be worth it. He said the removal of previous dams proved that migratory fish really do move upstream when they no longer have obstacles in their way. "The results that we talk about are not theoretical or just possibilities," Schrading said. "They are actually real." Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati or on Facebook here. The former campaign treasurer for Phillipsburg's mayor was arrested this week, accused of illegally accessing a campaign email account after she had resigned her position. On Wednesday, 41-year-old Jennifer McBride was taken into custody by town police. That night she appeared at a public meeting and spoke publicly about the information she provided to a panel of town officials investigating Mayor Stephen Ellis for allegedly giving jobs to campaign supporters after his 2015 election. McBride, of the 400 block of James Street, is charged in Phillipsburg municipal court with one third-degree count of computer criminal activity. Third-degree charges typically carry a maximum possible sentence of 3 to 5 years in prison. Council President Robert Fulper, a member of the investigative committee, said he is troubled by the timing of the arrest. The mayor's attorney John Zaiter said it was "more coincidental than anything else." "The mayor certainly has no control over that," he said. "This was an investigation that played out over months." Phillipsburg Mayor Steve Ellis speaks during an event in February. The town council began investigating claims that Ellis rewarded campaign supporters with jobs. The information council gathered will be turned over to law enforcement and state election authorities. (Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com) According to an affidavit, the mayor's wife in November told police that she was notified of suspicious activity on the campaign's "StephenEllisforMayor" Gmail account. The recovery email account for the address had been changed, the affidavit says. The mayor's attorney said passwords were also changed. Town police said they were eventually able to trace an IP address to McBride's residence. The affidavit says McBride admitted to accessing the campaign Gmail account after she had resigned as campaign treasurer in June 2017. The document also says she said the recovery email address was created "to monitor Stephen Ellis on social media." McBride said her lawyer has advised her not to comment on the criminal charge. The attorney, Douglas Cole, was not available Friday afternoon. McBride resigned from the campaign amid a financial dispute with the mayor, according to documents provided to lehighvalleylive.com. In a letter to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission dated June 8, 2017, she said she was unable to continue in the role "due to the unwillingness of the candidate, Stephen Ellis, to cooperate and do the final accounting of the campaign fund." Councilman Frank McVey, chairman of the investigative committee, holds a flowchart that allegedly depicts patronage jobs in Mayor Stephen Ellis' administration for members of the mayor's 2015 transition team. (Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com) At Wednesday's meeting, which had been scheduled weeks in advance, McBride answered questions about the mayor's transition into office. Most of the queries regarded 62 transition team emails she had provided officials in January. Zaiter said he believes the accounts were connected. Fulper said the emails examined by the committee were from a different address owned by McBride -- the documents provided to lehighvalleylive.com include an "EllisTransition" Gmail account. Based in part on McBride's statements Wednesday, the panel decided to disband and instead recommend that the full council forward the information it has received to county and state law enforcement and election officials to see if any illegal activity occurred. Ellis has defended his hires and derided the council. When asked Friday about the charges against his former treasurer, Ellis deferred comment to his attorney, who spoke about both the criminal charge and the council's probe in general. "Everything is an attempt to undermine the mayor and everything he's been doing for the town," Zaiter said. "We'll see if she [McBride] was acting alone or at somebody's direction. We'll see how this plays out." Fulper called for the case against McBride to be moved out of town. (The panel has claimed the municipal prosecutor and two senior officers in the police department were on the mayor's transition team, though Fulper did not include that in Friday's statement.) "For all parties involved and for the betterment of this town, this investigation would be better suited being handled by an agency not associated with the town of Phillipsburg so as to avoid conspiracy theories. And when the smoke clears, I am hopeful we are not faced with an abuse-of-power issue," Fulper said. "If elected officials begin retaliating against residents based upon spurious allegations we are setting a very dangerous precedent." Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Building resilience against bushfires* A meeting of building industry experts to be held in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales (NSW) this September will raise the bar on bushfire safety. The 4th annual Australian Bushfire Building Conference and Community Forum will see a hive mind of building industry leaders discussing building safety in bushfire emergencies. Chief Executive Officer of conference organiser Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise (BMEE), Bernard Fehon, says the event gives building industry professionals around Australia the chance to play a part in keeping our communities safe. Everyone from builders to the Rural Fire Service, architects and planners will be there to discuss current issues, innovations and future trends in bushfire building safety, and this dialogue informs future regulations. With a focus on national bushfire safety, the award-winning conference welcomes guests from all over Australia. Attendees will hear from local and international experts about bushfire building practices, research and regulations. Keynote speakers from the events major partner NSW Rural Fire Service, Western Sydney University, the CSIRO and United States-based Senior Fire Ecologist, Dr Christopher Dicus, will examine the recent California fires that destroyed around 10,000 structures. Included this year is a tour of bushfire-affected areas in the Blue Mountains, where 200 homes were lost in the October 2013 bushfires. Being prepared went a long way to helping the Rural Fire Service and residents defend homes in the bushfires that raged through the NSW coastal town of Tathra from March 18 this year. While 65 houses were destroyed in the fires, 800 went unscathed, including houses built after building codes were amended following the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria. If you would like to be a part of the ideas and information exchange that could save homes in your community, register now at bmee.org.au/bushfire-building-conference *Copy supplied by Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise Ceremonial rock circle an award finalist Moonee Valley City Councils new ceremonial rock circle at Five Mile Creek Reserve, Essendon was shortlisted as a finalist in the Local Government category of this years HART (Helping Achieve Reconciliation Together) Awards. The awards, presented by Reconciliation Victoria and the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA), acknowledge Victorian initiatives that contribute to local reconciliation outcomes. Moonee Valley Mayor, John Sipek, said the new rock circle (called Babepal Paen-mirring, meaning Mothers tear in Woi wurrung language) is an important part of Councils reconciliation efforts with the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Moonee Valley sits, the Wurundjeri People. The site on which the rock circle sits recognises a registered site of Aboriginal significance and protects artefacts found at the site. After consultations with the Wurundjeri Land Council, it was decided to place rocks in the shape of an eye so that the tears of Mother Earth could flow down into Five Mile Creek. Council engaged the Wurundjeri Narrap team to create, manage and maintain the site, including planting, landscaping and burnings. This has allowed the team to connect with their Country while also putting funds back into the Wurundjeri Council. Portfolio holder for Access, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Councillor Cam Nation, said the site is an important part of a broader approach outlined in the Reconciliation Policy to educate the community about the significance of this area to the Wurundjeri People. We will continue to work with the Wurundjeri Council to hold ceremonies and demonstrations of Wurundjeri culture at the site. The rock circle has also become a space for other Aboriginal people to connect with the land on which they live. Council flag policy Mount Alexander Shire Council, Victoria, has adopted a new flag policy that will allow community flags to be flown on a designated flagpole at the historic Market Building in the centre of Castlemaine. Mayor, Bronwen Machin, said, A community request to fly the rainbow flag last year highlighted a lack of Council policy in this area. The new policy was initiated by councillors to provide clarity and enable community flags to be flown in a high profile central location in Mount Alexander Shire. Community requests for flying a flag at the Market Building will now be considered via an application process. When reviewing an application Council will consider how the proposed flag supports Councils vision, values and strategies, how it encourages respect and a sense of belonging, and if it supports a recognised social, cultural, environmental, economic, political or historic matter relevant to our local community. Under the policy community groups or individuals must provide at least eight weeks notice as part of their application. The flag may remain in place for up to seven days. Only the Australian, Aboriginal Flag and Torres Strait Islander flags will fly on the three flagpoles at the Civic Centre. The policy does not include flagpoles managed by Section 86 Committees of Council. Council will continue to follow the guidelines set out by the state and federal government to ensure official protocols are met. Last month the Rainbow flag was raised in an emotional ceremony at the historic Market Building in Castlemaine in celebration of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. Councillor profiles - Mayor Eleanor Scholz Wudinna District Council, South Australia The best part of being on Council is our people; this includes fellow councillors, council staff, our community and also the wider Eyre Peninsula councillors. Its a great network, we can have our different opinions but treat each other with respect and all have the good of Eyre Peninsula at heart. Prior to nominating for Council I was active in programs that deliver services to our district including; Rural Financial Counselling Service, Central Eyre Peninsula Care Service, Wudinna & Districts Telecentre, Volunteer Ambulance Officer, Mid West Support Group. I still work at TAFE SA locally and did take leave to work on a three year preventative health pilot project across the region. In the year 2000 I thought I would give local government a go. Seventeen years on, Im still enthusiastic and enjoy working for our district. Im into my second term as Mayor. Assisting the region to grow Wudinna District Council is 570km northwest of Adelaide, in the centre of Eyre Peninsula on National Highway One. The district stretches to the border of the unspoilt Gawler Ranges National Park and is within an hour drive of beautiful coastline and beaches. Scattered throughout the council district are amazing granite formations including Australias second largest monolith, Mt Wudinna along with Polda Rock, Tcharkula and Pildappa Rock, to name a few. Wudinna is the main town, with smaller towns of Minnipa, Yaninee, Pygery, Kyancutta and Warramboo. Our total population is approximately 1250, which is not a large ratepayer base. The Minnipa community have an active Progress Association with a local community plan that feeds into the Wudinna District Council Community Plan. Our district is known for its crop and livestock farming and supporting agri businesses. Challenges for our rural region include declining population, loss of services and associated employment and decline in regular passenger transport to major centres. Our Council Community Plan includes seeking alternate industries that can assist our region grow and thrive. Opportunity also presents threats to some. With the discovery of a major magnetite resource near Warramboo, just 20km from Wudinna we have been included and advised on the progress of the Central Eyre Iron Project. This project will see the development of mine, rail and a multi use deep sea port. When the project commences it will create employment locally and across Eyre Peninsula, it will bring competition for grain freight and reduce costs for farmers. It will also mean that some farming enterprises will face loss of land this is hard for those families, especially during the uncertain period of when or if the project will begin. The decision for the project to go ahead is outside Council control, however we look forward to working with the company to identify the best outcomes for our region. Donation turns into employment A modern Health Centre was built adjacent to the local Hospital on land donated by a community member. Our local doctor manages the Centre which, with a combination of Commonwealth grant funding and Council investment, now supports regular visiting specialists, a student doctor and community health and dental services. Another favourite project is water collection from our granite outcrops. By repairing the granite walls and drains that our early settlers built, water collected off the rocks adds to our town water catchment and keeps our town and school ovals along with parks and bowling greens watered. Working with neighbouring Councils A joint project with District Council of Elliston is to bitumise the road connecting Kyancutta to Elliston. The successful application was based on the link between the coastal town and our district including access to National Highway One. We share health, sports, business and tourism and there will be great celebration when our last few kilometres are completed. Ive been pleased to see the continued development of Apex Park, a green space with playground, outdoor exercise equipment, a jumping pillow and a sound stage for community events. Next we are planning a skate and spray park. We are about to commence works on improving the entrances to businesses along the Eyre Highway; this project will create employment opportunities to successful tenders. Looking further ahead we have plans to develop a civic centre that includes the Memorial Hall and new council offices. This would combine two buildings into one and bring new life and activity into the centre of our town. The consultation has provided good feedback and discussion both for and against this is what we like as it engages all in planning and contributing to final decisions. Councils enter into new agreement Two Tasmanian councils, Circular Head and Waratah-Wynyard, have entered into a new five year resource sharing agreement to take effect when the current agreement expires in December. Waratah-Wynyard Mayor, Robby Walsh, is pleased the councils have agreed to continue working together. Both councils have seen the benefits to each community from working together to strengthen the services provided. The Mayor said resource sharing was saving $573,425 per year through the utilisation of shared staff. As at 1 May 2018, there are 17 shared employees, with the majority a 50/50 split. This year will mark 10 years since the first resource sharing agreement was reached between the two councils. A review completed in November 2016 by the University of Technology Sydney highlighted the advantages of the resource sharing arrangement to each community. Circular Head Mayor Daryl Quilliam is pleased that the agreement received unanimous support at each council. It is satisfying that we can continue to build on the 10 years of working together and commit for a further five years. Mayor Quilliam said the two councils continue to pursue strategic tasks and projects simultaneously. The 2016 study found that over the study period savings of $237,800 in shared procurement and $184,388 joint projects were made, so we are keen to continue to realise these sort of benefits through working together. Whilst the new resource sharing agreement sets out the intent and purpose of the arrangement, the implementation of the agreement is the responsibility of the respective General Managers. Ongoing discussion will continue surrounding the operational details of resource shared employees, strategic direction and potential to maximise the benefit of this arrangement. Decentralisation done on the hop - The Good Oil by Rod Brown Last months federal Budget explained that six more federal agencies are on the move as part of the push towards decentralisation. This follows the troubled move of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) from Canberra to Armidale. The authority had 198 staff in mid 2016, but some 110 of these have reportedly since left its employ. The six agencies involved are: Inland Rail Unit - from Canberra to Toowoomba, Dubbo and Wodonga; Indian Ocean Territories Unit from Canberra to Perth; Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations from Canberra to Darwin; Unique Student Identifier Registrar - from Canberra to Adelaide; Indigenous Affairs Group Regional Network - from Sydney/Melbourne to Parramatta/Shepparton respectively; A new Office of the National Rural Health Commissioner in Adelaide. Unfortunately the APVMAs shift to Armidale has got things off to a bad start. It was signed off against the advice of consultants by ex-deputy PM Joyce, and it was in his own electorate for Gods sake. But the core of the problem was the haste and lack of strategic thinking. To explain, Armidale is an impressive city and arguably a very good place for the APVMA. Indeed word inside the Department is that the consultants should have been recommending a second option of mutually-reinforcing measures to create further competitive advantages for Armidale over the medium term. And this option should now be pursued in my opinion. My take-home message for local councils looking to lure federal/state agencies is to undertake a rigorous SWOT analysis on your proposal, commission some cluster mapping and gap analysis, identify your champions and energise collaborating companies and support agencies. And investment attraction initiatives are critical because private sector investment is the main game! Live sheep exports Sussan Ley, the former Liberal minister, did a great job last month when introducing a private members bill to halt live sheep exports. She said shed lost all confidence in the regulatory regime and can no longer support an industry with an operating model built on the suffering of animals. he says the rules dont work, because if they were enforced the trade would not be economically viable. Three years ago Kelvin Thompson, then Labor member for Wills, was calling for action. So I met with him to suggest a meat value adding strategy, based around export abattoirs, global supply chains, market development etc. The aim would be not to close down live exports overnight (an idea that brought Labor Minister Ludwig unstuck) but to improve the economics of meat processing in places like Albany, Perth, Adelaide, Mount Gambier etc. to a point where it makes no sense to export live cattle and sheep. Id raised this possibility with a Department of Agriculture official and industry players but the usual excuses surfaced about lack of refrigeration in the overseas markets and the longstanding consumer preference for fresh meat. I said to give them some soft aid to buy community freezers and as part of a trial, but that went down like a lead balloon. And I couldnt win over Kelvin Thomson either - perhaps he was tired, because he exited shortly after. PM Turnbull is probably not happy about Leys private members bill and the Party will head off her impudence. But she is a capable, committed lady and has lots of supporters. So watch this space because everyone has a camera these days, and the next animal obscenity will force Turnbulls hand. Smart Cities and Suburbs Program Round Two is now open. This is a competitive grants program to support local government to deliver innovative solutions to urban problems, using smart technology, data-driven decision-making and people focussed design. Around $22 million is available for grants between $250,000 and $5 million. Grants cover up to 50 percent of project costs. The first round funded $27.5 million to 49 projects. Some interesting smaller towns succeeded - like Collie, Mullumbimby, Temora and Kapunda - plus regional cities like Morwell and Bathurst. The Department of Infrastructure says there were 176 applications, a success rate of 28 percent which isnt too bad. Applications close 2 July. Go to business.gov.au/smart-cities-and-suburbs Export hubs The 2018 Budget included a $20 million Export Hubs Initiative, to help business networks to export. There is little detail available, but the concept appears to have been developed by Ausindustry and Austrade and modelled on the Irish export hubs. If so, the hubs will not involve ports, cranes, transport and logistics. Instead theyre about people and networks to provide practical help to exporters. According to my Departmental contact, this initiative will provide competitive grants of up to $1.5 million, which equates to 12 - 14 export hubs. Expressions of interest close in October, with funding to roll from February 2019. The twist is that the funding is restricted to the governments Growth Centre sectors, namely food, mineral products/services, oil/gas/energy, medical technology, advanced manufacturing and cyber-security. This is puzzling because sectors like the performing arts and TV/film, building products and services, and environmental technologies would surely fit the bill. These hubs could have a regional flair. For example, Wollongong, Cairns and Port Macquarie have claims in medical technologies. Building Better Regions The May Budget provided $45 million for tourism-related infrastructure via Round Three of the Building Better Regions Fund. The aim is to shift tourists beyond the major cities. This makes sense because tourism is arguably the No. 2 economic driver in regional Australia, and the federal tourism cupboard has been empty since they abolished its tourism program three years back. Rod Brown is a Canberra-based consultant and lobbyist specialising in industry/regional development, investment attraction and clusters, and accessing federal grants. He also runs the Cockatoo Network. Phone: (02) 6231 7261 or 0412 922 559 Email: apdcockatoo[@]iprimus.com.au First White Ribbon Community The northern New South Wales Shire of Inverell has received recognition as Australias first White Ribbon Community. The achievement comes at the conclusion of an 18 month pilot project led by Inverell Shire Council and the Department of Premier and Cabinet. Representatives from Pathfinders Specialist Homelessness Services, Inverell Rural Outreach Support Services and Hunter New England Health, NSW Family and Community Services, NSW Police (New England Local Area Command) and the NSW Department of Education, worked with White Ribbon Australia, local community organisations and schools to develop and pilot the framework for a White Ribbon Community. White Ribbon Australia Executive Manager, Committees and Community Development, Liam Dooley said that his organisation had been considering the idea of a White Ribbon Community to build on their targeted schools and workplace programs. The fact that we were approached by the Inverell community made participating in a pilot here so attractive. Mayor, Paul Harmon said, Having our communitys effort to stop domestic violence from occurring recognised by others is something to be very proud of. Inverell was chosen as the pilot for this project, not because of its prevalence, which we admit is higher than we want it to be, but because of the great work individuals, organisations and workplaces in our community were already doing and will continue to do, to demonstrate that violence against women and domestic and family violence is not tolerated in Inverell. This certificate, this recognition, its still at the start of the process, our effort doesnt end here. The supplemental White Ribbon Community Business Supporters program will be formally launched in the coming months. Insights provided by the project team and others stakeholders will help White Ribbon Australia support other rural and regional communities do something similar in the future. Give a little, change a lot Volunteer fire fighting resources within Western Australias Great Southern Region were stretched beyond capacity at 6.30pm on 24 May 2018. City of Albany alone had crews responding to 27 bush fires across the district. Volunteers enable a higher level of service. More than 700 volunteer fire fighters help keep the community safe, while up to 250 volunteers support other services within the City of Albany. Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Sharpe said that the great work of volunteers enabled the City of Albany to provide a higher level of service to the community. Volunteers epitomise the essence of community spirit and rain, hail or shine they donate their time to help in many ways and we thank them for their dedication and commitment to our community, Mr Sharpe said. National Volunteer Week is an annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution made by volunteers to their community. This year some councils have gone beyond the usual morning teas and certificates of appreciation, acknowledging that many services offered by council could not exist without the efforts of volunteers. Volunteering strategy: a long term view The theme for Volunteer Week 2018, 21-27 May, Give a Little, Change a Lot recognises research highlighting that volunteers live happier and healthier lives. Hobsons Bay City Council, Victoria, has used the event to launch the Citys first Volunteering Strategy. The 2016 Census identified over 12,000 volunteers in Hobsons Bay, a 26 percent increase since the previous Census. Mayor Angela Altair said, Weve been working closely with volunteers across the city to put this plan together - our aim is to make sure people who love to volunteer can continue to do so. Thats why the Volunteering Strategy takes a longer term view and will guide us to plan ahead, to look at what resources we provide and how volunteering will run in Hobsons Bay. Councillor, Sandra Wilson, said Council not only funds and partners with volunteering organisations, it also manages volunteering programs in its own right. Council currently manages more than 200 volunteers. Volunteers are the backbone of important community programs such as our Meals on Wheels service, Planned Activity Groups, Councils Library Service, Visitor Information Centre, Youth Services, Community Hubs and Centres and our Conservation Teams Friends group network. The contribution of time, knowledge and skills that these - and all volunteers - bring to the quality of life in our city is immeasurable. Queenslands Noosa Council, Community Development Manager, Alison Hamblin, says that many people may not realise the amount of work local volunteers do. We have over 300 community groups in our shire. In celebration Council teamed up with local film-maker Klaus Horner to make six short films showcasing a selection of Noosas unique volunteer groups which can be viewed on Councils website. Allow councils to deliver key services City of Mount Gambier, South Australia, Mayor, Andrew Lee said hundreds of volunteer organisations including service clubs and community groups work together with Council throughout the year to deliver events and sustainability activities and beautify public spaces. The mayor added that it was also important to recognise the individuals who informally volunteer. From the sporting, cultural and service clubs to the emergency volunteers and non-government organisations, each of which provide invaluable contributions to Mount Gambier as a resilient and robust City. Gannawarra Shire Council, Victoria, has over 350 community members who volunteer their time and there are many more in the community who contribute to the programs, services, activities and events that occur across the municipality. Mayor Brian Gibson said volunteers allow Council and the community to deliver key services and contribute to the positive way of life in Gannawarra. Without the hard work and commitment of volunteers, many of Councils services could not operate. Councils help volunteers Fraser Coast Council, Queensland, recently installed 15Kva generators in Poona and Bauple. Disaster Management Portfolio, Councillor Rolf Light, said, The generators will help the local Community Co-ordination Committees in an emergency. The committees were started in response to a series of wet years and floods which hit the region and comprise of community volunteers. The committees play a vital role in our communities and Council supports them with equipment and training to ensure their communities are resilient so they can recover quickly after a natural disaster. Some of our smaller communities can be isolated for extended periods during heavy rain and floods, so the generators will ensure the committees and community halls will still be an effective rallying point during an emergency. West Coast Council, Tasmania, Mayor Phil Vickers said this year Council launched a Facebook group called West Coast Volunteers as a central place to connect and share ideas, to share information about upcoming events, to reach out to potential volunteers, and to let the wider community know about the varied and vibrant volunteer landscape on the West Coast. City of Maribyrnong, Victoria, recognises that active participation in civic life builds more resilient communities and that volunteerism is an important part of the social fabric of Australian society. Because of this, Council endorsed a Volunteer Strategy coinciding with Volunteer Week. The purpose of the Strategy is to build a resilient social infrastructure that empowers the community and supports a sustainable and flourishing volunteer sector. Burdekin Shire Council teamed up with the Queensland Government to deliver a Building Active Communities workshop in Ayr. Mayor Lyn McLaughlin said the free workshop was to support sport and recreation volunteers and volunteer managers by equippingthem with new skills and knowledge. Volunteers are one of the most vital assets of any club or organisation and looking after them is a priority. Railway Lands is the national winner The Mount Gambier Railway Lands won the National From Plan to Place Award at the Planning Institute Australia (PIA) National Awards for Planning Excellence 2018 held in Perth last month. A PIA National Award is the highest accolade for urban and regional planners in Australia, demonstrating leading practice and achievement in planning. The Plan to Place Award recognises the implementation of a plan into a successful place for the community. It was awarded to South Australias City of Mount Gambier for the evolution of the Railway Lands project and achievement in accomplishing positive changes as a result of planning. It is a great honour to win this award for our community Mayor, Andrew Lee, said, We were commended for including the community throughout the planning, design and implementation phases of the project, reflected in the communitys ongoing and enhanced use of the Railway Lands. Mayor Lee highlighted the vision of both current and previous councillors in planning the project and for the design and delivery by Council staff including a focus on community engagement. The project was supported by the State Government to the tune of $2 million. Additional grants were received to include public art that has further enhanced the Railway Lands. The coveted national award win follows its success at the South Australian state PIA Awards for Excellence in 2017, where the Railway Lands was awarded the Planning Ministers Award, Plan to Place and Great Place Awards for the planning and development of the community project. Regional airfares not warranted Alice Springs Town Council has combined with Tourism Central Australia to release a detailed report exploring issues impacting on the high cost of airfares in regional Australia. Mayor, Damien Ryan, said, Council is pleased to provide financial assistance, in partnership with Tourism Central Australia, to see the release of this informative report. We are keen to work with the airlines to find a way forward for business, locals and tourists. The report, undertaken by respected researchers from Charles Darwin University, was prepared specifically to provide additional evidence to the Senate Inquiry into air route service delivery to rural, regional and remote communities. This report focuses on Central Australia, however also explores issues that extend across regional Australia. Tourism Central Australia Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Schwer, said, TCA are very pleased to provide this valuable research to the Senate inquiry. It clearly shows that there is no logical explanation for the high cost of airfares to and from Alice Springs Airport. The myth that Alice Springs Airport landing fees contribute to the high cost of airfares has been debunked by this research. Airlines can no longer make that statement, said Mr Schwer. We look forward to airlines reducing their airfares, to increase access for locals and travellers alike to remote areas. We also look forward to more competition in the market, to drive down airfares. Will your voice be heard? - Presidents comment The Federal Governments election budget handed down last month was a non-event for local government delivering no new extra funding for the sector. Although were grateful for the continuation of key funding streams such as Financial Assistance Grants (FAGs) and Roads to Recovery (R2R), the challenge of managing our ageing community infrastructure as well as our growing infrastructure backlog went unaddressed, and the Federal Governments reduction in investment at the local level flowing from the recent freeze on indexation of FAGs was not remedied. Whats more, the Governments focus on freight missed an important opportunity by failing to address the first and last mile connectivity issue. Its critical for us to continue our advocacy to the Federal Government for our shared priorities such as restoring the quantum of FAGs, repairing our essential community infrastructure and building productive capacity through freight productivity investment. It is also essential that the next Government provides more information and clarity on plans for our regions, how it will accomplish a more even spread of prosperity for our communities, and how it proposes to undertake this policy development work and facilitate better coordination between the three levels of government to assist Australias regions. As there is a strong possibility of the federal election being called later this year or early next, we will all need to be ready to speak up on behalf of our sector and our communities on these and more issues. The National General Assembly of Local Government (NGA), set to convene this month in Canberra (17-20 June), will be the perfect opportunity for us to get election-ready. More than 800 influential local government councillors, mayors, chairs, presidents and officials will gather to fine-tune the priorities that the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) will advance in its federal election advocacy. The voice of your council will be important in this process and the NGA will be your chance to contribute and join forces with many to lobby for our communities needs dont miss this opportunity! If your council has not yet registered to send any delegates to the NGA, I urge you to do so and to get your registration through as soon as you can at alga.asn.au. I look forward to seeing you there. Computer & Technology BQool introduces the BigTracker Chrome Extension A Product Search Engine for Amazon Merchants 08.06.2018 08:56:08 - BQool releases the Chrome Extension plugin for its product research software, BigTracker, which is available for free download. (live-PR.com) - Taipei, Taiwan 7th June 2018 BQool Inc., the creators of smart solutions for Amazon sellers, launched a Chrome extension for its product research tool, BigTracker, as part of the companys continuous efforts to bring smart and automated solutions to its customers. The Chrome extension is part of the BigTracker software that helps online retailers to identify trending products - Taipei, Taiwan 7th June 2018 BQool Inc., the creators of smart solutions for Amazon sellers, launched a Chrome extension for its product research tool, BigTracker, as part of the companys continuous efforts to bring smart and automated solutions to its customers. The Chrome extension is part of the BigTracker software that helps online retailers to identify trending products to then sell on Amazon. BigTracker is an user-friendly product research and scouting software, particularly suitable for Amazon sellers searching for future hot selling products. Sellers will see their profit margin increase significantly, by leveraging this intuitive tool to dig out future stars in their own portfolio. User can perform multi-facet data analysis in a timely and effortless manner, so as to track the performance, demand trend, profitability, and competitive advantage of the product. In addition to huge database of more than 10 million+ records of data, BigTracker has the most accurate estimated sales on the market of sales tracker, as well as highlighted features of attach listing and product discovery filter, to fit various needs of different types of sellers. Sellers can constantly monitor information such as the estimated order, inventory number and sales rank (Best Seller Rank or BSR) in BigMovers Scoring System and analytical data presented in Product Tracker, and evaluate the product potential. Compared to traditional methods of product research, which often includes arduous tasks such as copying and pasting information from Amazon into a spreadsheet, the BigTracker Chrome Extension alleviates this time-consuming task. Users can view comprehensive Amazon product data within seconds. The BigTracker Chrome Extension aggregates all of the users required information on to one single page while searching on Amazon. It calculates all of the data, which includes the average sales, average prices, and the average rank of the listings that users have searched. Furthermore, the BigTracker Chrome Extension automatically displays comprehensive information such as the Buy Box price, Sales Rank, Estimated Sales, Estimated Revenue, Number of Reviews and Amazon Fees. The BigTracker Chrome Extension also allows users to click to view the Historical Price and Rank Data. If users spot trending products that theyre interested in, they can add these products to the product tracker to start tracking. It simplifies product research work with just one click and has proven to be a game-changing Amazon product research tool. The BigTracker Chrome Extension allows Amazon sellers to concentrate on selling products and making money, rather than spending hours, even days on administrative tasks. The BigTracker Chrome Extension Lite is currently available for free download and a free trial is offered for the Pro version. Learn more about the BigTracker Chrome Extension at About BQool BQool Inc is a SaaS company which was founded on the idea that Amazon sellers should always have access to the most innovative software solutions available. BQool is committed to simplifying the day to day tasks that all Amazon sellers face, whether that be dynamic repricing, competitor research, feedback and reviews management or discovering the most profitable products to sell. Furthermore, BQool is dedicated to providing excellent customer service. With advisors around the globe, you can rest assured that any questions will be answered efficiently by BQool's team of experienced representatives. For more information about BQool, visit to then sell on Amazon.BigTracker is an user-friendly product research and scouting software, particularly suitable for Amazon sellers searching for future hot selling products. Sellers will see their profit margin increase significantly, by leveraging this intuitive tool to dig out future stars in their own portfolio. User can perform multi-facet data analysis in a timely and effortless manner, so as to track the performance, demand trend, profitability, and competitive advantage of the product. In addition to huge database of more than 10 million+ records of data, BigTracker has the most accurate estimated sales on the market of sales tracker, as well as highlighted features of attach listing and product discovery filter, to fit various needs of different types of sellers. Sellers can constantly monitor information such as the estimated order, inventory number and sales rank (Best Seller Rank or BSR) in BigMovers Scoring System and analytical data presented in Product Tracker, and evaluate the product potential.Compared to traditional methods of product research, which often includes arduous tasks such as copying and pasting information from Amazon into a spreadsheet, the BigTracker Chrome Extension alleviates this time-consuming task. Users can view comprehensive Amazon product data within seconds.The BigTracker Chrome Extension aggregates all of the users required information on to one single page while searching on Amazon. It calculates all of the data, which includes the average sales, average prices, and the average rank of the listings that users have searched. Furthermore, the BigTracker Chrome Extension automatically displays comprehensive information such as the Buy Box price, Sales Rank, Estimated Sales, Estimated Revenue, Number of Reviews and Amazon Fees.The BigTracker Chrome Extension also allows users to click to view the Historical Price and Rank Data. If users spot trending products that theyre interested in, they can add these products to the product tracker to start tracking.It simplifies product research work with just one click and has proven to be a game-changing Amazon product research tool. The BigTracker Chrome Extension allows Amazon sellers to concentrate on selling products and making money, rather than spending hours, even days on administrative tasks.The BigTracker Chrome Extension Lite is currently available for free download and a free trial is offered for the Pro version. Learn more about the BigTracker Chrome Extension at www.bigtracker.com/chrome-extension/ About BQoolBQool Inc is a SaaS company which was founded on the idea that Amazon sellers should always have access to the most innovative software solutions available. BQool is committed to simplifying the day to day tasks that all Amazon sellers face, whether that be dynamic repricing, competitor research, feedback and reviews management or discovering the most profitable products to sell.Furthermore, BQool is dedicated to providing excellent customer service. With advisors around the globe, you can rest assured that any questions will be answered efficiently by BQool's team of experienced representatives. For more information about BQool, visit www.bqool.com Press Information: BQool Inc. Contact Person: Frankie Chng Digital Marketing Manager Phone: 0903123088 eMail: eMail Web: http://www.bqool.com 08.06.2018 08:56:08 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. Stock Market News Benchmark raises 19m to fund Chilean JV project 08-06-2018 16:40 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News Broker tips: BT, Auto Trader, Pets at Home, Capita 08-06-2018 14:34 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News Deutsche Bank chairman suggests merger with Commerzbank - report 08-06-2018 11:41 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News Europe close: Stocks dip ahead of G7 summit, critical week 08-06-2018 20:39 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News Friday newspaper round-up: CBI, G7, Pfizer, TSB, Thames Water 08-06-2018 07:22 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News London pre-open: Stocks to drop on weak Asian cues; G7 summit eyed 08-06-2018 07:32 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News Non Ferrous China to invest $70m in Kaz Minerals' Koksay project 08-06-2018 07:35 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News Standard Chartered compliance chief resigns following behavioural probe 08-06-2018 11:55 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News Synthomer included in EU styrene monomer purchasing probe 08-06-2018 07:22 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks! Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics. The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc. The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics. The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates. Access to college recruiters and advisors its harder to line up higher education. Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family. Vote View Results Motoring / Cars and Bikes Unparalleled automotive and sartorial excellence is what results from a partnership between two leading brands of Italian Style Jun 08, 2018 | By Jonathan Ho What happens when two brands, emblematic of Italian design and manufacturing excellence join forces? Not only is it a match-made in Heaven but the joining of Ermenegildo Zegna and Maserati is not just representative of made in Italy craftsmanship but also, the ultimate gentlemans lifestyle. Inked back in 2013 between Gildo Zegna, CEO of Ermenegildo Zegna Group and Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Group, the long-term partnership between the two brands launched the Maserati Quattroporte Ermenegildo Zegna Limited Edition; reinterpreted with Zegna-designed colors and materials including luxurious yet resilient fabrics produced at the historic Lanificio Zegna wool mill in Trivero, Italy. Heavenly match, Made in Italy: Zegna x Maserati Zegnas innovative Mulberry silk has a thickness of 10 microns and is produced much in the same vein as the Italian tailoring brands wool the raw material is dyed and then twisted into 6-strad manner for hard wearing seats and then a lighter 4-strand weave is used for the jersey lining the roof, door panels and other low-wear locations. Once the silk is warped and woven, the fabric is further treated according to automotive specifications. What results is not just an exclusive Ermenegildo Zegna Silk Edition but also a highly customised bespoke Maserati Quattroporte limited edition with comfort and elegance. Made for discerning gentleman drivers and connoisseurs of fine details. In 2014, the two arbiters of exquisite Italian style delivered a complete Zegna and Maserati luxury experience with an elegant Owners Collection in celebration of Maseratis centennial anniversary; an exclusive gift for 100 owners and perfect encapsulation if Italian heritage, craftsmanship and elegance grained calf leather and the famed Zegna Silk returned to match both the owners Maserati Quattroporte Ermenegildo Zegna Limited Edition and his wardrobe thanks to a special Ermenegildo Zegna Maserati Capsule 2014 Spring Summer Collection. Sneakers and jackets, inspired by the Limited Edition car formed the capsule collection which retailed at Zegna boutiques worldwide. In 2015, Maserati presented a new Ermenegildo Zegna trim package that would be available on all Maserati Quattroporte, Ghibli and Levante models, all dressed in a Zegna-designed interior created by Zegnas master artisans pure silk fabric for ultimate style and exclusivity. In 2016, featuring leather goods, luxury clothing and personal accessories designed to reflect their craftsmanship and elegance a refined mixture of premium leather, fine silk and cotton fabrics with the iconic herringbone or chevron pattern, characterised the exclusive Ermenegildo Zegna Maserati Capsule collection. Last year, Maserati presented a special Levante featuring an exclusive new Zegna silk fabric, exclusive for Maserati. The showcars cockpit was completely dressed with the special silk fabric complete with woven Chevron motif in a new beige and soft-touch effect. Contrasted with full black premium leather uppers on the dashboard, the new Maserati Levante Ermenegildo Zegna edition was a 36- degree to Italian luxury and artisanal crafts. Ermenegildo Zegna Maserati Capsule Collection for Fall Winter 2018 A sophisticated selection of fine leather goods, travel-friendly clothing and well appointed accessories, the Ermenegildo Zegna Maserati Capsule Collection for Fall Winter 2018 exemplifies the high level of craft demonstrated by the two Made in Italy brands. Unveiled at the brands flagship in Paragon Singapore, ample use of premium leather, technical microfabrics and luxurious Pelle Tessuta distinguished the Zegna Maserati Capsule Collection. Featuring padded navy-blue shirt jacket with dark brown leather details, navy blue knitwear and drawstring trousers in cotton gabardine and the Maserati travelling trolley in Pelle Tessuta, and paired with the iconic Maserati trident motif the ultimate special Italian capsule collection forms the basis of the ultimate gentlemens lifestyle. A range of nylon travel items among which a spacious holdall, garment bag, backpack and clutch with the front pocket in dark brown Pelle Tessuta leather can also be found in the Zegna Maserati Capsule Collection. The Ermenegildo Zegna Maserati Capsule Collection for Fall Winter 2018 will be available in selected brand boutiques and via Zegna.com from mid-May 2018. The 2018 Maserati Quattroporte is the original race-bred luxury marque that spots meticulously-crafted comfort and peerless Italian style. The 2018 Quattroporte GranLusso is also the first to feature Zegnas premium leather and fine silk which immerses every passenger in luxury. Catch the car and the Zegna Maserati Capsule Collection for Fall Winter 2018 at Paragon Shopping Centre till June 19. Do you think your Te Reo Maori is up to scratch? We've teamed up with the The Electoral Commission to celebrate Te Reo Maori with a quick quiz to test your language knowledge! Also if you didn't know, The Maori Electoral Option is currently taking place. If you are Maori and 18 or over, its time to choose whether you want to be on the Maori Roll or the General Roll. Check out maorioption.org.nz/ for more info. Kia ora! Thiruvananthapuram : Amid the uproar over the Rajya Sabha seat in UDF, Kerala Congress (M) is currently focusing over the candidature for the prestigious RS seat. After the parliamentary party meeting, KM Mani told the reporters that Kerala congress is an integral part of UDF. However, he also pointed he is not interested to contest for the RS seat. Earlier, reports suggested that, Lok Sabha member Jose K Mani or Party Chairman KM Mani is expected to contest for the seat. The decision to set aside the seat for Kerala Congress (M) comes amidst a rebellion by younger leaders in the party who have questioned the patriarchal mind of party veterans. Meanwhile, the decision of the party to back its former ally had not gone well with a section of its leaders. Former KPCC President VM Sudheeran termed the action as suicidal strategy. 'This move will destroy the party', said a peeved Sudheeran. The politician also boycotted the UDF meeting which welcomed KM Mani. He openly expressed his displeasure while speaking to the media persons. Asias Queen of Songs, Pilita Corrales sang her way into the audiences hearts during the event. As part of the recent PhilippineAustralia Friendship Day 2018 celebrations at SM Lanang Premier, some of the most amazing Filipino and Australian talents collaborated in a delightful mini-concert that highlighted the cultural exchange between the two countries. A joint project of the Australian Embassy and SM, the celebration was held in time to commemorate the 72nd year of diplomatic relationship between Australia and the Philippines. Australia first opened its first Consulate General in Manila on May 22, 1946, and the event highlighted the warm relations between the two countries especially the Australia Global Alumni, as well as milestones in bilateral relations and cultural exchange. The mini concert began with Davao Citys Madayaw Cultural Ensemble performance of the Mindanao Folk Dance, Vinta, which highlighted the rich Muslim heritage in the region. Australian authors Jay Maclean and Carlos Batuto Lopez, who earlier launched their book Fart of a Fly, showed they their skill with music as well as the written word with their keyboard and harmonica duo performance.Asias Queen of Songs Pilita Corrales wowed the audience with her dazzling performance of classic English, Visayan, and Spanish songs. At the same time, she shared with the audience that Australia is like a second home to her because she began her career in the Land Down Under. Today, she has a street named after her and is married to author Carlos Batuto Lopez.Jeremy Donovan then gave guests a breathtaking performance using the Didgeridoo, a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians in Northern Australia, of which he is part. He later collaborated with Davao City band Thea in a performance that highlighted how music knows no boundaries. No less than Australian Ambassador to the Philippines, Her Excellency Amanda Gorely, attended the launch together with embassys Political and Public Affairs Counsellor Clare Duffield together with Davao City Administrator Atty. Zuleika Lopez and Peace Adviser to Davao City Government Hon. Irene Santiago. SM officials led by SM Senior Vice President for Marketing Millie Dizon and SM Lanang Premier Mall Manager Nick Santos welcomed them. The weeklong festival in Davao featured a series of education, cultural, and sporting activities to celebrate this longstanding and vibrant friendship with Mindanao and with the city of Davao. The Philippine-Australia Friendship Day 2018 at SM Lanang Premier is one of the many exciting cultural events at SMs premier malls. With Singapore being a multi-cultural society, each community in our social fabric is rife with its own unique history and a story to tell and the Peranakan community is no exception. Though just a sub-culture in our tiny city, the Peranakans have certainly piqued the interest of many, whether its through their food, cultural dressing or practices. Peranakan Museums new exhibition, Amek Gambar: Peranakans and Photography, gives visitors an intimate insight to some of the rarest and earliest photos of the Peranakans. Held till 3 February 2019, visitors will get the opportunity to discover 160 years of the Peranakan culture through the earliest form of photography. A rare glimpse into the Peranakan community & early images in Southeast Asia Amek Gambar (translates to take photographs in Malay) showcases over 200 photographs and portraits presenting some of the rarest and earliest images of the Peranakans in Singapore and the region. It also reveals how the Peranakans had been first portrayed by early European photographers. Case in point: theres a gelatin silver print of a group of Peranakan children which in fact had been wrongly sold to European travellers as a Chinese image instead. This might not be known to many, but the Peranakans were one of Asias earliest adopters of photography. As such the exhibit provides a rich insight into how they presented and captured their personal and social lives on film. Examples from the exhibitions highlights include the oldest photograph on paper in Singapores National Collection that was meant to be viewed in 3D. The exhibition, which spans across two floors of the museum, also lets guests catch a glimpse of the vintage cameras used in the 1800s and even get a chance to see through the lens of the past. As cameras were a luxury and photographs were only taken on special occasions, these portraits reveal the rich culture and lifestyle of the community. If youre looking for a new museum date or a weekend family activity, bring the kids along on a family day out to the Peranakan Museum and get immersed in the exhibits and collections of one of Singapores (and the regions) most vibrant cultures! The Amek Gambar exhibition will be showcased at the Peranakan Museum from 5th May 2018 to 3rd February 2019. For more information, visit the website here. Shona Menon READ MORE: 5 Kid-friendly museums in Singapore perfect for a weekend of family fun Artful Plating: Where to dine at the museums and galleries in Singapore Odd Interests: 5 Unique museums in Penang that wont bore you A scene from Chicago. [Photo provided to China Daily] In 2004, Broadway's trademark musical production, Chicago, was staged at Beijing's Great Hall of the People. As the third Broadway musical that landed the capital after Cats and The Sound of Music, tickets for Chicago sold out in three days. Fourteen years on, and the play is set to return to Beijing, this time being staged at Tianqiao Performing Arts Center with 22 performances taking place between Nov 1 and 18. The current production won a coveted Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, and has become the longest staged musical on Broadway. Originally opening in 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre, Chicago, written by John Kander and Fred Ebb, ran for nearly 1,000 performances until 1977. The film version of the play received 13 Oscar nominations and walked away with six awards. According to David Ian, the producer of Chicago, the company has toured New Zealand for more than half a year before coming to China. Besides Beijing, the musical will tour Xiamen, Guangzhou and Shanghai. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc shakes hands with Micronesian Speaker of the Congress Wesley W. Simina (Photo: VNA) He hosted a reception for visiting Micronesian Speaker of the Congress Wesley W. Simina and his delegation in Hanoi on June 7th. The PM expressed his belief that the visit by the Micronesian guest will help tighten the relations between the two countries and the two legislatures. The visit is hoped to chart a new chapter for the cooperation between the two parliaments in particular and the two countries in general, said Wesley W. Simina. He said the two countries have established active and close relations on multilateral scale. The countries have exchanged visits, cooperated in agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, environment, and climate change while their law-making bodies have set up active cooperation, the guest said. He said he expected that visit exchanges, people-to-people activities and cooperation in education, economy and trade will be promoted in the future. Wesley W. Simina expressed his hope to boost cooperation and twining relations between Micronesian and Vietnamese localities. PM Phuc agreed with the guests opinions and said the two countries need to increase the sharing of experience in national development. As geographical distance is not favourable for the bilateral cooperation to grow as expected, ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries should be proactive in exploring cooperation opportunities, he said. He suggested the two sides launch negotiations on some cooperation agreements to provide a legal foundations to accelerate the trading in farm produce, consumer products, and agricultural machinery, and seek to invest in infrastructure construction, tourism, and telecoms. Vietnam wants to share its experience in cooperation in areas with potential, like agriculture, aquaculture, seafood processing, industrial tree plantation, tourism development, education and training, he affirmed. The PM suggested the two countries continue working together and supporting each other at regional and multilateral forums and organizations. He hoped Micronesia will back Vietnams bid to run for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council in 2020-2021. He asked Micronesia to support the stance and effort of Vietnam and ASEAN in maintaining peace, stability, maritime and overflight freedom, security and safety in the East Sea, stating that Vietnam welcomes effort of all countries to contribute to the work./. The Doug Ford Conservatives have won the 2018 Ontario election. This represents a victory for right-wing populist reaction in Canadas largest province. It also represents class polarization and the collapse of the middle. The Kathleen Wynnes Liberal government has been demolished, and has lost official party status. On the left, the New Democratic party, historically based on the trade unions, won its second best result in history. A period of intense class struggle opens up and there is no time for complacency. Results Vote Share Seats Conservatives 40% (+9) 76 (+48) NDP 34% (+10) 40 (+19) Liberals 19% (-19) 7 (-51) Green 5% (+0) 1 (+1) Doug Ford, brother of the late Rob Ford, Torontos infamous crack-smoking mayor, won on a dishonest and manipulative program where he refused to detail what he would cut or even the extent of his planned austerity. Populist measures such as $1 beer were interspersed with promises of finding $6 billion of efficiencies - a well-known shorthand for cuts. Despite this, Ford promised, incredibly, that nobody will lose their job! There is no way on earth he can keep this guarantee. The Conservatives refused to release a fully costed platform, so there is no knowing exactly what the final result will be. But that is not the point. People did not vote for Ford because they wanted a well thought out alternative to 15 years of Liberal mismanagement and elitism. They voted for Ford for similar reasons that people voted for Trump - to make a decisive break with the status quo and the downtown Toronto establishment that rules peoples lives. Instead, what they will get is a vicious class-war government that attacks workers and the poor, and that erodes social services that people rely on. Liberal corruption The Liberals have been on life support for a number of years. First elected in 2003, they racked up scandal after scandal. They wasted hundreds of millions of dollars in the gas-plant scandal, with Liberal operatives convicted for wiping government computers to destroy evidence. But they managed to survive in the 2014 election by demonizing the Conservative plans to lay off 100,000 workers, while sidelining the NDP with a fake-left face. In hindsight, it can be said that the final nail in the Liberal coffin was the spike in electricity costs in 2015-16. Prices rose at two-and-a-half-times the national average after the Liberals broke a promise and partially privatized Hydro One. Torontonians were paying twice as much as other Canadians. This price shock, combined with the erosion of good manufacturing jobs and an increase in inequality, sealed the Liberals fate. After this collapse in support, they attempted a more extreme version of their traditional trick of stealing the NDPs policies. Wynne announced an increase in the minimum wage to $14, with $15 promised if they were re-elected. They promised free childcare for children aged two-and-a-half to four. The favoured party of Canadas billionaire class did everything in their power to make the NDP seem irrelevant. Of course, if it worked, they would have taken it all back after the election. And their true face was revealed after the New Democrats began to rise in the polls. The New Democrats had spent a generation in the wilderness after the betrayal of the 1990-1995 Bob Rae NDP government. Elected in the middle of a financial crisis, Rae capitulated to the corporate backlash and abandoned much of the NDPs reformist platform. Instead he instituted public sector austerity and infamously enforced unpaid days off, so-called Rae Days. But instead of learning the lesson of this capitulation and turning left, the NDP consistently moved rightwards. They followed the Blairite mantra that elections are won in the centre, despite the fact that the Liberals won elections by faking left. This allowed the Liberals to sideline the party, and appeal for a strategic vote to keep out the hated Conservatives. In the 2014 election NDP leader Andrea Horwath had even been proposing $600-million in cuts! NDP reforms Finally, after defeat after defeat, the brain trust at the top of the NDP began to catch on. Partially learning from the example of Sanders and Corbyn, the NDP actually developed a platform containing some modest reforms. They proposed a childcare, dental, and pharmacare program, plus the renationalization of Hydro One. None of these programs were universal, and the hydro renationalization was a slow and expensive buy-back plan at market rates. But for the first time since the 1990s the NDP was actually putting forward some reforms that would improve the lives of working class people, if only partially. The first leadership debate was a watershed moment for the NDP. Ford and Wynne attacked each other while Horwath said that you didnt have to choose between bad and worse. The NDP offered modest reforms without the Liberal corruption. From this point NDP support shot up from the mid-20s towards almost 40%. There was a real possibility for an NDP victory. In response, the other parties pivoted their fire against the NDP. Conservative tabloids trawled NDP candidate social media accounts for anything that could be distorted. The rabid right-wing group Ontario Proud played racist dog-whistle politics and vilified the NDPs proposal that hospitals and schools will not restrict service to immigrants and refugees based upon their status. However, to their credit, the NDP did not bend to these attacks. In the second televised debate, the Liberals discarded their left face and engaged in a full-on assault on the NDP from the right. Wynne attacked the NDP for being opposed to back-to-work legislation against striking workers and specifically raised the current dispute at York University. Subsequently they backed up this attack with ads in the media. This debate was the high point of the NDP campaign with Horwath defending the right to strike while correctly blaming Liberal underfunding for precipitating such disputes. In the final weekend of the campaign Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne held a press conference to announce that she was conceding the election, but appealed to past Liberal supporters to elect enough Liberals to create a minority government, which would moderate the extreme NDP and Conservatives. The real intention for this call was to prevent the anti-Ford vote from coalescing around the NDP, and 90% of Liberal attacks were aimed against the left. The election of a majority Conservative government was the final service that the Liberals provided to their corporate paymasters on Bay Street. Strategic voting betrayal What is more criminal than the right-wing Liberal attacks, which should have been expected, was that a sector of union leaders maintained support for the Liberals through this period. This was justified by the concept of strategic voting, which only ever seems to mean a Liberal vote. Campaigns led by left wingers, such as Fight for $15, were also criminally silent on the need to reject the strike-breaking Liberals. They even refused to oppose the Liberals when they were actively campaigning against the right to strike. The union bureaucrats actually held out for a Liberal victory longer than Kathleen Wynne, and only supported the NDP after the Liberal leader conceded defeat! But this was less than a week before voting day, by which time the damage had been done. The failed tactic of strategic voting as a means to stop the Conservatives, and those who supported it, bear part of the responsibility for the Ford victory and all the repercussions it entails for working people in the next 4 years. However, the final responsibility for the failure of the NDP to defeat the Tories lies with the NDP leadership itself. There is a palpable mood of discontent in society and a rejection of the status quo. The eradication of good union jobs, the rise in poverty and precarious work, while a small minority of bankers walk away with billions, is infuriating to the population. Doug Ford tapped into this sentiment when he said he would fire the CEO of Hydro One who had awarded himself over $6 million while presiding over crippling price hikes. The NDPs complicated, technocratic, plan didnt speak to the anger of people and gave no hint that the party would confront the establishment. The only way the NDP would have been able to win the Ontario election, and defeat Fords right-wing populism, was if it could mobilize a mass movement against the status quo. This was entirely possible, as shown by Bernie Sanders in the US, Jeremy Corbyn in Britain, or Jean-Luc Melenchon in France. The Liberal middle had been rejected and people were looking for a radical alternative. If there is no alternative to the left, people will find it in the right. You cannot defeat the anti-establishment right with a pro-establishment message. This is a clear lesson from the battle between Trump and Clinton, which has now been repeated in Ontario. The NDPs 2018 platform was an improvement over previous elections, but it was only marginally to the left of the Liberal platform. The tax increases on the rich and corporations were very modest, leaving tax levels lower than when the Liberals first came to power. All of the reforms were partial, instead of being universal on the model of healthcare - free for all at the point of use. Notably, the NDP platform was silent on the issue of university tuition fees. Horwath offered to turn a $4000 Ontario student loan into a grant, but gave no guarantee that this wouldnt be erased by fee hikes. Both Sanders and Corbyn were able to mobilize a mass of young people behind the demand of free education. In Ontario, young people remained sympathetic to the NDP, but passive with a low turnout. The party didnt give enough to the youth to provoke mass enthusiasm and participation. The unrealized potential is shown by the fact that a mock vote of school students returned a majority NDP government. What Ford offered, in an incoherent, dishonest, and reactionary way, was the promise to confront the so-called establishment. People who voted for him know that he won't be afraid to turn things upside down and make real changes (no matter how counterproductive those changes are). But what do people know about the NDP? The last time the NDP won government in 1990, on a similar program of modest reforms, they capitulated to the corporate establishment and attacked their supporters. In this campaign, when the Liberals and Conservatives attacked the NDP for being anti-business all they did was mumble that they werent. A much more enthusing strategy that would have shown some backbone would have been to remind people of the disgusting response of Tim Hortons bosses to the minimum wage increase, and pledge that the NDP would go to the wall to defend precarious workers. In the last week, the NDP couldnt even wage a concerted campaign to get Liberal and Green supporters to switch their vote to stop Ford. In a way, this lack of confidence of the workers in the NDP shows that the people have a better understanding of the capitalist state than the reformist leaders of social democracy do. The reformists believe that the state is a neutral body that can be filled with any content. They think a party platform is justified under recognized accounting practices. Workers understand that class society in the real world does not work this way. The ruling class use all the tools at their disposal to derail a government not to their liking. Either through economic pressure such as the investment strike they used against the Rae government, to mass media red baiting via the tabloids, to bureaucratic sabotage by state functionaries loyal to big business. Even if the NDP platform contained a series of universal programs instead of partial reforms, unless this was united with a denunciation of the ruling class (the establishment) and the formation of a mass movement, none of those demands would have been worth the paper they were printed on. This is the direct lesson of the anti-capitalist left Syriza government in Greece, that had a very good list of demands, but capitulated to the pressure of the capitalist class when it really mattered. All out against Ford! Now that Ford has been elected, everything is potentially on the chopping block. The labour movement needs to wake up from its strategic voting-induced hangover, and begin a concerted fightback. There is no way that the mass organizations of organized labour can allow the rule of Ford Nation to be normalized. Ford is not popular. In fact he squandered a 20-point lead in the election and became more unpopular as more people came to know him. At the end of the campaign only 25% had a positive impression of Ford compared to 54% with a negative impression! Fewer than 1 in 4 eligible voters supported a Conservative candidate. This is a lying government that deserves no honeymoon. Horwath was correct when she said that the majority of Ontarians did not vote for cuts and that the voice of these voters must be heard. But for that to happen there must be mass organized opposition to every reactionary step taken by Doug Ford. They have no mandate for layoffs after promising that nobody would lose their job. There are many parallels between the Ford government and the Mike Harris government of the late 1990s. Harris attacks on the working class sparked off the Metro Days of Action and repeated votes in favour of a general strike by the Ontario Federation of Labour. A movement of city-wide general strikes pushed down the popularity of the Harris Conservatives, but were eventually called off by the union bureaucracy and Harris was allowed to consolidate his rule. The labour movement needs to unite with all forces representing the oppressed, students, and working class communities to build a new mass movement of struggle against the Ford agenda. But this time we need to demand rank-and-file democratic control of the movement from the bottom up. No struggle is to be called off without a general vote of the workers. Each action must be part of a general program of escalation until the government is defeated. Ford is weak and can be broken by decisive struggle. A good place to start is with the strike at York University. It is quite likely that the first action of a Ford government will be to legislate an end to the strike. The best way to draw a line in the sand against Ford would be if CUPE 3903 defied that legislation with the support of the rest of the labour movement. That will show him that his dictatorial intimidation will not be tolerated. On June 16th there is a rally planned at the Ministry of Labour with the support of the Ontario Federation of Labour. All must come out to this rally as a show of defiance. The Marxists of Fightback will be there in full force demanding militant tactics from the labour movement, democratic bottom-up control of the movement by the workers, and socialist politics that are the only alternative to the right-populism of Ford. We need to fight for a mass movement against the Ford agenda, united with a socialist program that can solve the problems of capitalism in crisis. Globally we are seeing a phenomenon of mass polarization: Sanders and Trump, Corbyn and Brexit, Melenchon and Le Pen. Now we can add Doug Ford to this list. But the temporary victory of the right only prepares more radical swings to the left. We do not have the luxury of despondency. We leave it to the Liberals to be demoralized, we shall be too busy fighting to defend the workers, youth, and oppressed. The Marxists will be at the forefront of this fight every step of the way. Join us to stop this government of capitalist reaction. Exploring the premise that a mere six decades of farmable soil remains on Earth given the current rate of soil degradation, and positing that the future of mankind depends on saving our planets dying soil, the film tracks innovators in global solutions, including the pioneering work taking place at Algae AquaCulture Technologies http://www.algaeaqua.com/full/index.html in Columbia Falls, which figures prominently in the film. By Tristan Scott A performance at the opening ceremony (Photo: VNA) Speaking at the ceremony, Consul General of Vietnam to Ekaterinburg city Ngo Phuong Nghi highly appreciated the effort of the overseas Vietnamese community and Consulate General in opening the class to help children to read and write Vietnamese language under the curriculum profiled by the Ministry of Education and Training only reserved for overseas Vietnamese, contributing to helping them understand more about the nations history, tradition and cultural characteristics. On behalf of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Ekaterinburg city, Le Thanh Do, Chairman of the association, thanked the Consulate General of Vietnam, donors and students parents for their support in organizing the Vietnamese class at Hanoi Trade Centre - home of a large number of Vietnamese people doing business./. Les membres du Cabinet ont pris note que le gouvernement va introduire le Constitution (Amendment) Bill and the Political Financing Bill au Parlement, des recommendations du National Remuneration Board pour les Security Guard (Remuneration Order) Regulations qui sera remplace par une Private Security Services Employees Remuneration Regulations, de la signature dun accord signe entre le Mauritius Multisports Infrastructure Ltd et Liverpool Football Club and Athletics Grounds Ltd pour mettre sur pied une academie de football entre autres. 1. Cabinet has agreed to the early introduction of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill and the Political Financing Bill into the National Assembly. The object of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill is to amend the Constitution to provide additional powers and functions to the Electoral Supervisory Commission and the Electoral Commissioner relating to political financing. The object of the Political Financing Bill is to provide for accountability and transparency with regard to the financing of political parties, independent members of the National Assembly and independent candidates nominated to stand as such at a general election, with a view to preventing undue influence and corruption. The Bill further provides for widening the functions and powers of the Electoral Supervisory Commission and the Electoral Commissioner for the better regulation of political financing. Opportunity is being taken to amend the Representation of the People Act so as to provide for matters related thereto. 2. Cabinet has taken note of the recommendations of the National Remuneration Board to replace the Security Guard (Remuneration Order) Regulations by a Private Security Services Employees Remuneration Regulations and to review the terms and conditions of workers employed in the sector and has agreed to the new Remuneration Regulations being promulgated. 3. Cabinet has taken note that an Agreement has been signed between the Mauritius Multisports Infrastructure Ltd and Liverpool Football Club and Athletics Grounds Ltd (LFC) for the setting up of an International Football Academy Soccer School at Cote dOr, as announced in Budget Speech 2019/2020. The Football Academy would cater for football training as an academic programme targeted for youth and children of all regions of Mauritius based exactly on the same curriculum and coaching programme run at LFC. The key objectives of the project are to : (a) implement a long term and sustainable development plan for football in Mauritius; (b) encourage and increase the participation level in football at all ages and across gender; and (c) provide potential football players in Mauritius an aspirational pathway for a professional football career. 4. Cabinet has taken note that the 11th Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) Scientific Symposium would be held in Mauritius from 1 to 6 July 2019 at the University of Mauritius. The theme of the Symposium would be People, Coasts and Oceans: Opportunities for a changing future. The main objective of the Symposium would be to showcase innovative solutions for addressing the challenges facing coastal communities, policy makers, management authorities and the private sector in the Western Indian Ocean. Participants would engage in discussions on how information generated from their activities could assist countries of the region to advance their commitment and cooperation towards achieving SDG 14 on Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Some 500 participants from various countries, including marine scientists, managers and academics would attend the Symposium. 5. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the 2nd Ministerial Conference on Maritime Security and the 22nd Plenary Session of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, held recently in Mauritius. Some 200 representatives from 30 countries and 23 organisations participated in the meetings. The Ministerial Conference adopted the Maritime Security Declaration which contains 55 recommendations, inter alia, calling for an enhanced coordination of the 31 different initiatives aimed at combatting piracy, drug, human and arms trafficking, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, money laundering, terrorism and pollution. The Conference also took stock of the progress made since the convening of the first Ministerial Conference on Maritime Security held in April 2018. During the Conference, the Indian Ocean Commission signed two Memoranda of Understanding with the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Indian Ocean and the Association of the Ports of the Indian Ocean, respectively. The Memoranda would enable the private sector to collaborate in improving maritime security in the region and more importantly to ensure that the port authorities are fully involved in the regional architecture for maritime security. During the 22nd Plenary Session of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), the meeting, inter alia, appealed to the EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR), the Combined Maritime Forces and independent deployers to maintain their presence off the Coast of Somalia to prevent resurgence of piracy and related crimes and agreed to the proposal of the USA to establish a Steering Committee to look into a strategic plan for the CGPCS. 6. Cabinet has taken note of the medical arrangements that have been made by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life to assist Hadj pilgrims who would proceed to Saudi Arabia as from 23 July 2019. Vaccination against meningitis with vaccine ACYW 135 would be carried out free of charge in all regional hospitals on 6 July 2019. The medical examination of the Hadj pilgrims would be carried out in Area Health Centres and Community Health Centres nearest to their place of residence. Pilgrims would also be advised to attend the health institution nearest to their residence ten days before 6 July 2019 in order to take advantage of anti-influenza vaccination. 7. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training to Switzerland where he participated in the 108th Session of the International Labour Conference and the Centenary of the International Labour Organization (ILO). During his intervention, Mr Guy Ryder, Director General, ILO stated that, since its foundation in 1919, the ILO has as mandate the promotion of international peace and social justice and with a view to better protecting the fundamental principles and rights of the workers, the ILO has come forward with a number of Conventions and Recommendations, many of which have already been ratified and adopted by Member States. The Director General also presented the report of the Global Commission on the Future of Work entitled Work for a Brighter Future which was subject for discussion by Member states. In order to better address this issue, violence and harassment in the World of Work, the ILO has prepared a draft Convention and Recommendation which was adopted by a large majority of the tripartite constituents. The Minister deposited the ratification instrument regarding the ILO Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183) with the Director General, ILO to further demonstrate the determination and commitment of Mauritius thereto. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Mauritius will benefit from technical assistance under the United Kingdom Trade Partnerships Programme (UKTP). The UKTP aims to promote trade between the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the UK under Economic Partnerships Agreements concluded by the UK. This project is funded by the UK Department for International Development and will run until 31 December 2022. It covers 24 ACP countries including Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. The technical assistance will be implemented by the International Trade Centre. The programme aims at boosting exports under the agreements by increasing awareness of firms and institutions on how to access the UK/EU markets and better identifying trade obstacles across eligible EPA countries. The approach is expected to involve: 1. Centralizing data on export procedures and entry requirements; 2. Capacity building of trade support institutions; 3. Conduction business surveys to identify bottlenecks faced by exporters to the EU and UK markets; and 4. Strengthening the trade obstacles alert mechanism to facilitate the monitoring and removal of trade barriers. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Delegates at the exhibition (Photo: VNA) The exhibition, within the framework of the "Vietnam Cultural Year in Ukraine, marked the 128th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, 70th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minhs appeal for patriotic emulation and 107 years since Uncle Ho left Vietnam to find a way to save the country. Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Ukraine Nguyen Anh Tuan emphasized that the exhibition aimed to introduce the great achievements Vietnam has gained in the cause of building the country, review the historical landmarks in the Vietnam - Ukraine traditional friendship and introduce images about the land and people of Vietnam to Ukrainian parliamentarians and friends. He also sent sincere thanks to the Ukrainian Parliament President, leaders of Ukraine - Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Group, and Ukraine - Vietnam Friendship Association for creating good conditions and closely coordinating with the Embassy for such a rare foreign exhibition held at Ukraines Parliament building. Ms. Oksana Vasilevna Yurinets, Head of the Ukraine - Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Group, highly appreciated the ideas and careful preparations of the Vietnamese Embassy for the exhibition. She emphasized that through more than 100 photos at the exhibition, Ukrainian people know more about the land and people of Vietnam, understand more about the good friendly relations between the two countries, and famous landscapes of Vietnam, especially images of President Ho Chi Minh. She said that this exhibition and Vietnam Day event, which will be held in Lvov city on June 21st, not only show the goodwill and special sentiment of the Ukraine - Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Group, Ukraine - Vietnam Friendship Association and herself for Vietnam, but also create motivation to promote the Ukraine - Vietnam relations. The exhibition, which has attracted the attention of a large number of Ukrainian and international visitors, will end on June 8th./. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2018. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in Beijing on Thursday, and they agreed to consolidate the traditional friendship and work together to forge ahead in achieving respective national rejuvenation of their countries. As an important neighbor, Kazakhstan is an influential power in the region, Xi said, noting that the relations between China and Kazakhstan have become an example of friendly relations for neighboring countries. China was willing to work with Kazakhstan to push ahead the process of building a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said. The Chinese dream and Kazakh dream show the people-centered development concept and pursuit of a bright future, Xi said. Xi said that China and Kazakhstan should work together to help each other. China will, as always, firmly support Kazakhstan's domestic and foreign policies, and is willing to cooperate with Kazakhstan in deepening cooperation in areas such as fighting the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism, and separatism, and will closely communicate and coordinate with Kazakhstan in international and regional affairs. Five years ago, during Xi's first visit to Kazakhstan, he proposed building a Silk Road Economic Belt when touring Nazarbayev University accompanied by the Kazakh president. Xi said that in the past five years, the Belt and Road Initiative has received positive responses from the international community. The key to the progress scored in promoting the initiative is that it conforms to the trend of world peace and development and meets the aspirations for development and cooperation shared by countries along the route. The initiative has become an important practice in promoting the building of a community of shared future for humanity, said Xi. The Chinese president said that in the past five years, the cooperation between China and Kazakhstan in building the Belt and Road has entered a new stage of deep integration and mutual promotion. The two sides should strengthen policy coordination and implement the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative and Kazakhstan's Bright Path economic policy, advance cooperation on production capacity, investment, economic and trade, energy, finance, connectivity, agriculture, innovation, and people-to-people exchanges, said Xi. China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Kazakhstan to promote SCO cooperation in all areas, and continuously enhance the cooperation under the framework of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, so as to make the conference better serve regional security and development needs, said Xi. Nazarbayev said China is a friendly neighbor and important partner of Kazakhstan, and his country values the traditional friendship between the two countries and also appreciates China's long-term support. China's development has brought opportunities to Kazakhstan, Nazarbayev said, noting that Kazakhstan supports the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, and believes the success is also in line with the interests of Kazakhstan. Nazarbayev said Kazakhstan firmly adheres to the one-China policy, and fighting the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism, and separatism. Kazakhstan is ready to work with China to support each other in international affairs and coordinate more under the framework of SCO and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, Nazarbayev said. The Silk Road Economic Belt, proposed by President Xi in 2013, will benefit regional countries, Nazarbayev said, noting that Kazakhstan is willing to promote synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative and its own Bright Path economic policy. After the talks, the two presidents signed a joint statement and witnessed the signing of a series of cooperative agreements. Prior to the talks, Xi held a welcome ceremony for Nazarbayev outside the East Gate of the Great Hall of the People. 2 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov receives an interview with Xinhua News Agency in Moscow, Russia, June 5, 2018. The CSTO is looking forward to closer ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) MOSCOW, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is looking forward to closer ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov. "The CSTO takes a serious approach to the development of effective and mutually beneficial cooperation with the SCO. We are always open to filling it with practical matters," Khachaturov told Chinese reporters in a recent interview. He said the relations between the CSTO and the SCO are defined by the memorandum of understanding signed by their secretariats in October 2007 in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe. The memorandum confirms the readiness of both organizations to combine efforts to ensure regional and international security and stability, counter terrorism, combat drug trafficking, suppress illicit arms trafficking and resist organized transnational crimes. "This document reflects our aspiration to establish and develop relations of equal and constructive cooperation in order to more fully and effectively implement the tasks facing the CSTO and the SCO," Khachaturov said. In his view, the interaction of the CSTO with the SCO in the field of countering modern challenges and threats has great potential, and the joint fight against drug crimes is a primary concern. The CSTO, formed in 1992, consists of six members, namely, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, and two observers -- Serbia and Afghanistan. Founded in 2001, the SCO groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. Their leaders will hold a summit in Qingdao, a coastal city in China's eastern Shandong Province, on Saturday and Sunday. "The SCO is correctly perceived by the international community as an important factor for ensuring peace, stability, security and development in the region and Asia as a whole," Khachaturov said. He said the SCO has acquired a global profile and exerts a definitive influence on the further development of the vast Eurasian region. "Each SCO summit is a firm, confident step toward better cooperation among its member countries," Khachaturov said. He said he is sure that the Qingdao summit will be fruitful with constructive discussions on global issues and the signing of practical documents. "I am confident that the outcome will open new opportunities for further cooperation between the CSTO and the SCO," he said. [ Editor: WPY ] PYONGYANG, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Singapore Thursday discussed the preparations for the upcoming DPRK-U.S. summit, said the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) Friday. This is the first time for the DPRK's official media to report on the upcoming meeting between top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, which is scheduled for June 12 in Singapore. "At the talks DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan exchanged in-depth views on further developing the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries with a long history and tradition in various fields and on the situation ahead of the DPRK-U.S. summit," said KCNA. Balakrishnan arrived here Thursday and he is expected to meet with Kim on Friday. [ Editor: WPY ] The statement was among the noteworthy remarks at the Vietnam Blockchain Summit 2018, co-hosted by the E-commerce and Digital Economy Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) and the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM), in Hanoi on June 8. Dang Hoang Hai, Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trades Department, said that blockchain is a continuous series of information blocks, using encryption technology to link and secure, thereby effectively combating data modifications. In addition to supporting Vietnams digital economy and improving certain weak areas in the economy, blockchain is also an effective assistance for e-government deployment. However, blockchain is only known in Vietnam with regards to cryptocurrency but its application is much bigger, Hai added, saying that it is necessary to develop good and effective blockchain application products to boost the technology in a sustainable and effective manner in Vietnam. Do Van Long, Director at Infinity Blockchain Lab (IBL), said that blockchain promises to make a breakthrough in socio-economic development, with highly feasibility in transactions and data-intensive activities that require transparency and information safety. With the efforts made by the State, the expert community and businesses in researching blockchain it is expected that by 2020, in parallel with the official blockchain projects around the world, Vietnam would also witness a breakthrough in this technology like the birth of the Internet before, added Long. Bui Minh Can, Vice Director of My Xuong Mango Cooperative, shared about the effective application of blockchain technology in the traceability of agricultural products at his cooperative, after collaborating with IBL to put each blockchain segment on the identity stamps of mangoes. The blockchain management system will be triggered, providing necessary information related to the mango cultivation process and the information cannot be changed. The stamps are very difficult to fake. Consumers will be pleased that by simply using a smartphone to scan the identifier on the mangos stamp they will be able to get information on the fruit origin, harvest time and the best time to eat, Can emphasised. Nguyen Thanh Hung, Chairman of the VECOM, said that his association has recommended that Vietnams authorities accelerate the research and application of blockchain technology in all economic fields, considering it as one of the fundamental technologies for the digital economy. According to analysts, the global blockchain technology market in 2024 is expected to increase 70 times compared to 2015, with a value of US$20 billion. In Vietnam, businesses such as Viettel, Napas and TMA Solutions are starting to deploy research teams or blockchain trial projects. Selling Vietnamese farm produce to Thailands supermarkets As announced by MM Mega Market Vietnam, 100 tonnes of Vietnamese agricultural products, including yellow sweet potato, purple sweet potato, dragon fruit, dried fruit, and rice paper, have recently been exported to a system of 700 Big C supermarkets in Thailand. This is the first order of Vietnamese farm produce that has been successfully exported to Thailands supermarket chains since MM Mega Market was granted an export license in late 2017. In order to achieve this result, MM Mega Market organised many programmes to introduce and advertise Vietnamese products to Thai consumers, before carrying out direct export activities. Thai consumers have shown a deep interest in Vietnamese commodities, especially agro-fishery products such as Da Lat avocado, dragon fruit, Japanese sweet potato, and basa fish. Vietnams farm produce has also attracted customers thanks to their advantages in terms of quality, sources of products, and competitive prices. For example, Japanese sweet potato is of high quality and very sweet, while it is sold at a much better price than the other sweet potato varieties of the same type imported from Japan. Another advantage of Vietnamese agricultural products is the diversity of topography and climate, such as vegetables from Da Lat city, aquatic products from Can Tho city, or fruits from Ben Tre province. This helps the collectors to find many sources of products in just one country. Together with MM Mega Market, Big C Vietnam (Central Group) is also actively implementing programmes in order to promote the export of Vietnamese goods to the Big C supermarket chain in Thailand. The Vietnam Goods Week has been held annually in Bangkok over the last three years, with the 2018 event scheduled for August 22-26. In the Central Group system in Vietnam, there is a department called Central Global Sourcing Vietnam, which is responsible for purchasing and exporting Vietnamese goods. The department fosters partnerships with 200 Vietnamese suppliers and exports Vietnamese farm produce to a number of markets, such as Thailand, France, Italy, the United States, and the African region. It not only performs the task of collecting products, but also orientates farmers production so that their products will be accepted in the import markets. Le Thi Mai Linh, Executive Vice President of Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility Department at Central Group Vietnam, said that the 2018 Vietnam Goods Week will continue to connect the collection department with Thai retailers, focusing on the group of agricultural products, towards increasing the export revenue of Vietnamese goods to the Big C supermarket chain in Thailand. This activity is expected to help Vietnamese agricultural products become increasingly known to native consumers. Contributing to balancing trade In recent years, Vietnams trade deficit with Thailand has seen constant growth. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), the two-way trade revenue in 2017 reached approximately US$15.28 billion, up nearly 22% compared with 2016. Vietnam ran a trade deficit of around US$5.71 billion with Thailand, up 10.7% annually. In the first four months of 2018, with a trade deficit at US$ 1.75 billion, Thailand continued to be Vietnams largest trade deficit market in the Southeast Asian region. The main cause for Vietnams trade deficit over recent years is that Vietnam mainly imported high-value items, such as complete cars, machinery parts, and household appliances from Thailand, while only exporting goods of lower value, such as agro-fishery products, minerals, and textiles. Furthermore, despite the similarity in terms of goods structure, the competitiveness of Vietnamese commodities remains lower than that of Thai goods, thus resulting in limited export revenue. Therefore, the successful exports through the supermarket system are expected to help Vietnamese goods to improve competitiveness, reduce trade deficit and gradually balance the trade between the two countries. In its efforts to support the export of Vietnamese goods to Thailand, the MOIT will continue to organise the Vietnam Goods Week programmes in Thailand in the future. In addition, the ministry will actively negotiate with the Thai side on opening the door to more fruits and vegetables of Vietnamese origin, while encouraging businesses to organise trade promotion activities in Thailand by themselves, thereby contributing to boosting exports and mitigating the trade deficit pressure. MM Mega Market importing hundreds of tonnes of agricultural products from Vietnam shows that farm produce are an item of strength with numerous opportunities to be exported to Thailand, helping to curb the trade deficit momentum from this market. However, Le Quoc Phuong, former Deputy Director of the Industry and Trade Information Centre (under the MOIT), noted that Thailand is a country with a very developed agricultural sector and Thai agricultural products have better quality and are more competitive than Vietnamese goods. Therefore, in order to gradually reduce the trade deficit, towards balanced trade, the only and important solution is to improve the competitiveness of Vietnamese agricultural products in terms of quality, price and safety. The annual trade fair, which opened on June 7, showcases not only farm produce and agricultural machinery but also scientific and technological applications in farming. Representing Vietnam as a special guest of the fair, Ambassador to Argentina Dang Xuan Dung hosted a talk introducing the country and its economic policy to the participants. He affirmed that Vietnam has been pursuing comprehensive international integration, which has helped it to spur its national economy, expand export markets, participate more deeply in global value and production chains, and carry out economic restructuring. Vietnam and Argentina made a two-way trade value of US$3 billion in 2017, with Argentina becoming Vietnams second biggest trade partner in Latin America and Vietnam becoming Argentinas second biggest market in Asia. The two countries have a lot of potential for agricultural cooperation as Vietnam has a high demand in animal feed, cooking oil, grains, and wheat which are the strengths of Argentine agriculture. During the fair, the participating Vietnamese businesses met with Argentine partners and sought purchases on farming production machinery. Co-organised by the Embassy of Vietnam in Ukraine, the Vietnam-Ukraine Friendship Parliamentarians Group and the Vietnam-Ukraine Friendship Association, the event is held on the occasion of the 128th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890 2018), the 70th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minhs call for patriotic work emulation (June 11, 1948 2018) and 107 years since Uncle Ho left the country to find a way to save the nation (June 5, 1911 2018). Addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Ukraine Nguyen Anh Tuan emphasised that the photo exhibition aims to introduce Vietnams great achievements in the field and review the historical milestones in the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Ukraine, as well as introducing dynamic images of the country and people of Vietnam. In particular, there are photos on President Ho Chi Minhs visit to Ukraine on display at the exhibition. Visitors at the exhibition have an opportunity to learn more about Vietnam, a country with great potential that has a long-lasting history and tradition. The event runs until June 8. The trip is expected to enhance Vietnams position on the international stage and further promote the Vietnam-Canada comprehensive partnership at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Established in 1975 with seven members namely the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada, the G7 has always been an important forum for the worlds largest developed countries to seek consensus on many international and regional issues. The G7 economies currently account for 47% of global GDP. The agenda for the 2018 G7 Summit is guided by five main themes. Aside from traditional issues, such as building a more peaceful and secure world, advancing gender equality and womens empowerment, and investing in inclusive growth, the G7 countries are also interested in the pressing issues in the new global context, notably working together on climate change, oceans and clean energy, and preparing for future employment trends. Vietnam has fine relations with the G7 countries, having established strategic partnerships with five member countries and comprehensive partnerships with the other two. This is the second time that Vietnam has been invited to attend the G7 Summit as a guest country. At this years G7 Summit, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will deliver a speech in which he affirms Vietnams efforts and significant contributions in dealing with global issues and challenges such as climate change response, environmental protection, efficient energy use and renewable energy development, sustainable fishing, and protection of ocean environments. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs visit to Canada comes at a time when the two countries are undertaking activities to mark the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties (1973-2018), and the Vietnam-Canada relationship has recorded positive developments in politics, diplomacy, economics and trade, education and training, people-to-people exchanges, especially since the two countries established a comprehensive partnership on the occasion of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus visit to Vietnam in November 2017. Vietnam is currently Canadas largest trading partner in ASEAN. Two-way trade in 2017 reached nearly US$5 billion. Canada has 149 active investment projects in Vietnam, with a total capital of US$4.1 billion, ranking 14th among the 112 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Vietnam and Canada are cooperating and coordinating well at multilateral organisations and forums, especially at the United Nations, the Francophonie, the ASEAN-Canada Dialogue and the Comprehensive Partnership for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Canada highly appreciates Vietnams nomination for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term. Vietnam supports Canadas bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2021-2022 term. During the visit to Canada, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will hold talks with his Canadian counterpart to discuss measures and orientations for implementing cooperation areas outlined in the 2017 joint statement on the establishment of a comprehensive partnership. The two leaders will discuss measures to maintain the positive momentum of the bilateral relationship, as well as fostering cooperation in advanced technologies, clean and sustainable energy, marine research, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs invitation to attend the 2018 G7 Summit reflects the importance that the G7 members attach to Vietnams increasing role and position on the international stage, especially after Vietnam successfully hosted the APEC Summit in 2017. Themes of the G7 Summit agenda are basically in line with Vietnams concerns and interests, a marine country highly vulnerable to climate change and sea level rise. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs visit to Canada affirms Vietnams consistent policy of attaching importance to and desiring to further improve the comprehensive partnership with Canada, bolstering cooperation in areas in which the two countries have strengths and potential. May Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs attendance at the G7 Summit and visit to Canada be a success, contributing to fostering cooperation between Vietnam and the G7 in general and each G7 member in particular; continuing to deepen the Vietnam-Canada comprehensive partnership for the sake of both countries people, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the two regions and the world at large. The PM expressed his belief that the visit by the Micronesian guest will help tighten the relations between the two countries and the two legislatures. The visit is hoped to chart a new chapter for the cooperation between the two parliaments in particular and the two countries in general, said Wesley W. Simina. He said the two countries have established active and close relations on multilateral scale. The countries have exchanged visits, cooperated in agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, environment, and climate change while their law-making bodies have set up active cooperation, the guest said. He said he expected that visit exchanges, people-to-people activities and cooperation in education, economy and trade will be promoted in the future. Wesley W. Simina expressed his hope to boost cooperation and twining relations between Micronesian and Vietnamese localities. PM Phuc agreed with the guests opinions and said the two countries need to increase the sharing of experience in national development. As geographical distance is not favourable for the bilateral cooperation to grow as expected, ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries should be proactive in exploring cooperation opportunities, he said. He suggested the two sides launch negotiations on some cooperation agreements to provide a legal foundations to accelerate the trading in farm produce, consumer products, and agricultural machinery, and seek to invest in infrastructure construction, tourism, and telecoms. Vietnam wants to share its experience in cooperation in areas with potential, like agriculture, aquaculture, seafood processing, industrial tree plantation, tourism development, education and training, he affirmed. The PM suggested the two countries continue working together and supporting each other at regional and multilateral forums and organizations. He hoped Micronesia will back Vietnams bid to run for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council in 2020-2021. He asked Micronesia to support the stance and effort of Vietnam and ASEAN in maintaining peace, stability, maritime and overflight freedom, security and safety in the East Sea, stating that Vietnam welcomes effort of all countries to contribute to the work. The PM said that the establishment of special economic zones has been successful in many countries around the world such as China and Japan. But there are also countries in which setting up such zones has been unsuccessful, he noted. Currently, the bill is being adjusted and completed, he said, adding that the National Assembly will carefully analyse all ideas related to the draft law before approving it. He appreciated all opinions sent by voters across the country as well as overseas Vietnamese regarding this issue. The Government leader also clarified that the time limit of 99 years on land leases is only granted to special cases after being considered by the PM in consultation with authorised agencies. National and economic security must go hand in hand when building a special zone, and no particular country will have an exclusive right of investment in this area, he noted. The PM also emphasised the need for attractive policies to facilitate investment but top priority must be given to national interests as well as to ensuring national independence, sovereignty and freedom. The formation of special economic zones must be implemented in line with the resolutions of the 12th Party Congress and the Party Central Committee, as well as directions from the Politburo on policies related to the building of the zone, he added. WYOMING - Brian Bennett, assistant deputy director of fire services with the city for the past three years, has been promoted to replace outgoing fire chief Chuck Lark. City Council approved the hiring of Bennett as Wyoming's latest deputy director of fire services at a meeting on Monday, June 4. His appointment with the city officially began the following day. Public Safety Director Kimberly Koster said the city tapped both Bennett and Lark about three years ago to run the fire department as a team and that the pair has provided stability and excellent leadership since then. Lark officially retired from his duties with the city on May 24. "We believe that Brian Bennett is going to continue the forward movement of the fire department," Koster said. "He's very well respected and we're just very excited to have him take over as fire chief." Prior to becoming Wyoming's assistant deputy director of fire services almost three years ago, when the city was transitioning to a consolidated public safety model, Bennett was a firefighter with the Caledonia Township Fire Department for nearly 25 years, serving as that department's fire chief from 2002 to 2015. While with Caledonia Fire, Bennett helped develop a dynamic scheduling program and the Tri-County Training Consortium. He also served as the vice president of the Kent County Fire Chiefs Association. Mayor Jack Poll said he trusts the fire department will continue to show great progress under Bennett's leadership. Deputy PM Hue expressed his pleasure at the fine development of friendship and cooperative relations between the two countries over the past years. The Deputy PM said that in early July, a Vietnamese delegation will pay a working visit to Chile to promote the economic and diplomatic relations between the two countries in the coming time, in order to effectively implement the agreements reached by senior leaders of the two nations over the recent past. The highlight of the visit, according to Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue, is the Vietnam Chile Free Trade Council meeting and the Vietnam-Chile Business Forum to introduce the potential for economic cooperation between the two sides. Charge d'Affaires of the Republic of Chile in Vietnam Gonzalo Gualquil Smoje said that the two countries have better opportunities to cooperate and develop when the two economies have an export and import structure which is complementary to the other. Chile also attaches great importance and devotes special attention to Vietnam, a country with an important role in Southeast Asia. The two sides said the visit of the Vietnamese delegation to Chile is an important occasion, which will bring economic benefits for businesses of the two sides in the coming time. ANN ARBOR, MI - The rent in Ann Arbor, to borrow a phrase, is "too damn high," according to Ryan Hughes, a 37-year-old computer programmer at the University of Michigan. Hughes, who identifies as a democratic socialist, is now running for City Council as an independent in the 1st Ward with hopes of more aggressively pursuing the city's affordable housing goals. He recently filed to compete in the November election against the winner of the August Democratic primary, seeking to fill the seat being vacated by Sumi Kailasapathy. Hughes said he was lucky enough to buy a home for under $200,000 in Ann Arbor's Water Hill neighborhood about six years ago before prices skyrocketed, and he has two housemates helping to pay the bills. But he's tired of watching more and more people, including longtime renters, being priced out of the community. He said renters he's known in his neighborhood have been forced to leave as their landlords have raised rents. According to rentcafe.com, the average monthly rent in Ann Arbor was $1,476 in May, up 2.1 percent from the year before. The monthly rent listed for a 630-square-foot, one-bedroom, luxury apartment near Hughes' house is $1,500, while an 820-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment in a nearby duplex is listed for $1,350. Hughes said he knows state law doesn't allow the city to impose rent control on privately owned rental properties, but the city can put more money toward building dedicated affordable housing. To do that, he proposes implementing a city income tax to raise tens of millions of dollars in additional annual revenue and then using that money to build new mixed-use developments on land the city owns, such as some of the surface parking lots in the downtown. "The city owns a lot of land that could be built on, and I'd like to see us just get into the habit of building that kind of thing," Hughes said, expressing a desire to work toward meeting the city's goal of adding 140 new affordable housing units per year, a goal the city set three years ago and is falling far short of meeting. Hughes proposes having the city operate the buildings as the landlord, rather than working with developers who will expect a profit. The way he sees it, if the city maintains ownership of the buildings, then it can set the rents. He envisions affordable apartments above ground-floor commercial spaces for local businesses. "People will be able to affordably live, work, and shop downtown without having to commute or own cars. We must make Ann Arbor an affordable place to live!" he writes on his campaign website. Jeff Hayner and Ron Ginyard are competing in the 1st Ward primary in August. Hughes will take on the winner in November. Hayner and Ginyard recently explained some of the reasons why they're running for the 1st Ward seat. Ginyard said he wants to help Ann Arbor find solutions in terms of where to add more housing density. Hayner said he wants the city to take an honest look at what residents are getting in terms of services compared to what they're paying. Hughes argues Ann Arbor is in the middle of a housing crisis due to lack of affordability. He points to National Low-Income Housing Coalition data to conclude a person would have to earn nearly $20 per hour to comfortably afford a two-bedroom apartment here. "This is out of reach for many of the people who work here, who then must commute from further away," his campaign site states. He also notes a study a few years ago by the Martin Prosperity Institute found Ann Arbor was the eighth most economically segregated metropolitan area in the United States. Hughes is proposing the city tax the incomes of city residents and corporations at a rate of 1 percent, and the incomes of non-residents who work in Ann Arbor at a rate of 0.5 percent, with exemptions for people who make below a certain amount. That's something the city has talked about doing for years, but the city charter stipulates that implementation of a local income tax, which requires Ann Arbor voter approval, could happen only if the city's general operating millage is eliminated. The city's finance department last year calculated a local income tax could generate as much as $11 million in new annual revenue after factoring in the cost of setting up a new city bureaucracy to administer it and the required elimination of part of the city's property taxes, which is the 6-mill general operating levy. Hughes said under his plan, though, the city charter would be amended so the city wouldn't have to reduce property taxes to implement an income tax - it would just be an add-on. The city's existing operating millage is projected to bring in $32.6 million in the next year. So, if eliminating it and implementing an income tax could net $11 million in additional revenue, having both could mean more than $43 million in new annual revenue. Hughes cites more conservative figures on his website, saying he believes it would be somewhere north of $20 million, but the actual amount would depend on the exemption levels. Hughes, an Okemos native who came to Ann Arbor in 1998 to attend UM and earn a degree in computer science, said he was inspired by the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign in 2016. He acknowledges some of his ideas might be "outside the acceptable political spectrum," but he said if there's one thing he took away from the Sanders campaign, it's that people are ready to vote for candidates with radical, inspiring ideas. He also supports the Black Lives Matter movement and is calling for creation of a civilian oversight committee with the power to investigate Ann Arbor police and make disciplinary decisions. ANN ARBOR, MI - Facebook has pledged to provide free digital skills training to 1 million people in the U.S. by 2020, and several Michigan organizations are helping make that happen. The social media giant announced its new goal on Friday, June 8, but the work is already underway in Michigan. In October 2017, Facebook began working with tech company Grand Circus - which has offices in Grand Rapids and Detroit - to offer free training in coding and digital marketing, with the goal of reaching 3,000 people in two years. "This is all about how can we reach more people and give access to more people to get this type of training," said Parisa Zagat, Facebook policy programs manager. "We're thrilled with what we're seeing in Michigan." To reach its new goal of training 1 million people in new digital skills, Facebook is planning to: Expand Add to its current online learning offerings on Partner with 20 more community colleges by the end of the year. Eighty-five percent of the people who graduated from Facebook's first coding boot camp at Grand Circus now have a new or better paying job, according to a press release. Hazel Park resident Chris Namyst, 38, is one of them. As an expectant father, Namyst decided to leave his job in hospitality management in Detroit and pursue a career in tech. However, he had no tech experience. MichiganWorks connected Namyst with a pre-apprenticeship bootcamp at Grand Circus, but he still wasn't having much luck in his job search after completing that program. He continued taking online coding classes and decided to join Facebook's front-end boot camp offered with Grand Circus in December in Detroit. "It can certainly be intimidating being surrounded with so many super smart people and feeling like you're stuck at times with the logic of the problem-solving situation," Namyst said, adding that the support system he found at Grand Circus helped him persist. Now, Namyst is three months into his new job as an associate technology consultant with Perficient, a Livonia IT consulting firm, and he says he's eager to keep learning new tech skills. BAY CITY, MI -- Residents in Bay City have another opportunity to offer input on how the city should deal with its deteriorating bridges. On Thursday, June 14, the Bay City Commission hosts a public forum seeking input on solutions to the city's ongoing bridge crisis. A forum is scheduled from 9-11 a.m. at Lumber Barons Brewery, 804 E. Midland St. At the meeting, community members will be asked to collaborate on a solution for funding the bridges. City officials have said they don't have the roughly $9 million needed for repairs to Liberty and Independence bridges and are running out of options. Officials met on Feb. 22 with Michigan Department of Transportation Director Kirk Steudle to discuss the possibility of having the Michigan Department of Transportation take over the jurisdictional transfer of Trumbull, Independence Bridge and Wilder Road in Bay City to Interstate 75 in Monitor Township. But in April, the state rejected that proposal. Officials also considering privatizing Liberty and Independence bridges with tolls, taking a countywide millage to voters or even permanently closing a bridge. That option, however, caused public outcry and forced the City Commission to table the proposal for more input. "This event will be an excellent opportunity for citizens to take part in the government process," officials said in a statement. The forum includes a brief presentation on bridge conditions and the solutions being considered. After the presentation, attendees will be led through a workshop that encourages community members to collaborate on a solution for our community's bridges. Sean Boucher, Hazel Park police photo A Michigan State Police-led corruption probe in the Detroit suburb of Hazel Park has widened and is now being spearheaded by the FBI. Hazel Park Police Chief Martin Barner in September 2017 announced that 18-year-veteran officer Sean K. Boucher was suspected of stealing nearly $85,000 in forfeiture funds from the city between 2012 and 2017. Boucher resigned days before the announcement, and Barner retired less than two months later. The chief said state police were heading the investigation. That appears to have changed. "This is an FBI investigation," State Police Lt. Michael Shaw told MLive when asked for an update last week. "I do not have any information on it." Shaw declined to comment further and the FBI has not responded to requests for information on the status of the investigation. Boucher has not been charged with any crimes. Officials decline to comment Hazel Park City Manager Edward Klobucher, City Attorney Janet Drumm and Hazel Park City Council members have not responded to MLive requests for information or comment. City officials have routinely declined comment and have, while fulfilling some, issued questionable rejections of Freedom of Information Act requests on high-profile matters of public interest in recent weeks. Hazel Park is a community of about 16,500 people just north of Detroit opposite Eight Mile Road. MLive pursued an unrelated story about the settlement of a lawsuit in which Hazel Park, through its insurance pool, the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority, paid two women who filed a lawsuit claiming police forced them to expose and shake their breasts during a traffic stop. Contrary to legal precedents that require Michigan municipalities to reveal the amount of settlement agreements, Hazel Park's city attorney and manager maintain they do not possess a copy of the settlement and are not required to produce one. Hazel Park refuses to disclose how much was paid to settle the lawsuit. While the former chief told MLive in September 2016 that an internal investigation into the accusations was underway, Hazel Park officials say there is no documented internal investigation or summary of findings in city files. "There may have been an internal investigation, but that internal investigation may have consisted of nothing more than an interview that satisfied the concerns of the chief of police," Klobucher told Hazel Park City Council on May 22. "There's no documentation there whatsoever." When approached by MLive for comment, City Council members said they have been advised to refer any questions to the city attorney. The city attorney has not returned multiple messages left by MLive. MLive could not locate publicly listed phone numbers for Boucher or the former police chief. The following email was sent to Hazel Park City Council, the city attorney and city manager Friday, June 1. None of the recipients responded: ___________________ Hello City Council, Mayor Webb, City Manager Klobucher and City Attorney Drumm: I'm a little confused as to why everyone -- including people elected to represent the public -- have been so unusually reluctant to speak with me. I've had difficulty getting anyone from the city to give comment or provide information, but I want to give the City Council and city administrators a chance to comment or respond before any further stories. First, regarding the ongoing questions I've had regarding the police lawsuit settlement involving Officer Ryan McCabe: Based on the scattered information I've received, it's my understanding that James Acho, the attorney appointed by the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority, signed off on a "confidential settlement" with the plaintiffs. (Side note: multiple court cases have determined Michigan cities, school districts, Detroit mayors, etc. cannot hide financial settlements from the public, even if they claim they are confidential.) City Council did not vote to approve any settlement, and according to City Manager Ed Klobucher, originally expected the case would go to trial. City Council was notified only after the settlement was agreed upon with the plaintiff. The city also claims not to possess a copy of any settlement. What is the city procedure regarding settlement of civil lawsuits, as far as who must authorize them and who is informed about the amount? Does City Council usually have to approve them? If so, why didn't that happen with this lawsuit? I received portions of a FOIA request I sent for the insurance agreement. The portion I received says that the city has a $150,000 deductible on liability claims. Despite requests, I never received what the agreement referenced as the "Joint Powers Agreement," which I presume outlines powers granted to the insurer regarding settling lawsuits. (The Joint Powers Agreement was provided subsequent to this email, but it does not clearly state the city's role in approving settlements) Based on denials of two FOIA requests for litigation costs associated with the case, Hazel Park was never presented records that show the cost of litigation for the lawsuit. I was told those records do not exist. May I have a copy of the Joint Powers Agreement? (fulfilled) What authority does the insurer and its attorney have to settle claims without Hazel Park's input? If authorization is required, from whom? How is the deductible collected by the insurer? Is the city presented the total itemized cost of the lawsuit in terms of the settlement and litigation costs? If so, why does the city say it doesn't have record of the litigation costs; and if not, how does it know what portion of the total costs represent the city's deductible amount? Based on the denial of my FOIA request for any internal investigation summary findings related to the McCabe matter, and discussion at the public meeting, city officials are unsure if an internal investigation ever occurred, and further indicated that if there was an internal investigation, it's not documented. Are there concerns that no records exist showing the department looked into the allegations that resulted in a lawsuit and financial settlement? Are there any actions being taken after learning that there is no record of an IA investigation? Is there a policy on documentation of IA investigation? If not, why? If my understanding about any of this is incorrect, please let me know. If anyone would like to answer any of the questions or comment on any of this, please let me know, otherwise I will assume that the recipients of this email are refusing to discuss any of this. If that is the case, and there is no comment, I'd appreciate an explanation as to why that is. ___________________ I am also looking into the status of what began as a state police investigation into possible embezzlement by resigned Officer Sean Boucher, which began in September, at the latest. I was told this has expanded into an FBI investigation and is no longer being headed by state police. Was the city or City Council, city manager or city attorney notified or aware that this was expanded to an FBI investigation, and do you know when or why that occurred? Is the city communicating and cooperating with the FBI in its investigation? Has the city completed its own investigation into the alleged embezzlement? If so, has it resulted in any other officers being disciplined or fired, or findings of further possible wrongdoing that hasn't previously been reported? Has the city sought any criminal charges? Have any search warrants been served to Hazel Park? If so, when, and were City Council members notified? Based on my reporting experience, there is nothing I've requested from Hazel Park that is extraordinary, but the lack of transparency I've experienced, so far, is concerning. It's also concerning that Hazel Park's elected officials seem to know so little about some of these issues, and have, so far, refused to comment. Please, feel free to call or email me, 989-372-2495; fburns@mlive.com. While I don't know exactly when anything will publish, if you would like any comment or provide any information for consideration, please do so by the end of Monday, June 4. Thank you, DETROIT -- A crumbling Brush Park home is getting a new lease on life thanks to Metro Detroit developer Doug Quada. The Henry Glover house, at 229 Edmund Place, was once surrounded by ornate Detroit homes. Later it was turned into a boarding house and eventually vacated and left open to squatters and scrappers. It's one of the few remaining historic houses in the once-stately neighborhood that managed to avoid being razed. The Second Empire-style home was removed from the demolition list and sold to Quada for $315,000 in September 2017. Since then, Quada and CH Architects have been busy securing the 1874-built property, which had an early 1900s addition collapse into itself long ago. "It doesn't look great, but it's actually in pretty good [shape], all things considering," said Quada who is also the general contractor for the project. The 7,400-square-foot project is not part of Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert's nearby housing development, but CH Architects, which is restoring the historic mansions within Gilbert's City Modern project, is also helping Quada with the Henry Glover house. New supports and temporary floors have gone into the crumbling house to make it safe to work in after years of being left open to the elements. Multiple fires left the inside wooden framework weak. The next step is to dig out the basement and restore the outside bricks, which in some spots have left holes straight through the building. This weekend, the Henry Glover House will be open for tours to show off its progress. "There's enough people locally who wanted to see it and expressed interest. We'd thought we'd open it up and help the Michigan Humane Society along the way and just have fun," said Quada of a suggested $10 donation to benefit the Detroit animal shelter. Quada will be leading the tours himself and displaying some of the unique finds they've discovered along the way. One of those discoveries includes a Detroit Times newspaper from 1947 that reported the death of Henry Ford, found hidden under a floorboard in the old servants kitchen. "There's been so much interest," said Quada, who often posts his finds and progress on the house on the project's Facebook page. "I have almost 1,100 followers now- from around the world." When completed, the project will include five market rate units, each with with about 1,400-square-feet with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and private outdoor space. Two of the units will occupy two floors on either side of the main house with basement access. A penthouse suite will be on the third floor, with 9-foot windows and a staircase leading into up into the Mansard roof. Two other units will be flats inside a newly constructed addition, where the collapsed addition once stood. Salvaged brick and limestone as well as slate and copper will go into the project to keep it as historically accurate as possible, Quada said. Quada expects the project to be completed by mid-summer 2019. To sign up for a tour, visit New Beginnings Land Development. FLINT, MI -- The Burton clerk charged with a single felony for her role in a property transaction was arraigned Friday, June 8. Teresa Marie Karsney, 51, of Hubbard Lake, pleaded not guilty on June 8 before Genesee District Judge Mark W. Latchana. She was charged with a single felony charge of violating Michigan's Notary Public Act involving real property. "Ms. Karsney was an outstanding clerk," said her attorney Frank J. Manley. "It's unfortunate that she's collateral damage between the Burton mayor and council. There was no action that Ms. Karsney was involved in that involved criminal intent." Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton announced the charge in a statement earlier this week. An investigation by Burton police revealed that Karsney notarized a signature that was made outside of her presence and concerned a transaction involving real property, the statement said. "Her alleged action gives rise to probable cause that this statutory crime was committed," Leyton said in the statement. A police report obtained by MLive-The Flint Journal through the Freedom of Information Act Request showed Deputy Clerk Racheal Ervin-Boggs agreed in July 2016 to purchase property on McLean Street from another resident. Karsney allegedly signed documents in connection with the deal when all the people were not present. She has been on administrative leave since the investigation, MLive-The Flint Journal reported in October. Karsney and Ervin-Boggs were placed on administrative leave in October following a citizen complaint about a land deal. The leave initially included pay, but it has since been changed to unpaid leave, according to the mayor's chief of staff. The criminal investigation came after Ervin-Boggs had agreed in July 2016 to purchase property on McLean Street from another resident, according to a police report obtained by MLive-The Flint Journal through a FOIA request. There was a dispute regarding the sale. The property owner allegedly told police he agreed to payments for the parcel but was not paid in full. Ervin-Boggs said she paid $1,000 -- the agreed amount -- but the property owner said she owed $500 more. Ultimately, Ervin-Boggs backed out of the deal. The owner later discovered Ervin-Boggs had paid taxes on the property and a quitclaim deed for the property was notarized by Karsney and filed with the Genesee County Register of Deeds on behalf of Ervin-Boggs, the police report said. A quitclaim deed is used to transfer ownership of property from one person to another. The owner claimed he never signed the deed and Karsney was not involved in the transaction, according to the police report. Ervin-Boggs allegedly told police a lease agreement was signed but she broke off the deal after the owner repeatedly asked her to pay an additional $500. She claimed to not have seen the property owner since the agreement and the quitclaim deed was signed -- on the same day. Police said Ervin-Boggs could not provide an explanation to police on how Karsney could have notarized the signatures if the owner never went to Burton City Hall. A notarization is required to take place with all parties involved present, the report claims. Ervin-Boggs told police she didn't remember if she'd asked Karsney for a favor in notarizing the quit claim deed, but she alleged it was "commonplace" for them to notarize items for each other. In a follow-up interview with police, Ervin-Boggs told an investigator the deed "was simply brought into Teresa who stamped it and notarized it without all parties being there or having positively identifying them or having them sign the deed in her presence." Rik Hayman, the mayor's chief of staff, was sworn in as the acting clerk and human resources director Sue Warren is serving as deputy clerk. Karsney has filed a lawsuit against the city claiming the investigation was retaliation for speaking out against misdeeds allegedly occurring within the city government. She was released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. FLINT, MI -- Michigan's Environmental Justice Work Group traveled the state and made recommendation three months ago, but Gov. Rick Snyder's office says he's still reviewing the report. Created by Snyder in February 2017, the 23-member group was charged with examining policy and promoting changes aimed at ensuring all citizens receive the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards. Both the Flint Water Advisory Task Force and Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee had asked the governor to create the group, which in its report said it had researched and reached consensus on short, medium and long-term tasks to "meaningfully and effectively advance environmental justice across Michigan and its communities." Anna Heaton, the governor's press secretary, said the group delivered its report to Snyder in March and said "the report and the recommendations are being reviewed by our office and various agencies, as to how they might be implemented." Among the recommendations: Establishing and hiring an environmental justice ombudsman to accept, investigate and resolve allegations of "environmental injustice committed by the state," developing and implementing environmental justice training for state workers and others, and establishing a petition process to allow citizens to seek mitigation from any environmental injustices. MLive-The Flint Journal could not reach Fadi Mourad, director of environmental strategy at DTE and a co-chair of the work group, for comment on the report, but co-chairman Chris Kolb, president and chief executive officer of the Michigan Environmental Council, said he believes some work has been quietly done by the Snyder administration. "It's not going as fast as we would like," said Kolb, who said the governor has many issues on his plate and a limited amount of time before he leaves office at the end of this year. "I think the main focus ... is setting up a structure" for the next governor, he said. Dr. Lawrence Reynolds, a Flint resident and member of the group, said he assumed the report was quickly forgotten once attention on the city's water crisis faded. Reynolds has asked that the report be discussed at the FWICC meeting scheduled for June 15, and Heaton said in an email to The Journal that she expects the topic will be discussed at that time. "In the absence of any written or formal communication from the Governor's Office and the Legislature's bills to limit an already weakened (Michigan Department of Environmental Quality), I can only assume it will go on the shelf with the previous plans" unless it is revived, Reynolds said in an email to The Journal. "(Environmental Justice) is not compatible with the prevailing ideology of small government and minimal compliance with the outdated regulations to protect us and our environment," Reynolds said. Reynolds also served on the FWICC and Flint Water Advisory Task Force, which described the Flint water crisis as "a story of government failure, intransigence, unpreparedness, delay, inaction, and environmental injustice." Likewise, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission concluded in its report on the the water crisis that "structural and systemic racism combined with implicit bias led to decisions, actions, and consequences in Flint (that) would not have been allowed to happen in primarily white communities such as Birmingham, Ann Arbor, or East Grand Rapids." The Environmental Justice Work Group report says Michigan has a legacy of leadership in conservation and environmental stewardship but actions across the state also created a legacy of polluting the environment. "Sometimes, certain groups suffer more from environmental harms than others," the document says. At the time he appointed the group, Snyder issued a statement, detailing the credentials of those he asked to serve. "Ensuring every Michigander has the same protections from environmental and health hazards is of the utmost importance," the statement said. "My goal for this group is to have thoughtful, productive conversations about this complex issue and I look forward to their recommendations and insight on this topic." CLAYTON TWP, MI - Police in Clayton Township have walked back from a claim of human trafficking connected to signs advertising for work in the Genesee County community. Clayton Township police Sgt. Troy Belanger said the issue began when a resident brought in a sign offering cash and listed a phone number for people to text for more details. "She felt it to be suspicious," he said, thinking the sign listed no particular employer may be a way to mine people's data or "locate someone in terms of human trafficking." The department posted the sign on its Facebook page on June 5 along with the warning: "It has been brought to the attention of the Clayton Township Police Department that the sign shown below may be a scam or could possibly be tied into human trafficking. If you see one of these signs please remove it. If you have older children discuss what could happen if they respond to one of these signs." Please be aware that we have not confirmed this is a scam. We had been informed that it may be a scam. Please use... Posted by Clayton Township Police Department on Tuesday, June 5, 2018 But the department issued another message the following day stating the sign is not connected to human trafficking or "a deliberate scam," but rather it is tied to Vector Marketing that serves as the primary seller of CUTCO Cutlery. Joel Koncinsky, public relations manager for Vector Marketing, said this is not the first time the human trafficking rumor has come up in Michigan, with Traverse City police posting a similar message two weeks ago on that department's Facebook page. "This is something that we've been battling since 2015 which just shows you the power of social media," he said, with the company starting a website to directly address the issue that includes several news stories debunking the rumor. "Social media can be used for good and to spread rumors and fear," added Koncinsky. "Unfortunately, we've been a victim of that for a topic that's very, very sensitive." The human trafficking rumor began in 2015, Koncinsky said, after a parody Twitter account posted a tweet about signs popping up and offering job opportunities but lured in people for menacing purposes. He noted the company also had sent out job recruiting letters in the mail around the same time "adding gasoline to the fire." "Without doing any researching into the legitimacy of the company, three years later here we are because of that one tweet in 2015," commented Koncinsky. While Belanger called the number listed on the sign, which leads to a recorded message for Vector, he did not speak directly with the company. As people have become more aware of the potential for human trafficking, he said they may be more willing to step forward now than they may have in the past. "I always tell people to be quite vigilant of what they see," noted Belanger, including online phishing scams. "Anything that appears too good to be true or too easy... it may be something to be wary of." He suggested people visit the Federal Trade Commission's to keep up-to-date on potential scams. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The mother of Mujey Dumbuya, the slain East Kentwood High freshman, wiped tears Friday, June 8, as she recalled the last time she saw her daughter. Dumbuya,16, was leaving for the bus stop to go to school when she asked her mother for $1 to buy hot chocolate. "When she left, she say, 'Bye mommy,'" Fatmata Corneh testified in Grand Rapids District Court. She said she later got a call from school saying her daughter did not show up for classes Jan. 24. She looked for her daughter, and contacted friends. She filed a police report the next day. Three days later, two Western Michigan University students found her body, on her side, in a wooded area in the 800 block of North Prairie Avenue in Kalamazoo, Timothy Knight, a Kalamazoo police detective, testified. He said it appeared that bleach was used on the victim's clothing. The girl's body was partially clothed, with only one shoe, when found. Quinn James, 42, of Wyoming, and Gerald Bennett, 58, of Detroit, are charged in Dumbuya's killing. James was awaiting trial for allegedly raping Dumbuya last summer when Dumbuya was killed. Both men are in court for a hearing before District Judge Jennifer Faber to determine if they should stand trial in Kent County Circuit Court on murder charges. Before the hearing, Faber said she would not rule on a last-minute defense motion that James undergo a forensic evaluation to determine his competency to stand trial. If she had granted the motion, the hearing likely would have been delayed. She said that a circuit judge could rule on the motion if James is ordered to stand trial. Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Kellee Koncki is expected to call at least 24 witnesses at the preliminary examination. Defense attorney Jonathan Schildgen said the judge should have ordered a psychiatric evaluation for his client. James is charged with first-degree premeditated murder, felony murder, with kidnapping the underlying offense, and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Bennett is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. James also awaits trial accused of sexually assaulting Dumbuya and a woman in 2014. Corneh, the victim's mother, said she came to the Grand Rapids area 12 years ago from West Africa. She said she had three children but now has only two. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The lawyer for Quinn James, accused of raping a teen last summer and later killing her before she could testify at trial, wants James to undergo a competency exam. Attorney Jonathan Schildgen filed a motion Wednesday, June 6 and expects to raise the issue prior to a scheduled probable cause hearing Friday. The hearing could include more than two dozen witnesses and last more than a day. A competency exam, if approved by 61st District Court Judge Jennifer Faber, would mostly likely pre-empt any testimony Friday and delay the hearing for months. James is accused of first-degree premeditated murder in the death of 16-year-old Mujey Dumbuya, a teen he allegedly sexually assaulted at least three times last summer. James was charged with three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in November. Dumbuya went missing on Jan. 24, then turned up dead a few days later in a wooded area of Kalamazoo. Kent County prosecutors want Friday's hearing to go on as scheduled and are expected to oppose any attempt to delay it. James is charged in the homicide along with co-defendant Gerald Bennett, who prosecutors say helped James kill Mujey or dispose of her body. Schildgen also has filed a motion to disqualify the Kent County Prosecutor's Office from the case over allegations that a member of that office had a previous dating or intimate relationship with James. In a response to the claim, prosecutors acknowledge that a "non-attorney" office employee dated James in the past, but any contact between them had stopped prior to the alleged sexual assault of Mujey. But they said "there is no credible claim that the employee discussed the crime, the defense strategy or other information which would potentially create a conflict of interest." Prosecutors also say Schildgen has known about the previous dating relationship since late November and only filed a motion May 31, the week before the probable cause hearing on the murder charge. They claim the motion is no longer timely. The forum focused on the production and consumption of lychees and other key agricultural products of the northern province, which is home to the largest concentrated lychee farming area in Vietnam more than 28,000 hectares. Sharing the Deputy PMs view, officials of the districts with big farm produce output in Bac Giang like Luc Ngan, Yen The, Tan Yen and Hiep Hoa also asked the administration of Pingxiang town, the Chinese province of Guangxi, to create more favourable conditions for vehicles transporting agricultural products, especially lychees, to go through its border gates as soon as possible. Representatives from Lang Son and Lao Cai provinces, which border China, pledged to provide the best conditions for the customs clearance of farm produce and coordinate with Chinese authorities to remove export-import obstacles. Meanwhile, the Chinese side also promised to swiftly handle customs procedures for Bac Giang lychees. A leader of the Pingxiang fruits association said more than 200 traders are in Bac Giang and some localities of nearby Hai Duong province to purchase lychees in big volume. At the forum, Vice Chairman of the Bac Giang provincial Peoples Committee Duong Van Thai said local authorities have provided the best support possible for lychee farmers and domestic and foreign businesses to harvest and purchase lychees. The province is also actively taking measures to expand the market for the fruit in both Vietnam and other countries. Lychees are one of the 52 key agricultural products of Bac Giang, a list approved by local authorities in 2017. About 13,500ha of lychee trees in Bac Giang are farmed under VietGAP standards with an estimated output of 90,000 tonnes. Of that area, 218ha with more than 10,000 tonnes of lychees are cultivated under GlobalGAP standards and eligible for export to demanding markets. Total lychee output in the province is expected at 150,000 180,000 tonnes in 2018. HOLLAND, MI -- Ottawa County prosecutors have issued a warrant for embezzlement against the former Macatawa Area Express executive director. An arraignment date for Linda LeFebre has not yet been scheduled. The warrant, issued in late May, is for embezzlement of more than $20,000. LeFebre resigned from her position at the Macatawa Area Express in April. She had been placed on leave in March when authorities first began to investigate a possible embezzlement. WEST OLIVE, MI -- Matt Garbarino, a Kent County Sheriff's reserve deputy, crossed the finish line Thursday evening. Garbarino completed his four-day run that covered 160 miles at about 5 p.m. June 7. Carrying a flag during his journey, Garbarino garnered much support along the way, especially during the final day's run from Ada through Grand Rapids to the Ottawa County Sheriff's office memorial. He took on the solo challenge, called the Run Across Michigan, to run across the state to raise money and awareness for those law enforcement members who have died while serving and their families. "At the end of the day, I ran 160 miles to raise awareness for something and we can all do something, we don't all have to run across the state to do it but we can do something if we're passionate and we care about it," Garbarino said. "These are real people. They lost somebody and they have to live with it and they have to find a way to cope with it after all the publicity of it is gone." Garbarino raised over $5,000 for the cause and along the way he was greeted by encouraging fans and families who had lost a loved one. "I've been through a lot of pain. Basically all day I was really struggling today, but I just kept looking up to the sky and looking around me at everything going on whether I was in downtown Grand Rapids looking at all the support I had or even on a rural road," Garbarino said. "Every time I thought, my pain doesn't matter ... At the end of the day I'm getting to go home and ice everything and recover, my life will go on and a lot of peoples, they don't." The run started at the Oakland County Sheriff's Offce (Fallen Heroes Memorial) in Pontiac and finished at the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office (Sheriff Memorial) in West Olive. The run was led by a patrol cruiser provided by the Kent County Sheriff's Office. As Garbarino ran his last mile, his friends and family cheered him on. After the run, he was embraced by hugs from strangers he'd met for the first time who have lost a loved one in law enforcement. "I still think he's crazy for running across the state," said Matt Garbarino Jr. "I'm really proud of him for supporting this cause and raising all this money and it felt great to cross the finish line with him." GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Revamped plans for a new Grand Rapids Home for Veterans -- redrawn because of a wetlands issue -- seem to agree with most nearby neighbors. Officials with the Michgan Veterans Affairs Agency and TowerPinkster Architects unveiled new drawings Thursday, June 7 at a community forum at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans chapel. The new plans shift new construction to the north end of the veterans home property on North Monroe Avenue at Lamberton Street NE, instead of the south end. It will require demolishing the Rankin building and relocating a former train depot used as a donation center. The current chapel and a portion of the existing Home for Veterans structure also would be taken down. There are plans for a new chapel in the revamped design. Rachel Posthumus, who lives nearby near Three Mile Road NW and Monroe Avenue, was happy with the new plan. She said the previous design was close to her front yard and encroached upon both woods and wetlands. "I just liked the idea of preserving the woods in general," she said. "And I'm really happy they listened to residents." Craig Newhouse, a landscape architect with TowerPinkster, said the new plan preserves aspects of the previous design, developed last fall, by sticking with more home-like units for veterans featuring single-story construction. There will be four new residential buildings, with 32 units in each structure for a total of 128. Grand Rapids 2nd Ward Commissioner Ruth Kelly said that, in her view, the new plan is on the right track. "It's a friendlier atmosphere. It's not so much institutionalized," she said. "People eat together, they bond and they stay happier." Catherine Kooyers, an advocate for Grand Rapids Home for Veterans residents, said she's pleased the construction will not destroy woods, wetlands and animal habitat. At the same time, she worries the plans are being rushed and wants to make sure certain parts of the Home for Veterans are preserved, such as a large stained glass window in the chapel. "We need to find out where all of the historic artifact are,"' she said. The timetable calls for breaking ground on the new Home for Veterans at the beginning of next year, although some changes to the current facility could begin this fall. MICHIGAN CENTER, MI - Principal Kelly McCloughan watched her Arnold Elementary School students leave for summer vacation for the last time on Wednesday. After a 25-year career in Michigan Center Schools, McCloughan, 51, is retiring. June 13 is her last day. "My goal has always been to create an environment that is welcoming, friendly and warm, where so many of these kids who live in trauma and situations that aren't the best can come and feel safe," she said. Before becoming principal 11 years ago, McCloughan served as a physical education teacher throughout the district, teaching at Michigan Center High School for nine years and at Arnold for five years. Leaving is "bittersweet," McCloughan said, adding that it won't fully hit her until August -- the first time in a long time she won't be going back to school. "I know this is the right time for me to be done," McCloughan said. "I don't question my decision, but I'm going to miss a lot of the things I've done for the past 25 years." Among the 348 students McCloughan is leaving at Arnold is 8-year-old second-grader Jolene Hutchinson. Jolene said she will miss McCloughan for always being kind and approachable. "She is very thoughtful, caring and loving - she takes care of us when we really need her," Jolene said. Jolene's friend and fellow second-grader Alina Akhtar, 8, agreed that McCloughan's presence brought a lot of positivity to the school's environment. "I wish she didn't have to retire, because she's a good principal," Alina said. McCloughan is uncertain where the future will take her, though she plans to consider getting a part-time job or two. Michigan Center Superintendent Brady Cook is eager to keep McCloughan's passion and expertise within the district, potentially on a part-time level. "(McCloughan) is one of the biggest kid advocates I've ever met," Cook said. "She truly cares about kids and she's put her heart and soul into this district. She was always quick to point out that things like test scores and data were not our primary goal - our primary goal is to give kids a better life." Matt Desmarais, a Michigan Center High School English teacher, is taking over as Arnold's principal in the fall. "There is no one more genuine with students (than Desmarais)," Cook said. "Half of the time he acts like them, so he'll fit right in a lower-elementary building. He's a people person, he's gregarious - he will be an excellent first face when you walk in the door at Arnold." GRASS LAKE TWP., MI - A cross perched high atop Sackrider Hill is gone from the spot where it stood for decades. But it hasn't left the Grass Lake area. The large white cross located in the Waterloo Recreation Area for nearly 70 years was removed by its owner, the Grass Lake Ministerial Association, in May after complaints arose about it being stationed permanently on state-owned land. It now sits on the church-owned property of Crusade for Christ Ministries near Mount Hope and Seymour roads, about a mile from its original location. The ministerial alliance is building a new lightweight cross that, through a permit from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, can be taken up to Sackrider Hill annually only for Good Friday and Easter Sunday services, said the Rev. Melvin Parker, its president. "It's really a win-win for the community," Parker said. "Working on the new cross and taking it up there together creates more unity in the community. The compromise works well for all of us." The Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists sent a letter to the DNR in March saying the religious symbol should be taken down from state-owned land. The Grass Lake Ministerial Association voted to do so after meeting with DNR representatives, Parker said. "As Christians, we want to obey the law of the land," Parker said. The community Easter sunrise service on Sackrider Hill dates to the mid-1930s. JACKSON, MI - Jackson police are investigating two shootings reported Thursday night and Friday morning. One of them wounded a 23-year-old man. He was the third person injured by gunfire since Monday in Jackson, on the city's south side. Jackson police are working to determine any connections and believe some of the recent shootings and reports of shots fired are gang-related, Lt. Adam Williams said. About 9 p.m. June 7, officers responded to a report of shots fired at Harwood and First streets. A vehicle with visible bullet holes had crashed into a tree, but all those involved left the area. Within minutes, officers received word the 23-year-old had arrived at Henry Ford Allegiance Health, Williams said. He had been hit in the left shoulder, police reported. A short time later, police found another vehicle at Third and High streets. It had bullet holes, but was unoccupied, Williams said. Early Friday, about 4 a.m., shots were fired into a house in the 1100 block of First Street. At least one person was in the house, but no one was hurt. Six to eight shots were reportedly fired; officers found far more shell casings, Williams said. Police do not believe the shooter or shooters in the 1100 block struck the intended target. No one had been arrested or identified as a suspect by Friday afternoon. These incidents came as police continued to investigate a shooting before 1 a.m. Thursday on Cypress Drive, north of the Martin Luther King Center. A man, 25, drove himself to the hospital after a round hit him in the left leg, Elmer Hitt, director of police and fire services earlier said. Monday afternoon, hospital staff summoned police because a 31-year-old man had arrived with a gunshot wound, also to the left leg. Investigators believe he was shot in a home in the 900 block of First Street. SAGINAW, MI -- A 36-year-old Saginaw man is charged with molesting a sleeping girl several years ago. Authorities issued a warrant for Christopher R. Estrada on May 29. Arrested by police on June 5, Estrada appeared in Saginaw County District Court for arraignment that same day. Estrada is charged with one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim younger than 13. The charge is limited to touching and does not involve penetration. It is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Prosecutors allege Estrada committed the crime on or about April 1, 2013, when he was married to his victim's mother. Police and Child Protective Services were contacted in 2017, but the girl in question declined to discuss any abuse she may have endured at Estrada's hands. The girl has since told investigators that one night when she was 9, Estrada had sexually touched her while she was sleeping, prosecutors said. Prosecutors added the girl has several younger siblings, which could be inspiring her to share her account. Estrada is no longer married to the girl's mother. The arraigning judge freed Estrada on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond. Estrada is to appear for a preliminary examination at 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19. Estrada is represented by attorney Philip A. Sturtz, whom The Saginaw News-MLive could not reach for comment. The trio of astronauts that launched for the International Space Station earlier in the week safely made it to and docked at the orbiting laboratory Friday morning, June 8. NASA broadcasted the event live on its television station, and provided updates to the docking of Expedition 56 to the space station throughout the morning. The three astronauts that make up Expedition 56 are Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos, Serena Aunon-Chancellor of NASA and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency. They launched to the International Space Station at 7:12 a.m. Wednesday, and docked at 9:01 a.m. Friday morning. The Soyuz spacecraft that launched from Earth Wednesday is on its final approach to dock with @Space_Station. Watch: https://t.co/mzKW5uDsTi pic.twitter.com/h3HxjJ4a1z NASA (@NASA) June 8, 2018 Three humans orbited Earth 34 times before today's arrival and docking to the @Space_Station. Watch them open the hatch and enter their new home: https://t.co/XeQPe6x7BE. pic.twitter.com/YXTrB6rCdR NASA (@NASA) June 8, 2018 With the arrival of three new crew members, @Space_Station now has six people living aboard. The hatch opened at 11:17am ET to welcome @AstroSerena, @Astro_Alex and Sergey Prokopyev. WATCH: https://t.co/mzKW5uDsTi pic.twitter.com/p41QhBWC1Y NASA (@NASA) June 8, 2018 -- Expedition 56 joins commander Andrew Feustel, of Lake Orion, Michigan, and flight engineers Ricky Arnold and Russia's Oleg Artemyev on the ISS. NASA says the arrival of this new crew helps aid its "long-term increase in crew size on the U.S. segment from three to four, allowing NASA to maximize time dedicated to research on the space station." Feustel, Arnold and Artemyev will remain on the orbiting laboratory until October of this year, while the crew that launched Wednesday is scheduled to return home in December. This launch marked Aunon-Chancellor's first space flight, which just happened to make her the 61st woman to ever fly in space. NORRISTOWN More than a month after Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc in Montgomery County, the effects are still being assessed. One area hit hard were the trails used by thousands of recreation enthusiasts in the county. It was a perfect... Letter to editor: Congress can get this right It's reported the US government has struck a new deal with Chinese telecom giant ZTE, resolving a controversy that had put the Chinese cellphone maker in peril. The deal requires ZTE to pay an additional 1 billion US dollar penalty and put another 400 million in escrow to cover possible future violations. These penalties come on top of the millions it has already paid to the US under a 2017 settlement. The company is also required to change its entire board of directors and hire outside legal compliance specialists who will report to the US Commerce Department for 10 years. In return, Washington will strike the company from its sanctions list. In April, Washington banned the sale of crucial US components to the company over allegations that it had repeatedly lied and failed to take action against workers responsible for the sanctions violations. Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is at the top place among the world's leading institutions for high-quality scientific research, according to the Nature Index 2018 annual tables released on Thursday. Besides CAS, Max Planck Society, French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers, University of Tokyo, University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley), University of Cambridge are also included in the top 10 of the list. The screenshot shows the Nature Index 2018 annual tables. [Photo: China Plus] As for the specific sector of academic institutions, China's Peking University and Tsinghua University makes it into the global academic top 10. Meanwhile, Nanjing University has climbed from 21 to 13, and the University of Science and Technology of China has made its way to 18, from 27. Among the leading 100 academic institutions in the 2018 annual tables are 44 from the United States and 16 from China. Britain and Japan contribute seven each, with six from Germany, four from Switzerland and three from Canada, according to Nature Index. Overall, almost 90 percent of the 83 academic institutions from China in the top 500 have improved their positions in the last year, compared to just about 45 percent of the 135 from the United States. The global picture is changing, and Chinese institutions are gaining their place, Nature Index quoted Marijk van der Wende, a professor at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, as saying. Scientists with Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) conduct experiment at a lab. [File photo: Xinhua] The Nature Index is a database of author affiliation information collated from research articles published in an independently selected group of 82 high-quality science journals. The database is compiled by Nature Research. The 2018 annual tables assess institutions on their contribution to articles in scientific journals in which researchers would most want to publish their best work. On Twitter, my boss marveled at how thrifty index-fund buyers have become. Indexers have always watched their pennies; such is their nature. However, in recent years their penchant for paying the least has developed into a demand. Over the past decade, revealed Jeff Ptak, the cheapest 10% of S&P 500 funds received more than 100% of that sector's net inflows. Every one of the remaining nine deciles suffered net outflows. That surprised both of us. We knew that investors had become more cost-conscious, such that the 366 index mutual funds that carry expense ratios exceeding 1% were headed for extinction. What we had not understood was how discerning fund consumers had become. In fact, when poring over the numbers, Ptak learned that being among the low-cost 10% wasn't enough. Only the cheapest 5% of S&P 500 funds enjoyed net sales. The next 5% had outflows, too. Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire [] WASHINGTON (AP) Heading into his North Korea summit with characteristic bravado, President Donald Trump said Thursday that "attitude" is more important than preparation as he looks to negotiate an accord with Kim Jong Un to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Preparing to depart Washington for next week's meeting, Trump dangled before Kim visions of normalized relations with the United States, economic investment and even a White House visit. Characterizing the upcoming talks with the third-generation autocrat as a "friendly negotiation," Trump said, "I really believe that Kim Jong Un wants to do something." Trump's comments came as he looked to reassure allies that he won't give away the store in pursuit of a legacy-defining deal with Kim, who has long sought to cast off his pariah status on the international stage. The North has faced crippling diplomatic and economic sanctions as it has advanced development of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. "I don't think I have to prepare very much," Trump said. "It's about attitude. It's about willingness to get things done." Declaring the summit to be "much more than a photo-op," he predicted "a terrific success or a modified success" when he meets with Kim next Tuesday in Singapore. He said the talks would start a process to bring about a resolution to the nuclear issue. "I think it's not a one-meeting deal," he said. Asked how many days he's willing to stay to talk with Kim, Trump said, "One, two three, depending on what happens." Still he predicted he'll know very quickly whether Kim is serious about dealing with U.S. demands. "They have to de-nuke," Trump said. "If they don't denuclearize, that will not be acceptable. And we cannot take sanctions off." Trump, who coined the term "maximum pressure" to describe U.S. sanctions against the North, said they would be an indicator for the success or failure of the talks. "We don't use the term anymore because we're going into a friendly negotiation," Trump said. "Perhaps after that negotiation, I will be using it again. You'll know how well we do in the negotiation. If you hear me saying, 'We're going to use maximum pressure,' you'll know the negotiation did not do well, frankly." At another point, he said it was "absolutely" possible he and Kim could sign a declaration to end the Korean War. The 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice but not a formal peace treaty. Trump spent Thursday morning firing off a dozen unrelated tweets on the Russia investigation and other subjects before meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to talk about summit preparations and strategy. "I think I've been prepared for this summit for a long time, as has the other side," he said. "II think they've been preparing for a long time also. So this isn't a question of preparation, it's a question of whether or not people want it to happen." Administration officials indicated that Trump actually was putting in preparation time. National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis noted the president met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton Thursday afternoon "to continue their strategic discussions" ahead of the summit. Pompeo said he was confident the president would be fully prepared and dismissed reports of division inside Trump's foreign policy team over the decision to embrace the meeting with Kim. In his previous role as CIA director, Pompeo told reporters Thursday, "there were few days that I left the Oval Office, after having briefed the president, that we didn't talk about North Korea." Pompeo said Kim had "personally" given him assurances that he was willing to pursue denuclearization and said U.S. and North Korean negotiating teams had made unspecified progress toward bridging the gap over defining that term as part of a potential agreement. He would not say whether Trump would insist that the North put an end to its chemical, biological and ballistic missile programs. Pompeo said Trump's approach is "fundamentally different" from prior administrations. "In the past, there'd been months and months of detailed negotiations and they got nowhere," he said. "This has already driven us to a place we'd not been able to achieve." Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly accused his predecessors of failing to address the nuclear threat from a nation that launched its atomic program in the 1960s and began producing bomb fuel in the early 1990s. Past administrations have also used a combination of sanctions and diplomacy to seek denuclearization, but the results failed to endure. Christopher Hill, the lead U.S. negotiator with North Korea during the George W. Bush administration, said a summit with the North had long been available to U.S. leaders. "The fact was no U.S. president wanted to do this, and for good reason," he said. "It's a big coup for (the North Koreans), so the question is whether we can make them pay for it." Before he sits down with Kim, Trump must first face wary U.S. allies who question his commitment to their own security and resent his quarrelling with them on sensitive trade matters. Trump on Friday departs for a 24-hour stop in Canada for a Group of Seven summit of leading industrial nations. French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that the international community supports Trump's efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, but "if he does succeed in his negotiations with North Korea, we want him also to remain credible on the nuclear situation in Iran." Trump pulled out of President Barack Obama's nuclear accord with Iran over the objections of European allies. Abe, for his part, pushed Trump to raise with Kim the issue of Japanese abductees held in North Korea. The Japanese leader wanted to make sure that Trump's efforts to negotiate an agreement don't harm Japan's interests. Trump said Abe talked about the abductees "long and hard and passionately, and I will follow his wishes and we will be discussing that with North Korea absolutely." U.S. allies in the region have expressed concern that Trump's push to denuclearize Korea could ignore the North's sophisticated ballistic missile and chemical weapons programs. ___ AP writers Matthew Pennington in Washington and Gillian Wong in Beijing contributed. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) Recreational marijuana would be legalized and the medical cannabis program would be expanded under new legislation unveiled Friday in New Jersey. The state is moving toward legalizing the drug under Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who while on the campaign trail promised to authorize recreational cannabis, but the Legislature has not moved on the issue beyond hearings and introducing legislation. Murphy said Friday at an unrelated news conference in New Brunswick that he wants "to do both" recreational legalization and medical marijuana expansion, but stopped short of supporting the new bills. He added that he's had "good dialog" with lawmakers on the issue. Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney and state Sen. Nicholas Scutari announced the new bills just weeks ahead of a June 30 budget deadline that has upped the stakes since Murphy is banking on revenue from legalization to balance his fiscal 2019 spending pan. "The legislation to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use would eliminate the draconian laws and penalties currently in place and improve social justice issues in urban areas," Scutari said. "Law-abiding adults will be able to partake legally and safely knowing exactly what they're ingesting." Nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana. Murphy says he backs legalization as a "social justice" issue and rejects critics' claims that he's eager only for new revenues for the cash-strapped budget. His budget assumes $60 million in new revenues from the pending approval of recreational marijuana. That's much lower than the roughly $300 million revenue estimates that circulated around last year's election. Under the legislation, people 21 and over could possess, buy, use or transport an ounce or less of marijuana. Towns retain the right to create their own ordinances governing sales, with a 180-day window to bar sales. The bill calls for establishing a graduated tax rate on marijuana sales over several years, and calls for tax rates from 10 percent to 25 percent over four years. A previous version of the bill called for escalating the tax rate from 7 percent to 25 percent over five years. Another bill expands the state's medical marijuana program and allows any health-care practitioner permitted to prescribe controlled substances to write prescriptions. The sponsors say patients will not be required to go only to the dispensary where they are registered and could go to any treatment center. Kevin Sabet, the founder of New Jersey Responsible Approaches to Marijuana Policy, which opposes legalization, said the "perceived" benefits of permitting recreational use would be outweighed by the negative consequences. "Marijuana legalization brings a new Big Tobacco type industry to New Jersey that comes with a multitude of public health concerns," he said. Democratic Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said in a statement that he would look closely at the legislation and that the "devil is in the details." He said there are concerns about the criminal justice part of the bill and cost of legalization, though he did not specify which costs. "We want to make sure that whichever policies we put forward are in the best interest of our residents and the state," Coughlin said. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. LA MALBAIE, Quebec (AP) The Latest on President Donald Trump and the annual Group of Seven meeting of industrialized nations (all times local): 2:25 p.m. The Group of Seven leaders have posed for a "family photo" on the first day of the international summit of industrialized nations in Canada. President Donald Trump stood between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the ceremonial G-7 photo. The president then paused to speak with Merkel as the other leaders exited the spot overlooking the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Trump chatted with new Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (zhahn-KLOHD' YUN'-kur) as they walked up to the photo shoot. The meeting comes amid tensions over Trump's trade policies and his call for Russia to be allowed back into the elite group of nations. __ 12:40 p.m. President Donald Trump and other leaders of major industrialized nations meeting in Quebec are working through a lunch featuring Arctic char escabeche perfumed with Labrador tea and a buckwheat salad with red apple, rhubarb, and balsam fir spiral. That will be followed by veal and a dessert described as a "haskap berry and cedar snowball," with northern saffron creme anglaise. Three meals hosted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau draw heavily on ingredients from the host Charlevoix region, including quail eggs from nearby Baie-Saint-Paul, organic meats and Charlevoix mushrooms. Friday's dinner will feature Charlevoix duck breast "in all its forms," Canadian lobster tail as well as galloway beef fillet. ___ 12:25 p.m. President Donald Trump has greeted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Group of Seven meeting in Quebec. The leaders showed no outward signs of tension over their trade dispute. They had a brief, cordial exchange at the summit site overlooking the St. Lawrence River. Trump walked along the grounds of the summit and then shook hands with Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau. The leaders smiled and spoke briefly, with Trump putting his left hand on the prime minister's shoulder. Trump and Trudeau have been at odds over the U.S. president's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trudeau has called the tariffs "insulting and unacceptable." __ 11:30 a.m. President Donald Trump's planned meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the G-7 is being pushed back into late Friday afternoon. Trump was running about 45 minutes behind schedule when Air Force One landed in Quebec. Trump and Macron were scheduled to hold talks Friday morning but Macron's office says they are now expected to meet at 5:40 p.m. The White House says they're working to reschedule the meeting for later in the day. The president appeared to be in no hurry to leave for Canada earlier Friday. He walked out of the White House more than half an hour late and spent time greeting supporters gathered on the South Lawn. Trump then took questions from reporters for nearly 20 minutes. __ 10:45 a.m. Canadian police have peacefully cleared demonstrators and re-opened a road leading to the Group of Seven summit site in Quebec after a tense standoff between police and protesters. Police in riot gear encircled about 100 protesters who had blocked a road leading to the small town north of Quebec City where G-7 leaders are gathering for a two-day summit. Protesters chanted anti-capitalist slogans and marched in the street, vowing to disturb the 44th annual summit of the countries representing the majority of global wealth. The crowd remained defiant and stood their ground in the middle of an intersection with officers in riot gear blocking them at every corner and helicopters flying overhead. Protesters said they achieved their goals of shutting down Quebec City after the legislature was closed down on Friday and many businesses decided to shut their doors. ___ 10:40 a.m. European Council President Donald Tusk says the U.S. is challenging the international order. Tusk made the remarks at the Group of Seven summit in Quebec, where President Donald Trump will be meeting with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Germany and Japan. Asked what he thought of Trump's comments that Russia should be invited back into the G-7, Tusk said: "It's not easy to be surprised by President Trump." He says it should remain seven. ___ 10:15 a.m. Italy's new premier is backing President Donald Trump's call for Russia to return to the group of industrial nations. Giuseppe Conte tweeted on Friday: "I agree with the President@realDonaldTrump: Russia should go back into the G-8. In the interest of all." Russia was ousted from the elite G-8 group, now known as the G-7, in 2014 as punishment for President Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea and its support for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. Conte's populist coalition includes the right-wing League party which says sanctions on Russia over Ukraine hurt Italian exports. League leader Matteo Salvini who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a great statesmen and says Italy will lobby for the end of European Union sanctions against Russia over the annexation of Crimea. Conte, a political novice who didn't run for election, is making his international debut at the G-7 meetings in Canada. Salvini and fellow euro-skeptic coalition partner Luigi Di Maio, of the 5-Star Movement, agreed to back Conte so their parties could govern. __ 9: 10 a.m. President Donald Trump is digging in on his threat to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement if he can't make a better deal with America's neighbors. Trump tells reporters that, "If we're unable to make a deal, we'll terminate NAFTA, we'll have a better deal." He spoke as he left the White House en route to what is sure to be a tense summit in Canada with leaders of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations. He also says he'll make a deal "very easily" nonetheless. Trump is also continuing to rail against Canada, Mexico and the European Union, saying their trade practices treat the U.S. unfairly. Trump's protectionist tariffs on steel and aluminum imports are expected to be a major subject of discussion at the meeting. ___ 8:30 a.m. President Donald Trump is calling for Russia to be reinstated to the leading group of industrialized nations, now known as the Group of Seven. Trump tells reporters: "Russia should be in the meeting, should be a part of it." Russia was ousted from the elite group in 2014 as punishment for President Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea and its support for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. The suspension was supported by the other members of the group, including the U.S., Canada, Japan and four European nations. Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether Trump associates colluded with Russia in a bid to sway the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favor. ___ 7:25 a.m. President Donald Trump says he won't be talking about the Russia probe for a while because he'll be focused on trade talks at the annual Group of Seven meeting of industrialized nations. Trump notes on Twitter that he's heading for Canada, where the nations' leaders are gathering at a Quebec resort. Several are expected to challenge Trump's new trade policies, which include tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trump tweets that the talks "will mostly center on the long time unfair trade practiced against the United States." After that, he'll head to Singapore for a summit with North Korea. He adds: "Won't be talking about the Russian Witch Hunt Hoax for a while!" ___ 6:40 a.m. President Donald Trump says he is looking forward to "straightening out unfair Trade Deals" at the annual Group of Seven meeting. The group of industrialized nations is gathering at a Quebec resort for discussions that are expected to be tense. The leaders from France and Canada say they will push back against new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trump showed no signs of budging on his trade policies Friday, tweeting: "Looking forward to straightening out unfair Trade Deals with the G-7 countries. If it doesn't happen, we come out even better! ___ 1:50 a.m. President Donald Trump is set to descend on the annual Group of Seven meeting of industrialized nations, expecting tough trade talks as his go-it-alone policies leave him increasingly isolated. On the eve of Friday's gathering at a Quebec resort, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previewed what will likely be a tense two days. They stressed the need for respectful dialogue but say they will push back against new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, as they have on other issues. Trump is showing no signs of backing away from what he sees as key campaign promises. He tweeted Thursday: "Getting ready to go to the G-7 in Canada to fight for our country on Trade (we have the worst trade deals ever made)." Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. By Record-Journal staff The Southington and Cheshire police departments participated in the annual Law Enforcement Special Olympics Torch Run Friday. Southington officers met the Berlin police department on Route 364 at the town line, before running west on Route 364 and north on Pleasant Street. The Southington team then ran west on Flanders Street and south on Route 10, where they met the Cheshire police department at the town line. Cheshire police ran south on Route 10 before passing the torch to the Hamden police department. During the Cheshire leg of the run, Officer Mike Ruggeirio said he participates because he wants to encourage active special (athletes)." The Torch Run covered more than 500 miles and passed through more than 100 cities and towns from Wednesday through Friday, according to the organizations website. More than 1,500 officers and Special Olympics athletes were expected to participate. The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Connecticut is more than just an event, the organizations website states. "It is a mission, a serious commitment by the law enforcement community to pay homage to our heroes Special Olympics Connecticut athletes and their families. Scheduled for June 9-10, the 18th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be held in the coastal city of Qingdao, Eastern China. We chat with Qingdao residents along the beautiful coastline to see what they think about the upcoming summit. CHESHIRE Union officials are concerned about three inmate assaults on prison guards and a teacher at Manson Youth Institution over the last month. State Department of Correction spokesman Andrius Banevicius said two of the inmates have been transferred to a maximum-security prison and the third put on restrictive status in Manson. The assaults occurred on May 17, May 31 and June 4, according to Rudy Demiraj, AFSCME Local 387 president and a correctional officer. He said in a statement that Manson is not a summer camp. This is not the first time we have raised concerns. The agency has watered down the deterrents that could prevent violent behavior by the inmate population, Demiraj said. There is a vacuum of accountability that emboldens inmates to act out. Larry Dorman, spokesman for AFSCME Council 4, said deterrents are being used less frequently and less effectively. Banevicius said that the safety of prison staff has and will continue to be the agencys top priority. Let me reassure the staff and the public at large that criminal justice reform in the State of Connecticut prisons is not taking place at the expense of public safety, Banevicius said in a statement. The two inmates transferred to Northern Correctional Institution were placed on administrative segregation within hours of the incidents, according to Banevicius. The inmates involved in the separate incidents at the Manson Youth Institution have been held accountable for their actions, he said. Julius Preston, a captain with Hartford Correctional Institution and Correction Supervisors Council president, said three assaults in a few weeks is unusual. While the assaults occurred at the same time as new criminal justice reforms, he wasnt sure if there is a connection. Preston said that the criminal justice system needs to be reformed, but prison is necessary for some and the staffs safety should be paramount. There are some people who are in jail who deserve to be in jail, Preston said. Mansons warden, Kenneth Butricks, met with guards and teachers union representatives and discussed how to avoid similar incidents in the future. Banevicius said that department management wants to hear from those on the front lines of correction work. Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a former prosecutor, has made criminal justice changes a priority. The states prison population has been declining and aging over the past decade, according to statistics released by the Office of Policy and Management. jbuchanan@record-journal.com 203-317-2230 Twitter: @JBuchananRJ Gov. Dannel P. Malloy Friday stood by his veto of a bill to address classroom safety, despite calls from the states largest teachers union for the legislature to override the veto. Each side claims they were looking to address the so-called school-to-prison pipeline, a phenomenon linking school discipline to criminal arrests later in life, in taking their stances. On Thursday, Malloy announced his veto of the legislation, which requires local boards of education to address daily classroom safety in their school safety plans and to report to the state Department of Education on their annual progress. It also allows teachers to refer students out of the classroom if they violate the daily classroom safety, a term defined as an environment in which students and school employees are not physically injured by other students, school employees or parents, or exposed to such physical injury to others. It also expands intervention and prevention strategies under state law to expand interventions with individual children and promote more parental involvement. The Senate unanimously supported the bill, while the House approved it with a 124-25 vote. Malloys veto Thursday drew a quick response from the Connecticut Education Association urging lawmakers to override the governor. CEA Executive Director Don Williams said the legislation would give teachers and administrators the flexibility to handle students who cause problems without issuing harsh punishments, while also maintaining classroom safety and order. He said schools in the past have relied on suspension and expulsion, but the DOE has sought to end those practices as research indicates students who receive harsh discipline are more likely to face arrest and imprisonment when they are older. Advocates for ending the school-to-prison pipeline also argue that minorities often face harsher penalties than white students for similar conduct, meaning theyre also disproportionately affected by the phenomenon. Williams said the legislation would help address the problem. If we dont address the problems in the school today, they become problems in the community tomorrow, and we have young people getting involved in the criminal justice system, he said Friday in an episode of the Morning Record, the Record-Journals daily news podcast. The bill had significant support from teachers and other education professionals who submitted testimony on the bill. The Connecticut School Counselors Association, for example, said the bill would be a way to steer students to counseling, addressing their mental health needs. CEA pointed to a National Center for Education Statistics survey that found that 43 percent of responding teachers believe student misbehavior interfered with their teaching. Malloy raised concerns in his four-page veto message that the bill could magnify the disproportionate effect of the school-to-prison pipeline if minorities and other groups of students are more frequently pulled from classrooms. He pointed to an analysis of a similar law that Texas adopted in 2005 that found that black students account for just 13 percent of preschool and elementary school population, but receive 47 percent of out-of-school suspensions. Another review found that special education students make up just 9 percent of student population, but account for 21 percent of out-of-school suspensions. Research confirms that the best way to keep at-risk children from getting into legal trouble later in life is to maximize instruction time by reducing exclusionary discipline, he wrote. msavino@record-journal.com 203-317-2266 Twitter: @reporter_savino National Geographic WILD is home to a big family of animal caretakers and rescuers. In these special episodes, check out how the Men of WILD are helping all kinds of creatures one case at a time. Fridays from 8:30pm AEDT. Cairo - Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sissi on Thursday appointed Housing Minister Mustafa Madbouly as the countrys new prime minister and has tasked him with forming a new government. According to Egypts constitution, Madboulys responsibilities include selecting cabinet members to help run the country after securing parliament approval. Nominations should be announced as early as next week. Local media reported the incoming cabinet will inherit the economic reforms from the previous Sherif cabinet and will need to make economic adjustments that have since impacted middle and lower-income families. On June 2,Al-Sissi was sworn in as the countrys new parliament head while he officially began his second four-year presidential term. Then-Prime Minister Sherif Ismail tendered his resignation three days later. Al-Sissi requested that Sherif remain in office until a new cabinet is formed. The 52-year-old Madbouly has been the Housing Minister since March 2014. While Ismail was undergoing treatment in Germany last November, Madbouly served as acting prime minister and was widely accepted as Ismail successor. Sign up to receive the First Reading newsletter, your guide to the world of Canadian politics. First Reading is your guide to the world of Canadian politics. Sign up now> Coasting along Canadas habitats Musquash Estuary, NB (Photo by NCC) Canada is a nation bordered by three oceans: Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic. In many ways, the habitats, local culture and economies are shaped by them. Often when those of us who dont live near the shoreline think of oceans, we picture a vast expanse of deep, open waters. Besides offshore ecosystems, coastal areas are teeming with life as well. To date, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has protected more than 450 kilometres of ocean coastline on properties in British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces. Take a tour through some marine and coastal habitats and get to know the species that live in the area. Salt marshes and estuaries An estuary occurs where a river meets the sea. These transition zones where fresh and salt water mix are very productive and support many different species. Many estuaries are under threat by coastal development. Musquash Estuary, New Brunswick (Photo by Ron Garnett) Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are covered by salt water or brackish water brought in by tides. In the Maritimes, cordgrass stretches over many of these marshes, giving the landscape a prairie look. Salt marshes, together with seagrasses and mangroves (found in tropical regions) are coastal ecosystems that boast high biodiversity and sequester large amounts of carbon, and are often referred to as blue carbon. Thanks to salt marshes, upland areas are protected from storm surges and floods. In Nova Scotia, NCC has protected habitat in southwest Nova Scotia. The area is home to a rare salt marsh shrub called eastern baccharis, which is only found along a 25-kilometre stretch. NCCs Musquash Estuary, located in New Brunswick, is NCCs largest conservation area in Atlantic Canada. There are 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of marshes, coastal forests and beaches in surrounding areas. Musquash is designated as a federal Marine Protected Area. It is a haven for migratory birds, waterfowl and birds of prey. Campbell River Estuary, BC (Photo by NCC) In British Columbia, the Campbell River Estuary has always been one of my favourite reclamation success stories. The site was once heavily used by industry. This left the estuary and nearshore virtually lifeless and stripped of much its original biodiversity. But through partnership and many years of hard work, the shoreline and intertidal areas have been revived to a bustling hub of nature. Today, marsh wrens flit through the thickets, black bears frequent the area for food and the number of salmon using the estuary as a nursery for their young has rebounded. Mud and tidal flats Flying over the vast mudflats at Johnsons Mills, NB (Photo by NCC) A vast bed of brown and seemingly lifeless mud may not appeal to many, unless youre a shorebird. The mud and tidal flats found along sheltered areas near estuaries and bays abound with crustaceans, molluscs, fish and critters too small for the naked eye to see. These goopy grounds serve up the best buffet coveted by shorebirds, waterfowl and crabs. Mud Bay, British Columbia (Photo by NCC) Mud Bay in Surrey, BC, was NCCs first conservation project in the province. Established in 1974, it is located within an Important Bird Area. The mud flats there are rich with invertebrates and eel-grass beds, which are important for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl. NCC is continuing to work in coastal areas, including Tidal Flats, where the Bella Coola river nurtures the largest salmon-producing system on BC's central coast. With funding from the Government of Canada's Natural Heritage Conservation Program, many more areas such as Tidal Flats can be protected in some of the countrys most cherished landscapes. Semipalmated sandpipers feeding on the mudflat. (Photo by NCC) Every summer, NCCs Johnsons Mills Shorebird Reserve and Interpretive Centre in southern New Brunswick welcomes thousands of visitors to witness the spectacular sight of migratory shorebirds feeding on the mudflats of the Bay of Fundy. Hundreds of thousands of birds, including sandpipers, plovers and sanderlings, stop in the Bay of Fundy before they continue their journey to their southern wintering grounds. Sand beaches and dunes Conway Sandhills, Prince Edward Island (Photo by John Sylvester) Sand dunes and beaches are among the most recognizable coastal habitats. These are shaped and formed by wind and waves. Although these habitats seem barren, there are sand-adapted plants that stabilize the dunes, such as American beach-grass and marram grass. Interestingly, the grasses growing on some of NCCs properties, including the Conway Sandhills and Cascumpec Sandhills in PEI, were once used as livestock feed for homesteaders. The Cascumpec Sandhills (Photo by Mike Dembeck) Beaches and dunes are also important nesting areas for shorebirds, including endangered piping plovers. NCCs Conservation Volunteers help clean up shoreline habitats and plant native grasses that help stabilize the dunes. Oceanic islands Iceberg off of Maddox Cove, NL (Photo by Ronald Stone/Stone Island Photography) Oceanic islands provide important habitat for seabirds. Because of their isolation, they often have different plants and animals than the mainland. Newfoundland is where NCCs easternmost properties occur. Here you can find the threatened Newfoundland population of the American marten. The Maddox Cove Nature Reserve is an important stopover site for migrating birds. Seabirds, such as gulls and murres, can be spotted on the reserve. Similarly, Miscou Island located off the northeastern tip of New Brunswick is an Important Bird Area and migratory corridor for birds and the last land stop before reaching their southern overwintering grounds. Open marine waters While NCCs work focuses on private land conservation, occasionally special opportunities arise to contribute to the protection of open marine areas. In 1997, NCC helped with the relinquishment of underwater oil and gas permits near Haida Gwaii, BC. This paved the way for the creation of Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area. Walruses, Lancaster Sound (Photo by Mario Cyr) In Canadas high Arctic, NCC has accelerated the protection of a National Marine Conservation Area in Tallurutiup Tariunga/Lancaster Sound, by securing and then extinguishing resource rights. Habitats in this region include polynas. These are home to many marine mammals, including harp and ringed seal, narwhal, beluga and bowhead whales, walrus and polar bear. The surrounding shores are important nesting habitat for seabird colonies. By PTI CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government today courted controversy when it asked sportspersons employed by it to deposit one-third of their earnings from commercial and professional commitments to the state sports council but put the notification on hold after drawing sharp criticism from elite athletes. "I have asked for the relevant file of Sports Department to be shown to me & the notification dated April 30th to be put on hold till further orders," Chief Minister M L Khattar tweeted. "We are proud of the immense contribution by our sportsperson & I assure them of a just consideration of all issues affecting them," he added. His intervention came after athletes reacted sharply to the notification issued by Principal Secretary (Sports and Youth Department), Ashok Khemka. "One-third of the income earned by the sportsperson from professional sports or commercial endorsements will be deposited with the Haryana State Sports Council. The money shall be used for the development of sports in the State," it stated. Khemka had hit the headlines during his stint as head of land registration department by alleging irregularities in land deals involving Robert Vadra a few years ago. Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anil Vij had also defended the move, insisting it was not aimed at income generated from amateur sports "... here we are talking about income from professional sports," he said. "It is government's old rule/service rule, Rule 56, as per which if any government employee generates commercial income or professional income, then he shall have to deposit one-third of such earnings," he added. The athletes employed with the state government include star boxers Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar, both of whom are DSPs in state police, hockey captain Sardar Singh and wrestlers Geeta and Babita Phogat. Sardar, Geeta and Babita are also employed with the Haryana Police. Of them, Babita, who won a silver at the Gold Coast CWG, was the only one to react to the move, calling it disheartening. "This notification will hamper an athletes preparation. How can the government give such an order? We pay taxes over whatever we earn and now this notification to pay one-third," Phogat told PTI. "Can the government understand how much sacrifice an athlete and his or families have to make to earn a medal for the country? The Haryana government should immediately take this order back and review it," he added. Some other Haryana athletes, not employed with the state government, also reacted with shock. "I have not yet seen the notification, I am only coming to know of it through media reports. I can only say that the athletes who compete in Olympic sports are already from very poor families," said double-Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who is with the Railways Sports Promotion Board. "The government should make policies which encourage athletes. I haven't heard of such a policy anywhere else in the world. The athlete should be competing with a free mind, not with stress like this," he added. Fellow wrestler and Olympic bronze-medallist Yogeshwar Dutt, also a Railways employee, was harsher in his criticism of the move. "God save us from such officials, who are taking senseless decisions like this. Their contribution to development of sports in Haryana has been zero but I am sure, they will play a big role in the decline of sports in the state," he tweeted. , - - SAHAB pic.twitter.com/YazW6YLqTB Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) June 8, 2018 "Now, athletes will move to other states and these officials will be responsible for this," he added. There were political reactions to the move as well with Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar saying that the move will demoralise the players. The party's Rohtak MP Deepinder Singh Hooda said the present government has made a mockery of the state's athlete-friendly policy. The Haryana government had earlier stirred up a controversy when it decided to reduce the prize money for those Commonwealth Games medal winners from the state who were employed with other departments or states. The felicitation function planned for the prize money distribution on April 26 had to be eventually cancelled indefinitely when the athletes threatened to boycott it. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Cloudy early, then off and on rain showers for the afternoon. High 64F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Rain showers early with clear skies overnight. Low 43F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. WASHINGTON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The United States space agency NASA's Curiosity rover has found new evidence preserved in rocks on Mars that suggests the planet could have supported ancient life, and new evidence in the Martian atmosphere that relates to the search for current life on the Red Planet. The new findings, reported on Thursday in the journal Science, are organic molecules in three-billion-year-old sedimentary rocks near the surface, and seasonal variations in the levels of methane in the atmosphere. They are not necessarily evidence of life itself, but a good sign for future missions exploring the planet's surface and subsurface, according to the study. Organic molecules contain carbon and hydrogen, and also may include oxygen, nitrogen and other elements. Although commonly associated with life, organic molecules can also be created by non-biological processes. "Curiosity has not determined the source of the organic molecules," said Jen Eigenbrode of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center who is lead author of one of the two new Science papers. "Whether it holds a record of ancient life, was food for life, or has existed in the absence of life, organic matter in Martian materials holds chemical clues to planetary conditions and processes," said Eigenbrode. Data from Curiosity revealed that billions of years ago, a water lake inside Gale Crater held all the ingredients necessary for life, including chemical building blocks and energy sources. "The Martian surface is exposed to radiation from space. Both radiation and harsh chemicals break down organic matter," said Eigenbrode. "Finding ancient organic molecules in the top five centimeters of rock that was deposited when Mars may have been habitable, bodes well for us to learn the story of organic molecules on Mars with future missions that will drill deeper." To identify organic material in the Martian soil, Curiosity drilled into sedimentary rocks known as mudstone from four areas in Gale Crater. This mudstone gradually formed billions of years ago from silt that accumulated at the bottom of the ancient lake. The rock samples were analyzed by an oven on the rover which heated the samples in excess of 500 degrees Celsius to release organic molecules from the powdered rock. A device measured small organic molecules that came off the mudstone sample, finding that some of these fragments contain sulfur, according to Eigenbrode. Some of the molecules identified included thiophenes, benzene, toluene, and small carbon chains, such as propane or butene. METHANE IN THE AIR In the second paper, NASA scientists described the discovery of seasonal variations in methane in the Martian atmosphere over the course of nearly three Mars years, which is nearly six Earth years. This variation was detected by Curiosity's Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite. Water-rock chemistry might have generated the methane, but scientists cannot rule out the possibility of biological origins. Methane previously had been detected in Mars' atmosphere in large, unpredictable plumes. This new result showed that low levels of methane within Gale Crater repeatedly peak in warm, summer months and drop in the winter every year. "This is the first time we've seen something repeatable in the methane story, so it offers us a handle in understanding it," said Chris Webster of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the lead author of the second paper. Finding methane in the atmosphere and ancient carbon preserved on the surface gives scientists confidence that NASA's Mars 2020 rover and European Space Agency's ExoMars rover will find even more organics, both on the surface and in the shallow subsurface. Chief Executive Carrie Lam The Former Police Married Quarters, PMQ, is one of eight Conserving Central projects, half of which are now up and running. Just two weeks ago, I took part in the opening of the nearby Central Police Station Compound now called Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage & Arts. I must say I am thrilled to see Hong Kong's past rise again revitalised and radiating life, purpose and good will. I can say very much the same about Hong Kong and Sweden. Our two economies, our two peoples, are finding good reasons to come together. Less than two years ago, the Karolinska Institutet's Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine opened here, setting in motion what I am confident will be a long and mutually rewarding collaboration between us in science and technology, as well as the creative industries. Prince Carl Philip visited Hong Kong just six months ago, here to inaugurate the Swedish Pavilion at Business of Design Week, as well as to launch the first edition of #SwedenTalks_HK, a creative exchange that we very much look forward to building on. The Prince is definitely not the only person from Sweden to visit us. Thanks to our mutual visa-free arrangement and direct flight connection, arrivals from Sweden to Hong Kong grew by about 25% cumulatively in the past three years. I am sure our people-to-people bond will continue to grow, especially amongst young people, with our bilateral Working Holiday Scheme commencing operation in January this year. Chief Executive Carrie Lam gave these remarks at the Swedish Midsummer & National Day Celebration on June 8. CHISIPITE Girls High School in Harare is at pains to clear its name after some of its pupils were captured on camera singing an explicit song where they were referring to themselves as sluts and suggesting they were having unprotected sex. Baba tese tirimahure, tese tinoda n****, hapana anoramba n**** (Father, were all sluts, no one refuses to engage in unprotected sex) . . . they sang clapping their hands while recording themselves. Though it is not clear when the video was recorded, it went viral on social media on Thursday and raised eyebrows with some questioning the morality of the school. There were mixed feelings about the recording with some defending the pupils who are doing Lower Six at the girls school saying there was nothing amiss considering their age. Some bashed them saying they needed to focus on their studies. Eish, part of me thinks moral degradation of society then I remember there were no smart phones when we were in high school and we were probably worse, wrote one Michael Mangenje on Facebook in response to the video. Some felt the pupils were reflecting what was going on in society where older men, referred to as blessers, are known to prey on young school girls. The visibly excitable young Chisipite High School girl who did the tese tinoda n****, hapana anoramba n**** clip is extremely unfortunate because while I agree that her comments are not a good example of what is expected of young school girls, it brings to light the reality of whats going on in schools. Older men are seriously sleeping with schoolchildren. This however, isnt new, the problem is with social media. She might get suspended or expelled and her career might go up in smoke, but this is a lesson for young people at school, wrote one Katsande. Supporting the pupils was Internet personality Nomathemba Primrose Ndebele who said their behaviour was normal as they were going through adolescence. We were once young and carefree students at some point and we sang worse songs than the girls at Chisipite. Hope were judging those little beautiful kids from an honest place not from hatred that their parents can afford $4 000 per term and we cant. Another concurred with Ndebele saying: I showed my son Dylan the video and he sang along. He said mum, this is also one of our war cries at school. Others said the pupils singing such a song did not mean they were practicing unsafe sex. All those judging should know that singing is one thing and doing is another thing. Theyre kids, let them have fun. We probably used to sing worse. They probably dont even know what theyre singing. Lets let them be, wrote one Bruce. However, many said what set them apart from pupils these days was that there were no recordings of the songs/videos. As such, they suggested that the students desist from recording such videos in order to avoid situations like these. We sang worse than this in our days but children of today should be taught that they should not take videos that they do not want the world to see. The video landed in the hands of the schools authorities who yesterday morning distanced themselves from the song saying it was not sanctioned by the school and was not a war cry. Thank you to all of those who have let us know about the appalling video that some of our L6 pupils made. The girls parents have been notified and share our disappointment in the pupils behaviour. The girls have been punished and regret their actions. This was not a war cry or in any way sanctioned by the school but an isolated incident involving six pupils, wrote the school in a statement. This is not an accurate reflection of our school culture and community, a sentiment shared by our parents, alumni and pupils. We thank you for your support of Chisipite, wrote one Mrs Hill from the school. Chronicle Who Gets Long COVID? More Than You May Think, Scientists Say (Newser) The traditional end-of-summit group photo at this year's G7 gathering will not include President Trump. The White House says Trump will leave the Quebec summit on Saturday morning and travel directly to Singapore, where he is due to meet Kim Jong Un June 12, Politico reports. The summit is scheduled to conclude hours after Trump's departure and he will miss sessions on issues including climate change and the oceans. The president will travel to the Quebec resort of La Malbaie Friday, the AP reports. His first trip to Canada as president comes as disputes with both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and France's President Emmanuel Macron are heating up. Both leaders have said they will confront Trump at the summit over new tariffs imposed on US allies in the name of "national security." story continues below Trudeau and Macron "are charging the U.S. massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers. The EU trade surplus with the U.S. is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out. Look forward to seeing them tomorrow," Trump tweeted Thursday. In another tweet, he said Trudeau "is being so indignant, bringing up the relationship that the U.S. and Canada had over the many years and all sorts of other things...but he doesnt bring up the fact that they charge us up to 300% on dairy hurting our Farmers, killing our Agriculture!" A third tweet warned the EU and Canada to "Take down your tariffs & barriers or we will more than match you!" Earlier Thursday, Macron said that the other six countries may end up signing an agreement that doesn't include the US. (Trump reportedly brought up a War of 1812 incident when discussing new tariffs on Canadian steel.) (Newser) Rudy Giuliani spoke out on Stormy Daniels Wednesdaycausing the office of Melania Trump to speak out on Rudy Giuliani. The first lady has never publicly discussed President Trump's alleged affair with the adult film star, and a spokeswoman made it clear Thursday that Giuliani wasn't speaking on behalf of Melania when he said the first lady "believes her husband, and she knows its untrue," ABC reports. "I dont believe Mrs. Trump has ever discussed her thoughts on anything with Mr. Giuliani," said Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's communications director. story continues below Melania's response to Giuliani's remark was "unusually pointed," according to the New York Times, which notes that the first lady "did nothing to affirm that she did accept her husbands explanation of what happened with Ms. Clifford." Giuliani also addressed Trump's upcoming summit with Kim Jong Un when he spoke to the press Wednesday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed Melania's office when he said Giuliani wasn't speaking for anybody else when he claimed Kim "got on his hands and knees and begged" for the summit to go ahead. "Rudy doesn't speak for the administration when it comes to this negotiation and this set of issues," he said. (Read more Stormy Daniels stories.) (Newser) An urban explorer and photographer known for her images of abandoned spaces is being mourned as a "queen" of her Philadelphia community days after she died doing what she loved. Rebecca Bunting, 30, was taking photos inside a storm drain with her boyfriend Saturday when she was swept away in a flash flood, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. A sudden rush of water sent the pair into Pennypack Creek around 6pm. Her boyfriend suffered minor injuries but was able to pull himself out of the water, reports Fox News. He called 911 when Bunting didn't emerge, and authorities found her body around 10am Sunday. Area residents describe Pennypack Creek as particularly dangerous after rain, noting four of five deaths there since 2010 occurred in similar conditions. story continues below "Pennypack can be beautiful and serene and great for pictures, but after a rainstorm, it can be deadly," one woman tells the Inquirer. "The water just rages down the creek." It isn't clear if Bunting knew of the dangers, having lived in Philadelphia for about a year. "She died doing what she loved with the one she loved," a friend writes on Facebook, per Fox News. "We're always going to have Becca's photos and the photos we took of her," another friend says. The second-to-last photo Bunting posted to her Instagram account, which had some 15,000 followers, shows a sunset viewed through an archway, per the AP. "If there is life after death, I want to come back as a sunset. Ain't much else more beautiful than that," the caption reads. (Read more flash floods stories.) (Newser) Sons of Anarchy stars are mourning fellow cast member Alan O'Neill, who died after being found unconscious by his girlfriend in their Los Angeles apartment Wednesday night, Variety reports. He was 47. The Irish actor starred as former "True IRA" member Hugh in the sixth and seventh seasons of the FX drama. TMZ reports that O'Neill was a heavy smoker with a history of heart problems, as well as drug and alcohol abuse. An autopsy will be carried out, but foul play isn't suspected, according to law enforcement sources. O'Neill was best known in the US for his role in Sons of Anarchy, though he was known in Ireland as a star of the Fair City soap opera from 2006 to 2012, reports the Irish Times. story continues below "My good friend Alan O'Neill died today....we worked together on The Sons Of Anarchy...my condolences to his family," tweeted co-star Timothy Murphy. O'Neill's agent, Annette Walsh, offered condolences to his partner, children, family, and friends on the loss of a "brilliant, funny, and kind human being." "I'll personally miss knowing Alan isn't sharing the planet with us any longer, despite the miles between LA and Dublin," she said. "Alan was only ever a phone call away. May he rest in peace." People reports that O'Neill's death comes a month after the suicide of Tycho Spelis Chiusano, the 16-year-old son of Sons of Anarchy star David Labrava. (Read more Sons of Anarchy stories.) (Newser) The Ford family scored its biggest-ever political victory Thursday nightmore than two years after the death of Rob Ford. Doug Ford, older brother of the notorious former Toronto mayor, was elected premier of Ontario, Canada's most populous province, the AP reports. Ford, who was narrowly elected leader of the provincial Progressive Conservative Party in March after former leader Patrick Brown stepped down amid allegations of sexual misconduct, won a resounding victory over current Premier Kathleen Wynne, whose Liberal Party had been in power for 15 years. Fordwho, unlike his brother, isn't known for drinking heavily or smoking crackcampaigned on a populist platform that led to comparisons to President Trump. story continues below Ford's campaign promises included cutting gasoline taxes, lowering the minimum price of beer to $1, and making marijuana more widely available after it is legalized this year, reports the Toronto Star. "He had a simple product, and he was selling it at a lower price than anybody else in terms of tax cuts and other commitments of reduced prices, whether it was for gas and beer etc.," political science professor Myer Siemiatycki tells the CBC. Days before the election, Rob Ford's widow, Renata Ford, filed a $12.6 million lawsuit against Doug Ford and Randy Ford, another Ford brother, accusing them of mismanaging the family business and cheating her and her children out of her husband's inheritance. (Read more Doug Ford stories.) / Kiwis to Matt Lauer: You Can Keep the Ranch ... for Now New Zealand couldn't find enough evidence to bar Lauer from lease under 'good character' test (Newser) President Trump is calling for Russia to be reinstated to the leading group of industrialized nations, now known as the Group of Seven, the AP reports. "Now, I love our country. I have been Russia's worst nightmare," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House Friday morning as he prepared to leave for the G7 summit in Canada, per Politico. "But with that being said, Russia should be in this meeting. Why are we having a meeting without Russia being in the meeting?" He added: "Whether you like it or not, and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run. And in the G7, which used to be the G8, they threw Russia out. They should let Russia come back in. Because we should have Russia at the negotiating table." story continues below Russia was ousted from the elite group in 2014 as punishment for President Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea and its support for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. The suspension was supported by the other members of the group: the US, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK. CNN notes Trump's remarks come after a public Twitter battle Thursday with French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over new tariffs the US has hit its allies with for "national security" purposes. (Read more President Trump stories.) (Newser) Chinese government hackers broke into the unclassified computer network of a Navy contractor in January and February and accessed 614 gigabytes of technological information about a submarine-based missile known as Sea Dragon, as well other highly sensitive classified data, reports the Washington Post. Sea Dragon is a $300 million project scheduled for underwater testing in September. In recent years, the Pentagon has ramped up investment in technologies capable of sinking enemy ships in response to a resurgence in China's and Russias forces at sea. The Chinese have hacked US military information before. They obtained plans for, among others, the patriot PAC-3 missile system, the F-35 joint strike fighter, and a system for shooting down ballistic missiles, according to the Post. story continues below The theft has raised questions about the Navys handling of contractors, particularly those working on high-tech weapons. The US protects its secrets using highly compartmented security systems, says retired admiral James Stavridis. When one of those is hacked, you give up an enormous advantage in surprise. The report comes at a tricky time in US-China relations. The White House is seeking Beijings help in negotiating with North Korea over its nuclear weapons, while at the same time sparring with China over trade and Chinas territorial claims in the South China Sea, reports the Hill. (Read more submarine stories.) (Newser) Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants to move the nation further away from the legalization of marijuana. His boss? Not so much, apparently. President Trump on Friday suggested he will back legislation currently in the works to end, or at least ease, the federal ban on marijuana, reports NPR. "I probably will end up supporting" the bipartisan measure being pushed by GOP Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, said Trump. "I support Sen. Gardner," the president told reporters when asked about the bill. "I know exactly what he's doing; we're looking at it." If the bill becomes law, it would "reshape the pot industry," in the words of the Los Angeles Times, and put an end to a crackdown initiated by Sessions earlier this year. story continues below Specifically, the legislation would change the federal Controlled Substances Act to give states free rein to decide how marijuana should be regulated within their own borders, explains the AP. About two dozen states have legalized marijuana in some form, but the issue remains complicated because of a federal classification of the drug that puts it on par with LSD and heroin. Trump's comments are just the latest example of the president's soured relations with Sessions. The New York Times notes that Trump's decision to commute the sentence of non-violent drug offender Alice Johnson earlier this week runs counter to Sessions' directive in such cases. What's more, Trump told his aides to look for similar cases in which prisoners were treated "unfairly." (Trump continues to publicly criticize his AG. (Read more marijuana legalization stories.) New Delhi: In a significant move to strengthen security situation in the countrys border state Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that nine new battalions, including border battalions and women battalions, will be raised in the state. Of the nine battalions, two will be dedicated to border areas and will be called 'Border Battalions' and two women battalions will be deployed each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions to take stock of ground situation in border areas, Singh told reporters in Jammu. Five 'Indian reserve battalions' will be raised in which 60 per cent seats will be reserved for the people living in border areas, he said. The home minister also said that 14,460 bunkers will be built in the state. Of it, 1,431 will be community bunkers and 13,029 will be individual bunkers. The bunkers will be built at a cost of Rs 450 crore. Singh, who is on a two-day visit to the state since Thursday, also announced that ex-gratia amount to the family of victims of Pakistan shelling has been enhanced to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 3 lakh. The government has removed three years of fixed deposit term clause, he said. On the relief for migrants, the cash assistance for Kashmiri migrants has been enhanced by 30 per cent and now each family will get Rs 13,000 compared to current relief of Rs 10,000, Singh said. It was last enhanced in 2015, he said, adding this will benefit 22,000 families in the state. The order will be issued soon after he returns to New Delhi, he said. An advisory board for migrants to resolve their problems will also be set up, the home minister added. In another announcement, Singh said that Rs 5.50 lakh compensation will be given to each family of west Pakistan refugees. The benefit will reach to 5,764 refugees. The Centre had announced compensation package of Rs 5 lakh for 36,454 families of PoK and Chammb refugees, he said, adding that out of which 12,763 families had been benefited so far. Also Read | Rajnath Singh on two-day Jammu and Kashmir visit, to review security ahead of Amarnath Yatra (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: While a 'Rajiv Gandhi type' incident to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi was intercepted by Pune Police on Thursday, members of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) - a terrorist outfit, on Friday issued an open death threat to Modi. Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), led by 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, is the front face of banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). "Flag of Islam will be hoisted in India and America. (PM) Modi will be killed. India and Israel will get disintegrated as more and more martyrs will be produced," said senior JuD functionary Maulana Bashir Ahmad Khaki. Ahmad was addressing the Friday sermon, on the occasion of Ramazan 2018, in Rawalakot city of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's (PoK). Threatening India at a public platform, Maulana Bashir, the top aide of Saeed, further instigated followers to wage Jihad (holy war) during the ongoing month of Ramzan. "JuD cadres are still waging Jihad in Kashmir and fighting with Indian forces in Kashmir. They are waging Jihad for freedom of Kashmir and destruction of India. Urged participants to raise the flag of 'Jihad' against infidels," Bashir added calling himself a messenger of LeT chief Saeed. He also requested his listeners to allow their sons to join for Jihad in PoK. "I Appeal participants to donate generously (wheat, ration and cash) during the month of 'Ramadan' to JuD and for 'Mujahideen' waging Jihad. I also urge women to donate their sons and cash for 'Mujahideen' who were waging 'Jihad' in Kashmir," Bashir stated. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), is under scanner since the beginning of this year. Its leader, Hafiz Saeed, is also designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a bounty of $2 billion on Hafiz Saeed and asked Pakistan to act on home-grown terror elements. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, a letter allegedly found in the house of a person arrested for connection with the banned CPI (Maoist) has revealed a shocking plan to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi in "another Rajiv Gandhi type" incident. Pune Police intercepts the internal communication of Maoists planning a 'Rajiv Gandhi type' assassination of Prime Minister Modi, the news agency ANI reported. Earlier on Wednesday, Dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale, lawyer Surendra Gadling, activists Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen and Rona Wilson were arrested in connection with 'Elgar Parishad' and the subsequent Bhima-Koregaon violence, that took place in Pune. All five were produced before the sessions court on Thursday which remanded them in police custody till June 14. Going by the letter found in Rona Wilson's house in Delhi, "Modi-led Hindu fascist regime" is "bulldozing its way into the lives of indigenous Adivasis." Pune Police intercepts internal communication of Maoists planning a 'Rajiv Gandhi type' assassination of Prime Minister Modi. pic.twitter.com/o2rt2al4aj ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2018 Read | PM Modi to hold talks with Xi Jinping in SCO Summit tomorrow; terror to be a substantial part of discussion "In spite of big defeats like Bihar and West Bengal, Modi has successfully established BJP government in more than 15 states. If this pace continues, then it would mean immense trouble for the party on all fronts. Greater suppression of dissent and more brutal form of Mission 2016 (OGH)," the letter read. "Com. Kisan and a few other senior comrades have proposed concrete steps to end Modi-raj. We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi type incident. It sounds suicidal and there is a good chance that we might fail, but we feel that the party PB/CC must deliberate over our proposal," it added. "Targeting his road shows could be an effective strategy," the letter says. "We collectively believe that [the] survival of the party is supreme to all sacrifices. Rest in the next letter," the letter goes on to describe further. "The higher Committee has appreciated the endearing efforts of all urban comrades for the specific tasks given to them. There is a lot of ground to be covered. Comrade Mangalu and Deepu have been coordinating the Koregaon programme (for) last two months with Comrade Sudhir," another letter allegedly found from Wilson's house stated. Read | Nagpur exercise Pranab-RSS move to dampen Congress spirits Reacting to the incident, Congress's Sanjay Nirupam said, "I am not saying this is completely untrue but it has been PM Modi's old tactic, since he was CM, whenever his popularity declines, news of an assassination plot is planted. So, it should be probed how much truth is in it this time." Meanwhile, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has chosen to remain tight-lipped on the chilling details found in those letters. According to Yechury, the court will reveal the truths behind the incident. #WATCH CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury reacts on Pune Police intercepts internal communication of Maoists planning a 'Rajiv Gandhi type' assassination of Prime Minister Modi. pic.twitter.com/jE5TV1j5KX ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2018 There are also reports that the CPI (Maoist) had provided funds to "comrade Sudhir" for Koregaon Bhima "task" while "Comrade Shoma and Surendra" were authorised to provide funds for future programmes. Read | Jammu and Kashmir: Rajnath Singh reaches Kupwara; to meet families in border areas In 1991, Rajiv Gandhi, the sixth prime minister of India was killed in a suicide attack in Tamil Nadu. Gandhi was scheduled to address an election rally in Tamil Nadu's Sriperambudur on the same day. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Nearly a month after their Wuhan meet in April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Qingdao, China. During the summit, Modi and Jinping are expected to take stock of the implementation of decisions taken at the informal summit in Wuhan. The prime minister is also scheduled to meet other world leaders on the sidelines of SCO Summit in Qingdao. "There are many things that the leaders look forward to discussing and they will most probably take forward what was discussed during the informal summit in Wuhan," ANI quoted Gautam Bambawale, Indian Ambassador to China, as saying. "Terror will certainly be a substantial part of discussions," Bambawale added. This is the first summit wherein India is participating with complete membership & so will Pakistan, terror will certainly be a substantial part of discussions: Gautam Bambawale, Indian Ambassador to China in #Qingdao on SCO Summit. pic.twitter.com/XwqDGZc5mH ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2018 Read | Xi Jinping becomes world's most powerful leader, Modi ranked 9th: Forbes Talking about the India-China relationship Bambawale said, "There is no doubt that India-China relations have gone through a transformation after Wuhan informal summit, we have left Doklam crisis behind and moved forward to better ties." Apart from these, the SCO summit is expected to focus on opportunities for cooperation among the member countries and the situation in the region, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing on Thursday. This is the first time that India and Pakistan will participate in the Summit as the full member of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). However, there is no official confirmation whether there will be any interaction between Modi and Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain, who is scheduled to attend the meeting in China. "Neither have we nor has Pakistan asked for a formal meeting but during such summits (SCO Summit). However, leaders may talk on the sidelines but there will be no formal meeting with Pakistan," Bambawale told reporters. Read | India-China venture in Afghanistan may play spoilsport for Pakistans gameplan Among other leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to attend the summit. Earlier in May, Modi met Putin during an informal summit in Sochi. In 2001, the SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its members in 2017. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, on Friday arrived in Kupwara along with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and MoS PMO Jitendra Singh. On the second leg of his two-day tour, Singh met representatives of 'Gurjar' community in the district. He is also scheduled to meet people living in the border areas of the state. Earlier on Thursday, the Home Minister reviewed the security situation in Kashmir valley following the suspension of anti-terror operations during the holy month of Ramadan (Ramazan). J&K: Home Minister Rajnath Singh meets representatives of 'gurjar' community in Kupwara. CM Mehbooba Mufti and MoS PMO Jitendra Singh also present. pic.twitter.com/XT2wFjXSxl ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2018 Read | Ramzan ceasefire: Centre halts Army operations in Kashmir during holy month During his speech at Srinagar's Sher-e-Kashmir Indoor Stadium Singh said, the Centre has a "lot of love" for the state and they will withdraw cases against those, who were "mislead into stone pelting". Further, Singh urged the youth not to follow the path of destruction, bombing and terror saying that the government had initiated several schemes to secure their future. "I want to appeal to the youth that they should take the path of development. They should not go on the path of destruction," Singh stated. The home minister on Thursday also hinted that the Ramazan ceasefire, announced by the government on May 16, could be extended further. It may continue beyond the Eid and during the Amaranth yatra, beginning on June 28. Read | Day after Delhi Archbishop's letter, Catholic Bishops Conference head meets Rajnath Singh The Ramazan ceasefire was mainly proposed to understand the impact of the suspension of anti-terrorists operations on the life of citizens in India. During his two-day visit, Singh will be holding talks with Governor N N Vohra, CM Mufti, top civil, police and paramilitary officials in the state. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The government is seriously concerned about Prime Minister Narendra Modis security, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday following reports of death threat by JuD and Maoists assassination plot. "We are always serious about the prime minister's security. The Maoists are fighting a losing battle. They are now active only in 10 districts in the country," Singh said at a press conference in Jammu. On Thursday, the police in Pune told a court that they had seized a "letter" from the Delhi residence of one of the five people arrested on Wednesday for having alleged "links" with the banned CPI (Maoist). The purported letter allegedly mentioned a plan to "assassinate" Modi in "another Rajiv Gandhi-type incident", the police told the court. Also Read | Hafiz Saeed-led JuD issues open death threat to PM Modi; instigates followers to wage Jihad Singh, however, said the Naxal violence will die soon as their area of influence has fallen from 135 districts in the country to 90, they are active in only 10 of these. In another threat to the prime minister, members of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) - a terrorist outfit, on Friday issued an open death threat to Modi. The JuD, led by 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, is the front face of the banned terror group Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT). "Flag of Islam will be hoisted in India and America. (PM) Modi will be killed. India and Israel will get disintegrated as more and more martyrs will be produced," said senior JuD functionary Maulana Bashir Ahmad Khaki. The home minister was on a two-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir. Also Read | Maoist plan to assassinate Narendra Modi in 'Rajiv Gandhi type' incident averted Asked about the possibility of extending the ongoing ceasefire condition in Jammu and Kashmir beyond Eid, he said an appropriate decision will be taken after reviewing the ground situation and in consultation with all parties concerned. Maintaining that the Centre's stand since beginning was that New Delhi was willing to talk to everyone, Singh said, "Our neighbouring country Pakistan should prevent terror emanating from its soil." Singh also said the Union government was ready to hold talks with all "right-minded" people if not "like-minded", a statement seen as an olive branch to the separatists. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Ukrainian model Daria Molcha, who was arrested by the special task force for staying in the country without a valid travel documents, was released on Friday. The special task force arrested 20-year-old Molcha from a private hotel at Park Road in Gorakhpur and detained in the district jail on April 3. The model was released after civil judge Surendra Pratap Singh issued her release order on Thursday. "Daria Molcha, who was jailed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Foreigners Act, was released around 1.00 pm. We had received the release order very late yesterday that is why she was released today," jail superintendent Ramdhani said. Molcha has been sent to the Ukrainian Embassy in Delhi under police protection, Senior Superintendent of Police Shalabh Mathur said. Two men from Kolkata -- Chandari Rawat and Adarsh -- had come here on a chartered plane and they went to the Chief Judicial Magistrate court for the release of Molcha. The application of the Ukrainian model's bail was rejected by the district court on April 12. After that, the bail application was filed in the high court which granted her bail about a week ago. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a profoundly loaded political move, former President Pranab Mukherjee, together with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), sent out a powerful message to the country in his address at the RSS event on Thursday evening that his is still very much around in the troubled political arena and the vast goodwill and tall stature that he has as a public figure cut across the sharp political divide dogging the nation. Obviously, the step taken by the 82-year-old former President by visiting and delivering a speech at the RSS headquarters would further rattle the Congress which has been his party until elected as President about six years ago. Pranab and the RSS, both tried though obliquely to wade through and breach the controlling family circuit of his old party which is now headed and run mainly by Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. The Congress is yet to come out of its silo formed by the Nehru-Gandhi family and the RSS and its virtual progeny the BJP have been resenting it and often attacking the family posing an existential crisis to the Congress and Nehruvian legacy. The animosity between the Congress and the Sangh Parivar has come now to the tether with the approaching countrywide general elections next summer and a few Assembly polls billed before that. Pranab appears to nurse a great sense of deprivation by the very fact that despite his long standing in public life he could not become the countrys prime minister when the opportunity came at least twice--after Indira Gandhis assassination and in 2004 because of the stranglehold of the Gandhi family over the Congress party. Now, as another round of parliamentary polls are around the corner, he seems to have decided to flaunt his statesmanship which cannot be matched either by his contemporaries or the upcoming leaders in the partys rung like Rahul Gandhi. The long overview of the countrys uninterrupted march of history given by Pranab was marked by citing strong cultural and moral force that India collectively could retain and summon to move forward to this democratic era. The points made by him signified the need for leaders and statesman of high stature since the country deserved better. And this claim was endorsed by his hosts from the RSS through their sheer warmth and bonhomie shown to Pranab. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat too shared Pranabs viewpoints though saying that Pranab would remain Pranab even after visiting the Nagpur seat of the RSS. In fact, Pranab tried to do a kind of neutral or common positioning vis-a-vis political divide as is the RSS refrain of not participating in politics directly or otherwise and yet influencing politics to the hilt through its veiled control over both society and its affairs. The critics and observers of politics are not going to miss the subtle and roundabout move to pose a challenge to the Congress on the part of both the RSS and Pranab. Together the two tried today to improve their moral position to intervene as saviours of what is called as wider national interests. Todays entire Nagpur exercise was meant to hoist Pranab as the tallest statesman of the country and this can be put to harness at an appropriate point of time given the flux the country has come to face amid its perpetual election mode ever since the loss of power by the Congress and its efforts to regain it now. The Congress on its part has reacted bitterly to this evenings Nagpur spectacle executed rather successfully to challenge the present leadership of the Congress. Its newly elected president Rahul Gandhis attack on the RSS and the BJP has thus virtually been answered by both Pranab and the RSS leadership, posing a new challenge before him and his party. In a way, the latest events at the RSS bastion boil down to playing soft secularism by the RSS via hosting Pranab. This is akin to the soft Hindutva that Rahul Gandhi opted for and tried by visiting temples during his recent election campaigns in Gujarat and Karnataka. Couched in a language of need for unity and harmony despite diversity and plurality, Pranabs talk was meant to build bridges across the political divide and with an eye on the future course that the choppy waters of politics may take in a few months and the year to come. New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shahs recent outreach to allied parties that are on the warpath shows the alarm that has set in within the party over Opposition unity moves. Had the BJP been more accommodative in recent months in relations with the allies, this eventuality would perhaps not have come. But it is better late than never and there is merit in waking up to the need to start with winning back estranged existing allies before the party ventures into wooing parties that have never been under the BJP umbrella. Shah has started his odyssey of reconciliation with a meeting with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray close on the heels of the Palghar byelection in which the BJP pipped the Shiv Sena in a prestigious contest. The wounded tiger that Uddhav is, he had alleged when the result came that the BJP had unfairly manipulated the victory. Uddhav has been insisting for quite a while that he will have no truck with the BJP in the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly polls. He has gone so far as to say that his party is the BJPs biggest political enemy. Time and again, he has fired salvoes at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Yet, when Amit Shah called at his residence with a bouquet and a broad smile, the two leaders held talks for an hour and after they were joined by aides for another hour-and-half. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut was quick to rebut any talk of a rapprochement but speculation is rife that the Sena is duly mollified but will continue to play hard to get. Any further appeasement after this meeting by the BJP would be construed by the people as a sign of BJPs desperation and could well be counter-productive. It is believed that Uddhav flagged many questions and complaints, including the absence of NDA coordination meetings that were a regular feature in the Atal Behari Vajpayee-era when the two parties first worked together at the Centre. He also brought up several complaints against the state leadership of the BJP, including how Shiv Sena ministers were not given importance and sometimes completely ignored. While BJP sources said more meetings were being planned in the coming days to improve relations, the Shiv Sena version of the talks was that there had been no headway and no weakening of the Senas resolve to go it alone in future elections. For all his bravado, however, Uddhav Thackeray is acutely aware that with the Congress and the NCP close to knitting an alliance, his party would face heavy weather if it does not tie up with the BJP. As Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan claims emphatically, this is all mere posturing and the Shiv Sena will finally come around. But it will do so only after extracting its pound of flesh from the BJP in the tussle for seat allocations. This was the first meeting after Amit Shah's visit last year when he met with Uddhav to solicit his support for the presidential nominee, Ram Nath Kovind. The 90-minute meeting hadn't then stopped the Shiv Sena from taking jabs at the BJP but it did eventually, even if reluctantly, support the NDA's presidential nominee. Editorials in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna accurately reflect the party position right since the days of Bal Thackeray and the latest one took a dig at the BJP saying that, for it, relationships are business calculations. The last word on the uneasy relationship has clearly not been said. The unsteady truce will continue amid posturing by the two parties, especially the Shiv Sena until closer to the Lok Sabha elections. There was a time when the BJP was wooing Sharad Pawars NCP on the sly, side by side, but that has ceased with that party expressing its preference for the Opposition based on expediency. For the Shiv Sena, it is now a question of going it alone or forging an alliance with the BJP. An alliance with the NCP or the Congress seems too far-fetched considering that the main electoral plank of the two parties would be a fight against communalism. New Delhi: Nagpur oranges are world famous for its sweetness but revenge when served cold tests the sweetest. The context is of former president Pranab Mukherjee attending and addressing the RSS event as its chief guest in Nagpur on evening. Was the seed of sweet revenge planted years ago? When Pranab da accepted the RSS invitation, the Congress was in catch 22 situation, neither could it sternly disapprove his decision nor could it approve of it. Tall leaders in the party were entrusted the task to dissuade him from sharing the dias with Mohan Bhagwat. They even brought in Sharmishtha hoping that the softest corner of Pranab might help change his mind, but Mukherjee was adamant. They feared what if Pranab da said something which would give fresh ammunition to the BJP to target the Congress. Mukherjees daughter Sharmishtha was right in her tweet .the speech will be forgotten, visuals will remain. At six in the evening, when national news channels started flashing visuals of Pranab Da standing alongside Mohan Bhagwat, one cannot but accept that Pranab da has come a long way and cannot be written off as yet from the dynamics of Indias politics. Despite several criticisms from the Congress and Left parties, Pranab da went ahead with his call to be the chief guest at the RSS event but what made him arrive at this decision? What was the message he wanted to drive home? Whom did he want to convey this message? The questions, which answers though seemingly obvious, remain unanswered. The answers, perhaps, lie beneath the old sheets of the UPA I regime--After the elections, the Congress emerged the single largest party. It was obvious that the Congress and its allies would form the government, but the question was who would take the most coveted post of the prime minister. The stage was set for Sonia Gandhi to be sworn as PM but the Constitution of India forbade any person of foreign origin to sit at the highest position of public interest, hence she had to forego the thought of it. Sonia Gandhi truly is bestowed with a strong sense of politics. She wanted to be actively involved in all decision of the government and keep a close eye on her partys ministers, hence a proxy was needed who would only be the face of the government and actual decisions would be taken at the National Advisory Committee whose chairperson was. Gandhi herself, the rest is history. But its not easy to forget, Pranab da was considered as the most suitable person for the PMs post in the eyes of many fellow party men as well as opposition people and sure he was. Pranab da has a very strong personality and his no nonsense attitude would have made the task all the more tough to deal with. Since Pranab da had the tallest stature in the party, the Congress could not do away with him, the only way was to elevate him to such a position that would not only clear the path for Rahul Gandhi to be the future prime ministerial candidate but at the same time would appear as a bestowment of highest reward to Pranab da. He understood each move of his party, but never uttered a word of dissent. Pranab Mukherjee thus became the 13th President of Independent India in 2012. Mukherjees speech was as in line with the expectation of an ex-President but the message was clear its payback time for the Congress. By his recent amiability with the RSS, he has perhaps given the BJP an opportunity to puncture the Congresss rattle of secularism and intolerance. Lately, the Congress and other opposition parties were flying high buoyant by their performance in recent bi elections but the latest development would make them rethink their strategy. It will not come as a surprise if the BJP approaches Mukherjee to be their psychological amicus curiae for life time, after all its often said in politics theres no permanent friend or a foe. Also, it may be recalled that during his presidential days, Mukherjee had hosted RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. So, perhaps, the seeding for this significant meet at the 'Tritiya Varsha Sangh Shiksha Varg' event of the RSS was done years ago. New Delhi: In yet another incident of data leak scandal, the private posts of about 14 million Facebook users were allegedly made public due to a software bug on Thursday. The company, however, has rubbished those rumours saying it did not change any private post to 'Public'. "No private posts were changed to be public. The bug made the suggested audience 'Public' as opposed to the previous audience setting. Nothing was changed after posted," Facebook wrote in a tweet. Speculations had been rife that the users, who were posting updates to friends or a smaller group only, had actually been sharing it widely with the general public across the world. Typically, a Facebook user's posts default to a preselected privacy setting, but a software bug, which was active from May 18 to May 27 reportedly made posts automatically to 'Public'. No private posts were changed to be public. The bug made the suggested audience public as opposed to the previous audience setting. Nothing was changed after posted. Read more details here: https://t.co/xKiYgxoJ62 https://t.co/25eh3I3vXw Facebook (@facebook) June 7, 2018 Also Read | Facebook gave firms broad access to data on users, friends Going by the earlier reports, the bug changed users' privacy settings to public, without notifying them regarding the changes. Facebook, however, had fixed the glitch and said they will notify the 14 million users who could have been affected due to the bug starting from May 18. "We are letting everyone affected know and asking them to review any posts they made during that time. We'd like to apologize for this mistake," Erin Egan, Facebook chief privacy officer said in a statement. "We'd like to apologize for this mistake," Egan added. Hi @yonatanzunger To be clear, the bug affected Facebook posts, NOT private messages. It suggested posting publicly as opposed to the previous audience setting. Regardless, this was a significant mistake and we apologize to those affected by it. https://t.co/hgEKBzSxnC Facebook (@facebook) June 7, 2018 Also Read | Facebook suspends 200 apps over Cambridge Analytica fiasco The American social networking site, invented by Mark Zuckerberg, is under scanner following a data privacy scandal, which allegedly privileged access to Cambridge Analytica - a UK based data analysis firm. Earlier in March, it came to light that Cambridge Analytica mined data from Facebook in the voter research, which was conducted for US President Donald Trump during the 2016 elections campaign. New Delhi: Google would not be developing artificial intelligence (AI) for use in weapons, its CEO Sundar Pichai has said. Google recently announced it would stop work with the Department of Defense on Project Maven, an AI project that analyses imagery and could be used to enhance the efficiency of drone strikes. The announcement came after its involvement in a Pentagon project drew flak. Thousands of employees led a signature campaign, warning that Google's participation contravened the company's ethical tenets. They said that "Google should not be in the business of war". The letter warned that the company's involvement would compromise its image and drive away potential employees, according to The Independent. Pichai also said the company would not design or deploy AI in areas, including weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people. He said Google will not develop technologies that gather or use information for surveillance violating internationally accepted norms and technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights. Pichai, in a blogpost, wrote: "We want to be clear that while we are not developing AI for use in weapons, we will continue our work with governments and the military in many other areas. "These include cybersecurity, training, military recruitment, veterans' healthcare, and search and rescue. These collaborations are important and we'll actively look for more ways to augment the critical work of these organizations and keep service members and civilians safe". Pichai also announced seven principles to guide the work forward. He said that these were not theoretical concepts but concrete standards that will "actively govern our research and product development and will impact our business decisions". (With inputs from agencies) For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The next Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) at Palexpo, Geneva, will take place January 14-17, 2019. Setting the tone for the twelve months to come, it adopts a four-day schedule instead of the usual five with the convenience of longer opening hours, every day from 8.30am to 8pm. Confirming SIHH's place in Geneva, and continuing an immensely popular initiative from the previous two years, doors will open to the public on the Thursday, with a special late-night opening until 10pm. On Sunday afternoon, the day before the official opening, the exhibiting brands will have the opportunity to invite selected customers to a preview of their new collections. After a steady increase in the number of exhibiting brands over the past three editions, SIHH 2019 presents a stable line-up of 35 exhibitors, with 18 historic Maisons and 17 independents in the Carre des Horlogers. Note the arrival among the historic Maisons of BOVET, founded in 1822. This balance between established names and representatives of watchmaking's new wave is without doubt one of the strengths of a fair whose diversity reflects the multiple facets of Fine Watchmaking today. SIHH is very much a connected event one of the most talked-about new directions taken in 2018. This strategy to open SIHH to the world and be part of the digital era is a major asset which complements the exclusivity that defines the fair. Carrying on from this successful debut, SIHH Live therefore returns in 2019 on an even grander scale. A vast programme of content, with talks, panel discussions and debates, contributes to the fair's international reach and adds to the desirability of Fine Watchmaking throughout the world. Not only is SIHH an event that has to be experienced, it can now be experienced anywhere in the world... and by the 20,000 visitors who are again expected in Geneva next year. Historic Maisons A.Lange & Sohne, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, BOVET, Cartier, Girard-Perregaux, Greubel Forsey, Hermes, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Parmigiani Fleurier, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin. Carre des Horlogers Armin Strom, Christophe Claret, Chronometrie Ferdinand Berthoud, DeWitt, elegante by F.P.Journe, Gronefeld, H. Moser & Cie, Hautlence, HYT, Kari Voutilainen, Laurent Ferrier, MB&F, Ressence, Romain Gauthier, RJ, Speake-Marin, Urwerk. Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Palexpo - Geneva - Switzerland January 14-17, 2019 www.sihh.org > Watches & Wonders Tattoos have become a controversial matter that split the opinions of people in Bahrain and other Middle Eastern nations during recent years, with a big segment of the society rejecting it, as they consider it an unwanted fad, while a growing number of individuals support it and consider it a personal freedom that mustnt be waived. With health, social and religious concerns raised by the objectors of such trends, the practice of tattooing remains an unknown term in the Bahraini laws, with no explicit text authorising or prohibiting it. According to reports, those who practice it utilise their residences to receive clients, without any supervision from the authorities or a legislation to regulate the profession. In recent years, some conservative MPs attempted to criminalise the practice by introducing a number of proposed laws that ban tattooing in Bahrain, but such attempts werent fruitful as the majority of lawmakers didnt approve them. Tribune recently spoke to a former Bahraini tattoo artist, who preferred to maintain his anonymity, saying that he has started a new life, after finding it difficult to practice the art. That chapter of my life is over, said the artist who was in the tattooing field for more than a decade. As a talented painter, drawing on bodies grabbed his attention and he was more interested in it. This motivated him to take a two-year training course at a special tattooing institute there, so he could be certified to practice tattooing and learn more about the profession. Time has changed and tattoos have gained more popularity in the Kingdom, the entire GCC and the Middle East region, which strongly rejected the idea in earlier years due to religious, social and health concerns, he said. With days to go until an unprecedented US-North Korea summit in Singapore, the leaders of Japan and the United States have discussed North Korea. US President Donald Trump said, "Things are moving along very well. It looks like the meeting is set and the summit is ready to go. Subjects are always to change. We'll never know in this world. Subjects are always to change. But the summit is ready to go. North Korean representatives in Singapore are working very hard as people from the US. It's all going along very fine. I hope this continues on this track." Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, "I sincerely hope that the upcoming historic US-North Korea summit will serve as an opportunity to drastically improve peace and stability in the Northeast Asian region. I want to reaffirm our close cooperation toward making the summit a success, and to make progress on the nuclear, missile and abduction issues." Abe is believed to have reminded Trump about Japan's security issues in the hope that they make it on the agenda when Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday. For Japan, a resolution would cover all ranges of ballistic missiles and types of weapons of mass destruction in the North's arsenal. Abe is also likely to have asked Trump again to raise the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean agents. The Japanese government says at least 17 people were abducted in the 1970s and 80s. 12 of them remain unaccounted for. - NHK Japanese experts have estimated for the first time the long-term economic damage caused by a possible mega-quake along the Nankai Trough, off the Pacific coast of central and western Japan, or in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The Japan Society of Civil Engineers issued a report on Thursday saying a mega-quake would cut off transportation systems and damage production facilities, which could result in long-term declines in production and income. The report says in the worst-case scenario a Nankai Trough earthquake would result in economic damage of 12.8 trillion dollars, and a Tokyo mega-quake 7 trillion dollars, over the ensuing 20 years. The figure for the Nankai Trough earthquake is roughly 14 times the size of the national budget for the current fiscal year, while that for the Tokyo quake is 8 times larger. The civil engineers society describes this as a national crisis in which people's standard of living would be lowered over a long period. The report also says long-term damage could be reduced by 30 to 40 percent by making roads, ports and embankments more quake-resistant. The head of the civil engineers society, Hisakazu Ohishi, said the estimated damage came as a shock. He said if a mega-quake should strike now, the outcome would be unimaginable, and could possibly make Japan one of East Asia's poorest countries. Ohishi urged the government to make plans for building infrastructure to help reduce the damage. - NHK The president of a ryokan (traditional inn), in business for more than 500 years at a hot spring resort in Gunma Prefecture, apologized Wednesday over a fire that occurred the previous day at his home, which is connected to the inn. "I'm sorry for causing trouble to our guests and neighbors," said Sanuemon Chigira, 79, president of Chigira Jinsentei in Ikaho Onsen resort. The fire severely damaged the third floor of Chigira's three-story wooden house. His 71-year-old wife sustained a minor injury, but the approximately 20 guests who were staying at the ryokan were confirmed safe. - Japan Times The anti-cheating team at the Egyptian Ministry of Education has identified a student who leaked the thanaweya amma (high school) French language exam on social media on Thursday, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported. Ministry sources say that the student, who hails from Beni Suef governorate, was arrested in possession of a smart phone used to leak the exam. The student will be referred to the prosecution over the leak, which is punishable by a fine and imprisonment. In the past few years, thanaweya amma exams have been repeatedly leaked and shared on Facebook and WhatsApp. This is the second paper to be leaked this exam season, after an Arabic language exam was posted online on Saturday. Last year, Egypt's parliament approved amendments toughening the penalties for cheating and other exam violations, including publishing exam questions and papers and having mobile phones or other wireless devices in examination rooms. Penalties for facilitating exam leaks include hefty fines of EGP 100,000-200,000 and jail terms between two and seven years. More than 650,000 students are taking this year's tests. Search Keywords: Short link: The Future of Homeland Partys bid to become the largest in parliament is polarising MPs The Future of Homeland Party, set up in 2015 to defend the policies of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, won 57 seats in the last parliamentary election making it the second largest party in parliament, behind the Free Egyptians with 65 seats. But is that about to change? The announcement that 200 independent and party-based MPs intend to join the party appears to suggest the Future of Homeland will soon hold a parliamentary majority. The arithmetic looks unassailable. The problem is the law. Salah Hassaballah, parliamentary spokesperson of the Support Egypt bloc, currently parliaments majority force, told reporters in a press conference that the coalition would not give up its crown easily. The decision of 200 MPs to join the Future of Homeland does not mean anything, said Hassaballah. Everyone knows the constitution and the House of Representatives law prevents MPs from switching allegiance once they are elected. Mohamed Al-Sewidi, head of the Support Egypt bloc, told MPs on Sunday that recent national newspaper reports claiming Support Egypt had lost its majority in parliament were wrong. I assure you all that Support Egypt is strong and united and still has the majority in this parliament, he said. MP and journalist Mustafa Bakri also attacked the putative formation of the Future of Homeland coalition, telling MPs on Monday that it will serve only to polarise parliament into two camps. I wonder why this coalition was created, and at a time when MPs who support President Al-Sisi and his economic reform policies have been asked to stand united, pondered Bakri. It is generally accreted the Support Egypt coalition is the one entity to hold together MPs keen to defend the supreme interests of Egypt and the bold economic reform policies needed to secure the countrys future, claimed Bakri. Now we are surprised to find some MPs seeking to form another coalition, in pursuit of their personal ambitions and interests though they claim to support national interests and the presidents reform programme. Taher Abu Zeid, a leading member of the Support Egypt coalition, insisted our coalition was created to stay and it will remain strong and united in defence of our country. Nobody can deny Support Egypt has played the leading role in defending parliament and standing up to its critics. House Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal weighed in on Monday, telling MPs that parliament is strong, united and solid, due largely to the fact that most political parties have representatives in the House. Abdel-Aal insisted the formation of the Future of Homeland coalition would not impact on parliament. Press reports claiming the coalition will change the balance in parliament are unfounded, he said. Last week Future of Homeland head Ashraf Rashad revealed that 150 independent MPs who are members of the For the Sake of Egypt Association had decided to join the party. Rahsad also said 50 MPs affiliated with the Free Egyptians had also joined. The decision of 200 MPs to join the ranks of the Future of Homeland Party came after they found the Support Egypt coalition was consistently underperforming, claimed Rashad. Informed sources say Alaa Abed, head of parliaments Human Rights Committee and now deputy head of the Future of Homeland Party, will hold discussions with independent MPs in a bid to help them join the new grouping. Hossam Al-Khouli, secretary-general of the Future of Homeland, adds the party will do eveything in its power to swell its ranks in parliament. We hope when the general congress of the party is held in November we will hold the seats required to make us the majority party in parliament, said Al-Khouli. Abed was originally a member of the Free Egyptians, Al-Khouli of the Wafd Party. There has been growing speculation the Future of Homeland Party is being funded by a coterie of wealthy businessmen. Reports have appeared claiming steel tycoon Ahmed Abu Hashima and billionaire Mohamed Mansour are the two biggest funders of the party. A third businessman, real estate tycoon and American Chamber in Egypt member Mohamed Manzour has been appointed the partys second deputy head. Sources also say businessmen Farag Amer, an industrialist from Alexandria and head of parliaments Youth Committee, and steel tycoon Mohamed Al-Garhi, are major donors. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 June 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Parliamentary precedent Search Keywords: Short link: The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it got wind of the misappropriation of state funds of Jolly Nyame, ex-governor of... The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it got wind of the misappropriation of state funds of Jolly Nyame, ex-governor of Taraba, by chance. The federal capital territory high court handed a 14-year jail sentence to Nyame on May 30. The anti-graft agency had charged Nyame to court for allegedly diverting N1.64 billion when he served as governor between 1999 and 2007. The former governor was charged on 41 counts of fraud but was found guilty on 27 counts. The court blamed him for financial recklessness and brazen display of executive power without following due process. The commission, in its monthly publication, EFCC Alert, explained how the former governor was nailed. The EFCC had accused him in counts four and five of receiving gratification of N80 million from one Suleiman Abubakar of Alusab International Nigeria Limited, through Salam Global Ventures Nigeria Limited, as reward for awarding contract to Alusab for execution of a water project at Ibi/Wukari. The offences, it said, were committed between January 2005 and May 2007. According to the report, things turned sour for Nyame when one Hauwa Usman petitioned the EFCC over the squandering of company money by Suleiman, younger brother of Usman Abubakar, her late husband. Suleiman took over the company from Usman, who was managing director of Alusab until his demise. The commission said it was during the course of interrogating Suleiman that it learnt of a N100 million surplus paid by the state government to Alusab for the water project. Nyame was in fact, never in the purview of the EFCC, and no one at any time wrote a petition against him, the report read. The Taraba State government had issued a cheque of N135,794,607 in favour of the company, as contract payment for rehabilitation of the Ibi Wukari Water Project. But Suleiman collected the cheque and lodged it in a different account domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc, in Jalingo. Hauwa sought the help of the EFCC to recover the money, accusing Suleiman who took over the company of squandering it. He was subsequently invited by the EFCC for questioning; then and there, the bubble burst. During interrogation, Suleiman admitted collecting the cheque, and though argued that he did not squander the money as alleged in the petition, confirmed that it was for the said project, which was ongoing before the death his brother. He revealed that through Abubakar Tutare, then Commissioner of Finance in the state, the company applied for additional works, which was granted by the state government. According to him, the estimation for the additional works was N35 million, but Tutare instructed him to add N100 million to the estimation. Subsequently, a cheque of N135 million was issued to Suleiman, but along with it, was a complimentary card, with an account number written at the back. Tutare instructed him to pay the N100 million into the account. Suleiman had asked Tutare about VAT payment, to which Tutare told him to deduct 10 per cent as tax and to credit the account at the back of the card belonging to Nyame with N80 million, and bring N10 million to him. Suleiman duly paid the cheque into Alusabs account and acted on the N80 million as instructed, as per the complimentary card. He also gave N10 million to Tutare at his residence through his house aide, Husseini Ali. Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call the security agencies to order in order to douse the tensio... Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call the security agencies to order in order to douse the tension in the land.He warned that President Obasanjo is a historical figure in Nigerias democracy and that the primary purpose of government is to provide security of lives and property of all citizens and residents irrespective of their status, political affiliation, religious inclination and ethnic leanings.I have received with serious concern the purported alert raised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo of an alleged plot by the government to arrest him on trumped up charges.I am disturbed by this turn of events in our dear country considering the huge price that was paid for us to have democracy. I wish to advice that government and its agents should retrace their steps to avoid aggravating the already over heated polity. The alert by President Obasanjo is coming against the backdrop of earlier alerts by some leaders, especially those of the opposition of deliberate and orchestrated attempt to intimidate and frame them up.I wish to state without equivocation that President Obasanjo is a historical figure in Nigerias democracy and that the primary purpose of government is to provide security of lives and property of all citizens and residents irrespective of their status, political affiliation, religious inclination and ethnic leanings. Our nation has lost so much precious lives and property that we can no longer afford to travel that road again. I wish to appeal to President Buhari to call the security agencies to order in order to douse the tension in the land. The Deji of Akure, His Royal Majesty, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, yesterday, called for the ending of geographical zoning in the determination of who should lead Nigeria as President and Commander-in-Chief.HRM Aladelusi made the call while receiving in his palace Professor Kingsley Moghalu, aspirant of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) in the 2019 presidential election. Moghalu was at the palace to pay a courtesy visit to the Deji.In an internal arrangement within then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999, the presidency was to rotate between the northern and southern parts of the country, presumably every eight years. But the extra-constitutional arrangement, which presumed a one-party dominance of the presidency, collapsed in 2011 when then-President Goodluck Jonathan contested and won the presidential election after succeeding President Umaru YarAdua, who died in office three years into his tenure.In his unreserved call for merit as the overarching qualifying criterion for deciding who should lead the country, the Deji said: If President Buharis son is qualified, he should be able to run for the office. He contextualised this in the example of the United States, where George W. Bush became president eight years after his father, George H. W. Bush, left office as President.In responding, Moghalu said the advanced countries of the world elect their leaders mainly on the merits of their policies and qualifications. He said choosing leaders on the basis of their capacity, competence and character, as opposed to their ethnicity, is critical for any country to make progress, and that this principle applies to Nigeria.Zoning has failed. After 19 years of zoning, the country is divided, the economy remains weak and more Nigerians are trapped below the poverty line, he said.Moghalu said he is running for President in 2019, based on his education, leadership experience gained over 17 years in the United Nations (during which period he rose from the entry level to the highest career rank, helping to rebuild broken nations, including Croatia, Cambodia and Rwanda), knowledge of economic management as a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and his vision to lead Nigeria into the 21st Century with great ideas and resolve.He further echoed the Dejis view of zoning by asserting that the framework is not in the Nigerian constitution.He said: I am running for president, not as an Igbo candidate, not as a Yoruba candidate, and not as a candidate of the north. I am running as a well-qualified Nigerian.The erudite professor, who until recently taught International Business and Public Policy at the prestigious Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University in Massachusetts, USA, said his vision for Nigeria was based on a tripod: first, to heal our country and build the nation; second, to wage a decisive war against poverty and unemployment; and, third, to restore Nigerias standing in the world.Moghalu paid the courtesy visit ahead of holding a town hall meeting later in the day with his teeming supporters and admirers in Ondo State. The state officials of YPP also attended the two events. Ibrahim Usman, a newspaper vendor in Gombe, says he recorded increased sale and patronage since President Muhammadu Buhari declared June 12 as democracy day in Nigeria.Buhari had, on June 6, declared June 12 as democracy day in the country to replace May 29.The presidents action was to honour late Moshood Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election in Nigeria, arguably the freest and fairest presidential election in the country.The election was, however, annulled by the then military ruler, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.Usman told newsmen on Friday in Gombe that since the declaration, more people patronised newspaper vendors to read reactions from different perspectives.According to him, Buharis declaration is good for democracy and it has made the president more democratic than other leaders.The vendor, who said the president had good intentions for declaring June 12 as democracy day, added that even the critics have been applauding him for the gesture.I want to commend the president too because since the declaration of June 12 as democracy day, I sold more papers than ever this year as many Gombe residents buy more than one newspaper to read different views of people on the issue.I am happy. Business is good for me. The Director, Center for American Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, Prof Jonah Onuoha has commended President Mohammadu Buhari for bestowing the highest national honour to late Chief Moshood Abiola, the supposed winner of the annulled June 12 presidential election in 1993.Speaking in an exclusive interview with Vanguard, Prof Onuoha said that though the president may want to score some political points with the move, he deserves serious commendation for taking the bold step as he has done what past presidents failed to do.The President has done justice to the family of Late Abiola, to Western Nigeria and the entire nation. He should be commended for that. Past presidents failed to do this, so Buhari has done well.I dont know why there is all these noise about it. It is true that there could be a political undertone to it but the courage with which it was done should be commended. On the other hand, the West is also expected to reciprocate this gesture in 2019.Though I am not Yoruba, I am happy about this development and I know most Nigerians are happy about it too especially the Yoruba and they will reciprocate during the elections, he said.According to him: the real democracy day is June 12 and not May 29. Nigerians have no historical attachment to May 29. So on that day, everyone should come out to celebrate Democracy. May 29 should remain as a day for handover of power but not our Democracy Day.On the lingering crisis between the executive and the legislature, Prof Onuoha posited that, clashes are normal in any establishment, what is happening is good for democracy.He however frowned at the way the Senate president Senator Bukola Saraki was being labeled as a criminal in some quarters stating that such was not in any way reasonable. A new project is promoting family planning and birth control among the poorest women With a newborn every 15 seconds Egypt has one of the highest population growth rates in the world. According to the 2017 census, there are now 104 million people, meaning Egypt ranks 13th worldwide in terms of population. Egypt has grappled with population growth for years. In 2000 it embarked on intensive efforts to reduce growth rates but following the 2011 uprising they began to climb again. To get back on track a new set of policies is being adopted, including the population and development strategy 2015-2030. 2 Kefaya (Two [children] is enough), a project developed by the Ministry of Social Solidarity, is being launched as part of this strategy. The two-year project works with women covered by the Takaful programme and encourages family planning, Randa Fares, coordinator for population programmes and volunteerism at the Ministry of Social Solidarity, told Al-Ahram Weekly. The Takaful programme provides income support to poor households with children aged up to 18. It also seeks to improve access to jobs, stabilise accommodation and offer literacy courses. According to Fares, the ministrys access to the targeted women via the monthly financial support it already provides and ministry representatives are trusted by the target group. 2 Kefaya project will begin by working with 1.2 million women with between one and three and aims to stabilise birth rates. For women who have one child, says Fares, the importance of spacing child births will be stressed and suitable birth control methods provided. The project will attempt to dissuade mothers of two to three children from raising larger families. The programme seeks to raise awareness and correct misconceptions. Around 60 per cent of the women in the programme are illiterate, says Fares, and many believe children offer support and that large families are stronger. There can also be, she says, competition between sisters-in-law over who has the most children, and concerns that if they do not give birth to a son husbands may take another wife. Women spurn birth control methods not out of any health concerns but because they want to have children. Before speaking about health we have to voice convincing messages to change these misconceptions, says Fares. One message the programme will stress is that birth control can help lift families out of poverty. A smaller family means the familys income is spread less thinly and can help parents allocate more resources to each childs health and education. The ministry is cooperating with 100 local NGOs to provide door-to-door messaging. Seminars will be held in the 10 governorates with the highest birth rates they include Beheira, Giza, Beni Sweif, Qena, Luxor and Aswan and 350,000 home visits are planned. Family planning clinics are being developed in coordination with the NGOs. Equipment will be supplied by the Arab Organisation for Industrialisation. A survey of the targeted women found that 12.6 per cent complained of inadequate access to birth control services. They may be willing to plan their families more carefully, says Fares, but are deterred from doing so by the absence of support. Neighbourhood clinics could help overcome the problem, and mobile clinics serving more remote areas. Alongside improvements in services a comprehensive media campaign, including billboards, will be launched promoting family planning. Even tuk tuks will be branded with family planning messages, says Fares. The project is a cooperative endeavour. The Ministry of Health will provide birth control methods free of charge and medical convoys to distant villages as well as overall supervision of the programme. The Population Council will review the messages being disseminated and monitor and evaluate results. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is supporting the programme with LE10 million for the training of doctors and nurses who will work in the clinics. The role of nurses, says Fares, is particularly important given up to 30 per cent of women may stop using birth control because they cannot access advice when it is needed. Catering to those 30 per cent, and to others who want to use birth control but do not have access to services, will make a huge difference to birth control efforts, she says. UNFPA is also training volunteers who make home visits. The NGO Support Fund, affiliated with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, is providing LE75 million of support to NGOs taking part in the programme. The programme focuses on advocacy and the provision of services. Nothing is forced upon the women, stresses Fares. A Population Situation Analysis (PSA) carried out in 2016 by the National Population Council, UNFPA and the Egyptian Centre for Public Opinion and Research (Baseera) concluded that political instability between 2011 and 2014 had impacted on health services delivery, including reproductive health and family planning. The lack of advocacy activities supporting the two-child policy and spacing between births coupled with a conservative mindset contributed to turning stalled fertility levels between 1995 and 2005 to an increase in total fertility from three to 3.5 child per women in 2014, it said. Not only is the birth rate at its highest in years, says Fares, this is happening when there are 18.5 million illiterate individuals and an unemployment rate of 12 per cent. Population growth places severe restrictions on development efforts, eroding positive effects. Every pound spent on family planning efforts, says Fares, saves LE56 from the budget. According to the 2016 PSA the population of Egypt, based on a medium scenario, will be 151 million by 2050. The increase will have a significant impact on natural resources, particularly water and energy, and has serious implications for food security, poverty and social stability. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 June 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Two is enough Search Keywords: Short link: The Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labour, Sen. Mao Ohuanbuwa, on Friday said the National Assembly will fast track the passage of the new national minimum wage bill, once the executive bill is sent to it.Ohuanbuwa made this known while speaking with journalists in Geneva, Switzerland.He said the Senate President had already given the assurance that the bill would be given express hearing and passage by the legislature.Ohuanbuwa said, We are going to fast track the bill for accelerated passage and that is what the Senate President had said.It is unfortunate that both the ministry and the executive have been going back and forth. We thought that by now, that would have been resolved.So we are looking forward to that bill because it is going to come out as an executive bill.We are looking forward to rounding off or concluding that bill before we go on our annual break.But the way it is, it looks like we are going to wait. You know there is little or nothing we can do because it is an executive responsibility.They are the ones who will make the payment. Ours is that we have to support and agree that there is very urgent need to review the minimum wage.He said the need to review the minimum wage is sacrosanct.But we cannot go ahead as a parliament to legislate on that without the executive coming up with a bill. We are waiting for them to do that.We will allow the executive and the labour leaders to resolve their differences. What we had promised and we still stand on is that once that bill comes to us, we are going to give it accelerated hearing.He called on the Federal Government and the organised labour to resolve their differences on the issue of the new national minimum, in the interest of Nigerian workers.Ohuanbuwa said that states should be allowed to negotiate with labour on what they would be able to pay. Convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, has told the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government that the patience of the... Convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, has told the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government that the patience of the youths and other critical stakeholders in the region is waning. He warned the administration not to take the patience and patriotism of the people of the region for granted. Speaking in his Kiagbodo country home in Delta State, the elder statesman also lamented that jobs opening in the oil industry have been skewed in favour of the North. Clark said, I want to remind you all, that our (PANDEF) intervention in the direction of peace and security has continued to help the national economy and contributed substantially to its exit out of recession. From a drop in oil production to 800,000 barrels per day in 2016, today NNPC is producing over 2.3 million barrels a day, a fourfold increase. The 16-point agenda which we submitted to Mr President has yet to be properly addressed. The only tangible item that has been attended to is the take-off of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State. Our other requests such as the setting up of a Joint Negotiating Team for sustainable peace, relocation of oil companies back to the regionare all totally neglected or being addressed with unfulfilled promises. While debunking the Nigerian militarys claim that their presence in the region had led to a sharp increase in the nations oil production and halted attacks by suspected Niger Delta militants, the former federal commissioner stressed that the current peace in the region was a result of the intervention of PANDEF. Let me note that the total federal budget in the last three years has been as follows: 2016(N6.07tn); 2017 (N7.44tn); now N9.1tn has been appropriated for 2018. Similarly, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo announced a few days ago that the Federal Government had so far invested N510bn on infrastructural development in the last three years. Let me also recall a recent statement by the Minister of Finance that the 2017 budget was overspent by a large sum of N1.6tn. Can the Federal Government in truth and good conscience tell us how much of this mammoth sum came to fund projects in the Niger Delta? Is this fair, just and equitable? Is this how people who contribute so much to sustain national economy should be treated? We want to call on the Federal Government, once more to retrace its steps regarding the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg. We continue to enjoin our people to be law-abiding and peaceful, but the total non-action and disregard are eroding the trust which our people place in our ability to continue to interface on their behalf. Senate President, Bukola Saraki says he has tendered his response to the Police on the Investigation into the Offa bank robbery incident... Senate President, Bukola Saraki says he has tendered his response to the Police on the Investigation into the Offa bank robbery incident.Saraki said on Thursday that his written response to the Police on the robbery incident was in compliance to the demand of the Police that he should put down his response in writing.The Police had earlier asked Saraki to go to the Police Intelligence Team in Guzape, Abuja to state what he knows about the April 5 deadly bank robbery in Offa, Kwara State.On Monday Saraki Tweeted that he received a letter from the Police high command informing that he should no longer bother to go to the Police Intelligence Team but to put his response on alleged link to arrested suspects in writing.Saraki said that the Police gave him 48 hours to write his response.The 48 hours ended on Wednesday raising apprehension whether Saraki wil comply with the Police demand.But Saraki in a Tweet yesterday said that he has complied with the Police demand for him to put his response to the allegation in writing.He said that the Police received his response to their letter on the investigation into the Offa robbery case.The Tweet read: Bukola Saraki @bukolasaraki-12m; In line with their request, earlier today, the Police received my response to their letter on the investigation into the Offa robbery case.Efforts to obtain a copy of the response of the Senate President were not successful.A competent source close to Saraki however said that the fact of the matter is that the response of the Senate President to the Police is now with the Police as they demanded.The source said that Sarakis response was delivered, received and signed for by the Police.Asked to give an insight into the response, the source that since the Police did not leak their letter to Saraki, it would be uncharitable for contents of Sarakis response to be disclosed to the press.The source added that some characters even laboured to discredit the fact that the Police asked Saraki to put his response in writing.Now that the Senate Presidents response has been delivered, received and signed for by the Police, who is now telling the truth? he asked. Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has called on Nigerians to find time to be with God no matter their schedule as the remains of Senator Francis Nwajei on Friday was interred in Asaba.Governor Okowa, former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, members of the National Assembly, political bigwigs in the state, an array of Priests, among others, attended the requiem Mass organised in honour of the deceased at St. Patricks Catholic Church, Asaba.According to Governor Okowa, it is very important that we create time to be in the presence of God, no matter how busy our schedule may be.It is only when you are alive that you can impact on the life of the people, the Governor said, observing, Senator Nwajei inspired and touched a lot of lives, he was a very warm character who always created time to be in the choir and in the presence of God.While describing the passage of Nwajei, one of the foremost politicians in the state who passed on at the age of 80.as a great loss, especially to the political class, Governor Okowa asserted, we hope many politicians will live the kind of life Senator Nwajei lived, despite his political activities, he found time to be active in the choir and be with the Lord.He consoled the family of the deceased, urging them to take solace in the fact that their father had a lot of goodwill from those he touched their lives.Earlier in a sermon, the Bishop of Issele-Uku Diocese of the Catholic Church, Most Rev. Michael Elue had said, such a day called for soul-searching by the living,, especially, those in authority in the country if they are committed to the development of the country or thinking solely about themselves and their families.The Bishop who spoke through the Chancellor of the District, Very Rev. Fr. John Aduba decried the senseless killings in the country, observed that though, Nigeria is politically independent, it is economically in prison.He called for a new Nigeria where those in authority will serve the people conscientiously and with the fear of God.While extolling the sterling qualities of late Nwajei as a man of simplicity who had the fear of God, the Bishop observed, for Christians, death is not something to be afraid of because, Jesus defeated death, to die is to live, we gain eternal home when we die in Christ.No matter how beautiful where we live on earth, it is nothing compared to the mansion in the city of God for those who believe, he emphasised. The House of Representatives, Thursday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare herdsmen terrorists. The House of Representatives, Thursday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare herdsmen terrorists. The House demanded the declaration after Hon. Benjamin Wayo, lamented that Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State is one of the areas most affected by the continued herdsmen attacks on Benue farming communities. He noted with dismay the violent invasion on Tse-Adough Community in Yaav Council ward of Kwande Local Government on Sunday 3 May 2018 where over ten innocent and unarmed villagers in multiple families were killed in cold blood including Zakaa Akanyi, Liamkpuur Zakaa, Gbaior Zakaa, Mimi Gbaior, Mngohol Imoter, Terseer Anzam, Ternenge Anzam and Mama Gbinde; He expressed worry that over 40 houses, food stuff, animals and other properties worth over N100million were razed. The lawmaker stated that the attacks usually take a terrorist format likened to the Boko Haram attacks that ravaged parts of the country. He expressed raised concerns that the Turan Council Wards of Mbakyor, Yaav, Kumakwagh, Moon and Mbadura have been under severe attacks by the Herdsmen Militia, leading to displacement of hundreds of thousands of villagers who are currently in makeshift camps in and around Jato- Aka. After his debate, the House resolved to Call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari to proscribe the activities of the Herdsmen Militia and declare them a terrorist group in Nigeria; Urge the President and Commander -in- Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to direct the Nigerian Army, and other Security Agencies to tackle the menace of the herdsmen militia using the same Federal might it deployed in decimating the Boko Harm terrorists; Also urge the National Emergency, Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to the affected Communities; Further urge the Federal Government to take responsibility of offsetting all the hospital bills of victims of the attack and take over their treatment; United States President, Donald Trump, has called for an end to Russian expulsion from the Group of Seven leading economies in the world.The President had, on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday, made a case for Russias readmission into G-8, which became G-7 following the annexation of Crimea.Russia was expelled from the G-7 four years ago following its role in the Crimean crisis.Washington Post quotes Trump as saying that Russia should be readmitted to the G-7, thereby breaking with other world leaders who have insisted that Moscow remain ostracized following its involvement in the 2014 Crimean crisis.Now, I love our country. I have been Russias worst nightmare But with that being said, Russia should be in this meeting, Trump said as he left the White House.It may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run. They should let Russia back in, he added.Trump had tweeted that he was heading to Canada for the annual G-7 summit, where he also hopes to hold talks that will mostly center on the long time unfair trade practised against the United States.He said that from there, he would go to Singapore and hold talks with North Korea on Denuclearization.Wont be talking about the Russian Witch Hunt Hoax for a while! he had promised; while informing that he looked forward to straightening out unfair trade deals with the G-7 countries, and that, if it doesnt happen, we come out even better! Human Rights Activist and Constitutional Lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome has said that Late Chief Moshood Kachimawo Abiola, the acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 elections would have rejected President Muhammadu Buharis post-humous award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) reserved for heads of State unless he was first declared by INEC as winner and pronounced as President and Commander in Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria.Chief Abiola would also have insisted that his campaign slogan Farewell to Poverty, be accomplished.In the same vein, Ozekhome said late Chief Gani Fawehinmi would have said a categorical No to the honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), given the prevailing atmosphere of morbid fear, executive rascality, recession of human rights, rule of law and civil liberties.The Senior Advocate of Nigeria made disclosure in a statement he signed containing his reaction to President Muhammadu Buharis pronouncement of June 12 as Democracy Day, entitled June 12: The Stubborn Phoenix That Rose from its Ashes.Ozekhome said, I knew the time would come. When the gestation period is over for a pregnant woman, she must surely deliver. It does not matter how whether through normal delivery or caesarian operation. June was all along like the pregnant woman.On June 12, 2014, I moved a motion at the National Conference that not only should June 12 be declared a national holiday and the real Democracy day, but that Chief M.K.O. Abiola and all the souls of the faithful departed of those who gallantly lost their lives fighting for the realization of June 12, be remembered and immortalized.I demanded for one minutes silence for those heroes. The leadership of the Conference led by Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi agreed with me and a minute silence was accordingly observed. The details of this can be found at pages 185 192 of my latest book, Nigeria, We Hail Thee.President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring June 12 Nigerias Democracy Day and honouring Chief M.K.O. Abiola, and my late mentor, Chief Gani Fawehinmi with the highest and second highest honours in Nigeria.To me, it is not the right argument that PMB did it for political reasons. Yes, he may very well have done it to shore up his battered political image and fast dwindling democratic credentials.But, the inescapable fact is that he has done the right thing for which history will remember him.This is the more reason, I believe the argument should now go, why he should retire quietly to his Daura home, having done one great thing for which he would be remembered.When Chief Olusegun Obasanjo wrote his scathing letter to PMB in December, 2017, I applauded the letter for the import of its correct contents, even though I am not a fan of OBJ.I argued then that we should listen to the message and not look at the messenger.In the same vein here, we should look at the historical significance of PMBs political masterstroke on the June 12 brouhaha; and not him as a person, or the ulterior motives for which he did it.I applaud him for this singular act that breathed fresh exhilarating oxygen into his tack luster performance.Would Abiola and Gani Have Accepted these Awards?The argument of political pundits and critical voices should now turn to whether these honours, though well-deserved by Abiola and Gani, would have been accepted by them, given the prevailing atmosphere of morbid fear, executive rascality, recession of human rights, rule of law and civil liberties. The answer is a categorical no.Though well intended, even if for political reasons by PMB, I am convinced MKO and Gani would have out rightly rejected the national honours if they were alive.I will give my reasons anon.On 14th December, 2008, barely 9 months before his death, Chief Gani outrightly rejected the national honour of OFR (Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria), bestowed on him by the then President, Umaru Musa YarAdua.In rejecting the honour and giving his reasons, Gani said, inter alia: Today I am seventy (70) years and 8 months old. I am struck down by lung cancer for which I have been receiving medical treatment outside my country because my country Nigeria has one of the poorest medical services in the world but one of the richest countries in the world in terms of revenue.Question: has anything changed? Answer: No. Even PMB has himself been receiving medical treatment in London, outside Nigeria.Deprecating the poor socio-economic and political situation in the country, Gani was emphatic that: whether now or in the life beyond, how can I wake up in the morning and look at the insignia of honour bestowed on me under a government that persecutesNuhu Ribadu? (Whom he believed did a great job on the anti-corruption fight).Does this government not persecute political opponents, opposition and critical voices? Answer: yes.Gani had continued:A government that covertly and overtly encourages corruption has no honour in its arsenal of power to dispense honour.Consequently, I reject the dishonor of OFR termed honour given to me by the Federal GovernmentI wish to reiterate that in all ramifications of human existence, the masses have found themselves in the doldrums of pain occasioned by gross mis-governance of the country the decadent socio-economic situation does not engender the well being of ordinary people and there is no hope in sight. In view of the foregoing, I reject the award of OFR.The question is whether anything has changed for the better since 15th December, 2008, when Gani, in rejecting the YarAdua National honour, listed 8 critical areas the then government had failed. I am afraid, nothing has changed.The situation has rather gotten worse. The areas Gani had listed included the abolition of poverty from the face of the country, the unqualified need to preserve, defend and protect the fundamental human rights; the governance of our country through democratic process; the subjection of everybody and everything to and under the Rule of law;The right of the people to free and qualitative education at all levels; the right of the people to free and qualitative health services and facilities; the strengthening of our economy through sound development of infrastructures and corruption (holistic and all embracing fighting of same, without discrimination).Gani had ended his rejection of the national honour with a clarion call on the suffering masses to unite and fight for your legitimate right to the abolition of poverty.Why should you continue to suffer while your leaders and their families continue to enjoy the best at your expense?Thus, Gani would have rejected the honour of GCON.Continuing Ozekhome said, But even then, I thank PMB for doing the right thing, just like YarAdua had done.As regards the martyr of democracy, Chief MKO Abiola, who paid the supreme price in his quest for genuine redemptive messiahnism, he would also have rejected the GCFR given him, except certain things were first done.Recall that Abiola had rejected his bail which was burdened with unacceptable conditionalitys.If Abiola were alive, he would demand that before he accepts the GCFR honour (reserved only for Presidents and Heads of State, the presidential elections in which he clearly emerged the winner in the freest, fairest and most credible elections ever held in Nigeria, should first be declared by the present INEC which succeeded Professor Humphrey Nwosus National Electoral Commission (NEC), which had conducted the election.He would insist that he be first formally pronounced President, Commander-In-Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria, before accepting same.He would insist that his campaign slogan of farewell to poverty be accomplished.To me, the argument of what reasons actuated PMB in declaring June 12 our democracy day, and giving post-humous awards to Abiola and Gani, does not arise at all.If anything, the very acts themselves form the very prong and catalyst to hold PMB strictly accountable to the ideas, philosophy, and democratic credentials and convictions that drove these two great sons of Nigeria, nay, Africa.These include socio justice, egalitarianism, respect for human rights, observance of the rule of law and due process, treatment of all Nigerians equally, wholesome and non-selective fight of corruption, good, transparent and accountable governance, respect for the will of the people through a fair, just, credible and respectable electoral process, etc.In endorsing and applauding PMB for this historic feat, let me add that he must carry out the necessary legal, constitutional and legislative requirements to bring this to fruition.For now, the pronouncement remains in the realm of executive fiat.PMB should also go ahead, with the necessary political will, to immediately restructure the lopsided Nigerian federation, remove the glaring nepotic and cronystic imbalances and enthrone true, fiscal federalism.He should also ensure that the June, 1993 presidential election results are officially declared and Abiola formally pronounced the winner, and therefore president of Nigeria.His name, undoubtedly, will be inscribed in gold in Nigeria, whether or not he goes ahead to contest the 2019 presidential election.To me, he should not, even though it is his constitutional right to do so. He should play the Nelson Mandela card. God bless Nigeria. Two more teenagers have been charged for their roles in a brawl that broke out Saturday evening at the Hamilton Mall in Atlantic County, police said Thursday. The 15-year-old boys, one from Mays Landing and one from Atlantic City, were each charged with disorderly conduct, participating in a riot and criminal mischief, Hamilton police announced Thursday. Their names were not released because they are minors. In all, nine people are facing charges stemming from a fight that police say was promoted on social media. After being originally charged only with disorderly conduct, the seven teens arrested Saturday are now also charged with participating in a riot and criminal mischief, police said. Posted by John Snyder on Saturday, June 2, 2018 The altercation in the food court, which included chairs being thrown, followed an earlier fight in the area of nearby Primrose Court. The two fights are believed to be connected, according to police. The mall's marketing manager had earlier claimed they were unrelated. The fights forced mall officials to close down an hour ahead of schedule on Saturday. "The incident at the Hamilton Mall on June 2 involving unsupervised teenagers was a situation that is unacceptable in our community," police chief Stacy Tappeiner said. "Law abiding store owners, store employees, families and security personnel were all put at risk by teenagers engaged in criminal conduct." Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. The mayor of Palisades Park issued an apology Thursday after his mother posted a profanity laced and racist message on Facebook slamming Koreans, who make up more than 50 percent of the borough's population. Mayor James Rotundo "My 80-year-old mother, who I love dearly, put up a very inappropriate Facebook message that she sincerely regrets," Mayor James Rotundo wrote in a post Thursday. Lorraine Rotundo wrote that Koreans had overtaken Palisades Park, arriving to vote by the busloads. The comments appear to have been in response to her son's possible defeat in the next election. "Go to hell PALISADES PARK, let the GD KOREANS have this F'n town," Rotundo wrote, according to screenshots posted online. "All of us AMERICANS are so done. I am going to suggest that only English be spoken in our Boro Hall at least while an AMERICAN is still the mayor." Rotundo went on to write: "Any American working there has no idea what is going on because Korean is mostly spoken there, not English." She added, "Sorry Jim, as your mom (I) cannot be quiet. I have to tell the truth." It was not clear when the posts were made, and they have since been taken down. But reporters, media outlets and members of the community posted screenshots and quotes to social media Thursday. Rotundo said his mother had not expressed racist ideals in the past. "I have never heard my mom talk like this before and I believe her when she says she is mortified and did not mean these hurtful things," the mayor said in a post of his own. Rotundo said his mother has "apologized and retracted her statement." Mother of New Jersey mayor blames Koreans for son's possible reelection defeat in racist rant The longtime mayor of Palisades Park, N.J., apologized Thursday on behalf of his elderly mother for penning a racist rant as her son trailed his Korean-American opponent in the Dem I Follow Back (@IFollowYooBack_) June 8, 2018 "I want to make it clear to everyone that I do not agree with these remarks and that I am very upset and saddened by this incident. I am proud to represent all of the people of Palisades Park and I respect our Korean residents and all people," the mayor said. Screenshots of Lorraine Rotundo's post went viral in North Jersey's Korean community. Some felt the mayor attributed her comments to age. "This really breaks my heart," a member of the Young Korean American Network wrote on Facebook. "It's more upsetting that they are justifying her actions by her age and 'mother's love.'" Dongchan Kim, president of the Korean American Civic Empowerment, said there has long been tension locally between the Italian and Korean communities. But he hopes leaders can put all of that behind them. "Our mayor is a good person. He has to put in efforts to stop discrimination and racism," Kim said Friday. "We have to educate each other on how such comments can divide people." Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Matthew Mwinsori came to the U.S. from his home country of Ghana, and held two jobs here while sending money back home to his family. Eramus Canty While working one of those jobs, a night shift at a convenience store in Willingboro, the 42-year-old former Ghanaian soldier met his end trying to do the right thing. On November 25, 2015, Eramus Canty walked in to the Quick N' Go in Willingboro to commit a robbery, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said in a statement. Mwinsori was behind the counter that night and chased Canty outside and the two struggled in the parking lot. Canty shot Mwinsori and fled. He was on the run until Dec. 19 of that year, when police arrested him in Asbury Park. Mwinsori died of his injuries about an hour after the shooting at Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County. Matthew Mwinsori, file photo Canty, now 34, admitted in court that he went into the store to commit a robbery. He pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated manslaughter, but through an open plea, where prosecutors don't recommend a prison term and sentencing is up to the judge. Judge Philip E. Haines sentenced Canty to 24 years in state prison on Thursday. The sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, meaning Canty must serve 85 percent of the term before parole eligibility. Coffina was critical of the sentence. Mwinsori's "valor cost him his life," Coffina said, adding that he "was by all accounts a friendly, honorable man. ... The defendant, on the other hand, is a greedy predator who has 16 juvenile arrests and was convicted of committing four indictable crimes by age 31, including an armed robbery eerily similar to this one." Coffina said Canty deserved a 30-year sentence, which is what prosecutors had argued for. "We are disappointed that the court, despite finding a likelihood that the defendant will commit future crimes, handed down a sentence of which he likely will serve just over 20 years," he said. "Mr. Mwinsori deserves better." Surveillance footage of Canty entering the store was released when he was on the run. Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Egypts army chief of staff Mohamed Farid met on Thursday with his Yemeni counterpart Taher Al-Aqeeli in Cairo to discuss military cooperation and latest security developments in the region, a statement by Egypt's armed forces spokesman read. The officials discussed bilateral military cooperation, according to the statement. Farid and Al-Aqeeli also spoke about the latest developments in the Middle East as well as regional and international efforts exerted to resolve the Yemeni crisis. A Saudi-led coalition launched a campaign against Houthi militants in Yemen in 2015. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of Yemeni citizens. Egypt has been supporting the Yemeni people through food and medical convoys. During the meeting, Farid stressed Egypt's support for the Yemeni people and for the country to maintain its unity, stability and integrity. Search Keywords: Short link: By Adam Clark | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com All James Livingston wanted, apparently, was to go to Harlem Shake and get a burger without seeing any white people. When then didn't happen, Livingston, a white Rutgers University professor, launched into a Facebook rant, condemning "little Caucasian a--holes" and announcing: "I hereby resign from my race. F--- these people," according to a published screen shot. Now, Livingston is under fire and the university is investigating whether he violated its policies for discrimination and harassment. Sound familiar? Livingston is the latest in a series of New Jersey college professors to land in hot water for controversial remarks made in the classroom or posted on their social media accounts. Here's a look at how seven cases have played out: Don't Edit 'Beyonce' professor blows up after Trump's win After Donald Trump was elected president in November 2016, Rutgers University adjunct professor Kevin Allred wasn't happy. The professor best known for the popular course "Politicizing Beyonce" posted dozens of anti-Trump tweets, including tweets showing a flag burning and comments about gun control. "Will the 2nd amendment be as cool when I buy a gun and start shooting at random white people or no ...?," Allred tweeted, according to screen shots published by other media outlets before he deleted it. He was picked up by police, taken for a psychological evaluation and faced death threats, he later posted on Twitter. Though Allred said his tweet was meant to expose a double standard, he was put on administrative leave until his contract expired. He later claimed another tweet about Trump cost him a job at Montclair State University, but the university insisted it wasn't going to hire him anyway. Don't Edit She went on Fox News, then she got fired Last spring, the Black Lives Matter movement decided to host a Memorial Day celebration in New York City to which only black people were invited. Essex County College professor Lisa Durden went on Fox News to defend the decision. "You white people are angry because you couldn't use your white privilege card to get invited to the Black Lives Matter's all-black Memorial Day Celebration," she said on "Tucker Carlson Tonight." Durden said even though she didn't mention her affiliation with Essex County College on the show, she was forced to cancel her classes and abruptly suspended two days later, a process she likened to a public lynching. The college fired her and defended its decision. "The college was immediately inundated with feedback from students, faculty and prospective students and their families expressing frustration, concern and even fear that the views expressed by a college employee (with influence over students) would negatively impact their experience on the campus," President Anthony Munroe said. Durden has since filed a lawsuit over her firing. Don't Edit Adolph Hitler, the "great European leader" A secret recording last year showed New Jersey Institute of Technology lecturer Jason Jorjani talking about the return of concentration camps and foreseeing a future in which Adolf Hitler is regarded as a "great European leader." Jorjani condemned the video as "deceptively edited to make it appear as if I am advocating genocidal extreme right-wing policies." He was placed on administrative leave and no longer works at the university. Don't Edit Hacked? Or anti-Semitic? Anyone who looked at Michael Chikindas' Facebook page last year saw racist cartoon images depicting Jewish people and a link to conspiracy theorists claiming the 9/11 attacks were planned by Israel and American Jews, according to accounts in the Jewish press. In other posts, Chikindas referred to Israeli and American women, including first lady Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump, as "sluts" and "bitches." The veteran professor at Rutgers University's food science department claimed he was hacked. "As a result of my account being hacked, I cannot say with confidence that everything on my page was shared by me," he told NJ Advance Media. Rutgers removed him from teaching and sought further disciplinary actions through its collective bargaining agreement. The university said the disciplinary process is confidential. Don't Edit Don't Edit 'F--- your life' Howard Finkelstein had heard enough from a conservative student in his sociology class at Brookdale Community College. When the student insisted in April both men and women can be victims of sexual harassment, Finkelstein blew up, slammed his fist on a table and shouted "f--- your life," according to the student. Another student caught the incident on camera, and the college issued an apology, saying the veteran professor "acted in an uncivil manner" The college said it would investigate the outburst. It did not immediately respond to questions about Finkelstein's current status with the school. Don't Edit Students walk out over N-word Veteran Princeton University professor Lawrence Rosen had a question. "Which is more provocative: A white man walks up to a black man and punches him in the nose, or a white man walks up to a black man and calls him a (n-word)?" he asked students, according to a report by the university's student newspaper. Some students walked out of the class, and the incident set off a campus-wide debate about the use of the N-word. Then, the course was canceled. The university defended Rosen, who had already retired and was teaching as a professor emeritus. "I respect Professor Rosen's decision about how to teach the subject in the way that he did by being explicit in using very difficult words, and they are very difficult words," university President Christopher Eisgruber said. Don't Edit 'OK, officially, I now hate white people' That's how Livingston began his Facebook rant last week after his disapproval of white people at the burger shop, according to a screen shot published by The Daily Caller, a conservative website. He continued to say the burger shop was "overrun with little Caucasian a--holes who know their parents will approve of anything they do." "Do what you want, nobody here is going to restrict your right to be white," Livingston wrote. He then added: "I hereby resign from my race. F--- these people." Livingston's post was later removed by Facebook, he said in a subsequent post. "I just don't want little Caucasians overrunning my life, as they did last night," he wrote in a post the following morning. "Please God, remand them to the suburbs, where they and their parents can colonize every restaurant, all the while pretending that the idiotic indulgence of their privilege signifies cosmopolitan--you know, as in sophisticated 'European'--commitments." Rutgers is investigating the incident and said in a statement "there is no place for racial intolerance" at the university. Don't Edit Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook Anthony Bourdain, the versatile chef and storyteller who grew up in New Jersey and hosted CNN "Parts Unknown," has died, according to multiple reports. He was 61. CNN reports that Bourdain's death has been ruled a suicide. He was found unresponsive in his hotel room Friday by a friend while shooting a "Parts Unknown" episode in France. "(Bourdain's) love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller," CNN said in a statement Friday. "His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much." Bourdain was born in New York City but grew up in Leonia and graduated from Dwight-Englewood School in Englewood in 1973. Bourdain went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America in 1978 before managing several New York City kitchens, including Supper Club, One Fifth Avenue and Sullivan's. He is the author of New York Times best-sellers "Kitchen Confidential" (2000), "A Cook's Tour" (2001) and "The Nasty Bits" (2006), and has starred in several cooking- and travel-related television shows, most notably the Travel Channel's "No Reservations" (2005 to 2012) and CNN's Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning series "Parts Unknown," since 2013. We're saddened to hear of the tragic loss of Anthony Bourdain. Please know you are never alone, no matter how dark or... Posted by National Suicide Prevention Lifeline '1-800-273-TALK (8255)' on Friday, June 8, 2018 On "Parts," Bourdain was outspoken about his Jersey roots, dedicating an entire episode to his home state. On the episode, which aired in 2015, Bourdain visited Frank's Deli in Asbury Park and the shorefront city's Silverball (pinball) Museum with local rocker Southside Johnny. In the episode, Bourdain also sat down with former NJ.com writer Brian Donohue at Doc's Oyster House in Atlantic City, ate fried hot dogs at Hiram's in Fort Lee and drove to Donkey's Place in Camden, where he proclaimed that the best cheesesteak might not come from Philadelphia after all. Bourdain was known for his irreverence and fearlessness in the food world, where he would try just about anything anywhere, including Namibian warthog rectum and raw seal eyeballs. Bourdain is survived by his daughter, Ariane, born in 2007 from his second wife, Ottavia Busia, from whom he divorced in 2016. Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Two Newark men were charged with drug trafficking Thursday in connection with the largest seizure of fentanyl in Nebraska history, enough of the drug to kill 26 million people. Nebraska State Patrol troopers discovered 118 pounds of fentanyl during an April 26 traffic stop on Interstate 80, United States Attorney Joe Kelly said in a release. This fentanyl seizure is the largest ever in Nebraska, surpassing the seizure of more than 36 pounds in October 2017, Kelly said in the release. Nelson Nicolas Nunez-Acosta, 52, and Felipe Genao Minaya, 47, were charged Thursday with knowingly and intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, authorities said. If convicted, each faces 10 years to life in prison. Fentanyl is an opioid drug, 40-50 times more potent than heroin, the release states. Authorities said they initially believed the foil-wrapped Fentanyl was cocaine when the drugs were seized. Kelly praised the efforts of the troopers who made the bust. "The diligence of these two Troopers is incredible." Kelly said in the release. "The interdiction of these opioids saved countless lives. This is a multi-faceted problem that we are addressing through enforcement, prevention and treatment. This is an exceptional example of the enforcement work making our streets safer." Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. A report detailing the state's two-year audit of a New Jersey school district is out, and shows a litany of issues that reads like a guide of how not to spend taxpayer money. Though Belleville school district officials say they have already begun to fix the financial issues highlighted in the report, repercussions from the issues -- which could include criminal charges -- are far from over. The state report, released Tuesday, was based on an investigation that began in 2014 after a review of the district's required financial audit revealed serious and repeated flaws in its finances, and a $3,712,400 deficit during the 2014 fiscal year. The 23-page report, which examined the district's Annual General Fund expenditures for 2014-2016, details the numerous spending habits and strange financial decisions that led to the deficit. Most of the incidents discussed in the study occurred between 2013-2015. Those cited include: In December 2011, the district sold to the Township of Belleville one of its school buildings for just $1. In December 2013, the township sold the property to a developer for $1 million. The audit found the district lost about $550,000 in potential resources by selling the school for $1. The district leased unneeded property for school bus parking for $200,000. The buses could have been, and are currently being, parked at school properties. The district purchased 2,000 flash drives for $20,000 that it did not need and could not use from a company that employed a district board trustee as one of its sales representatives. The district awarded contracts to a technology vendor at a cost of nearly $2.6 million without proper price competition or regard for cost. The district failed to implement a disaster recovery plan, which caused a system crash that resulted in permanent loss of some payroll data, expenditure data, emails, and some student attendance, scheduling, and grade data. Even when spending was related to the district's programs, it was not always reasonable or properly recorded, the report said. Some of those transactions were never approved by the board and some contracts were awarded to people who were related to or had a relationship with members of the board. Auditors also found issues involving payroll, personnel and student field trips. The deficit was thanks to "management's disregard for the budget limits and inaction in controlling spending," the report found. State auditor Stephen M. Eells told NJ Advance Media that staff in the district at the time did not have experience in spending taxpayer dollars, particularly for a district the of its size. Belleville has about 4,650 students. Some of the issues were discovered to be in violation of state laws and statutes, and were sent to the Division of Criminal Justice for review. The Criminal Justice Division will determine if certain actions that led to the deficit were intentional and criminal or were due to a lack of experienced staff, the auditor said. The district was given a $4.2 million loan in 2015 by the Department of Education in order to address the 2014 budget deficit. It will have to pay back the loan over the next 10 years. The final report on the audit also made several recommendations to the district, many of which include following state mandates, giving greater consideration when entering into third party contracts and ensuring that proper procedure is being followed when hiring and compensating staff members. School officials say they have already implemented fixes to the numerous issues outlined in the document. "We have worked extremely hard since my arrival in 2015 to correct all of the deficiencies in (the) district," Superintendent Richard Tomko said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. "The district has made a complete turnaround with regard to internal controls, spending, and administrative oversight to ensure that we are in compliance in consideration of all accountability areas and that all resources are focused on the students and school community in Belleville." Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Maplewood residents of all stripes were out in force Thursday night, celebrating the township's diversity and inclusion by officially opening a set of crosswalks at a key intersection painted in the rainbow colors of the LGBTQ community. The famously progressive and picturesque Essex County suburb just west of Newark embraces Pride Month every June. And on Thursday night, hundreds of people converged on the lawn of the columned, red brick municipal building and the adjacent intersection of Valley Street and Oakview Avenue, where pink, red, orange, yellow, green, aqua, blue and violet bands of color stretched across the streets, linking each of the four corners in a highly visual symbol of LGBTQ pride and acceptance. Police had closed off the surrounding blocks for the celebration, where children and adults alike seemed mesmerized by the brightly colored intersection, running, sitting and splaying out flat on their backs atop the prismatic pavement. "I think one of the things that draws people to Maplewood is that they do awesome things like this," said one local mom, Alyssa Cohan, at the intersection wither her husband, James, and their three sons, Matthew, 10, Jacob, 5, and Griffin, 19 months. "It's good to be raising kids in this town." The community was out in full force at an event unveiling the crosswalks in Maplewood. (Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Maplewood and neighboring South Orange share both a joint school district and a sense of community, and seventh graders Rebecca Cardiello of South Orange and Della Zimmerman of Maplewood, both 13, personified that bond as they posed for iPhone pictures on the colorful crosswalk. "It shows that Maplewood is..." Zimmerman said, pausing in search of the right word. "Accepting," said Cardiello, finishing her friend's sentence. The idea for the rainbow crosswalk came to Township Committeeman Dean Dafis this winter, when he was contemplating how to celebrate Maplewood's diversity year-round, and it dawned on him to address a separate public safety issue at the same time. "It was my idea to come up with some permanent symbol of our commitment to inclusion in our community," Dafis, Maplewood's first openly gay elected official, said Thursday. And, he added, "One of our residents' biggest concerns in town is pedestrian safety." The paint used in the crosswalk is reflective, enhancing the visibility of the crosswalk at night and warning motorists to slow down. At a cost of about $3,000, Dafis called the crosswalk, "a cheap traffic-calming measure." Dafis said he had seen temporary versions of rainbow crosswalks created for LGBTQ-related occasions in California and the Dutch capital, Amsterdam. And he said, "This came to mind immediately." Among the proud Maplewood residents present Thursday night was Jan Kaminsky, the youth coordinator for North Jersey Pride, an LGBTQ advocacy group. Kaminsky said the set of rainbow crosswalks was, "the first of its kind in New Jersey, that we know of." She added, "I want the youth that walk across this crosswalk to know that they're loved and accepted, right up from the ground they walk on." Like Dafis himself, the rainbow intersection is one more example of Maplewood's inclusiveness. Memorial Park, adjacent to the intersection, is the site of the annual North Jersey Pride festival held every June, including this year's event scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The four crosswalks at the intersection of Valley Street and Oakwood Avenue in Maplewood have been painted in the rainbow colors associated with the LGBTQ pride movement. A huge rainbow banner draped from Columbia High School's Gothic tower in June 2016 was a non-issue among students, parents, administrators and municipal officials. "This represents what we're about," Mayor Victor DeLuca said Thursday night, standing in the intersection just after a ribbon cutting ceremony, surrounded by adults and children giddy over the unique new rainbow junction in town. State Sen. Richard Codey (D-27th District), who was also on hand Thursday, called Maplewood "a model" for inclusion around the state. Because Valley Street is an Essex County road, the township needed permission from the county to paint the crosswalks, which it received, along with praise from County Executive Joe DiVincenzo. "I have always said that Essex County's strength is in its diversity," DiVincenzo said in a statement Thursday. "And the Rainbow crosswalks in Maplewood is symbolic of the mosaic that makes up our population." (Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Rabbi Mark Cooper of the Oheb Shalom Congregation in South Orange spoke prior to the ribbon cutting. "If we cannot look our fellow human beings in the eye and see that they are our brothers and our sisters," Cooper told the crowd, "then we don't know what it is to be human." Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook In Maplewood, LGBT pride doesn't just happen during Pride Month in June. And officials in town are proving it with a permanent change to a busy township intersection. Maplewood plans to unveil Thursday permanent rainbow striped crosswalks -- joining just a few other towns in the world that have done the same thing. The crosswalks will be at the intersection of Valley Street, a county road, and Oakview Road. Maplewood will become the first town in New Jersey to feature permanent rainbow crosswalks on a county road to celebrate and honor diversity and inclusion within the community, town officials said. "We want to do something that would serve as a permanent marker or symbol of our commitment to inclusion," said Dean Dafis, the first openly LGBTQ Mapplewood Township Committee member. "I wanted it to be something you can encounter every day. We want our youth in particular -- perhaps those struggling to find their way, those in need of empowerment and affirmation -- to proudly cross or walk over their fear and self doubt." The township's mayor did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The official unveiling of the crosswalk is scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. on the front steps of Maplewood Town Hall, and will feature face painting, music, balloon twisting and treats for children. The event is free and families are encouraged to come and dance to celebrate pride. This event is part of Maplewood and South Orange's greater SOMA Celebrates Pride initiative to celebrate throughout the month of June. Delaney Dryfoos may be reached at ddryfoos@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @delaneydryfoos. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Asked once how he saw his role in a place that many had abandoned, Monsignor William J. Linder was blunt. "We take care of people no one else does," he declared. The monsignor, who became a major force and a national figure in the transformation of Newark's devastated Central Ward following the infamous riots of 1967, died Friday in the city where he had firmly drawn a line in the sand. He had just turned 82 earlier this week. Officials at New Community Corp., the social welfare organization he founded after the riots, confirmed his death at an extended care facility not far from the church where he once served as a parish priest. Linder, who had lived in Newark since 1963, established New Community in response to the wide swath of destruction that had burned down so many blocks around him, and left many with no hope. Working with local residents to put neighborhoods back together, he leveraged state money, block grants and federal and state housing funds--to build thousands of housing units, establish health clinics, and put up the city's first major supermarket in 25 years. The monsignor, who later won a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship for his work, was often sharply critical of those who had seemingly abandoned the city, even at the risk of alienating city officials and others. "I don't apologize," he once lectured a reporter, sitting in the quiet rectory dining room of St. Rose of Lima in Newark where he was then pastor over questions regarding the financial health of New Community, which at the time had been under increasing strain due to a stormy relationship at the time with Newark city officials. "It's hardly significant," he said of the organization's troubles. "I'll never lose a night's sleep over it." Monsignor William J. Linder at the dedication of NCC's Workforce Development Center in Newark in 1999. (Jim Pathe | Star-Ledger file photo) Linder, with a strong voice and a shock of white hair, would typically introduce himself as Bill. He grew up in Hudson County. Born in Jersey City, he attended engineering school at Manhattan College before he left to study at Seton Hall University. He entered the Immaculate Conception Seminary in 1958 and was ordained as a priest on in May 1963. His first pastoral assignment was Queen of Angels Church on Irvine Turner Boulevard, an all-black parish, where he founded New Community with a small group of community activists in 1968. One of the non-profit group's first major developments was the conversion of the former St. Joseph's Church on West Market Street was turned into a 24,000-square-foot headquarters that created 75 jobs. That began a series of projects that were aimed not only at delivering social services, but economic development. And as the organization began talking of building medical offices and a supermarket not unlike what could be found in any suburban community, New Community drew increasing national attention. From the beginning, the monsignor said he had tried to leverage whatever cash they had, because he knew it would take a lot of borrowing to rebuild the Central Ward. In an interview, Linder recalled being offered a $40,000 grant in 1969 from the late industrialist Charles Engelhard, then president of Engelhard Industries. Linder said he turned it down, because if he depended only on grants, it would take care of far fewer people. "We wanted a loan instead," the monsignor explained. "After that, we'd have credit." Stunned at first, Engelhard arranged for a $200,000 loan, said Linder, starting New Community on a path of large-scale financing. The strategy over the years allowed the group to build thousands of apartment and housing units, set up a credit union, an employment center, a modular housing factory, day care centers, fast-food outlets, charter schools and a nursing home. Some likened the organization to "a city within the city," served by a fleet of vans, buses and other vehicles. "His motto was faith, hope and leverage," noted New Community CEO Richard Rohrman. "The leverage part was that he wanted every single dollar at work. He wasn't big on reserves, or those kind of things. In his mind, any dollar not being used was equated to people not being helped." At the same time, Rohrman said the monsignor never sweated about finances. "He felt whatever arose, we would be carried through that. That we would come through it," he remarked. These days, Rohrman said New Community is in strong financial shape and is preparing to open a new residential complex on 14th Avenue in Newark that will provide 20 units of supportive housing for chronic homeless. "The people of the city of Newark have lost their greatest and most persistent champion. There is physical evidence of Monsignor Linder's legacy throughout the city, but his most important legacy is the difference he's made in many people's lives through the New Community mission," he said. Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo called Linder a champion for the poor and working class. "Over the last 50 years he and his organization have provided generations with decent housing, jobs and training," said DiVincenzo. Rohrman said New community did a study last year to look at the lives affected by the organization Linder launched five decades ago. "In one month, we touched 42,000 people in one way or another," he said. Services for the monsignor had yet to be finalized. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- An 80-year-old woman recovering from surgery was sexually assaulted in her hospital bed Wednesday by a man who apparently was wandering the halls of the Jersey City Medical Center, authorities said. Jackie Burgess, 45, of Whiton Street, was charged with aggravated sexual assault and causing the woman pain by pressing on the leg that had recently undergone surgery, the criminal complaint says. He is also charged with the burglary of another patient's room prior to the alleged sexual assault. Finally, he is charged with committing a lewd act for allegedly masturbating in his jail cell while being monitored on camera, the complaint says. A spokesperson for the Jersey City Medical Center said the hospital had no comment on the matter at this time because it's an ongoing police investigation. The 80-year-old told officials she woke to find a man touching her crotch and because she had a catheter, she thought it was a member of hospital staff. After he pushed on her leg, she realized he wasn't in hospital attire and she buzzed for a nurse, the complaint says, adding that he then walked out. Police believe Burgess had earlier entered another patient's room and went into the private bathroom without permission. Burgess was arrested by hospital security and remanded to the Hudson County jail in Kearny. Burgess made his first court appearance on the charges in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City yesterday via video link from the jail. At the hearing, the state moved to detain him through the course of his prosecution. A detention hearing is scheduled for Tuesday before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City. After being told the charges against him in court, Burgess seemed surprised and said "Two counts of burglary?" JERSEY CITY -- The New York man found to have $1 million and other valuables after his arrest in connection to a fatal North Bergen hit-and-run crash was sentenced to five years in prison today at a hearing at which he was called a coward. "He showed he is nothing but a selfish coward," said Sandra Valdez, the daughter of Luisa Valdez, 59, who was killed when struck by the SUV driven by Olvy Torres, 36, while she was in a bus stop shelter on River Road on Sept. 26, 2017. "He ran out of the (SUV) and left my mom to die like she was worth nothing," said Valdez, who cried as she spoke at the hearing attended by a number of her family members. "He only cared about himself. ... My mom was someone." Torres, who turned himself in a few days after the crash, pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal accident and money laundering. Hudson County Superior Court Judge John Young sentenced him to five years on each count as per the plea deal. The terms will be served concurrently. Young could have sentenced Torres to 10 years on the fatal crash count, but he abided by the plea deal recommendation. It could not immediately be determined if Torres must serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. After Torres' arrest, investigators recovered $1 million in cash, bags of diamonds, a motorcycle and other valuables at a Bergen County apartment Torres used. Also found were multiple IDs, including a Florida driver's license with Torres' picture and another man's name. A medical marijuana ID card was found with Torres' information and the address of a gas station/car wash in California. A TD Bank card, Social Security card, and a title for a motorcycle, all in other people's names, were also found in the home, as were numerous airplane tickets. Torres said the accident was the result of having fallen asleep. He apologized to Valdez's family and said no sentence he serves will make up for their suffering. Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Lynne Seborowski wasn't buying it. She noted that during the days before his surrender, security video showed Torres and family members clearing items out of the Bergen County residence. Rather than remain at the "scene of this accident, he chose to go home to cover up whatever was going on there," Seborowski said. Young told Torres he wasn't pulling the wool over his eyes or the eyes of the Valdez family. Young said the need to deter Torres was overwhelming and that fleeing the scene had likely allowed him to cover up additional crimes. "A message must be sent," Young said. "For those that stay (at the scene), good for them. For those that don't, there must be a penalty. A message must be sent to the community that that type of behavior will not be tolerated." The money laundering probe also led to the arrest of a Brooklyn woman and a Teaneck woman, as well as the seizure of two kilos of gold, diamond rings, a Mercedes and hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional cash. The women, Melissa Coda and Yesenia Suriel, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and have entered the Pretrial Intervention Program. If they successfully complete a period of supervised release, the charges will be removed from their records. A simple case of a person not looking where they were walking escalated into an argument and then a pepper-spray attack on a Manhattan street, the New York Post report. The incident -- in which three German tourists suffered minor injuries -- ended with a Jersey City woman being arrested, police told the newspaper. Jessica Perez, 25, was charged with misdemeanor assault, unlawful possession of a noxious substance and criminal possession of a weapon, the report said. Police said Perez was bumped into while crossing a midtown street, became angry and got into an argument with the trio -- two women, 34 and 60, and a 57-year-old man, the report said. That's when Perez pulled the mace and sprayed the tourists, the report said. German Ambassador to Egypt Julius Georg Luy signed on Thursday with Egypt's investment and International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr diplomatic memos for heightened cooperation between both countries, to include projects worth a total of 1.6 billion euros, a statement by the German embassy read. The Egyptian-German agreement calls for organising the work of German development agencies already conducting projects in Egypt. The two agencies whose work will be organised under the agreement are KFW development Bank and The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ). The Egyptian parliament must first approve the memos for the projects, which will be funded through a combination of grants and loans, before they can be implemented. Luy also reiterated on Thursday Berlins support for the ambitious economic reforms the Egyptian government has recently put in place. The ambassador said Berlin is supporting Egypt's reforms not only as a key member of the World Bank and IMF, but also through 225 million euros in aid it granted Cairo in early 2018. Search Keywords: Short link: JERSEY CITY -- A 26-year-old West New York man has been charged with aggravated sexual contact on his wife and aggravated assault, officials said. The victim told police the incident occurred on Saturday after the 64th Street man came home after a night out drinking and wanted to have sex, the criminal complaint says. She said he became enraged when she refused and ripped off her underwear. The wife told police she then struck her husband with her cell phone and he punched her in the eye, the complaint says. The wife told police her husband relented after she struck him in the face with an unknown glass object. She suffered a swollen left eye and temporary loss of vision, the complaint says. The husband's father and other family members were in court when he made his first appearance on the charges on Monday in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. At the hearing, he was ordered released on his own recognizance pending trial. EDITOR'S NOTE: Interested in the marijuana business industry? NJ Cannabis Insider is a new premium intelligence briefing that features exclusive weekly content geared toward entrepreneurs, lawyers and realtors. View a sample issue. WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump said Friday he was leaning toward supporting bipartisan legislation that would block the federal government from going after states that have legalized marijuana. Trump, talking to reporters before heaving the White House for the Group of Seven economic summit in Canada, responded after being asked about legislation that would leave it up to the states rather than the federal government to whether to legalize or ban cannabis. "We're looking at it," Trump said. "But I probably will end up supporting that, yes." Trump's announcement comes during the ongoing talks between Gov. Phil Murphy and state lawmakers on whether to make New Jersey the ninth state to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Medical marijuana is legal in 29 states and the District of Columbia. "One of the arguments against cannabis prohibition in New Jersey has been uncertainty over what Washington will do regarding federal enforcement," N.J. CannaBusiness Association President Scott Rudder said. "This should clear up and remove that hurdle, allowing us to focus on the numerous, clear-cut reasons why legalization in New Jersey should happen and happen now." The Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States Act was introduced by U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and Reps. David Joyce, R-Ohio, and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., giving it bipartisan support in both houses of Congress. "Outdated federal marijuana laws have perpetuated our broken criminal justice system, created barriers to research, and hindered economic development," Warren said. "The federal government needs to get out of the business of outlawing marijuana." Gardner said in April that Trump told him that he would support legislation protecting states that have legalized marijuana from federal action. In response, Gardner, a member of Senate leadership as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said he would no longer block confirmation of Trump's nominees to several Justice Department posts. Gardner said the new legislation "ensures the federal government will respect the will of the voters - whether that is legalization or prohibition - and not interfere in any states' legal marijuana industry." Marijuana industry officials applauded Trump's comments. "The States Act is a great example of bipartisan legislation and how this country is meant to work," said Erik Knutson, chief executive of Keef Brands, which sells cannabis-infused beverages. "The act creates a carve out for states rights and will allow the legal cannabis industry in the U.S. to compete with the rest of the world. Hopefully, the president will stick to his word on this issue and continue to support this well crafted act." Attorney General Jeff Sessions had reversed policy and announced in January that federal prosecutors once again were free to bring marijuana cases in states that had legalized the drug. Congress has blocked Justice from spending money to enforce the law in states that have legalized cannabis for medical use, including New Jersey. Are you interested in the N.J. cannabis industry? Subscribe here for exclusive insider information from NJ Cannabis Insider. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook A Trenton man who rocketed away from state troopers on Interstate 95 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania last year and crashed his car moments later, killing a close friend, is prison bound. A judge on Thursday sentenced Arthur Lewis, 24, to 6 1/2 to 20 years in prison for killing Javairia Mahmood, 22, also of Trenton. He pleaded guilty to third-degree murder. Mahmood was dead at the scene of the April 21, 2017 crash on the northbound lanes of the highway near the Bristol exit. She was the youngest of seven children and died two nights before the scheduled marriage of her eldest sister, Misbah, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said. "I buried my sister on the day I was supposed to get married. I have yet to unpack the emotional trauma that has caused," Misbah Mahmood told the judge during sentencing, the office reported. Another sister, Sabba Mahmood, said Javairia was a devoted, supportive friend and honors student who loved photography, music and singing. "The gross disregard for her life and her safety is apparent with the outcome of the situation," she said. "She is no longer living because of the consequences of someone else's actions. Nothing I can do will change that." Authorities have said a Pennsylvania troopers saw Lewis' Acura race by them in Philadelphia and they had trouble catching up to it as it raced away at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour. In Bristol, troopers noticed the car's headlights turn off and moments later it slammed into a concrete barrier and overturned, police have said. Troopers arrived seconds later and found the wrecked car in a haze of smoke and four injured people. The crash was so thunderous that Mahmood, in the front passenger seat, died despite wearing a seat belt, officials said. She was the only fatality. Troopers found cocaine and marijuana in the wreckage, and heroin in the pocket of a coat Lewis was wearing that EMS officials cut from his body. Lewis told the judge his crime was "just a disastrous mistake that I regret." And according to the district attorney's office, he told Mahmood's family that he was "hoping and praying that someday you'll forgive me." "During the time that I'm incarcerated, I hope to become a better man," he said. Lewis's aunt, Aida Wimbush, said her nephew and Mahmood were good friends and shared a love of music, spending hours together writing music and singing. Lewis had also been deeply depressed before the crash over the recent death of his younger brother, and that he had become withdrawn and distant, Wimbush said. "We may not feel your pain, but we understand the loss," Wimbush told Mahmood's family and friends. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A jury handed down 16 guilty verdicts Thursday, including murder, against a Trenton teen for the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Ciony Kirkman two years ago, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office announced Friday morning. Peter Charles in 2016 The jury found Peter Charles Jr. guilty of first-degree murder and counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapon charges. He was indicted last January. Authorities arrested Charles on murder charges a week after Kirkman was shot while riding in the back of a stolen Ford minivan on April 24, 2016 near Jersey Street and Home Avenue. Kirkman was put on life support after the shooting, but died from her injuries three days later. Charles was 17 when he was arrested, but a judge ruled in September 2016 that he would be tried as an adult. Because he was a minor, his name was withheld until he turned 18. His trial began in April of this year and lasted for 16 days, and the jury spent six hours deliberating, the prosecutor's office said. Police and prosecutors identified Charles as a suspect by checking surveillance videos, which showed footage of the first shot being fired and a suspect running from the scene. Investigators also found a sweatshirt with DNA of one of Charles' family members at the crime scene. Six other juveniles were in the van with Kirkman when she was shot, but no others were injured. Supervising Assistant Prosecutor James Scott and Assistant Prosecutor Brett Berman tried the case. im just so happy that justice was served for Ciony dude took her life away forever something Ill never get over but shes resting in peace now Love you bsf Ciony Kirkman Posted by Deja Brown on Friday, June 8, 2018 Trenton Teen Arrested for Ciony Kirkmans Murder TRENTON A Trenton teen was arrested late Friday night and charged... Posted by Brian McCarthy on Sunday, April 24, 2016 Gianluca D'Elia may be reached at gdelia@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @gianluca_delia. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Calling it, "One of America's forgotten treasures," Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson said Battle Monument Park, "will be completely transformed from what you see before you today." The mayor spoke at an announcement Friday of a $200,000 project funded by NJM Insurance Group through a gift to the New Jersey Tree Foundation - in memory of Caren Franzini, former CEO of N.J. Economic Development Authority and one of the city's most revered civic leaders. The design plan, created by Trenton-based landscape architect, Randy Baum, looks to combine the various historic, aesthetic and green space elements of the downtown community park. Seated from left, Mitch Livingston, President & Chief Executive Officer of NJM and Eric Jackson, Mayor of Trenton, at the ceremony. (Michael Mancuso | NJ.com) The initial phase of the project includes fence repair; the removal of existing plantings and hedging that will be replaced with trees and evergreen shrubs; pruning and feeding of existing trees; and restoration and replacement of curbing. A second phase of the project will expand the physical footprint below the Delaware & Raritan Canal. The park has had other small-scale volunteer cleanups in the past, as recently as this March. The 148-foot granite monument central to the park marks the spot where George Washington's artillery was positioned in 1776 to fire down at Hessian troops during the Battle of Trenton. Michael Mancuso may be reached at mmancuso@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @michaelmancuso Hair braiding isn't a hugely popular profession, but for the hundreds of people in New Jersey who braid hair for a living, and their thousands of customers, a bill floating its way through the state legislature is a big deal. Thursday, that bill was approved 47-0 in the Assembly. If passed, braiders will no longer be required to be licensed to operate. That license often comes with a $17,000 price tag of beauty school, where braiding techniques are rarely, if ever, taught. Those who weren't licensed faced heavy fines and arrest. Braiders, however, will still be required to register their shops with the state. "This bill empowers those with a passionate commitment to the American dream and mastery in a beloved cultural trade to earn a living and support their family without first obtaining a government permission slip," said Americans for Prosperity-New Jersey State Director Erica Jedynak. "This is a small but important step toward untangling would-be entrepreneurs from unnecessarily onerous regulations that serve only to limit economy opportunity." Thursday afternoon, Assemblywoman Angela McKnight, D-Hudson, who proposed the bill, posted about the win on Facebook. My Hair Braiding bill A3754 passed 74-0 in the Assembly house (thanks Assembly co sponsers and colleagues) This is a... Posted by Assemblywoman Angela V. McKnight on Thursday, June 7, 2018 The bill now heads to the state Senate, where it is sponsored by Sen. Fred Madden, D-Gloucester. It's expected to be addressed in the Assembly and Senate at in June. Braiding is a centuries old technique created in West Africa. The style is emblematic of a culture and a protective style for naturally curly black hair, but it is also worn by women and men of various races and ethnicities. Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo. Find NJ.com on Facebook A Toms River stockbroker who represented himself at his fraud trial and lost was sentenced to 10 years in state prison Thursday for stealing $408,000 from four investors. A jury convicted Jeffrey D. Griffin, Jr., 43, in Passaic County Superior Court last month on theft by deception, misapplication of entrusted property, two counts of violation of New Jersey's Uniform Securities Act, and money laundering, the state Attorney General's Office announced. Jeffrey Griffin Jr. On Thursday, the judge sent him to state prison and ordered him to pay back all the money he swindled. Griffin worked as a stockbroker for another investment firm, but left in August 2010 and formed Tricep Trading LLC, the state said. Three of his victims, men, were clients of Griffin's at the former firm and he led them to believe their money was still being invested there, or through a new division he was heading. One had $100,000 of his funds deposited with Tricep without his knowledge and Griffin could only return $39,000 before Tricep ran out of funds. Griffin told the other three he'd be investing on their behalf through hedge fund-type investments or day trading. The other two men each invested $25,000 and lost it all. The woman invested $324,000 and Griffin only returned $27,000. The attorney general's office said Griffin moved money from Tricep's business account into his personal account and started spending, including $120,000 for day trading at a firm that prohibits use of other investors' money, $25,000 for real estate flipping and numerous retail purchases and ATM withdrawals. By May 2011, Tricep was out of money, the state said. In 2013, the state's Bureau of Securities, which first investigated Griffin, revoked his registration as an agent of a broker-dealer and permanently barred him from conducting investing business in New Jersey. They also slapped him with a $125,000 civil penalty. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Fourteen New Jersey women who allege security at Newark Liberty International Airport racially profiled and discriminated against them are asking for $100,000 apiece and an apology, according to a letter sent by their lawyer to Homeland Security officials. The women, who are of Middle Eastern descent and identify as Muslim, say they were illegally targeted and harassed by Transportation Security Administration agents because each was wearing a hijab. Jay Rehman, a civil rights attorney for the South Plainfield-based New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations forwarded a copy of the letter to NJ Advance Media. "The embarrassment and humiliation that our clients experienced at the hands of the TSA is incalculable," the complaint says. Most of the 14 women who say they were profiled based on their race and religion didn't know each other when they arrived at the airport early on the morning of Dec. 28, 2017. All were booked on a 7:10 a.m. flight to Chicago, where they were scheduled to attend a conference sponsored by the Islamic Council of North America. The women allege a TSA agent made an announcement that anyone on the 7:10 a.m. flight could move to the front of the slow-moving line to speed up the screening process as take off time drew nearer. When the women got to the front they were pulled out of the security line, brought to the side and overheard an agent refer to them as "2110s" -- an apparent code name for someone who wears a hijab, the complaint says. The women were then ushered into another room where they should have been advised the secondary screening could be done in private. Quite the opposite took place, the complaint says. "Suddenly and without warning, the TSA agents closed the doors behind the clients," the letter reads. "With the door closed behind them, the clients were now all trapped in what can only be described as a 'cage'. The cage had clear glass windows around all sides. What happened inside the cage was viewable by every other passenger entering security. The clients noticed, with great humiliation and consternation that other passengers were pointing, laughing and taking videos of them. Like animals in a zoo." Some of the women said TSA agents roughly patted then down, used abusive language and didn't allow them to record their interaction with security even though other passengers recorded them. The letter referred to the agents' conduct as "demeaning, insulting and illegal." The TSA didn't directly address the allegations in an emailed statement. "TSA security screening policies, procedures and practices must comply with all applicable civil liberties and civil rights laws, regulations and executive orders and policies must not discriminate against travelers on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, relation, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation and parental status." The TSA noted the complaint was not filed against them and referred additional questions to Homeland Security's Office of Civil Rights. That office declined to comment. "As a matter of policy, we cannot comment on open complaints," Homeland Security spokeswoman Lesley Fulop said in an email. In addition to a monetary settlement and an apology, CAIR asked that every TSA agent at Newark Liberty International Airport undergo mandatory diversity training. All but one of the women are between 16 and 22. The age of that woman, whose three daughters were traveling with her, is not given. The complaint, dated May 2, asks for a response within 30 days. Rehman said Friday morning he has not yet received a reply. Nationwide, CAIR took reports on 2,559 anti-Muslim incidents last year, a 17 percent jump over the previous year. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A 29-year-old man and his teenage passenger were killed after a speeding car crashed into a tree in Lakewood on Thursday evening shortly after eluding police in Toms River, authorities said. The 2016 Ford Focus burst into flames after Rynell Bennett lost control of the car while traveling north along Massachusetts Avenue, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. Two people were killed in a crash in Lakewood on Thursday night. (Photo courtesy The Lakewood Scoop) The identity of the 16-year-old boy, a Gloucester City resident, was not provided. Bennett, of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, was not wearing his seat belt and the car was unregistered, the prosecutor's office said. Minutes before the crash -- at 6:51 p.m. -- Toms River police tried to pull over the car because it had been seen near the scene of a shooting in Lakewood that afternoon, officials said. The driver refused to stop, though, and blew through a red light at the intersection of Route 70 and Massachusetts Avenue, authorities said. Toms River police called off the pursuit, authorities said, "fearing for the public's safety," but later found the vehicle burning in Lakewood. The occupants were removed from the vehicle and CPR performed, but neither survived. Two Lakewood police officers were treated for smoke inhalation at Community Medical Center in Toms River, officials said. No information about the shooting was available. The news of the crash was first reported by TheLakewoodScoop.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. The state Assembly on Thursday gave final legislative approval to ban child marriages in New Jersey, two weeks after a lawmaker's concern for religious customs derailed its final vote. The bill now heads to Gov. Phil Murphy for his signature or veto. State Assemblyman Gary Schaer, D-Passaic, abstained from voting on the bill (S427) that he had previously held up, saying then that he was approached by members of the orthodox Jewish community who wanted a religious exemption. New Jersey law permits 16- and 17-year-olds to obtain marriage licenses with parental consent. Those under 16 years old need that consent plus approval from a judge. The legislation approved Thursday would require that couples wait until each person is 18 to obtain a marriage license. Former Gov. Chris Christie conditionally vetoed a similar bill last year, saying its restrictions were not necessary to protect young girls from forced marriages and "doesn't comport with the sensibilities and, in some cases, the religious customs, of the people of this state." Christie, a Republican, proposed instead that any marriage involving someone under 18 be subject to judicial approval. Schaer said last month he would seek similar changes to those Christie recommended. More than 3,600 minors got married in New Jersey between 1995 and 2015, and 95 percent of them were 16 or 17 years old, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. Advocates for the higher age of consent said exemptions defeat the purpose of the bill. "When you are ending a human rights abuse, why would you carve out an exemption for the people most affected by this human rights abuse?" said Fraidy Reiss, found of Unchained at Last. "These are exactly the people who need protection." Ultimately, the bill sponsors refused to change the bill, which passed 59-0, with 12 abstentions, in the Assembly. The state Senate voted 30-5 in favor of the bill last month. "Young girls forced into arranged marriages face so many difficulties," Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz, R-Union, a bill sponsor, said in a statement. "They have a very hard time getting out of the marriage, they face poverty going forward and the potential for domestic violence is higher. Thankfully, New Jersey's children are now another step closer to no longer being victims of forced or arranged marriages." NJ Advance Media staff writer Susan K. Livio contributed to this report. Egyptian Ambassador Naela Gabr was elected on Thursday to be a member of the UN's Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement. The veteran diplomat received 143 votes at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday. "Gabr's election comes as a result of Egypt's efforts on the issue of women's empowerment," said foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid. The spokesman added that the election also comes as an affirmation of Gabr's influential role at the UN. Gabr served as first secretary counselor at the Egyptian embassy in Paris from 1980-1984. She also served as counselor in the Egyptian mission at the United Nations in Geneve from 1988-1992. Gabr holds a masters degree in French Literature from the University of Brno in the Czeck Republic. She is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University. Ambassador Gabr has been elected several times to be a member of CEDAW over the past 10 years, and has served as chairperson of the organisation from 2009 till 2011. She was also elected to serve as vice chairman of the committee from 2015 till 2017. Gabr currently heads Egypt's National Coordinating Committee for combating and preventing illegal migration and human trafficking. Search Keywords: Short link: By Eliot Shorr-Parks | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The Sixers have fired general manager Bryan Colangelo after it was revealed earlier this week that he or someone close to him was using five fake Twitter accounts to leak information about players, bash All-Star center Joel Embiid and rip former general manager Sam Hinkie. The decision to fire Colangelo -- "accepted the resignation," the Sixers' statement said -- was announced on Thursday after an internal investigation. The Sixers' search for a new general manager will "commence immediately," Sixers Managing Partner Josh Harris said in the team's statement. The Sixers should have a strong crop from which to select a new GM. The Sixers' GM job is one of the most attractive in the NBA, considering the young talent on the roster and the cap space they have -- and there's always the possible interest by LeBron James, who can become a free agent after the postseason. Who could the Sixers hire to replace Colangelo? Here are some of the options: Don't Edit Statement from 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris: pic.twitter.com/eCmz42FD7P Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) June 7, 2018 Sixers' statement Don't Edit Colangelo's statement Don't Edit Chris Szagola | AP PHOTO Sam Hinkie Let's get the obvious one out of the way. The return of Sam Hinkie would certainly be celebrated amongst the majority of the fans, as he is still given credit for how loaded are the Sixers are right now. Hinkie was forced out when Colangelo was hired, so bringing back the architect of the original "process" would be a popular move after the embarrassment surrounding the organization right now. Whether Hinkie would take the job or not is unclear. You have to imagine he would be skeptical about working for the same ownership that forced him out. Hinkie's name, however, will be at the top of the list when people discuss Colangelo's replacement. Don't Edit David Griffin If the Sixers want to make a serious run at signing LeBron James this offseason, bringing in his former general manager might be a wise move. James was reportedly not happy when Griffin was fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and James tweeted his respect for Griffin when the move was made. Bringing in Griffin would be move made to appease James and hopefully bring him to Philadelphia. Even if they struck out on James, Griffin is one of the most accomplished general manager candidates still available. Don't Edit Don't Edit Troy Weaver, Oklahoma City Thunder A goal for the Sixers this offseason will be to bring in one of the elite players in the NBA -- and one team that did that in spades last offseason? The Oklahoma City Thunder, who brought in both Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. With that in mind, the Sixers could show interest in Thunder vice president and assistant general manager Troy Weaver, who has been on the short list of general manager candidates for the last few seasons. Per ESPN: Respected as one of the top personnel guys in basketball, Weaver not only has a discerning eye for raw basketball talent, but a feel for whether a player's emotional makeup conforms to the team culture the Thunder hold as sacrosanct. He's an obsessive student of the NBA history, with an understanding and love of the game. This database allows him to consider every decision in a smart context. Don't Edit Mike Zarren, Boston Celtics The Sixers' biggest competition in the Eastern Conference going forward? The Boston Celtics, who have done an excellent job over the last few seasons adding both young talent and attracting elite players. Zarren has played a major role in building the current Celtics, is considered one of the top analytic guys in the league, and was nearly hired by the Sixers in 2013. He also helped recruit and sign forward Gordon Hayward last offseason, who was one of the biggest available free agents on the market last offseason. Zarren's combination of success in the draft, strong analytics background and track record of signing big free agents would make him very appealing. Plus, having an inside track on the Celtics' thinking doesn't hurt. Don't Edit Trajan Langdon, Brooklyn Nets Nets assistant general manager Trajan Langdon seems like he would be a risky hire, as he is still relatively young compared to other general manager candidates, but he checks all of the boxes when it comes to what teams want to see from general manager candidates. Per ESPN: When execs muse about the intangibles that make an effective general manager, they frequently cite range of experience as a helpful ingredient. In this event, Langdon has nearly every base covered. He played at college basketball's royal academy in Duke, then in the NBA before venturing overseas, including a long stint with CSKA Moscow under Ettore Messina (and Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov). Upon retirement, he joined the Spurs as a scout before serving in Cleveland's front office. Don't Edit Kirk Lacob, Golden State Warriors Warriors assistant general manager Kirk Lacob has one major tie keeping him with Golden State -- his dad, Joe, owns the team. If there is one situation that could lure Lacob away, however, it might be the Sixers. Lacob isn't going to become general manager of the Warriors anytime soon with Bob Myers running the show, and it isn't often jobs as attractive as the Sixers open up. Lacob has helped to build the Warriors since 2010, including the drafting of both Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, as well as the signing of Kevin Durant. Don't Edit Tommy Sheppard, Washington Wizards One of the top reasons the Sixers mentioned when they hired Colangelo was the relationships he had around the league after years in the NBA. Senior vice president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard brings some of those same qualities, as he is has worked in the NBA for the last 23 years, including 14 with the Wizards. Per ESPN: Long before sports scientists invaded NBA training facilities, Sheppard was one of the first front-office execs to canvass the globe for new ideas to improve performance. Innovation is a personal passion for Sheppard, who can deliver a dissertation on what a European soccer club is doing with hydration, and how Australian rugby teams are integrating injury prevention. Don't Edit Don't Edit Brian Wright, San Antonio Spurs If the Sixers want to take a chance on one of the top young candidates in the NBA, Wright could be at the top of their list. Wright's time with the San Antonio Spurs, who are considered one of the top franchises in the league, would likely be very attractive to the Sixers. Per ESPN: Those who lead scouting efforts need to thrive not only as talent evaluators but also as masters of process with a knack for aggregating information and distinguishing the good input from the bad. Wright earned that reputation in Detroit and will continue that track in San Antonio with a wider scope beyond the draft. As the vernacular of the Spurs goes, Wright is also a young guy who is "over himself." Don't Edit Where to reach me Eliot Shorr-Parks may be reached at eshorrpa@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @EliotShorrParks. Find NJ.com Eagles on Facebook. Don't Edit Zack Rosenblatt | NJ Advance Media WATCH: Sixers Lottery Party ACTING COMMISSIONER MCCABE LEADS THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS IN BARNEGAT BAY BLITZ, RAISING AWARENESS OF NATURAL TREASURE (18/P049) TRENTON Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe today is spearheading the annual Barnegat Bay Blitz, leading thousands of volunteers, many of them students, in the watershed-wide cleanup that draws attention to the ecologically fragile bay and encourages others to help protect it. Barnegat Bay is a unique natural resource and a source of pride for residents of the region, the state and all who visit the area, Acting Commissioner McCabe said during kickoff ceremonies at the Barnegat Municipal Dock. The passion for protecting the bay and its watershed is contagious, and the enthusiasm shown by the young people taking part is especially inspiring. Over the years, nearly 32,000 volunteers have collected some 4,600 cubic yards of trash, recyclables and debris from areas within the watershed, including wetlands, forests, parks, storm drains, docks and creeks and the bay itself. Items collected in the past have ranged from typical trash such as bottles, paper and cardboard to electronic devices such as TVs, and even large pieces of debris from Superstorm Sandy. Cleanups have even uniquely used the services of llamas to haul away trash. Removing these items from the bays ecosystems helps protect water quality and the fish and wildlife that depend on the bays habitats, Acting Commissioner McCabe said. Equally important, the Barnegat Bay Blitz unites people with many different backgrounds in doing something immensely important for this resource and motivating others to emulate them. The 660-square-mile Barnegat Bay watershed includes all or parts of 37 municipalities in Ocean and Monmouth counties. A study by the University of Delaware for the nonprofit Barnegat Bay Partnership estimates that the watershed and activities related to its natural resources contribute more than $4 billion to the states economy each year and either directly or indirectly support more than 60,000 jobs. Following opening ceremonies, teams led by captains many of them DEP employees dispersed across the watershed to clean up wetlands, stream banks, stormwater discharge points, schools, trails, docks, areas around bulkheads and bay shorelines. A captain and team are assigned to each municipality in the watershed. Some 42 miles long, Barnegat Bay is shallow and in many places narrow. Because it has limited flow to the ocean, the bay is susceptible to the impacts of stormwater runoff and accumulations of trash and debris along its shorelines and in its wetlands. Removal of trash is important to prevent these materials from degrading the bays ecological and scenic values. Stormwater carries other pollutants such as common lawn fertilizers, automotive fluids and silt that degrade wildlife habitat and water quality in the bay and its tributaries. Trash collected today is being turned over to local public works departments for proper disposal. Each year the Blitz features a Rain Barrel Challenge in which students compete for creating the best-painted rain barrel. Rain barrels help capture rainwater that can be used around the home or business for watering plants and landscaping, helping to reduce stormwater runoff. Blitz sponsors include New Jersey Clean Communities, the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (formerly the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust), the Barnegat Bay Partnership, Wawa, Waste Management, TowBoat US, New Jersey Natural Gas, Ocean Spray, SUEZ Water, Ocean County government, PS&S, Firestone, the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, ReClam the Bay, AmeriCorps-New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors and the U.S. Coast Guard. As part of its commitment to Barnegat Bays restoration, the DEP recently announced a $10 million program making grants available to nonprofit groups, government agencies and state colleges and universities to improve water quality. For more information on the Barnegat Bay Blitz, click on the logo above or visit: www.nj.gov/dep/barnegatbay/bbblitz.htm ### Egypt's parliament will discuss on Sunday three new draft laws drawn up by the cabinet to regulate the Supreme Council of the Media, the National Media Authority, and the National Press Authority, the head of parliament's media committee Osama Heikal said in a meeting with parliamentary reporters of national newspapers. Heikal said that the government had originally submitted a single draft law regulating all three bodies, but parliament's media committee recommended that it be divided into three separate laws for each body. Heikal added that the previous law regulating the three bodies (the Law of Institutional Organisation No. 92 of 2016) will be replaced by the new laws. The MP explained that the new laws would reduce the number of members from 13 to nine for each of the three bodies, and that the editors-in-chief of state newspapers will operate independently from the chairmen of the board of their respective media organisations. Heikal added that the laws also include unprecedented guarantees to ensure the independence of journalism and media in Egypt. The parliament's draft laws would also cancel all text regarding the imprisonment of journalists and media professionals that were part of the cabinet's proposed law. According to Heikal, the draft laws have been reviewed by the Supreme Council of the Media, the National Press Authority, the National Media Authority, the Journalists Syndicate, the Media Syndicate, the Competition Protection and Antitrust Authority, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Chamber of the Media Industry. Search Keywords: Short link: Signs of systemic fraud cast doubts on Iraqs votes, so what the world must do now The United States congratulates the Iraqi people on todays parliamentary elections. Citizens from every ethnic and religious group, and from all 18 provinces, including those internally displaced, made their voices heard, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hours after polling stations in Iraq closed on 12 May. UK Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa Alistair Burt also welcomed the controversial elections which is marred by fraud allegations and boycotted by more than 56 per cent of eligible voters as a historic day for Iraq. A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres joined the chorus to congratulate the Iraqis following the parliamentary elections, applauding the tireless efforts of electoral officials, party agents and the security forces in making the elections largely peaceful and orderly. Pundits in Western think-tanks were quick to hail Iraqs fourth national elections since the fall of former dictator Saddam Hussein as democratic and predicted they would craft a way out of the countrys morass. So, the question now is whether the Iraqi elections deserved this lavish praise despite deep flaws in the process that now threatens not only to derail the countrys fragile political process but also to plunge Iraq into turmoil or even a new civil war. Some ten million Iraqis went to polling centres across the country to vote for MPs in the first general elections to be held after the Iraqi governments victory over the Islamic State (IS) group in December. A political alliance led by influential Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr won 54 seats, the most in the voting, according to results released by Iraqs Higher Elections Commission (IHEC). The Victory Alliance headed by incumbent Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi trailed in third place with 42 seats behind the Al-Fatih bloc that won 47. Many contenders, however, declared the poll to be illegitimate due to alleged malpractices, while many Iraqis were particularly sceptical about the elections integrity and results. Irregularities were reported in multiple provinces and focused on the balloting of overseas and security forces voters and on the tabulation system used in electronic voting machines employed for the first time in national elections in Iraq. The fraud claims surfaced first in the multi-ethnic city of Kirkuk, where Arabs and Turkmens complained about systematic rigging by the two main Kurdish parties. Protesters surrounded the headquarters of the Provincial Elections Commission demanding manual recounts of the results. In Sulaimaniya, the stronghold of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, several Kurdish parties complained about what they called fraudulent results and called on the IHEC to conduct a manual recount of votes in the province. The Iraqi parliament passed a resolution seeking a partial recount. It also cancelled ballots cast from overseas and within displacement camps inside the country and required 10 per cent of all the votes to be manually recounted. If cheating is discovered it could lead to a recount of all the ballots nationwide, according to the parliaments resolution. Meanwhile, the government decided on 24 May to form a panel to investigate reports pertaining to the elections. A statement by the cabinet said the committee would be given access to all documents related to the electoral process and would then submit recommendations. The IHEC, however, dismissed both decisions as interference in its independence. It announced it was partially cancelling the results from more than 1,000 polling stations. It also voluntarily scrutinised 2,000 more stations, out of which 852 proved to have witnessed breaches, and the IHEC then cancelled their results. Unlike previous elections in Iraq, a biometric electronic voting system was used that was meant to streamline the electoral process and prevent voter fraud. The technology, provided by South Korean firm Miru Systems, has never been used in a major election and doubts about its reliability are common. Many of the allegations centred on the voting machines, which critics said lacked the transparency needed to make everyone understand them. The accusations also included tampering with the results in order to allow large numbers of voters from groups likely to vote for the losing candidate. The elections were wracked by boycotts, low turnout and high abstention rates, and they reflected apathy and widespread discontent at the slow pace of reforms led by Al-Abadis government. Prior to the vote, allegations were made about malpractices in voter registrations and the bribery of voters who had allegedly been offered money or food baskets by candidates in exchange for their votes. Some voiced fears of rigging of the voting outside of Iraq as polling stations for millions of Iraqis in the diaspora lacked proper methods of registration and counting and could be controlled by Iraqi embassies and branches of the ruling political parties abroad. Many groups have criticised the composition of the IHEC and accused its members of being affiliated to the main ruling factions. They fear that a biased IHEC cannot guarantee fair and efficient balloting. One key shortcoming in the elections was the absence of adequate and effective monitoring of the process despite the presence of thousands of monitors from local and foreign NGOs and international organisations to oversee the count in each of the polling stations and prevent the theft of ballot papers. USAID, UN agencies and the EU provided millions of dollars to assist local networks in monitoring the elections process, including the polling and counting inside Iraq and overseas. This army of international election workers intended to deter foul play and ensure free-and-fair polls has thus far failed to issue a verdict, let alone make a strong and clear statement about the alleged violations. Though the international observers did not do anything in Iraqs elections that they had not previously done elsewhere in the world, their failure to condemn last months flawed voting process underscores the larger failure of the international community to stop the routine occurrence of election fraud in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003. Irregularities on a shameless scale have been reported before during elections in Iraq. Allegations of election-rigging have been common since Iraqs first post-Saddam vote in 2005. The reported irregularities have included ballot-stuffing, intimidation, stealing or destroying ballot boxes and threatening election officials. In a country whose political elites have allowed $700 billion to go missing from oil revenues since Saddams fall, it is highly likely that they would struggle to win re-election even if deeply flawed polls made a mockery of democracy. However, for the international community, free-and-fair elections in Iraq do not count for much even if the legitimacy of these elections has been seriously questioned and the country as a whole faces its biggest political crisis since the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 June 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Iraqs stolen elections Search Keywords: Short link: A new law allows the confiscation of the property of Syrian refugees in what is being seen as an attack on the opposition and part of regime plans for widespread demographic change On 2 April, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad signed Law 10/2018 that has triggered widespread concern because it allows the Syrian state to confiscate homes and other property if their owners are overseas. Many have interpreted the law as a step by the regime to dispossess some 12 million Syrian refugees of their property and consequently of their right of return to Syria. The new law gives local authorities the power to rezone any area, asking owners to prove their ownership of property within 30 days, failing which it will be confiscated. According to commentators, the aim is to cause further divisions since it allows the regime to take over the property of the displaced who cannot prove their ownership. Many of those who have fled the conflict in Syria did not take documents with them proving ownership of their property. This means they will not be able to prove this to the authorities, leading to its confiscation. According to human rights activists, the decision is designed to put pressure on the displaced and refugees to force them to return by leveraging their property. This violates Article 17 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, activists say, since this says that no one shall be deprived of their property arbitrarily. The new law takes advantage of the inability of displaced property owners to defend their rights within the deadline and provide proof of ownership. If they are outside Syria, they cannot give power of attorney to individuals back home, since the security agencies deny this right to those identified with the opposition even if they are only active on social media. Power of attorney can take time, and those holding it could be harassed if the owner of the property is an opposition member. This means many will refuse to accept. Such measures are usually taken during times of peace to address building violations. However, the new law takes advantage of the war conditions and the displacement of Syrian citizens. The German Foreign Ministry described the law as aiming to change the demographics of Syria. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri said the law aimed to prevent Syrian refugees from returning home and told them to stay in Lebanon. The international NGO Human Rights Watch said the law would result in the forced evictions of those who cannot prove ownership. Syrian officials including Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallim said the law had been amended to allow owners one year to prove their ownership. However, lawyer Michel Shamas told Al-Ahram Weekly that no amendment has been made to Law 10, and [Al-Muallims] statements have not been reported in the media. Amending laws requires legislation by parliament or the president, and so far neither has happened. Commentator Thabet Malak said the move would fail. Other countries have failed to implement similar measures. In 1916, Ottoman Turkey tried to confiscate Syriac property after the Turkish military had chased the Syriacs out of the country. Forty years later, Turkey issued a law giving back the confiscated property if the owners had the relevant documents, he said. Syrian human rights groups have pointed to the possibility of demographic change as a result of the law. It ignores the original ownership and allows the authorities to distribute real estate as rewards to loyalists and pro-regime militias who have been given Syrian citizenship, including tens of thousands of Lebanese and Iranians. It coincides with the displacement of residents from the suburbs of Damascus and the regimes preventing them from returning home even after it made the areas into what it has called safe zones. Warlords, arms dealers, and others close to the regime are preparing to receive shares of the reconstruction cake, especially in Damascus and Aleppo, commentators say. They want to rebuild destroyed areas in different ways, side-stepping existing planning laws. Many residents have fled as refugees to neighbouring or European countries, with statistics saying that half the Syrian population, or 12 million people, have fled. Some have been granted asylum abroad, and others cannot return for fear of being arrested, interrogated or killed. During the seven years of the revolution, the regime has destroyed towns and villages around Damascus, often without any military pretext. Claims that armed combatants were present among residents have been enough for the regime to pummel areas with air and artillery strikes, turning them into ghost towns without a single building standing. Many in the opposition believe the regime has adopted a scorched-earth approach to reconstruction since the price of land can be very high. Levelling and repossessing it by the state and then redistributing it to the influential could generate billions of dollars in profits. This will represent a quick profit for profiteers and regime loyalists waiting to be rewarded by the regime. The regime has displaced millions of Syrians outside the country and destroyed their homes. There are also hundreds of thousands of displaced people inside Syria and tens of thousands of detainees. A similar number of people are missing. The regime has facilitated the theft of property everywhere it has retaken control, and the new law facilitates the further theft of assets including real estate. It would be naive to think Law 10 is designed to regulate real-estate ownership while the war continues across Syria, Mustafa Al-Wali, a Syrian-Palestinian commentator, told the Weekly. It is a veil to hide the true intention, which is the confiscation of private property under the veil of legitimacy. It is similar to the Israeli laws that usurp Palestinian property, dispossess their owners, and prevent them from returning home. The Carnegie Middle East Centre, a US NGO, has recently published a report on the policies of the Syrian regime aiming to change planning laws, create new demographic realities, bolster gains on the ground, and remap whole areas to serve its interests. The report says the new law will confiscate the property of some and reward others, mostly regime loyalists. Thousands of poorer people will be dispossessed, and prime real estate will be handed to the urban bourgeoisie in an attempt at political and socio-economic cleansing, the report said. For many commentators, the new law has four aims. It will allow the state to begin reconstruction in areas under its control, help the regime to sift through the returning refugees and confiscate the property of political opponents, bolster regime influence by housing loyalists in strategic areas, and provide funding for regime activities and payouts for loyalists. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 June 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly with headline: The property of Syrian refugees Search Keywords: Short link: Israeli troops shot dead three Palestinians and wounded at least 618 others on Friday with live fire or tear gas used against protesters at the Gaza Strip border, medics said. Around 10,000 Palestinians took part in the Right of Return protests in Gaza on Friday. Israeli occupation forces have killed at least 122 Palestinians in protests along the border since a campaign was launched on March 30 to demand the right to return to ancestral lands lost to Israel in the 1948 war of its creation, hospital officials say. Israel says the dead included gunmen who used civilians as cover for gun and grenade attacks or infiltration attempts. There have been no Israeli casualties from the more than two months of Israeli clamp down on Palestinian demonstrations. The Palestinians killed on Friday were two adult men and a 15-year-old boy, medics said. Of the wounded, 120 were from live fire, they said. Among those wounded with gunfire was an Agence France-Presse photographer and a 23-year-old man who was on life support after a tear gas canister penetrated his face, medics said. "We are not asking for the moon," said Amer Abu Khalaf, a 20-year-old business administration student who took part in the protest, saying it aimed to "break the siege and have the world recognise our right to return". Israel has long refused to admit Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war or their millions of descendants, saying they should stay in a future Palestinian state. Statehood talks have been frozen since 2014. Two million Palestinians in Gaza have sunk into poverty as Israel continues its 10-year-old siege of the strip. The death toll from Israel's measures against the Gaza protests have drawn international censure, though the United States has placed the blame on Hamas. *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Search Keywords: Short link: Head of the Syrian opposition Cairo Platform Firas Al-Khalidi explains that the situation in Syria is becoming ever more complicated and will likely result in further bloodshed In an interview with Al-Ahram Weekly, Firas Al-Khalidi, head of the Cairo Platform and a member of the Syrian negotiations committee, said that the conditions in Syria have become more complicated than ever because of the re-producing of the conflict in a fiercer form than before, considering Iran the party that most complicates the crisis in Syria. Al-Khalidi said he believes that the conditions for a path towards a resolution of the conflict have not yet materialised because of the absence of an international consensus on how to reach a political solution. The Iranian presence in Syria had complicated the crisis further, he said, with the preconditions for a settlement not having been reached or the consensus required to reconstruct the Syrian state. He put some of the blame on the Arab countries for allowing the conflict to continue, saying that there had been a lack of the political will needed to reach an agreement and motivate the world community to resolve the crisis. Al-Khalidi said the Syrian conflict was entering a more complex stage because some of the parties operating in the country wanted to bolster their gains. There had been renewed US involvement and an ever more complicated military situation due to the Iranian-Israeli confrontation in Syria. The only glimmer of hope would be if these players could be persuaded to work together to find a political solution to the crisis, he said, which would require determination on the part of the international community and the alignment of intersecting interests, neither of which had materalised. There had been hints of a US-Russian understanding, but not to the extent of consensus, he said. There had been indications of aligning interests towards the Iranian presence in Syria, but these had not evolved into an official position shared by the other parties. Meanwhile, there had been Turkish incursions into Syria and attempts to broaden its sphere of influence and control. All these had required greater courage by countries that had been sitting on the fence or had remained resolutely neutral. The solution would need to deal with the Iranian involvement and the Turkish presence in Syria, he said. Today, Tehran believed it had lost the fight in Syria, he added, which was a calamity for Iran since it had also lost influence in the recent Iraqi elections and was dealing with tensions at home as well as the collapse of the nuclear deal with the West and pressure from Saudi Arabia and the Arabs. I believe Iran will escalate the conflict or reassert itself with more violent tactics, Al-Khalidi said. Responding to Iranian statements that Iran would not be removed from Syria, he said that Iran has made it very clear that it believes Russia has not been entirely honest in its alliance, thinking that Tehran is no longer useful to Moscow. Iran would seem to have more power than the regime led by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Al-Khalidi said. The regime is not part of the power equation, because in reality the regime does not control the military situation, which is controlled by the Russians. The regime does not have military forces capable of controlling all of Syria. The opposition is more powerful than the regime, he said, referencing reports that the regime now has only 33,000 soldiers, which is not enough to secure the capital. Russia has to support those reasonable elements in the regime so they can be saved from the regime's cauldron and be brought closer from the opposition and the forces of the revolution. The fragmentation of the Syrian opposition has led to its lack of power in the face of the regime, according to many commentators. However, Al-Khalidi disagreed, saying that a plural opposition had not harmed the revolution. In all revolutions there are different forms, and the regimes repressive approach to the revolution and the opposition has resulted in its dispersed geographical presence. Many members of the opposition fled to neighbouring countries such as Turkey for humanitarian reasons, or to countries assisting in military operations such as Qatar. This made it harder for the opposition to operate politically ion the ground, dividing the opposition. The youth of the revolution were excluded, but today the youth are now present at the Cairo Platform in the shape of the revolutionary youth, and they have an opportunity to act despite the global complications and shut doors. We are a patriotic voice in the Cairo Platform. Even so, it should be said that the inclusion of Kurdish groups that want to see a decentralised system in Syria has led to complications, since this desire has exacerbated Russias military interference. We took part in the Geneva Conferences, though these highlighted those who had the greatest funding and military and media presence. The Cairo Platform does not have as much funding as some, and it does not control private media channels. We are nationalists, which is a position that some others shy away from, and we recognise that in order for nationalism to work it must be based on consensus. Any real solution to the Syrian crisis requires the involvement of actors who believe in the Syrian state and represent the Syrian people. Speaking about the agendas of local groups in Syria such as the Kurds, Al-Khalidi said that any agenda to divide Syria is unacceptable. What we have seen is a unilateral declaration of federation. The official position of the Cairo Platform on our Kurdish brothers or their self-rule is that they must reject federation in order to be welcomed with open arms. This is non-negotiable. Al-Khalidi also believes that France is looking for a greater role in Syria after it was excluded and lost ground. He said the conflict would likely continue and more blood would be spilled because Iran had an interest in continuing it and Turkey wanted to control the north of the country to benefit Ankara alone, contrary to its agreements with Russia. Meanwhile, the Syrian people were paying the price, he said. The only champion of the Syrian people is the Syrian people, Al-Khalidi declared. There has been sympathy from some countries due to the humanitarian conditions, but sympathy is not enough. He also blamed the Arab countries for the situation. The Arabs were distracted in the past, but now they have no excuse. The people of Syria are asking where are the Arabs? The West has closed its doors, there is no relief, and there are difficult humanitarian conditions. Some are even saying the Syrian refugees should not be demanding the right of return like their Palestinian brothers. Al-Khalidi concluded by saying that we have a common enemy in Iran. Some Arab countries have good relations with Russia, while others have good relations with the US. These countries can create consensus around a nationalist solution that will satisfy all. But this can only be done by the Arabs and not by the Europeans or the US. Efforts are underway, but as a Syrian citizen and as an Arab I believe they are unsatisfactory. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 June 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: More bloodshed to come in Syria Search Keywords: Short link: President Donald Trump drove the wedge splitting Washington from its Western allies even deeper on Friday with a shock call for Russia to be readmitted to the G7 club of nations. As the leaders of the top industrialized democracies began meeting ahead of the G7 summit in Quebec, European leaders warned that Trump's stance threatens the Western-led world order. Already angered by Trump's positions on trade, climate change and the Iran nuclear deal, the other G7 allies now face a rift in the united western front against Russian aggression. Before jumping on Air Force One to fly to Canada, which is hosting the summit in La Malbaie north of Quebec City, Trump called for a return to the body's pre-2014 "G8" formula. "They threw Russia out. They should let Russia come back in because we should have Russia at the negotiating table," the US leader said before boarding the presidential jet. Moscow was expelled from the rich nations club, which sees itself as a guarantor of rules-based order and the global economy, over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. While Italy's new premier Giuseppe Conte, the head of a populist coalition, sided with Trump, many other European leaders were horrified and warned against the idea. "It is evident that the American president and the rest of the group continue to disagree on trade, climate change and the Iran nuclear deal," EU president Donald Tusk admitted. Tusk warned that "the rules-based international order is being challenged, quite surprisingly not by the usual suspects but by its main architect and guarantor, the US." And he said Trump's determination to bait his allies over trade and diplomatic engagements "would only play into the hands of those who seek a new post-West order where liberal democracy and fundamental freedoms would cease to exist." Trump was the last G7 leader to arrive and on Saturday, he will probably be the first to leave, in a hurry to move on to his nuclear summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un in Singapore. Trade battle lines were drawn even before he arrived in a series of dueling tweets and statements between Trump and his onetime friend French President Emmanuel Macron. With unmistakable symbolism, the fractious Western democracies were meeting on the same day that China's President Xi Jinping welcomed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to Beijing. Three decades after the end of the Cold War, the G7 nations are split over trade, climate and multilateral engagements such as the Iran nuclear deal. And at the same time, the US president seems more at home with autocrats than with Washington's traditional allies. The "America First" president's broadside before leaving Washington reinforced predictions that the Quebec G7 would be the first such summit to end without an agreed joint statement. "All of these countries have been taking advantage of the United States on trade," he said before flying out. "We have massive trade deficits with almost every country. We will straighten that out. And I'll tell you what, it's what I do. "It won't even be hard and in the end, we'll all get along." Host Canada and its European allies are striving to put together a united front to oppose Trump's tariffs of aluminum, steel, cars and other exports, but the markets are rattled. European and Asian stocks indices were down across the board Friday -- despite a week of gains in the wake of robust US jobs data and easing political headwinds in Italy and Spain. In New York, the Dow dipped in early trade. Macron and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who also sought friendship with Trump, made it clear they would prefer no consensus to a climbdown on trade. "The American president may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a six country agreement if need be," Macron said in a tweet. Trudeau told reporters the US national security justification for the tariffs on steel and aluminum was "laughable." Macron was to meet with Britain's Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Conte ahead of their talks with Trump. On Friday, the bilateral meetings precede roundtable discussions before they tuck into a dinner of lobster, asparagus and maple leaves nestled on a brioche at the end of the first day of talks. The summit is being held at a luxury resort more than two hours' drive from the provincial capital, where more than 400 protesters faced off late Thursday against police. Previous G7 summits have seen large-scale anti-globalization protests, but Trump was a main target of the demonstration as masked anarchists set fire to US flags and those of other G7 nations. Search Keywords: Short link: Representatives of European Union countries at the G7 meeting in Quebec agreed that the conditions to readmit Russia to the group of advanced economies were not yet met, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters on Friday. Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Merkel also said it was too soon to say whether leaders would issue a common communique, adding that if they failed to do so it would be an honest acknowledgement that no agreement had been reached. U.S. President Donald Trump called earlier on Friday for Russia to be brought back into the global grouping. Moscow was expelled in the wake of its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014. Italy's new Prime Minister later echoed the call in a post on Twitter. Search Keywords: Short link: The announcement will be given at a conference Sunday, 10 June at the GEM Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities, represented by the Grand Egyptian Museum Authority, is set to announce in a press conference to local and international companies and consortiums the opening of a pre-qualification stage for those hoping to bid for the contract to manage and operate facilities at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) Complex in Giza. The conference will be held at the GEM on Sunday 10 June at 11:00 am. The event will be hosted in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation and the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces, and supported by the Ministry of Tourism. Supervisor-General of the GEM Tarek Tawfik told Ahram Online that in order to qualify, companies must possess previous experience in the management of such facilities. The GEM's facilities include a conference center, cinema, restaurants overlooking the pyramids, food courts, bookshops and other retail, a traditional arts and crafts centre, a multifunctional building and large open areas available for events. Tawfik said that the Ministry of Antiquities is the only authority responsible for the management and security of GEMs treasured collection as well as anything related to antiquities, such as the exhibition halls, maintenance and restoration centre and the childrens museum. During the conference, the ministry will announce a logo for the museum, which will be used in the GEM's promotion campaign in Egypt and worldwide. The shape of the logo was inspired by the architectural design of the museum, Tawfik said. The GEM Complex is a cultural institution located on an area of approximately 500,000 m2, adjacent to the Pyramids of Giza. It includes one of the largest museums in the world displaying the heritage of a single civilization. The museum will contain over 100,000 artifacts, reflecting Egypt's past from prehistory through the Greek and Roman Periods in Egypt, covering an area of 92,000 m2. Construction work on its first phase is scheduled to be completed by end of 2018 and to open within the first quarter of 2019, at which point the entire funerary collection of King Tutankhamun will be put on show for the first time ever, displaying more than 5,000 artifacts. The atrium and the grand staircase will also be displayed in the first phase and feature the colossus of King Ramses II and the King Meneptah Column, as well as a collection of 87 other large royal colossi and architectural items. Search Keywords: Short link: A Minnesota woman who died at the age of 80 last week will not be missed by her family, who let the public know about it in a biting obituary. Kathleen Dehmlow passed away on Thursday in Springfield, Minnesota, USA. According to her obituary in the Redwood Falls Gazette, she was not a very good person. It states that after she married Dennis Dehmlow in 1957, the couple had two children, Gina and Jay. Five years afterward, she became pregnant by her husbands brother Lyle Dehmlow and moved to California. She abandoned her children, Gina and Jay, who were then raised by her parents in Clements, Mr and Mrs Joseph Schunk. She passed away on May 31, 2018 in Springfield and will now face judgment. She will not be missed by Gina and Jay, and they understand that this world is a better place without her. A photograph of the original obituary in the newspapers print edition made the rounds on Twitter, where it went viral. - MailOnline The Nakawa Chief Magistrate's court yesterday failed to hear an application seeking to dismiss charges against suspects accused of killing former police spokesperson AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi. Noah Sajjabi, the Grade One Magistrate said that the ruling could not be delivered because the file containing the particulars of the offence was sanctioned by the Director of Public Prosecutions on March 23 and therefore it wasn't available for reference. Kaweesi's bullet riddled vehicle Kaweesi was brutally gunned down on the morning of Friday, March 17, 2017 a few metres away from his residence in Kulambiro, a Kampala suburb. Also killed in the mid morning ambush were Kaweesi's driver, Godfrey Mambewa and body guard, Kenneth Erau. It is said Kaweesi was shot at about 27 times. More than 40 people were initially arrested, 23 of whom were charged in court. More than a year later, the state is still seeking for more time to complete investigations. Godfrey Turyamusiima, the suspects lawyer objected to the prosecution's submissions. Earlier this year on February 15, defence lawyers asked court to dismiss the case on grounds that the state had failed to produce evidence against the suspects. Yesterday, state prosecutor Rachel Nabwire told Sajjabi that investigations into the case are still ongoing. Sajjabi was forced to adjourn the case to August 14 as they wait for the DPP to return the file to Nakawa court. "It is unfortunate that the state knows who killed Kaweesi. They have them in their possession, they have them in their custody. That is the reason why we have these newspapers, every newspaper for the last 7-10 days theyve mentioned about those who did this act. And among those names they mentioned, our clients are not part and parcel. They dont mention our clients participating. They have the Kitagandas, they have the Nixons. Those were part of them. They know who did it." said Turyamusiima. Plethora of charges All the 23 suspects are charged with terrorism contrary to Section 7(1) (a) and 2 (b) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2002. Seven of the suspects face additional charges of murder contrary to section 188 and 189 of the Penal Code Act; 11 are charged with being accomplices and seven are charged with aggravated robbery contrary to Section 285 and 286 of the Penal Code Act. The last batch of suspects were granted bail in February this year but lawyer Turyamusiima says much as his clients have temporary freedom, they still live in fear due to the charges hanging over them. "Why do they still put the innocent souls into torture. Coming here [court] is not easy, they use their transport, they leave their families, they live out of fear. Why? Because of what the state is doing. Dont be surprised when we come back on 14th August it will be the same thing. Adjourn, we shall adjourn. This time around the state was on leave for the last 6 months and now the state will be sick and then we shall get another thing and the state will not appear." added Turyamusiima. Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga has been shot dead together with his bodyguard near his home in Kawanda along the Kampala-Gulu highway. Abiriga, who was famous for his love for the ruling party, National Resistance Movement and President Museveni was gunned down this evening by unknown gunmen reportedly riding on motorcycles in a style similar to the way former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi was killed last year. Abiriga was gunned down as he drove his yellow Volkswagen beetle vehicle to home. According to witnesses, Abiriga usually returned home between 6-8pm. He was gunned down at around 7pm today. MP Ibrahim Abiriga's car bearing bullet scars. Photo: Nicholas Bamulanzeki His last public appearance was at the presentation of the State of the Nation Address on Wednesday at International Conference Centre at Kampala Serena hotel, in his trademark yellow Kaunda suit matched with yellow shoes. "It is a very unfortunate evening where I had to confirm the assassination of the Hon. Ibrahim Abiriga. He was killed near his home in Kawanda, Wakiso district," police spokesman Emilian Kayima said. Abiriga was one of the champions for the recent constitutional amendment for the removal of the presidential age from the constitution. "The Speaker @RebeccaKadaga has learnt with shock of the shooting & death of Arua Municipality MP, Hon Ibrahim Abiriga and sends her condolences to the family, the people of Arua and the country at large. She urges the security agencies to start investigations immediately," a tweet posted on the parliament handle reads. The shooting comes just a day after President Museveni assured Ugandans that the government will defeat masterminds of the new wave of what he called urban terrorism activities like kidnaps and murder. Museveni added that the government had put in place mechanisms to build the intelligence gathering capacity in towns and along major highways. MUSEVENI CALLS ABIRIGA'S WIFE Moments after he was gunned down, Musevrni called Abiriga's wife, Sijali Amina. The president rang the Arua district Internal Security Officer to link him up with Amina. Since the substantive DISO is reportedly out of station, a one Aguti, an intelligence operative attached to Arua Airfield is reported to have received the presidential directive. Oguti was seen driving at breakneck speed to Abiriga's home to link President Museveni with Abiriga's wife. Meanwhile, the mood at Abiriga's home is getting wilder. Irate mourners ordered soldiers who had deployed at Abiriga's home to go away. They accused them of failing to protect Abiriga in life. Abiriga's wife who returned to Arua two days ago from Kampala is currently being consoled by a group of women who immediately rushed to the home following the news of his demise. MUSLIMS VOW TO REVENGE News of Abiriga's shooting that started spreading at 7:20pm has left the Muslim community in Arua, NRM supporters in the municipality and Lower Madi community in distress. RIP: Ibrahim Abiriga Members of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council Arua district have reacted furiously to the news of Abiriga's death and have vowed to revenge on whoever has taken his life. Abiriga's house at Anyafio village was also filled with mourners as they tried to get live updates from television channels. Abiriga served as the resident district commissioner (RDC) for Arua district for 12 years since 2001 before he was transferred to Yumbe in the same position. He resigned from the post to contest for a parliamentary seat, which he won in February 2016. However, his election was contested by his main challenger, Musema Mudathir Bruce, a member of the opposition Forum For Democratic Change on the basis of lack of academic documents. His challengers have maintained that Abiriga did not have an advanced level certificate, the minimum education requirement for anyone contesting for a parliamentary seat. Popular Q&A online platform AskFM recently launched its own cryptocurrency, ASKT, and decided to celebrate by hosting an original giveaway. Instead of simply giving away some tokens to randomly selected winners, they buried a crypto-wallet with 500,000 tokens in it on Mount Everest and challenged anyone brave enough to go find it. The Dublin-based start-up is similar to Quora or Yahoo Answers, and is currently the worlds largest questions and answers platform in the world. But as part of its rebranding as AskFM 2.0, the company also launched its own cryptocurrency token, which it plans to use to reward users for quality content. In an effort to raise awareness about its new crypto, called ASKT, AskFM came up with a controversial publicity stunt that involves challenging brave people to climb Mount Everest and look for a cryptocurrency ledger with $50,000 in tokens buried somewhere on the summit. Its finders, keepers. Photo: Uwe Gille/Wikimedia Commons If youre brave enough, go get them, the robotic voice narrating the AskFM promotional video challenges viewers. However, it conveniently fails to mention that a human life has most likely already been lost in the production of the video, and that others could follow, should some inexperienced climber decided to take AskFM up on their challenge. AskFM had three Ukrainian mountain climbers take two ledgers of ASKT up on the top of the world. One of them was brought back down, while the other was buried somewhere on Everest. What the companys press release fails to mention, however, is that during the decent, one of the two Sherpas accompanying the climbers was left behind, and never made it back down. He is presumed dead. At the top of Everest the weather was very bad, and then we were coming down. We were going down to Camp 4, which is at about 7900 m, and one Sherpa was dying. Thats all we know, one of the Ukrainian climbers told Financial Times. He was behind us, so we dont know what happened to him. We were going fast and the Sherpa wasnt coming with us. He was coming behind so we didnt see him. Photo: video screengrab The Sherpa, identified as Lam Babu, was apparently a very experienced climber, having conquered three Everest summits, as well as three other 8,000 meter peaksCho Oyu, Manaslu and Annapurna all in the Himalaya. Still, something happened, and he didnt make it back to camp. One of the professional climbers involved in the stunt also suffered frostbite to his hands and feet, but he has since made a full recovery. The publicity stunt was intended as a play on one of the most popular memes in the cryptocurrency world to the moon. The idea behind it is that the price of crypto will skyrocket and make the owner a rich man in the process. It was also meant to suggest that AskFM is not afraid to take risks and that their cryptocurrency token is superior to the others currently flooding the market. It was no doubt an impressive stunt, but was it really worth the cost of a human life? And what if its only the beginning. ASKT currently sells at 10 tokens for $1, so the 500,000 token buried on Everest is currently worth $50,000. But what if ASKT proves so popular that prices skyrocket? People may not be willing to risk their lives for a few tens of thousands of dollars, but what if that turns into millions, tens of millions? Climbers from all over the world will converge on Everest hoping to fulfill their dream of conquering it and getting rich in the process. People will do the dumbest things for money anyway, did AskFM really have to give them another reason to risk their lives for financial gains? Joe Honick New York real estate wheeler-dealer and erstwhile international diplomat Donald Trump has no idea how he has been suckered into what might be called Dramatis Asianis. Worse, many Americans who just love Trumps loud and threatening tough talk view his conduct in heroic terms, the way US leadership should have been talking to Asia for years. Focusing now on the long-running comic opera with North Korea, Trump, who already believes he should be awarded the Nobel for bringing that countrys leader to a prospective summit, would do well to realize how he has been played not just by the guy he once called Little Rocket Man but by China and South Korea with additional orchestration from Russia. As Kim Jung-un developed his apparent nuclear threat to the US, Trump screamed threats of Sturm und Drang if North Korea even dared one move to threaten us. Kim displayed some deft PR by refusing to kowtow to Trumps white-hot rhetoric and returning the verbal fire in tones that mirrored Trumps bellicose language. What followed is grist for a Broadway musical. Kim knows that if he launched a missile in our direction, North Korea would be totally leveled in a matter of hours. He also understands the US is almost always willing to engage in public debate before taking any major action. That talk suits the PR needs of American politicians. Wily politicians in Asia have long read our ways extremely well. They know how far to take us in the back and forth threats designed for public consumption, while carefully figuring when to shift gears or back off. In the case of Trump vs. North Korea, the US has demonstrated once more his ignorance of international negotiation and certainly his disrespect for those in Asia. Trump boasted that he requires little prep time for the Singapore summit, saying it's more of an attitude thing. Without question, neither China nor South Korea were ever interested in military action against North Korea. That goes for Vladimir Putin, as well. Whats more, they know how to get on with each other while handling the boastful current president of the US. As the rhetorical show proceeded, allowances were made for Trumps need to see himself as controlling the drama. Smart leaders in China and South Korea figured how to calm matters, while giving Trump a feeling of personal triumph and creating a chance for everyone to celebrate contributions to peace at the big meeting in Singapore. The real questions: 1 What will North Korea get for cooperating? 2. Who will pay for whatever they get? 3. Will North Korea be welcomed into the larger society of nations the same as Gadaffi and Libya were after they promised George Bush to drop their nuke activity only to be knocked off by Barack Obama? 4. How will Trump satisfy his narcissistic need for praise for the summit, even as Special Counsel Robert Mueller may be ready to spring a series of subpoenas on the presidential desk? Having been conspicuously sucked into the Asian trap but believing his loud threats fixed everything, Trumps unpredictable conduct in the weeks ahead should concern people around the world and certainly in the US, which he thinks hes making great again. It must not be overlooked that our president is willing to grant equal "star" status to one of the most ruthless dictators in the world, a man who presides over a national gulag. Trump suggested that Kim may be invited to the White House, if things go well at the Singapore summit. Things have already gone very well for the North Korean leader, who will make the most of how the clueless Trump gobbled up his PR bait. *** Joseph J. Honick is an international consultant to business and government and writes for many publications. He can be reached at joehonick@gmail.com The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and disturbances across western Europe and the US were echoed in events in Egypt in 1968 In the course of 2018, many people from different countries, regions and sub-regions of the world have been celebrating the 50th anniversary of 1968. Why was this year so important in the history of so many nations and peoples and in the history of humanity as a whole? 1968 witnessed many significant events and developments that have had an impact on our world. They have had a lasting influence that has stayed with us until today and that will probably remain for decades, if not centuries, to come. In this year, the world was taken by surprise by the invasion by the former Soviet Union of the then country of Czechoslovakia, later divided after the end of the Cold War into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The invasion by Soviet troops, together with troops from other member states of the then Warsaw Pact, brought to an end a brief, yet vibrant, Prague Spring that was perceived as a threat by the Soviets in the context of the Cold War between the former Soviet Union and the US at the time. The Prague Spring was not simply an expression of the quest for broader margins of political liberty and political democracy by the Czechoslovak people, however. Just as importantly, it was an indication of the cry of the youth of that country, and of other Eastern Bloc countries, for political, social, economic and cultural empowerment. Although the Soviet invasion succeeded and the Prague Spring came to an end, later developments proved that neither the society nor the people of Czechoslovakia and the rest of the Eastern Bloc countries had returned to the situation as it stood before the invasion. The situation in countries party to the Western alliance led by the US was not much better. Demonstrations, protests and other activities expressing anger, frustration and dissent by young people were widespread. France witnessed the strongest wave of such protests to the extent that a year after them French president Charles de Gaulle, a historic figure that had led France to victory in the Second World War and had established the Fifth Republic in France in 1958, had to resign. Students played a vanguard role in the 1968 protests in France, but other sectors of the population were no less active. The ideology of the protests was left-wing, but it was not the traditional left as previously represented by the conventional Communist parties of the western European countries. Instead, it was what came to be known as the New Left, a left that was more humane in its outlook and vision. It was also a left that was opposed to the Stalinist version of the left and was trying to elaborate a more democratic, non-violent and peaceful left that was by no means less radical in its aspirations to achieve justice, equity and equality nationally, regionally and worldwide. The ideology of these young people had various sources, including the Frankfurt School theorists in Germany, the Dependency School theorists in Latin America, and the leftist existentialism of French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, among others. In the US, things were more complicated because there were two other factors on the agenda: namely the momentum created by the assassination of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King and the growing opposition, again particularly in the ranks of American youth, to the war in Vietnam and the growing calls for withdrawing US troops. Increasing numbers of American young men were refusing to serve in Vietnam during their period of military service. The significance of 1968 does not stop there, because it was also an exceptional year for Egypt. In that year former president Gamal Abdel-Nasser initiated the War of Attrition against Israel in order to introduce some movement in the light of the failure of international diplomatic efforts to get Israel to implement UN Security Council Resolution 242 of November 1967 calling for the Israeli withdrawal from the Arab territories occupied during the June 1967 War. In the same year, there were reports of the appearance of the Virgin Mary in Egypt to both Muslims and Christians in a church bearing her name in the Cairo district of Zaitoun. These were interpreted as a sign that God was supporting the Egyptian people during the difficult times after the 1967 defeat. The third important development for the Egyptian people in 1968 was the student-led demonstrations in February and November. The February demonstrations demanded that the commanders of the Egyptian Air Force be made to stand trial again as they had received very modest sentences from the tribunal judging them for their responsibility for the 1967 defeat. However, other demands then came to the fore focusing on the need for a broader margin of political freedom as well as for the establishing of real democracy in Egypt. Nasser then formulated his 30 March Declaration in which he committed himself to political reforms in the framework of the then single party the Arab Socialist Union and promised greater freedoms after the liberation of the territories occupied in the 1967 War. Those who demonstrated in 1968 concluded that the implementation of the promises in the 30 March Declaration were not sufficient or implemented quickly enough. Some of them even saw the promises themselves as insufficient. Demonstrations erupted again in November of the same year. 1968 was an exceptional year in the history of many countries, regions and sub-regions, including Egypt. Although many studies have been published of the significance of 1968 and conferences organised to analyse its impacts, the door will always be open to more contributions in the future. The writer is a commentator. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 June 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: 1968 a year to remember Search Keywords: Short link: Some commuters have welcomed dockless bicycles and scooters as a positive addition to cities transportation networks, adding a cheap, convenient way to get around, especially where public transit is lacking. Yet, these services have cultivated a surprising amount of animosity from local officials and drawn loud protests from community members. These dockless bikes and scooters some with battery power, some pedal-driven have grown ubiquitous on the sidewalks of American cities over the past few months. They have also become symbols of the tech industrys ignorance. From city officials referring to them as a public nuisance as they block sidewalks and entryways, to neighbors protesting the expansion of services and even some taking to vandalizing the scooters themselves, these dockless transportation startups are facing an uphill battle in the very places where their service should achieve broad appeal. And now, the city of San Francisco has announced that it plans to ban dockless scooter startups from their streets and sidewalks, relegating these companies to a 12-month long pilot program limited to only a few thousand total scooters in San Francisco and hindering their ability to grow at least in the short term. Did it have to be this way? What steps could these startups have taken to anticipate and ward off this backlash? How could they have ensured that the conversation took place on their terms? The debate around dockless bikes and scooters provides a microcosm view into the many struggles facing Silicon Valley tech firms. A revolutionary idea can be jeopardized by a lack of consideration for real world consequences and reactions from the public. In this case, its not about privacy violations or the spread of misinformation. Its a battle about cluttered streets, blocked driveways and accessibility for the disabled. However, the lesson is the same: technology companies must make it a priority to understand how their innovations will be received by the real world and must build a foundation of support with community leaders, influencers and policymakers that can ensure that they own the conversation. That way, they are viewed as problem-solvers, not problem-makers. This is where a public affairs strategy offers the path to success for any technology company looking to be a disruptor. When you introduce something new and potentially jarring, it is difficult to avoid criticism. But you can maintain control of the debate. You can build a base of support that already holds sway within the community to give you a validating voice. You can offer proactive solutions to easily foreseeable problems and questions. Were already seeing some of that from the dockless industry. In Washington, D.C., the CEO of one of the dockless scooter startups, Bird, launched his service with a challenge to his peers: agree to a Save Our Sidewalks pledge. According to The Washington Post, this would ask dockless companies to commit to give a share of their revenue, $1 per vehicle per day, to build bike lanes, promote safe riding and maintain shared infrastructure. Perhaps the lesson is being taken to heart. For tomorrows technology leaders, its important to learn from the missteps of predecessors. Innovative solutions to real-world problems can and often should be disruptive. With disruption, comes a responsibility to the communities and consumers you seek to serve. A smart public affairs strategy can offer a roadmap to success that complements and enhances your big idea. *** Nick Horowitz is an account director and serves as Racepoint Globals editor-in-chief, leading thought leadership content development for clients and the agency. He serves as the writer for editorials, public remarks, white papers and blogs. Nick has experience executing a wide range of media relations and public affairs campaigns. He has managed media campaigns for a diverse slate of clients including ARM Holdings, Lockheed Martin, AT&T and the Kingdom of Jordan, and has secured media coverage for clients in outlets including NPR, CNN, MSNBC, Reuters, and The Washington Post. Ryan Lizza Ryan Lizza, the former New Yorker Washington correspondent who was ousted from his job following a sexual misconduct scandal, has been named chief political correspondent for Esquire. In the wake of the December scandal, Lizza also lost positions as a CNN contributor and faculty member at Georgetown University. CNN reinstated him in January after an investigation found no reason to keep him off the air, and he is currently listed as adjunct faculty on Georgetowns website. Lizzas New Yorker coverage of Anthony Scaramucci played a major role in the financiers exit as White House communications director after only ten days in the position. Lizza will be a must-read, offering rare insight and intelligence, Esquire editor-in-chief Jay Fielden said in a Twitter post. Staff employees at The New Yorker and Fast Company are opting to pursue union representation. According to the New York Post, 90 percent of the 115 union-eligible employees at The New Yorker have signed union cards, while an overwhelming majority of Fast Companys 40-member staff have done the same. The union drive at The New Yorker comes amid a wave editorial downsizings at parent company Conde Nast, which is estimated to have lost $100 million in 2017. A Wednesday tweet from @newyorkerunion said that the decision to unionize was based on the fact that the magazines atmosphere of deliberation and care and its devotion to exceptional reporting, factual accuracy, careful prose and expert design were increasingly vulnerable to Conde Nasts economic priorities. A statement from Fast Companys union said that it was looking to secure salary floors for all positions, as well as a commitment to diversity and an end of gender wage gaps. The magazine is owned by Mansueto Ventures, which is owned by Morningstar founder Joe Mansueto. Penthouse, which filed for bankruptcy in January, has been purchased for $11.2 million by the owner of Bang Bros, a Miami-based pornographic film studio. Larry Flynts Hustler and Dream Media, a company formed by High Times owner Adam Levin, also placed bids for the magazine. At one point, Penthouse boasted circulation of 5 million. Its most recent claim to fame is the interview with Stormy Daniels that ran in its May/June issue. The assets of Penthouse Global Media include all of the magazines back content, as well as Caligula, the infamous film adaptation of the Gore Vidal novel that Bob Guccione co-produced in 1979. Rubin Bob Goldberg, co-founder of Feature Photo Service, has died. Founded in 1985 by former Associated Press staffers, Feature Photo Service was one of the first companies to transmit commercial photos. Currently, 1,300 AP newspapers, magazines and other media in all 50 states have agreed to receive FPS photos. Bob was a creative visionary, photographer and businessman who generously mentored many in the public relations and photography industries, said an FPS statement. His many contributions to photojournalism and the public relations industry will live on in the memories of those who knew and worked with him. Remarks by Angel Gurria OECD Secretary-General OECD, France - 30 May 2018 (As prepared for delivery) President Macron, President Grybauskaite, President Santos, Prime Minister Kucinski, Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great honour for me to once again welcome you to the OECD on this historic occasion as we celebrate the accession of Lithuania and Colombia to the organisation. This is the power of multilateralism in action as we gain in diversity and strength in search of solutions for common global challenges that work for all. This is a time for celebration! With the accession of Colombia and Lithuania, the OECD becomes a more vibrant, pluralistic and inclusive forum for the exchange and sharing of best practices. We will thus be able to further expand the reach and impact of our evidence-based policy solutions, instruments and standards. Through the increasingly rigorous accession process, Colombias and Lithuanias policies have been closely examined by more than 20 OECD Committees in fields as diverse as public governance and anti-corruption, environment and statistics, education and fiscal affairs. It has been a 360 degree, in-depth review of both countries legislation, policies and practices against OECD standards. OECD peers will continue to monitor Colombias and Lithuanias progress and performance through post-accession reviews and continuous feedback in committees. The accession process has been a catalyst for impressive reforms, which have not only benefited the two countries, but are also inspiring learning opportunities for other OECD members and partners facing similar challenges. Let me start with Lithuania. As a result of the accession process, Lithuania adopted major legislative reforms linked to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and the Codes of Liberalisation; to improve the protection of whistle-blowers, the governance of state-owned enterprises and the design of its private pension system. These are only a few examples. Lithuania joins us on the eve of the centenary anniversary of its statehood, rounding out aspirations for OECD membership across the Baltic States, first jointly expressed by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1996. I would like to applaud the dedication and commitment of President Grybauskaite. Your leadership has enabled your country to complete the accession process in three short years since the OECD Members decided to open accession discussions with Lithuania in April 2015. Now turning to the accession of Colombia, joining the OECD confirms the vision of President Santos about Colombias rightful place among like-minded democracies. Upon taking office for his first term in 2010, President Santos stated two objectives: achieving the long-awaited peace after more than half a century of internal strife, tens of thousands of dead and millions displaced; and OECD membership as a means to undertake major reforms aimed at modernising the economy, improving governance and well-being and increasing the effectiveness of the public sector. Through the OECD accession process Colombia has made impressive strides in, for example, reforming its justice system and reducing informality in the labour market. The accession process has been instrumental in the design and implementation of new national policies, such as on water and chemicals management. Colombia took important steps to improve its governance of state-owned enterprises, including removal of ministers from the boards. To comply with the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention Colombia significantly modified its corporate liability regime. The list of reforms goes on. Mr President, you have achieved both objectives peace and OECD membership! You got the Nobel Prize for building the peace! Well deserved. Today, we offer you a new network, a new support system, a new family and a group of dedicated men and women to enhance the future of Colombia. President Santos, President Grybauskaite, Let me thank you both for your exceptional leadership and commitment in your path to OECD membership. We are counting on your active contribution as we, together, continue to design, develop and deliver better policies for better lives. Welcome to the OECD! See also: OECD work with Colombia OECD work with Lithuania The East beckons me Japan but Im a bit worried that Ill get too Zen there and my writing will dry up. David Bowie, 1980 David Bowies longstanding fascination with Japan pervaded his work, becoming the gateway through which many of his fans began to explore that countrys cultural traditions and aesthetics. Perhaps the entry point is designer Kansai Yamamotos Ziggy Stardust togs, Yukio Mishimas 1963 novel The Sailor Who Fell from Grace from the Seaone of Bowies top 100 booksor the 1000s of images photographer Masayoshi Sukita captured of the rocker over a period of four decades. Maybe it was Aladdin Sanes kabuki-like makeup or director Nagisa Oshimas World War II drama, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, in which Bowie played a British officer in a Japanese POW camp. The recent release of two modern ukiyo-e woodblock prints featuring the rocker has caused such mass swooning among legions of Japanophile Bowie fans, the reverberations may well be powerful enough to ring temple bells in Kyoto. For each print, artist Masumi Ishikawa casts Bowie as both himself and an iconic Japanese figure. In the image at the top of the page, Bowies Aladdin Sane assumes the pose of the central character in Edo Period artist Utagawa Kuniyoshis Kidomaru and the Tengu, below. The other print relocates the dashing Bowie from Terry ONeills Diamond Dogs publicity photos to the realm of magician Takezawa Toji, whose spinning top performances had the power to summon dragons, at least as depicted by Kuniyoshi. The prints were ordered by the Ukiyo-e Project, whose mission is to portray todays artists and pop icons on traditional woodblock prints. (Bowie follows previous honorees Kiss and Iron Maiden.) The prints and the blocks from which the impressions were made will be on display at BOOKMARC in Tokyos Omotesando neighborhood from June 23 to July 1. via Spoon and Tamago Related Content: Download 2,500 Beautiful Woodblock Prints and Drawings by Japanese Masters (1600-1915) Special David Bowie MetroCards Get Released in New York City The Periodic Table of David Bowie: A Visualization of the Seminal Artists Influence and Influences Ayun Halliday is an author, illustrator, theater maker, Chief Primatologist of the East Village Inky zine and Bowie fan. Her solo show Nurse!, in which one of Shakespeares best loved female characters hits the lecture circuit to set the record straight opens June 12 at The Tank in New York City. Follow her @AyunHalliday. A 51-year-old man was killed Thursday in Vancouver when he was rear-ended while slowing down for another car that stopped for ducks in the road, police say. The driver who stopped for the birds was injured also. Michael Felton of Ridgefield, Washington, was pronounced dead at the scene after his 2009 Nissan Maxima was hit by a 2017 Dodge Ram pickup. They were on the southbound Interstate 205 on-ramp from westbound Mill Plain Road a little before 12:25 p.m, Washington State Patrol said. The impact sent the Nissan into a 2017 Toyota Prius, injuring Lorie Pattee, 61, of Dexter, Oregon. The driver of the pickup, 53-year-old John Mead of Portland, was not injured. The ducks weren't hurt, state patrol said. All three drivers had their seat belts on. No charges or citations have been announced by the state patrol, which said Mead's "inattention" was the cause of the crash. -- Everton Bailey Jr. ebailey@oregonian.com 503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey Later this month, former Higgins chef Rich Meyer will leave Trifecta, the restaurant he helped propel into a perennial spot among Portland's top 40. Stepping in will be Chris DiMinno, the longtime Clyde Common chef who most recently steered downtown Portland's Jackrabbit. Meyer has not disclosed his next venture. "Rich can leave Trifecta proud of his efforts with us, the community of regulars we have built up and the year-over-year ranking in Portland's top (restaurants)", owner Ken Forkish wrote in an email. According to Forkish, Trifecta will restructure its menu to follow a more traditional "snacks, apps, oysters and mains" format while retaining the great pimento double cheeseburger, the oysters many ways and the "big-ass" 28 day dry-aged ribeye steak. DiMinno, who spent time at New York destination Blue Hill at Stone Barns before moving to Portland, will continue Meyer's work with seasonal vegetables while looking to incorporate more of Trifecta's bread into his dishes. A long-awaited steak tartare could be in the works. Once DiMinno is in place, the restaurant plans to launch a weekend brunch, another chance to take advantage of the bread and pastries from what has quietly emerged as one of Portland's best bakeries. "Trifecta is now in our fifth year and this is a good time for fresh energy in our kitchen and our bar," Forkish writes. "I'm thinking of these changes as Trifecta 2.0." It's not the only staff shakeup at Trifecta. Longtime bar manager Colin Carroll is leaving after service Friday, June 8 with plans to open a new bar this fall in the former O'Malley's Saloon & Grill. That bar, which will focus on fun, affordable craft cocktails, will split the old space with a new location of Atlas Pizza. Between now and then, Carroll will be found at Poison's Rainbow, where his wife, theater actor Kelly Godell, manages the bar. "I've learned so much just sharing a space with Rich," Carroll says. "He's old school, he's classically trained and he never really (cared) about being an All Star chef. He just wanted to do the work." At Trifecta, bartender Eddie Riddell will step into Carroll's position, adding a few more oyster-friendly cocktails -- a Vesper, a French 75, a White Negroni -- to the classics already found in Trifecta's leather-bound cocktail menu. 726 S.E. Sixth Ave., 503-841-6675, trifectapdx.com -- Michael Russell Metro voters will be asked in November to approve a $652.8 million bond measure to fund up to 3,900 homes in the Portland area. The measure, unanimously referred to the ballot by the Metro Council on Thursday, would add to property tax bills 24 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or $60 a year for the owner of a home with an assessed value of $250,000. Housing providers and homelessness nonprofits urged the Metro council to vote to refer the measure, saying it would help ease soaring demand for affordable housing and other services that's come with rising rents. "We're playing musical chairs," said Sahaan McKelvey, codirector of community & family programs at Self Improvement Inc., a Portland antipoverty nonprofit. "We don't have enough resources." Beneficiaries of affordable housing developments also testified, saying they provided the stability. They included Pam May of Tigard, who said she was formerly homeless before she was able to move into an apartment with the assistance of a housing voucher. "It's now impossible for our citizens experiencing homelessness on their own without some help beyond their own resources," May said. A handful of people testified against the measure, saying raising taxes on homes could be counterproductive. Gerard Mildner, academic director for Portland State University's Center for Real Estate, described the effort as a "feel-good measure that won't be very effective" because it wouldn't produce enough units to meet the need. Mildner, a critic of Metro's urban growth boundary beyond which development is restricted, said the regional government should instead focus on reducing the cost of market-rate housing. Metro Councilor Betty Dominguez of Oak Grove -- who also works for the public housing authority Home Forward, which could receive funds from the bond -- spoke emotionally in support of the measure. She recalled how, 35 years ago as a single mother, she had to let her electric service lapse in order to make rent. "To those who say this is a drop in the bucket, I say that if you're that single mom living in your car with your children, that drop is your lifeline," she said. Voters will also be asked in November to vote on a measure that would allow bond revenue to fund nongovernmental affordable housing, rather than requiring that housing created with bonds be owned or operated by a public agency. Private affordable housing developers can combine it with private capital to create more housing units. If voters approve the amendment, Metro says its bond would help create or preserve 3,900 affordable homes, housing up to 12,000 people. If the amendment fails but the bond passes, Metro says its bond would result in only 2,400 housing units, housing up to 7,500. Metro said half of the homes created would be affordable to households making less than 30 percent of the region's median family income, the income bracket for which the shortage of homes is greatest, and where residents are most likely to fall into homelessness. About half of the bond money would likely be used to buy and rehabilitate existing low-cost housing, while the other half would be used to build new homes. The funds would be divided between the three metro-area counties largely according to their tax base, and the funds would go to local housing authorities to distribute. Metro would retain 10 percent to buy land for affordable housing near transit lines. The bond measure would come two years after voters in Portland approved a $258 million housing bond, for which the city has been criticized for moving too slowly. Metro is also expected to send voters a transportation funding measure in 2020. -- Elliot Njus enjus@oregonian.com 503-294-5034 @enjus Updated at 11:26 p.m. Multnomah County has filed a lawsuit over Trump administration changes to a sex education grant that would mandate an abstinence-only curriculum. The county is in the third year of a five-year grant being used to train middle and high school teachers. The program, which was created and funded during the Obama administration, focuses on such topics as safe sex, consent and contraception, as well as established methods to reduce teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted disease. But the U.S. Health and Human Services Department changed the terms of the grant, which will make it much harder for Oregon to compete for future money. That's because the Oregon Department of Education requires schools to teach comprehensive sex education, putting it at odds with the federal agency. Multnomah County filed the lawsuit to block the federal government from giving out money under the new guidelines. The county argues, through the law firm Democracy Forward, that the sudden change in rules unfairly disadvantages states like Oregon. "The Trump administration wants programs based on wishful thinking," said county Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury. "We know comprehensive sex education works." The change also would open the door to more proposals from religious and other groups, making the grant more competitive. Though the grant's guidelines say that any idea will be considered, it must revolve around efforts to stop teenagers from having sex. "It's not science-based, and it's not medically accurate, and it's not really in alignment with our public health principles or the principles of the community partners we're working with right now," said Kim Toevs, director of adolescent sexual health equity for Multnomah County. Nearly 37 percent of 11th graders in Multnomah County have had sex, according to the 2017 Oregon Healthy Teen Survey. Most students say they had sex for the first time at 16 or 17, but 12 percent were as young as 14. Comprehensive sex education can be controversial because many see it as tacit encouragement for teens to have sex. However, supporters say there is little data to substantiate that abstinence-only education stops kids from having sex. Multnomah County uses the federal funding with a little bit of local money to pay sexual health staff to work with teachers on a research-backed curriculum on the best strategies for encouraging teenagers to make responsible decisions around sex. That means that abstinence is taught as the only foolproof way to avoid pregnancy and disease. However, it also means that oral sex is taught as a safer alternative to vaginal sex. Teenagers are taught that the law allows them to access birth control with or without their parents' consent. The curriculum is also designed to be inclusive of LGBTQ teenagers and students who have experienced trauma, such as molestation. The county employees and staff from Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette instruct students in the classroom while their teachers observe. As the teachers including some who don't have a health background become more proficient in the curriculum, the county workers step back and become support. Some of the grant money also goes to organizations that work with African-American, Latino and Native American youth. Children from those backgrounds often contend with economic and social factors that lead to rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, Toevs said. Black and Latina teens in Multnomah County are at least three times more likely to get pregnant as their white peers. For Native American youth, that's 50 percent higher. Oregon public health statistics show the rate of contracting chlamydia or gonorrhea can also be much higher. "The people who disproportionately suffer the burden of not being able to access the health care they need, and punitive policies have disproportionately been women of color," Toevs said. If the county loses funding, five staff positions would be eliminated and the community organizations would lose the federal money, according to the lawsuit. Overall, Multnomah County is seeing some success, even before this program. From 2005 to 2015, teen pregnancy rates declined 57 percent, according to the county's 2018 Triennial Review Report and the Oregon Health Teen survey data. That work is being jeopardized by new leadership at the federal level. Valerie Huber, who founded an organization that promotes abstinence education and is the former head of Ohio's abstinence-only education program, is now the chief of staff at the federal Office of Adolescent Health. This has led Multnomah County to argue in its lawsuit that the new grant guidelines serve as a backdoor to end the program for political reasons, which is unlawful. Health and Human Services officials originally asked Congress to cut funding for the teen pregnancy prevention program, but that was unsuccessful. Then, the grant program was ended early -- in 2018 rather than 2020. A judge later decided that the federal government could not do so, after a class-action lawsuit that Multnomah County joined. Under the order, the federal agency is supposed to process the grant requests as usual. In the meantime, though, the premise of the program has changed -- which is what Multnomah County wants to halt. "They have attempted to replace Congress's design with their own creation, which is as unsanctioned as it is incompatible with Congress's directives," the lawsuit said. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden gave his endorsement to the lawsuit Friday morning, saying he would use his position as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee to ensure money continues to be available for comprehensive sex education. "I have laid out the case in terms of how many vulnerable people the Trump administration would actually hurt," Wyden said. "In this case, what they're doing is particularly punitive because they're singling out young people." Toevs said that if the county loses, her office will still submit a grant proposal. She acknowledges that it likely would not rank as highly under the new standards. "We've all been really happy with how we've been doing the work," Toevs said. -- Molly Harbarger mharbarger@oregonian.com 503-294-5923 @MollyHarbarger Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was on Capitol Hill recently to defend her plan to cut $3.6 billion from the 2019 education budget. During her appearance she made several startling statements including one about the federal school safety commission she is leading. In recent shootings in Florida and Texas, more than two dozen students were killed by shooters firing horrific amounts of ammunition intended to kill as many as possible. Yet DeVos, who is leading this commission, unashamedly reported that it would not investigate the role of guns in school violence. How can this possibly make sense? Studying school violence without acknowledging that the students were killed because an individual used weapons designed for mass murder is ridiculous. The use of firearms in school shootings should be at the center of any serious effort to address this disgraceful, national epidemic. It is evident the work of this commission will not satisfy the students in this country protesting the continued lack of action on school safety. Nor will it cause their parents to feel any more comfortable when their children leave home each morning. Ultimately it will not make schools safer or reduce the number and frequency of these violent and grotesque incidents. The minimum DeVos and her commission must do is to acknowledge the real problem. Guns. If she can't do this, she needs to get out of the way and allow an adult to lead this commission. -- Edward Bettencourt, Lake Oswego By Thomas L. Hellie The headline said, "Oregon denied financial aid to 2 out of every 3 eligible college students." As intended, it caught my attention, and I read the story with interest even though I wasn't surprised by its message. I am in the final weeks of my presidency at Linfield College. I've held the job for more than 12 years. I've met three Oregon governors, testified before state legislative committees and talked with a variety of leaders from education agencies the state has created (and in some cases ended), from the Chancellor of the Oregon University System to Oregon's education "czar" and the Oregon Investment Board to the current Higher Education Coordinating Commission. Without exception, these leaders want to make Oregon's students successful. They all -- we all-- care deeply about the future of our citizens and state. Not only have we seen a variety of administrators and administrative structures, we've also seen a variety of strategies. First, the coordinating of all of Oregon's public universities. Then decoupling those universities and creating independent boards. And finally, attempting to coordinate all levels of education in Oregon. The last push led to the lofty goal of 80 percent of young residents receiving a college degree by 2025 and then the Oregon Promise community college program, intended to help our neediest students get to college. The state has hired talented people and created a variety of strategies and structures, but we have yet to see significant success changing the overall reality. That doesn't mean we should stop trying. In fact, it means we need to keep trying. But it also shows that we haven't found a magic bullet. Which brings me back to the headline. The Oregonian's story on May 23 reported our state's failure to sufficiently fund the Oregon Opportunity Grant. Ironically, even as we've created a plethora of structures and positions, we've never come close to funding the program that actually works. While tens of thousands of Oregonians qualify to receive this scholarship support each year, only about one-third actually receive it. What's most important is our failure to help our own citizens. But it's also embarrassing to see our neighboring states provide such funds for far more of their qualified students and give bigger scholarships. It's not a surprise their enrollment and completion rates surpass ours. You could say that I have a vested interest here. I'm the president of a college that enrolls a lot of high-need students who benefit from this financial aid. But in fact, only 7 percent of Oregon Opportunity Grant dollars are awarded to students at private colleges. The other 93 percent is split almost evenly between community colleges and public universities. So, while I have a vested interest, it's primarily as an educator and as an Oregonian. I may be retiring next month, but I'm going to stay in Oregon and I want our state to flourish, not languish. I know money is tight, and as a college administrator, I understand that we have to make tough decisions when funds are limited. But that's all the more reason for those decisions to be strategic. Two years ago, the Oregon Legislature created the Oregon Promise, billed as free community college for all Oregon high school graduates with a 2.5 grade point average or better. Thousands of young people signed up. The state is now providing $40 million to cover tuition and fees for those students. Never mind that the state only increased community college budgets by 1.1 percent, or that students are often unable to get the classes they need to move on to a bachelor's degree in the normal time. If community college is indeed the answer for these students, we need to send more funds to the community colleges. But an even better alternative is to redirect the funds to the Oregon Opportunity Grant. With that grant, Oregon's needy students will still be eligible for free community college - 100 percent of their tuition and fees can be covered by the Oregon Opportunity Grant and federal aid. They'll also have the option of choosing a four-year public university, where 55 percent will graduate with a bachelor's degree in six years or less. Or one of Oregon's private colleges, where the completion rate is even better. At private colleges in the state, nearly 60 percent of students earn a bachelor's degree in four years or less. Different colleges are better for different people. The Oregon Opportunity Grant enables Oregon's neediest citizens to enroll in the college that will work best for them. Because our resources are limited, we should invest them in the best option for our state -- and that's the Oregon Opportunity Grant Program. Thomas L. Hellie is president of Linfield College, which has campuses in McMinnville and Portland. He was also chair of the 687-member Council of Independent Colleges from January 2016 to January 2018. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 800 words or less on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. By Lorraine Kahneratokwas Gray It's not easy to accept that two of my sons are now nationally known, not for their sharp humor, musical talent, or academic achievements, but rather for the humiliation they recently endured on a campus tour. Moms are supposed to have all the answers, but it's hard to explain why they, as Native Americans, were treated at a public university like they "don't belong." So when Starbucks closed 8,000 stores last week to conduct a racial bias training, the news gave me hope, which is something that I've struggled with lately. I'm under no illusion that a four-hour session can fix racism. But I hope that more institutions, including colleges and universities, will take important steps to protect people of color from the consequences of white suspicion. It's been a month since the incident, but April 30, 2018, is a day that will live with me forever. I was worried from the start. My two sons, 17 and 19, were adamant about taking the seven-hour drive in our road-worn family car from our home in New Mexico all the way to Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where they were scheduled to attend a campus tour. I didn't like that they'd be navigating miles of unfamiliar roads and unbearable Denver traffic alone. But they had worked hard to raise the travel money and CSU was their dream school, so I didn't stand in their way. They checked in with me every few hours as they went from Taos to Raton to Pueblo and beyond. When they finally reported in a text that they were on the tour, I was relieved: My boys were safe on campus. I would soon discover that I couldn't have been more wrong. Not long after receiving the text, I answered a frantic call from my older son. "Ista!" he said, (Ista is Mohawk for mother) "someone called the police on us because we were quiet!" No mother should have to hear what my sons told me over the phone -- that campus police pulled them aside because a woman on the tour thought their shy demeanor and t-shirts were suspicious; that they were frightened and embarrassed by the interrogation; that the tour left them behind as they were being questioned; that they went back to the admissions office afterwards for help, only to be flippantly told, "There's nothing we can do. You can do a self-guided tour if you want." As a Native American woman, I am part of a community that endures racial bias every day, and I resolved that this injustice would not go unnoticed. Several calls and a rant on Facebook later, my sons' encounter with racial profiling went viral. Critics wonder why I would blame Colorado State University for the actions of a campus visitor. But I challenge them to imagine being young, hours away from home and confronted by campus police due to a ludicrous report from a stranger. Body cam footage shows that the tour guide led participants past the detained boys as if they were invisible. If I can't trust staff at CSU to keep them safe and respect them for one hour, how can I trust them to ensure their safety and success for four years? Of course, I am upset by the actions of the unnamed 911 caller. But I am also upset that the police officers didn't address the tour guide to determine if my boys belonged on the tour. Going forward, the CSU administration should draw up guidelines for university employees on how to deal with teenagers or other people on campus who are on the receiving end of 911 calls that could be based on bias. They should also consider the trauma that can ensue when young people of color are pulled off a campus tour and detained like criminals. After determining that my sons were wrongfully accused, unnecessarily detained and unfamiliar with the campus, the least that the officers could have done as public servants was help them catch up to their group. If our story had not received global attention, the 911 caller would have walked away proudly, feeling that she had done the right thing and saved their group from young men who didn't belong. And CSU may have never started thinking of ways to protect people of color from 911 busybodies. We are determined to stop dangerous actions like these by "nervous white people." What happened at CSU could happen anywhere. What happened to my sons has happened to thousands of native people and other people of color for centuries. We feel it is our duty to take a stand and make the country aware that we've had enough. The concept of "see something, say something" is often abused in America to target people who are simply existing in their skin. This bias must be checked. And institutions ranging from Starbucks to CSU can help. I particularly hope that universities -- if they truly want to support inclusion -- will do the work to keep other young people from experiencing what my boys did when they were 500 miles from home. -- Lorraine Kahneratokwas Gray lives in Santa Cruz, New Mexico. By Guadalupe Guerrero More than 4,000 Portland Public Schools graduates walked across the stage last week to receive diplomas and prepare for life after high school. Tens of thousands of others are now gearing up for summer break. As I wrap up my first school year as superintendent, it's a good time to reflect on the highlights, opportunities and challenges -- and on what lies ahead. In my eight months in Portland, I have been welcomed with genuine warmth and offers of support, along with the occasional suggestions for the best food cart in town. The conversations generally end with: "We're glad you're here. Good luck. You're going to need it." It signals that there is a general acknowledgment that work needs to be done, and that there's a shared desire for an improved system. I agree 100 percent. I believe that PPS has more promise and potential than problems. When I was a teacher and a principal, I wanted my students to demonstrate more than simply a year of academic and social-emotional growth. I expected they would leave my classroom or school with new skills, a greater sense of self and the gifts and talents to help them find their passion in life. In a similar vein, my goals as superintendent have been to uncover the district's strengths, build its capacity and cultivate a collective vision for a world-class education system. I know we have our share of challenges. Many of them are familiar to nearly every urban district in America: The need to narrow the gaps in student opportunities and improve outcomes for all. But Portland also has many positive attributes: a wealth of talented teachers, classrooms full of capable and curious learners and a city that holds a passionate belief in the promise of public schools. I didn't take this job because I believed it would be easy, but precisely because I understood it would be hard. With this community's commitment to its schools, I saw an opportunity to make an exponential difference in the lives of children and families here. I am not the only new Portlander who has made the choice to help transform our school system. We have recruited some of the state and the nation's top leaders, including former superintendents and respected experts in the fields of teaching and learning, special education and healthy socio-emotional development. Over the next three months with the board of education, we'll chart a clear plan for the critical tasks ahead. And there are many. We are opening two new middle schools to increase access to educational opportunities for students who have been under-served for many years. We are reorganizing the district's central office to more directly support schools and educators. We are rebuilding the curriculum office, which fell victim to budget cuts decades ago. We're using data to drive organizational improvement, and creating more comprehensive professional development and training for all our staff. And we are promoting arts education and enhancing our service to students with disabilities, talented and gifted students, students of color and, frankly, any student whose potential we have not fully supported. Public education has historically failed black, brown and native students, as well as students living in poverty or who are learning English. Our district, too, has struggled to provide equitable educational opportunities. We must do better. I am committed to disrupting the historic and ever-present inequities ingrained in our system's beliefs and practices, so that all of our students have the supports and resources they need to excel. We took key steps this year, providing equitable distribution of staff at schools and requiring that supplemental equity dollars are used to better support underserved schools. I will continue to strengthen relationships with our communities of color -- including culturally-specific organizations led by our students -- to develop strategies that inspire positive student experience and achievement. Hopefully the public has begun to notice that we're not shy about making hard decisions. We cut central administration staff to prioritize resources and staffing that directly supports student learning. Working alongside a talented leadership team and a supportive board, I believe the district's transformation is underway. Education is an urgent business. We are stepping up the tempo. Not all of our decisions will be perfect solutions, but they will be made with the intention of better serving our students and making forward progress. I have said on many occasions that we can't do this alone. Eight months ago, I challenged our community to "become an active part" of this movement to make our school system one of the premier urban districts in America. In the next few months, you will hear about an opportunity to help guide us toward a shared vision and aspiration for the children and young adults of Portland. We are counting on your support. -- Guadalupe Guerrero is superintendent of Portland Public Schools. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 800 words or less on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. Susan Walsh/AP Trump is a child One way to curb the temper tantrum of a 2-year-old is to ignore her pleas for immediate attention when she is acting out. Sure, we must be aware of her needs and treat her with respect, but we dont need to feed into her extreme behavior. Could this be applied to our president? Every time he has a temper tantrum, the media rewards him with multitudinous pictures. Does he really need all the attention the media gives him? Like 43 pictures on the front page of the Sunday paper? Certainly we have to track his behavior, but could it be done without putting his photos front and center? That only encourages his narcissim. Barbara Blakesly, Southwest Portland Don't Edit Susan Walsh/AP Eagles can't come to my party President Donald Trump is such a child. If burning the flag is considered free speech, why isn't taking a knee? I would sure rather see that than rioting in the streets. Jackie Wilson, Southeast Portland Don't Edit Susan Walsh / AP The most terrifying president to ever hold office Congressmen considering impeachment of Trump are aware of several obstacles not the least of which are the obscure and ambiguous ground specific for removing a setting president (high crimes and misdemeanors). The impeachment of President Andrew Jackson in 1867 furnishes no help in this resgard. Still, the Senate has sole discretion to determine what the Founding Fathers meant when they chose these words and to apply them. No judicial review is available on this question. As a retired attorney with 35 years of experience practicing criminal and constitutional law, I believe our present president should be removed. Whether misconduct exists in connection with the Russian interference in the 2016 election has yet to be determined. But other misconduct may be sufficient. Not the least of which is the recently disclosed $130,000 paid to an admitted Nevada prostitute to buy her silence in 2016 concerning the presidents adultery in 2006. Despite the widely held belief that prostitution is legal in Nevada, that it true only in a handful of licensed brothels. Sex of money is a felony if pandering is involved. Soliciting someone to engage in prostitution is a misdemeanor (a felony if a minor is involved). Pandering incluces persuading, encouraging or enticing someone to become or continue as a prostitute (Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. 201.300 (a). Even more serious is paying a witness for testimony or silence in federal proceedings, whether in court or before Congress. Even offering such a payment is a felony (18 U.S. Code 201 (c)(2). The payment on Trumps behalf required a non-disclosure agreement. It would be interesting to learn whether silence was required at any administrative or congressional committee hearing. Our current president is neither a truthful nor an honest man. His ignorance of the law, our countrys history and the seriousness of global warming, coupled with his immorality, instability and ineptness as a leader, have marked him as the most terrifying president ever to hold office. The man or woman presently needed at the reins of power is someone from the mold of the very first Republican elected as president. Trump bears no resemblance to that man. William A. Stephens, Vancouver Don't Edit Above the law I have been shocked at many of the things President Trump has said over the past year and a half. But this week should send chills down the spine of every American regardless of political persuasion. This week the president tweeted, "I have the absolute right to pardon myself. Really? The rule of law in this country has supposedly been that it applies to all of us. That is what separates the U.S., North Korea and Kim Jong Un or Russia and Vladimir Putin. These dictators assassinate their political opponents. Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution says the president, Shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment." I am not a constitutional attorney, and we can let them argue the merits of pardoning oneself as president or not. But the mere fact we have a president proclaiming he can pardon himself is him saying, I am above the law and I can do whatever I want. I feel the chill and the threat against our democracy and you should, too. Cloy Swartzendruber, Happy Valley Don't Edit Trump's 500 day milestone Congratulations to President Trump on his first 500 days in office. He tweeted and spoke over 3,000 lies and false statements -- an unprecedented average of 6.5 lies per day. At this rate the 10,000 lies milestone is within his reach. The greatest in history. Make America great again! Michael T. Hinojosa, Drain Don't Edit Oregon standoff figure Kenneth Medenbach and his lawyer appeared Friday before a federal appeals panel in Portland to challenge travel restrictions and other probation conditions for a separate case of illegally camping and occupying federal land. Mendenbach's lawyer Matthew Schindler argued that the district judge abused his discretion when requiring Medenbach to gain a probation officer's approval before traveling out of Oregon, before visiting any offices or land owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management or U.S Forest Service and requiring that he communicate with officials from either agency only through writing to a designated law enforcement officer. Medenbach was convicted in April 2016 of illegal camping and unlawfully occupying federal public land in Josephine County in May 2015. He was sentenced to five years of probation, and six months of custody, which he had already served by his sentencing date. He was acquitted last year of all federal charges stemming from his participation in the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon. Assistant U.S. Attorney Briana Swift countered that the conditions placed on Medenbach were reasonable, considering his extensive history of repudiating federal control of public land. Further, probation officers from the District of Oregon can't supervise Medenbach out of state, she said. Circuit Judge Susan P. Graber asked if Schindler had any legal precedent to cite to support his argument that the travel restriction is unlawful. Circuit Judge Milan D. Smith Jr. noted this was one of the first cases he had heard challenging what's become a relatively standard restriction for federal probation. Schindler said he could not cite any case law. But he added, "You can't impose punishments on people without some reason. I never heard a reason. It's a standard condition. It's done without thought and without reason.'' Medenbach was arrested on a probation violation in Las Vegas after he traveled there without his probation officer's consent in April 2017 to attend the closing arguments in a federal conspiracy trial stemming from the April 2014 Bunkerville standoff. "His violation was going to a federal criminal trial without permission,'' Schindler told the panel convened at Pioneer Courthouse. "He's not someone who flees jurisdictions. What is it about the District of Oregon that makes us safer?'' Schindler added he's not convinced that the district court in Oregon has no power if a person walks across the state's border, into Washington state, for example. "The district court had no problem reaching him in Nevada. Why are we safer?'' "In view of the recalcitrance of your client historically in terms of his repeated violations and his failure to follow instructions previously, why aren't these within the district court's broad discretion?'' Judge Graber asked. Schindler conceded that a district judge, of course, can impose "legitimate restrictions'' on an offender. But he argued that restricting one's travel out of state, or limiting their written correspondence doesn't make sense. "If he can go to an anti-government rally in Salem, Oregon without asking, why can't he go to an anti-government rally in Yreka, California?'' Schindler questioned. Medenbach wanted to attend an event where refuge occupation leader Ammon Bundy was speaking in late May in Yreka, California. He asked his probation officer, but didn't hear back in time. The travel wasn't denied, but, "it was just never granted, and the event came and went,'' Schindler said. Swift said there's a reasonable nexus between the restrictions Medenbach faces on probation and his past history. "The defendant has proven difficult to supervise,'' she said. While he was on pretrial release in this case and ordered not to enter any federal public land, he entered the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in early 2016, part of the 41-day armed occupation of the federal wildlife sanctuary. Swift said there's plenty of federal public land outside of Oregon, and the government is concerned that he could commit additional federal offenses outside of the state. Further, the travel restriction is not a complete ban but just requires approval beforehand, and is limited to the five years of his probation, she noted. She cited Medenbach's history of using intimidating practices, such as driving through the parking lots of offices of the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service and sending harassing letters to federal employees. Judge Smith asked, "When you read the total record of this case and your defendant's long-standing concern about the government and its practices, are you saying it's unreasonable for the district judge to take into account what your defendant has done?'' "Of course it's reasonable,'' Schinder said. "But that doesn't justify the onerous conditions given to this man.'' The appellate court will issue a written ruling at a later date. -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian SALEM One of the hottest and driest months of May on record may have contributed to the growth and spread of the toxic algae bloom wreaking havoc in Salem's drinking water. The algae bloom was originally spotted in Detroit Lake on May 8 and reached highly toxic levels around May 21, according to officials. The record heat and dry conditions apparently kept the bloom strong, allowing the toxins to spread from the reservoir, into the North Santiam River and finally into Salem's drinking water for the first time at dangerous levels. Salem issued its second do-not-drink alert Wednesday for vulnerable populations following the discovery, for the second week in a row, of high levels of cyanotoxins in the drinking water. "We have a toxic algae bloom at Detroit Lake just about every year at this time," said U.S. Forest Service Detroit district ranger Grady McMahan. "In most years, we get some rain that helps dissipate the bloom and kind of clear out the lake. But this year we just didn't get rain it was sunny and dry for an entire month which probably helped it." The month of May was parched by every standard. It was the fourth-driest and sixth- hottest May in records dating back to 1892, National Weather Service officials said. In a normal May, the Willamette Valley and Cascade Foothills would get 2.5 to 3 inches of precipitation. This year, only a quarter inch of rain fell, NWS officials said. Hot and dry conditions can fuel the growth and potency of toxic algae, said Rebecca Hillwig, natural resource specialist with the Oregon Health Authority. Both Hillwig and McMahan said toxic algae blooms have been more common, perhaps suggesting a link to the string of abnormally hot and dry spring months Oregon has seen in the past four years. "I think it's fair to say that factors associated with global warming hotter and drier conditions and a rapid snowmelt could definitely increase conditions that cause algae blooms," Hillwig said. "There's a lot of factors to consider, but it's fair to say that we have the potential for more of these type of issues in the future." The first evidence of an algae bloom at Detroit Lake occurred May 8, said Lacey Goeres-Priest, Salem's water quality supervisor. The city regularly tests for toxins at Detroit and "we had good results for many days following" the first evidence of the bloom, Goeres-Priest said. In other words, the bloom hadn't turned toxic yet. As the weather warmed, the bloom grew and developed toxins specifically, the cyanotoxins known as cylindrospermopsin and microcystin. Water samples taken May 21 came back with results May 23 that revealed toxin levels high enough to trigger a health advisory for Detroit Lake. There is, again, nothing particularly unusual about that. Locals often reference the wildflowers and algae blooming at the same time of year it's become part of life in the small tourist town. Salem officials were confident enough they issued a press release on May 23 titled "City of Salem drinking water remains safe to drink." Even so, there were hints something was different about this bloom. Instead of one bloom as was the case in 2017 testing revealed toxic algae in three different locations at the lake: Blowout Arm, Heater Creek Arm and near the dam. More strikingly, the toxin levels were high in Blowout Arm the liver toxin "microcystin" was tested at 48.21 parts per billion. A health advisory is triggered when levels are 4 parts per billion. "It's not the highest level of toxin that we've ever seen, but it is high," Hillwig said. "If you get a high enough level, the toxins can travel a long way downstream, so it could make sense that that's what happened here." The toxins at Detroit Lake led to increased testing by city officials, including at Geren Island Treatment Facility on the North Santiam River. Those tests showed concerning data. Tests from May 23 showed the toxin cylindrospermopsin at 6.9 parts per billion above the safe threshold even for adults, according to OHA officials. By the May 25 test, levels had dropped to 1.9 parts per billion safe for adults but not for small children. Since that time, city officials have regularly tested for toxins in the city's drinking water. After two negative tests, they lifted the health advisory June 2. But, additional tests showed high levels again, and the advisory was re-issued Wednesday. --Zach Urness/Statesman Journal Suicide prevention is top of mind for many Oregonians in the wake of two high-profile celebrity deaths and the release of a federal report detailing a nationwide surge in suicide rates in the past few days. In Oregon, two people on average lose their lives to suicide each day, making self-harm one of the leading causes of death. Public health professionals say it is largely preventable. The Oregon Health Authority has placed a particularly high priority on preventing suicides among children and young adults. Suicidal tendencies are most often first seen when people are 10 to 24 years old, it says. Roughly 80 percent of Oregonians who die by suicide are male, and rates are highest among men age 75 and older. "Suicide prevention is the responsibility of the entire community and requires vision, will and a commitment from the state, communities and individuals of Oregon," the agency says in its formal youth suicide prevention and intervention plan. "All Oregonians should adopt Zero Suicide as their aspirational goal." The nation as a whole is headed in the wrong direction when it comes to suicide, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. Rates in 49 of the 50 states rose between 1999 and 2016, the most recent year for which rates are available. Oregon's rate climbed to 17.8 suicide deaths per 100,000. That ranked 16th highest in the country, trailing most of the Rocky Mountain west, where rates are highest. In all, 772 Oregonians died by suicide in 2016, the CDC reported. Help available : 1-800-273-8255 : 503-988-4888 or 1-800-716-9769 : 503-655-8585 : 503-291-9111 : 1-800-626-8137 or 866-835-2755 There is a national campaign urging people to #Bethe1to help save a life by asking and listening whenever they notice warning signs in someone they know. Studies have debunked the idea that asking people whether they have thought about harming themselves will increase suicides or suicidal thoughts. If you think someone might be considering suicide, be the one to help them by taking these 5 steps: Ask. Keep Them Save. Be There. Help Them Connect. Follow Up.#BeThe1Tohttps://t.co/uTylxcK0ij Laurence J. Brock (@brocklawfirm) June 8, 2018 The suicide of celebrity chef and cookbook author Anthony Bourdain on Friday renewed a national sense of sorrow over the premature loss of vibrant people. Portland star chef Andy Ricker tweeted his feelings about the loss of his friend. RIP Uncle Tony, it was your world, we just lived in it. pic.twitter.com/REJTmiRxIQ pok pok (@pokpokpdx) June 8, 2018 Bourdain's death came three days after that of designer Kate Spade. Both left behind a young daughter. Portland is home to Lines for Life, a nonprofit devoted to suicide prevention throughout the Pacific Northwest. It operates a suicide prevention line that is answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It can be reached at 800-273-8255 or by texting "273TALK" to 839863. The group, headed by former federal prosecutor Dwight Holton, offers training programs to promote mental health and wellness in communities throughout Oregon. They work to equip schools and communities to identify and assist people at risk of suicide and to respond to signs of mental illness and substance abuse. In addition to calling 911 or @800273TALK, here are 13 warning signs of #suicide and ways you can help a friend, family member or loved one. pic.twitter.com/MoKELVBqJq MentalHealthFirstAid (@MHFirstAidUSA) June 5, 2018 -- Betsy Hammond By RACHEL LA CORTE, Associated Press OLYMPIA A long-running court case over the adequacy of education funding in Washington state has ended, with the state Supreme Court on Thursday lifting its jurisdiction over the case and dropping daily sanctions. The court's unanimous order came in response to lawmakers passing a supplemental budget earlier this year that the justices said was the final step needed to reach compliance with a 2012 state Supreme Court ruling that found that K-12 school funding was inadequate. Washington's Constitution states that it is the Legislature's "paramount duty" to fully fund the education system. "Reversing decades of underfunding has been among the heaviest lifts we've faced in recent years and required difficult and complex decisions, but I'm incredibly proud and grateful for all those who came together on a bipartisan basis to get this job done," Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a written statement. The state had been in contempt of court since 2014 for lack of progress, and daily sanctions of $100,000 allocated specifically for education spending had been accruing since August 2015. Over the past few years, lawmakers put significantly more money toward education costs including student transportation and classroom supplies. But the biggest piece they needed to tackle to reach full compliance was figuring out how much the state must provide for teacher salaries. School districts had paid a big chunk of those salaries with local property-tax levies, something the court said had to be remedied. In November, the court said a plan passed by the Legislature last year which included a statewide property tax increase earmarked for education satisfied its earlier ruling. But justices took issue with the fact that the teacher salary component of the plan wasn't fully funded until September 2019. This year, lawmakers expedited that timeframe to Sept. 1, 2018. In this Sept. 3, 2014, file photo, plaintiff Stephanie McCleary, middle, stands with her children Kelsey, 20, left, and Carter, 15, outside following a hearing before the state Supreme Court in Olympia, Wash. The court ordered lawmakers to explain why they haven't followed its orders to fix the way Washington pays for public education. Democratic House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan said that the court's order was a relief, though he noted that legislative debates over education funding aren't over. Sullivan said that there is more work to be done on areas like special education, as well as recruiting and retaining teachers. "But now we can focus on policy geared toward kids rather than compliance with a court," he said. Tom Ahearne, the attorney for the coalition of school districts, teachers, parents and community groups that sued the state, said Thursday that there is still a judicial question of whether the state's current funding formulas are constitutional, and he notes that the court's order doesn't specifically weigh in on that. Because of that, he said that school districts could feasibly sue over specific issues, like whether special education is being amply funded. But he said the landmark case has still accomplished a great deal, by not only setting legal ground rules for what "paramount duty" means when it comes to education funding, but also ensuring that the state increased its K-12 funding by "billions and billions" of dollars. "Before, there was a lot of lip service but not a lot of focus," Ahearn said. "People are now focused on funding public schools as being an important component of state government." -- The Associated Press Former Oregon first lady Cylvia Hayes took to Facebook Thursday morning to explain her decision to file for bankruptcy. In a lengthy post, Hayes said the filing was necessary to "protect my home from The Oregonian." She was referencing a six-figure lien on her home, which was recorded after she lost a court decision to the news organization. Hayes' lawyers did not respond to a request for comment as The Oregonian/OregonLive was preparing to report Hayes' plans on Wednesday nor again on Thursday. Hayes and her fiance, former Gov. John Kitzhaber, face thousands of dollars in penalties after the Oregon Government Ethics Commission found they violated state ethics laws, including a prohibition against using one's public office for personal gain. Both retained lawyers as state and federal prosecutors, and state ethics officials, looked into influence-peddling allegations against the couple. Hayes also was able to obtain two public defenders for her federal case. But Hayes attributed her planned bankruptcy filing solely to the nearly $125,000 a judge says she owes The Oregonian/OregonLive. The news organization sought to recover attorney fees it incurred while fighting a lawsuit Hayes filed seeking to block release of her emails. And she did not mention the ethics fines, which she is trying to negotiate to avoid a maximum penalty of $110,000. "I am ready to have all of my energy moving forward focused on positive work, rather than mired down in a legal quagmire," Hayes wrote. "As one friend advised me, 'never get in a fight with a pig, you both get dirty and the pig likes it.'" A little background: Hayes had worked as an environmental and clean energy consultant for years, increasingly landing government contracts before Kitzhaber was elected to a third term in 2010. Questions about her work intensified in fall 2014, after Willamette Week reported that private groups were paying her to promote the same economic and clean energy policies she was advocating for as an unpaid but official policy adviser in Kitzhaber's administration. Subsequent news reports ultimately revealed Hayes was paid more than $200,000 by private groups. Here are five questions raised by her post: Question: Why does Cylvia Hayes owe The Oregonian/OregonLive $125,000? Answer: In late 2014, The Oregonian/OregonLive filed a public records request for Hayes' emails discussing state business on her private email account. She never had a state email account. In February 2015, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum ordered Hayes to release the emails sought by the news organization. Hayes then sued the company in an attempt to keep those messages secret. She lost, and a judge ordered her to turn over the emails and pay the newspaper's legal fees. Hayes appealed the fee issue. Earlier this year, The Oregonian/OregonLive recorded the judgment against Hayes in Deschutes County, effectively putting a $125,000 lien on her home there. Hayes, so far, has not paid anything to The Oregonian/OregonLive; with a lien in place, the news organization could recoup its legal costs if Hayes sells the property. Under Oregon law, legal judgments create automatic liens against any real property owned by the debtor within the local county, in this case Marion County because Hayes filed her lawsuit there. Charles Hinkle, The Oregonian/OregonLive's lawyer, wrote in an email Thursday that it made sense for the media company to record the judgment in Deschutes County, where Hayes' home is located. "The Oregonian did nothing unusual when it registered that same judgment in the county where Hayes actually owns property," he wrote. Mark Katches, the editor and vice president of content at The Oregonian/OregonLive, noted that Hayes could have avoided the expense if she hadn't fought the news organization for records that were deemed public. "Ms. Hayes had been notified in writing three years ago that she was going to be liable for our attorney fees if she lost her case, and she chose to try to keep her records secret anyway," Katches said. "That resulted in a protracted legal battle that she brought against us." Q: Why is Cylvia Hayes planning to file for bankruptcy? A: In her Facebook post, Hayes suggested that she will seek relief through bankruptcy on more than one debt, but she did not provide any detail. "Prior to all of this my only debt was my mortgage no credit card balances, school loans were paid off and my car was paid in full (the same car I am driving today)," Hayes wrote. "I have never failed to pay off a debt and never imagined I would be in bankruptcy. These unprecedented and seemingly never-ending circumstances have forced my hand and I am truly sorry to the creditors involved." More information about Hayes' creditors will become public if she proceeds with bankruptcy. Q: Was the lien on Hayes' home unusual? A: Hayes described the lien as "unprecedented" and lawyers from other states who were interviewed by the Columbia Journalism Review said they had not heard of such a scenario. It is unusual for a public records judgment to apply to an individual public official in Oregon. Typically, the government agency where the public official works would be responsible for any judgment against the official in a public records case. In Hayes' case, she has never admitted to being part of the state government and subject to public records law, despite a judge's ruling that she was. She also acted alone in resisting the disclosure of her emails, while the state cooperated in releasing them. (After Kitzhaber resigned in February 2015, his successor Gov. Kate Brown released thousands of Hayes' emails with state employees on their government accounts.) "Only Hayes herself resisted disclosure, and only Hayes filed a lawsuit to block disclosure," Hinkle wrote. "Only Hayes caused The Oregonian to incur attorney fees in defending its public records request." Hayes is not the only public person to owe The Oregonian/OregonLive for legal fees after losing a public records fight. As of earlier this year, Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer was on the hook for more than $28,000 levied in 2016. Q: Should other Oregon public officials be worried they'll get hit with liens? A: Hayes suggested that other public officials should be worried should they find themselves in a similar situation. "The precedent this sets should cause serious concern for anyone in Oregon in an appointed or volunteer public service position," Hayes wrote. "You too could find yourself in the crosshairs of dishonest, for-profit media institutions coming after you and your personal property." As noted above, this situation is highly unusual and resulted from a series of events, including Hayes' decision to fight the release of her emails even after the state government and a judge found they were public records. Q: Is The Oregonian/OregonLive seeking legal fees to profit off Hayes? A: Hayes wrote: "I don't believe The Oregonian is fighting this fight on principal (sic) but rather is using it as an opportunity to make as much money as possible rolling me out as clickbait." Hayes' emails and other public records have received extensive coverage by the media in recent years, as have Hayes' statements on social media and the state ethics commission's findings. Katches, the news outlet's editor and vice president, said the public records fight was indeed based on principle. "We believed strongly that the public had the right to know about the business being conducted by the then first lady of Oregon," he said in a statement. "It shouldn't be lost on anyone here, that she sued us to keep the records hidden. We won. She lost. We've taken steps to preserve our rights to recover our legal fees, but it's worth noting she has not paid us a dime so far." -- Hillary Borrud; Twitter: @hborrud; 503-294-4034 Updated at 6:39 p.m. Oregon Sens. Jeff Merkley, Ron Wyden and more than 30 of their Democratic colleagues introduced legislation Thursday to prevent the Department of Homeland Security from splitting up immigrant families at the border. The U.S. Justice Department begun implementing a new policy of prosecuting anyone who doesn't cross the U.S. border at an official port of entry, even those seeking asylum. Children traveling with their parents are being separated and detained in federal facilities. "If you cross the border unlawfully . . . then we will prosecute you," Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said of the policy. He specifically noted that anyone traveling with a child would be prosecuted and "separated from you, probably, as required by law. If you don't want your child separated, then don't bring them across the border illegally. It's not our fault that somebody does that." The numbers are adding up quickly. According to news accounts, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that 658 children were separated from their parents in just a two-week span in May. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said last week it was holding 10,773 migrant children in custody, though it's unclear how many of them were forcibly separated from their parents. On Thursday, Reuters reported that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had reached a deal with the U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Prisons to make the beds available for people caught illegally crossing the border. As many as 1,600 immigration violators awaiting deportation hearings will be moved into federal prisons, including the one in Sheridan, according to USA Today. The other sites are in Washington, California, Arizona and Texas. Im going to try to enter a facility in Brownsville, TX run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. I am told that this former Walmart may currently be housing hundreds of refugee children who have been separated from their parents. Posted by Senator Jeff Merkley on Sunday, June 3, 2018 President Donald Trump and Sessions apparently feel that separating families will discourage illegal immigration. Critics have called the policy cruel and immoral. Merkley thrust himself into the middle of the issue last weekend when he traveled to Texas and was blocked entry to a facility housing children in Brownsville. A video of his attempts to get inside the former Walmart store drew more than 2 million views as of Thursday evening. Among Merkley's allies in "The Keep Families Together Act" is Wyden, Oregon's senior senator and fellow Democrat. "Children and their parents seeking asylum and safety in the United States should not have to live in fear that they will be forcibly separated once they reach the border," Wyden said. "This bill will put an end to the Trump administration's inhumane policy of separating families, which runs counter to American and humanitarian values and only succeeds in further traumatizing innocent children." Merkley is also circulating a petition calling for the Trump administration to immediately reverse its "child-snatching" policy. -- Jeff Manning CHARLEVOIX, Quebec -- President Donald Trump called for Russia to be readmitted to the Group of Seven industrial nations on Friday, reaching out to an adversary as he further scrambled an international summit that has showcased a rift between the United States and its closest allies. Russia was expelled four years ago after it annexed Ukraine's Crimea region, and it has since angered U.S. lawmakers and foreign powers over interference in the U.S. presidential election, among other actions. But Trump broke with most other G-7 leaders during the first day of their annual summit here with his call to bring back Russia. "Russia should be in this meeting," Trump said Friday in Washington before leaving for the annual two-day summit here. "Whether you like it or not, and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run. ... They should let Russia come back in." The split over Russia injected another point of division into an already tumultuous G-7 summit. This annual gathering typically is meant to display a show of unity, but Trump has forced a more combative tone, with messy public feuds breaking out over trade disputes. Most of the foreign leaders at the summit had hoped to use the summit to confront Trump about new tariffs he is imposing on imports, but instead found themselves reacting to Trump's Russia comments and bombastic Twitter posts. Italian Prime Minster Giuseppe Conte said he agreed with Trump. British Prime Minister Theresa May said it was important to "engage with Russia," but she said Russia would have to make changes before readmission could be discussed. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland was more definitive, saying "Russia ... made clear that it had no interest in behaving according to the rules of western democracies. ... There are no grounds whatsoever for bringing Russia with its current behavior back into the G-7." Russian leaders, meanwhile, largely shrugged off the remarks. "The G-8 needs Russia much more than Russia needs the G-8," said lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the foreign relations committee in Russia's upper house of parliament. Kosachev added the country should rejoin the group only on its own terms -- "with sanctions removed and interests respected." U.S. intelligence agencies have said they have "high confidence" that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, and part of this year's G-7 summit was supposed to focus on protecting democracies from foreign meddling. Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Russian interference efforts, including whether Trump's campaign colluded in any way with Russian officials, a probe that has become an obsession for the president. Trump's National Security Council was surprised by the president's call to readmit Russia to the G-7, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke anonymously to describe the administration's internal dynamic. Even before the Russia remarks, Trump had effectively upended this year's G-7 summit by raising the prospect of refusing to sign on to a joint statement with other leaders asserting commonly shared principles and values. And after French President Emmanuel Macron said the other six nations would be willing to move on without the United States, Trump criticized him and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau -- threatening to impose new trade penalties and pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement. "We have to change it, and they understand it's going to happen," Trump said Friday during an approximately 20-minute impromptu question and answer session with reporters outside the White House. "If we're unable to make a deal, we'll terminate NAFTA. We'll make a better deal." "And I'll tell you what, it's what I do. It won't even be hard. And in the end, we'll all get along," Trump said. But after exchanging public barbs from afar, Trump and other leaders did appear to get along when he finally arrived in this sparkling resort town on the St. Lawrence River. They were all smiles during a group photo of the world leaders. Trump sounded cheerful and optimistic as he greeted Trudeau, joking that the Canadian leader had suddenly agreed to drop all trade barriers with the United States. Both men laughed. Trump said he thinks there will be a unified statement from all seven leaders when the meeting ends Saturday, but he did not elaborate. He later said he and Trudeau had a "very, very good meeting on NAFTA," a separate trade issue from Trump's complaints about the Europeans. Trump was similarly upbeat as he prepared to sit down for his rescheduled meeting with Macron later Friday. "We've had really a very good relationship, very special. A lot of people wrote a couple of things that weren't quite true -- a little bit accurate, perhaps -- we've had a little test every once in a while when it comes to trade," Trump said. Sen. John McCain said Friday that Vladimir Putin "chose to make Russia unworthy of membership in the G-8 by invading Ukraine and annexing Crimea. Nothing he has done since then has changed that most obvious fact." "The United States has had a very big trade deficit for many years with the European Union and we are working it out and Emmanuel's been very helpful in that regard," Trump said. Trump's suggestion to readmit Russia faced heavy, bipartisan criticism from U.S. lawmakers. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-New York, accused Trump of "turning our foreign policy into an international joke" while Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona -- the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and among the first lawmakers to call for Russia's ejection from what was then the G-8 -- slammed the moves, as well. "Vladimir Putin chose to make Russia unworthy of membership in the G-8 by invading Ukraine and annexing Crimea," McCain said in a statement. "Nothing he has done since then has changed that most obvious fact." In the past several months, Trump has pushed to overturn many of the post-World War II institutions put in place to strengthen global ties. These tensions have created immense strain ahead of the summit in Canada, with top leaders questioning if they are in the midst of a transformational disruption brought on by the United States. "The rules-based international order is being challenged," European Commission President Donald Tusk told reporters here. "Quite surprisingly, not by the usual suspects but by its main architect and guarantor, the U.S. ... We will not stop trying to convince our American friends and President Trump that undermining this order makes no sense at all." In response to Trump's proposal for Russia, Tusk said it would only make the group more divisive. "For today, I think it's much more important to convince our American partners to strengthen our format as guarantor of world order, than to look for something new, more challenging, more difficult," he said. A version of the G-7 or G-8 has existed since the 1970s, designed to build a consensus among world leaders to tackle global challenges. It now consists of the United States, Japan, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Canada. The comments marked the latest in declarations in recent days that have completely redirected the focus of the G-7, an organization Trump has shown little regard for since taking office last year. In an earlier Twitter post, Trump said the United States would emerge victorious if other nations refused to accede to his trade demands, suggesting that he plans to employ a take-it-or-leave-it bargaining position with other world leaders at the summit here. "Looking forward to straightening out unfair Trade Deals with the G-7 countries," Trump wrote. "If it doesn't happen, we come out even better!" Trump is scheduled to leave the summit early Saturday, an unexpected schedule revision that will pull him out of discussions on climate change. Trump instead will be en route to Singapore to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Many of the world leaders represented here, including Trudeau, have sought to draw Trump toward multilateral institutions despite his "America First" agenda. But in recent weeks, there have been signs that world leaders have scrapped that approach and now plan to deal with Trump in a more adversarial way, particularly after the White House announced it would begin imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from U.S. allies beginning in June. Trump is now engaged in trade wars with numerous countries in Europe, North America and Asia, which could affect the flow of hundreds of billions of dollars in goods, including automobiles, agricultural products and technology. He wants Europe and Japan to lower tariffs on imports of automobiles. He wants China to buy more agriculture and energy products from the United States. He is pushing Mexican leaders for a range of changes to NAFTA, and he wants that entire pact to expire after five years. His view is that other countries have imposed unfair tariffs limiting U.S. imports for decades but that the United States has unwittingly allowed those countries to bring low-cost goods into the country, hurting American companies and workers. Foreign leaders are aware that as Trump levels trade threats, he faces growing opposition at home. A number of congressional Republicans have expressed outrage, and some are trying to intervene to strip away his powers. Congress so far has not done so, but U.S. business groups - worried about the prospect of higher costs driven by Trump's trade threats - are pushing Congress to act. The Kremlin, meanwhile, appears to be enjoying an "I told you so" moment as it watches Trump's escalating conflict with America's closest allies. Putin has long spoken about the dangers of a world dominated by the United States, and on Thursday, he said that with Trump's metals tariffs, Europeans were getting their comeuppance for showing excessive deference to Washington - and getting a taste of the way the United States has long treated Russia. "Our partners probably thought that these counterproductive policies would never affect them," Putin said in his annual televised call-in show. "No one wanted to listen, and no one wanted to do anything to stop these tendencies. Here we are." -- The Washington Post UPDATED June 12, 2018: Portland police have publicly identified the man who was arrested as 23-year-old Jeremy C. Ross. Jeremy C. Ross Ross, a Gresham resident, is accused of assaulting a public safety officer, attempting to assault a public safety officer, fourth-degree assault, resisting arrest and second-degree criminal mischief, according to court records. He's being held in the Multnomah County Detention Center, according to jail records. *** A man jumped atop a police vehicle, twice charged at officers and struck one of them was shot with a foam bullet Wednesday before being taken into custody and to a hospital, police say. The man, who appeared intoxicated, suffered an injury that didn't threaten his life, according to Portland police. Police said they'll publicly identify him and his allegations after he's jailed. The hurt officer also suffered a non-life-threatening injury and was taken to a hospital. Police said officers responded to a reported disturbance near Southwest Taylor Street and 17th Avenue Wednesday evening. A 911 caller reported as officers were responding that some people were on top of cars. Officers showed up and found a suspect thought to be involved in a fight, police said. The suspect the man who was later arrested came up to their patrol vehicle "and began punching and jumping on top," police said. Police said they called for backup, and when more officers got there they tried to give the man directions so they could take him into custody. The man instead charged at officers, hitting one of them, according to police. An officer tried to deploy a Taser, police said, but it wasn't effective. The man then ran away, and officers chased him on foot. But the man eventually turned around and again charged at officers. An officer shot the man with a foam impact round to keep him from attacking, police said. Officers then took him into custody. Police think the man was also involved in an altercation at a Safeway store on Southwest Jefferson Street that afternoon. He reportedly punched a security guard after the guard contacted him about shoplifting, police said. Police urge anyone who has information about either incident to call 503-823-3333. Jim Ryan A food cart owner accused of a racist attack on a customer earlier this week released two rambling videos Friday, defending himself, blaming fasting for the incident and the media for blowing it out of proportion, and saying he hopes to go back to Egypt, his home country. He also talks about using the racial slur and dousing the woman, who is African American, in Sriracha sauce. Islam R. El Masry, the owner of Small Pharoah's Egyptian and New Yorker Food at Southwest Fifth Avenue and Stark Street in downtown Portland, was arrested Wednesday after being filmed throwing a Gatorade bottle at customer Carlotta Washington. Washington told The Oregonian/OregonLive Thursday that she was having trouble sleeping after the incident. "I don't understand why it happened, and the trauma of it is really what's getting to me -- having to relive it in my mind," she said, crying. "How could you treat someone else like that?" But Washington also said she forgives Masry and hopes he doesn't lose his business because of the incident. El Masry posted two videos Friday morning to YouTube. One was just over half an hour long, and the other just over an hour. "Before I start talking about that situation," El Masry says in the first video, "I really feel bad and I really feel sorry for what happened to me and for her too, both of us." In both videos, El Masry suggests it wasn't the first time an incident like this had happened at his food cart. "A small situation happened in a food cart in the street," he says in the first video. "It's happened like every single day, maybe like five, six times a day I have the same issues. You don't know how many times people insulted me -- really, really, really bad words." "Two years ago, or maybe one and a half year ago, [the] same situation happened with a black lady before, same situation exactly," El Masry says in the second video. "Almost the same words I told to her, the same words. Almost the same words she give it to me. She throws the bottles too, and I throw the bottles but instead of the Sriracha sauce it was hot sauce." El Masry says this week's incident was different because the previous customer was a Muslim, and because of her religion the police didn't care. He also said the media was blowing Wednesday's incident out of proportion. "The worst thing in this world right now?" he says. "The media. Don't trust them at all." El Masry acknowledges he used a racial slur against Washington but said it was part of a back and forth of trading insults and profanity. He insists several times that he is not racist, at one point saying, "All of us are human beings -- all of us are mankind." In his retelling of the incident, Washington throws the first drink. "I'm telling her just leave from here," he says. "She doesn't. We are still insulting each other. Then she started [to] carry the bottles of the drinks and throw it in my face. One of them come on my head here and fell on the grill broken." Washington told KGW in an interview that she never threw anything at El Masry. El Masry says that after the bottle broke on the grill, he had to throw everything he was cooking in the garbage. Then, he says, he started insulting her "really bad," got the Sriracha sauce and "put it in her face." He says he was in a bad mood because of pressure on his business and fasting for Ramadan. "I was fasting at that day, and you know Ramadan," he says, "we fast for like 18 hours now, and it's really hard like to be in a hot place, no water and no food, and you're cooking the food right in front of you. ... plus also I'm a smoker, and I can't smoke during the fasting." El Masry says even before the incident his main concern is selling his business so he can go home. "My mom is sick," he said. "My father's sick." El Masry never quite apologizes to Washington in the videos. "I blame her, and I blame myself," he said, adding, "Again, I feel really sorry about the whole situation." Washington was still shaken by the incident Friday. Nonetheless, she said in a phone interview, "I want this man to know that I forgive him." She said she would even meet him in person and eat again at his food truck. She said she does not support planned protests of his cart. "I don't want this man to lose his business," Washington said. "I don't want anybody doing anything to this man at all." -- Lizzy Acker 503-221-8052 lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- Global cryptocurrency company Ripple will give $1 million in real money to the University of Oregon to support the study of the digital payment industry. The Register-Guard newspaper of Eugene reports San Francisco-based Ripple will give the university the money in a five-year agreement. The university is among 17 to receive funding from the company, which is donating more than $50 million in all. Ripple will also provide technical support and resources. Uuniversity of Oregon Provost Jayanth Banavar says the university feels very fortunate and that the money will help in improve its efforts in this area. The newspaper says Ripple's donation will support a new program on cryptocurrency, blockchain and cybersecurity in its computer and information science department. Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, are currencies that only exist digitally. -- The Associated Press We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Paducah, KY (42003) Today A few showers this morning with numerous thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 79F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then becoming clear after midnight. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Summer is here, and that means it's time to let your hair down. Paul Labrecque Salon hair stylist Lumi Pelinku has been a professional astrologer for the better part of a decade, and knows exactly what styles best suit your sign. Read your June hair-oscope, below. Aries Login Instagram Aries femme: As a spirited, energetic and bold ram you are the least shy in experimenting with different looks. To best support your ambitious on-the-go lifestyle, you can easily sport a sleek ponytail with a textured finish this summer. This style is fierce and rocker chic, very much like your fiery personality that you carry off so well. Aries masc: As an Aries, you were likely born with confidence and a strong sense of adventure. Your lifestyle requires the least amount of maintenance compared to other zodiac signs when it pertains to your appearance. An effortless haircut such as a military style would best complement you this summer. This haircut is quick and easy to suit your busy lifestyle. Taurus Login Instagram Taurus femme: Taurus gals, you exude such a natural, earthy and easy-going personality, your outlook on life often mirrors your daily regimen. A nice hairstyle you can try out this summer would be one that's diffused. This type of look will accentuate your natural hair texture and showcase your feminine features. Taurus masc: As the renaissance man of the zodiac, you appreciate the present moment more than anyone. Oftentimes you wish to sport your naturally wavy tresses on the longer side, however, as a neat summer look I suggest trying out a medium-length haircut with a taper fade. This will accentuate your natural texture while keeping you cooler during intense summer heat. Gemini Login Instagram Gemini femme: Geminis, you are known for fun, flirty and creative attributes, and your stylish outlook definitely reflects in your personality. For a go to summer look that you can switch easily on a whim, try Dutch braid pigtails. The best part in selecting this style is that you can wrap the braids around your head to create a fancy Dutch crown braid for those days when you feel like indulging your artistic side. Gemini masc: As the intellectual and creative genius of the zodiac, you would never shy away from trying trendy looks or colors. For summer, try a tapered, textured haircut to complement your creative spontaneity. You can always add in some highlights, too! Cancer Login Instagram Cancer femme: Sensitive and caring in nature, you embody the ultimate nurturer in the zodiac. You will make sure that your loved ones are cared for by your own hands. Through your feminine nature, a simple summer look that would go best with your loving and humble personality is an easy but chic, loose textured side braid. Cancer masc: Known to be nostalgic, you really have a love of caring for others' wellbeing. As a Cancer you would very much like to sport your hair in a way that reminds you of your youth. A fun go to summer look for you is a classic scissor cut with a side part. Also known as a "beach bum." Be sure to use a soft cream product to also protect those beautiful tresses! Leo Login Instagram Leo femme: As the dynamic and show-stopping lioness, you will stop at nothing to ensure everyone is having a great time! You wear your hair wild and free frequently but this summer try a high ponytail with voluminous waves. This style will keep you cool while highlighting the regality you exude year round. Leo masc: On a day-to-day basis, you present yourself to others through much confidence and zest. Like the lionesses, you also wish to wear your hair very polished and with some volume. For your summer look, try a pompadour with a drop fade. By sporting a drop fade, your haircut will emphasize your voluminous tresses but also bring out your majestic nature. Virgo Login Instagram Virgo femme: As an intellectual and charming dame, you very much enjoy being productive, organized and reliable. Hairstyles that are intricate and sleek are most appealing to your needs and lifestyle. This season, try a high ballerina bun! Virgo masc: As some of the wittiest and most attentive men in the zodiac, you require perfection in your daily life. For a personalized summer look, opt for a Classic Taper. This haircut is composed of simple and clean lines, very much like your personality. The key to keeping this look polished and seamless throughout summer is by using light and flexible products that will enable you to freely comb your hair without worrying about any buildup. Libra Login Instagram Libra femme: As a natural charmer, you strive to seek peace and balance within yourself. This summer calls you to consider a 70's twist when it comes to your hairstyle. With your peace-loving persona, like the hippie movement, try a half-up half-down hairstyle and decorate the look with a crown braid. You'll feel sensuous and stylish. Libra masc: As a Venusian man, you add a very classy and chivalrous touch in all your ambitions and activities. The go to style to try this summer is a side part with a mid-fade cut. The mid-fade will keep you cool during the summer months, and the side part style adds an old Hollywood finish to play up your charming personality. Scorpio Login Instagram Scorpio femme: As the most introspective and mysterious of all the astrological signs, you have an appreciation of a knack for embracing the unknown. On a day-to-day basis, you may resort in trying hairstyles that reflect your deep personality, such as fringe styles. For this summer, dare to try a hairstyle that will accentuate your soulful eyes like a bun with curtain bangs. Scorpio masc: Thoughtful and contemplative in nature, you have the need to take on the world with the great strength and perseverance you possess. A short-textured haircut with a high fade will serve you well this summer. This style will showcase your signature, smoldering direct eye contact that your sign is well-known for. Sagittarius Login Instagram Sagittarius femme: Through confidence and contagious optimism, you have a flair for life and a love of exploring what's new. This summer will present a fun opportunity to flaunt your bohemian side. Try a half-up-half down hairstyle, and add a head wrap to give you some color and texture show off your adventurous side! Sagittarius masc: Through enthusiasm and your carefree attitude, archers are typically pretty happy and constantly achieving things that make them feel this way. With much zest and wanderlust for life, it's likely you may not wish to fuss with your hair for long periods of time. For these warmer months, style your hair in a short-textured quiff haircut. This style will give you free reign to experiment with your natural texture without requiring much product. Capricorn Login Instagram Capricorn femme: As a Capricorn, you exude so much strength and charisma. These traits really help you go after and achieve your goals. With your busy lifestyle, aim for simple styles so you can to keep up with your great ambition. A braided bun would be a fun look to try this summer, after all, it only requires a few minutes to create and is quite chic. Capricorn masc: Through your many classic and practical approaches to life, you will never stop on your path to achieving the pinnacle of success. Since you have a very ambitious lifestyle, you need a haircut that requires little to no maintenance. A medium length classic men's haircut will seamlessly transition you into this beautiful season. It is short enough to keep you cool, and yet long enough to just require a minimal trim in between actual haircuts. Aquarius Login Instagram Aquarius femme: Futuristic and unconventional, you have a unique way of experiencing and sharing ideas that are outside of the norm. You have an eye to spot future trends ahead of the curve, and you will likely try many hairstyles and wear them well. Why not keep it simple this summer and try a rocker chic ponytail braid braids along the sides of your head, then tied in a ponytail. As always, dare to be different! Aquarius masc: As the inventor and humanitarian of the zodiac, you have a talent to connect to almost anyone. Show off an innovative haircut that specifically speaks to and satisfies your unique tastes. For your summer look, a long and textured men's haircut will do you justice. Consult with your hairdresser to incorporate a texturizing element to your style. This will give you lightened yet "piecey" trendy texture. Pisces Login Instagram Pisces femme: Imaginative and ethereal, you must have peace and harmony in your environment and with those most close to you in life. You can easily daydream, and this ability to be creative reflects in your choice of style. Mermaid waves will look great on you this season. Let loose, embrace your natural texture and go for those sea salt sprays! Pisces masc: As the real chameleon of the zodiac, you are known to have compassion and empathy for all. Your choices in styles are extremely versatile, and you always present yourself in an artistic way wherever you go. For your summer look, enhance your natural and wavy texture by sporting a medium length haircut. This style will give you the choice to quickly switch your looks based on your mood. Image via BFA The San Juan Pride Parade, the vibrant centerpiece of Puerto Rico's Pride Month celebrations, kicked off around noon on Sunday in the tourism district of Condado at the Parque del Indio, where an estimated 5,000 people gathered. The more than 2-mile march toward historic Old San Juan ended at the expansive green lawn of the Parque del Tercer Milenio, located along the shimmering waters of Playa Escambron, where a massive stage was graced by some of the island's top drag performers. Organized by the Colectivo Orgullo Arcoiris (Rainbow Pride Collective), a longstanding advocacy nonprofit, the parade convened groups and individuals representing a wide spectrum of LGBTQIA identities in promotion of this year's theme: "A Puerto Rico of Equality, Diversity, and Respect for Human Rights." Related | Drag Kings Get Their Due in Puerto Rico's Burgeoning Queer Movement Celebrations continued into the evening, and spilled into the wee hours at unofficial after-parties, too. At El Local, a Santurce DIY venue, queer drag performers drew a still-enthused crowd for a late-night show. More events will follow throughout the rest of Pride Month, including another annual parade and festival next weekend, this one in the southwestern beach town of Boqueron in Cabo Rojo. As the island is still grappling with the effects of Hurricane Maria and the humanitarian crisis that followed, the parade not only felt like an outpouring of LGBTQIA pride, but also a reflection of the community's hope and continued fight for a better Puerto Rico. Photography: Carmencita Carmona Thanks to the efforts of a NGO called Skateistan, girls growing up in cities like Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan are learning how to skateboard and finding a rare sense of freedom on the ramp. In Afghanistan, skateboarding has evolved into more than a just leisurely pastime for the country's youth. It's a community-building force that has become embedded in many kids' daily lives, an incentive to build leadership skills and gain a formal education, an investment in their future and a testament to equal opportunity. In cities like Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, the sport has taken on these pivotal roles largely thanks to the efforts of Skateistan, a non-profit organization committed to building leadership and community through skateboarding, arts and academics. Related | Leo Messi Is the G.O.A.T. The NGO began in 2007 when Australian skateboarder and researcher Oliver Percovich traveled to Kabul to visit a former girlfriend who was working there. He brought three skateboards and immediately noticed how they acted as social equalizers wherever he traveled. The Afghan boys and girls flocked to his unfamiliar wheeled toy with a special fervency, finding freedom with each ride. A community spanning socioeconomic standing, ethnicity and gender began to form around this shared interest. "Skateboarding brought many changes to my life. It made me braver." Latifa*, 14, Youth Leader, Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan With half of its population under the age of 16, Afghanistan's future depends on the resilience of its youth. But with minimal resources or opportunities, these children and their communities are at a deep disadvantage. Poverty dominates the country. The Taliban years destroyed the educational system, leaving only 13 percent of women with literacy skills. Girls in Afghanistan are also discouraged from participating in sports, further removing them from the public sphere. But skateboarding, which is not considered a sport in Afghanistan, provides girls with the benefits of playing a sport such as teamwork, exercise and leadership without the stigma. In 2010, three years after the establishment of Skateistan, 40 percent of skateboarders in Afghanistan were girls. Today over 50 percent of Skateistan students are female, with Afghanistan having the largest percentage of female skateboarders in the world. Related | Lance Armstrong Rides On Skateistan's first flagship school was built in Kabul, where students develop critical thinking tools and modes for self-expression spending their days in the indoor skatepark, classrooms and gym. Afghanistan's third largest city, Mazar-i-Sharif, is the home of Skateistan's second and biggest skate school (they also have locations in Cambodia and South Africa as well as a headquarters in Berlin). In addition to co-ed programming, both schools provide specific girls-only days with female educators. An interactive curriculum helps them grow and prepare for the future, weaving together subjects like nutrition, the environment, cultural studies, art and human rights. There has been a lot of talk over the past two or three weeks about a hypothetical apology from the Church for its policy, until June 1978, against priesthood ordination for men of African descent. Back in March 2012, I posted the following item on exactly the same topic. Reading through it, I dont see much (if anything) that I would change today: Should the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints apologize for its pre-1978 ban on ordaining blacks to the priesthood? Many critics are demanding it, and some believing members of the Church are publicly asking for it, as well. Im not joining them. Though, if the Church ever issues such a statement, Ill be fine with it. Do I regret the pain and sorrow that the ban and its side effects caused to good and worthy people who could not, during their lives, enjoy the blessings of the priesthood and the temple? Yes. Very much. The stories of faithful Saints like Jane Manning James and Elijah Abel are deeply inspiring to me, but, at the same time, deeply painful. Do I regret the damage that the ban did, and continues to do, to the reputation of the Church? More than I can say. Was I delighted to see it come to an end? I was ecstatic. As a genuine geezer who grew up in the mission field (California, in my case), I was very much alive and aware during the late 1960s, when the priesthood ban became a matter of public controversy. My neighborhood and high school had very, very few blacks it wasnt purely WASP, either; there were many Hispanics at my school and quite a few Asian-Americans but there was one black teacher. I never had him for a class. Still, I knew him somewhat, and I can remember how I felt when he asked me where I was going to college and I told him Brigham Young University. He congratulated me, and said it was a fine school, but the Stanford/BYU and Wyoming/BYU, and similar controversies (provoked by the Churchs exclusion of black men from its priesthood) had been all over the news, and I felt as if I had just kicked him in the teeth. The ban on ordaining worthy black men to the priesthood was in significant tension with my basic worldview, theological and otherwise, and I was delighted to see it go. That said, however, I dont know where it came from. Others confidently declare that it was an error, even an evil, rooted in racism. And perhaps it was. (Hugh Nibley speculated that the Lord was waiting for the Churchs white membership to overcome its own racism; the fault, in his view, lay not with blacks and not even with the leaders of the Church, but with the Saints as a whole.) But, while they may know that, I dont. Yes, Brigham Young (and others whom I revere as prophets and apostles) made comments that, certainly by todays standards, were egregiously racist. I dont attempt to defend those statements; the men who made them were, in that respect, very much of their time, region, socio-economic status, and educational level. They should, I believe, not be judged by the relatively-recently-attained high standards of contemporary American racial sensitivity. Nor should Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, who was surely a very noble and great man and quite arguably Americas greatest president. I will say then, Lincoln declared in his fourth debate with Senator Stephen A. Douglas (Charleston, Illinois; 18 September 1858), that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything. (Roy P. Basler, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, 3:145-146) It would be a crime against accurate historical understanding and against Abraham Lincoln to condemn him altogether for his racial attitudes. They scarcely sum the man up. And they werent unusual at the time. Likewise, abhorrent as I find some of the things that Brigham Young said about blacks, theyre relatively insignificant against the background of everything else he did and said, and they dont deserve the last word about his character. Not even close. Im not convinced that Brigham and other past Church leaders were worse on racial matters than their contemporaries. Should they have been better? It would have been very nice. And perhaps, in practice, they actually were, to at least some extent. But God has never been able to work through perfect people. Theyre unavailable. And its not about us, anyway. For what we preach, said the Apostle Paul, is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus sake. For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of Gods glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (Corinthians 4:5-7, NIV). All of us, leaders and members of the Church alike, are jars of clay or, as the King James Version puts it, earthen vessels. Were unworthy of the message of the Gospel. But God is gracious to us. As the priesthood ban became an issue in the late 1960s, I heard all sorts of differing and sometimes contradictory explanations for it though I dont believe that Ive ever before heard precisely the explanation offered up by a BYU professor of religion to the Washington Post last week. Accordingly, I concluded that we just didnt know the actual reason for it, and that remains my view to this day. Im struck, though, by the fact that and, so that all will understand, I need to confess right now that Im a believer who accepts the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as genuine prophets and apostles the Lord plainly seems to have permitted the ban on ordaining blacks to the priesthood to continue until June 1978. However it originated, that seems to me significant. And, while Im not clear on how the prohibition began, Im absolutely clear on how it ended: with a breathtaking revelation to the then-leaders of the Church. Should the Church apologize for the ban? Its leaders will do what they believe is wise, under the inspiration (as I believe) of heaven. From my vantage point, though, right now, I dont see precisely how they can. I, at least, dont know that the ban wasnt the Lords will. Maybe it wasnt. Maybe, though, it was. He seems to work through lineages in a way that seems quite foreign to me but then, if God always did things the way I think they ought to be done, he would appear to be entirely redundant, and maybe, in fact, only a projection of Me. Which would be, to put it mildly, disappointing. From among all the nations, he chose Israel. From among Israel, he chose the descendents of Levi to bear the priesthood. He assigned very different blessings to the various tribes of the Hebrews, and he doesnt seem to have been overly fond of the Canaanites. During his earthly ministry, Jesus largely restricted his teaching to fellow Jews. Those believers who denounce the pre-1978 priesthood restriction as racist simpliciter and who seek an apology from the Church contend, with considerable plausibility and persuasive force, that the ban was inconsistent with the fundamental values of Mormonism itself, and commonly cite these marvelous words from 2 Nephi 26:33 in support of their position: He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile. But the very book from which that verse is cited is replete with time tables, prophecies, commandments, and narratives that distinguish Gentiles and Jews, Nephites and Lamanites, and that plainly discriminate between the House of Israel and, pending their possible adoption into it, those outside. Heathens and Hebrews arent, simply and in every way, alike unto God. In this respect, its entirely congruent with the Bible, which surely distinguishes between men and women. I have no doubt whatever that, ultimately and fundamentally, all are alike unto God. In the meantime, though, that seems rarely to have been the case, historically speaking. Perhaps because of the imperfections of the human instruments, his prophets and his people, through whom hes had to work. Perhaps, though, because thats the way he intended things to work. But, in that case, Why? I honestly have no idea. As the Narnia books repeatedly point out, Hes not a tame lion. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8, NIV) Just some hasty and rather late-night relections on a difficult issue. I thank God with all my heart that, in 2012, the policy of denying priesthood ordination to blacks, that difference, is no more. Re-posted from Richmond, Virginia News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Amnesty International Ghana has stated that their May 4, 2018 press statement about human rights abuses at the University of Education Winneba (UEW) was without malice or not meant to tarnish the image of the institution. The statement, which was captioned Culture of Fear and Silence Brewing at the University of Education, was only intended to bring to light reported human rights issues that needed the attention of various stakeholders in the country. A release dated June 1, 2018 and signed by Mr Robert Akoto Amafo, the Director of Amnesty International Ghana, said we recorgnise that the statement, in its language and presentation, did not fully meet our international procedural standards and therefore wish to withdraw it on this basis. Amnesty International Ghana will continue to monitor the situation at the UEW, Mr Amafo stated. Background It would be recalled that on May 4, 2018, Amnesty International Ghana called a press conference proceedings of which were published on the front page of the DAILY HERITAGE captioned Amnesty International Takes on UEW Over Blatant Human Rights Abuses, where it raises red flag on human rights abuses in the institution. On May 8, 2018, the Member of Parliament for Effutu in the Central Region, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, rubbished the claims by Amnesty International Ghana, describing it as disappointing. This followed a press conference organised by UEW on May 8 and published by the DAILY HERITAGE, captioned UEW Vice Chancellor, Amnesty Intl face off over alleged human rights abuses, where UEW reacted to claims of blatant human rights abuses against some staff members of the university. Source: Daily Heritage Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The minority in Parliament has raised alarm over Ghanas growing debt stock, which, they claim, if not managed properly, could send the country back to HIPC. According to them, the debt situation was pushing Ghana to a level that could best be classified as debt-distressed state. When you have a one-off GDP boom as a result of oil and hide behind it to say the economy is doing well, it is a mistake, the Minority said through their spokesperson, Mr Cassiel Ato Forson Mr Ato Forson, the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee, raised the alarm when he spoke to the media in Parliament after the report of the Finance Committee on the annual public debt for 2017 financial year was presented to the House. Mr Forson also stated that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration inherited a debt of GH 122.3 billion as at 31st December, 2016, and that by December 31, 2017 the countrys debt stock had increased to GH 142.6 billion. He said the amount excluded the recently issued energy sector bond of GH 4.7 billion as well as UT and Capital bank bond of GH 2.3 billion. He said within the past 12 months the NPP administration added GH 28 billion to the countrys debt stock and stated that despite the governments increasing debt, they had nothing tangible to show for the expenditure. He said the government must invest the borrowing into concrete projects that could repay for itself. If you go out there and borrow for consumption, the multiplier effect is zero, he said. Mr Ato Forson also expressed concern about the government announcing new policies, which were not backed by revenue and that in the long term, it was likely to increase the debt of the country. He said over GH 5 billion out of the $2.25 billion (GH 9.3 billion), which the Minister of Finance announced was going to be used for debt re-profiling was not used for its intended purpose and urged the various state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to be responsive and responsible to repay their debts to the state. He said the government secured about GH10 billion loans for the SOEs and for now their debt service was overdue for most of them but they were not paying back. The SOEs, the way they are going, are also going to drag the nation into the debt distress situation, he added. Mr Fuseini Issah, Member of the Finance Committee, in his reaction, debunked the claims of the Minority saying the economy was now in a better shape than in 2016. He said all the indices in the economy pointed to a better trajectory due the sound macro-economic policies put in place by the government. He said in 2017, the government focused on five cardinal areas revenue management, expenditure management, the wage bill, and the debt situation and also introduced the capping law, which helped to sustain the economy last year. Mr Issah also stated that the NPP administration inherited an economy with a debt of over GH122 billion and the debts were growing at 36 per cent. He said, however, that in 2017, the countrys debts grew by only 13 per cent, showing marked improvement over 2016. He said the addition to current stock of debt was GH 20.2 billion, not the GH 28 billion the minority would want the world to believe. Mr Issah also stated the NPP government had been able to manage the countrys debt much better than the previous administration and also refuted the Minoritys claim that the country was heading back to HIPC, saying the current government had been able to manage the debt situation on more sustainable basis. Source: Daily Heritage Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video PARIS (AP) -- American TV celebrity and food writer Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room Friday in France while working on his CNN series on culinary traditions around the world. He was 61. CNN confirmed the death, saying in a statement that Bourdain was found unresponsive Friday morning by friend and chef Eric Ripert in the French city of Strasbourg. It called his death a suicide. Bourdain's death comes just days after businesswoman and fashion designer Kate Spade killed herself in her New York apartment. If you need help: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources. Suicide rates are rising across the U.S., with increases seen across age, gender, race and ethnicity, according to a report released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chefs, fans and U.S. President Donald Trump were among those stunned and saddened by the news. "I want to extend to his family my heartfelt condolences," Trump said. Anthony Bourdain, the chef and gifted storyteller who took TV viewers around the world to explore culture, cuisine and the human condition for nearly two decades, has died. He was 61. https://t.co/eqFL2anGf4 pic.twitter.com/vUvIZ0QIVg CNN (@CNN) June 8, 2018 RIP and Thank You to Anthony Bourdain for giving so many underrepresented cultures a platform and showcasing their beauty to the world including his trip here to Ethiopia. pic.twitter.com/7prDtpb2tn BunaTime Media (@BunaTimeCo) June 8, 2018 Anthony Bourdain was a chef contemporary, a friend and an icon for chefs as well as others around the world. He had a uniqueness that opened many worlds to many people through food and hospitality. Its truly a sad day and my heart grieves for his family. Rest in peace Anthony. pic.twitter.com/FI65knn53P Geoffrey Zakarian (@gzchef) June 8, 2018 I shouldve died in my 20s. I became successful in my 40s. I became a dad in my 50s. I feel like I've stolen a car a really nice car and I keep looking in the rearview mirror for flashing lights but there's been nothing yet." -Anthony Bourdain The weight in those words Shelby Ivey Christie (@bronze_bombSHEL) June 8, 2018 RIP Anthony Bourdain. I honestly cant think of someone cooler, smarter, or more rock and roll than him. A total misfit with a potty mouth, covered in tattoos, but he knew more than most people about most things. And a master storyteller to boot. Im messed up over this. George Salazar (@georgesalazar) June 8, 2018 Rest in peace to legendary chef #AnthonyBourdain You will be greatly missed. pic.twitter.com/U0h4Drjm7D Delish.com (@DelishDotCom) June 8, 2018 Bourdain achieved celebrity status after the publication in 2000 of his best-selling book "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly." The book created a sensation by combining frank details of his life and career with behind-the-scenes observations on the culinary industry. It was a rare crossover -- a book intended for professional cooks that had enormous mass appeal. Anthony Bourdain dies at 61 18 Gallery: Anthony Bourdain dies at 61 Bourdain went on to achieve widespread fame thanks to television shows, including his CNN series "Parts Unknown." He was filming an upcoming segment for the program when he was found dead, according to CNN. He had hosted "A Cook's Tour" on the Food Network, then moved to "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" on the Travel Channel before going to CNN. "His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much," CNN said. Strasbourg police, emergency services and regional authorities did not immediately have information about the death and Bourdain's assistant Laurie Woolever would not comment. Bourdain was twice divorced and has a daughter from his second marriage. Bourdain's death drew new attention to celebrity suicides. It came three days after fashion designer Kate Spade died of apparent suicide in her Park Avenue apartment in New York. Spade's husband and business partner said the 55-year-old business mogul had suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. Bourdain's "Parts Unknown" seemed like an odd choice for CNN when it started in 2013 -- part travelogue, part history lesson, part love letter to exotic foods. Each trip was an adventure. There had been nothing quite like it on the staid news network, and it became an immediate hit. He mixed a coarseness and whimsical sense of adventurousness, true to the rock 'n' roll music he loved. "We are constantly asking ourselves, first and foremost, what is the most (messed) up thing we can do next week?" he said in a 2014 interview with The Associated Press. Besides showcasing food, a "Parts Unknown" trip to Japan in the series' first season included an odd show with robots and scantily clad women, a visit with a death metal band and a meal shared with a woman involved in the city's sadomachistic community. In 2017, he sat down for some bun cha in Hanoi, Vietnam, with President Barack Obama. Bourdain was reluctant to analyze why his series succeeded. "If you think about who the audience is and what their expectations might be, I think that's the road to badness and mediocrity," he told the AP. "You go out there and show the best story you can as best you can. If it's interesting to you, hopefully it's interesting to others. If you don't make television like that, it's pandering." The American chef, author and television personality was born in New York City and was raised in Leonia, N.J. He had written that his love of food began as a youth while on a family vacation in France, when he ate his first oyster. Bourdain also mentioned his youth was punctuated by drug use and he dropped out of Vassar College after two years. Working in restaurants led him to the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated in 1978, and began working in kitchens in New York City. He became executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles in 1998. In the preface to the latest edition of "Kitchen Confidential," Bourdain wrote of his shock at the success off his book, which he wrote by getting up at 5 a.m. in the morning to steal a couple of hours at the computer before appearing at the saute station for lunch. He said he never intended to write an expose or to "rip the lid off the restaurant business." He said he liked the restaurant business the way it was. "What I set out to do was write a book that my fellow cooks would find entertaining and true," he said. "I wanted it to sound like me talking at say ... ten o'clock on a Saturday night, after a busy dinner rush, me and a few cooks hanging around in the kitchen, knocking back a few beers and talking." Bourdain said he really had no idea that anyone outside the world of chefs would even pay attention to his comments. "The new celebrity chef culture is a remarkable and admittedly annoying phenomenon. While it's been nothing but good for business -- and for me personally -- many of us in the life can't help snickering about it," he wrote. "Of all the professions, after all, few people are less suited to be suddenly thrown into the public eye than chefs." By ANGELA CHARLTON, Associated Press A central Pennsylvania widow and her lover failed Thursday to convince a state appeals court to void their convictions and life prison sentences for the ambush murder of the woman's husband. Instead, the Superior Court panel found prosecutors provided ample evidence to justify Amy Gipe's and Kevin Rouner's convictions for the July 2013 slaying of Gipe's husband David. Police said David Gipe was gunned down by Rouner in front of the Gipes' Chambersburg home in the culmination of a plot by Amy Gipe and Rouner. David Gipe died in the arms of his wife, Senior Judge William H. Platt noted in separate opinions on the Gipe/Rouner appeals. In outlining the history of the murder case, Platt noted that Rouner, now 42, of Gardners, was one of three men with whom Gipe, now 47, was having simultaneous extramarital affairs. Gipe initially told police that Rouner was not her lover. Although she later admitted he was, she denied any involvement in her husband's homicide, the state judge wrote. Platt cited cell phone records prosecutors presented that showed communications between Amy Gipe and Rouner. The night before the killing, Rouner told Amy Gipe "that all hell was about to break loose," the judge noted. The two had a 52-minute phone conversation on the night of the slaying, he noted, and there was another call the next day. The prosecution's theory was that Gipe recruited Rouner to kill her husband so she could marry Rouner and have his baby, Platt noted. A Franklin County jury convicted the couple of first-degree murder and other charges after a trial in October 2016. Platt's court upheld Gipe's convictions after rejecting her claims that the evidence against her was "minimal" and the conclusion that she conspired to have her husband killed was a "grand leap." Evidence showed the Gipes had a troubled marriage peppered with "domestic disturbance," and financial difficulties, Platt found. It was Amy Gipe's third marriage, he added, she had been unfaithful to her husband for a decade, and David Gipe had a $137,000 life insurance policy. Platt concluded there was sufficient evidence Amy Gipe "solicited the murder, cooperated in its execution and tried to hinder the apprehension of the shooter, her lover Mr. Rouner, by misleading the police about the extent of their relationship." Rouner's appeal foundered on similar legal rocks. Those included the fact that neighbors saw his truck near the murder scene, evidence which was confirmed by surveillance camera footage, Platt wrote. David Gipe was killed with a 12-gauge shotgun that was not recovered. Platt noted Rouner borrowed such a weapon from a cousin and never returned it. Of all the programs that Pennsylvanians support with their hard-earned tax dollars, few do as much measurable good, so early in life, as the critical early childhood education programs Pre-K Counts and Head Start. And as they begin deliberations in earnest this month on the 2018-2019 state budget, lawmakers should grant Wolf's request for $40 million ($30 million for Pre-K Counts and $10 million for Head Start) in new funding. If approved and signed into law, this money would provide services to 4,400 more children in the fiscal year that starts July 1. Currently, more than six in 10 eligible children do not have access to such programs. While the commonwealth now makes a significant investment in those programs, it does have ground to make up. A study last year by the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University showed that 19 states and the District of Columbia have a higher per-capita investment in high-quality preschool programs than Pennsylvania, which invests $682.17 per child. Fifteen states invest more than $1,000 per child including economic competitors New Jersey and New York, the study concluded. The benefits of such spending are demonstrable. Children who attend higher quality preschool programs are more likely to graduate and less likely to get into trouble later on, as such criminal justice experts as Correction Secretary John Wetzel and now-U.S. Attorney David Freed have attested. Still, if lawmakers are wary of new spending in an election year, they ought not to be. On Monday, the advocacy coalition Pre-K for Pa. released new polling data showing that three-quarters of likely voters support increased state funding for those programs, up from 63 percent who responded the same way just five years ago. The poll, by Republican-friendly Harper Polling in Harrisburg, also found that nearly two-thirds of the poll's 549 respondents would pay an additional $50 in taxes to support such programs. That comes out to about a .01 percent increase in the state's 3.07 percent personal income tax. That's up from the 56 percent who responded the same way in 2013. The poll, conducted from May 22-23, has a margin of error of 4.1 percent and included both landline and cell phone respondents. "Pennsylvanians value pre-k education for its proven benefits to each child," who is eligible to attend," Joan Benso, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said. "And they're willing to dig a little deeper into their pockets to support expanded access for kids across the Commonwealth." In a year in which Wolf and lawmakers have the rare pleasure of passing a budget funded by healthier revenue collections, they should dig a little deeper into their pockets to fund these worthwhile programs. United States President Donald Trump arrives at the airport at CFB Bagotville, Que. for the annual summit of G7 leaders on Friday, June 8, 2018. The event is being held in La Malbaie, in the Charlevoix region of Quebec. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan FILE - In this April 25, 2018, file photo, Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Trump administration said in a court filing late Thursday that it will no longer defend key parts of the Affordable Care Act, including the requirement that people have health insurance and provisions that guarantee access to health insurance regardless of any medical conditions. Sessions said in a letter to Congress on June 7, that President Donald Trump, who campaigned on repealing the law and nearly did so his first year in office, approved the legal strategy. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) This photo released by Hawar News, the news agency for the semi-autonomous Kurdish areas in Syria, shows the anti-IS U.S. coalition, Maj. General James Jarrard, center, and veteran Middle East diplomat William Roebuck, left, in the town of Manbij, in Aleppo province, Syria, Thursday, June 7, 2018. The US delegation's visit comes days after a delicate U.S-Turkish deal that is expected to see an American-backed Kurdish militia pull out of the area. The sign in Arabic in the background reads, "The Civil Democratic Administration in Manbij." (Hawar News via AP) Oil Companies in Guyana must make disaster response, compensation plans public-NRGI By Kaieter News GEORGETOWN Petroleumworld 06 08 2018 The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) is of the firm view that oil companies should allow the government and civil society to hold them to account for their mitigation strategies. To do this, the New York-based entity stressed that oil companies must ensure that all impact assessments, monitoring plans, disaster response plans, compensation and/or resettlement plans, and project closure plans are well-prepared, timely, and publicly available. The entity stressed in one of its reports to emerging oil producing countries, Guyana included, that a request from companies in this regard is considered an international best practice. Further to this, it called on Governments to ensure that operators have available funds for mitigation commitments throughout the life cycle of oil projects. As for the public, the transparency body said that every citizen has the right to question if the government's policy on impact mitigation is of a high standard, and if oil companies follow it. If the government's policy is not of a high standard, NRGI said that citizens should seek answers on whether the company instead, takes the necessary extra steps to meet a strong international standard. NATIONAL PLAN Even though oil production is set to kick off in 2020, the Government is still to complete a national oil spill response plan. This was confirmed recently by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon. He was at the time, responding to questions from this newspaper as it relates to the oil spill response plan and a timeline for its completion. The Minister of State noted that while he could not provide a timeline for the completion of the project, it remains a work in progress. Harmon said, (Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael) Trotman addressed this at the Guyana International Petroleum Business Summit (GIPEX) that work is going on in that regard and it involves the Civil Defence Commission, the communities that are part of an ongoing outreach by not only ExxonMobil but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Environment The Cabinet Secretary added, So the plan is not complete. It is a work in progress and we trust that at the end of it, we will all have a plan that we are all comfortable with. I can say that we are getting good advice on international best practices in this regard OPTIMISM From all indications, it appears that the coalition administration is confident that the necessary safeguards are in place to deal with any possible environmental implication that would result from petroleum operations offshore Guyana. In fact, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman noted a few weeks ago that like many members of civil society, the topic of oil spill response and preparedness is something he is concerned about. The Minister stated, I know there have been different interpretations but ExxonMobil has demonstrated that it is doing all that it can do and it has acquired the very best of technology that the world has to offer to date for design and construction of FPSO and various subsea architecture to deploy We are also working with the Civil Defense Commission while preparing a national response plan. Trotman added, I have seen a draft of it and it is in various stages of development. We are also seeking training from the US Coast Guards and speaking with other Governments for support We are not at all taking this for granted. It is something that we are very concerned about ________________________ Twitter: @petroleumworld1 Petroleumworld.com Hit your target - Advertise with Us Story from Kaieter News kaieteurnewsonline.com 06 08 2018 Copyright 1999-2018 Petroleumworld or respective author or news agency. All rights reserved. We welcome the use of Petroleumworld (PW) stories by anyone provided it mentions Petroleumworld.com as the source. Other stories you have to get authorization by its authors. Internet web links to http://www.petroleumworld.com are appreciated. Petroleumworld welcomes your feedback and comments, share your thoughts on this article, your feedback is important to us! We invite all our readers to share with us their views and comments about this article. Write to editor@petroleumworld.com By using this link, you agree to allow PW to publish your comments on our letters page. Any question or suggestions, please write to: editor@petroleumworld.com Best Viewed with IE 5.01+ Windows NT 4.0, '95, '98,ME,XP, Vista, Windows 7,8,10 +/ 800x600 pixels Twitter: @petroleumworld1 November 13 - 15, 2018. Gubkin University, Moscow SPE Student Chapter Jagdeo rubbishes ExxonMobil's rationale for Guyana's local content By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell GEORGETOWN Petroleumworld 06 08 2018 Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo agrees with those who have bemoaned the sad state of affairs in Guyana particularly as it relates to local content or lack thereof. The former President said he is so disappointed with the government's approach to local content that he has refused to even read the second draft of the local content policy that was recently released. I have not looked at it and I would not be looking at it until there is a final policy because this government is not sure about what it wants; today it is this, tomorrow it is that. I will look at the final policy whenever it is released. Jagdeo even said he is fed up looking at the mediocre work of this incompetent government. Jagdeo said that government has further displayed its incompetence when it accepted ExxonMobil's definition of local content and the recently released list of companies that ExxonMobil has supposedly worked with.' He said, It is not ExxonMobil (that Guyanese need to be disappointed in), it is our government. The (Ministers of Government) are shameless. Jagdeo also rubbished ExxonMobil's rationale for what qualifies to be local content. In fact, he mocked the rationale. Jagdeo said, By the way, I hire 250 companies a month. My sister goes to Mon Repos and Mahaica Market and shop. And it seems as though if I pay someone and they shop at another person's placebecause they are my subcontractorsand they come and buy two mangoes from a man, I will have to list the man selling the mangoes as my employee. That is all I am going to say. It was ExxonMobil's Kimberly Brasington who said that the recent list of 228 companies that worked with the oil company includes companies that worked with its contractors or rendered any kind of goods or services to the subcontractors. As a result, the list includes names of fast food joints and waste management companies. Even Bourda Market made the list as a company. ________________________ Twitter: @petroleumworld1 Petroleumworld.com Hit your target - Advertise with Us Story by Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell from Kaieter News kaieteurnewsonline.com 06 08 2018 Copyright 1999-2018 Petroleumworld or respective author or news agency. All rights reserved. We welcome the use of Petroleumworld (PW) stories by anyone provided it mentions Petroleumworld.com as the source. Other stories you have to get authorization by its authors. Internet web links to http://www.petroleumworld.com are appreciated. Petroleumworld welcomes your feedback and comments, share your thoughts on this article, your feedback is important to us! We invite all our readers to share with us their views and comments about this article. Write to editor@petroleumworld.com By using this link, you agree to allow PW to publish your comments on our letters page. Any question or suggestions, please write to: editor@petroleumworld.com Best Viewed with IE 5.01+ Windows NT 4.0, '95, '98,ME,XP, Vista, Windows 7,8,10 +/ 800x600 pixels Twitter: @petroleumworld1 November 13 - 15, 2018. Gubkin University, Moscow SPE Student Chapter President Trump praises EPA chief Pruitt under fire for ethics, spending By Reuters WASHINGTON Petroleumworld 06 07 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised the job being done by Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, who is under fire over ethics and spending issues. EPA is doing really, really well, Trump said at an event at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters attended by Pruitt. Somebody has to say that about you a little bit, you know that, Scott. Trump has repeatedly expressed his support for Pruitt, who has vigorously pursued Trump's campaign promises to reduce environmental regulations and increase fossil fuel production. But there have been mounting ethics concerns about Pruitt. The EPA chief has been criticized for paying below-market rent on a lobbyist-owned condominium, for his routine use of first-class travel, excessive spending on security and costly office renovations. More than 100 lawmakers, including several Republicans, have called for Pruitt to step down. This week, congressional Democrats released the transcript of an interview in which Millan Hupp, a close aide to Pruitt, said the administrator had her carry out personal errands, including researching the purchase of an old mattress from the Trump International Hotel. Hupp and another close aide, Sarah Greenwalt, resigned on Wednesday, the EPA said. Hupp's resignation was first reported by The Atlantic magazine. Pruitt in a statement called Hupp a valued member of the EPA team from day one. The Washington Post reported this week that Pruitt asked his EPA scheduler to arrange a meeting last year with the chief executive of the restaurant chain Chick-fil-A. Pruitt eventually spoke with the company's legal department about his wife, Marilyn, opening a franchise, the Post reported. A representative for Chick-fil-A said Pruitt's wife started but did not complete a franchisee application, according to the newspaper. Asked about the report, Pruitt did not directly comment on whether he sought a franchise for his wife, according to an excerpt of an interview with Nexstar Media Group posted on Twitter on Wednesday. Chick-fil-A is a franchise of faith and it's one of the best in the country, and so, that's something we were very excited about, so, and we need more of them in Tulsa and we need more of them across the country, said Pruitt, a former Oklahoma attorney general. The company and the EPA did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. Scott Pruitt cannot shift the blame for his scandals to his aides or career EPA employees, said Democratic Representative Don Beyer, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee. The corruption begins with Scott Pruitt, and it must end with his resignation or firing. ________________________ Twitter: @petroleumworld1 Petroleumworld.com Hit your target - Advertise with Us Venezuela's regime frees Chevron executives held since April By Corina Pons and Marianna Parraga CARACAS/HOUSTON Petroleumworld 06 07 2018 Venezuela has released two local executives of U.S. oil major Chevron Corp jailed since mid-April during a corruption probe in the oil sector, authorities and the company said on Wednesday. The arrests of Carlos Algarra and Rene Vasquez by intelligence agents at Chevron's Puerto La Cruz offices spooked other foreign companies operating in the OPEC nation in partnership with state oil company PDVSA. They are free, the state prosecutor's office said in an email to Reuters, adding that both had been given unspecified alternative conditions to jail. Chevron said in a statement that its two employees had been released on Wednesday, adding: Our colleagues are in good health and have been reunited with their families. One source close to Chevron said the two Venezuelans had to report to authorities every 15 days. The arrests were the first at a foreign oil firm since the government launched a purge last year that has resulted in the detentions of more than 80 executives at Petroleos de Venezuela SA and partners. In the aftermath, Chevron evacuated other staff. But the government of President Nicolas Maduro, condemned by the West and major Latin American nations over a May 20 re-election that critics said was a farce cementing dictatorship, has been trying to project a more benign image in recent days. It freed dozens of anti-Maduro activists over the weekend. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza reiterated calls on Wednesday for dialogue with the U.S. government, which has imposed sanctions aimed at squeezing the socialist government. The two Chevron employees had been facing possible treason charges for refusing to sign a parts contract for a joint venture with PDVSA, sources said. Chevron, the world's seventh-largest publicly traded oil producer, with 2017 revenue of $135 billion, operates in Venezuela mostly through minority stakes in five projects. The firm has about 150 employees in its Puerto la Cruz headquarters and has two more offices in the country. Its earnings from Venezuela dropped 18 percent last year to $329 million, according to regulatory filings. The arrests marked an escalation of tensions between PDVSA and foreign companies over control of supply contracts and the joint ventures' governance, sources have told Reuters. Venezuela is engulfed in a severe political crisis and economic meltdown, with oil production declining and the sector in chaos amid corruption, a brain drain and U.S. financial sanctions making shipments and transactions ever more difficult. ________________________ Twitter: @petroleumworld1 Petroleumworld.com Hit your target - Advertise with Us Norway's oil & business outlook keeps rising -survey By Reuters OSLO Petroleumworld 06 07 2018 Business conditions strengthened significantly in Norway's western oil-producing regions during the last three months, while the outlook rose to five-year highs, a sentiment survey showed on Thursday. The price of crude oil, Norway's key export, fell sharply from mid-2014 to early 2016 but has since recovered, while non-oil exporters are boosted by a weak currency. The West Coast Current Conditions Index rose 3.7 points to a four-year high of 64.0 after a slight fall the previous quarter, the survey by Respons Analyse and Sparebanken Vest showed. Readings above 50 indicate an expansion, while a reading below that level signals a contraction. Expectations for the next six months rose further to 68.2 points from 67.1, reaching the highest level since the second quarter of 2013. Increased growth abroad along with rising oil prices and a weak Norwegian crown, contribute to more activity in the western region, Sparebanken Vest said. The increase in demand means that more companies now report capacity challenges and we are probably close to full employment in the region, it added. The business survey was first compiled in 2012 and includes 700 firms based in the regions of Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane and Moere og Romsdal. ________________________ Twitter: @petroleumworld1 Petroleumworld.com Hit your target - Advertise with Us Brazil's 4th Pre-salt Round extremely successful has US$818 million collected in signature bonuses ANP Petrobras forced to run with second-choice consortium for coveted block in Brazil's fourth pre-salt licensing round By Fabio Palmigiani and Gareth Chetwynd RIO DE JANEIRO Petroleumworld 06 08 2018 Petrobras won the high-profile Uirapuru area in the Santos basin in the opening bid of Brazil's fourth pre-salt round, but was unable to do so with its first choice of partners. A consortium formed by Portugal' Galp Energia, Norway's Equinor and ExxonMobil of the US submitted the winning bid, offering a profit oil share for the federal government of 75.49%, defeating for the first time a Petrobras-led group in a pre-salt round. Petrobras, in partnership with France's Total and BP of the UK proposed a profit oil of 72.45%, followed by Chevron-Shell-Qatar Petroleum International on 72.05%, and a Chinese consortium made up of China National Offshore Oil Corporation and China National Oil & Gas Exploration & Development Corporation on 68.15%. Months ago, Petrobras exercised its preferential rights for Uirapuru with a minimum 30% stake and, as a high bid was submitted by a different consortium, the company had a 30-minute window to decide whether or not to join. Petrobras opted to enter the winning consortium, taking its 30% operatorship at Uirapuru. Galp will take a 14% interest, while Equinor and ExxonMobil will keep 28% each. Uirapuru is located immediately to the north-east of the Equinor-operated Carcara pre-salt discovery. The government asked for a fixed signature bonus of 2.65 billion reais ($679.5 million) for Uirapuru and a minimum share of profit oil of 22.18%. In the second area on offer, Petrobras faced no competition and picked up the Dois Irmaos pre-salt area in the Campos basin by submitting the minimum profit oil of 16.43%. Petrobras led the consortium with a 45% stake, partnered by Equinor (formerly Statoil) on 25% and BP on 30%. The trio committed to pay a fixed signature bonus of 400 million reais. There was more drama in the third area on offer Tres Marias in the Santos basin in which Petrobras also exercised its preferential rights in a partnership with Total and BP, but was outbid by a consortium made up of Chevron and Shell. This time the difference in the respective bids was higher, with Chevron-Shell offering a profit oil share of 49.95%, while the Petrobras-led group bid just 18%. As it did in Uirapuru, Petrobras decided to enter the winning consortium with an operating 30% stake, partnering Shell on 40% and Chevron on 30%. Tres Marias is located between the Jupiter and Libra pre-salt discoveries. The government asked for a minimum profit oil share of 8.32% and a fixed signature bonus of 100 million reais. The last area on offer in the fourth pre-salt round, Itaimbezinho in the Campos basin, failed to attract a single bid. After the auction, consultancy Wood Mackenzie weighed in. "With industry heavyweights again leading the competition, Brazil`s pre-salt has consolidated as the playground for those with deep pockets," said Juliana Miguez, senior research analyst for Latin America upstream oil and gas. "High interest from a select group of companies and strong competition in the rounds are a reflection of the prospectivity of the acreage. The crown however still belongs to Petrobras." Companies' bids of more than 70% profit oil reinforce their belief in the economics of the projects, with the basis in huge accumulations and very prolific wells, Wood Mackenzie continued. "In the case of PSC blocks, economics are very sensitive to profit share levels, and high bids such as for Uirapuru will require significant discoveries, low costs and a fast pace of development in order to generate value." Overall, however, the results were seen as another win for the sector. "Ultimately, with US$818 million collected in signature bonuses, the outcome was yet another big success for Brazil and, for the majors, it was a chance to significantly deepen their pre-salt exposure," the firm concluded. "With the successful conclusion of five licensing rounds in the span of less than a year, and a fifth PSC Round set for September 2018, interest in Brazil's upstream sector continues to be very strong." ________________________ Twitter: @petroleumworld1 Petroleumworld.com Hit your target - Advertise with Us Anthony Bourdain was the bad boy of chefs, the provocative tell-all author of Kitchen Confidential, and a groundbreaking TV travel show host who celebrated the world's cultures through food at all levels, from street vendors to gastronomic stars, and in complex, honest ways that had never been presented to the viewing public before. As a result, before his death by suicide Friday in France, he had became one of the most influential American cultural icons of the last two decades, a man who perhaps more than any other figure helped transform the previously uncelebrated gritty world of the line cook into a seemingly glamorous career direction for a generation of young cooks. >> READ MORE: After the deaths of Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain, finding the courage to talk to someone at risk of suicide The chefs of Philadelphia are no exception. Bourdain's visits to the city, to promote a book during a lunch at Brasserie Perrier in 2001, to perform at the Merriam Theater with fellow chef Eric Ripert for his "Good vs. Evil Tour" in 2011, and for a rollicking drunken romp across the city in 2012 for his Travel Channel show The Layover, are still the stuff of local legend. If Anthony Bourdain ate there and liked it it was the ultimate validation. His enthusiastic encounter with a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle at Stateside, I contend, single-handedly pushed that already-coveted bourbon into nearly unreachable cult whiskey status. I spoke with some of those who accompanied him during that visit and others, as well as chefs who didn't know Bourdain at all, but saw him as a tremendous influence. Here are edited excerpts of their thoughts. >> READ MORE: Anthony Bourdain: He didn't set out to be a celebrity Michael Solomonov, chef and co-owner of Zahav, who was featured in Bourdain's visit to Philly in '"The Layover:" We're all shocked. No one saw it coming. This is insane. I was working at Avenue B and had just moved to Philadelphia when Kitchen Confidential came out, and that's where I learned about the culture and work ethic and the sort of loyalty to the craft that a cook needs to have in this business. There were no memoirs about this at that time with an author who could so strongly connect themes that would not only relate to line cooks, but also the general public. He'd fire a duck breast on the line, then run off to smoke a cigarette. He talked about the importance of having a diverse staff, about immigration and how it related to the real world. And there was an honesty and lack of Hollywood that he brought to it all that was one of the most important expressions about restaurants at that time by far. It changed the way way people viewed restaurants. When he came for The Layover, we had pho in the morning at Pho 75 and spent all day together, talking a lot about politics and the Middle East, my brother David [an Israeli soldier killed by a Lebanese sniper], and his own experiences in Lebanon, and he was super-intellectual, super smart and so well-spoken. Then, that night, he and Marc Vetri and I went to the Pen and Pencil Club for late-night drinks. He lost a rock-paper-scissors bet and had to drink the hot-dog water. He was a good sport." >> READ MORE: Obama posts touching tribute following death of CNN host and chef Anthony Bourdain Scott Schroeder, chef and co-owner of Hungry Pigeon: I didn't know him, but I teared-up this morning. I don't know if I can even talk about it. There's a memory of reading Kitchen Confidential when I was 20 years old and realizing that it defined how restaurants really were, how cooks were. How it was OK that you were going to struggle in between jobs. And honestly, it probably made me feel more confident to be myself. He was one of us. He was one of us for real, and then he became a celebrity. We all made fun of Guy Fieri, and he did, too. Nicholas Elmi, chef and co-owner of Laurel, ITV, and Royal Boucherie: He came to Brasserie Perrier once when I was younger I was actually off that day, but everybody was pretty hype about it. His book came out when I was 19 and someone gave it to me for Christmas. I was in school for accounting and economics at the time, but that definitely pushed me into the culinary direction. Cooks of my generation are unbelievably influenced by what he was doing especially back in the early 2000s. It's become pretty much passe now to call people rock-star chefs, but he was one of those who started it all and really shed light onto what the industry was about. He still did a great job of highlighting the good of the industry as well not just the partying, but what was great about being in the restaurant world and connecting people through food. Chris Scarduzio, chef-owner of Teca Newtown Square, who was chef-partner at Brasserie Perrier when Bourdain dined there in 2001: I was so saddened to hear this he was a good friend of mine. Whenever he came to Philly or Atlantic City, we always had a good time. He adored French food tremendously, and he was a staunch ally to the classics. He wasn't too much into the sous-vide and tweezer chefs not that he didn't respect them. But he liked big, bold flavors, and when I cooked with him, I didn't overdo the plates at all. At the time, when his New Yorker article first came out, there were actually a lot of mixed feelings in the restaurant community about many of the things he criticized, like telling people not to eat fish on Mondays. I disagreed with some of it, too. But he brought some light to the darkness that happens in some bad kitchens. Not all chefs are like that not all pros run their kitchens that way. But there was definitely truth in it. And that was Anthony. He was like the cowboy, the true rock-and-roll king of the culinary industry. Tod Wentz, chef and co-owner of Townsend, A Mano and Oloroso: As a young cook, I remember reading Kitchen Confidential and feeling that he was one of us and it was really moving. For him to go from being a line cook to traveling the world and showing us all what was possible and what was out there was really the most important contribution he had for us. Having that honest viewpoint of life in general and knowing that it came from how we saw the world the people who've done this for our whole lives was always honest and revealing. Han Chiang, owner of the Han Dynasty chain, including a branch in Manhattan that Bourdain frequented, who was also featured on the Philly "Layover" episode: Oh no! I just woke up and saw what happened. He was in our restaurant on the Upper West Side just last Thursday, and I really wish I was there. He had his regular: two orders of ma pao tofu and a six-pack of Tsingtao. Overall he was a super-cool guy, and he was one of my idols because his shows were not just about the food but about the culture, and his stories always had a point at the end. I wasn't even supposed to meet him when he came to film The Layover I had booked a plane ticket back to Taiwan. But then a week before, the producers said he wanted to meet me from hearing how crazy I am. So I canceled the flight and we set up a scene at Dirty Frank's. I got there early and got drunk before he even came in. But then when he got there, we just kept going with the Jameson shots and IPAs non-stop. There were a bunch of pretty girls there that night and I was like, 'Damn, I can go talk to a bunch of pretty girls now because Anthony Bourdain is here!' But they started lining up to get him to sign his book and they were like, 'Who the f is this guy?!' Jonathan Deutsch, professor in the Center for Food and Hospitality at Drexel University, on Bourdain's impact with culinary students: When I got into this field in the early to mid-'90s, it was sort of the beginning of the food-media phenomenon, and we were sort of on the cusp of culinary school being seen as both a glorified trade school and as an academic pursuit. Chefs were just starting to being thought of skilled craftsmen, women and tradespeople, but also thought leaders, influencers, and media icons. Anthony, in my opinion, navigated us through that change and let students know that it's OK to both have strong culinary skills and also think critically and intellectually about what you're doing. Explore the flavors of the world on the one hand as a food journalist or culinary ethnographer, but don't just leave it there. He was a sort of a chef's chef, and highly relatable to [diverse audiences] as this inquisitive, omnivorous, passionate person who loved everything about this industry, from its horrible gritty underbelly of the Kitchen Confidential era to people making really beautiful food at all levels ranging from street food through fine dining. He had a real curiosity and respect for everyone in this field, all the while shaking up a lot of the puffery and self-congratulatory nature of food scenes. There are students who read his book and said, this is not for me, I'm going to business school. But then many others were hooked and said: "I want in!" To have [Bourdain's suicide] the same week as Kate Spade's death, it makes me think. Here are people who should want for nothing in life. They're successful by any unit of measure, but yet they are still are unable to shake whatever it is that makes someone do this. And I think [mental health] is actually the next frontier for our field. We've gone through a lot of awareness and building support for chefs with substance abuse problems. But there's been much less done around the issues of depression, isolation, and anxiety. And this can be a tough, stressful and isolating business. President Donald Trump welcomes Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the White House on Oct. 11, 2017, in Washington D.C. President Trump reportedly incorrectly accused Canada of burning down the White House during a recent phone call. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/TNS) Read more President Trump's penchant for pummeling allies while pampering adversaries was on full display this weekend. Before the G-7 summit in La Malbaie, Quebec, with Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, Trump had threatened to start a trade war imposing on our closest allies steep tariffs on imported metals, on specious national security grounds. He also held ugly phone and Twitter exchanges with French President Emmanuel Macron. On Saturday, he really went off the rails, refusing to sign a joint statement with the G-7 allies and tweeting that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was "weak and dishonest." He threatened to "stop trading" with the allies if they didn't bend to his will. Yet, when it came to America's adversaries, Trump was in full embrace mode. He demanded that Russia be reinvited to the G-7. When reminded by a reporter that Russia was kicked out because it invaded Ukraine, he blamed President Barack Obama for the invasion, then repeated his demand to "let [Russia] back in." Nor did other autocrats go unrewarded. Trump also gave Beijing a huge gift dropping sanctions against a Chinese telecom company that had threatened U.S. security. And he suggested he might invite North Korea's Kim Jong Un to the White House. >> READ MORE: Trump-Kim summit: What to watch for when they meet in Singapore | Trudy Rubin "We seem to want to punish our allies and befriend our enemies," said Sen. Bob Corker (R., Tenn.). Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) summed up Trump's behavior brilliantly: "Those nations that share our values and have sacrificed alongside us for decades are being treated with contempt." Yes, if anyone had any doubts, Trump made clear in this past week that he would rather deal with the Putins, Xi Jinpings, and Kims of the world than the leaders of other major democracies. How else can you explain Trump's behavior toward Canada, our close neighbor and second-largest trading partner, with which we share a language, history, values, and a peaceful border? While there are trade disputes between our countries, the overall balance of trade in goods and services is in America's favor. "The idea that we are somehow a national security threat to the United States is quite frankly insulting and unacceptable," Trudeau told NBC last week. Yet in a testy phone call with Trudeau, Trump quipped, "Didn't you guys burn down the White House?" referring to the War of 1812. Of course, as usual, Trump had his facts wrong it was the Brits who burned the White House. But for Trump, infuriating allies with fake facts is just another day at the office. His push for a trade war with allies so threatens the U.S. economy that it has sparked a bipartisan effort in Congress to block him. As the Toronto Star wrote, Trump's "erratic, hostile behavior toward the United States' traditional allies is undermining Washington's credibility around the world." >e> READ MORE: Putin's info war against America amplified by Trump | Trudy Rubin The Trumped-up trade war is symptomatic of the president's cavalier attitude toward countries that share America's democratic values. It's not just that Trump has repeatedly denigrated NATO and the European Union. It's not only that he rejects efforts to curb climate change and abandoned the Iran nuclear deal, despite intense efforts by European leaders to work out a tougher joint approach toward Tehran. It's not simply that he showed, in his astounding attacks on Trudeau and Macron, that he can't stand any legitimate criticism from our closest friends. What worries U.S. allies most is that Trump favors European populist parties of the far right which stir fear and division over traditional democratic parties. And he prefers autocrats like Putin to democrats like Germany's Angela Merkel and Macron. Just last week, Trump's newly appointed ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, a former Fox News commentator, stirred up immense anger by saying it was his goal to "empower" anti-establishment conservative forces in Europe. This was taken as a direct challenge to Merkel (a conservative but not a populist). When the German government protested, the Trump administration backed Grenell. No one benefits more from Trump's disdain for onetime Western partners than Putin. Trump's insistence that Putin should be restored to the former G-8 is an unreciprocated gift to Moscow. So is talk of a Trump summit with Putin unless the president confronts the Russian leader about his cyber espionage in Europe and the United States. >> READ MORE: Will Trump's deal-making backfire and embroil U.S. in new wars? | Trudy Rubin Yet Trump has displayed little taste for pushing back against strongmen with whom he holds summits. Witness the dropped tariffs against China's ZTE telecom company. "ZTE is a much greater national security threat than steel from Europe," tweeted Florida's GOP Sen. Marco Rubio. Yet Trump was willing to do this favor for Xi, in a case where tariffs were fully justified, when he won't listen to Macron or Trudeau. So what motivates Trump's love for autocrats? He clearly feels more comfortable with them than he does with Western democratic leaders. Autocrats can act solo (and don't have to worry about the rule of law, a Trump dream, as we saw last week). The president thinks he can do great deals mano a mano with tough guys. On the contrary. As he undermines the alliances that multiply American strength, Trump is making Putin and Xi stronger. He is isolating America from its allies. He may prefer the axis of autocrats to the G-7, but those autocrats are out to weaken and isolate this country. Lost in his narcissism, Trump is eagerly helping our adversaries achieve their goals. Students from the Mitchell K-8 School eighth grade class of 2018 sing as part of their graduation Friday morning. All but four completed the no-fighting challenge that earned them $100. Read more Inside the old church sanctuary, the scene Friday was joyous all hugs, high-fives, and a deep sense of accomplishment over something many people believed 36 young people from Southwest Philadelphia could not do. Every eighth grade is special to Stephanie Andrewlevich, principal of Mitchell Elementary School, but the Class of 2018 meant something particularly profound to her, she told them. "Do you know you are an inspiration?" Andrewlevich asked the boys and girls dressed in blue caps and gowns for their first real graduation. "Do you know through your peace you have actually fought? Fought the negative stereotypes that society places on you? Go online. Google 'inner-city teenagers' and see what comes up: violence, fighting, crime, high school dropout rates. But not you. Not your families. Not our school family." The stated purpose for the ceremony at the Common Place, a worship space at 58th Street and Chester Avenue, a few blocks from Mitchell, was graduation. But the students, parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and friends who gathered were celebrating something more a year without fights in a school in one of the city's poorest and most violent communities. Something that is practically unheard of. The Mitchell eighth graders were part of an unusual and polarizing challenge from their principal that attracted national attention: If they made it to graduation without any physical altercations, they would each get $100 and lessons in financial literacy. The challenge was not sponsored by the district; it was Andrewlevich's idea and she vowed to pay the $3,600 herself if no donor stepped forward. After the Inquirer and Daily News detailed the challenge, a legion of contributors did emerge. An anonymous sponsor agreed to cover the $3,600. M&T Bank offered money-managing classes to students and parents and a trip to the bank, where the eighth graders received bank accounts with the cash already deposited. "In a community plagued with crime and financial insecurity, they learned about peaceful problem-solving and financial literacy," Andrewlevich said. "If you combine that with academics, they're unstoppable." In the end, 32 of the 36 teenagers made it to the finish line. Four girls got into a fight this spring; they did not earn the money or the medals that Andrewlevich draped around the necks of the rest of the class. The girls, whose fight was a recess spat that escalated into punches, lost privileges when their classmates took trips, they had to stay behind and were directed to talk through how they could have handled things differently. And two funny things happened: Something thawed among the four who couldn't stand each other all year. And instead of ostracizing them, their classmates encouraged them. There's research to support the idea that students can be spurred to success by financial rewards. In the early days of the challenge, the students talked about the $100 constantly, about buying sneakers or clothes with the money. But as the year went on, they mentioned it less and less. Being peaceful wasn't something they were doing to earn cash it was just how they were. After the financial lessons, most said they were going to save it for something big, like college. Andrewlevich's initial plan was to only award the money if every member of the class refrained from fighting during the span. But midway through the year, she started to wonder: What kind of message would that send? "Honestly, I realized that wasn't the best life lesson," she said. "I can't expect them to be perfect; that's not the way life works. When they fell, they got back up together." Every day during morning announcements, she would announce how many days the eighth grade had gone without fighting. The school took notice. Fights plummeted 75 percent schoolwide. Attendance and grades improved. In prior years, fights at times had been points of pride: When classmates would start throwing fists, others would get out cellphones, egging each other on. "We flipped the switch this year on where status comes from," said Andrewlevich. "Positive status comes from peace, not from violence." The students felt that, they said. Mikel Lindsay said the eighth grade "had our ups and downs, but we did it. And now, the peaceful challenge is our legacy. The other kids have got to keep it up." Samiya Burney was one of the four students who fought, and that taught her something, she said. "I learned how to become calmer," said Burney. "And we got over it, we became cool." Overall, the K-8 school of 520 students has undergone a transformation in academics and climate in the three years since Andrewlevich took over. She credits a staff she once called "soldiers for this work" and, most of all, the students who brim with promise, despite challenges that overwhelm many adults: poverty, incarcerated parents, housing insecurity, worry about whether the week's groceries will stretch to feed the family. But Andrewlevich is Mitchell's instructional leader and chief cheerleader, so beloved by her students that they pooled funds to buy her a special necklace to wear for graduation. People seemed to either think that the challenge was either brilliant or bribery. Andrewlevich hears the criticism, but she's firm that she did the right thing. "If we keep doing what we were always doing, we're going to get what we always got," she said. "If I would have spent $100 on a pizza party, everyone would have said it was sweet. Our goal was to invest $100 into a bank account that begins a positive financial literacy journey." Graduate Sharif Ali addressed his classmates solemnly on Friday, sharing some of the lessons they had all learned together this year about being mature, respectful and responsible, about working hard and moving on from trouble. The Mitchell students, he said, understood what their challenge meant. "Who would have expected that this group of young ladies and men myself included to be such an inspiration for so many?" That was evident in the surprise they learned about at graduation. A few weeks ago, school staff reached out to supporters who had become familiar with the Mitchell students' work and asked if people might consider donating to sponsor a laptop for each graduate. The money was raised in three days. On Friday, each student learned they will get a new Chromebook this summer. There was a gasp, then cheers as they heard the news. Some kids put their hands over their mouths, some threw their arms in the air. Melissa Traber, who teaches in the suburbs, worked with Andrewlevich at Harding Middle School and has been bowled over by the Southwest kids' progress. Traber, her brother, and a friend decided to donate to help the Mitchell students start high school with something they might not have otherwise. "What they're doing is so amazing," said Traber. "They deserve this advantage." Zahav chef Michael Solomonov at a cooking demo during his "Dinner in the Desert" Read more >>READ MORE: On a diplomatic mission and to woo patrons Philadelphia Orchestra will go to Israel A constantly-in-motion presence, Solomonov talked of "our wonderful day together" and used the word epic to described the undertaking of creating the dinner >>READ MORE: Here's our coverage of the Haifa concert, with Nezet-Seguin conducting and Grimaud playing the Brahms Finally, on Thursday, a small contingent of Philadelphia musicians went to the Yitzhak Navon Music School for the Gifted and Excellent in Lod to play chamber pieces. There, principal Meny Matalon told them how much the orchestra's Tuesday concert in Jerusalem had meant to students. The U.S. State Department had donated roughly 1,000 tickets to schoolchildren for the Jerusalem performance, and 150 of those went to Lod students, ages 6 to 18, plus their parents. "They didn't know what to expect," said Matalon, "but when they came in the next day, they were 50 centimeters above the ground." The children "were talking about specific instruments that we don't have in our band, like bassoon and oboe," the principal said. "They wanted to know, `What is that sound?' " David Patrick Stearns' coverage of the Philadelphia Orchestra on Tour is made possible by a partnership between the Philadelphia Inquirer and WRTI 90.1. A worker sweeps near the high-rise apartment buildings in the Canton Place where U.S. government workers who experienced unexplained health issues in Guangzhou, China. (AP Photo/Kelvin Chan) Read more People heard a mysterious noise, then experienced a variety of neurological symptoms. University of Pennsylvania researchers studied that troubling pattern among U.S. government employees stationed in Cuba earlier this year, and now they are evaluating a similar scenario among others stationed in China, the Associated Press reports. The Cuba incidents sparked concerns that the employees had been targeted with some novel sort of sonic attack, and similar reports this week in Guangzhou, China, have prompted several evacuations of diplomats and family members. The Penn team, which published its Cuba findings February in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was not able to prove what caused the symptoms in those patients. But after subjecting 21 people to a battery of tests, the authors said they appeared to have suffered "injury to widespread brain networks" despite having no history of head trauma. "It appears that we have identified a new syndrome that may have important public health implications," senior author Douglas H. Smith, director of Penn's Center for Brain Injury and Repair, said at the time. Asked about the reported China incidents, Penn Medicine said it could not reveal results of any patient evaluations. "We are continuing to work with the Department of State to evaluate and treat personnel who have reported audible phenomena experiences," according to a health system statement. "We are not able to provide specifics about different patient groups at this time." The 21 patients who were stationed in Cuba were found to have symptoms such as dizziness, headache, loss of balance, and memory problems, the Penn researchers reported in February. Eighteen of them reported hearing an intense sound before the onset of symptoms; some also reported feeling unusual vibrations, such as the sensation in a moving car when the windows are partly rolled down. "The good news is that the symptoms appear to respond to rehabilitation interventions in a similar fashion as we see in patients with persisting symptoms following a concussion," said the study's lead author, Randel Swanson, an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Marion Millhouse Barker had a stabbing sensation on the right side of her rib cage that left her doubled over. Read more On nights that the pain became unbearable, Marion Millhouse Barker would get out of bed, head for the guest room, shut the door, and scream as loud as she could. "It helped," said Barker, recalling the strategies she devised to cope with the stabbing sensation on the right side of her rib cage that left her doubled over. "I have a high pain tolerance," she said, but this pain proved to be more excruciating than unmedicated childbirth or acute appendicitis. On other nights, Barker, now 65, headed for the shower. She aimed the pulsating spray of water, as hot as she could stand it, at the locus of her pain. Oddly, the pain never struck in the daytime. Her problem began in the fall of 2012, a year after Barker sold the suburban Maryland medical communications firm she co-founded and decided to retire. Barker had been doing a lot of kayaking to stay in shape. When her rib cage began to hurt, she suspected she had pulled a muscle and tried to take it easy. In January 2013, when the pain hadn't gone away, she consulted her internist. The doctor ordered a chest X-ray, an ultrasound of Barker's gallbladder, and a liver test. All were normal. The internist told Barker she suspected that the pain was the result of costochondritis, an inflammation of the cartilage in her rib cage, probably related to kayaking. The doctor advised that she take a prescription-strength nonsteroidal painkiller to reduce inflammation. It didn't help. For the next year or so, Barker, whose husband is a retired physician-researcher at the National Institutes of Health, coped with the pain on her own. She tried various over-the-counter remedies. "I thought I had a diagnosis," she said, thinking that a return visit to the doctor would be "fruitless." But Barker grew increasingly worried about the attacks, which left her wrung out and exhausted. They usually began around 7 p.m., then subsided after a few hours, sometimes recurring around 5 a.m. for a few hours before disappearing. Her days were pain-free. "It was sporadic enough that I learned to live with it," she said. But Barker was puzzled during a 10-day family vacation in July 2014. "I didn't have one attack." Then a month later the episodes were back, and occurring nearly every night. Over Labor Day, when her brother, a San Francisco cardiologist, was visiting, Barker asked his advice. He told her that the pain in her side might be emanating not from her rib cage but from her back, possibly her upper spine. Its sharp quality was suggestive of nerve pain, not inflammation, he said. And the pain relievers she had been taking for months don't work for nerve pain. His advice: Get an MRI scan. A few weeks later, Barker returned to her primary-care doctor. She recounted her continuing symptoms and relayed her brother's observations. The doctor ordered two tests: an MRI and a CT scan of her spine. Solution: The tests revealed the cause of Barker's pain: A large tumor, roughly the size and shape of a small cocktail frank, was lodged inside her spinal canal. It was pressing on the T6 vertebra, located below the shoulder blade. Barker's family physician referred her to a pair of neurosurgeons, Shih-Chun "David" Lin and Quoc-Anh Thai, who performed spinal surgery together at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md. (Thai recently left for a job in Arkansas.) "Usually you don't want two cooks in the kitchen," said Lin, Washington-area division chief of Johns Hopkins neurosurgery. But in the case of spine surgery, he continued, an additional pair of hands and eyes can be invaluable. The neurosurgeons told Barker they suspected that the growth was a schwannoma, a rare, slow-growing tumor that is usually benign. But, Lin emphasized, the surgeons told Barker that until they operated, they wouldn't know for sure what it was. Schwannomas arise from nerve cells called Schwann cells, which are part of the peripheral nervous system. In most cases they occur by chance for unknown reasons and can develop anywhere in the body. Some never cause problems, but in other cases radiating pain of the kind Barker experienced can occur, as can hearing loss if the tumor is located in the head or neck. "This kind of tumor is not that common overall," Lin said. Surgeons must weigh the risks and benefits of removing the tumor, which can be tricky. Lin said there was no known reason that Barker's pain occurred only at night, not in the daytime. "Sometimes it's the opposite," he said. Barker said that the surgeons recommended operating "sooner rather than later" because of the severity of her pain and because they worried that if left too long, it could affect her legs, causing paralysis. Then, Barker said, "I made a stupid decision." Her family was coming for Thanksgiving, and Barker worried she would be immobile after surgery. When the surgeons told her it wasn't an emergency, she scheduled her operation for early December. But in the intervening weeks, Barker's pain intensified and her ability to walk began to be affected. She also grew increasingly nervous about something the surgeons had told her: Sometimes, even after the tumor is removed, the pain doesn't go away. "I just couldn't believe that," she said. "I remember saying to my husband that I can't keep doing this if it doesn't get better." Luckily for Barker, it did. Her operation, which was supposed to take several hours, lasted only 90 minutes because the tumor was relatively easy to remove. "It was encapsulated," Lin said, "not stuck to the spinal cord." Although the rib pain vanished quickly, recovery from the operation took more than a year. Barker also needed three months of physical therapy to regain her ability to walk normally. She has fully recovered. Her advice to others facing prolonged unexplained pain particularly if it is severe is simple: Don't do what I did. "Now that I can stand back," she said, "I can see it was an issue that was relatively easily fixed. I think waiting so long [to return to a doctor] was a big mistake." Celebrity chef and CNN host Anthony Bourdain has died, according to the network. He was 61. Read more Anthony Bourdain, the popular chef and Emmy-winning host of CNN's Parts Unknown, is dead, the network reported Friday morning. He was 61. According to CNN, the cause of death was suicide. CNN Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter reported that Bourdain, who was in France filming an upcoming episode of Parts Unknown, was found dead in his hotel room by famed chef Eric Ripert, one of Bourdain's closest friends. "It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain," CNN said in a statement Friday morning. "His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time." Bourdain leaves behind his 11-year-old daughter, Ariane, and his ex-wife Ottavia Busia. >> READ MORE: Finding the courage to talk openly and compassionately about suicide risk >> READ MORE: Suicide warning signs and resources After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 1978, Bourdain worked as a line cook before becoming the executive chef in the 1990s at Brasserie Les Halles, a French restaurant in New York City that has since closed. While working as the restaurant, Bourdain sent an article to the New Yorker exposing trade secrets and the dark underbelly of the restaurant world. That piece, titled "Don't Eat Before Reading This," became the basis of his best-selling book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. "Anthony was a dear friend," Eric Ripert, the owner of the renowned New York City restaurant Le Bernardin who was extremely close friends with Bourdain, told The New York Times. "He was an exceptional human being, so inspiring and generous. One of the great storytellers of our time who connected with so many. I wish him peace. My love and prayers are with his family, friends and loved ones." Among those reacting publicly to Bourdain's passing was former President Barack Obama, who shared a bowl of noodles and a beer with the host on a 2016 episode of Parts Unknown filmed in Hanoi. Vietnam. Food Network host Michael Symon wrote that he was shocked and at "a loss for words" over Bourdain's sudden death. Famed Philadelphia chef and restaurateur Marc Vetri was also left speechless by the news. "I want to extend to his family my heartfelt condolences. That was very shocking," President Trump told reporters as he left the White House on his way to the G-7 Summit. "When I woke up this morning, Anthony Bourdain is dead. I enjoyed his show. He was quite a character." Here is more reaction about Bourdain's passing from the culinary world: Bourdain certainly wasn't a stranger to Philadelphia. During a 2012 episode of his Travel Channel show The Layover, Bourdain made stops at DiBruno Bros., Paesano's in the Italian Market and Marc Vetri's Amis on 13th Street, followed up with a shot of the dirty hot dog water at the Pen & Pencil, a club for journalists and service-industry pros. "I'll give the nod to Bourdain for taking the shot because if I had taken the hot dog water 15 drinks would have been coming right up," said Brendan Bowne, a Bucks County resident who downed an Irish Bus Bomb with the host on camera. During the fifth season of Parts Unknown, in an episode focused on New Jersey, Bourdain discovered the "Donkey steak" at Donkey's Place in Camden, which he called "fantastic" and "sublime." The chef said the "Donkey steak" might be better than any cheesesteak he's ever eaten in Philadelphia. >> READ MORE: Bourdain: 'Best' Philly cheesesteak not from Philly? Bourdain's death comes just days after fashion designer Kate Spade died of an apparent suicide in her Manhattan apartment on Tuesday. Bourdain was open about his past struggles with drug addiction, telling Reddit users in a 2013 "Ask Me Anything" that during his 20s, he was "selfish, larcenous, druggy, loud, stupid, insensitive and someone you would not want to have known." How to get help: Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources. "Most people who kick heroin and cocaine have to give up on everything," Bourdain added. "Maybe cause my experiences were so awful in the end, I've never been tempted to relapse." The effectiveness of stop-and-frisk policies as a valid crime deterrent has been questioned. Read more It didn't take long after Mayor Kenney was elected in 2015 for him to begin dialing back on his campaign promise that "stop and frisk will end in Philadelphia, no question." In a gymnastic exercise reminiscent of Bill Clinton's defining the word is, Kenney later explained that he didn't mean Philadelphia police would no longer stop and frisk people, but that they would try harder to avoid racial profiling in deciding whom to accost. "What we are going to stop is the random stopping of people, Latinos and African Americans, on the street and the cop asking, 'What are you doing here?' and making them empty their bag and empty their pockets. There is a balance between crime-fighting and being oppressive," Kenney said in a 2016 interview with the Al Dia News editorial board. He's got that right. But more than a decade after Mayor Michael Nutter ratcheted up the use of stop-and-frisk as a tactic to reduce gun violence in Philly, police too often size up possible suspects by race and ethnicity in deciding whom to pat down. That was confirmed by the ACLU of Pennsylvania, which in 2011 settled a lawsuit that contended stop-and-frisk, as practiced in Philadelphia, was racially biased. The settlement included a provision allowing the ACLU to monitor the program, but the city wasn't ordered to end it. >> READ MORE: Terry v. Ohio: The decision behind 'stop-and-frisk' still stands, 50 years after the Supreme Court ruled | Opinion Kenney recently reported that since his taking office the number of "pedestrian stops" by police had dropped 50 percent, and that a similar reduction had occurred in the number of stops that occur "without reasonable suspicion." But people of color still represent the majority of people stopped and frisked. Police data show blacks were 50 percent of all pedestrians stopped and frisked last year, while whites were 37 percent. But blacks were 69 percent of all those detained and searched indoors, while whites were only 39 percent. The indoor statistic becomes more glaring after last month's wrongful arrest of two African American men inside a Center City Starbucks. But evidence suggests profiling by police isn't limited to individuals. Entire neighborhoods are being stereotyped based on how many blacks live in them. That was the finding made by Villanova professor Lance Hannon, whose research of police data showed about 70 percent more frisks occurred in black neighborhoods, even in communities with very low crime rates. So, what's the point? Nutter justified his use of stop and frisk as a desire to get more guns off the street. But besides the fact that few guns are actually retrieved, stop-and-frisk is being employed in neighborhoods where gun violence is an anomaly, and where blacks feel like suspects just because they are black. Kenney's earlier tap dance on stop-and-frisk rightly pointed out the Constitution gives police the right to search criminal suspects. But suspicion of criminal activity must be based on much more than skin color, choice of attire, or the neighborhood a person calls home. It's time to take another look at stop-and-frisk; more training appears necessary. Progress has been made since the ACLU suit settlement, but walking while black, driving while black, and even sitting while black still seem to constitute a crime in the minds of too many cops. Three musicians process down South Street during the Odunde festival, June 11th, 2017. Read more Sunday's 43rd annual Odunde Festival will feature many of its traditional aspects like the noontime procession to the Schuylkill to honor the Yoruba river goddess Oshun. But missing from the nation's largest and longest-running African American festival this year will be the woman who started it all four decades ago with a $100 grant Lois Fernandez. Fernandez, a pillar in Philadelphia's African American community, died last Aug. 13 at age 81. On Saturday morning, the City of Philadelphia is honoring her legacy by the honorary naming of the 2300 block of South Street as "Lois Fernandez Way." "Ms. Fernandez was a passionate advocate through her entire life for children, seniors, African Americans, and all people," said City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, who introduced the street-naming resolution. "Her legacy is part of the fabric of our city of Philadelphia." Fortunately for the Odunde Festival, Fernandez is survived by an energetic daughter, Bumi Fernandez-West. Fernandez-West, 43, was an infant when the festival started in 1975. But with her mother's tutelage, she became the chief organizer 22 years ago. "I didn't see how much my mother had sacrificed until I took it over," Fernandez-West said last year. "I didn't know how much it meant to the city of Philadelphia and the world until I got older. "My mom always had me with her [and] trained me to continue her legacy," Fernandez-West said last week. Thus the festival, which drew just a few hundred in that first year, brings in an estimated $28 million into the city each year, according to EConsult Solutions. Fernandez-West said it is important for her to keep her mother's legacy alive, explaining that Fernandez battled breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and other illnesses while simultaneously ensuring Odunde went off without a hitch. Fernandez-West is further preserving her mother's legacy by now teaching her two sons, Adeniyi Ogundana, 13, and Abayomi Ogundana, 10, how to run Odunde. On Sunday, people from all over the world will gather on Lois Fernandez Way for the celebration of African culture and food that is Odunde. This year, the festival, which has roots in the Yoruba and Ifa cultures of Nigeria, will span 15 city blocks and feature rapper KRS-One on the Queen Lois stage at South Street at 6 p.m. Inspirational speaker Iyanla Vanzant will be presented with the Oshun award at 4 p.m. on the same stage. Fernandez-West said the award represents someone who "uplifts our community in a positive [manner], making it a better place." Odunde runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is free. Pennsylvania State Trooper John Sromovsky, left, leaves the Chester County Justice Center in West Chester with an unidentified supporter after he was sentenced to xxx on Thursday, June 7, 2018. Read more Pennsylvania State Trooper John Robert Sromovsky was a bully looking for a fight on Sept. 9, 2016, when he taunted, cursed at, and repeatedly punched a crying man who was handcuffed and belted into his seat in a patrol car, according to the Chester County District Attorney's Office. The unprovoked beating of Lorenzo Lopez, 25, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who was being arrested for DUI, was not the first time Sromovsky had roughed up a citizen while on duty but it was the last time. The 11-year State Police veteran was sentenced Thursday in Chester County Court to 2 to 12 months in the county Prison for his conviction by a jury last month of simple assault. Sromovsky, 35, of Upper Chichester, Delaware County, was to be officially fired at midnight, a State Police spokesman said. He did not apologize to his victim, but thanked Judge Thomas G. Gavin for his time. After the hearing in West Chester, the bespectacled Sromovsky was photographed before he had a chance to hold his suit jacket over his head to hide from a news photographer's flash. "Get that thing out of his face," shouted an older man who had accompanied him to court. "I think that it's concerning that he still will not take responsibility for his actions," Assistant District Attorney Cindy Morgan said after the hearing. The sentence, she said, "addressed the concerns of the commonwealth about how egregious the conduct was." Sromovsky's attorney, Christian J. Hoey, said an appeal would be filed in federal court within 30 days. Gavin allowed Sromovsky to remain free on $500 bail pending a ruling on his appeal. Reading from a statement, the judge said he hoped the video recording of the assault would be used at the police academy to teach future officers how not to behave. "Calm, cool, and collected is not a catchphrase," the judge told Sromovsky. "It is what you are trained for." He lectured the somber-faced Sromovsky on the importance of the code of honor that the State Police has had since 1929. "If law enforcement is to be respected by the community," Gavin said, "then you have to be above and beyond reproach." Sentencing Sromovsky to probation would "lessen the seriousness of the crime," said the judge, adding: "No defenseless person should be struck." Sromovsky's downfall began when he arrived at the scene of a DUI arrest on Gap-Newport Pike in Avondale to assist a fellow officer who had handcuffed Lopez and placed him in the front seat of his patrol car. Although Lopez posed no "immediate or obvious risk to others," Sromovsky opened the car door and became hostile to the crying suspect, prosecutors said in court papers. "'I'll give you a reason to cry, bitch,'" Sromovsky said to the man, they wrote. "Mere moments later, the defendant made good on this threat, striking Lopez in the face with a closed fist at least twice. Mr. Lopez had no means of defending himself. The defendant then shut the door to the vehicle and walked away as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred." Lopez was convicted of DUI and was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. His current status was not immediately available. Five years before that roadside confrontation, on Oct. 28, 2011, Sromovsky was recorded roughing up Mohammad Farvardin, an Iranian American civil engineer who had pulled his car to the side of a country road in Chester County to make a phone call. After reviewing video of the arrest, the District Attorney's Office dropped charges of disorderly conduct against Farvardin, who received $80,000 in a civil settlement, according to Michael Reed, Farvardin's attorney. On July 4, 2017, 47 candidates from 33 countries became naturalized U.S. citizens after taking the Oath of Allegiance onboard the battleship New Jersey in Camden. Here, carrying her 3 year old daughter Olivia, Polish born Hanna Pawlowska smiles after receiving her citizenship. Read more Immigration is rarely a topic of happy conversation in this country. From the White House to Congress to town-hall meetings, our discussions are fractured by suspicion and partisanship and worsened by harsh stereotypes of foreigners who seek new lives on American soil. That's why we're intrigued by Pew Charitable Trust's new report, "Philadelphia's Immigrants: Who they are how they are changing the city." The analysis uses both 2016 census data and the results of a Pew opinion survey to paint a much more nuanced and interesting picture of the immigrants responsible for the city's increasingly international makeup. From 2000 to 2016, roughly 95,000 foreign-born people made their home here; That means that even though the number of US born Philadelphians fell by 44,000, the city's population grew for the first time in a half century. That's a much-needed boon for a rust-belt town like ours, and it's time we started seeing it that way. The Pew report also reveals surprising similarities and differences between native and foreign-born neighbors. Economically, city immigrants' median household income was about $39,700, close to that of U.S.-born Philadelphians. Their poverty rate was actually lower 24 percent. And academically, about three in ten city immigrants had college degrees, slightly higher than among native-born Philadelphians. Who knew all of this? Not many Philadelphians, likely. But we need to if we're to move beyond the tired conviction that immigrants drag a city down. Not all the news from Pew is bright and shiny. Poverty is growing at a higher rate among immigrants than among U.S.-born Philadelphians. Many are less educated than natives; others' inability to speak English burdens our schools and service providers. Also, the report notes, the differences between foreign-born suburbanites and foreign-born city dwellers are similar to how non-immigrant city and suburb dwellers differ: they have higher incomes, are better-educated and there are two of them for every one immigrant living in the city. Some things never change. Where all city immigrants have an edge over their U.S.-born counterparts is in their exuberance for Philadelphia. They are "overwhelmingly upbeat about the city's future and more positive than U.S.-born Philadelphians about certain aspects of city life, such as public schools," according to Pew. Might all of that energy and positivity impact the culture of a city proud of its "Neg-adelphia" reputation? Perhaps it's already rubbing off. "Most U.S.-born Philadelphians had positive things to say about immigration," the Pew report notes about natives' attitudes toward those whose foreign tongues are heard with increasing frequency on our streets and buses, in our schools and shops. "Nearly two-thirds described themselves as 'sympathetic' or 'very sympathetic' to unauthorized immigrants in the city." Loudest among their supporters, obviously, is Mayor Kenney, who broke into that goofy happy dance last week: On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled in favor of the city regarding the Trump administration's threat to withhold law-enforcement grants to Philadelphia as punishment for its sanctuary-city policies. Kenney, a born-and-bred Philly guy, proud descendent of Irish immigrants has been a consistent supporter of immigrants and immigration, and the Pew Report shows the benefits of that consistency. It's a lead the rest of the country should follow. Soren McClay, left, and her stepmother, Donn T, right, hold up signs of protest during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in front of the Starbucks at 18th and Spruce Streets on Sunday, April 15, 2018. Read more Nearly two months after two black men were arrested at a Center City Starbucks while waiting for a friend, the Philadelphia Police Department on Friday announced a policy to determine when to arrest people accused of trespassing on private property. The new policy encourages "greater discretion" from officers, who are now encouraged to deescalate disputes between business or property owners and an alleged offender. It also requires them to request a supervisor to respond to the location. The policy establishes that the offender must understand that he or she is not allowed on the property, and that the officer must witness the person's refusing to leave before making an arrest. Officers are not allowed to arrest someone if the owner or authorized person did not personally communicate that the offender was unwelcome, or if the owner or authorized person refuses to file a trespassing complaint. "The new policy provides officers with guidance on how to respond to calls about trespassing on private business properties that are open to the public," Police Commissioner Richard Ross who had issued a public apology to the two men on April 19 said in a statement Friday. "This allows police to take actions, with the help of their supervisor, that are most appropriate in each individual case." The policy is intended to guide police responses to calls to investigate and enforce complaints of "defiant trespass," a Pennsylvania crime, ranging from a summary offense to a misdemeanor, in which someone enters or remains in a place where notice against trespassing has been given knowing he or she is not licensed or privileged to do so. >>READ MORE: How can Starbucks atone? Hire more people with criminal records | Opinion It stresses that officers cannot discriminate against someone based "on his or her race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, familial status, or domestic or sexual violence victim status." Facing mounting pressure, the Police Department was forced to reexamine its policies following the arrests April 12 of Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, who were waiting at a Starbucks at 18th and Spruce Streets for an acquaintance but didn't purchase anything. The video that showed their arrest was posted on Twitter by user Melissa DePino and viewed more than 10 million times. The arrest sparked national outrage and inspired conversations about racial profiling. Nelson and Robinson reached a financial settlement with Starbucks last month and their records have been expunged. "We've made a lot of progress and will continue to do so as we explore and implement new practices that reflect the importance of diversity, public safety, and accountability," Ross said Friday. In his statement, he also noted that the officers involved in the arrest whom police have not publicly identified "adhered to state-law mandates and did not violate department policy as it existed then." At a news conference Friday at Police Headquarters, police spokesman Capt. Sekou Kinebrew said the new policy would take effect immediately. He said that only supervisors can make an arrest in response to a trespass, and that officers responding to a trespass call are required to alert a supervisor and an officer who has completed crisis intervention training. "Our desired outcome is that no one gets hurt and no real harm is caused," Kinebrew said. >>READ MORE: An unlikely outcome of Starbucks: Kindred spirits and a social media campaign Officers were informed of the new policy May 30, Kinebrew said, voicing optimism about its impact. "It's always better to have more tools in your toolbox," he said. The policy resulted from an internal investigation by the department, he said, adding that he was unaware whether similar policies exist at other major police departments. Mayor Kenney applauded the Police Department's new policy. "I view this policy as another positive step as our city learns and grows from the Starbucks incident," Kenney said in a statement. "As I said at the time of the incident, pain can lead to progress, and this new policy is an important milestone on that journey." John McNesby, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, said Friday that the officers involved in the incident had "acted professionally and with much respect," and that police would continue to do so under the new policy. Tens of thousands of Starbucks employees around the nation spent May 29 in anti-bias training that was mandated by the Seattle-based company after the Philadelphia incident. >>READ MORE: Starbucks bathrooms will be open to everyone after Philadelphia arrests Interviewed Friday afternoon at the Starbucks at 18th and Spruce, Daniel Castro, 26, a musician who lives in Center City, spoke favorably of the new policy. "In those kinds of minor cases, that a supervisor comes and analyzes the case before making a decision for arrest I think is a good thing," Castro said in Spanish, adding that he visits the store twice a week. Staff writer Chris Palmer contributed to this article. Pictures of bald tires and busted bumpers offered a troubling statement on the condition of cars for hire in Philadelphia during hearings Thursday in Harrisburg. "I could exhaust all of my allotted time today reviewing the unconscionable vehicle conditions we have found over the years," Scott Petri, the Philadelphia Parking Authority's chief executive, said during testimony before the Pennsylvania House's Consumer Affairs Committee. PPA inspectors have found animal feces, leaking gas tanks, exhaust leaks into passenger compartments, and wood blocks holding the car's frame into place in taxis or ride-share vehicles, Petri said. He specifically described a taxi with a catalytic converter that was leaking carbon monoxide into the vehicle and a ride-share vehicle with damage that could have caused a tire to fall off or the steering column to fail. Petri used the anecdotes to demonstrate that the fleets on the street in Philadelphia are declining, and to argue in favor of a change in the way taxis and ride-share vehicles are taxed to raise money for inspections. He is proposing a 50-cent tax on any trip in a car-for-hire in Philadelphia. Currently Uber and Lyft pay a 1.4 percent tax on all revenue, which is reported by the companies with little PPA review. Ride-share companies Uber and Lyft oppose the idea and told the committee the evidence showed that ride-share vehicles in Philadelphia were much safer than Petri had suggested. Since inspections began in March 2017, said Shari Shapiro, Uber's senior manager for public affairs in Pennsylvania, 90 percent of the 400 Uber vehicles examined passed PPA inspection. Lyft reported 95 percent of its vehicles had passed inspection, said Campbell Matthews, a company spokesman. "This is why it's confusing that the PPA would claim these are widespread issues when the PPA's own data clearly indicates otherwise," he said in a statement Thursday. The PPA has scrambled to keep up with the city's 1,600 cabs and estimated 20,000 ride-share vehicles. Longtime cabdrivers have described a much diminished presence of inspectors on the streets, as the PPA tries to handle inspecting taxis and 840 ride-share vehicles a month, the number mandated by legislation but only about 4 percent of the total number of vehicles operating. A loss of revenue to the taxi and limo division has caused the staff to shrink by 55 percent, Petri said. >>READ MORE: Cabs becoming chaotic as the PPA cuts staff He has said the agency needs to bring the budget of its Taxi and Limousine Division from $4 million to about $9 million to cover the costs of regulation. Two-thirds of ride-share tax revenue collected by the PPA goes to the school district, and Petri said creating the 50-cent levy would boost money for the district from $3 million to $11 million a year. In 2017, Pennsylvania's Auditor General issued a report on the PPA that found significant financial mismanagement and listed 117 recommendations. Shapiro said the PPA should address its own shortfalls before trying to raise more money. She also noted the legislation authorizing ride-share operation in Pennsylvania expires at the end of 2019, which offers a better opportunity to revisit how the industry is taxed. Last month, Uber reported it had underestimated its 2017 revenue in Philadelphia and owed an additional $240,393. Petri pointed to this as evidence that the PPA needed a more transparent funding formula, but Shapiro said the incident was proof Uber was a fair partner. >> READ MORE: Auditor General: Hands-off Parking Authority board allowed Fenerty to reign as 'tyrant' "Performing periodic audits, voluntarily disclosing any issues and promptly paying any outstanding funds is what financially responsible organizations do, and what Uber did here," she said in her testimony. The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, which regulates ride-share businesses throughout the rest of Pennsylvania, offered a contrasting perspective on the industry, with Chairwoman Gladys Brown saying her people had few complaints about Uber or Lyft. "Currently, there are approximately 50,000 TNC drivers operating in Pennsylvania," she said, referring to a technical name for the businesses, transportation network companies. "The number of violations that the commission has found since 2016 is minimal, and most violations are minor, such as failure to display the TNC decal." If any change is going to happen in the way ride-share businesses are taxed, it will likely come in the form of a rider on an existing bill, rather than a new piece of legislation, officials have said. An addition is being written, Petri said Thursday, but nothing has been introduced yet. >> READ MORE: From cab to Uber to cab, drivers try to find a way to make a living On the afternoon of Oct. 31, 1963, John W. Terry and Richard Chilton, black men in their early 30s, were standing on a street in downtown Cleveland. A white man approached Terry and Chilton, talked to them for a few minutes, and left. Detective Martin McFadden, a white 62-year-old officer on the force for 39 years, saw them and thought their behavior was suspicious. A couple of minutes later, Terry and Chilton started walking after the white man. When the three men congregated outside a men's store, McFadden decided to act. According to his own police report, McFadden searched the three men even though he had no evidence that a crime was being committed. McFadden found pistols on Terry and Chilton. They were arrested, charged, and convicted of concealed carrying. McFadden told the court he believed the men were, "casing a job, a stick-up." At the time, in order to seize someone temporarily and search him, the burden of evidence was on police officers to show probable cause, as laid out in the Fourth Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court had explained that probable cause is a combination of the officer's experience and "reasonably trustworthy information." >> READ MORE: Mayor Kenney's promise to end 'stop and frisk' somehow got arrested | Editorial Terry decided to appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that McFadden had no probable cause to support his fear that Terry and Chilton were armed. As such, the search was illegal and the evidence should not be used in court, he maintained. Terry v. Ohio should have been a slam-dunk. After all, this was the Warren Court. The court of "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." The court with the the first black justice, Thurgood Marshall. It was the court that held that every criminal defendant has a right to counsel, that police officers must recite the rights of suspects during an arrest, and that evidence can't be obtained in violation of the Constitution. But on June 10, 1968, the court almost unanimously (eight of nine) held that McFadden acted lawfully because he had reasonable suspicion, "in light of his experience that criminal activity may be afoot." Stop-and-frisk was born. For 50 years, many people of color have faced the unfortunate consequences of the Terry decision. Courts all over the country have been trying to fix stop-and-frisk. But stop-and-frisk can't be fixed; it must be abolished. Research including my own from my time at Hunter College has shown that stop-and-frisk is racially biased, leads to trauma and anxiety in young men, and diminishes the legitimacy of the police. Further, there seems to be no relationship between stops and crime. Four years after New York City dramatically cut the number of stops, it had the lowest crime rate since the 1950s, leading the conservative National Review to declare "we were wrong on stop-and-frisk." >> READ MORE: Terry v. Ohio: The decision behind 'stop-and-frisk' still stands, 50 years after the Supreme Court ruled | Opinion The lone dissenter in Terry, Justice William O. Douglas, called the constitutionality of Terry's search a "mystery." Douglas warned that allowing police to conduct stops without probable cause was "a long step down the totalitarian path." Half a century and millions of stops later, America is the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world and a justice system that has been called "the new Jim Crow." One of the most consistent things about stop-and-frisk is that police officers are incapable of meeting even the extremely low bar of reasonable suspicion. A recent analysis of stops in Philadelphia found that one in five lacked reasonable suspicion. Reasonable suspicion is often estimated as about 20 percent certainty. That would mean, for example, that because the legal standard for a frisk is reasonable suspicion that the suspect is armed, about one in five frisks should result in a firearm recovered. The reality is much grimmer. The rate in Philadelphia in 2017 was one in 49. How reasonable could a suspicion be if it is verified to be true less than 2 percent of the time? That's not suspicion, it's paranoia. In Philadelphia, the majority of stops are of black pedestrians who are "over 75 percent more likely to be frisked than white detainees," according to the ACLU of PA's latest report. Furthermore, frisks were more likely to occur in predominantly black neighborhoods. The Philadelphia Police Department is not an outlier but the norm. In Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, and almost any city that has released data on stop-and-frisk, police exhibit a pattern of racial bias and inability to justify stops. >> READ MORE: 'You feel very helpless.' Philadelphians share their stop-and-frisk stories | Perspective Courts have been trying to fix stop-and-frisk. In 2011, the City of Philadelphia settled a case brought by the ACLU of PA. The court ordered multiple "fixes" for the practice. Stop-and-frisk can't be fixed. It needs to be abolished. As long as police officers are allowed to stop pedestrians based on reasonable suspicion, people of color will not be free of unreasonable search and seizure. Overturning Terry v. Ohio should become a part of the progressive agenda, like saving Roe v. Wade or abolishing Citizens United. To do that, we need a progressive court. That will take a long time. Until then, the Philadelphia Police Department can learn from District Attorney Larry Krasner, who showed that policy memos can drive change without waiting for legislators or a court to act. Philadelphia police should abolish Terry in Philadelphia by requiring officers to be able to articulate probable cause for all pedestrian stops. That would be a long step on the path away from totalitarianism. Abraham Gutman is an economist and writer in Philadelphia. He holds a masters in economics from Hunter College, where he conducted research on stop-and-frisk. @abgutman Ali Watkins, a New York Times reporter, graduated from Temple University and interned with the Philadelphia Daily News. Read more A Temple University graduate has found herself at the center of a federal investigation into leaks of classified information to journalists. The case involving Ali Watkins, who covers national security for the New York Times, has sparked concerns about freedom of the press the federal government seized years of her phone and email records and raised questions about media ethics. Here is what we know: Who is Watkins, and why are authorities interested in her? They say Watkins was in a three-year romantic relationship with James A. Wolfe, 57, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's former director of security. Wolfe has been charged with lying to the FBI. Authorities say he initially denied knowing Watkins but fessed up when confronted with pictures showing him with Watkins. Watkins, who interned at the Philadelphia Daily News in spring 2013, started a personal relationship with Wolfe sometime around December 2013 when she was a Temple intern working with the McLatchy-Tribune news service, according to a federal indictment. The relationship continued after she graduated in 2014 until last December, when she joined the Times, the indictment said. Before joining the Times, Watkins had also worked at the Huffington Post, BuzzFeed and Politico. Watkins said Wolfe was not a source of information during their relationship, the Times reported. Wolfe, who retired in May, has also denied providing her confidential information he had learned through his position on the intelligence committee. The federal government suggests otherwise. Its indictment, which identifies Watkins as Reporter #2, says she published dozens of news articles about the committee and its activities, and that she and Wolfe "exchanged tens of thousands of electronic communications, often, including daily texts and phone calls." The two, the indictment added, frequently met in person, including at restaurants and her apartment. In February, the Times reported, a prosecutor notified Watkins that the Justice Department had seized years of customer records and subscriber information from telecommunications companies, including Google and Verizon, for two email accounts and a phone number of hers. Investigators, the Times said, did not obtain the content of the messages themselves. Watkins grew up in the Berks County community of Fleetwood. In college, she covered crime for The Temple News and was a member of the rowing team. Upon her hiring at the Times, Temple wrote about Watkins and asked how she became so successful so quickly. She replied, "It's more of just showing up at the odd hours when no one else is showing up. Showing up all the time and eventually running into somebody who knows something." Why is the governments seizure of Watkins phone records sparking concerns about press freedom? Ronald Bishop, a communication and journalism professor at Drexel University, said investigators overstepped their bounds by seizing records from Watkins, apparently without prior notice. "It's chilling and scary as hell," Bishop said. "Trump and [Attorney General Jeff] Sessions have ramped up the pursuit of leaks and leakers to a level unheard of in history." Bishop said Watkins' romantic relationship may have been poor judgment, but it "absolutely does not justify the seizure." Sessions said at a news conference last year that his department was cracking down on leakers of sensitive information and was working three times as many leak investigations as the Obama administration which prosecuted more leak cases than all previous administrations combined, according to the Times. Bruce D. Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, slammed the Justice Department's seizure of Watkins' records. "Seizing a journalist's records sends a terrible message to the public and should never be considered unless as the last resort in a truly essential investigation," Brown said in a statement. "We call on the Justice Department to explain how its actions adhered to its own guidelines for protecting newsgathering from exactly these kinds of damaging intrusions. These rules protect the public's interest in allowing journalists to report on what's happening inside the government without fear of being investigated." What big stories with confidential information has Watkins written? In 2014, the first year of her alleged relationship with Wolfe, Watkins helped McClatchy newspapers report a story that said the CIA was covertly monitoring computers used by aides who were preparing a Senate Intelligence Committee report critical of the spy agency's secret detention and interrogation programs. Watkins, then a senior at Temple, was lauded by the university, which wrote: Journalism major Ali Watkins spent some of her internship at McClatchy DC News hanging around elevators and locked doorsbut not because she was idle. Rather, she was establishing relationships with people who might serve as sources for stories. And in December 2013, her creative persistence paid off. A breaking national story was the direct result of tips she received through unnamed sources with whom she has developed trusting relationships since she began reporting for McClatchy in May 2013. The federal indictment released this week also references a story Watkins wrote in April 2017 for BuzzFeed. The story reported that Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page had been in contact with at least one Russian spy working undercover in New York in 2013. On March 17, 2017, two and a half weeks prior to the story publishing, the committee with which Wolfe was involved had received a classified document about Page, according to the indictment, which refers to Page as Male-1. What else do we know about Watkins and Wolfes alleged relationship? In December, Wolfe sent a text to Watkins that, according to the indictment, said in part: "I've watched your career take off even before you ever had a career in journalism. . . I always tried to give you as much information that I could and to do the right thing with it so you could get that scoop before anyone else . . . I always enjoyed the way that you would pursue a story, like nobody else was doing in my hallway. I felt like I was part of your excitement and was always very supportive of your career and the tenacity that you exhibited to chase down a good story." The Times said Watkins told the newspaper about the relationship when it hired her. She also had disclosed the relationship to BuzzFeed and Politico editors. How have the Times, Watkins, and Wolfe responded to the allegations? "Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of democracy, and communications between journalists and their sources demand protection," said Eileen Murphy, a Times spokeswoman. Some Times reporters have expressed support for Watkins on Twitter. Watkins' personal lawyer, Mark J. MacDougall, told the Times: "It's always disconcerting when a journalist's telephone records are obtained by the Justice Department through a grand jury subpoena or other legal process. Whether it was really necessary here will depend on the nature of the investigation and the scope of any charges." Wolfe appeared before a federal judge Friday but did not enter a plea. He was released on personal recognizance under a number of conditions, including relinquishing his passport and a prohibition on travel outside the District of Columbia and Maryland, authorities said. He is scheduled to appear in court again Tuesday. What have Trump and the Justice Department said? "Mr. Wolfe's alleged conduct is a betrayal of the extraordinary public trust that had been placed in him," U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu said in a statement. "It is hoped that these charges will be a warning to those who might lie to law enforcement to the detriment of the United States." President Trump has called journalists the "enemy of the American people" and suggested that reporters who receive confidential information should be jailed. On Friday, Trump praised the arrest of Wolfe and said "it could be a terrific thing." "I'm a big, big believer in freedom of the press," Trump told reporters, according to the Times. "But I'm also a believer in classified information. It has to remain classified." What else do we know about the investigation? The leak probe was hinted at Wednesday, when the Senate Select Intelligence Committee said it was cooperating with the Justice Department "in a pending investigation," the Times reported, and earlier when the Senate adopted a resolution to share committee information with the Justice Department "in connection with a pending investigation arising out of the unauthorized disclosure of information." The Times said it learned Thursday about the February letter from the prosecutor to Watkins. It's unclear why Watkins did not bring up the letter earlier. Staff writers Joseph A. Gambardello, William Bender and Robert Moran contributed to this article. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents may violate the Constitutional rights of undocumented immigrants during an arrest but that rarely interferes with their deportation. Read more This story was co-published with ProPublica When immigration officers raided a rural Pennsylvania poultry transport company early last year, a lawyer for five undocumented men arrested saw plenty of evidence their rights had been violated. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers had no warrant to drive past the company's "No Trespassing" signs and block the exits with their vans, or to demand documentation on the workers' legal status. According to witnesses, the officers seemed to target workers solely based on their race: They lined up Latinos for questioning and asked white employees to lead them to more Latino workers. In a ruling last month, a Philadelphia immigration judge, John Carle, found there was a strong argument that the ICE officers had "egregiously violated" the Constitution. He noted that the agency presented no evidence to counter allegations of racial profiling. If the case had played out in criminal court, such a finding might well have resulted in the men going free. >> INQUIRER-PROPUBLICA INVESTIGATION: Philadelphia ICE office is the nation's most aggressive In immigration courts, however, there's a higher bar, both for proving officers violated defendants' rights and for getting cases thrown out as a result. Even when immigrants manage to meet this standard, they can get deported anyway. The system is backed up by decades-old court rulings that consider undocumented immigrants to be in continuous violation of the law, regardless of how they are arrested, and that give officers extra latitude to factor in their targets' physical appearance when making immigration arrests. "Even if you were to suppress the evidence because you didn't have proper consent that doesn't matter," said Claude Arnold, a former ICE special agent. "The fact remains that the person is here illegally." ICE says its agents are forbidden from racial profiling, and are refreshed on training every six months. But advocates for immigrants and some judges say that the logic governing immigration rulings only emboldens officers to trample over constitutional rights. "It gives a huge incentive to do intentionally illegal searches, because they have a huge way to take advantage of it," said Rex Chen, an attorney at Safe Passages Project. In the case involving the Lancaster County poultry workers, the racial-profiling argument has done little to derail ICE's deportation efforts. After arresting the workers, ICE officials looked them up in a database and found that four of them had overstayed their visas. Since this information did not stem from their arrests, but was attained separately, Carle decided their deportation cases could proceed. "All they did instead was basically almost say, 'Nanny-nanny, boo-boo, we got you anyway,' " said Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, a lawyer at the Legal Aid Justice Center who has worked on similar cases. "Like, so what if we violated constitutional rights? We have this other piece of evidence, and that's it, you're done for." It's harder for immigrants to prove an unlawful search. Few egregious cases Unlike criminal defendants, immigrants must demonstrate not only that officers acted unconstitutionally, but that their violations were egregious, or represented a widespread pattern, when filing a motion to suppress evidence as the poultry workers did. This higher bar dates back to Supreme Court guidance from 1984, when the court concluded that allowing motions to suppress in deportation cases would compel courts to release people who would then "immediately resume their commission of a crime through their continuing, unlawful presence in this country." At the time, almost all of those arrested for immigration violations agreed to leave the country without a formal hearing, the justices wrote, so challenges to the legality of immigration officers' actions virtually never came up and wouldn't deter them. The justices also trusted that the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the precursor to ICE, had "its own comprehensive scheme for deterring Fourth Amendment violations by its agents." Its conclusions "might change," the justices wrote, "if there developed good reason to believe that Fourth Amendment violations by INS officers were widespread." A lot has changed since then. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, immigration enforcement moved under the Department of Homeland Security and greatly widened in scope. Now, most immigrants choose to fight their deportations, as the mammoth 680,000-plus case backlog can attest. Accusations of racial profiling abound committed by cops on highways, Border Patrol agents on buses, and ICE on neighborhood streets though motions to suppress are still rare and filed by the most aggressive lawyers. Few cases will have enough evidence to prove an egregious violation. "The best indicators of racial profiling are comments," said Sandoval-Moshenberg. "We have one case in which the ICE agent said, 'Hey, are any other Spanish families living on the block?' Otherwise, it's very difficult to prove racial profiling. The officer always has some other reason on why he stopped your client and no one else." One of those reasons could legitimately be "Mexican appearance," thanks to another Supreme Court ruling. In that 1975 case, a U.S. citizen of Puerto Rican descent was stopped by Border Patrol agents. Two undocumented people were passengers in the car. The agents said their only reason for the stop was that the car's occupants looked Mexican. The court found that "Mexican appearance" alone could not justify an immigration stop, but ruled that a list of examples, used together, could. They included: "characteristic appearance of persons who live in Mexico, relying on such factors as the mode of dress and haircut"; "facts in light of [the officer's] experience in detecting illegal entry and smuggling"; "driver's behavior," such as "erratic driving" or "obvious attempts to evade officers"; and "characteristics of the area in which they encounter a vehicle." "All those give an awful lot of discretion to rely on race," said Kevin R. Johnson, a law professor at University of California-Davis. "Even if they say, 'Well he's wearing working clothes' or 'He's wearing clothes typical of an immigrant from Mexico,' or something like that, there's an awful lot of leeway there." When confronted with public outcry about profiling, ICE and the Border Patrol usually respond that agents used "a multitude of indicators that, when put together, raise a reasonable suspicion of illegal alienage." For example, in an Oregon case caught on video by a legal observer for the ACLU of Oregon last year, Isidro Andrade-Taffolla, a U.S. citizen, alleged racial profiling after he was questioned as he left a county courthouse. ICE officers in plainclothes had approached him with a picture of another man and asked for his identification, but Andrade-Taffolla said the picture looked nothing like him except for his skin color. ICE officials said the questioning was in line with their policies. "Physical appearance wasn't the only thing in common between the person questioned and the actual target," Matthew Bourke, a spokesman for ICE, told ProPublica. "ICE officers had information that the target would be at the courthouse, and that combined with a similar physical match was why ICE officers asked for identification." Peter Schuck, a Yale law professor, argues that some reliance on profiling may be necessary for officers to act quickly and efficiently. "It's hard to see how immigration enforcement could occur without some kind of stereotyping and generalization," he said. "It stands to reason that they don't know much about the people they are seeking, so they have to rely on inferences, and those inferences are generally supported by some stereotypes." Arnold, the former ICE agent, said officers use observations about a person's "manner and demeanor" to assess whether they could be here illegally. According to him, these can include noticing when people speak only Spanish or appear nervous when encountered by an immigration officer. "Maybe a bunch of people are running," he said. "Maybe the five white employees are just standing there; they aren't running. It has nothing to do with their skin color, but I know clearly they are not afraid of ICE. That is an indicator to me that they might be legal." Proving profiling may not be enough to get an arrest tossed. Wrong company ProPublica and the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the Lancaster County poultry workers' arrest in a series this spring about ICE's aggressive enforcement in Pennsylvania, an effort not completely supported by local communities. Luke Brubaker, a prominent dairy farmer, mentioned the workers' arrest in a meeting between President Trump and agriculture-industry representatives. Brubaker said he told the president that ICE had been arresting essential workers in Pennsylvania agriculture. According to the workers' motion to suppress evidence, filed in October, ICE officers came onto the property on April 5, 2017, with a photo of a man they were looking for. His name was "Alix," and he worked for a company called MainJoy Unlimited. Workers told them they were at the wrong company, and nobody with that name worked there. But agents immediately moved to ask for the documents of the workers who did. "They were totally taking advantage of the language barrier and the fact that these guys didn't know they had any rights," Nichole Carpenter, the company's human resources manager, told a reporter. "The three mechanics in the mechanic's bay white guys in their 50s just continued to work like nothing was going on." Under duress, the Latino poultry workers admitted to being undocumented. ICE used those admissions, and the workers' lack of documentation at the time of the arrest, to try to get them deported. The men asked the judge to prohibit ICE from using that evidence, arguing they were intimidated and coercively interrogated because of their ethnicity. They added, in the motion, that an officer physically forced one of them to sign papers and get fingerprinted. They also said an officer told them they had come to the United States to "take his jobs and invade his country." In December, ICE voluntarily withdrew the evidence gathered from the arrests of four of the men, saying it had found independent proof in a database that they were in the country illegally because they'd overstayed short-term visas. The Philadelphia judge made his preliminary ruling on the motion to suppress only for the one man without a trail in the database. ICE had no record of him, presumably because he entered the country illegally. The ICE officer who ran his background check had simply written "no criminal history" and, crucially, "no migration history" on his intake form. In court documents, ICE called the interrogation "consensual." But the judge found that there was enough evidence to suggest ICE officers had detained him because he was "Latino-looking." He ruled that ICE would have to prove otherwise or drop its case. If ICE decides to fight the allegations, it will do so at a hearing in October. The judge allowed deportation proceedings to go forward against the four workers in the database. The men are out of custody, on bond, and plan to appeal Carle's decision. "It's a weird situation," said Andy Mahon, the lawyer for the workers. "Because they did things the 'right way,' " entered the country legally "they are in a worse position than someone who didn't, because now that evidence is being used against them." The agency declined to comment on the case, other than to say: "ICE's enforcement actions are targeted and lead driven. ICE does not conduct sweeps or raids that target aliens indiscriminately." Arnold said that even if an immigrant proves an ICE officer searched him without cause or consent, it still doesn't negate being here illegally. "The court can't remedy that and say, 'OK, yeah, we'll make that person legal.' How do they do that? The court does not have the authority," he said. Over the years, some judges have questioned the Supreme Court's reasoning, seeing outcomes like this as encouragement for ICE officers to overstep in their operations, in hopes that they'll be able to net enough deportable people. In August 2017, the Ninth Circuit in California reviewed the case of Luis Enrique Sanchez, a 45-year-old undocumented immigrant who had lived for almost three decades in California. A small boat owner, he took his friends out for a ride off Channel Islands Harbor, within territorial waters. When his boat's engine lost power, he called the Coast Guard for help. The Coast Guard rescued the group then immediately detained and frisked Sanchez and his friends and reported them to ICE. When Sanchez filed a motion to suppress, ICE also found him in a database that showed his legal status had lapsed. Unlike Judge Carle, the Ninth Circuit ruled that his deportation case should be dropped. Doing otherwise "allows immigration and other law enforcement agencies to prey on migrant and working-class communities. Law enforcement officers can unconstitutionally round up migrant-looking individuals, elicit their names, and then search through government databases to discover incriminating information in preexisting immigration records," one judge wrote. While lower courts have issued conflicting rulings, the Supreme Court hasn't weighed in to clarify since the 1980s, leaving the issue unsettled until the court decides to intervene again. It's impossible to tell when or if officers get disciplined. No consequences ICE and Border Patrol say they investigate complaints of rights violations, including profiling, it's unclear what this amounts to. Both agencies declined to release numbers on how many officers, if any, had been disciplined for racial profiling in recent years. The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General, which looks into complaints about immigration agencies, has never issued a report on racial profiling. Complaints and internal investigations are never aired in public. Arnold said ICE officers are deterred from making illegal searches by the threat of lawsuits. But advocates say the system is set up to make officers feel as if they won't face consequences for inappropriate behavior. The lawyer for the poultry workers said he has not filed a complaint about the officers' behavior. Like many immigration lawyers, his priority is to keep the workers in the country. He doesn't see any benefit for his clients in complaining to the department. "There's next to no accountability, " said Sandoval-Moshenberg, who has made the same decision in similar cases. "Our perception of their internal complaint mechanism is that it's totally broken and ineffective." Do you have information about law enforcement officials engaging in racial profiling and unconstitutional immigration stops? Contact Kavitha.surana@propublica.org President Donald Trump's administration excels at muddying the water, and the arrest of a former Senate aide, following an inquiry in which federal agents seized records from a New York Times reporter, might be its best work yet. On one level, the case is fodder for righteous outrage in the media. Many journalists were alarmed 10 months ago when Attorney General Jeff Sessions called a news conference to announce a crackdown on leaks and said: "One of the things we are doing is reviewing policies affecting media subpoenas. We respect the important role that the press plays and will give them respect, but it is not unlimited." In October, Sessions told the Senate Judiciary Committee he could not rule out jailing journalists who refuse to reveal their confidential sources. "We always try to find an alternative . . . to directly confronting a media person," Sessions said. "But that's not a total, blanket protection." Investigating alleged leaks by the former Senate aide, James A. Wolfe, the FBI did not subpoena or imprison journalist Ali Watkins but instead seized her communication records without her knowledge an intrusion into the reporter-source relationship that is often essential to accountability journalism. Yet this particular reporter-source relationship was also a romantic one, a twist that introduces questions about journalism ethics and could buttress Trump's characterization of reporters as creatures of the Washington swamp who will do anything for scoops. The media's footing on the high ground is not so stable here. The Daily Beast's Will Sommer encapsulated the complexity of the situation when he tweeted Thursday night the government "shouldn't be seizing reporters' communications. On the other hand: Not a great look for the ol' Fourth Estate!" Wolfe, 57, has been charged with lying to the FBI, which says he initially denied knowing Watkins before being confronted with photographs of the two of them together; he then admitted to a romantic relationship that began in 2014. That year Watkins, then a 22-year-old senior at Temple University, helped McClatchy newspapers break a story related to the Senate Intelligence Committee. Wolfe was the committee's security director. Temple boasted about Watkins' role in the scoop, at the time: "Journalism major Ali Watkins spent some of her internship at McClatchy DC News hanging around elevators and locked doors but not because she was idle. Rather, she was establishing relationships with people who might serve as sources for stories. And in December 2013, her creative persistence paid off. "A breaking national story was the direct result of tips she received through unnamed sources with whom she has developed trusting relationships since she began reporting for McClatchy in May 2013." Watkins' student email records were among those seized by the FBI during the investigation of Wolfe. Thursday night on Twitter, New York Post columnist John Podheretz mocked Watkins' reporting. "Say, what remarkable luck here for Ali Watkins in 2014! Current and former colleagues of Watkins defended her work, however. "Having @AliWatkins's back is easy. She's a great reporter, straight up, and thats the bottom line." Katie Rogers "I've worked with @AliWatkins. She's among the most dogged out there. This is a gross, gross use government power and chilling decision on the part of the Trump adm" Sam Stein "Now the @FBIis going to find out what I already know: @AliWatkinsis a damn good reporter & a hard-core @Eaglesfan." Kenneth P. Vogel Andrew M. Seaman, who chairs the Society of Professional Journalists' ethics committee, argued for separating questions about a journalist's conduct from those about the propriety of FBI surveillance. "SPJ's stance is that the code of journalism ethics are not and cannot be legally enforceable under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution," Seaman told me. "As a result, they should not be used against journalists or news organizations in legal actions or proceedings." Jane Kirtley, a professor of media ethics and law at the University of Minnesota, said, "A romantic relationship seems to be 'noise,' not substance. I don't see any exceptions in the [attorney general] guidelines for situations where the reporter has a multidimensional relationship with her source. Certainly there are media ethics considerations here. It's hard to act independently, to use the SPJ code's words, if you are romantically involved with a source. But from a purely legal perspective, I don't think it is relevant, based on what we know now." Nevertheless, Kirtley added: "I do think the [Justice Department] acts strategically. They bring cases where the law is unsettled but do so when they think other factors will influence judges and the public." Civics lesson: This is where the U.S. legislative branch meets in Washington. Seen at dawn. Read more HARRISBURG They wouldn't have to pass it, but students would be required to take a civics test before high school graduation under a bill that could soon become law in Pennsylvania. Ignited by a report that only 26 percent of adults can identify the three branches of the U.S. government, according to the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center 2016 survey, Rep. Karen Boback (R., Luzerne) said she wrote the bill to help ensure that youths become knowledgeable. "The need for increased civics education is warranted given the astounding lack of proficiency in U.S. civics and government," Boback said in a statement Thursday, citing national studies reporting only 24 percent of U.S. high school students are proficient in civics. The new test, which Democratic Gov. Wolf said he would sign, would be separate from the state's academic standards for civics and government, which lay out what students in specific grades should know about the mechanics of government and the rights of citizenship. School districts can meet that requirement in a variety of ways, said John M. Callahan, chief advocacy officer at the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. The new civics test would take effect in the 2020-21 school year a year after a requirement is slated to go into effect that students pass the Keystone exams before graduating from high school. (Wolf delayed the graduation requirement until the 2019-20 school year.) The Keystone exams test a variety of subjects, including algebra and literature, according to the state Department of Education's website. Boback's bill would allow schools to determine when to administer the civics test, as long as it's done at least once between seventh and 12th grades. The test could be developed locally by a school district, or districts could use one developed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Students who earn a perfect score on the new test would receive a certificate of recognition from the Education Department. Boback's bill passed handily in the House of Representatives and unanimously in the Senate this week. However, some who voted against the bill, such as Rep. Mary Jo Daley (D., Montgomery), said they have lingering questions. In an interview Thursday, Daley said she was not convinced that a new test is the best way of addressing concern about ignorance of how government works. "One of our members raised concerns that we're not doing a great job teaching the history of our country, including a lot of the groups that we don't talk about at all and their part in history," she said. "[We're] talking about African Americans, about Asians, and about different religions." Contact Lasherica Thornton at lthornto@go.olemiss.edu Firefighters cleanup after a fire at Almond Street and Lehigh Avenue in port Richmond on June 8, 2018. Read more Firefighters rescued four people who were trapped Friday by raging flames in their Port Richmond row house, officials said. The four, including a man who was given CPR, were taken to hospitals and are expected to recover. A company commander reported finding heavy flames on the second floor of the three-story home when the first fire trucks arrived about 6:45 a.m. at East Lehigh Avenue and Almond Street. Firefighters used ladders to rescue three people trapped on the third floor, official said. A fourth resident was found on an internal stairway and taken to safety by firefighters who entered the house. About 80 Fire Department personnel and 20 pieces of equipment responded to the blaze, which was declared under control at 7:12 a.m., officials said. Dayanna McBride and Quian Brown pose in front of the Tesla they will take to the prom after their Wakanda-themed prom send off on 22nd St. in North Phila., Pa. on June 6, 2018. Read more Saudia Shuler promised there would be action. Last year, the North Philly mom made national headlines after dropping $25,000 for a prom sendoff. You might remember the camel she hired for the Dubai-themed bash she threw for her son, J.J. Eden Jr. When it came to creating a sendoff this year based on the film Black Panther, let's just say she sensed which way to go. Her panther, Queen, stayed caged and mostly quiet Wednesday evening as hundreds of people gathered, scores in costume, on 22nd Street near Shuler's soul food restaurant. Who would benefit from Shuler's largesse this year? She had held a sort of casting call for the fete; she chose Dayanna McBride, a graduating senior at the YesPhilly school from South Philly as the star of her show, which went up almost immediately on social media. Prom sendoffs are the party before the party. The basic premise an opportunity for relatives and family friends to fawn over the prom-goers goes way back. These days, however, in Philly's black community in particular, the prom send-off can be much bigger than the prom itself. Many families have journeyed past the living room photo ops with trays of light bites. It is common now to see black mothers ordering custom photo backdrops and enlisting DJs and photographers. We've witnessed a James Bond-theme production where a lucky couple traveled by helicopter. Who needs to borrow Mom and Dad's wheels when one can rent a Rolls? >> READ MORE: Camel prom mom hosts epic Christmas toy giveaway in North Philly Shuler's brand of pageantry is at another level altogether. Her "Wakanda Comes to Philly" was a sendoff, surely, but it was also a live show, a film shoot, a catered dinner and block party. One set of actors dressed as the all-woman military guard from Black Panther's mythical sub-Saharan nation, while another set represented the Jabari tribe. Dance and drumming flowed through the event. There were airs of the superhero blockbuster film, but also of Coming to America. Quian Brown, McBride's date, made his entrance after the actors feigned to be at the brink of battle. "I feel like I'm the Man," Brown said later. McBride's final prom look (she had two dresses) was a gold custom dress by Brittany DeShields with a train carried by Wakandan warriors. When she reached their Tesla, hired for the night, McBride smiled gleefully. Whats changed? Instagram et al. It's social media that has changed sendoffs, say parents and prom professionals. Videographer Brian Hill can't see why else he'd be getting so many requests for prom movies: "Everyone wants it so that they can post it." Teens talk of prom season as a time when they continuously watch through their feeds. "Everyone looks so nice," said Jayla Garner, a graduating senior at Girls High School. "It's kind of exciting, and then I get excited for myself, like, 'Oooh, I'm next.' " The most opulent or poignant images from send-offs may reach the Shade Room, a black gossip outlet with 13 million followers. Bayete Ross Smith, a photographer and multimedia artist, pointed out that while schools often prohibit teens from posing and gesturing or including family at the dance, the rules relax at sendoffs. "It becomes this visual language for branding ourselves, particularly in terms of public persona," Smith said. In an age where likes and follows are markers of status, the black youth of this city are presenting themselves. "What you're seeing," Smith said, "is a reclaiming of our narrative on a day-to-day basis by young people." >>READ MORE: How black Philadelphians' homes capture life's moments A typical sendoff goes this way: First, a hyped-up entrance to music as the couple descend stairs outside of the home. Then, portraits before an exotic photo backdrop. Lastly, more photos with the car foreign models have lately been more popular than stretch limos. As kids depart, loved ones linger as if they're at a family get-together. Marcus Anthony Hunter, a South Philly native and UCLA sociologist, said the families are seizing joy at these elaborate events. "It's still a city where at Starbucks, they can call the cops on you," he said of Philadelphia. "It's still a place where people are getting displaced and dispossessed. But on this day, we choose to celebrate that 'my baby looks so beautiful.'" At Aajae Whitehead's send-off, she struck her poses beside her grinning boyfriend, Travoni Hunley. Aajae's mother, Aqueelah Whitehead, had spent nearly $4,000 on the dress, the shoes, makeup, hair, DJ, food, decorations and a photographer, among other expenses. After a school fight last year, Aajae landed at a new school and new social orbit. She had considered not going to prom at all. Even with the transition, she's finishing high school on time and heading to culinary school. Myah Bush, Aajae's godmother, was deeply proud and wanted to celebrate. Seeing the young people shine, she said, is similar to living vicariously through them, especially for elders who didn't go to prom or graduate high school. Cinderellas carriage and James Bonds chopper For Shuler's 24 charity prom sendoffs this spring, she paid for high fashion and fancy receptions with the help of donors culled from her own network. She selected three of the teens for large productions: a Cinderella theme from the Art Museum with a horse-drawn carriage, a James Bond theme, and then the Wakanda affair. She won't say how much this cost, nor will she disclose her donations. Still, she estimates that all told, counting contributions from others, the total bill reached six figures. Her Instagram account, @countrycookin1, has 154,000 followers. Not all parents are game. Angela Mapp, a West Philadelphia lifestyle blogger and screen printer, sees no need for a food or decor budget. Before her son, Ryan Middleton, heads to the dance, they'll be taking photos with balloons. "I think we as a black people get stereotypes of being flashy," said Mapp, who would prefer to invest in school or a trust fund. "I just feel like there's other ways that money could be spent." >> READ MORE: This motorboat, the Jawn, is the handiwork of Philly teens Her son said he wanted just close family present for his sendoff, but doesn't criticize the hoopla. "Today," he said, "it's all about presentation." Middleton wore a royal blue suit with gold accents and sparkling gold loafers. He was hoping he'd look like the rapper Jidenna. A precolonial tradition Tanisha Ford, an Africana studies and history professor at the University of Delaware, said opulence can be traced to precolonial traditions of self-adornment. Garments served as tools of resistance against accusations of inferiority, added Shantrelle P. Lewis, a researcher, curator and filmmaker who resides in Germantown. In black communities, sartorial ideals can be exacting and expensive. For children who lack the means to look fresh, the disappointment can be crushing. Experts and professionals say that families are more willing to pick up the tab for prom high fashion. "This prom day that we come to, our parents, uncles, aunts, they have been saving up money for us to live out this dream, this fantasy," said videographer Lawrence "J-Tech" Jones. When teens who've never ridden in an air-conditioned car find themselves sitting in a Maserati, he wants to preserve that moment. "I want to take their vision of prom, I want to take it to another level with the music and the editing. It's a keepsake." Joseph Richard Winters, a Duke University professor who researches black religious thought, has observed a common, morbid narrative about black life in America. Prom sendoffs tell another story. "There is a moment of reprieve against the backdrop of constraint," Winters said. "Those moments remind us that mourning and celebration don't need to be seen as opposites." In the way that funeral services in the black church make room for celebration, he said, a sendoff can reflect an emotional spectrum. "It's not actually forgetfulness of [loss], it's a response." Calling Homeland Security With each of son Saajid's milestones, Sonya Barlow's been trying to top herself. The moon bounces, stilt walker, caterer, event planner and the DJ, Diamond Kuts, were all in place at a recent Belmont Mansion sendoff. But Homeland Security wouldn't approve the landing of a chopper. So Mom planned for the first portion of the sendoff to be live-streamed from a heliport. He "never gave me an ounce of trouble," saidd Sonya Barlow, who owns a day care, a gift and party shop, and a cleaning company. She sees it as her duty to lavish her son with such a show. She estimates that she spent $50,000. "I have to reward him for the things that he brings me joy with." Roughly 300 guests attended Saajid's prom sendoff. It had the feel of a community fair, until Saajid and his date, Nydiyra Bryant Giles, arrived in a Rolls-Royce. "My man, spotless," one onlooker said, taking in Saajid's suit. Out of the swarm of bodies that formed to receive his entrance, scores of hands rose to capture the moment on their cellphones. >> READ MORE: This Bucks County teen isn't letting sickle cell stop her pageant dreams Sonya became a single mom after Saajid's father was diagnosed with schizophrenia when the boy was 2 years old. Saajid received weekly advice from his grandfather, Andre "Shakur" Harvey, who was serving life at Graterford for murder. Without his grandfather's constant counsel, Saajid acknowledged, the pull of the street may have been too enticing. The young emcee plans to leave Philadelphia. He loves the city, but says he hates encountering the mindset that "you got to be street." Whatever route he takes, when he's financially established, Saajid plans to find his father and get him on a consistent treatment plan. Harvey wrote of his pride in a letter. To Sonya, he expressed that they all share the success. "It's a collective thing," he told her. "Your mother, me, you, his other grandparents and everybody else that love him and want to see him make it." Delaware County Democrats elected Colleen Guiney as their new leader this week. She was the so-called compromise candidate between warring factions of local Democrats who are finally gaining an edge in the longtime GOP stronghold. Guiney. Guiney. Why does that name sound familiar? Clout went back and checked the clips. Ah, yes. Now it's coming back. The 2010 congressional election between Republican Pat Meehan and Democrat Bryan Lentz. Guiney was involved in what the Daily News called a "Machiavellian political ploy" to help Lentz by gathering signatures for right-wing independent Jim Schneller, a staunch anti-abortion activist who had filed a lawsuit in 2008 questioning Barack Obama's citizenship in an effort to block him from being sworn in. The Democrats' plan was to gather enough signatures to get the conservative birther on the ballot (which they did) so he would pull votes from Meehan and propel Lentz into what was then the Seventh Congressional District seat. Meehan, however, won handily. Schneller, who occasionally spoke in the third person and was one of the strangest fellows we've ever met, got about 1 percent of the vote. Guiney, who ran the Swarthmore Democratic Party and had been described by Lentz as "the hardest worker on my campaign," played a key role in the Schneller scheme and circulated petitions on his behalf. Back in 2010, Guiney, a pediatric nurse-practitioner, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. No surprise there. But with the Schneller story resurfacing amid her election as party chair, we reached out again this week to get her take. "I am proud of my efforts to stop Pat Meehan from ever reaching Congress. I only wish we'd been able to do more, because if we had, perhaps a young woman wouldn't have been scarred by Pat's behavior," Guiney e-mailed, referring to Meehan's resignation in April amid sexual harassment accusations. The ol' double-down-and-deflect strategy. Clout can appreciate a quote like that. Berniecrats are in, Fenerty is out There was a fight this week for the soul of the Philadelphia Democratic Party. On Monday, the party's foot soldiers a.k.a. committee people voted for the city's 69 Democratic ward leaders. Ward leaders are behind-the-scenes power players who influence local elections and choose the leader of the party. In some parts of the city, committee people voted for change in neighborhoods where the Democratic machine has long held sway. In most areas, though, the establishment stood strong. Berniecrats Adams Rackes and Nikil Saval scored a major win for progressives when they took over the First and Second Wards in South Philly, respectively. Their predecessors were allied with longtime local kingmaker John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty. Anton Moore, a 32-year-old anti-violence activist, won the ward leader post in South Philly's 48th Ward. He beat out incumbent ward leader Lee Schwartz and another candidate. In Fishtown's 18th Ward, Old Philly and New Philly joined together: Theresa Alicea, a longtime committee person, was elected ward leader. Several Democrats organized by Philadelphia 3.0, a group thought up by business leaders whose goal is to forge a "more competitive city," won ward officer positions there. Throughout Philly, some veteran ward leaders called it quits: Former Mayor Michael Nutter didn't run for reelection as leader of the 52nd Ward; his second-in-command, Steve Jones, took the helm. State Sen. Tony Williams also didn't campaign again for leader of the West Philly's Third Ward, though he is staying on as ward chair; former State Rep. Ronald Waters, who pleaded guilty to corruption charges, is in charge of the ward now. (In this Nation of No Second Chances, there are always second chances if you're politically connected, especially in this town.) In Northwest Philly's powerful 50th Ward, an era ended when former Councilwoman Marian Tasco didn't seek another term. Her protege, Councilwoman Cherelle Parker, is the new leader. There was also a match-up between two Council people Cindy Bass and Derek Green for the leadership job in the 22nd Ward. Bass emerged victorious. There were changes in the Philly GOP, too. Vince Fenerty was forced out of his post as secretary of the Republican City Committee in Wednesday's election in a challenge brought by Jim Pio, a committeeman who ran unsuccessfully for state representative in the 172nd District in 2016. Fenerty resigned from his longtime post as head of the Philadelphia Parking Authority in 2016 after two sexual harassment cases went public. Michael Meehan, who easily won a second term as chairman of the local party, said Fenerty's controversies came back to haunt him. "A lot of people thought last night was the opportunity to even the score," Meehan said. "Even some people he had done good things for viewed his indiscretions badly. They were venting." Dept. of You Should Stop Tweeting State Sen. Daylin Leach pledged to do things differently. This was back in early January, when he was up to his neck in hot water. Prominent Democrats, including Gov. Wolf, had called on Leach to resign after the Inquirer and Daily News published an article about eight women who had accused him of subjecting them to unwanted physical contact and sexually charged conversations. His congressional campaign stalled, and even some ardent backers were alarmed when Leach called one of his accusers a "horrific monster" and a "human wrecking ball of hate" on Facebook. The senator wrote an earnest mea culpa about his behavior, which included this line: "I think the best way for me to apologize is to change my conduct. I promise to do that." Imagine, then, how surprised Clout was last Friday to see that Leach was generating buzz in Democratic circles on Twitter for all the wrong reasons. Kelli Klein, tweeting from her account @Kelli_jo_, posted an old headline about the allegations against Leach, along with a message stating that he "is still an elected official, still has power, and STILL unfit to serve." "Being an internet troll must be exhausting," Leach responded. "But at least your parents must be so proud." Klein served as the digital director for the Democratic National Convention Committee in 2016. Several people rushed to defend Klein, including City Councilwoman Helen Gym and Anne Wakabayashi, the executive director of Emerge Pennsylvania, who chided Leach to "stop attacking women for standing up for other women." Asked about the social media posts, a spokesman for Leach said he "has nothing to add to what he's already said on Twitter." Leach also sent private messages to Wakabayashi and others, like Daily Kos political director David Nir, arguing that Klein was in fact a troll who was attacking him without knowing him. "Keep up the good fight for liberal values, like lying about other liberals on line," Leach wrote to Nir. "You are doing a bang-up job!" So much for change. Staff writers William Bender, David Gambacorta, Holly Otterbein, Chris Brennan, and Angela Couloumbis contributed to this column. Civics lesson: This is where the U.S. legislative branch meets in Washington. Seen at dawn. Read more Former U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon appears to have found himself embroiled in a Russia-related investigation, a situation with which he is familiar. The Atlantic reported Thursday that the Senate Judiciary Committee was looking into the Pennsylvania Republican's alleged ties with Russia and the Trump campaign in its investigation of the 2016 presidential election. The article characterized Weldon's ties to Russia as "significant," and reported that he could provide answers to key questions about Russian officials' influences on the Trump administration. A spokeswoman for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) told the Atlantic that Weldon's connections to Russia and Trump raised concerns among lawmakers, and Feinstein wanted to interview him. Last year, Feinstein asked Trump lawyer Michael Cohen for his communications "to, from, or copied to" Weldon, in addition to correspondence "related to" Weldon, according to the Atlantic's report. The interest in Weldon's correspondence with Cohen may stem from his ties to a former Ukrainian official who secretly met with Cohen about a peace plan between Ukraine and Russia, the news outlet reported. Weldon represented Pennsylvania's Seventh District from 1987 to 2007. At the time Pennsylvania's congressional map has since changed the district mostly covered Delaware County. >> READ MORE: Trump says 'let Russia back in' as he heads for G-7 summit This is not the first time that Weldon has been involved in an investigation involving ties to Russia. In 2006, Weldon's home, along with his daughter's home and the homes of several of political allies, were raided by FBI agents. The agents were investigating Weldon's ties to the Russian oil and gas company Itera International Energy Corp., for which Weldon's daughter was a lobbyist. According to The Washington Post, Weldon "intervened on Itera's behalf" when the United States withdrew funding for the company, and encouraged U.S. businesses to work with the company. Weldon's daughter, Karen Weldon, who along with her business partner Charles P. Sexton Jr., ran a firm called Solutions North America, which won contracts from companies like Itera that Curt Weldon helped. The then-congressman was accused of using his political influence to help win contracts for his daughter's firm. >> READ MORE: Report: Trump lawyers' made case to Mueller against subpoena The investigation did not lead to criminal charges being brought against Weldon, but his reputation was tarnished. Weldon was defeated by Joe Sestak in 2006, losing his bid for reelection and ending his nearly 20-year career on Capitol Hill. A lawsuit that could have pushed committee people out of Philadelphia's Democratic Party and changed the makeup of the local GOP was dismissed Friday. Jimmy Lewis, a Democrat who ran unsuccessfully this week for ward leader, sued the Philadelphia County Board of Elections along with fellow committee person James Ryan. Their lawyer, Samuel Stretton, argued that the board shouldn't have certified the election of 11 committee people in Northeast Philly's 58th Ward. Common Pleas Court Judge Daniel Anders ruled that Lewis and Ryan did not have standing to sue because they don't live in the voting divisions of the committee people they believe shouldn't be certified. Lewis said he will appeal the decision. Stretton argued that write-in candidates for ward committee posts must receive at least 10 votes to be elected, equal to the number of signatures required to get on the ballot. The 11 committee people who were challenged had won with fewer. They also supported Lewis' opponent, incumbent Jim Donnelly, for leader of the 58th Ward. There is no consistent way Pennsylvania's 67 counties settle the question of whether one or 10 votes are needed to elect a committee person for the local Democratic or Republican Parties. This case's dismissal means that question is left unresolved. But the issue was ripe for discussion in the week after the May 15 primary election on a Yahoo message board for Pennsylvania election officials, according to emails obtained by the Inquirer and Daily News. Officials from 11 counties shared their varied ways of applying the same law, according to those emails. And they discussed how the most relevant court decision on the matter dates to a 1978 Westmoreland County case. One Mercer County election official posited that a new court case could ultimately lead a statewide precedent in Commonwealth Court. Lewis is separately contesting his loss to the city's Democratic Party. He is allied with U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle and his brother, State Rep. Kevin Boyle, both Democrats from Northeast Philadelphia. Donnelly is the brother-in-law of Lt. Gov. Mike Stack III, a fellow Northeast Philly Democrat and foe of the Boyles. The two political families are warring. Michael Meehan, leader of the Philadelphia Republican Party, also joined the suit after two incumbent GOP ward leaders lost reelection to candidates backed by write-in committee people who got fewer than 10 votes. Award-winning political cartoonist Rob Rogers is on vacation after the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette began killing his cartoons critical of President Trump. Read more >>UPDATE: Rogers says he's been fired as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's editorial cartoonist After going a full week without seeing a single cartoon make it into the newspaper, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette cartoonist Rob Rogers got a cartoon about trade and the city's steel industry out to readers Tuesday. But his cartoons soon again disappeared from the publication. Rogers, who has seen his work killed at an increasing pace since Keith Burris took over as the newspaper's editorial director in March, announced that he was taking a short vacation scheduled to last though Monday. "Suffice it to say things are unresolved," Rogers said in an interview with the Inquirer and Daily News. "I am still employed at this point. I'm waiting each day to hear something." Rogers, a Philadelphia native who at one time contributed cartoons to the Inquirer, has been the Post-Gazette's staff cartoonist since 1993. (Editor's note: Tornoe is also a cartoonist, but hasn't worked with Rogers.) In that time, the left-leaning cartoonist has skewered all sorts of politicians, both Democrat and Republican. Under previous editors, Rogers said, he's seen one or two cartoons killed a year, usually in instances that involved controversial subjects or issues could make readers uncomfortable. "Pittsburgh is a big Catholic city, so there were definitely a few pedophile priests cartoons that were very controversial, and [my bosses] were sensitive to," Rogers said. "You could sort-of see what the reasoning was there." But since Burris took over in March, Rogers has seen 19 cartoons or ideas spiked, most involving criticism of President Trump. What Rogers says has confused him the most are the non-Trump cartoons that have been killed, such as one he drew about the NFL's decision to ban players from protesting racial injustice during the national anthem. Burris did not respond to multiple requests to comment, but he did issue a brief statement to Pittsburgh CBS affiliate KDKA that read, "It's really a personnel matter which we are working hard to fix." Burris added: "We have great respect for Rob and understand his importance to the community." One killed cartoon that baffled Rogers was a panel poking fun at Roseanne Barr, who blamed a racist message she sent on Twitter in part on taking Ambien. Rogers' cartoon featured a man in a doctor's office dressed in Ku Klux Klan robes also blaming the popular sleep aid. "Why didn't the Ambien cartoon run? It makes no sense. And that particular cartoon was a cartoon that I drew after my original idea, which compared Trump to Roseanne, was killed." Rogers said. He said he had been trying to work with Burris to figure out a way to get his cartoons back in the newspaper. Instead, the paper ran a different Roseanne cartoon drawn by Kirk Walters, the staff cartoonist of the Post-Gazette's sister newspaper, the Toledo Blade. Burris, who stoked controversy in January by writing a editorial defending Trump's criticism of immigrants from "shole countries," was made the editorial director by publisher John Robinson Block. Rogers said he had worked under Block for nearly 25 years without problem until the past few months. "[Block] was championing me and my cartoons for decades, and managed to match two offers I had from other papers to keep me in Pittsburgh," Rogers said. Block did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but did tell the Washington Post in a statement: "This is an internal, personnel matter we are working hard to resolve. It has little to do with politics, ideology or Donald Trump. It has mostly to do with working together and the editing process." Block has been an outspoken supporter of Trump in recent years. In 2016, both Block and Burris spent time on Trump's private plane at the Toledo Express Airport following a campaign rally, according to the Toledo Blade. "It doesn't take much to connect the dots between the absence of Rob's left-leaning cartoons and the recent arrival of a Trump-supporting editorial page editor," the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists said in a statement. "The editorial pages are a public forum, not a members-only private resort in Florida." Rogers said the outpouring of support from readers has been overwhelming. Even Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, a frequent target in Rogers' cartoons, offered his support in a statement on Twitter (while also pointing out he's not particularly fond of how Rogers draws him). "Readers are also writing letters to the editor, which they're not publishing. But some of them have been c'd to me by the people writing the letters," Rogers said. "You think you're working in a bubble, and you don't get to watch when someone opens the paper and enjoys the cartoon. But you never imagine how many people are actually following and looking." Rogers said he was hopeful he and the newspaper where he's spent the bulk of his career could find a way to move forward. "I just want to do my job. I get excited about the possibility of drawing another cartoon and afflicting the comfortable and speaking truth to power," Rogers said. "I just want to get back to doing that. That's what I'm hoping they'll let me do. And if not, then I'll have to find another way to do it." In addition to the two cartoons above, here are the eight other cartoons drawn by Rogers that have been spiked since March. All have been reprinted here with Rogers' permission: The Wawa store at Broad and Walnut streets in Center City. Read more Police have disclosed that they are investigating two unrelated stabbings this week following arguments involving strangers at the same Center City Wawa store. The first, previously unreported, happened about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. In that case, police said, a 22-year-old woman was stabbed in a shoulder and slashed after she got into an verbal dispute with another woman while leaving the Wawa at Broad and Walnut Streets, police said. The victim was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and was expected to recover. Central Detectives on Thursday afternoon released a video of the woman wanted in that stabbing. In the meantime, police are looking for a man in the stabbing of a 27-year-old customer that occurred at the same Wawa about 6 a.m. Thursday. That altercation happened after an argument. "We believe he was stabbed with some sort of unknown sharp object. We're still not sure exactly what he was stabbed with, but he sustained injuries consistent with stab wounds in the chest, back and other areas," said Capt. Sekou Kinebrew, a Philadelphia police spokesman. That victim also was expected to recover from his wounds after treatment at Jefferson. Police have not reported on the nature of the disputes that preceded the two stabbings. In a statement, Wawa Inc. noted that the first stabbing "did not occur in our store but we have provided police with surveillance video to assist them." The statement added: "Although the second altercation began outside of the store, when it spilled into our entrance, our private security staff acted immediately and contacted the police. We are committed to ensuring the safety and security of our customers and associates, and will continue to work in close partnership with the police and the city as well as conduct our own ongoing assessments to explore all possible ways to improve." As we head into Pride Month, after a historical gathering at the first LGBTQ+ State of the Union, one question remains at the forefront of the LGBTQ+ community in Philadelphia: What's next? The Mayor's Office of LGBT+ Affairs is offering three commitments on how we will continue to fight for an intersectional future and emphasize the livelihood and safety of those who consistently experience marginalization in our community. First, we recognize that there can be no moving forward without continuing to confront our past. This process must be constant and consistent. We must hold fast to rejecting and renouncing all forms of racism, sexism, transphobia, and ableism that have long been an unchecked pattern among the LGBTQ+ community and, by extension, the city at large. >> READ MORE: At Philadelphia's first gay pride march, people were 'jeering at us and booing' Second, we must build the foundation of our movement on inclusion, intersection, and radical visibility to better support those we have allowed to be left behind or made invisible. We must refuse the notion that we can progress without recognition and representation of all of who an individual is. People are vast and shimmering spirits filled with complexity, and we must celebrate all facets of that plurality. Third, we must keep dialogues open and transparent. We will need to foster more community conversations as we build up and move forward from the LGBTQ+ State of the Union. Leadership in the LGBTQ+ community must be grounded in the voices of those who have experienced historical and systemic oppression. There can be no movement without actively listening and engaging with those who have been silenced during our efforts to climb toward liberation. >> READ MORE: Mark Segal shares artifacts and memories from his decades in Philly's LGBTQ community We must give power to a togetherness that encompasses all of Philadelphia's diverse LGBTQ+ members and the pride we share. The Office of LGBT Affairs will continue to fiercely prioritize a future of inclusivity for everyone. We will continue to confront our past, set our foundation in intersectionality, and expand the lines of communication and understanding. We must be committed to doing the work that makes history, regardless of its difficulty or popularity, so one day we can share the reading of our story together. I hope that you can join the Office of LGBT Affairs for some of the wonderful LGBT Pride Month events our office is hosting this June. Pride Month is an important reminder for our community to love, accept, and fight for one another. Please join us and be out, be loud, and be proud. See you there. Amber J. Hikes is executive director of the Mayor's Office of LGBT Affairs. Chinese experts warn that foreign-developed aircraft design software dominates the world's market, leaving China's aircraft industry vulnerable to foreign manipulation, Science and Technology Daily reported Wednesday. Yao Weixing, a Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics professor, and the chief designer of a four-seat light aircraft, the NH40 made the remarks during an interview with Science and Technology Daily. According to Yao, the world's aircraft industry entered the digital era in the 1980s, and current aircraft designs have become highly dependent on software. The development process of aircraft design software started almost simultaneously in China and foreign countries, but the market has been completely controlled by foreign products, Yao said. Domestic design firms have to invest millions of dollars to purchase foreign software, mainly those from the U.S. and Europe, to design a single airplane, making the country's aviation industry most vulnerable to foreign controls, Yao warned. The maiden flight of the country's J-10 fighter jet was reportedly delayed because of a 5-millimeter design error on its main landing gear, which was manufactured by foreign firms. China had to reorder the gear because it lacks its own software, causing a delay of eight to nine months before the fighter jet's first flight. Foreign software has a better system for upgrades, and is more user-friendly compared to Chinese-developed software, Yao said. Yao called for the country to create more favorable policies to encourage the development and use of the domestically-created aviation software. Colleges and universities should also improve their assessment mechanism, allowing researchers to spend more time developing new processes without being worried they will receive a bad assessment. It has been 50 years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Terry v. Ohio that the Constitution does not require police to delay taking investigative action until after a crime has been committed. That action sometimes takes the form of police stopping, questioning, and frisking individuals on the basis of reasonable suspicion as opposed to probable cause (the standard required for making an arrest). "Terry stops," as they're called, are often painted by advocates on the political left as a tool of police oppression. But those arguments conflate the proper use of the tactic with its abuse. The reality remains that data-driven, proactive policing tactics including the use of stop, question, and frisk played an integral role in the steep, sustained crime declines we saw in cities across the country throughout the 1990s. The demonization of the tactic, and the decision that recognized its legality, put those public safety gains at risk. In Terry, the rather liberal Warren Court held by an 8-1 majority that when police observe conduct that, under the circumstances, would arouse "reasonable suspicion" that criminal activity is afoot, they may briefly detain those observed for the purposes of investigating further. The court went on to hold that if the circumstances, viewed objectively by a reasonable officer, would justify the belief that the individual is armed and poses a danger, the officer may pat down the outside of the individual's clothing to feel for a weapon. Some have argued that the eight-justice majority got it wrong. They posit, as Justice William O. Douglas did in his dissent, that in the absence of probable cause, any search or seizure is unconstitutional no matter how limited. But the touchstone of the Fourth Amendment is reasonableness, and the historical record supports the view that the probable cause requirement was how the Framers addressed their concerns about the issuance of general warrants. Moreover, as the late Justice Antonin Scalia pointed out, under the common law, "it had long been considered reasonable to detain suspicious persons for the purpose of demanding that they give an account of themselves." As a matter of public policy, the case for Terry stops is stronger still. >> READ MORE: Analysis: Blacks stopped at much higher rate indoors in Center City In 1990, New York City had more than 2,200 homicides a record. Twenty-five years later, that number was down to just over 350. Much of that decrease happened during the mid- to late 1990s, when the NYPD adopted "broken windows" policing (developed by Manhattan Institute scholar George Kelling and sociologist James Q. Wilson). The shift included both the use of Terry stops and the prosecution of lower-level misdemeanors (which research shows was consistently correlated with decreases in violent crime during the '90s). Though the drop cannot be attributed solely to the use of Terry stops, they were certainly an important part of a broader strategy that elevated the importance of police proactivity. The Terry decision also raised the transaction costs for criminals of both carrying contraband and conducting illegal transactions in public as police began to employ the practice more often. That helped push more of the illicit drug trade indoors, which not only made public spaces more welcoming to the law-abiding, it made them safer by reducing the number of drive-by targets on street corners. Moreover, by confiscating and disincentivizing the carrying of concealed weapons, police likely prevented a number of physical altercations from escalating into shootings or stabbingsthough this may not have had much of an effect on pre-planned shootings. >> READ MORE: 'You feel very helpless.' Philadelphians share their stop-and-frisk stories | Perspective In cities where police have backed off, the effects do not seem to have been very good. In Chicago, for example, stops decreased almost 90 percent in the first quarter of 2016. That year, the city had its highest homicide tally in nearly 20 years. None of this is to say that police never abuse their authority. Nor should readers discount the intrusion and indignity inherent in being the subject of an unlawful stop and frisk. But we must remember that abuses of power are deviations from the law articulated in Terry. They are not authorized by it. Conflating what the Supreme Court ruled constitutional 50 years ago with instances of police abuse risks depriving vulnerable communities of the priceless benefits that have accrued to them in the cities that have adopted proactive policing practices around the country. And that would be a tragedy. Rafael A. Mangual is deputy director of legal policy at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, where he writes primarily about criminal justice reform, crime, and policing. June 10 is the 50th anniversary of the landmark decision in Terry v. Ohio, the Supreme Court decision that legalized the controversial practice of stop-and-frisk. In recent weeks, the conversation around stop-and-frisk in Philadelphia has escalated, following the arrest of two black men in a Starbucks in Center City. In partnership with Praise 107.9, the Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com has gathered viewpoints on Terry v. Ohio, and its impact on Philadelphia and beyond, including the stories of real Philadelphians, who called into "Your Voice with Solomon Jones" on Thursday. Comments have been edited slightly for style and clarity. Asa Khalif My first encounter with stop-and-frisk, I was a freshman at Roman Catholic High School walking home with my friend. It was clear that some of those friends were not black and brown, but the black and brown students me and one of my best friends were stopped. And I, even at that early age, realized that this was wrong. You feel very helpless. You've been taught to cooperate with the police. My parents had always taught me that. But [when you are stopped], something inside of you rises up and knows that this was wrong and that you were treated unfairly. Of course when you're dealing with law enforcement and how they handle policed bodies, black and brown bodies in particular, it's always met with aggression and is always met with intimidation. I realized at that early age that when it comes down to stop-and-frisk, me being black, or me wearing a Roman Catholic sweater, is not gonna save me from that type of aggression. Asa Khalif is a Black Lives Matter activist in Philadelphia. Listen to Asa's full story: Ismil Lamar I'm from New Jersey. I went to college in the Philadelphia area. This was around the time where the murder rates were rising in the city of Philadelphia. I was in the Southwest section of the city with a couple of my friends who I went to college with. The police happened to come through while we were standing outside. They walked up on us for no reason, asked us for our I.D. No one had any identification, so then the next thing you know, the police call for backup. They had us out there, searching us, held us, ran our names through the computers while we were handcuffed to make sure nobody had any warrants or anything like that. When they left, there wasn't "I apologize, my fault" or anything like that. They just hopped in their cars and pulled off. Myself, I felt alienated a little bit. When did they law pass in the country that you couldn't just stand outside on a summer day? It wasn't real traumatic, but it definitely was an experience that just made me feel like that I'm going to start making sure that I don't want to be in situations where police could confuse my actions with something different. That's how black men are living their lives nowadays. Ismil Lamar is behavioral specialist in Philadelphia. Listen to Asa's full story: Terrence Battle I was stopped in Brooklyn. I was leaving a comedy club. It was like 3 o'clock in the morning. I had taken the subway to Brooklyn and gotten in a cab from the subway to my house. The cab pulled over I was about to pay and get out and lights went off in the back of the car. I figured it was something that the cab driver did. The police walked up and shined their lights in the car and checked with the driver. They turned their attention to me immediately. They asked me to get out of the car, went through my pockets. The whole time I'm fearful because it's 3:30 a.m. I'm an audio junky so I had some recorder in my bag. I was thinking about trying to record the incident. But I'm scared to death. Amadou Diallo [who was shot killed by New York City police in 1999] had a wallet. Sean Bell [was shot and killed by New York City police in 2006]. These egregious things that happened and that's just in New York. My whole thing was to survive. I was a single parent at the time, two boys. As angry as I was, I held my composure and tried to get through. And they asked me if I had ID and I said, "Sure, do you?" I gave them my ID and they started to take my information down and collecting names and everything. I worked on radio in New York, and when we were wrapping up the encounter, I said to them, "I'm going talk about this on my stations." Their answer to me was, "Oh yeah, what time? We want to hear it." Just arrogant. Terrence "T-Storm" Battle is longtime broadcaster, comedian and current Imaging Director for Urban One Philadelphia. He co-hosts a weekly podcast with wife his Keilly that can be found on 4evaeva.com. Listen to Terrence's full story: Members of the Ocean City Noreasters, a United Soccer Leagues developmental team, kick a ball around in Ocean City in 2016. Read more Memorial Day weekend begins the annual great migration from the Philadelphia region to the beloved Jersey Shore. When visitors arrive in their favorite towns, they may notice, as residents do, that the coast is changing at an accelerated pace. The rising sea is pushing back beaches, forests, and marshes. Flooding is more frequent. And, the danger posed by a rising sea is made even more extreme by the fact that coastal land is sinking, according to a Rutgers University study. The state knows the Shore is in trouble. Mother Nature delivered that message loud and clear six years ago with Hurricane Sandy, which killed 117 people and cost $50 billion in damage. It's foolish that New Jersey's state and local governments didn't use the disaster as an opportunity for sweeping new approaches to coastal protection. They didn't create a special building code for flood-prone communities, build up bulkheads, or upgrade storm sewers to stop higher tides from flooding neighborhoods. Instead, they mostly rebuilt what was already there. But with former Gov. Chris Christie and his reckless disregard for the environment gone from Trenton, planning for a safer future is getting back on track. This month, the Legislature began moving bills to update the Shore Protection Master Plan for the first time since 1981. The updated plan will be a focused blueprint for protecting coastal communities into the future, taking into account the Shore's new reality. "It's only getting worse, and it's going to get worse faster," says terrestrial ecologist Emile DeVito, manager of science and stewardship with the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. He notes that scientists in 1981 thought sea level would rise about a foot a century. Now, they believe sea level will rise from three feet to five feet a century. Forty years ago, the word superstorm wasn't even a term and now superstorms are expected to hit the Shore more frequently and with greater intensity, further weakening natural buffers. Over time, development and brutal storms wore out natural protections, even in mainland communities where residents thought they were safe from the ravages of the sea. Coastal forests abutting marshes are dying as the marshes recede. Without the marshes, there's not much to stop waves from crashing against mainland communities and taking ground away. The master plan can capitalize on lessons learned from extreme weather. For example, dunes have done a good job holding back the Atlantic on the ocean side of barrier islands, but the bay sides flood frequently, even in mild rains or moon tides. The state also should consider letting more properties return to nature. There has to be a point where taxpayers stop rebuilding storm-damaged buildings over and over again. New Jersey can become resilient as long as it becomes realistic about the effects of climate change. This renewed interest in updating the Shore Protection Master Plan is a good sign that state government is taking the challenge seriously. Residents and visitors should stay on top of public officials to ensure they protect the Shore. Councilwoman Cindy Bass, left, and Councilman David Oh shown here during a session of city council, at City Hall, much of the session focused on a controversial bill that would increase oversight on beer delis and Stop-N-Go shops, and could order the removal of bullet-resistant windows inside these businesses, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017. JESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer Read more It's more than just three inches of acrylic glass that separates Asian small business owners from their black customers. When City Council passed a bill in December 2017 aimed at regulating stop-and-go stores from skirting Pennsylvania liquor laws, almost everyone agreed on the part that required establishments that sell alcohol to provide restrooms and seating for 30 people. But battle lines were drawn when the bill also required stop-and-go convenience stores to take down their bulletproof glass. Supporters of the bill contend the bulletproof glass dehumanizes black customers while contributing to problems of addiction by selling alcohol and drug paraphernalia. Opponents argue the bill compromises the safety of owners and targets Asian businesses. The bill has polarized segments of the black and Asian communities. As a professor who studies and teaches about black-Asian relations, and as a resident of West Philly who has observed interactions between Asian store owners and black customers, I can tell you that these interracial dynamics are far from new. >>READ MORE: Stop-and-Go businesses are a scourge on Philly's poorest communities | Solomon Jones Asian-owned businesses in black neighborhoods date back to the Reconstruction era, when Chinese grocery stores in the Mississippi Delta sold their goods to emancipated slaves. A lesson into this history provides valuable insights into contemporary black-Asian relations and can help defuse a volatile situation. In the late 19th century, the opening of Chinese grocery stores in black communities in the Mississippi Delta was shaped by two conditions: the capital that Chinese immigrants were able to leverage, and the structural racism faced by former slaves. First, early Chinese immigrants arrived in the South to replace the work that was performed by slaves. Finding farm work unprofitable, Chinese immigrants opened grocery stores by drawing on the shared resources of their extensive kin and kith networks, the majority of whom were from the Sze Yap region of Guangdong in southern China. >>READ MORE: Restaurant licensing bill protects store owners and neighborhoods | Councilwoman Cindy Bass Second, Chinese grocery stores profited because of the institutional racism that targeted former slaves. Plantation commissaries inflated the prices of goods to keep former slaves in debt. The opening of Chinese grocery stores filled a particular niche by selling goods to freed blacks at lower prices than plantation commissaries. These grocery stores remained in black neighborhoods from the late 1800s until the 1960s in large part because Chinese owners were barred from white communities. Today, many Chinese and Korean owners who set up shop in poor black neighborhoods have profited in ways that call to mind what occurred in the Mississippi Delta and the racially restrictive housing policies after the Great Depression. The National Housing Act of 1934 exacerbated racial segregation and led to the disinvestment of black neighborhoods by explicitly denying loans to black people. Moreover, the Home Owners' Loan Corp. (HOLC) categorized black neighborhoods as bad investments, thus discouraging development and home ownership in these areas a practice known as redlining because these neighborhoods were marked red on HOLC maps, denoting a "D" grade for investment. Although these policies were overturned by the Fair Housing Act of 1968, the effects of these policies remain today. Black Americans are still given high-interest predatory loans and are denied loans more often than Asians. Similar to how plantation commissaries inflated prices to keep free blacks in debt thus opening opportunities for Chinese grocery stores to fill an economic need the disinvestment of black neighborhoods opened up opportunities for Asian-owned businesses to operate. >>READ MORE: Philly lawmakers right to target stop-and-go nuisance bars Also, similar to how Mississippi Delta Chinese immigrants relied on their social networks to acquire initial capital, Asian store owners today are able to obtain capital through Chinese and Korean mutual aid societies, savings from their countries of origin, transnational capital, and ethnic banks. The City Council bill and its requirement to dismantle bulletproof glass attempts to foster the respect of Asian store owners toward their black customers. But any attempt to foster respect should also emphasize the anti-black policies and practices of white institutions that created these antagonisms in the first place. The Mississippi Delta and HOLC history teaches us to look comparatively at how powerful white institutions differentially discriminate against black and Asian Americans. These histories obligate Asian store owners to understand how they have benefited from their non-black status within white structures, despite the ongoing realities of anti-Asian racism. As a child of Chinese immigrants, I realize these are histories that many Asian immigrants are unfortunately unaware of because of the education systems they came from. Almost exactly a year ago, Cindy Bass, the city councilwoman who proposed the bill, instituted sit-ins to protest the practices of these stop-and-go stores. But what is really needed are teach-ins that educate Asian store owners of a national history of institutional racism they share with their black customers. Only then can the metaphorical glass that separates these two groups also be dismantled. Roseann Liu is visiting assistant professor in the department of educational studies and senior fellow of engaged scholarship in the Lang Center at Swarthmore College. The US Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday published an amended version of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act which contains provisions calling for strengthened security cooperation and military communication with Taiwan including supporting US troops to participate in the island's Han Kuang exercises. The legislation will very likely pass the Senate. The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act garnered extensive attention as it demanded the US defense secretary evaluate the possibility of mutual visits by naval vessels between the US and Taiwan. Congress also passed the Taiwan Travel Act, which allows high-level visits between leaders of Taiwan and the US. These laws encroach on the one-China principle, which is the political foundation of China-US relations, and create uncertainties in bilateral relations. With growing vigilance and simmering bellicosity toward China, the US elites are viewing China increasingly negatively. The provocative legislation reflects this change. In addition to trade tensions, the US has taken an aggressive stance against China on security issues, which made it more challenging for Beijing to handle friction with Washington. On the one hand, the US has increased provocations against China's core interests with an aim of pressuring and deterring China. On the other, it has moved incrementally, trying to avoid a backlash and a dangerous showdown. The Trump administration has launched a strategic offensive against China and taken a tough stance. But it doesn't want a strategic showdown regardless of the costs and results. China must keep calm in the face of an unscrupulous US strategic squeeze. We must figure out the strategic position of China and the US, keeping in mind the US advantage while having confidence in our own strength. Based on this, we must further clarify and reiterate China's core interests to the outside world. The core interests combined together constitute the lifeline of China's rise. China must safeguard that lifeline by all means. The Taiwan Straits is China's core interest. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations with Beijing, Washington has by and large abided by the principles enshrined in the three communiques. However, the phone call between Donald Trump and Tsai Ing-wen when he was president-elect derailed that protocol in bilateral relations. Afterward, the US Congress passed a series of Taiwan-related acts. Washington seems to be playing an active role in sabotaging cross-Straits stability. China and the US are likely to face a new Taiwan Straits crisis sooner or later. China needs to make early preparations. The Chinese mainland is not afraid of any crisis in the Taiwan Straits, even a showdown, so as to quash US and Taiwan aggressiveness and safeguard national unity. Concessions won't win long-term peace and cooperation between China and the US. Only if both countries act in accordance with principles and do not cross each other's bottom line can bilateral relations be stabilized. BRUSSELS, June 7 (Xinhua) -- NATO defense ministers on Thursday took decisions to boost the command structure and readiness of forces amid transatlantic tensions. Speaking at a press conference following the ministerial meeting, Stoltenberg announced that ministers agreed to strengthen the Alliance's command structure to ensure rapid reinforcement across the Atlantic and Europe. Ministers decided to add more than 1,200 personnel to the command structure. The Alliance will establish a new joint force command for the Atlantic at Norfolk in the United States and a new enabling command at Ulm, Germany. "These headquarters will be essential for Alliance reinforcements," Stoltenberg said. NATO's command structure was reduced to fewer than 7,000 staff in seven commands after the end of the Cold War. Ministers also endorsed a new readiness initiative, called "Four Thirties", that means NATO will have 30 mechanized battalions, 30 air squadrons and 30 combat vessels, ready within 30 days or less. "This is not about new forces. But about increasing the readiness of the forces our nations already have," the NATO chief added. NATO's meeting has been overshadowed by disputes between the United States and Europe regarding trade issues, the Iran nuclear deal, and climate change treaty. Asked by reporters whether U.S.-EU differences affect cooperation within NATO ahead of the meeting, Stoltenberg admitted that "there are now serious disagreements between NATO allies." "It's nothing new," he said, stressed that Allies have been able to unite around NATO's core task. "As long as they're not solved, I have to be focused on how to reduce the negative consequences for NATO," Stoltenberg told reporters. Ministers meet Thursday and Friday to make preparations for the upcoming Summit in July. "Burden sharing will be a key theme of our summit next month. And I expect all Allies to continue their efforts," the NATO chief said. By Cui Mingxuan, Xiao Shiyan and Wei Hui Despite the F-16 warplane crash on the first day, the Hanguang exercise of the Taiwan army still received great fanfare. When Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen inspected the military exercise on June 7, she rooted for herself by shouting the slogan "where there is Taiwan army, there is Taiwan". The Tsai administration also received a big "present package" from American politicians. The military committee of American Senate "opportunely" released the revised draft of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2019FY, requiring the U.S. to intensify defense cooperation with Taiwan and expressly asking the U.S. military to participate in Taiwan's military exercises including the Hanguang exercise. Will the American military really join the exercise in the future? As a matter of fact, the U.S. military has always had connections with Hanguang military exercise, whose predecessor was the "China-US joint military exercise" held by Taiwan military and the American military advisory panel. At that time, the Taiwan military, American naval fleet and American military advisory panel all participated in the exercise. The "diplomatic ties" between Taiwan and the U.S. were cut off in 1979, and their annual joint military exercise ended with the abolition of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the U.S. and the Republic of China. In August that year, Taiwan military independently held an island-wide combat exercise for the first time, code-named "Hanyang exercise", which was later renamed Hanguang exercise. American military sent observation delegations to the exercises from time to time. Qiu Yi, a KMT member and former member of the Legislative Yuan, told the reporter on June 7 that the U.S. side often sent advisory delegations, which was usually headed by a retired senior military officer, to observe the Hanguang exercise. That was playing the touch ball but now the congress is urging the military to do more than that. Washington's provocations to the Chinese mainland are of different levels. It can assign current service member to be part of the advisory delegation, which is against the "One China" principle and obviously more provocative than playing the touch ball. "The most serious situation is assigning a delegation to join the exercise, which will violate the red line drawn by the Chinese mainland. Washington wont dare to do that at the moment." According to an analyst from the mainland, the NDAA will generally be passed by the senate after it is passed by the military committee as a legislative convention in the U.S. It's worth noting that the draft used the wording what the U.S. "should" do, which means it represents the congress' opinion but has no binding force on the department of operations. The concrete actions to be taken will depend on the attitude of the administration, which is generally more rational. On the other hand, we can see that Washington is playing the Taiwan card more often nowadays, and is giving constant signals that challenge the bottom line about the Taiwan Strait. In particular, the U.S. has passed some acts. Although no specific action has been yet taken, these acts provide the legal basis for the U.S. to interfere in Taiwan affairs in the future, which can be dangerous. The American congress has repeatedly made a fuss over Taiwan in its NDAA. In July last year, it passed the NDAA for 2018FY, which asked the American secretary of defense to assess the possibility of American and Taiwan naval vessels visiting each other. The Taiwan Travel Act signed by Trump in March this year made it more convenient for high-level American and Taiwan officials to realize mutual visits. Reuters reported in June 5 that the U.S. military is planning to assign military vessels to pass the Taiwan Strait, and is considering changing the model of arms sale to Taiwan from package sale every few years to irregular sale based on Taiwan's needs. The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post commented on June 6 that Pentagon's decision to increase the military support to Taiwan may aggravate the strategic competition between Beijing and Washington. An observer said the U.S. has been sending various signals of its Taiwan policy. On the other hand, to avoid irritating Beijing, Washington is unlikely to send high-ranking officials to attend the inauguration ceremony of American Institute in Taiwan's new building to be held on June 12. A Chinese analyst said the U.S. is trying to strike a "subtle balance" in the ever fiercer competition with China. Disclaimer: The authors are Cui Mingxuan, Xiao Shiyan and Wei Hui, reporters with the Global Times. The article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinamil.com.cn does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. If the article carries photographs or images, we do not vouch for their authenticity. Uganda has seen a spike in the number of human rights violations from 4,220 in 2016 to 5,021 in 2017. The chairperson of Uganda Human Rights Commission, Meddie Kaggwa on Friday morning handed over the 20th Uganda Human Rights Commission Annual Report on the state of human rights in Uganda to the Speaker of Parliament. The increase in the number of people that sought the services of UHRC might have been because UHRC had intensified its human rights education activities. None of the total number of complaints received, 682 were registered as complaints raising alleged human rights violations. Men registered higher complaints 523 women 221 out of the 734 are mostly always in conflict with the law, Mr Kaggwa said on Friday morning. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga commended the Commission for fulfilling their mandate and covering all the sectors. Thank you for ably covering the Maragoli community, the solution is to amend the constitution so that the other indigenous tribes are also included, Kadaga added. She said that there is need to amend the Constitution to include all the other indigenous tribes in Uganda. She urged the committee chairperson to take up the report and flag it before the house and also called on the commission to also investigate why crime is higher in the greater Masaka compared to other areas. Kaggwa pointed out that they are constrained to execute their duties because of underfunding and compensation is a challenge. The Report recommended that Uganda should facilitate food security to enable full realization of the right to food and to protect her people from hunger, it found that although Uganda has been ranked as one of the best palliative care providers in Africa, a big percentage of Ugandans in need of palliative care cannot access it, and yet there is a growing need for the service that is also a human right, right to a fair hearing in the criminal justice in Uganda in 2017, the right to security of person and increased occurrence of violent crimes, emerging human rights concerns in 2017, land disputes and human rights in selected regions of Uganda among others. Kaggwa called on Parliament, especially the Human Rights Committee, to up their oversight role in the promotion and protection of human rights in the country. The Human Rights committee chairperson and Woman MP for Mitooma district, Jovah Kamateeka advised government sectors to desist from engaging in torture of Ugandans because they will not be given money to run their activities by Parliament and if found to have tortured, money for compensation will be deducted from their budget. Related An agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was shot during an operation Thursday, the agency said. Agents from the Chicago Field Division were "ambushed" while conducting an undercover operation in Gary, IN, ATF Agent Brendan Iber said in a news conference, reports CNN. "One of our agents was shot multiple times and was transported to the Methodist Hospital here at Northlake campus," Iber said. The wounded agent was in critical but stable condition, Iber added. Iber declined to elaborate, citing the investigation. "But I would want to thank the law enforcement community, the hospital staff and the public for the outpouring of support we've received so far," he said. The FBI's gang response investigative team responded to the scene to assist ATF, FBI Indianapolis Public Affairs Specialist Chris Bavender said. The Indiana State Police are also investigating. Editor David Griffith (Photo: Kelly Bracken) Just as we were going to press with this issue of POLICE, a student at a Santa Fe, TX, high school opened fire on his classmates and teachers with a shotgun and a revolver, killing 10. He also critically wounded school resource officer John Barnes, one of two SROs who shot it out with the gunman. Law enforcement officers, including an SRO and a Texas trooper, were able to persuade the shooter to surrender after a gunfight. School shootings have been the subject of much national debate since the horrifying Valentine's Day massacre at a Parkland, FL, high school. Some of the students at that school have even become national celebrities as they have waged war on the National Rifle Association and sought to weaken the Second Amendment. They argue that the way to protect America's schools is to outlaw certain guns, if not all guns. These students might be shocked to discover that the vast majority of American law enforcement officers, including SROs, do not believe gun control and "assault weapon" bans are the best way to protect our schools from attack. In March, POLICE conducted a survey of law enforcement officers that asked multiple questions about AR-15s, gun control, school shootings, and active shooter training. You can read our report on the survey at www.policemag.com/guncontrolsurvey. One of the things we asked in that survey was: "What measures would you take to prevent school shootings or improve response to them?" More than 1,500 self-identified law enforcement officers took the time to write an answer to that open-ended question. You can read a full article on responses to this question in our Special Report on Keeping Schools Safe (www.policemag.com/KeepingSchoolsSafe). But here's a short summation. Many officers said they felt the most effective means of preventing school shootings is to identify people who are a threat to perpetrate such terrible acts before they actually carry them out. Some even suggested a nationwide hotline that students could use to report their suspicions. Officers believe one of the best ways to stop school massacres is to harden the potential targets. Respondents said schools should reduce the number of ingress and egress points used by students and staff and set up metal detectors and video surveillance to monitor who is coming in and prevent them from bringing weapons with them. Some respondents even said that the federal government should establish a program similar to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to safeguard schools. To protect students in the event of a shooting, some respondents said they want to see classrooms equipped with armored doors that lock when an alarm is sounded. One respondent said each school employee should have access to a panic button similar to the ones some people wear in their homes to alert their alarm companies if they have an emergency. The panic button would alert police in case of an incident and sound an alarm in the school, warning students and staff. Beyond issues of gun control, one of the most contentious arguments about school safety in America is whether training and arming staff would be a deterrent to school attacks or at least mitigate the body count. Arming teachers was a popular answer. Another popular idea was allowing armed civilian volunteers, particularly retired law enforcement and military, to patrol schools. It's little surprise that the single most popular response by the readers of POLICE to the question of how to prevent school shootings and improve law enforcement response to such incidents was to put more officers in schools. Many respondents said every school should have at least one armed SRO on campus during school hours. This last point is critical to making schools safe from active shooters. There are many things we can do to prevent school shootings before they start, but once the shooter starts firing, the only solution is armed and trained law enforcement response. As we saw in last month's Dixon, IL, incident and in a Maryland incident in March, having courageous officers on campus to engage and stop the threat can prevent another Parkland much more effectively than gun control measures or arming teachers. A new federal lawsuit claims a city police officer acting as a security guard didn't do his job and more than two dozen of his colleagues failed in their duties or violated the civil rights of surviving victims after the 2016 Orlando, FL, nightclub massacre, reports ABC News. Embed from Getty Images The gunman, Omar Mateen, was fatally shot by police after 49 people were killed and 58 were wounded at Pulse nightclub in what was then the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Orlando police officer Adam Gruler, according to court papers filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, "was at Pulse at all pertinent times and was charged with providing security to Pulse. Instead, he abandoned his post." The lawsuit also lists 30 unidentified Orlando police officers who the plaintiffs allege either remained outside the nightclub while the shooting occurred or held witnesses against their will after they fled the massacre. The city of Orlando is listed as an additional defendant. In a joint statement, the city of Orlando and the Orlando Police Department said they have not seen the lawsuit, but that "federal, state and local law enforcement officers and first responders put themselves in harms way to save as many lives as possible." Santa Fe Independent School District Officer John Barnes, who was critically injured in the shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas last month, was discharged from the hospital Wednesday, reports click2houston. Barnes was shot in the arm and the bullet hit an artery. He was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition. Surgeons repaired a blood vessel near his elbow and worked to repair the injury to the bone, officials said. He had spent weeks in intensive care since the May 18 shooting. Doctors said many officers and former colleagues showed up to support Barnes, who retired from the Houston Police Department in January. Columbus (NE) Police Sergeant Brad Wangler, a 19-year veteran of the force, was shot while trying to serve an arrest warrant on a man identified as Jorje Robledo. Sergeant Wangler is reported to be in stable condition but will need additional surgery, according to KETV-TV. The department posted a statement on Facebook that indicated the subject was armed with a handgun and a rifle during the gunfight. A member of Robledos family said that they feel very sorry for the officer and are praying for his recovery. CHICAGO Rush University Medical Center will receive up to $45 million its largest single donation ever from the Wounded Warrior Project to provide mental health services to thousands of additional veterans. Rush will put the cash toward its Road Home Program, which treats veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, depression, anxiety and related conditions at no cost to patients. The program, which also helps the families of veterans, has treated more than 1,000 people since launching in 2014. The new donation is expected to help Rush treat another 5,000 veterans and their family members during the next five years. "Were thrilled," said Dr. Larry Goodman, CEO of Rush. "Besides the size of the donation, what it goes for is incredibly important. The services provided by the Road Home Program really treat those invisible injuries of war, which are unfortunately all too common in people returning from defending our country." The donation will help more than 1,500 veterans participate in a three-week intensive outpatient program at Rush, geared toward those with post-traumatic stress disorder who arent responding to standard treatments. As part of the program, groups of eight to 12 veterans from across the country receive more than 100 hours of treatment, including behavioral therapy, yoga, art therapy and acupuncture. The money to be paid incrementally during the next five years, contingent on Rush treating certain numbers of patients each year also will help another 3,500 veterans and their family members receive outpatient therapy, counseling and other services. The intensive program can help veterans whove often witnessed "terrible things" face and manage their feelings, "so they can try to make their peace with it," said Dr. Mark Pollack, founding director of the Road Home Program. Life-saver Veteran Jessica Burgans knows firsthand the difference the program can make. She said it not only made her a better wife and mother it also saved her life. Burgans, who lives near Seattle, served as a combat medic in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. She was trained as a "Lioness," a woman sent to the front lines despite a ban at the time on women serving in combat. "Being a medic, I saw death every day, amputations and burns from head to toe. Id have to pick up remains of soldiers where we could only find a big toe, and wed send that home to their family so they could at least have something to bury," Burgans said. "I witnessed people die within a couple of feet of me." When Burgans returned home in 2005, she tried to work as an emergency medical technician, but the stress proved too much given her experiences. She cycled through a series of 14 jobs during nine years and suffered from alcoholism. I cope so much better During that time, she sought help, but the turning point didnt come until she took part in Rushs intensive program last year. She said it helped to be surrounded by veterans with similar experiences, and she learned coping mechanisms. Burgans, now 34, said she no longer drinks and has held a steady part-time job for the last year. "I cope so much better when I do have a moment of anxiety or triggers," Burgans said. "It would have been impossible to get that kind of healing going to a therapist once a week." The Florida-based Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans. The organizations CEO, retired Lt. Gen. Mike Linnington, called the work Rush does with veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder "nothing short of miraculous." Yet, theres still more need for services, Rushs Pollack said. More than 77 percent of the 34,000 wounded veterans who responded to a Wounded Warrior survey last year reported suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and about 70 percent reported suffering from depression. This isnt the Wounded Warrior Projects first donation to Rush. In 2016, the organization gave Rush a $15 million grant to help it develop its intensive program, among other things. The group also is giving money to help support veterans at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Californias UCLA Health and Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare. "Treating invisible wounds of war of those who have served our country, I believe, is a national responsibility, and a responsibility of everyone," Linnington said. "For us this is a smart investment. Its an investment in our warrior population." Before now, the two largest donations given to Rush were $20 million each, one for advanced imaging centers and another for facility construction. There are a couple of times of year when colleagues start casually stopping by my office to chat about books. It would happen more often if I werent on a different floor than many of them and also, its not just casual talk. Come June, theyre looking for something good and fun to read when they finally get to take a break a vacation, a trip with the family, head to the beach or pool or campground or even the just backyard. Summer is when many of us get a chance to settle in with a book, something that might provide a bit of escape. Here are 16 books to look forward to and a few that are already out, if youre ready to get started on your summer reading. FICTION Novelist Anne Tyler best known for "The Accidental Tourist" has been publishing moving, best-selling novels for 40 years, and shes back with "Clock Dance"(Knopf, July), an episodic story of Willa Drake, a woman whose life seems straightforward enough until, in her 60s, she agrees to take care of a strangers daughter and dog and gets caught up in their world. For a literary romance, try "The Verdun Affair"by Nick Dybeck(Counterpoint, June), a historical fiction that begins in 1950 in Los Angeles, where a Hollywood screenwriter runs into someone from his past. Their story stretches back to Europe in the years following the World War I, and the novel unravels a love triangle and its players secrets. On the lighter side, Georgia Clarksnovel "The Bucket List"(Atria, August) is a witty, sexy take on a well-worn theme. After a buttoned-up 25-year-old woman learns she has the BCRA1 gene mutation and should have a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer, she comes up with a to-do list of breast adventures, which she sets out to complete. Its got one of the most head-turning covers of the summer. But giving Clarks cover a run for its money is "The Pisces"by Melissa Broder(Hogarth, out now). This acclaimed novel is a engrossing tale of a woman wrestling with her demons an unfinished PhD, therapy for addiction who comes to Venice, Calif., and falls in love with a merman. As we saw in "The Shape of Water," it happens. MYSTERY-THRILLER Few writers get at the dark corners of the female psyche like Megan Abbott. In her new psychological thriller, "Give Me Your Hand"(Little, Brown, July), two female scientists, who were friends in high school, compete for the same position working for their mentor in groundbreaking research and become deep rivals. In "Bearskin"(Ecco, June), the debut novel from James A. McLaughlin, a not-at-all innocent man on the run from a Mexican drug cartel tries to start over with an assumed name and a job at a remote Virginia nature preserve. But when a bear is killed on the grounds, it opens the door to trouble and violence. Los Angeles writer Jessica Knoll("Luckiest Girl Alive") uses reality TV as the setting for her new thriller, "The Favorite Sister"(Simon & Schuster, out now). Entrepreneur competitors all women, two who are sisters are set up to have camera-ready catfights and the rest. But one ends up dead. ENTERTAINMENT Reality TV is the setting as well for the nonfiction book "Bachelor Nation"(Dutton, out now) by my Times colleague Amy Kaufman. The long-running series that starts with strangers and ends with a happy couple (if all goes as planned) is back for a new season, and Kaufmans book is a delicious look behind the scenes. The biggest book Im suggesting you bring to the beach is "Bruce Lee: A Life"by Matthew Polly(Simon & Schuster, June). Sure, its 656 pages, but its the first authoritative biography of the martial arts teacher and movie star, who died mysteriously at 32 but whose films, such as "Enter the Dragon," still thrill decades later. POETRY The slimmest book on this list is "American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin"by Terrance Hayes(Penguin, June), but that doesnt mean its not powerful. All of these poems were written by the inventive National Book Award-winning poet and MacArthur fellow during the first 200 days of Donald Trumps presidency. MEMOIR-ESSAY Historian Nell Painterwas 64 when she stepped down from her job at Princeton to attend the Rhode Island School of Design. She chronicles that experience in her memoir "Old in Art School"(Counterpoint, June), bringing her fierce intelligence to questions not just of age but also race and what it means to be an artist. Young writer Michael Arceneauxscoming-of-age essay collection, "I Cant Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race and Other Reasons Ive Put My Faith in Beyonce"(Atria, July), touches on growing up in Texas, coming out to his mother and embracing his identity. NONFICTION As a journalist, KJ DellAntoniahas wide view of parenthood and an up-close one with four kids of her own. In "How to Be a Happier Parent: Raising a Family, Having a Life, and Loving (Almost) Every Minute"(Avery, August) she shares her knowledge in a breezy style and bite-size format thats easy to read between toddler meltdowns. An ambitious Silicon Valley company, a groundbreaking product, billions invested and a founder who was hailed as brilliant: Its the story of our modern technological age, but for Theranos, it was built on an empty promise. In "Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup"(Knopf, out now), journalist John Carreyrougets the inside scoop on the companys rise and fall. Nothing lasts forever: In 1930s Shanghai, the no-holds-barred gangster scene was run by an American ex-Navyman and a Jewish man whod fled Vienna. Their milieu and its end comes alive in "City of Devils: The Two Men Who Ruled the Underworld of Old Shanghai"(Picador, July) by Paul French, an Edgar award-winning writer. Michael Pollanis best known for his groundbreaking writing about food and the environment. But in "How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression and Transcendence"(Penguin Press, out now), he seriously researched and explored current uses of mind-altering substances such as LSD and psilocybin, turning gonzo journalism on its head. QINGDAO, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states will enhance cooperation in face of the challenges of terrorism, drugs, organized cross-border crime and information security threats, a Chinese official said Friday. The organization is drawing up measures to tackle these challenges, Liao Jinrong, head of the international cooperation department with the Ministry of Public Security, said at a press conference ahead of the 18th SCO summit to be held in Qingdao on Saturday and Sunday. Terrorism is the most severe security challenge the SCO faces. Over the past years, the SCO member states have jointly made achievements in deterring terrorist attacks and arresting members of international terrorist organizations, he said. Besides continuously fighting against "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism, the SCO members have been cooperating in terms of drug control, cracking down on cross-border crime, safeguarding information security and enhancing border controls, according to Liao. The upcoming summit will be the first SCO summit after India and Pakistan were accepted as full members in June 2017 at the Astana summit in Kazakhstan. As India and Pakistan both have rich experience in maintaining security and combating crime, their entry will enhance the development potential and expand the room for cooperation between SCO members in terms of security, Liao said. After the entry, the SCO will be able to better respond to new expectations in the security domain from people within the region and the international community, he said. Security will be one of the major topics at this summit, which will analyze international and regional security situations and discuss concrete measures to enhance cooperation, he added. "We expect that documents on fighting terrorism, extremism and separatism, as well as drug control, will be deliberated at the summit," Liao said. Participants of the summit will discuss about issues including information security, combating cross-border crime and the construction of permanent bodies to ensure law enforcement security, he said. Colonial Michilimackinac Park sits near the footings of the Mackinac Bridge in Mackinaw City, Mich. Mackinaw City retains the "aw" spelling while the bridge, straits and island steadfastly cling to the "ac" spelling. No matter how it is spelled, it is always pronounced Macki-naw. Across the Straits of Mackinac that link the great lakes Michigan and Huron, Mackinac Island hosts visitors from around the planet. They arrive by ferry to step into the life and times of 19th-century Americans at play. Either of these locations is worth driving the length of the state of Michigan. The Mighty Mac suspension bridge is another. Celebrating its 50th year, the countrys longest suspension bridge stretches over 5 miles from Mackinaw City to St. Ignace, Mich. It rises 55 stories high about the same height as the Civic Opera House complex in Chicago. Visible from the mainland and the island, views of the bridge are best from the water. For the secret engineer that lies within us, sign up to cross on Sheplers Mackinac Island Ferry. Crossings depart both St. Ignace (a 15-minute crossing) and Mackinaw City (25 minutes) from late April to the end of October. From Mackinaw City, the crossing is just long enough to include narration and a pass under the bridge. I stepped onto Miss Margie, named after the companys co-founder Margaret Shepler. It is a new, 85-foot, all-aluminum ferry that carries 281 passengers with a climate controlled cabin plus seating on an exposed upper deck my choice. The family has been sailing the Straits for more than 70 years. The Miss Margie also is the boat used for a specially themed Sunset Cruise one of several that Sheplers can arrange. Popular cruises include a Night Sky Cruise with narration about the lore of the night skies, which is reportedly as spectacular as it sounds. I have read that the stars are so plentiful and clear that the Milky Way reflects in the water. There is a Lighthouse Cruise, too. It also departs from Mackinaw City and visits the lighthouses that dot the Straits area. The sunset cruise met all the bells and whistles I expected. Perfect weather helped; calm water and late enough in the evening so there was little boat traffic. Seeing the bridge change colors under the low light of the setting sun was truly a singular experience. Just the right amount of narrative and a speed that allowed for photography. Even using my mobile phone. Before the Mackinac Bridge was constructed, travelers between Michigans upper and lower peninsulas had to cross the Straits via an hourlong ferry ride. On busy weekends, like the start of hunting season or the Fourth of July holiday, carloads of anxious travelers would reportedly wait in line as long as 24 hours to catch a ferry. Today, the Mackinac Bridge is hailed as one of the most outstanding engineering achievements of the century and leaves people wondering how Michigan ever got along without it. The Mackinac Bridge Authority formed in 1950. The 100 millionth crossing of the bridge happened on June 25, 1998. The Authority refers to crossings in its count because the bridge is not designed for pedestrians; it is for vehicular traffic only and there is no pedestrian walkway. Once a year, however, the Walk the Bridge festival steps off. This year it is Sept. 4. For the first time, walkers will not share the bridge with vehicles; it will be closed to traffic, allowing only pedestrians to trek the 5 miles from one side to the other. Heres the skinny on Walk the Bridge: No fee or registration to participate in the walk. However, all participants start on the St. Ignace side. Bus transportation to St. Ignace from Mackinaw City is $5 per person. The walk steps off at 7 a.m. All four lanes will be reopen to traffic at noon. Starting at 11:30 a.m., buses will pick up any walkers still on the bridge. Participants receive a numbered bridge walk certificate at the completion of their attempt. I cant decide if I am fit enough to make it from one end of the bridge to the other not the mileage but the location. The height of the bridge, the wind, the swaying and all. Seeing the Mighty Mac from the island is such a gorgeous view. Passing under it on the Sunset Cruise was truly thrilling and a highlight of this trip to the U.P. Yet, the Bridge Walk? Just thinking about it, I get jelly knees. Mackinaw City: For info about what to do, see, sleep and dine, visit mackinawcity.net Mackinac Island: No cars are allowed on the island. Walk, rent a bike or call a horse drawn taxi. Visit Mackinac State historic parks, mackinacparks.com. Shelplers Mackinac island Ferry: Check departure schedule and purchase tickets and packages online. Sheplersferry.com It was 40 years ago today when Alexander Solzhenitsyn delivered his famous commencement address at Harvard. Solzhenitsyns speech mourned, or denounced, the decline of civilization in the West. You can read the speech here. Its themes are a big topic for another day. In the meantime, on a lighter note, a friend who was present on that notable occasion, graduating from Harvard Business School, sends along this reminiscence which highlights the divisions among the academic disciplines, as they then existed: I was at that Harvard commencementbut not with the undergraduates. It was a hot, muggy day and started to rain during Solzhenitsyns speech which was in the mid-afternoon after lunch and conferral of diplomas at ones home base (B-School, in my case). He spoke in Russian which required a sentence by sentence translation, which was awkward. It was hard to listen to but, still, it was apparent that this was a memorable event, he was pulling no punches and was delivering a warning and rebuke to the complacent West. It was clear, I think to all, that it was a culturally conservative argument. What I most remember was another shocking conservative event that took place earlier, also a harbinger of things to come. In the morning processional the undergraduates had scattered boos for the Law School, but really booed us, as did the Kennedy School graduates immediately behind us. However, we had the last laugh. As the JFK School was announced much of the B-School spontaneously burst into chants of Proposition 13! Proposition 13! back at them. This seminal anti-tax measure had been overwhelmingly approved in California in a referendum just two days earlier and the weeping and gnashing of teeth by those living off or intending to live off government largesse was everywhere. They had no comeback and were clearly taken aback. Later, as each schools graduates were ceremonially awarded their respective degrees en masse, again the Law School was booed, and then we were really booed! That caused a large chant from virtually all of us of Proposition 13! Proposition 13! and, much to the consternation of the assembled grandees and especially the Kennedy School grads, a fair portion of the onlookers (parents, etc.) joined in the chant as well! I wonder whether such class divisions persist in contemporary Harvard graduation ceremonies. I doubt it. My guess is that the various schools are more monolithically on the Left now than they were then. What reason would undergraduates have to boo the Law School? And has even the Business School avoided the snares of political correctness? I wonder. On May 14 our local Fox affiliate (Fox 9) broadcast Jeff Baillons striking report Millions of dollars in suitcases fly out of MSP, but why? The report drew a connection among rampant fraud in a massive state program (i.e., Minnesotas $250 million a year Child Care Assistance Program funding daycare providers), the locus of this fraud in Minnesotas Somali community and cash flown overseas in suitcases out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport possibly that may fund the Al Qaeda affiliate al Shabab in Somalia. The story reverberated in our legislature at the end of the legislative session. Former Department of Human Services investigator Scott Stillman had been one of Baillons key sources. Stillman testified in a hastily called state senate hearing. Kim Crockett of the Center of the American Experiment covered the hearing featuring Stillmans testimony here. The principal reverberation created by the Fox 9 story, however, is a media backlash. Baillons story had gaps in its reporting (Dave Orrick here at the Pioneer Press). Stillman is an unreliable source (Matt Sepic here at Minnesota Public Radio). My favorite story in the backlash featured the ordeal of the Somali daycare providers (brought to us by the Star Tribune, of course). Minnesota Democrats attacked the story with ludicrous comments contributed by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison and intergalactic state legislative superstar and congressional wannabe Ilhan Omar (Lauran Yuen here at MPR.) It has been my purpose in this series to follow up on Baillons story with additional research and reporting. Here is part 1; here is part 2; here is part 3. My own City Journal column on Baillons story is Mogadishu, Minnesota. Fozia Ali served as the centerpiece of Baillons story. She stole $1.5 million from the Child Care Assistance Program over an 18-month period. The media cant quibble with the facts of the Fozia Ali case. Her guilty plea in federal court earlier this year told its own story, although the media somehow overlooked it. Reviewing the facts of Alis case I called and wrote the Minnesota Department of Human Services to ask one question: CCAP seems to be a program that is relatively easy to defraud. How else to account for a case like Fozia Alis and the multiplicity of similar cases? DHS responded: Any amount of fraud is too much. DHS created the Office of the Inspector General in 2011 to address fraud, waste and abuse in public programs. DHS has added resources and made recommendations to the Legislature to increase our ability to ensure public funds are used for those who need them. DHS also instructed me not to attribute this nonresponse response to the person who provided it. I conclude that Baillon has reported a helluva story. The story bears on questions of immigration, welfare, welfare fraud and terrorism. Prominent Minnesota Democrats and their media adjunct have embarrassed themselves with their response, not that anybody in particular notices. The constitutionality of Obamacare is under challenge once again. Six years ago, the Supreme Court held that the federal government does not have the power to order people to buy health insurance, but does have the power to impose a tax on those without health insurance. The ruling saved Obamacare. However, the tax bill Congress passed last year eliminates the tax penalty contained in Obamacare. Thus, Texas now argues that the individual mandate to buy health insurance lacks a constitutional basis. Yesterday, the Trump-Sessions Justice Department announced that it will not defend the constitutionality of Obamacare in the Texas litigation. This doesnt mean Obamacare wont be defended in court. A group of 17 states, all led by Democrats, will argue that the individual mandate remains constitutional. In its letter to the Texas court hearing the case, the administration argued that some provisions of Obamacare e.g., the ban on refusing coverage to people with pre-existing conditions can survive because they are legally distinct from the individual mandate. However, it insists that the individual mandate, which is a key to subsidizing things like the ban on refusing coverage, is unconstitutional. The Washington Post calls the administrations unwillingness to defend the individual mandate a dramatic break from the executive branchs tradition of arguing to uphold existing statutes. There is such a tradition. However, the Post neglects to inform its readers that the Obama administration refused to defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). ( Axios makes this point, as does Politico, but not the Post). At the time, the Posts editors were somewhat critical of the Obama administrations decision not to defend DOMA. They asked: What would [Obama] say, for example, if a conservative Republican administration in the future attempted to sabotage the Obama health-care initiative by refusing to defend it against constitutional attack? My guess is that Obama would (will) ignore his failure to defend DOMA. Just as the Post is doing. The Post quotes Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor, who moans: If the Justice Department can just throw in the towel whenever a law is challenged in court, it can effectively pick and choose which laws should remain on the books. Thats not a rule of law I recognize. Thats a rule by whim. And it scares me. But its the courts, not the executive, that determine which laws remain on the books. Refusing to defend the constitutionality of a law in court does not remove it from the books. Only if the administration refuses to follow that law would the professor have a legitimate fear for the rule of law. I agree that there should be a strong presumption in favor of the Justice Department defending the laws Congress passes and the president (at the time of passage) signs. This should be true even for laws like Obamacare that receive not one vote in the Senate from a member of the opposing party (this was not the case with DOMA, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed into law Bill Clinton). Maybe that presumption should hold in this case. Perhaps the administration should try to reconcile the tax bill Congress enacted with the Supreme Courts 2016 decision upholding the individual mandate as a tax, and only on that basis. I take no position on that question here. I write only to inform our readers of the administrations stance and to note the bias of the Washington Posts report. BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday agreed to promote greater development of China-Russia relations at a high level. The two leaders reached the consensus during talks in Beijing. Putin is on a state visit to China, and he will also attend the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao on Saturday and Sunday. The two leaders agreed that China and Russia should adhere to the concept of everlasting friendship and the spirit of strategic coordination, and expand and deepen cooperation in all areas. Xi extended congratulations to Putin again on starting his new term as Russian president, and expressed appreciation to him for choosing China as the first country he pays a state visit to in his new presidential term. Xi described China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination as "mature, stable and solid." No matter how international situations change, China and Russia always firmly support each other in defending their respective core interests, deepen cooperation in all areas, jointly and actively participate in global governance, and play a pivotal role in establishing a new type of international relations and building a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said. China is ready to work with Russia and make unremitting efforts to consolidate high-level mutual trust, expand cooperation in all areas, deepen people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning, enhance international coordination and cooperation, pass down the concept of everlasting friendship from generation to generation, continuously enrich the meaning of the two countries' strategy of coordination, and carry forward and renew bilateral ties day by day, so as to benefit the two peoples, Xi said. With concerted efforts, cooperation between China and Russia in various areas has maintained a strong momentum, and the integration of mutual interests has deepened constantly, Xi said. The two sides have reaped important early harvests in aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union, Xi noted. Both sides should explore new ideas and measures to promote all-round cooperation, and turn the two countries' advantage in high-level political relationship into more practical cooperation results, Xi said, calling for strengthening people-to-people and cultural cooperation to deepen the friendship between the two peoples. China and Russia, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, firmly safeguard the international order and system with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as the core, stand for democracy in international relations, push for political settlement process for hotspot issues, and continue to play their active role in maintaining world peace and international strategic stability, Xi said. China is willing to work with the other SCO member states, including Russia, to take the Qingdao summit as an opportunity to further carry forward the "Shanghai Spirit" and ensure the healthy and stable development of the SCO, Xi noted. Stressing that Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination remains Russia's diplomatic priority, Putin said the two countries have taken care of each other's core interests and major concerns, actively promoted dialogues and cooperation in political, economic and people-to-people and cultural areas, and worked closely in international affairs. The Russia-China relations are at their best level in history and have set a good example for state-to-state relations in the present world, which has played an important role in safeguarding international peace, security and stability, Putin said. Russia is willing to enhance cooperation with China in areas of economy, trade, investment, energy and infrastructure, he said. He noted that Russia appreciates China's efforts to promote cooperation among SCO members after taking over the SCO rotating presidency and supports China in hosting a successful summit in Qingdao. Russia would like to develop closer coordination and cooperation with China in international and regional affairs and under the multilateral frameworks including the United Nations, BRICS and G20, Putin said. The two heads of state also exchanged views on issues of common concern including the situation on the Korean Peninsula and Iran nuclear issue. Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the talks. After the talks, Xi and Putin signed a joint statement, witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation agreements and met the press. Before the talks, Xi held a welcome ceremony for Putin outside the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing. JOINT DECLARATION of the Heads of State Bucharest 9 meeting Warsaw, 8 th June 2018 We, the Presidents of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Republic of Estonia, Hungary, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic and the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, gathered in Warsaw in the Bucharest 9, platform for consultation and dialogue, to reaffirm our commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, share views on a wide range of challenges and threats to the Euro-Atlantic area, and emphasize our resolve to address them together with our Allies and Partners. Reaffirming that NATO remains the cornerstone of our security and collective defence, and that our countries stand firm in solidarity, committed to developing our cooperation to better address all security concerns and contribute to the Alliance's tasks; Confident that the upcoming NATO Summit will mark further strengthening of the Alliance, most notably its deterrence and defence posture, by reconfirming the strong commitment and resolve to effectively deter and defend against current and emerging security threats and challenges as well as to project stability beyond Alliance borders, in the spirit of the 360 degrees approach, including by increasing Alliances readiness and responsiveness; Welcoming the increased engagement of our Allies in the region, as a sign of solidarity and strong commitment to our security, and in this context underlining the United States and Canadas enhanced military presence in Europe, which reconfirms the strength of the Transatlantic bond; Noting with deep concern that Russia's continued multifaceted, destabilising actions and policies beyond NATO borders as well as on the Alliance territory, together with its continuous build-up of offensive capabilities for both conventional and hybrid warfare, and its aggressive behaviour, threaten our long-standing vision of a Europe whole, free and at peace, fundamentally challenge the Alliance and damage the Euro-Atlantic security; Deploring the fact that progress towards solving the conflicts in our neighborhood remains stalled as the illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea, destabilization of eastern Ukraine and challenge to the territorial integrity of Georgia and the Republic of Moldova continue; Being also very concerned by the complex threats and challenges stemming from the Southern neighborhood, ranging from conventional warfare, terrorism, massive flows of migrants, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery; Reaffirming our commitment to NATOs Open Door Policy; We have agreed that: 1. We remain fully committed to implementing all the initiatives developed as part of NATO's forward presence on the Eastern flank, as well as the measures adopted so far with the aim of strengthening Allied deterrence and ability to defend collectively all NATO members on land, in the air, at sea, and in the cyber space. We welcome progress made so far in implementing the forward presence from the Baltic to the Black Sea and we are ready to strengthen the efforts to ensure that it is up to the task and fully enabled across all domains, through Allied contributions, exercises, planning and command arrangements. 2. The 2018 NATO Summit should further strengthen the Alliances unity and, in the spirit of 360 degrees approach, deliver a comprehensive response to the current security challenges, including against the hybrid threats the Allies are confronted with. In order to ensure coherence across Allied efforts and further improve the Alliances overall readiness, we need to build on pivotal decisions made in Wales and Warsaw. Due attention should be given to ensuring a coherent and integrated approach to the defence of the Eastern flank, underpinned by an effective and region-focused NATO Command Structure, reinforced maritime posture, strong air defence and a viable reinforcement strategy. Therefore, increasing readiness and responsiveness of NATO forces and military mobility across of Alliances territory is essential for deterrence and defence on the NATO Eastern flank. We remain committed to further progress in this direction. 3. To reinforce NATO's overall capabilities, we will continue investing in our own security. We are determined to ensure that our countries continue to spend or - respectively - move towards the goal of spending 2% of the GDP on defence, as decided at the NATO 2014 Summit in Wales. We will continue to invest in modern capabilities and contribute to NATOs operations and missions. 4. We remain firm on our commitment to project stability beyond Alliance territory to counter complex threats and challenges ranging from conventional and hybrid warfare, terrorism, mass migration and WMD proliferation. Developing defence capacities of our partners and their resilience in facing current threats and challenges remains a priority in the Alliance neighborhood. We support the need for a more strategic, focused and coherent NATO approach to the South, including improving Alliance ability to anticipate crisis, and expect further decisions in this respect at the upcoming NATO summit. We will continue to support and further intensify our common fight against terrorism, which poses direct threat to our populations, including through our contributions to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, as well as through our participation in NATO's operations, missions and activities, the Resolute Support Mission and the planned NATO training mission in Iraq being at the forefront. 5. NATO's approach to Russia based on enhanced deterrence and defence posture, and openness to political dialogue, as decided at the Warsaw Summit, continues to be our policy and the way forward. The desired results of the dialogue with Russia will be achieved when Moscow returns to fully respecting international law and its international obligations and NATO deterrence and defence is strong. 6. NATO's successful Open Door Policy effectively contributes to strengthening peace, good governance, security and stability in Europe and beyond. We encourage those partners who aspire to join the Alliance to continue to implement the necessary reforms and decisions to prepare for membership, including fully complying with their commitments and obligations. We will continue to support them and expect that the upcoming NATO Summit will decide on the next steps towards this goal, judging each on its merits. NATOs partnerships are essential to increase our partners resilience, help them advance reforms and support their European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. We will continue to make best use of them in assisting Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine as well as the Western Balkan countries in pursuing their respective aspirations. 7. We remain committed to the further implementation of all agreed areas of cooperation between NATO and the EU in line with the Warsaw Joint Declaration. We consider it necessary to highlight the achievements and underscore the priority areas of cooperation in a new and result-oriented NATO-EU Joint Declaration. Priority areas of NATO-EU cooperation include but are not limited to: military mobility and improving infrastructure, countering hybrid threats, enhancing resilience in partner countries from the Western Balkans and the Eastern neighborhood, cyber security and strategic communications. Special attention should be given to military mobility, building upon the EU Action Plan. The future of EU Security and Defence Policy lies on inclusiveness, non-duplication, close coordination and synergy with NATO. Therefore, we actively contribute to shaping PESCO by participating in concrete projects to fill identified capability gaps. We reiterate our commitment to continue meeting in the Bucharest 9, platform for consultation and dialogue, as a means to promote joint approaches and to further contribute to Euro-Atlantic security. Cooperation within the Bucharest Nine (B9) group is an important part of Poland's security undertakings in its independence centenary year, President Andrzej Duda said on Friday at a centenary concert in Warsaw. President Duda's words referred to Friday's Bucharest Nine Summit in Warsaw, called ahead of the July NATO summit in Brussels. The summit, attended by leaders of countries forming NATO's eastern flank (Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic) is to the be the region's contribution to the provisions of the Brussels summit. In his address before the concert, Andrzej Duda reminded that 1918, the year in which Poland regained independence, had also been important for other countries in the region as the year in which World War One ended, bringing or restoring independence to them. President said the Bucharest Nine format was an important element of our security undertakings, and observed that the group's member states all had similar historical experiences. Addressing a group of Bucharest Nine leaders present at the concert, Duda expressd hope for further cooperation within the B9 format to raise security in the region. - I believe that we will continue to support one another, that together we will build a security zone in our part of Europe - he said. Attending the concert besides the Polish head of state were the presidents of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite, Latvia, Raimonds Vejonis, Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid and Bulgaria, Rumen Radev. (PAP/WP) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will fly directly on a foreign plane from Pyongyang to Singapore for his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump next week. Talks are underway to use an aircraft provided by Singapore or China. A diplomatic source in Seoul said, "North Korea originally considered a refueling stop in China, but chose to fly straight to Singapore. There was some trepidation about flying the 4,800 km distance aboard Kim Jong-un's own aging plane, so a third country is expected to supply it." Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan visited North Korea on Thursday to discuss the matter. Kim's personal plane is a modified Ilyushin IL-62 from the Soviet Union and has never gone on a long-distance flight. North Korea apparently wants the same type of plane as Trump's Air Force One. Kim will be accompanied by his sister Yo-jong. President Moon Jae-in will not be joining his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore next Tuesday. Cheong Wa Dae officials had for some reason been clinging to the remote prospect but admitted Thursday that it "appears impossible" given that there has been no word from the U.S. Moon had mooted the idea of joining the two leaders in Singapore to discuss formally ending the Korean War but got no traction in Washington. Another Cheong Wa Dae official was not yet ready to give up. "The chances are becoming slim, but we can't say definitively that the three-way summit is on or off," he said. The Foreign Ministry said there are no plans for Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha to travel to Singapore. National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon went to the city state recently, but Cheong Wa Dae said that was to prepare for the Asia Security Summit there "in an unofficial capacity." Despite being jilted, the South Korean government plans to set up a press center in Singapore for up to 500 reporters. Cheong Wa Dae now hopes to arrange a three-way meeting at some other time. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Noh Kyu-duk said, "South Korea, North Korea and the U.S. will continue close negotiations to formally declare the end of the Korean War." Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to formally end the war, which only stopped with a truce in 1953, before the end of this year. Meanwhile, Moon took Thursday off at a vacation home in South Chungcheong Province but returned to Cheong Wa Dae in the afternoon. NOIDA, India, June 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Advancells, one of the pioneers in stem cell research in India, has passionately opened new avenues for therapeutic applications of regenerative medicine that is used in adult stem cells. A 10-crore business, claiming to cure a variety of diseases including neurological conditions, orthopaedic issues, kidney, liver and lung diseases, cardiology and cosmetic procedures with a team of professionals spread across Noida, Australia and Bangladesh, Advancells might just be one of the biggest facilitator of regenerative medicine . (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661237/advancells_Logo.jpg ) The company's biggest strength is manufacturing stem cells, which are used by the startup's partner hospitals and doctors to treat patients. This sector is one of the latest ventures of 41-year-old serial entrepreneur, Vipul Jain, alongside his other businesses. Even though Advancells has plans to provide each patient a complete solution with a 360-degree management of their disease, it is keen to sell the varied cell lines to pharma companies, research institutes, and global research organizations. In pursuit of this,Advancells has already developed more than 10 different cell lines which can be sold to these organizations, including organ specific cell lines and general human stem cell lines. The stem cell regeneration giant is now all set to explore the B2B segment with an aim to become the global leader in providing a viable option for pharma companies to test their product at an initial stage before going into human trials. One of the major concerns for which the company has chosen to offer the regenerative medicine to pharma companies and research institutes is to replace animal testing in drug development with human cell lines. Advancells has already started supplying cell lines to hospitals and doctors. Vipul Jain, CEO, Advancells, who firmly believes in statistics, says, "Stem cells have turned out to be a better approach to perform testing, especially given that they can assist us with using less animals in the testing procedure. Even better, they could be much more financially savvy than utilizing animal models of experimentation. By choosing stem cells for surveying drug toxicology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations can quickly test new chemicals and mixes and all the more promptly induce the outcomes to people. This sort of testing would happen very soon in the development protocol." Vipul Jain, an MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, and founder of Advancells, describes his vision as "to turn Advancells into the most sought after name in regenerative medicine - not just in India, but across the globe." "The highlight of this campaign is that it's the newest chapter focused on broadening how people know Advancells by highlighting all the different ways it can reach out to the masses," says Vipul Jain, Founder,Advancells. About Advancells Transforming the face of medicine , Advancells was established in the year 2013. Delving in the field of stem cell therapies, the company has been futuristically conceptualist to further modern medicine. Advancells is headquartered in Noida and has representative offices in Bangladesh and Australia. Breaking the stereotype regarding stem cell companies that most often offer arrangements for stem cell banking, this is one of the few organisations in the country that focuses the therapeutic usage of stem cells for a variety of life threatening and life style diseases. Advancells also works on writing protocols for partner doctors and hospitals which they can use for treating the patients using regenerative medicine. Advancells is a GMP compliant research and processing center that works on different cell lines from various sources such as Bone Marrow, Adipose Tissue, Dental Pulp, Blood, Cord Tissue etc. Advancells also intends to file a patent for this processing technology in the near future. Advancells is also associated with 'Champions of Change - Transforming India through G2B partnership' initiative of PM Narendra Modi's government. Media Contact : Tanvi Garg [email protected] +91-9899971296 Senior Relationship Manager, Advancells - Stem Cell Therapies SOURCE Advancells NEW DELHI and BANGKOK, June 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei Announces MoU with Thai Government and $81 Million Investment in Southeast Asia's Digital Ecosystem The fourth Huawei Asia-Pacific Innovation Day was held in Bangkok. Co-hosted by Huawei Technologies and the Thai Ministry of Science and Technology, the theme of this year's event was 'Innovate for a Digital Asia-Pacific'. Nearly 300 attendees from governments, industry, and academia gathered together to explore how digital infrastructure accelerates the growth of digital economy, enriches life, drives innovation, and helps cultivate an ecosystem of shared success. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/703238/Huawei_MoU.jpg ) As one of the most vibrant emerging markets in the world, the Asia-Pacific region faces a tidal wave of industry digitization, with a digital economy that's progressing by leaps and bounds every day. At the event, Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, delivered a keynote speech, in which he delved into Thailand's strategy of 'going digital' and how it is driving the transformation and modernization of the Thai economy. ICT-enabled innovation is becoming an important engine of Thailand 4.0. The effects of digitization are spilling over into vertical industries, helping companies boost productivity, reduce costs, and roll out new products and services. This ultimately paves the way for new business models and markets, and brings new development opportunities to all. Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak reaffirmed the Thai government's commitment to create a favourable environment for digital innovation, stressing Huawei's role as an important contributor to the development of Thailand's ICT industry. He said that he would like to see more in-depth collaboration between Thailand and Huawei. Mr. Guo Ping, Rotating Chairman of Huawei, followed with a keynote highlighting the importance of digital ecosystem. "Many economies in the Asia-Pacific region have set out on their digital transformation journey," he said. "But growth has been uneven. The gap between developed and developing economies is widening, and we see the emergence of a Matthew effect where digitally advanced economies produce greater returns on their infrastructure than less-developed economies. However, we can work together to get ahead of this trend." He went on to liken a country's digital needs to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. "Digital needs can be broken down into different layers: infrastructure, security assurance, industry digitization, and the development of a 'digital brain'. The higher the level within the hierarchy, the more resources governments need to integrate across governmental departments, and the more industries and partners they need to work with." "Ecosystem is critical here," he continued. "Governments need to take the lead, industries need to proactively do their part, and individuals need to work to improve their digital skills. Huawei is ready and willing to work with Asia-Pacific countries to build this digital ecosystem. We will collaborate openly and extensively, and happily share our own slice of the market with others. Together, we can grow the industry and make the pie bigger for everyone involved." Driving Digital Innovation and Research in Thailand At the event, Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Agency and National Innovation Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Huawei Technologies (Thailand). The MoU outlines a series of joint research and innovation objectives aimed at stimulating Thailand's digital transformation process and bringing Thai innovation to the global market. Specific initiatives include: Developing deeper technological insights to advance the Thailand 4.0 agenda 4.0 agenda Strengthening communications and coordination throughout the innovation and planning processes, and enhancing collaboration in existing areas of cooperation Fostering a startup-friendly ecosystem in Thailand Promoting public-private collaboration and cultivating talent through Huawei's OpenLab and Customer Solution Innovation & Integration Experience Center (CSIC) Facilitating communication between scientists, scholars, innovators, and other researchers Conducting research into ICT basic theories Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak, and Huawei Rotating Chairman, Mr. Guo Ping, witnessed the signing of this strategic MoU together. Cultivating the Digital Ecosystem in Asia-Pacific Huawei Asia-Pacific Innovation Day has become a high-end dialogue platform for key stakeholders in Southeast Asia's digital ecosystem. This year's event gathered top government officials in the region, including Dr. Suvit Maesincee, Minister of Science and Technology of Thailand; Mr. Mustafa Jabbar, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications & Information Technology of Bangladesh; Mr. Bounsaleumsay Khennavong, Vice Minister of Posts and Telecommunications of Laos; and Dr. Kan Channmeta, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication of Cambodia. At an off-the-record roundtable following the event, they gathered to discuss the role of government in digital transformation and share best practices. James Wu, President of Huawei's Southeast Asia Region, took this opportunity to unveil Huawei's Developer Enablement Plan for the region. The enablement plan aims to support digital economy and ecosystem building in the region. Over the next three years, Huawei will invest US$ 81 million in building OpenLabs, enabling cloud developers, and cultivating ICT talent in the Southeast Asia region. "In particular," said Wu, "Huawei aims to empower developers and young talent in Southeast Asia. We have over 30 years of ICT capabilities and experience. Through APIs and development platforms, we will open up our capabilities to our dev partners in the region. It's a huge opportunity for developers to create targeted solutions for industry digitization and grow their own businesses. Working together, we can dream bigger and fly higher." According to Wu, this OpenLab in Bangkok, will serve as open innovation platforms where Huawei joins forces with local partners to develop industry solutions for the region. Wu also announced the 2018 Huawei Developer Challenge, which will officially go live on June 11. Huawei will hold a special competition in Southeast Asia to provide guidance to local developers. In addition, Huawei will sponsor developers who innovate on Huawei Cloud, and will present an award up to US$ 150,000 to developers who meet established requirements. Regulation, Entrepreneurship, and ICT as an Economic Force At the event, Professor Mirko Draca released The Evolving Role of ICT in the Economy on behalf of Huawei and the London School of Economics. According to the report, digital infrastructure investment will greatly boost productivity, and, in the next 10 to 15 years, people will be able to fully enjoy the benefits of 5G, cloud, Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and AI. On average, ICT technologies generate substantially larger knowledge spillovers than other technologies. There is no evidence that AI will exert a huge impact on employment. Rather, economic recessions and their consequences will have a greater impact than AI. Many speakers joined the event to share their ideas on building out the digital ecosystem. Specifically, they talked about policy and regulation, digital transformation of industries, AI unicorns, and how ICT will enable the development of future generations. Speakers include Mr. Ashish Narayan, Program Coordinator in the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific; Dr. Bundhit Eua-arporn, President of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand; Mr. Hu Yannian, Deputy Director of Smart Weifang Construction Office; Mr. Victor Topoyossakul, Chief Commercial Officer at BSS Holding Company Limited; and Mr. Lv Hao, the Chief Innovation Officer at Yi Tu Technology. Starting in 2013, Huawei Innovation Days have been held in London, Milan, Munich, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, and Sao Paulo. Huawei advocates openness, innovation, collaboration, and shared success, and is committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. About Huawei's Intent-Driven Network Through service intention understanding, automatic network policy deployment and continuous optimization, Huawei Intent-Driven Network provides the ultimate experience for each user in each application at each moment and defends against ubiquitous unknown attacks, building an intelligent, simplified, ultra-broadband, secure, and open digital network platform for enterprises. Learn more: http://e.huawei.com/en/solutions/business-needs/enterprise-network. About Huawei Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains - telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services - we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. Huawei's end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions and services are both competitive and secure. Through open collaboration with ecosystem partners, we create lasting value for our customers, working to empower people, enrich home life, and inspire innovation in organizations of all shapes and sizes. At Huawei, innovation focuses on customer needs. We invest heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. We have more than 180,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees. For more information, please visit Huawei online at http://www.huawei.com or follow us on: http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei http://www.twitter.com/Huawei http://www.facebook.com/Huawei http://www.google.com/+Huawei http://www.youtube.com/Huawei Media Contact: Udipi Anand [email protected] +91-7838323142 Creation SOURCE Huawei India South Korea became a full member of the Organization for Cooperation between Railways on Thursday, enabling it to run trains on the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Trans-China Railway. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the 46th OSJD Ministers Conference in Kyrgyzstan unanimously accepted Korea as a full member. The OSJD was established in 1956 as a cargo transportation agreement among 12 countries including Russia, China and North Korea. It now has 28 full members. "By becoming a full member, Korea signs all agreements with OSJD member states that are needed for the use of the Eurasian railways," the ministry said. Seoul had been trying to join the OSJD since 2015 but was thwarted by opposition from North Korea. Instead, South Korean officials since attended the conference as observers. But this time North Korean Minister of Railways Jang Hyok supported South Korea's accession, saying, "Relations between the two Koreas have improved since the inter-Korean summit on April 27." Chinese and Russian delegates also spoke in favor. But for the moment membership is symbolic since new tracks will have to be laid across North Korea and other parts of the line if South Korean trains are to run on them. HYDERABAD, India, June 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd. (MEIL) has embarked on a mission to supply natural gas to households and commercial establishments. A first-of-its-kind in the Rural India, MEIL has executed gas distribution projects in Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh, Tumkur and Belgavi districts of Karnataka. Performance of these projects has already been tested. "Soon commercial operations would be launched officially." said Mr. Rajesh Reddy, Associate Vice President, Hydrocarbons, MEIL in a press release today. Filling stations have been set up in Agiripalli and Kanuru in Krishna district and underground pipeline system for supply of gas was put in place. Likewise, Tumkur and Belgavi districts in Karnataka too are all set to have piped gas supply. MEIL has come up with eco-friendly methods to supply Megha Gas to households of rural and urban areas, for commercial needs. This would not only enhance living standards of people but also helps enriching society with the fruits of infrastructure. MEIL is making strides in these three districts with a motto of 'Green Fuel and Clean Fuel'. It has kept in place the basic infrastructure to supply gas to address the needs of industry and transport sector. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/703167/MEGHA_GAS.jpg ) MEIL would get natural gas supplies from ONGC. ONGC has recently launched natural gas production in Nagayalanka of Krishna district on commercial scale. Megha will soon enter into a commercial agreement with ONGC to get a supply of 90,000 SCMD (Standard Cubic Meter per Day) of gas from this center. 'Megha Gas - It's Smart It's Good' - Megha Gas will soon hit the market by launching gas supply services with the above tag line. It will bring natural gas to households, commercial establishments, industrial houses and transport vehicles at an affordable price. To begin with, gas supply services will be launched in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, Tumkur and Belgavi districts of Karnataka. MEIL has laid 571 KM long, steel MDPE pipeline to supply gas from mother station located at Agiripalli. It passes through Agiripalli, Thotapalli, BB Gudem, Gollanapalli, Surampalli, Kesarapalli, Nunna Bypass, Enikepadu, Poranki, Nuziveedu, Mustabad, Gannavaram, Chopparametla villages. Some of the households en route the pipeline have already been given gas connections. Megha Gas has made all arrangements to supply gas to a few commercial establishments during this year itself. In Tumkur district of Karnataka too, Megha has put in place necessary infrastructure to supply gas to households. A 300 kilometre long pipeline has been laid in areas like Vakkodi, Heggeri, Gollahalli, Gollarahati, Kuppur, Dasamuddepalya, Siragate, Dibbur, Gulur, Santapet, Maralurur Dinne, Settihalli, Jayanagar, Gokul Extension, Khyatisandra, Heerehalli area, Manchikal, Kuppe, Batwadi, Hanumathapura in Tumkur dist. In addition to this 75 km long MDPE pipeline has been laid in Sadasiva Nagar, Banasankari, Mandipet, Gandhi Nagar, Chikpet areas. In Belgavi district 350 km long steel, MDPE pipeline has been laid connecting areas like Basavanna Kolla, Auto Nagar, Ramteertha Nagar, Asoka Circle, Azad Nagar, Chennamma Circle, Maruti Nagar, Sadasiva Nagar. Megha Gas will bring 50,000 SCMD of natural gas to Belgavi district. To have a close and continuous relationship with consumers and to address their grievances, Megha Gas has come up with an exclusive Mobile App and a dedicated website. It has also brought out a loyalty card exclusively for its consumers to extend benefits of being a loyal customer of Megha Gas. About MEIL Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd. (MEIL) established in 1989, is one of the fastest growing infra companies in India. Over the years, MEIL has constructed numerous structures like large civil constructions, oil and gas pipelines, pump houses, large water treatment plants, dams, reservoirs, power transmission lines, power generation units, tunnels - and all of them have an important role to play in improving the quality of life of the common man for many years into the foreseeable future. For more information, please visit: http://meil.in/ Media Co ntact: SV Rao [email protected] +91-9676594449 Megha Gas, MEIL SOURCE Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd. (MEIL) iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- Before traveling to Singapore for what's almost sure to be a tense, high-stakes summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump first travels to Canada Friday to attend what's shaping up to be a difficult G7 summit amid tensions over tariffs with American allies. Aides to the president insist that the president is looking forward to the trip. The Washington Post reported that Trump has privately complained about the trip and has been angered that his trade tussle with Canadian Prime Minister Justin has become public. ABC News has not confirmed those reports. The president wants to go on the trip, the presidents top economic adviser Larry Kudlow said in a briefing with reporters on Tuesday. The president is at ease with all of these tough issues. He's proven himself to be a leader on the world stage. And he's achieved great successes, I might add, in foreign policy. So I don't think there's any issue there at all. Kudlow has described tensions between President Trump and some close allies as part of a family quarrel and expressed optimism that the current feuds on trade can be ironed out, after the president recently imposed steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. We're talking everything through. There may be disagreements. I regard this as much like a family quarrel. I'm always the optimist. I believe it can be worked out. But I'm always hopeful on that point, Kudlow said. In addition to attending summit meetings, President Trump will also have one-on-one meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the summit In spite of engaging in a recent war of words with Trudeau over tariffs, Kudlow said the two countries remain firm friends in spite of short-term disagreements and that the planned bilateral meeting will be a strong opportunity for the two leaders to work out their differences. President Trump talks to Prime Minister Trudeau a lot and continues to do so, Kudlow said. I think the bilateral meeting that's scheduled between the two is a really good thing and I think they'll walk through a lot of these issues. He continued: I have no doubt that the United States and Canada will remain firm friends and allies, whatever short-term disagreements may occur. So I would say relations are very good. While President Trump has riled international markets and upset some of the United States closest allies with his norm-defying unilateral actions on trade policy, Kudlow contended that the president regards himself as a free trader but is working to reform what he sees as a broken system. Don't blame Trump, Kudlow said. Blame the nations that have broken away from those conditions. Very important point.Trump is trying to fix this broken system. Kudlow said the traditional post-World War II free trade policies have been broken in the last 20 years-plus and said the World Trade Organization is completely ineffectual. I think free world trade is a very good thing indeed. But it is broken, and President Trump is trying to fix it. And that's the key point, Trump said. I think he's the strongest trade reformer in many decades. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Troubled pitcher Kang Jung-ho, who is currently playing with the Bradenton Marauders in the single A-League under the Pittsburgh Pirates, says he has been teetotal since his third drunk driving conviction. "Obviously, I'm not touching a drop of alcohol moving forward," Kang said Wednesday through interpreter Mark Kim, who now also has to serve as his driver. Kang told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he made the decision to stop drinking "as soon as I was in that third incident." He claimed he only really drank in the off-season "to kind of let the steam out." Kang hit a guardrail while driving under influence after drinking with friends in Seoul in December 2016 and fled the scene. Because it was his third conviction, Kang was given a two-year suspended sentence by the court in March last year, which led to his application for a work visa in the U.S. being rejected so he had to sit out the whole of the 2017 season. Thanks to the efforts of his team, Kang was finally granted a visa in April this year. Flexibility needed on US trade issues From:ChinaDaily | 2018-06-08 03:28 China needs to be prepared with flexible plans to respond to the inconsistent trade and economic policies of the administration of US President Donald Trump, as both sides still face a host of unresolved issues related to bilateral trade, experts said on Thursday. Although both sides made progress in some areas at the third round of high-level official talks that concluded in Beijing on Sunday, the US government may still release a list on June 15 imposing a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods containing "industrial significant technology", according to a White House statement issued late last month. China's Ministry of Commerce stressed on Thursday that the nation is willing to expand imports from the US if they can meet "halfway" in trade negotiations. China does not want an escalation of trade friction with the US, said ministry spokesman Gao Feng. China's stance is consistent and the nation always pursues a balanced trade relationship with the US. China said if the US introduces trade sanctions, including tariff hikes, the economic and trade achievements negotiated by the two sides after the third round of trade talks in Beijing will not take effect. Li Daokui, an economist at Tsinghua University and former central bank monetary policy committee member, said China is able to adjust and upgrade its economic structure from a long-term perspective. "Against that backdrop, we know how to address current problems and upgrade the economy step by step. We also know which concessions can or cannot be made in trade negotiations," Li said. Core interests, Li said, such as industrial upgrading and technological advancement can by no means be compromised. But China can agree to import more from the US to meet people's ever-growing consumption demand. China and the US are unlikely to solve all their trade disputes within the next few months, said Li. "The negotiations will be a long and bumpy road," he said. "We should maintain a balanced frame of mind, rather than be irritated by the White House's statements or the US president's messages on Twitter." "If China cannot achieve substantial results through dialogue, it must study the US moves and prepare measures to counter the US action," said Long Guoqiang, vice-president of the Development Research Center of the State Council. Justin Yifu Lin, former chief economist and senior vice-president of the World Bank from 2008 to 2012, said the US should be aware that exporting more energy and agricultural products to China will not fundamentally change the situation of the trade deficit with China, and what China wishes to import from the US is its high-tech products and related services. Therefore, Lin said, the two sides should expand trade negotiation topics from energy and agricultural products to high-tech products and solutions in an orderly manner. Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's minister of foreign affairs and trade, called on both sides to rationally resolve trade disputes. "Of course we understand the recent development of the global trading system, we see that restrictive measures and customs barriers have been set up," Szijjarto said on the sidelines of the Third Ministerial Conference of China and Central and Eastern European Countries on Promoting Trade and Economic Cooperation held in Ningbo on Thursday. "China is Hungary's biggest trading partner and the US is the second-largest one. We hope the two parties can reach an agreement to ensure a fair and free international trade order, instead of a destructive trade war," he said. The US trade deficit dropped to a seven-month low in April as exports jumped to a record high, lifted by an increase in shipments of industrial materials and soybeans. The US Commerce Department said on Wednesday that this was the latest sign of robust economic growth in the second quarter. Contact the writers at zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here The Sunshine Coast offers one of Australia's most relaxed beach vacations. The Sunshine Coast offers the soft white sands, swimming beaches, and lush, enticing hinterland that have made Southeast Queensland a favourite destination with Australians. Goway is inviting travelers to break away from Australias big name tourist cities and holiday on the Sunshine Coast. 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Globetrotters will also receive a $50 gift card if they book this package by June 30, 2018. Globetrotters more interested in immersing themselves in the local culture than touring may enjoy Goways exclusive Live Like a Local package. These unique trips are designed to offer a taste of local life including leads to local clubs and sporting associations. The Sunshine Coast package includes a grocery starter pack and welcome kit, advice and emergency assistance from Goways Sydney office, Goways discount voucher booklet, and of course 14 nights in a self-contained apartment right on the Sunshine Coast. Globetrotters who book this package by June 30, 2018 will also receive a $50 gift card. Australia also makes a great snowbird escape for Globetrotters looking to enjoy the best of a beach holiday, while escaping the crowds of the Caribbean. Goway offers The Best Downunder Snowbird Vacation for those wanting to settle in for a month or more. This package includes flights from North America, roundtrip transfers, accommodation, a grocery starter pack and welcome kit, advice and emergency assistance from Goways Sydney office, and Goways discount voucher booklet. Snowbirds who book for early-mid March 2019 departures by June 30, 2018 will save $160 per couple. Since 1970, Goway has been providing unforgettable travel experiences to Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Central & South America, Idyllic Island destinations and Europe. Today Goway is recognized as one of North America's leading travel companies for individuals, families and groups to select exotic destinations around the globe. Goway has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Manila, and Sydney, Australia. For reservations and information, visit http://www.goway.com, or call 1-800-387-8850. Dr. David M.H. Lambert Dr. Lambert joins Riccobene Associates after a career in academia and 18 years in private practice. Dr. David M.H. Lambert, an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon, has joined the staff of Riccobene Associates, a 16-location specialty dental practice serving the Research Triangle region of North Carolina. Dr. Lambert is based at the companys Cary West and Knightdale Offices. Dr. Lambert brings crucial experience to our practice that will allow us to expand our oral and maxillofacial surgical services, said Michael Riccobene, founder of Riccobene Associates. We are very excited to have him on our team. Dr. Lambert joins Riccobene Associates after a career in academia and 18 years in private practice. He is board certified from the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of Michigan and a Degree in Dentistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received a teaching fellowship in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Ohio State University and completed his residency training at the University of Maryland Medical Systems and the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Lamberts academic experience includes an appointment as Assistant Professor, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). He held positions both within OHSU Hospitals and its School of Dentistry. Dr. Lambert joined the faculty of OHSU after 16 years in community private practice in Chapel Hill, NC. An avid biker and skier, Dr. Lamberts hobbies also include tinkering with technology, most recently constructing electric bicycles. He has been married to his wife, Paula, for 37 years and has two adult daughters, Lane and Mary. Riccobene Associates specializes in general dentistry, orthodontics, cosmetic dentistry, and dental implants. New patients are always invited to visit one of Riccobene Associates locations if theyre interested in experiencing gentle, trusted, dental care from a team that is Changing Lives, One Smile at a Time. BrushAndFloss.com With an often-conflicting maze of local, state and federal regulations, cannabis presents a unique challenge for purveyors to stay up to speed and fully compliant. Highmark Data gives them a way to do that. Cannabis commerce is evolving dynamically and often dramatically. To stay abreast of up-to-the-minute regulations and current competitive landscape, cannabis-related companies need a highly skilled compliance partner. Denvers Highmark Data was founded to address all key business and legal intelligence needed to make the smartest and most compliant decisions. Cannabis companies partnering with Highmark Data can continue revving up their growth engine while ensuring full adherence to the latest municipal, state and federal regulations and murmurings that may substantially impact business operations. Lightning Labels, a Denver-based custom label printer that began establishing cannabis relationships with Colorado medical marijuana purveyors more than a decade ago, is committed to helping make sure cannabis customers are fully aware of compliance requirements. This awareness goes beyond labels and packaging to include the entire business and legal spectrum. Gary Paulin, Lightning Labels Director of Sales & Client Services, describes the partnership as a much-needed value-added service for customers. He notes, With an often-conflicting maze of local, state and federal regulations, cannabis presents a unique challenge for purveyors to stay up to speed and fully compliant. Highmark Data gives them a way to do that. Highmark Data Principal Kristen Savage emphasizes that the breadth and depth of the companys services includes minute as well as major details presented in common-sense, flexible and user-friendly ways. She points out, We gather the industry intel so you don't have tooffering valuable compliance data and helping clients stay informed about changes to local laws, taxes and business licensing opportunities. We present data in a way that makes sense. Everything is packaged in a visual, friendly format to make smarter decisions quickly. Our data is available in multiple formats so that you can use the information to meet specific business goals. A birdseye view of Highmark Datas services covers an expansive terrain of compliance and competitive intel. Services include: Law index enabling efficient access to current cannabis laws and all source documents associated with each law. Legislation tracker to stay current as new legislation is introduced, debated, voted on and enacted. Tax tables that explain tax implications in the areas of most interest. Community stance analyzer that addresses specific definitions of cannabis legalization in each communitydefinitions that vary depending on locale. While labels and packaging comprise a small part of the overall compliance and competitive landscape, history demonstrates that non-compliance can rapidly upend the entire operation. Highmark Datas extremely detailed reconnaissance and reporting is designed to help make sure the small stuff doesnt turn into big headaches. A Canadian cannabis company learned the hard way when all its products had to be recalled because of labeling misinformation. Conversely, getting ahead of compliance can pay competitive dividends in the label arena. In a May 2018 article, Healthcarepackaging.com spotlights a cannabis company on the ball: Verra was also very cautious compliance-wise and wanted to attach a label with marijuana infused product (MIP) facility and dispensary license numbers to the bottle, though it wasnt required at the time. They opted for a foldover label that sticks onto the bottle. That eventually became a regulation, so they were already compliant. A report released in May from the Packaging and Labeling Committee of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) further demonstrates the high profile of labeling and packaging in the industry. The report notes, You may have read about how the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been cracking down on labeling of CBD products and how labeling of your Cannabis products could land you in court. Here are some tipsthat may reduce the risk getting into troubleDont Make Any Claims or Guarantees About the Results of Using Your Cannabis ProductsDont Label Your Cannabis Products OrganicBe Careful About Calling Your Cannabis Products Gluten Free, Paleo, and Certified VeganMake Sure Geographic Claims are AccurateShare the Rules With Your DesignersDisclose all Additives and Ingredients. About Lightning Labels and its Cannabis Capabilities: Lightning Labels uses state-of-the-art printing technology to provide affordable, full-color custom labels and custom stickers of all shapes and sizes. They offer many options for materials and laminates and special effects to achieve digital short-run requirements (50 minimum) on up to 15 million labels, plus Lightning fast delivery. For more information and to place orders online, visit LightningLabels.com. For the latest in packaging news and labeling promotional offers, find Lightning Labels on, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@LightningLabels), Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn. About Highmark Data: Highmark Data is the nations first and only tech startup focused on providing legal and business data for the cannabis industry. Highmark data subscribers receive access to active and pending legislation, as well as local-level business intelligence. Highmark Datas mission is to help the cannabis industry grow sustainably by helping business operators maintain compliance, and legislators create and communicate responsible regulations. The virtual company has a small team of seven and their headquarters is located in Denver, Colorado. For more information about Highmark Data, visit the website at highmarkdata.com; or email Kristen Savage, savage(at)highmarkdata. Silversea Celebrates 10 Years of Expedition Since the launch of our expedition itineraries, we have connected people with the worlds most spectacular landscapes and cultures, and, in the process, we have fostered respect and greater care for our planet and its inhabitants. I am very proud of my team and our mission. On June 3, Silversea Expeditions proudly celebrated 10 years of luxurious expedition cruising, marking the occasion with a two-day gala voyage between London and Dublin. On this momentous day, the ultra-luxury Silver Cloud departed Londons Tower Bridge amid great elation to honor Silversea Expeditions very first voyage, which sailed under Tower Bridge for Svalbard a decade ago to the day. In a nod to the company's continued focus on innovation, Silver Cloud, which was the first vessel in Silverseas fleet and was reimagined as an elegant ice-class expedition ship in late 2017, crossed paths with Silver Spirit - Silverseas recently lengthened and renovated ship - in Greenwich, London. The array of enrichments aboard Silver Clouds celebratory voyage included a congratulatory video message from HSH Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, who had cut the ribbon in Monte Carlo during the naming ceremony for Silversea's first expedition ship in 2008. Originally named Prince Albert II in tribute to His Serene Highness and his environmental efforts, the ship sails today as Silver Explorer and continues a legacy of sustainable tourism. "We are delighted to be celebrating this important milestone," says Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, Silversea's Chairman. "I am glad to see that my vision has been successfully realized and we are now recognized for our destination leadership. Since the launch of our expedition itineraries, we have connected people with the worlds most spectacular landscapes and cultures, and, in the process, we have fostered respect and greater care for our planet and its inhabitants. I am very proud of my team and our mission. We will continue to scout new destinations to bring innovation to the world of expedition cruising." Over the last 10 years, the company's commitment to environmental sustainability and humanitarian efforts has extended across the globe, in many forms: in the Cook and Phoenix islands in 2015, guests of Silversea participated in a mammal acoustic survey that successfully added three new species of animals to the national registry; in Bangladesh, where Silver Discoverer made the first-ever cruise ship call in 2017, Silversea visited a remote village where guests purchased regional produce to benefit the local community; and in 2017, when Silversea engaged in a partnership with ORCA, one of the U.K.'s leading marine conservation charities, to enable guests to discover incredible marine life and contribute to the charitys ongoing conservation work. In the Galapagos Islands, where Silver Galapagos inaugurated ultra-luxury expedition experiences in 2014, Silversea will co-sponsor a camp for children to encourage the conservation of marine habitats. Looking ahead, the future of ultra-luxury expedition cruising is in safe hands with Silversea. With a Northeast Passage crossing planned, and additional voyages to the Bay of Bengal, the Russian Far East, Antarctica, and Australia's Kimberley Coast, among others, the cruise line will continue to push industry boundaries. Of special note are two Silver Discoverer cruises that depart in summer 2019 for Borneo's Camp Leakey a renowned refuge for orangutans, to which the cruise company enjoys exclusive access and has made various donations to support the protection and research of the primates. Efforts to champion environmental sustainability are currently, and will continue to be, key in Silverseas strategic development. Silversea is a member of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO), which is dedicated to managing respectable, sustainable and safe expedition cruising in the Arctic. Moreover, the cruise line belongs to the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), which promotes safe and responsible travel to Antarctica. In the past decade, Silversea has developed innovative strategies - such as a dedicated training academy - to recruit an unparalleled team of expedition specialists. This has played a crucial role in the cruise lines success. On each expedition voyage, teams of up to 28 experts conduct immersive destination experiences for guests. These passionate and insightful professionals offer informative lectures and discussions on board, in addition to Zodiac excursions and nature walks ashore all of which are complimentary. Aboard Silversea's fleet of four purpose-built expedition ships, guests enjoy ocean-view suites, gourmet cuisine, the personalized service of a butler, and a generous selection of all-inclusive shipboard amenities, including complimentary beverages served throughout the ship, a stocked in-suite beverage cabinet, and unlimited free Wi-Fi. View the commemorative video marking 10 years of Silversea Expeditions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c4xGPU3S64&feature=youtu.be View the congratulatory message from HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH7ap4YMhkw&feature=youtu.be For images, video and additional information, please visit: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/p2kxubeyktl3rn8/AAC5JSGR2X0MNR8w0G-K9Zwka?dl=0 For more information on Silversea Expeditions, please visit https://www.silversea.com/luxury-expeditions-cruises.html. Enough rooms promised for Expo From:Shine | 2018-06-08 00:30 The Shanghai government has vowed that enough hotel rooms will be available for the China International Import Expo, an event set to draw visitors from over 120 countries and regions. The tourism bureau said yesterday that its working with about 500 hotels in western Shanghai which have about 120,000 beds to offer in total. Hotels in neighboring Suzhou and Kunshan are also in close contact with the bureau. So far, event guests have booked about 5,000 hotel rooms, according to the bureau. The bureau further said its working on a plan with business and market authorities to control hotel prices ahead of the event. But local tourism officials arent the only ones preparing for Expo. Authorities say the Hongqiao business district, where the event is scheduled to be held in November, will see the installation of more greenery and colorful public light displays. According to the greenery and sanitation bureau, about 281 improvement projects have been identified for the area, about half of which are currently under way. Renovations and clean-up work will also be carried out at local airports, railway terminals, and the Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, among other areas. Roads in and around Hongqiao are being constructed and repaired, with work set to wrap by the end of September, according to the citys transportation commission. The Expo will recruit a total of 5,000 volunteers, mostly from local universities. Most volunteers will be serving at the National Exhibition and Convention Center during the event, while some will be working alongside organizers. The first China International Import Expo will be held from November 5 to 10. Top expert in Search and Social PPC, David Szetela, Owner/CEO, FMB Media says: UnGagged is my favorite conference each year. The setting and networking are excellent. The speakers are top-notch. I feel that I come away with enough new knowledge to pay the price of admission many times over! UnGagged takes place twice a year in London and Las Vegas, and on the 11th to 13th of June 2018, it will return to The Grange St. Pauls, London. Held at the luxurious 5 star hotel, UnGagged London will include two full conference days with expert speakers covering topics such as Digital Assistants, PBNs and GDPR, with an additional third day of Masterclasses in Local SEO and Technical SEO. No recording devices are allowed at UnGagged, and none of the slide decks are shared online afterwards, which means this is the only conference where SEOs and digital marketing experts share their true experiences, reveal the tactics they have been trying out, and discuss the money-making strategies that are working for them. The number of attendees at UnGagged is kept purposefully small - speakers arent worried about giving away their secrets to thousands of delegates, so they share information that no other conference can compete with. The impressive speaker line-up features some of the top names in the industry. Keynote speakers include, Marty Wenintraub (Founder - Aimclear), Joe Sinkwitz (Principal - Digital Heretix), Bastian Grimm, (CEO & Director Organic Search - Peak Ace AG), Jono Alderson (Mad Scientist - Yoast.com), Bartosz Goralewicz (CEO - Elephate Agency) and Greg Gifford (VP of Search - DealerOn, Inc). Exhibitors joining UnGagged London to showcase their latest goods and services, include: Senuto, Accuranker, SEO PowerSuite, and SiteGround Hosting. UnGagged London is sponsored by Authority Labs, Cloud Peak Law Group, Swonkie, and KVC Hosting. UnGagged goes beyond the Conventional wisdom and explores tactics and strategies that experts won't reveal anywhere else. Youll get actionable methods, unfiltered advice and real-world digital marketing concepts through practical step-by-step sessions. These valuable take-away methods can be implemented the next day before it becomes common knowledge. #GetUnGagged Car Wars, the leading artificial intelligence technology solution for more than 12,000 dealerships, announced today its sponsorship of DealerSockets 2018 RoadShow stop in Dallas, Texas. During the workshop, Car Wars Vice President of Automotive, Mike Haeg, will host an educational session. Haeg will discuss how the consumer experience is directly correlated to phone performance. Just as your dentist confirms your appointment and makes you feel comfortable prior to arrival, dealership phone handlers should do the same, Haeg believes. The frightening truth thats happening right now at your dealership is that 37% of your callers are being left stranded, never connecting to someone who can assist their needs or concerns, he added. That is a big, big problem today. Fortunately, I have a fix that Ill go into during DealerSockets event, called CRISP. CRISP is an easy yet effective methodology that helps enhance the customer service experience on every call, and Im excited to be sharing it. Haegs presentation, Dont Lose The Deal Before It Starts: Be CRISP, is at 10:45 a.m. on June 14. The DealerSocket RoadShows Dallas Stop spans from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 14 this year at Hotel ZaZa in Dallas Uptown neighborhood. Register for the conference and Haegs session here: https://roadshow.dealersocket.com/dallas/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIspz03MS62wIVkobACh1TnAU5EAAYASAAEgIa0PD_BwE For the first time since 2009, the Intelligent Community Forum honored a Scandinavian city with its top award when it named Espoo, Finland as its 2018 Intelligent Community of the Year. Espoo was honored in its first year as a competitor in the program. It is very unusual for a community to be named Intelligent Community of the Year the first time they enter our program, said ICF co-founder Lou Zacharilla. ICF is about process improvement over time. But Espoos holistic philosophy of humanizing every aspect of its technology and teaching innovation as a way of life was extremely impressive. Espoos citizen engagement rates are extremely high, which democracies need, and its economic output speaks for itself. The city is a hidden gem in Finland. Now they have been found out!" A video about Espoo can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZI7uk2eYl4 Espoo was selected as the 2018 Intelligent Community of the Year after a year-long evaluation that included a quantitative analysis of extensive data, site inspections by the Intelligent Community Forum, and votes from an international jury made up of experts from around the world. Communities in the Awards program are evaluated based on six Intelligent Community Indicators (https://www.intelligentcommunity.org/intelligent_community_indicators) that make up the ICF Method, and in the context of ICFs annual theme, Humanizing Data (https://www.intelligentcommunity.org/humanizing_data) Espoo succeeds Melbourne, Victoria, Australia as the think-tanks Intelligent Community of the Year. During the Dinner, Melbourne Councilor Jackie Watts addressed the crowd on Melbournes year as the reigning Intelligent Community and was on hand to present the award to Espoo. Espoo is the first Scandinavian city named as Intelligent Community of the Year since Stockholm in 2009, and the first European Intelligent Community of the Year since Eindhoven, Netherlands in 2011. During the Summit, which began on June 4 and concluded with tonights Awards Dinner, there were business matchmaking, networking, master classes and onstage conversations with each of the seven finalists for the award. The ICF Global Summit was produced in collaboration with UK-based NextGen Events. It was sponsored by Siemens which hosted two days of the Summit in its space, The Crystal as well as, Becamex, the dinner sponsor, Arup, the Top7 Reception Sponsor, ICF Taiwan and and other organizations. MORE ABOUT ESPOO In the far northern nations of the world, people tend to cluster southward. Espoo, Finland's second largest city, lies on the border of its biggest city and national capital, Helsinki. Both stand on Finlands southern coast, directly across the Gulf of Finland from Tallinn, a frequent Top7 Intelligent Community and the capital of Estonia. In 1950, Espoo was a regional municipality of 22,000, which drew its name from the Swedish words for the aspen tree and for river. Today, Espoo is still a place on a river bordered by aspen, and about 8 percent of its population still speaks Swedish as its first language. Sixty-five years later, however, it is an industrial city of 270,000. It retains its dispersed, regional nature, however, being made of up of seven population hubs arrayed along the border with Helsinki, where many of its citizens work. Next-Generation Challenges In 2010, Finlands Parliament made history by declaring that access to 1 Mbps broadband is a legal right. Today, Finland ranks second in the world for mobile broadband adoption, according to the OECD. It is also one of the leading countries in Europe for ultra-broadband adoption, with more than 50% of households having access to a fixed connection of 100 Mbps. In such an advanced broadband economy, it is natural that the Intelligent Community of Espoo would take a next-generation approach to improving broadband access and adoption. With the explosive growth of mobile data, driven largely by video, the city sees a serious risk of capacity bottlenecks threatening city digital services and throttling the future online experience of residents. Its answer is LuxTurrim 5G, a three-year pilot project that engages Espoo companies and research institutions in evaluating smart light poles as transmitters for 5G, the emerging mobile standard that promises hundreds of megabits per second of service. The light poles will include miniaturized 5G antennas and base stations, sensors for smart city systems and digitally controlled LED lighting. Launched in the spring of 2017, the project aims to create a proof-of-concept for the technology integration and then to start building an export business for the citys partner companies. Transforming Education Finland also has an educational performance that is the envy of the world. For most of the 21st Century, its 15-year olds have been among the very top performers in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), an ongoing study administered every three years that tests the reading, math and science literacy. Eighty-four percent of Finnish 25-64 year olds have at least an upper secondary education, compared with 75% for the OECD, and 39% hold a higher education degree, compared with 32% for the OECD. As with broadband, so with education. For students at secondary school level, Espoo is working with a local university and private-sector companies on a completely new model for education called School as a Service (SaaS). A school is traditionally defined as a building. The emerging SaaS model redefines school as a network of resources to support learning. In a process designed by school staff and students, teachers change their focus from imparting knowledge to helping students identify the best way for themselves to learn. They have access not only to their own facilities but to university instructors, classrooms, laboratories and science showcases. In the first year, students have actively grasped the opportunity to attend university courses. The high school has attracted 150% more applicants than in the previous year, and the new model is reducing costs by 25% through better use of space. A second high school is adopting the SaaS model in 2018, and it will be applied in Shanghai, China as well through a partnership with Tongji University. To help job-seekers with little education, the Employment Concert Sello project trains the unemployed in job-specific skills in partnership with large shopping centers in Espoo and the companies located there. Employers agree to offer trial places to unemployed residents. Trainers in the program find job seekers who are best suited to each company, train them in applying for jobs and the requirements of work. Since the programs start in 2015, more than 100 companies have agreed to offer trial positions to job seekers, and over 130 job seekers have gained employment and found access to education. Educational Innovation for Profit In Espoo, education is not just a means of equipping the next generation with inquiring minds and employable skills. It is also an economic development program. In 2016, Espoo launched a collaborative project called KYKY Accelerated Co-Creation. It turns schools into living labs that support students learning and growth while giving educational technology companies a platform to develop products and services for learning. It recognizes that todays edtech companies lack real understanding of todays school life, pedagogy and curriculum, and is creating a new operating model to overcome the challenge. There are risks in letting profit-minded businesses set the terms of education. The KYKY operating model sets clear steps for schools and companies to co-create new products and services that support learning and digital skills. Co-creation activities are user-driven, participatory and empowering, with school and company deciding together on structure, methods and goals. So far, schools participating in the program have seen an increase in the digital skills of students and teachers, as well as their understanding of entrepreneurship as they rub shoulders with edtech company employees. A total of 40 schools with 33,000 participants took part in the program by the end of the spring term in 2017, and the program claims credit for guiding five education startups to international markets all of them using the Co-Created with the City of Espoo brand in their marketing. Sustainable at the Core The term industrial city usually describes a place where the needs of industry outweighs the needs of citizens for air they can breathe, water they can drink and a safe place to raise their children. Not so in Espoo. An international benchmark has named Espoo the most sustainable city in Europe. The city gives credit to an ongoing partnership among city government, residents, businesses, universities and other stakeholders. From 2013 to 2016, more than 100,000 people participated in sustainability events and city government launched 17 new sustainability projects in collaboration with partners and citizens. One of the most remarkable things about Espoo is its recognition that, despite being Finlands second largest city, it is a small player in a global economy. Espoo is a partner in the Six City Strategy, a cooperative policy uniting the six largest cities in Finland to tackle urban challenges. It focuses on open innovation, open data and open participation. The aim is to facilitate the development of smart city solutions by companies and to create an open market among the cities and companies that provides a nationally significant platform for innovation. Cities offer data while identifying their needs to better serve constitutions. Companies bring their tech expertise, market knowledge and corporate objectives to the partnership. Together, they make the opening up of data a natural part of city operation, while driving the creation of commercially viable applications and businesses. From 2014 to 2017, the municipal and corporate partners have launched 26 projects with a budget of 45 million euros, with an additional 55 million euros forecast through 2020. The cycles of the year are strong in Espoo. In mid-winter, daylight lasts only seven hours, while in midsummer, the sun is a presence in the sky for all but three hours out of twenty-four. Perhaps it is this which gives the city such an appreciation of the forces beyond its control in particular the technology changes rippling the worlds economy and challenging every community to adapt. With 275,000 people, Espoo may be Finlands second biggest city but its adaptability to the future is second to none. ABOUT THE INTELLIGENT COMMUNITY FORUM The Intelligent Community Forum is a global network with a think tank at its center. It connects hundreds of cities and regions on five continents for collaboration on economic development and for exchange of expertise and information that drives progress. Through this network, ICF researches how Intelligent Communities use information and communications technology to build inclusive prosperity, solve social problems and enrich their quality of life in our connected century. ICF is headquartered in New York City, is a worldwide organization that is renowned for its efforts recognizing Intelligent Community excellence through its annual awards programs, workshops, conferences and other support. Today there are nearly 170 Intelligent Communities around the world, and growing annually, with Intelligent Community representatives on every continent. The Intelligent Community Forum Foundation (ICFF) is the association of these Intelligent Communities, aimed at working together to share information and develop more Intelligent Communities throughout the world. As ICFs principles are sought after around the world, there is an opportunity for each country to focus its ICF-related efforts within their region. For more information, visit http://www.intelligentcommunity.org Contact: Matthew Owen, Director of Operations, Intelligent Community Forum Tel. +1 646-291-6166 (x105) Email: mowen(at)intelligentcommunity.org Twitter: @Newcommunities Sunshine Coast Health Centre Our non 12 step program uses the methodology of meaning pioneered by Viktor Frankl. Sunshine Coast Health Centre, one of the top programs in British Columbia, Canada, for drug rehabilitation and alcohol treatment serving clients from Vancouver, Victoria and other major cities, is proud to announce an update to its information request page on the non 12 step methodology used by the program. Many clients seeking treatment for drugs, alcohol, and other addiction issues are interested in learning how a non 12 step program compares with the 12 step programs commonly used in alcoholics anonymous and/or narcotics anonymous programs in BC. Our non 12 step program uses the methodology of meaning pioneered by Viktor Frankl, explained Casey Jordan, Chief Marketing Officer. This methodology is based on the search for meaning and works with clients to reorient the meaning in their lives away from destructive behaviors and towards more positive ones. The updated page allows persons who are interested easily to request more information. To access the newly updated information request program on non 12 step, visit https://www.sunshinecoasthealthcentre.ca/non-12-step/. That page overviews the "five C's" of the program - convenience, comprehensiveness, certification, compassion, and comfort and has a handy information request form to request a confidential consultation. A non 12 step methodology is not for everyone, but everyone should consider it when making a choice as to the best treatment methodology for them. A NON 12 STEP PROGRAM OF DRUG REHAB AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT Here is background on this release. While most people are familiar with the twelve steps popularized by alcoholics anonymous, this methodology is not always the most appropriate or most applicable to a given client. While many people respond well to a 12 step program, especially those inclined for spiritually or religiously oriented approaches, many others find this system off-putting. For this reason, non 12 step programs offer non-religious alternatives. Sunshine Coast, for example, bases its methodology on Viktor Frankls proposition that the fundamental motivation in humans is the will to meaning. In other words, individuals need to make sense of their lives and pursue a personally meaningful existence. In line with Frankls theory, Sunshine Coast sees addiction as a result of an individuals persistently frustrated attempts to live a personally meaningful life. It should be also noted that SCHC also publishes one of the leading online resources for drug rehab and alcohol treatment programs in Canada at http://www.canadadrugrehab.ca/. In any case, any person who may be suffering from addiction issues is urged to reach out for a private, confidential consultation on treatment options. ABOUT SUNSHINE COAST HEALTH CENTRE Sunshine Coast Health Centre is a 42-bed drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility exclusively designed for men, officially opened on the 15th of March 2004. The Centre has a philosophy of care that goes beyond just addiction to include personal transformation based on three key therapeutic principles: interpersonal relatedness, self definition (autonomy & competence), and intrinsic motivation. The Centre offers both drug rehabilitation and alcohol treatment near Vancouver, BC, but serving patients across Canada, particularly British Columbia and Alberta and cities such as Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer. Sunshine Coast Health Centre uses a form of drug rehabilitation based on the research of Viktor Frankl and methodology of Paul T.P. Wong, namely 'Meaning Centered Therapy'. Website. http://www.sunshinecoasthealthcentre.ca Kim Olson, Democratic nominee for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture, has announced that she and Joi Chevalier, Democratic nominee for Comptroller, are hosting the inaugural WomenWin Conference in Fort Worth, June 9-10, 2018. The conference is designed to help first-time, women candidates run successful, healthy, safe campaigns. Conference attendees are women, Democratic, Texas nominees in local, state, and federal races. Women are running for office across the country in record numbers, and that is especially true in Texas, said Kim Olson, Colonel, United States Air Force, retired. In light of this, we decided that we could help our sisters best by hosting a conference to give them the tools they need to run winning campaigns. The Texas women who win today will pave the way for the next generation of Texas leaders. The conference will specifically support Texas Democratic Party women nominees running for office this year, and the agenda was designed to help the candidates navigate a variety of challenges on the campaign trail. In addition to workshops and conversation, Beto ORourke will speak to the group to share his insights. According to conference organizers, WomenWin will be the largest conference of its kind, with 30-50 candidates and their staff attending. Women know that when we work together, we can accomplish incredible things, said Ms. Chevalier. 2018 is our year, and with each race, we have the opportunity to help improve our hometowns, our state, and our nation. Conference schedule: > Reception, June 9, Chimera Brewing Company (now called Fort Brewery & Pizza) > Workshops, June 10, Hilton Downtown Fort Worth --- Personal safety --- Coffee with Beto ORourke --- Health on the trail --- Collaboration strategies --- Media training About Kim Olson Kim Olson, Colonel, United States Air Force, retired, is the Democratic nominee for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. As a 25-year veteran of the Air Force, Kim was a part of the first generation of female military pilots, and commanded troops in several combat zones, including Iraq. After the Air Force, Kim volunteered with the Texas State Guard for three years as Director of IT and personnel systems; worked as HR director with Dallas ISD; and was President of Grace After Fire. Kim was a 2014 inductee into the Texas Womens Hall of Fame. She is a fourth-generation farmer, and on her farm in Palo Pinto County, Kim raises vegetables, keeps bees, and cultivates native grasses. Kim is dedicated to a sustainable future for agriculture, improving domestic and export markets for our states farmers and ranchers, promoting rural development, and ensuring access to healthy food for all Texans. For more information, please visit http://www.votekimolson.org, or follow on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/KimOlson4TexasAg/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/KimOlson4TxAg), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kimolson4texasag/). About Joi Chevalier Joi Chevalier is an Austin entrepreneur, technologist, owner of The Cooks Nook, a food+tech culinary incubator in Austin; and is the Democratic nominee for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Joi worked as an e-commerce product manager, strategist, and marketing director for Internet venture startups and Fortune 50 companies prior to starting The Cooks Nook in 2016. She has served on several non-profit boards in Austin, including Morning Star Rising, the Austin Astronomical Society, and Girl Scouts of Central Texas Alumnae Association; she is a member of Les Dames dEscoffier and a Lifetime Member of Girl Scouts of America and National Black MBA. Joi is the 2018 Austin Food and Wine Alliances Gina Burchenal Grant recipient and received the 2018 City of Austin Small Business Award for Excellence in Community Business Leadership award. She speaks regularly on entrepreneurship, food+tech, product management and innovative technology, and the opportunity for women and African-Americans in technology and through food entrepreneurship. Joi is dedicated to bringing a strong, proactive voice to the role of Texas Comptroller, ensuring that sound fiscal vision aligns with budget priorities to create opportunities that benefit all Texans. For more information, please visit http://www.joifortexas.com, or follow on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/JoiForTexas/). ### Powershelf is pleased to announce Merisant, the manufacturer of some of the worlds leading tabletop sweetener brands including Equal, Whole Earth Sweetener Co., Canderel and Pure Via, is joining the Powershelf Networkan always-on, real time asset tracking system at select Giant Eagle locations. Alongside products from leading consumer products brands, including Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, Bumble Bee and Kings Hawaiian, Powershelfs proprietary hardware and software, made possible by its eRails, will monitor Merisant products for out-of-stocks and share in-store data and unique insights with the Merisant management team. Powershelf has the potential to revolutionize the in-store shopping experience for all stakeholders: retailers, brands and consumers, said Brian Huff, President, North America at Merisant. We are very interested in leveraging Powershelf to learn more about how our products perform on the shelf. Out-of-stocks are such a major problem for retailers and manufacturers alike. We are excited to work with Merisant to improve their on-shelf-availability, and show them what the future of retail looks like, said John White, CEO of Powershelf. We are confident Powershelf will not only reduce out-of-stocks, but will also deliver unprecedented insights to the Merisant team. The Powershelf system is deployed at select Giant Eagle grocery stores, with additional installations in the convenience, natural foods, grocery, and life sciences channels. Through its base of installations, Powershelf is able to report live data back to consumer packaged goods (CPG) customers anywhere in the world. # # # About Powershelf Powershelf is a leading provider of retail technology solutions. The Powershelf platform includes Qualcomm, Microsoft, SAP, IBM and GE integrated solutions to provide constant power and two-way communication to software-enabled applications and devices. The platform enables retailers and manufacturers to improve their operational efficiency, reduce out-of-stock incidents, improve demand forecasting, reduce waste and, ultimately, lower prices. Powershelf was recently featured inside the Microsoft booth at the National Retail Federation show in New York and inside the Qualcomm booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Visit http://www.iotsmartretail.com for more information. About Merisant Company Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Merisant is one of the world's leading manufacturers of tabletop sweeteners. Merisant markets its sweeteners under its flagship brands Equal, Canderel and Pure Via, an all-natural sweetener, along with several other brands in more than 90 countries. Two jam packed days in New York City made for an exciting weekend for a sold out audience at the KKR offices in Midtown Manhattan over a recent May weekend. The event was Bonnie Low-Kramen bringing her enormously impressive international workshop for high level administrative/support professionals to NYC. Over the course of the weekend, a range of knowledgeable speakers took the stage to share their unique purview of best practices for career success/how to prevent workplace bullying etc. These speakers included Patrick Healy, President of New York Celebrity Assistants, Olympia Dukakis, Taly Russell, CEO of SilverChair Partners and other notables. They were able to share with hundreds of people their mastery of conducting yourself in the workplace and finding your true calling. Of particular interest were topics such as US compensation reporting, updates on the hiring climate and overall market intel. Bonnie invited New Yorks very own Chantal Taly Russell to share on these and overall best practices. Taly Russell is the CEO of SilverChair Partners, headquartered in NYC. SilverChair Partners is an Executive and Administrative recruiting firm specializing in high level support roles in the areas of finance, media, technology, start-up, entrepreneurs and real estate development. Taly addressed a packed room consisting of attendees from four different countries and over thirteen states. BTUA alumni will tell you that attending these international events will leave you with a brighter perspective on your workplace and your calling in life. Bonnie Low-Kramen is an empowering motivational speaker. Bonnie has 25 years of experience as an executive assistant serving Academy and Oscar award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis. Bonnie puts together workshops all across the United States called Be The Ultimate Assistant. The two-day, 17-hour events highlight many different aspects of learning and professionalism. The class is designed to develop and fine-tune the mindset, confidence, and tools needed to succeed with the most demanding employer. It focuses on both the soft and hard skills necessary to excel as an assistant including; communication skills, organization techniques, problem-solving strategies, and career management. Bonnies frequent travel partner for the Be The Ultimate Assistant (BTUA) workshops is Vickie Sokol Evans. Vickie offers attendees her extensive understanding of Microsoft platforms for both PC and Mac. Vickie has 15 years of classroom training experience and is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and Microsoft Office Master. Vicki is currently the founder and president of RedCape, a technology training company focusing on small businesses. We have a global problem on our hands, with a chronic disease that needs to be acknowledged, properly understood, and addressed with effective clinical treatment options, said Wendy Scinta, MD, MS, FOMA, the current president of the Obesity Medicine Association. Some of the worlds largest obesity-focused associations came together last week in an international effort to actively engage in creating partnerships, transferring knowledge, and finding solutions to help address the worlds obesity epidemic. The Global Obesity Roundtable, in partnership with Novo Nordisk, Inc., was hosted in New York City, NY, on May 30-31, 2018. This second in a series of events brought together some of the largest obesity-focused associations from around the worldthe Obesity Medicine Association, Canadian Obesity Network, World Obesity Federation, Obesity Action Coalition, and The Obesity Societyto discuss and find solutions to one of the world's most pressing challenges: how to draw attention to and effectively treat the chronic disease of obesity. This two-day event marked the launch of a number of critical initiatives that will help bridge the education gap for healthcare providers, raise public awareness, and bring these organizations closer to move the needle in dealing with this chronic, worldwide disease in a more unified fashion. Obesity is an ever-growing global health problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that for the first time in human history, the number of people with overweight and obesity rivals the number of people who are underweight. The population of people with overweight and obesity has expanded rapidly in recent decades, and worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. Healthcare providers around the globe need in-depth, practical, evidence- and clinical-based education on what causes obesity to learn how to effectively treat and manage this chronic disease in a clinical setting. The old eat less and exercise more way of thinking is clearly not the answer anymore, said Claudia Randall, Executive Director of the Obesity Medicine Association. Just two years ago, WHO reported 39 percent of adults ages 18 years and older were overweight, and 13 percent had obesity. A large percentage of this population live in countries where obesity kills more people than underweight-related issues, and these numbers are on the rise. Obesity is not restricted to adults; more than 340 million children and adolescents ages 5-19 are overweight, according to a WHO study. Children and adults in many countries around the world are often vulnerable because they are exposed to high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt, energy-dense, and micronutrient-poor foods, which tend to be lower in cost but also lower in nutrients. We have a global problem on our hands, with a chronic disease that needs to be acknowledged, properly understood, and addressed with effective clinical treatment options. The idea that obesity is solely a lifestyle choice is just not the case; it is much more complex than that, said Wendy Scinta, MD, MS, FOMA, the current president of the Obesity Medicine Association. Obesity is a multifactorial condition that affects multiple systems in the body. These factors and systems affected are unique for each individual who struggles with the disease. Everyone who participated in the Global Obesity Roundtable has the in-depth knowledge that can benefit millions if shared with other global thought leaders, Scinta added. The long-reaching health implications that will result from ignoring this chronic problem are astronomical. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders (especially osteoarthritis), and some cancers are often directly influenced by the underlying disease of obesity. Globally, this is a $2 trillion problem, on par with tobacco abuse and global terrorism. Obesity must be globally addressed and treated just like any other chronic disease to help individuals achieve life-long health and weight goals permanently, said Randall. We are excited to continue the work that we started in New York with our friends from around the world, and we will continue to draw attention to this growing global problem. About the Obesity Medicine Association The Obesity Medicine Association is the largest organization of clinicians dedicated to preventing, treating, and reversing the disease of obesity. Members of OMA believe treating obesity requires a scientific and individualized clinical approach comprised of nutrition, physical activity, behavior, and medication. When personalized, this comprehensive approach helps patients achieve their weight and health goals. Visit obesitymedicine.org to learn more. Note to journalists: To educate media representatives on how to appropriately discuss the chronic disease of obesity, the Obesity Medicine Association, the Obesity Action Coalition, the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, The Obesity Society, and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery have developed the Guidelines for Media Portrayals of Individuals Affected by Obesity. We encourage you to refer to these guidelines as you cover stories about obesity. Entrepreneur Shannon Saathoff launched Once in a Licetime in 2014 to answer the needs of parents searching for support and treatment to eradicate lice, and now has seven locations across Southern California. The official grand opening for Once in a Licetimes latest location in San Juan Capistrano will be presented by the Orange County Small Business Development Center (OC SBDC) one of the eight locations of the Orange County Inland Empire SBDC Network, on Friday, June 8th, 2018 at 4pm. The celebration will include remarks from San Juan Capistrano Mayor Sergio Farias, Councilmember Kerry Ferguson, representatives for Congressman Darrell Issa and Clerk Recorder Hugh Nguyen, and Saathoff, Once in a Licetimes owner and founder. Saathoff opened her first location in Corona, just up the street from her daughters school. Six weeks later, she introduced a line of all-natural, enzyme-based products that eliminate lice, which quickly rose to the third best-selling product in the body care category and best selling lice product at Mothers Market. While surrounding schools were still struggling with lice outbreaks, her daughters school went from multiple lice cases to just two in a single school year. Saathoff knew she was on to something and decided to expand with help from the OC SBDC. I had so many questions when I first met the SBDC, Saathoff shares. I took so many of their classes and seminars, and I learned so much. Saathoff also appreciates the SBDCs resources, citing her connection to the organization for helping her negotiate her new lease for the San Juan Capistrano location. Overall, their guidance is improving my operations, she says. Saathoffs second location opened in 2015 in Lake Forest and other outposts quickly followed in Brea, Palos Verdes, Huntington Beach and Beverly Hills. The SBDC offered a wealth of resources as Saathoff continued to expand, including expert help on optimizing her website and social media reach. Says Saathoff, Using these free resources helped me focus on expansion and getting things done quicker, bigger and better than if I had to utilize my capital resources to hire everyone I needed to accomplish my goals, and that also meant support with her product line. In addition to guidance on manufacturers and upgrading her product labels, the SBDC also connected Saathoff with a company that could get her product line on Amazon. Saathoff also credits the SBDC with educating her on exporting, branding, human resources, handling compliance, and so much more and she continues to work with them to this day. Youre only as good as your resources, and the SBDCs are priceless I can call and ask them anything, and theyll have someone who can help me, she says, and recommends other entrepreneurs explore their opportunities with the SBDC, too. Entrepreneurs always feel like they have to do everything themselves, but you have to find your resources it can set you apart from the people who dont make it. The Once in a Licetime grand opening celebration begins at 4 p.m. on Friday, June 8, 2018, offering food, refreshments, and a raffle with prizes. Parking is available onsite. For additional information and to register for the event, please visit https://onceinalicetime.eventbrite.com or contact David Calderon at (714) 564-5200 Calderon_David(at)rsccd(dot)edu. The Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Network (OCIE SBDC) offers no cost business consulting and low-cost training to current business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs throughout Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Our team of consultants is ready to assist in a variety of areas like: start up assistance, debt and equity funding, attracting and retaining customers, international trade and technology commercialization. For additional information contact us at 1 (800) 616-SBDC (7232) or http://www.ociesmallbusiness.org. The OCIE SBDC Network is hosted by California State University, Fullerton and funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. All programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. ### Heather is a proven relationship builder that is well established in the Minneapolis marketplace. Republic Business Credit announced today it hired Heather Rachel as VP, Business Development in Minneapolis. This appointment further expands Republics Midwestern presence as the company expands its national footprint to provide dynamic working capital solutions throughout the U.S. Republic Business Credit provides cash flow solutions for companies that are experiencing high-growth or recoverable distress. The New Orleans-headquartered finance company has recently expanded its presence in the Midwest and Southern regions with key, high-level staff appointments. Based in Minneapolis, Heather will focus on building strategic partnerships and reciprocal relationships throughout the Upper Midwest. Heather will target entrepreneurs with funding needs up to $10,000,000 across their receivables, purchase orders, inventory and equipment. Heather is a proven relationship builder that is well established in the Minneapolis marketplace, said Robert Meyers, President, Republic Business Credit. Heather will combine her entrepreneurial experience and her commercial finance knowledge to provide a refreshingly consultative approach for prospective clients. Heather previously worked for two industry leading finance companies providing Asset-Based Lending and Factoring solutions. Heather was twice an entrepreneur and recently published a new book, The B.I.G. Plan. A proven process for business owners to adopt for change and growth. Heather is a member of the Turnaround Management Association, Commercial Finance Association and former board member of the Risk Management Association. Heather has a strong background engaging customers and finding the correct solution, which compliments our values as we pride ourselves on a people first approach to supporting our clients, said Stewart Chesters, Chief Executive Officer, Republic Business Credit. With her determination to add real value to relationships, I know she will represent us strongly in the marketplace. Republic Business Credit supports accountants, lawyers, investments bankers and other centers of influence across the United States to create value, strengthen relationships and support successful growing businesses. About Republic Business Credit Republic Business Credit provides flexible working capital solutions to help rapidly growing businesses, start-ups, and companies in turnaround or recoverable distressed situations. Winner of the Emerging Growth Company of the Year award from the Louisiana Chapter of the Association of Corporate Growth, and the FactoringClubs Best Factoring Company Award for 2018, the Republic Business Credit team has the expertise necessary to meet the nuanced financial needs of companies across a wide variety of industries. It provides receivables finance, factoring and a sset-based facilities, including ABL, receivables purchase lines of credit, inventory, equipment and purchase order lines. Since its founding in 2011, Republic Business Credit has provided over $2.9 billion in fast, flexible working capital. The company is led by Stewart Chesters, a British transplant to New Orleans who has managed commercial finance companies on both sides of the Atlantic and Robert Meyers, a new business leader in the Midwest and West Coast Regions. Home Just In 33 per cent women participation limited to books only, political parties fail to induct 33 per cent women Kathmandu, June 7 No political party has been able to induct at least 33 per cent women to its central committee, it has been found The Election Commission has directed all parties to induct 33 per cent women representatives in their respective central committees within three months as per the political party-related laws. The issue raised after registration of the Nepal Communist Party has dragged all other political parties into the matter. Talking to Onlinekhabar, Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Yadav said, All political parties should fulfill the provision mentioned in the political parties-related law. Now onwards, they should manage and transform the parties as per the new code. Even the four big political parties NCP, Nepali Congress, Rastriya Janata Party Nepal and Federal Socialist Forum have failed to meet the regulations. There are only 75 women in NCPs central committee, 16 in Congress, 129 in RJPN, and 28 women in Forums. Prabhat Sinha, M.D. My favorite part of the day is my interaction with the patients, because the patients are so appreciative of all we do for them. Prabhat Sinha, M.D. has recently been reviewed and approved by NJ Top Docs. Dr. Sinha is an internal medicine and geriatric specialist who treats patients of all ages. With a board-certification in internal medicine, use of the most up-to-date technology, and a patient-centered approach to care, Dr. Sinha provides the best possible care for his patients. At Ocean Family & Geriatric Associates, they put and trust their patients first. Due to Dr. Sinhas caring nature, he is very thorough and spends a lot of time with each patient during their appointment, which his patients love and look forward to. Dr. Sinha is also known for getting to know everything about his patients and their family. He strives to create deep patient relationships. According to Dr. Sinha, Its family care, so we know everything about the patient. Providing care in the office, in the nursing home, and in the hospital, Dr. Sinha is able to care for his patients 24/7. My favorite part of the day is my interaction with the patients, because the patients are so appreciative of all we do for them. - Dr. Sinha A few of the services that Dr. Sinha provides, include: Pulmonary Function Test for COPD and Asthma Electrocardiogram Botox Injection Sunoxone Treatment for Opiate Addiction Arterial Brachial Index for PAD Nerve Conduction Study for Neuropathy B12 Injection Weight Loss Management Arthritis Care Currently, Dr. Sinha is accepting new patients. To learn more about Dr. Sinha, please click the following link to visit his custom NJ Top Docs webpage: https://njtopdocs.com/nj-doctors/prabhat-sinha-md/ --- About Us NJ Top Docs a comprehensive, trusted and exclusive healthcare resource featuring reviewed and approved Top Doctors and Dentists in New Jersey online in an easy to use format. NJ Top Docs only reviews and approves providers based on merit after they have been extensively vetted. NJ Top Docs is a division of USA Top Docs which allows patients to meet providers online before making their appointment. For more information, please click here to contact us or visit http://www.NJTopDocs.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter These items would be of interest to any mystery enthusiast and were excited to be able to make them available through the auction, said LEIC Executive Director Don Green. I encourage everyone whos come through training at our center to view the items on the iGavel Auctions website. Pieces cloaked in adventure and mystery are part of a UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC) collection that will soon be available via online auction to the public. The auction, in partnership with Lark Mason Associates, is hosted through iGavel Auctions (http://www.igavelauctions.com). The online sale begins June 7 and will conclude on June 26. Microscopes, wanted posters, world maps, surgical implements and more are all part of the sale. The items were donated to LEIC and its National Forensic Academy (NFA) in 2011 by a generous benefactor. These items would be of interest to any mystery enthusiast and were excited to be able to make them available through the auction, said LEIC Executive Director Don Green. I encourage everyone whos come through training at our center to view the items on the iGavel Auctions website. LEIC, an agency of the UT Institute for Public Service, provides innovative training for law enforcement personnel from across the country. The NFA is one of the centers major training programs. The (NFA) is an intensive 10-week training program designed to meet the needs of law enforcement agencies in evidence identification, collection, and preservation. The NFA is offered in-residence, utilizing curriculum developed by leading forensic practitioners from across the United States. The center also offers training for law enforcement across Tennessee in areas such as leadership, domestic violence awareness and response to an active shooter. A total of 72 lots, either individual or groups of items, will be available. All items purchased are local pick-up at the LEIC in Oak Ridge on June 29-30. I am proud that my core values evolved as a result of my service and associations with the great people of our community. The award honors individuals who have excelled or served as role models in their Portuguese-American communities. The Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States was founded in 1991 as a non-partisan, non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. with a mission of addressing domestic and international concerns of the Portuguese-American community. PALCUS is committed to serving the community through increasing active government relations efforts, promoting greater awareness of ethnic accomplishments, and encouraging stronger ties between Portugal and the United States. This years Awards ceremony and reception will be taking place at the Connecticut State Capital, Hall of Flags in Hartford on June 8th at 6pm. In 1993, as a young lawyer fluent in Portuguese, Attorney Ribeiro founded the Portuguese American Civic League in Danbury, Connecticut, with the purpose of organizing the Greater Danbury Portuguese Community to have one voice in civic affairs. In 1998, Attorney Ribeiro was selected to be the Chairperson of the Sons of Portugal/Portuguese American Club Unification Steering Committee. As Chairperson, Attorney Ribeiro met with members of the Portuguese Clubs and other organizations weekly to help create the vision that was to become the new, unified Portuguese Cultural Center. In 2001, the Portuguese Cultural Center was inaugurated, and Attorney Ribeiro was chosen by the community to be its first president. Attorney Ribeiro later became the first president of the Board of Trustees as well. Since that time, Attorney Ribeiro has continued to serve on the Board of Trustees and as legal counsel for the Center. It is a great honor to receive this award, said Attorney Ribeiro. I am proud that my core values evolved as a result of my service and associations with the great people of our community. Our firms commitment to community service began over 60 years ago with our Founder, Attorney Americo S. Ventura, who also was honored by PALCUS in 2009. I take immense pride in my Portuguese heritage and will continue to work hard to serve as a role model to members of our community. About Ventura Law - Ventura Law has been dedicated to providing its clients with compassionate legal service and a strong voice in the legal process since 1957, with four offices in Connecticut and one in New York City. We are a full-service practice, serving clients who have been injured in cases ranging from motor vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, premises liability, and pharmaceutical/medical device claims in state and federal courts. To learn more about Ventura Law, please visit us online at http://www.venturalaw.com. The 2017 Supplier of the Year Award from Gulfstream - Tronair Its our honor for the team at Tronair to be recognized by Gulfstream, a prestigious industry leader, Tony Sanchez, Regional Sales Director. Tronair, Inc. (Tronair), a portfolio company of Golden Gate Capital is proud to announce that Gulfstream Aerospace, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, has recognized Tronair with a prestigious "Gulfstream Supplier of the Year award for 2017". Gulfstream issues the awards bi-annually to recognize suppliers who have achieved superior performance. Award selection is based on the Gulfstream Supplier Report Card measurement criteria, which tracks overall value, delivery, quality, customer service and compliance for select Gulfstream suppliers. The award was presented by Bill Williams, Vice President of Supply Chain and Dennis Stuligross, Senior Vice President of Operations. To receive the award at the 2018 Gulfstream Operators & Suppliers Conference on behalf of Tronair was Tony Sanchez Regional Sales Director, Jessica Hennessey Customer Experience Leader, and Chad Gibson Product Specialist. The event was held from June 3-7 at the aircraft manufacturer's home city of Savannah, Georgia. Its our honor for the team at Tronair to be recognized by Gulfstream, a prestigious industry leader. This award recognizes and validates our efforts in providing the highest quality, innovative products, along with continuous improvements in providing excellent delivery and customer service, Tony Sanchez, Regional Sales Director. Visit http://www.Tronair.com for additional information About Tronair: Tronair is the global leader in the design, manufacture, and sale of GSE for business, commercial and military aircraft. Tronair's broad product line of GSE, comprised of over 1,500 products, is used by over 350 unique aircraft platforms. Tronair emphasizes innovation, reliability, customer focus, and building quality equipment to exceed customers expectations. As a result, Tronair enjoys an excellent reputation with aircraft OEMs, fixed based operators, maintenance and repair providers, corporate hangars, commercial airlines, defense contractors and military airbases around the world. Tronair is based in Holland, Ohio and has been in operation since 1971. http://www.tronair.com About Eagle Tugs: Eagle Tugs has been manufacturing the most reliable and functional tow tractors for the aviation, cargo handling and industrial towing markets since 1970. Eagle Tugs are designed and manufactured in the United States and are backed by factory direct service and support. With a robust product line and the strongest warranty in the industry, Eagle Tugs provides the highest level of quality and service to customers globally. In addition to several industrial uses, Eagle Tugs can move fixed-wing and rotorcraft aircraft of most any size across the military, commercial, regional and business aviation and cargo markets. http://www.eagletugs.com About Malabar: From its founding in 1935, Malabar has been a key supplier of ground support and maintenance equipment for commercial and military aircraft. Malabars primary business has been aircraft jacks, including axle jacks for changing aircraft wheels and tires and tripod jacks for in-hangar service of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. Today, Malabar sells product in over 60 countries around the world and the product line has expanded to include B787 and A350 coolant service carts; hundreds of different types of fluid dispensers, test stands, weigh equipment, strut service equipment, nitrogen/oxygen equipment, wheel/brake equipment, engine stands as well as the spares, service and replacement parts associated with each product line. Malabar has a worldwide reputation for quality and service, with 24-hour online product support including emergency parts supply. http://www.malabar.com About Columbus Jack / Regent: Columbus Jack is the largest supplier of hydraulic jacks to the U.S. military and a leading supplier of hydraulic jacks to the commercial aerospace market. Columbus Jack consistently complies with tough military standards, which aligns well with their culture of quality and customer service. Columbus Jack was founded in the 1940s as a supplier to the U.S. military. Regent was founded in 1929, and over the course of time, has served most of the worlds airlines, airframe and aerospace manufacturing companies. http://www.columbusjack.com About DatcoMedia: DatcoMedia, via its EBis software products, is the leading SaaS provider for the aviation ground services and equipment market. EBis products were developed to meet the strict requirements of the FAA and customers for aircraft and ground support equipment repair, scheduling, planning, purchasing, inventory control, utilization optimization and resource allocation. EBis is the system of record for thousands of users globally, including several of the largest global airlines, ground handlers, jet centers, engine repair shops and FBOs of all sizes. DatcoMedia was founded in 1999 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. http://www.datcomedia.com About Golden Gate Capital: Golden Gate Capital is a San Francisco-based private equity investment firm with over $15 billion of capital under management. The principals of Golden Gate Capital have a long and successful history of investing across a wide range of industries and transaction types, including going-privates, corporate divestitures, and recapitalizations, as well as debt and public equity investments. Notable investments sponsored by Golden Gate Capital include Cole-Parmer, ANGUS, Springs Window Fashions, Humanetics Innovative Solutions, EP Minerals, and U.S. Silica. For more information, visit http://www.goldengatecap.com/ For more information: Mac Canali Digital Marketing Manager Email: mcanali@tronair.com Phone: +1 (708) 790-5918 Much of the companys success stories include a pattern where individuals inspire success through innovation, people, and growth. Realty ONE Group, one of the fastest growing real estate franchisors in the nation and a top 1% real estate company in the US, is launching a website that celebrates its people and their successes. Adopting innovative marketing trends, everyONEisawesome.com will utilize user-generated content to recount stories from the company and real estate professionals. Each person in our company has a success story to tell, and Realty ONE Group provides the tools, support and marketing to empower everyone to succeed at any stage of their career from any part of the spectrum, said the companys CEO and Founder, Kuba Jewgieniew. Realty ONE Group focuses on working with like-minded entrepreneurs who are not afraid of disrupting the industry paired with an air of positivity. Much of the companys success stories include a pattern where individuals inspire success through innovation, people, and growth: Leah Wolfe-Kraemer, branch manager of the Goodyear, AZ office, started with 4 agents in 2014 and now has over 400 agents. Wolfe-Kraemer is the highest production per agent manager in Arizona. In 4 short years, Goodyear's producing agents closed 7 transactions on average, standing higher than the Phoenix average of 6, making Wolfe-Kraemers office #7 in Maricopa County in number of transactions, Top 20 in sales volume, and #4 in percentage of producing agents for offices with more than 100 professionals. Mavera Mir, broker of Realty ONE Group Unlimited, currently runs 3 offices in Southern California. Mir, who does not outsource marketing services, believes in using innovative technology tools such as paperless open house systems and virtual home tours as one of the many ways she can help her agents take ownership and have better control of their business. Top producing Southern California real estate professional Jessica Hong achieved an impressive sales volume of close to $80 million and 91 transactions. By utilizing Realty ONE Groups support and training paired with her business acumen and relentless hard work, Hong was able to reach this milestone in a short amount of time since joining in 2012. Katherine Yoshikawa, one of Realty ONE Groups first employees, is the Charity Manager and Referral & Corporate Services Coordinator for ONE Cares, the companys 501(c)(3). Thanks to her leadership, Yoshikawa successfully brought together 440 associates who donated over 1,400 volunteer hours of community service during the companys anniversary event, ONE Day, on May 1, 2018. We want to build long-lasting relationships that encourage and promote collaboration and provide an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship where people can thrive and succeed in their professional career, said Jewgieniew. The goal at the end of the day is to empower individuals to achieve greater success, faster. To see cases of success, visit http://www.everyONEisawesome.com. About Realty ONE Group: One-hundred percent family-owned and debt-free, Realty ONE Group was founded in 2005 and is proudly known as the industrys premier UNbrokerage. Realty ONE Group has rapidly evolved with over 10,000 real estate professionals in 133 offices across 33 states. Ranked in the top one percent in the nation by REAL Trends, recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top 5 Real Estate Franchise, and landing a coveted spot on the Inc. 500 Fastest-Growing Companies list for seven consecutive years, Realty ONE Group has been surging ahead, opening doors, not only for its clients but also for its real estate professionals and franchise owners. To learn more, visit http://www.RealtyONEGroup.com. For a quarter century, weve worked to ensure that people with disabilities across the nation have an opportunity to tell lawmakers directly the things that are most important to them." -- John Kelly, vice president of Government Affairs for SourceAmerica For the 25th year, people with disabilities from across the country are gathering in Washington this week to encourage Congress to support expansion of employment opportunities. SourceAmerica, a national leader in creating employment opportunities and choices for people with disabilities, is hosting its Grassroots Advocacy Conference June 11-14 at Marriott Metro Center. For a quarter century, weve worked to ensure that people with disabilities across the nation have an opportunity to tell lawmakers directly the things that are most important to them, said John Kelly, SourceAmerica's vice president of Government Affairs. This conference is critical to our mission and the 24 million Americans with disabilities who are currently left out of the workforce. Initial advocacy efforts 25 years ago started with a handful of advocates on a single day. The event now spans four days of networking opportunities and educational sessions that also include family members of employees. This years attendees include 56 self-advocates from 52 different nonprofits representing 33 states. Many of the advocates that attend our conference have never left their home town, never been on an airplane and certainly never been in a position to directly influence the laws that impact them every day, Kelly said. This conference is a vehicle by which these important voices are heard. The program has also supported the development of the AbilityOne Congressional Champions program, in which members of Congress pledge their support of disability employment. That list of supporters has grown to 166 members of Congress. This years conference includes sessions led by Jennifer Sheehy, deputy assistant secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy and AbilityOne Commission member; Mary Lazare, acting administrator for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and others who are hosting education sessions for self-advocates and their family members. Speakers include Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass. and Johnny Collett, assistant secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education. For more information, visit sourceamerica.org. M-Files Corporation, the intelligent information management company, today announced partners from across the globe gathered in Miami for the inaugural M-Files Global Partner Conference, held May 29 to June 1. This event combines the past annual EMEA and Americas conferences into a single worldwide partner conference. Attendees from more than 30 countries met to celebrate successes accomplished through the global M-Files Partner Network, as well as recognize partners that have demonstrated high performance over the past year. The M-Files Global Partner Conference provides an opportunity for sales, marketing and technical staff from M-Files partner organizations to participate in educational sessions, receive updates on new product developments and network with other partners and M-Files executives. The event aims to deliver the latest guidance from M-Files and industry experts to help its partners improve their marketing and sales strategies to drive results, develop technical competence in variety of areas, and benefit from other partners proven best practices. While onsite, M-Files presented insights on the future of intelligent information management. Specifically, sessions focused on breaking down information silos with the M-Files Intelligent Metadata Layer (IML) and connectors, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into information management strategies and transitioning to a subscription and cloud-based business. M-Files also hosted workshops and tutorials on a variety of its solutions. Key M-Files Partners Acknowledged for Outstanding Performance Over the past year, M-Files has observed a rapidly expanding global partner base in addition to its newly established presence in Australia, Canada and France ensuring a foundation for high-quality implementation and support around the world. In recognition of this growth, M-Files honored key partners across the globe for their distinct success in innovation, sales and marketing, and customer solutions based on M-Files technology. Global regional winners include: EMEA Partner of the Year: Electric Paper Informationssysteme GmbH; Germany North America Partner of the Year: Marco Technologies LLC; USA APAC Partner of the Year: DocSmart Solutions Ltd; New Zealand LATAM Partner of the Year: IBSolution; Brazil Global Partner of the Year: Upstream - A Fuji Xerox Company; Australia M-Files is leading the intelligent information management revolution, and the extraordinary performance of our rapidly scaling partner network is an essential component of our global presence, growth and success, said Scott Erickson, SVP of worldwide channel sales at M-Files. By leveraging M-Files to solve business-critical information problems, automate business processes and eliminate data silos, our partners have paved the way for organizations around the world to improve business performance and drive growth. We are proud to partner with the brightest minds in the industry and are devoted to continued innovation to change the way the world is managing information. M-Files is dedicated to further expanding its Global Partner Network of solution providers, systems integrators and resellers to bring increased value to the M-Files ecosystem. With the support of its partners, M-Files continues to disrupt the legacy enterprise content management (ECM) industry with its intelligent, system-neutral and metadata-driven approach to information management. Sponsors of the 2018 Global Partner Conference include ABBYY; Ancora; Electric Paper Informationssysteme GmbH; ChronoScan Capture; Outback Imaging USA LLC; Epson; Fujitsu; MechSoft Mechanical and Software Solutions; Neurones; Objectif Lune Inc.; Repstor; seidr, LLC; and Strickland Solutions. M-Files will host its 2019 Global Partner Conference in Dublin, Ireland. For more information on the partner program, visit https://www.m-files.com/en/partners. About M-Files M-Files provides a next-generation intelligent information management platform that improves business performance by helping people find and use information more effectively. Unlike traditional enterprise content management (ECM) systems or content services platforms, M-Files unifies systems, data and content across the organization without disturbing existing systems and processes or requiring data migration. Using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in its unique Intelligent Metadata Layer, M-Files breaks down silos by delivering an in-context experience for accessing and leveraging information that resides in any system and repository, including network folders, SharePoint, file sharing services, ECM systems, CRM, ERP and other business systems and repositories. Thousands of organizations in more than 100 countries use M-Files for managing their business information and processes, including NBC Universal, OMV, Rovio, SAS Institute and thyssenkrupp. For more information, visit https://www.m-files.com. M-Files is a registered trademark of M-Files Corporation. All other registered trademarks belong to their respective owners. Qorus Software "Qorus is honored to be recognized as a finalist for the Customer Experience Partner of the Year Award from Microsoft," says Qorus CEO, Ray Meiring Qorus Software recognized as finalist for 2018 Microsoft Customer Experience Partner of the Year Award Qorus Software today announced it has been named a finalist in the 2018 Microsoft Customer Experience Partner of the Year category. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology. Qorus is honored to be recognized as a finalist for the Customer Experience Partner of the Year Award from Microsoft. This is our third consecutive year of receiving recognition in this category, and it is testament to the work our product development and customer experience teams have put in to help businesses embrace digital transformation by creating a connected workplace. Delighting our customers is pillar of our business and is strategic to the future growth, says Qorus CEO, Ray Meiring. Awards were presented in several categories, with winners chosen from a set of more than 2,600 entrants from 115 countries worldwide. Qorus was recognized for providing outstanding solutions and services in customer experience. The Customer Experience Partner of the Year award recognizes a partner who demonstrates an exceptional ability to manage customer demand and exceed expectations. Our ecosystem of partners is crucial to delivering transformative solutions, and this years winners have proven to be some of the finest among their peers, said Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, One Commercial Partner, Microsoft Corporation. We are pleased to recognize Qorus Software for being selected as finalist of the 2018 Microsoft Customer Experience Partner of the Year Award. The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognize Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions during the past year. About Qorus Qorus helps organizations create business critical documents more efficiently and accurately. Our software is incredibly powerful but highly intuitive and very easy to use. Even the most non-technical users can quickly create accurate, personalized and compliant documents like proposals, contracts, RFPs, pitches, and reports. Qorus runs on Microsoft Azure and integrates with Microsoft Office to enhance document productivity. Our award-winning Customer Success team ensures our customers across all industries get the most value from our software. We have offices in Seattle, London and Cape Town. Learn more about Qorus at https://www.qorusdocs.com/ For additional information: Michelle Revsbech SVP of Alliances mrevsbech@qorusdocs.com NEWSALERT-AFGHAN-EXPLOSION-TOLL Hospital official says death toll from bombing at Afghanistan mosque climbs to 37, with more than 70 wounded. (AP)Hospital official says death toll from bombing at Afghanistan mosque climbs to 37, with more than 70 wounded. (AP) AMS Home Just In Minor killed, 32 injured as bus plunges into river in Dang Dang, June 8 A five-year-old minor was killed and 27 others were injured, 11 critically, after a bus they were travelling in met with an accident in Dang this morning. An Indian national, Nirubi Mohammad of Lakhinpur in India, died on the spot in the incident. The bus (Na 5 Kha 1821) heading towards Nepalgunj from Janakpur plunged into a river, along the Bhalubang-Laqmahi road section, at Paharuwa of Rapti Rural Municipality at 6:00 am on Friday. The driver might have dozed off while driving the vehicle, police suspected. Of the 33 passengers, 27 injured including another minor were rushed to Kohalpur in Banke for treatment. Remaining injured are undergoing treatment at Lamahi Hospital. Nigerian born author and feminist, Chimamanda Adichie, has again ignited a global discourse following her take on chivalry and its understanding. In an interview with Trevor Noah on Comedy Centrals The Daily Show Tonight, Adichie said: I think gestures like holding the door shouldnt be gendered. I think its lovely to hold the door but we should hold the door for everyone like I hold the door for everyone both men and women, so I think the idea of holding the door for a woman because she's a woman, I have a problem with it. I love people holding the door for me but I hope they are not doing it because of the idea of chivalry. Because chivalry is really about the idea that women are weak and need protection but we know that there are many women who are stronger than many men, so really what I think is the people we should protect are people who need to be protected whether men or women. Which is also why I have a problem with the idea of women and children when women are classified in the same group as children when there is a tragedy, you hear women and children should be first. I think actually people who are weak, unwell should be first, she opined. How Nigerians view Chimamanda's take on chivalry However, these words of the Americanah author have sparked mixed reactions amongst the male and female folks in Nigeria. ALSO READ: Chimamanda Adichie's question to Hilary Clinton sparks an online debate on feminism While a number of the male folks on Twitter disagree with Adichies take, the female folks are divided. Some totally disagree with Adichies opinions as others throw their weights behind her. A female Nigerian broadcaster with the handle @TheFavouredWoman disagreed with Chimamanda saying her foray into politics and public commentary isnt so good. Chimamanda Adichie is a really good writer but her foray into political commentary is showing her up. Brilliance in one field doesn't mean brilliance in everything. Even in feminist discourse, she's sometimes missed the mark but we onlook. But market must sell abi? Ok, she wrote. A female makeup artist, @iam_jayCheqs had this to say: Most men are stronger than women, men protect women, gender roles are ok if its not harming anyone, it does not make you a lesser person. Opening doors is a really nice gesture. Please dont create a war where there isnt one. Dont take good things away daughters of Chimamanda Rotimi Ibitoye, a lawyer has this to say: Chimamanda is going through a Kanye phase. A stage in your life where you just want to rebel against the status quo. It's normal with creatives, but pls apply sense. Even animals have gender roles, it is innate. A female lion hunts for food and the male protects the pride. Supporting Chimamandas take, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji of Andela said: Chimamanda said treat everyone - men or women equally and all of a sudden patriarchy cannot stand the thought. How surprising? For Onuoha Dave a biochemist, heres his take: All Chimamanda is saying is: Hold or open doors because you want to, because it makes you feel good. Not because you're opening it for a woman, and just because she's a woman, you need to open the door for her. Is that so difficult to understand? The children who have been separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border due to the Trump administration's new "zero-tolerance" policy are already suffering severe anguish and trauma, the families and non-profit workers involved in the foster-care process say. In May, the Trump administration announced it would criminally prosecute each person caught crossing the border illegally a move that splits them from their children, sending them into foster care or government shelters. One such child is Jose, a five-year-old boy from Honduras who last saw his father when he was arrested and led away at the US border in El Paso, The New York Times reported. Jose's foster mother, Janice, told The Times that the child arrived with nothing but a trash bag full of dirty clothes, and two small drawings he called "photos." One was a stick-figure sketch of his family back in Honduras, and the other was a drawing of his father. Related content "He holds onto the two pictures for dear life," Janice told The Times. "It's heart-wrenching." Janice told the newspaper that Jose asks in Spanish every day, "When will I see my papa?" and she always replies that she doesn't know. She added that she and her family have frequently taken in migrant children temporarily until Jose, all of them had arrived in the US unaccompanied and only stayed with her family for several weeks or months. But they always had regular access to their parents through phone or video calls. But in Jose's case, he had no access to his parents until early this week, according to The Times. He spoke with both his mother and father in separate phone calls and the realization that he didn't know when he would see them again "triggered all the separation trauma again," Janice said. It's unclear exactly how many children like Jose have been separated from their parents in total, but a Customs and Border Protection official told lawmakers at a recent hearing that 658 children were separated from 638 adults just within the period of May 6 to May 19. The Trump administration has faced significant backlash from the public over its family separation practice, but officials have staunchly defended the zero-tolerance policy as necessary in deterring illegal border-crossing, which has surged in recent months compared to last year's record lows. "If you cross the southwest border unlawfully, then we will prosecute you If you are smuggling a child, then we will prosecute you and that child will be separated from you as required by law," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in early May. "If you don't like that, then don't smuggle children over our border." According to Accra-based Starr FM, the students shit-bombed the teachers office in protest against their inability to write the exams. READ ALSO: Proprietor fails to register 34 students for BECE This was despite the fact that they had paid about Ghc1, 000 of various fees including the BECE registration Fees. Out of the 115 students who were to be registered, only 45 were successful. This angered the students and their parents who caused a commotion at the centre on Monday. The police intervened to calm nerves and arrested 2 teachers of Premier Remedial School identified as Moro and Lord. READ ALSO: Schools can now substitute contestants in 2018 NMSQ Meanwhile, the Atiwa District Education Director Mr. Ampofo is assisting in investigating the incident after he was accused of receiving the registration fees of the affected students. In a related development, some residents who live near the school have called on the Ghana Education Service to close down the school over the misconduct of some of its teachers. According to the star actress, she is still very much in a relationship with her white boyfriend. Yvonne has been dating the London-based Welsh photographer for the past few years, having made their relationship public over a year ago. The pair are even blessed with a lovely daughter called Ryn, who theyve both often flaunted on social media. READ ALSO: Yvonne Nelson dares Ibrah One However, several reports in the local media suggested the lovers have encountered problems in their relationship in recent times which has led to their separation. It was reported that their fall out had been so serious that the both unfollowed each other on Instagram. According to her, she has never followed Jamie on Instagram, explaining the photographer's social media handle is meant for business and not for relationships. Alfred Obeng Boateng was fired by the President last Wednesday (June 6, 2018). No reason was given for his dismissal. However, it is thought that the many controversies that occurred during his term of office at BOST could be the reason for his dismissal. READ ALSO: Metro TV resumes operations after paying part of tax arrears During his tenure, there were allegations of the sale of contaminated fuel which led to the country losing some GHs 7 million and the sale of fuel at considerable discounts to private companies in deals that smacks of corruption. The Minority Spokesperson on Mines and Energy, Adam Mutawakilu told Accra-based Citi FM that his dismissal should open a new page for investigations into the 5 million liters contaminated fuel, the two parcels of crude that were discounted at $2 each [instead of $5]. Mr Obeng Boateng was not the only Chief Executive of a state agency who was fired by the President on Wednesday. The Chief Executives for the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Paul Ansah Asare, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Felix Anyah, and Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Gifty Klenam were all dismissed on the same day. President Akufo-Addo also fired the 2 deputies of Gifty Klenam. Their names are Eric Amoako Twum and Sayibu Akilu. The President also announced replacements for the sacked BOST MD and the Ports and Harbours boss. There was a disagreement over the legitimacy of the chief performing the traditional rites. READ ALSO: Eddie Doku denies receiving bribe even though he was captured An eyewitness told Accra-based Citi FM that one of the feuding factions hired some Konkombas who were having cutlasses and guns. The police have arrested 13 suspects in connection with the clashes. However, the eyewitness said that there were a number of masked men with weapons who were not arrested by police. He said that those men managed to evade police. The Ga Traditional Council placed a ban on drumming and noise making from May 8th to June 8th, 2017. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Kathmandu, June 8 The preliminary feasibility study for the proposed Raxaul-Kathmandu railway has begun on Friday. Nepals Department of Railways says a team comprising technicians from India and Nepal are carrying out the study. In the first phase of the study, they will observe a place in Chobhar of Kathmandu where a railway station is proposed, according to the Departments senior engineer Prakash Bhakta Upadhyaya. Meanwhile, the Nepal government has put on hold the process it had begun to recruit a company for the project after Indian government told Kathmandu that it would cover all the costs. The railway will be 113 kilometre long. Around 20 per cent of it will be tunnels and bridges. The report of preliminary study is expected within next three months. After that, the detailed project report will be prepared. It will take take 15 months. Even if everything goes well, the actual construction will begin after around two years only. Their threat follows the dismissal of the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority. Paul Asare Ansah was relieved of his post by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday. According to Joy news reasons for Mr Ansahs removal are not readily known. However, reports suggest that the dismissal was caused by a recent misunderstanding between workers' union of the Ports Authority and Board Chair, Peter Mac Manu. But the Board Chairman denied all the allegations and asked his lawyers to write to the leaders of the union demanding a retraction and apology, failure to which will make him sue them. Reports suggest that Mr Ansah was present at the press conference by the workers' union where the allegations against Mr Mac Manu were detailed, pitching him firmly against the Board Chairman who is a former Chairman of the But the Asuogyaman NPP executives are unhappy with the development. They said their native has been sacrificed for no offence. The 42-year-old anti-corruption campaigner ruffled many feathers as he sought to clean up the former Soviet country's fiscal and customs services. Supported by global donors including the International Monetary Fund, his dismissal is expected to raise concern among Ukraine's lenders and foreign governments. In another crucial development, earlier on Thursday the parliament approved in the second and final reading a draft law to create an anti-corruption court -- a key IMF condition for it to distribute more aid to Ukraine. President Petro Poroshenko hailed the move as a "victory for Ukraine" after 315 lawmakers supported the legislation, with just 25 voting against. "I believe this is a historic day," Poroshenko said in parliament. Ukrainian lawmaker Sergiy Leshchenko expressed hope on Twitter that the creation of the anti-corruption court would "restore the confidence of international financial institutions and support the hryvnya," the country's currency. Ukraine's Western allies have long called on Kiev to reform the country's kleptocratic system and create an independent court to handle corruption cases. But the IMF and the World Bank have in the past criticised Ukraine's draft legislation for the anti-corruption court, saying it was not in line with Western recommendations. There was no immediate reaction from Kiev's foreign allies on the adoption of the legislation. "International partners of Ukraine will most likely need more time to scrutinise amendments to the bill adopted today," a Kiev-based Western source told AFP. CNNs food show host, Anthony Michael "Tony" Bourdain visited Lagos, Nigeria before he died on Friday, June 8, 2018, at the age of 61. CNN confirmed the celebrity chef's death saying the cause of death was suicide. The American celebrity chef, author, and television personality visited some parts of Africa that include Nigeria, Senegal, Congo, Tunisia, and Tanzania for his award-winning cooking show, Parts Unknown. After his visit to Lagos, Nigeria in 2017, Bourdain had a brief chat with a colleague and The Lead show host, Jake Tapper and here are the five things he said about Lagos, the people and the country. The oil money doesnt trickle down The oil money doesn't trickle down, I mean there is a lot of oil money but the people who control that oil money is beyond sharing and it tends to stay within a circle of cronies and not spread around. Lagosians have wild entrepreneurial skills I have never been any place where I have seen wild entrepreneurial, positive thinking, a go-go unrestrained capitalism completely out of the purvey control of the government. Everybody in Lagos, 20 million people, these people understand that government isn't going to provide them with anything so they somehow provide themselves with power, water, all basic services and you gotta hustle in Nigeria and they do and their positive attitude is unlike anything I have ever seen anywhere. Computer Village in Lagos is a $100 million business community There is an area of Lagos that I believe there is as much as $100 million business going on in that place called computer village. It's a bunch of people selling from phone covers to phone cases, electronic equipment, kids started coming from the provinces without even a high school education, learn from reputation on the streets how to fix phones with their own tools, start their own electronic stores and more legit but the difference between taxpaying legitimate business and street business is completely permeable but this is a huge, huge generator or untapped revenue all self-built. Bourdain says area boys administer law and order in Lagos To some extent, law and order is administered largely by people called area boys, who work hand in hand with the police in what kind of look like what the old bosses used to be like in the early days of New York politics, the people who run and administer the street and tax everyone from pedestrians to cab drivers and bus drivers and they are street gangs. Nigerias pepper soup is amazing The Nigerian pepper soup is amazing. From everything I had was spicy very delicious. Bourdains death According to CNN, Bourdain was in France working on an upcoming episode of his award-winning CNN series, "Parts Unknown." Bourdain was found unresponsive in his hotel room by close friend and French chef, Eric Ripert. In a statement by CNN, Bourdain was described as a lover of great adventure and new friends. "It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain. His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. With a population estimated at 14,842,000 in 2018, according to the World Population Review, the Lagos metropolis can be referred to as a megacity in line with the United Nations definition. The United Nations defines a megacity as a city with a population of 10 million or more people. However, Lagos is doing very little about its drainage problem which is a major concern for its over 14 million residents, a figure that is estimated to shoot up to over 24 million by 2030. The World Atlas reports that due to their high populations, megacities face several challenges that include but not limited to crime, energy and material resources, homelessness, and traffic congestion. Lagos, an emerging megacity is faced with the challenge of managing waste generation and disposal. The UK Independent reports that a total of 6,000 tonnes of solid waste is generated per day in the metropolis. ALSO READ: Lagos is trying to become a megacity, and it is losing the plot in the process Bad drainage system damaging the megacity narrative Compared to major megacities like Tokyo, New York, Paris, Berlin, and Bangkok, that also have challenges, Lagos poor drainage system is damaging its megacity-narrative which the state government is presenting to the world. Quartz Africa reports that with the Lagos drainage system - mostly poorly planned and, in some places, non-existent - flooding has become a costly annual experience for residents of the metropolis. The state government has continued to heap the blame on houses and office structures built without proper and legal city permits as well as poorly planned drainage systems. The government has further cited the residents poor waste disposal habits as another reason for the repeated flood as most of the streets are littered with waste which often ends up blocking street drainages and causing a flood. ALSO READ: Lagos Landfill can generate 25 megawatts of electricity Environmentalist Even the highbrow areas are not left out The Lagos flood is no respecter of social class. From Lagos Island, a major business district, to highbrow Victoria Island, Ikoyi, and Lekki, floods have been a recurring problem. Even with the paved roads in these areas, the streets get flooded no thanks to shallow, dirt-littered street gutters, which are sometimes blocked. In the last incident in July 2017, some of the worst-hit areas include most expensive residential and commercial real estate in neighborhoods like Victoria Island and Lekki. How we intend to battle flood - Gov Ambode In a report by Vanguard in 2017, the incumbent governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode reeled out his administrations plans to battle flood in the city. He said there was more urgent need to embark upon a review and re-engineering of the canals and drainage systems in the state. According to Ambode, this must be pursued hand in hand with a clear and crystal re-envisioning of the water management system. For the past few days, the state and indeed most parts of Nigeria, have witnessed torrential rainfall which is quite unprecedented. We have witnessed our most prime estates flooded with water; we have seen our roads taken over by floods, and we have painfully watched how many homesteads have literally become pools. These indeed are trying times for any government, especially our own administration, which has determinedly pursued massive infrastructural development, to improve standards of living of our citizenry, Ambode said. ALSO READ: Lagos ranks 30th in list of cities of the world for quality of life The governor further said that his administration would be stronger in enforcing physical planning laws, especially those building illegally on canals and blocking the free-flow of water across the state. Ambode also said his administration would reinvigorate its campaign against the dumping of refuse by citizens into canals. The National President of the students union, Comrade Chinonso Obasi said this on Thursday, June 7, 2018, during a media briefing on the state of education and nation in Abuja. Obasi said NANS plays some important roles to ensure the Federal Government meets the demands of the university union. ASUU strike is usually politicised Obasi also said Nigerian lecturers' industrial actions are usually politicised. He therefore, said that NANS will not give ASUU another opportunity if they are not properly consulted. ALSO READ: 15 courses you can no longer study in Nigerian University He said: ASUU must not be politicising strikes; they must also know that strike is not the only option for them to achieve what they want. ''We made a strong warning to ASUU not to give them any other solidarity if they embark on strike if we are not properly consulted. If you want to embark on this strike, properly carry along the students leaders so that they can also be in the same direction with you. As of now, we are not aware that their demands have not been met because they dont also value the fact that we always play role in getting what they want.'' The students union president also attributed falling standard of education in Nigeria to ASUU's incessant and prolonged strikes. Silas is the founder of Reach Robotics. Based in Bristol, England, the company has created the worlds first augmented reality gaming robots. In 2017, Silas and his team broke new ground by signing an exclusive sales deal with global technology giant, Apple. Silas was born in Nigeria. He lived here till he was 11 when his family moved to the UK. There, he studied at the University of West England, where he graduated with a 1st Class in Robotics. He then held a residency, a sort of mandatory internship for graduates, at the Pervasive Media Studio, a community of over 100 artists, creative companies, technologists and academics who explore experience design and creative technology. Silas' focus project for the duration of the residency was a collection of small robots he called "Mekamonsters" What are the Meka-Monsters? Reach Robotics' Mekamons, as they are also called, are small robots that combine augmented reality with real-life action. The plastic robots are controlled using an app that is compatible with both iOs and Android devices. The app creates the virtual world in which the robot interacts. Gamers can customise their robots using special weapons and shields. ALSO READ: Meet the young Nigerians who sold the Super Eagles jersey to the world From Pervasive, Silas and the Reach Robotics team were accepted into Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator, a program for young technology startups in San Diego, USA. Silas would later say of his time there, "I felt we were at a stage where we needed acceleration, we'd built some proof of concept robots and proved that we could solve some of the challenges that were stopping products like this coming to market. For the next stage, we needed mentorship and experience, specifically based around hardware startups and robotics companies." Techstar's business savvy and the technical experience offered by Qualcomm, one of the biggest tech manufacturing companies in the world, was exactly what they were looking for. From there, Reach Robotics began to cover ground as a robotics company of its own. In July 2017, the company raised 7.5 million dollars in funding to help build stronger, better robots. An Apple a Day Then, in November, Apple came calling. "I demoed to (Apple) at GDC. One of our investors set up a meeting and they loved it. At the time, I didnt know they were going to announce ARKit. When I saw it, it made sense. It was the right direction., he told TechCrunch of the lead-up to their Apple deal. Late that month, Apple announced that it had signed a deal with Reach to exclusively distribute its robots in Apple Stores. What this means for the young startup is a wider reach, an important nod of approval and importantly, the chance of money. That Apple is willing to get in bed with such a young company is a sign that they're doing something right. The distribution end of the deal also means that Reach's robots will be on sale in all of Apple's stores. As of December 2017, the company has 499 of these worldwide. For Reach, those are 499 new markets, each with interested buyers and the possibility of thousands and millions of dollars in sales. Augmented Reality has been heralded as the future of gaming and live experiences. Al-Makura, represented by his deputy Mr Silas Agara announced this at a ceremony in Lafia adding that his administration was committed to decongesting prisons in the state. He said government was concerned over growing number of inmates across the five prisons in the state, saying that the administration would partner relevant agencies to ensure the prisons were decongested. The gesture is aimed at achieving dual purpose of decongesting prisons in the state as well as providing opportunities for the freed prisoners to reunite with their loved ones for proper reintegration into the society, Al-Makura said. The governor noted that acts of criminality were threats to the internal security of any nation, hence the enactment of laws and appropriate sanctions for offenders in order to ensure a safe society. However, we must realise the need for reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of errant citizens so that punishment does not become counter-productive. It is in this connection that when our attention was recently drawn to the case of prison inmates, who deserve the state prerogative of mercy and those convicted with option of fines but could not pay, we decided to intervene, Al-Makura said. He said the inmates being granted pardon had shown improvement in their conducts and character in the course of serving their jail terms. Al-Makura urged the freed inmates to accept their experience as part of destiny and to engage in productive venture after returning home. Also speaking, the state Chief Judge, Justice Suleiman Dikko, charged the freed inmates to desist from acts capable of returning them back to prison. Dikko, was represented by Justice Mustapha Rahman. Meanwhile, Mr Elijah Wase, one of the freed inmates, who was serving a 21-year jail term for armed robbery, expressed gratitude to God and the state governor for granting him pardon. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he had already spent two out of his 21-year jail term. I give God all the glory for what he has done in my life today, out of the five of us involved in the robbery operation, four were killed and I survived by the mercy of God. Amaechi said this at the sideline of the inspection of the Dualisation of the East-West road in Rivers on Friday. He urged the youths in the region to be peaceful and stop kidnapping those on assignment to develop the region. The minister explained that the issue of kidnapping of contractors on site was prominent in the region compared to other regions, which had increased the engagement of security personnel on site projects and cost. Amaechi, however, noted that the Federal Government wont wait for a particular region to be peaceful before embarking on development projects, saying that there are other regions that need developmental projects. I am not too happy with the militancy, you will see every contractor with soldiers and police and that is not the right thing to do. I am working as the Minister for Transportation on Lagos-Ibadan and no army or police is attached to the Chinese. Nobody is kidnapping them, no communal clashes, nobody is harassing them. But here, once you bring one project management everybody gathers. We must tell our young men that it cannot continue. If we do, other parts of the country will leave us behind. In the cabinet, nobody is looking at your face, they are looking at the country and if any part is not ready for development, other parts wont wait for them. You cannot tell anybody from Igbo land to wait until you develop south-south, or anybody from Sokoto to wait until you develop Rivers state, no way, he said. Abiola was the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election that was annulled by then-military Head of State, GeneralIbrahim Badamosi Babangida. He was imprisoned in 1994 where he died in custody under suspicious circumstances on July 7, 1998, four years after his arrest. In a press statement released on Wednesday, June 6, 2018, President Buhari bestowed the highest honour of the land on MKO to symbolise his contribution to the nation's democratic history. He also disclosed that June 12, the 1993 election date, will replace May 29 as the official Democracy Day because it's a more symbolic date. Buhari also awarded Abiola's running mate Baba Gana Kingibe with a Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), an award he also bestowed on the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) for his human rights agitation for the actualisation of the June 12th elections. Atiku has added his voice to the many reactions that have trailed the announcement, taking to his Twitter account on Friday, June 8, to say Abiola deserves the honour while also commending Buhari for rewarding his sacrifice. He posted, "I rejoice with the Abiola family over the recognition bestowed on its late patriarch, Chief MKO Abiola; my friend and political ally and acclaimed winner of June 12 1993 elections, better known as June 12. The symbolic honor done his memory and the struggle he died for is commendable." Atiku's presidential journey since 1993 Atiku was an aspirant vying for the presidential ticket of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) before he lost out to Abiola who won the national election that was eventually annulled. Since then, he served as Nigeria's vice president between 1999 and 2007, lost the presidential election in 2007, and lost in two presidential primary elections in 2011, with the People's Democratic Party (PDP), and 2015, with the All Progressives' Congress (APC), to Goodluck Jonathan and Buhari respectively, both eventual winners. The President on Wednesday, June 6, awarded Abiola posthumously the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) title. He also declared June 12 as the official Democracy Day instead of May 29, stating that June 12 is more symbolic. However, some prominent Nigerians, including a former chief judge, Alfa Belgore, had criticised the national honour, saying it is illegal to confer such title on a dead person. But Falana said Buhari can confer national honour deserving Nigerian, dead or alive. "With profound respect to the Honourable Justice Alfa Belgore, the National Honours Act has not prohibited or restricted the powers of the president to confer national honours on deserving Nigerian citizens, dead or alive", Falana said. "No doubt, paragraph 2 of the Honours Warrant made pursuant to the National Honours Act provides that a person shall be appointed to a particular rank of an order when he receives from the president in person, at an investiture held for the purpose But paragraph 3 thereof has given the president the unqualified discretion to dispense with the requirement of paragraph 2 in such manner as may be specified in the direction. "Therefore, since the national awards conferred on Chief Abiola and Chief Fawehinmi cannot be received by them in person the president may permit their family members to receive same on their behalf." The human rights lawyer also reacted to June 12 holiday declaration by Buhari. He said the President has the constitutional right to "appoint a special day to be kept as a public holiday". "Furthermore, section 2 (1) of the Public Holidays Act stipulates that in addition to the holidays mentioned in the schedule to the act, the president may appoint a special day to be kept as a public holiday either throughout Nigeria or in any part thereof. It is crystal clear that the president is not required by law to seek and obtain the approval of the national assembly before declaring a public holiday in the country," Falana added. Kathmandu, June 8 Nepal Student Union, the student-wing of Nepali Congress, staged a protest against the governments decision to increase the price of consumable goods and fuel, in front of Tri-Chandra Campus on Friday. Vehicluar movement was obstructed in Durbar Marg area as the students demonstrated with placards demanding withdrawal of such decision. The student-wing had also staged a semi-nude protest in front of the Kathmandu District Administration Office last Friday. They had also burned an effigy of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in Lalitpur last Saturday. The Nepal Oil Corporation had increased the prices of petrol, diesel, keroscene, and aviation fuel by Rs 3 last week. Also to be honoured are late prominent lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi and Babagana Kingibe, Abiola's running mate in the 1993 election. Abiola will be given the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) title while Gani will get the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) and the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) title will be conferred on Kingibe. According to a statement released by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, the pro-democracy heroes will be honour an investiture scheduled to take place on Tuesday, June 12, 2018 at the Conference Hall, State House, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Read full statement below: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HONOURS JUNE 12 PRO-DEMOCRACY HEROES Following the historic designation of June 12 as DEMOCRACY DAY and NATIONAL HOLIDAY, Muhammadu Buhari, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, will confer Post-Humous national honours on Chief M.K.O. Abiola as Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), Chief Gani Fawehinmi as the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). He will also decorate Ambassador Babagana Kingibe with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), at an investiture scheduled to take place as follows:- DATE: Tuesday, June 12 2018 VENUE: Conference Hall, State House, Aso Rock Villa, AbujaTIME: 10.00 am 2. Accordingly, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe , the family of the late Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola and that of Chief Gani Fawehinmi , along with the underlisted key players of June 12 struggle are cordially invited: Members of the National Executive Committee of the SDP including States Chairmen and Secretaries at the time of June 12, 1993 Governors elected under SDP platform Former Senate Presidents Iyorchia Ayu and Ameh Ebute and Speaker Agunwa Anekwe along with Principal Officers of the National Assembly elected under SDP platform Speakers of the States Assembly elected under SDP platform All Chairmen of the States Traditional Councils from the six South-Western States Prof. Wole Soyinka Mr. Femi Falana, SAN Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Chief Bisi Akande Ms. Ayo Obe Bayo Onanuga The News Kunle Ajibade Tempo Nosa Igiebor Tell Kayode Komolafe Media Hope 93 Senator Janathan Zwingina DG Hope 93 Comrade Frank Ovie Kokori Prof. Humphrey Nwosu 3. Also invited are Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogora, Principal Officers of the National Assembly, Members of the Federal Executive Council and all State Governors. 4. Accommodation has been reserved for all invitees at the NICON Luxury Hotel, Tafawa Balewa Way, area 11, Garki, Abuja from Monday, 11th June 2018. For further inquiries please contact William Alo, Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by telephone on +234 803 585 4332. The Bank's Customers and the General Public are hereby kindly urged to disregard these false statements as nothing could be further from the truth. There was no directive or Order issued by Supreme Court of Nigeria to the Bank to make any payment to any of its debtor Customers The Bank as a highly responsible corporate citizen will in accordance with its culture and tradition refrain from making comments about on-going litigation matters and will continue to focus on using legal means to recover its bad debts. It must be emphasised that the Bank remains undeterred in its recovery drive against recalcitrant debtors. We again reiterate that there is no iota of truth in the falsehood being peddle by desperate and mischievous elements and the General Public should disregard same in its entirety. APC spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, gave charge in a statement made available to on Friday, June 8, 2018. The APC commended President Buhari over the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day and the subsequent conferment of the posthumous award of Nigerias highest national honour -- Grand Commander of the Federal Republic. The ruling party noted that Kudirat had paid the supreme price with her assassination in Lagos on June 4, 1996. The APC wants Kudirat honoured as a heroin of democracy for mobilizing Nigerians against the military rule that her husbands mandate was not lost. The APC also lauded the honour of Abiolas running mate, Babagana Kingibe, and late human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) with the second highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON). The statement reads: "While joining Nigerians from all walks of life in commending President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring June 12 as Democracy Day as well as granting posthumous award of Nigerias highest national honour (Grand Commander of the Federal Republic) to Moshood Abiola, winner of the annulled presidential election of June 12, 1993, the All Progressives Congress (APC) calls on the President to consider granting similar honour on Alhaja Kudirat Abiola. "The APC believes that Alhaja Kudirat Abiola who paid the supreme price with her assassination in Lagos on June 4, 1996 at the heat of the mobilisation for the restoration of her husbands mandate as the winner of the 1993 presidential election, deserves to be honoured in her own right as a heroin and martyr of democracy in Nigeria. "APC recall how she mobilised market women, students, activists and other human rights community against military rule and the struggle for a truly democratic nation. "The Party equally commend the decision to honour Abiolas running mate, Babagana Kingibe, and late human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi SAN with the second highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON). "In taking this courageous and patriotic decision, the President has again displayed a sincerity of purpose and his well-known penchant for doing the right thing irrespective of political and sundry considerations. As a Party, we remain resolved in our struggle to deepen our democracy and continue to improve on the transparency and credibility of our electoral systems. We reiterate that regardless of its imperfections, democracy remains the best form of government that can best serve the interest of our people. "We affirm that this decision by President Buhari yet again exemplifies APCs commitment to the sanctity of popular elections and respect for the right of the people to freely choose their leaders in accordance to that fundamental principle of democracy that no man has the right to exercise power over other men, except with their consent." Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to announce the result of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections. The former president made the sensational claim in a press statement signed by his spokesperson, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Friday, June 8, 2018. Obasanjo alleged that Buhari's administration has an active plan to indefinitely detain him by using false witnesses and documents to frame him. According to him, he caught wind of the plot after he was tipped off by several reliable security sources who have told him that he's on a government watchlist and that the security of his life cannot be guaranteed. Comparing the alleged plot to something more likely to be seen during the era of military dictator, Sani Abacha, Obasanjo said it largely involves making the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reopen investigation into the activities of his administration. The former president alleged that the current witch hunt against him is fueled by his wave of criticism against Buhari starting with his scathing statement in January where he failed the president's administration and called on him to step down after his first term. Obasanjo also compared the alleged plot to the criminal allegations hanging over the head of current senate president, Bukola Saraki, who has been accused of being the political sponsor of a criminal gang that killed 33 people during a robbery operation in Offa, Kwara, in April. The statement read, "Since Chief Olusegun Obasanjo declared in his State-of-the-Nation Special Statement on January 23, 2018, the desperation to frustrate, intimidate and blackmail him into abandoning his divine mandate to protect the rights of the people to better life and living continued unabated and has even taken a bizarre dimension. "Impeccable security sources have alleged Chief Obasanjo's name is on their Watch List and that the security of his life cannot be guaranteed. "Ordinarily, we would not have dignified these reports with a response but for the fact that many of these informants are not known for flippant and frivolous talks. Secondly, this government has demonstrably exhibited apathy, and in some cases, encouraged by its conduct, daily loss of lives and property in many states of the country, the office cannot be indifferent. "We are currently in a nation where the Number Three citizen is currently being harangued and the Number Four citizen is facing similar threat within the same government they serve. There is a groundswell of our nationals that live in fear that they could be hounded, harassed, maimed or even killed as the battle for 2019 takes this worrisome dimension. "For Chief Obasanjo, this is a joke carried too far and being someone who do not act on unofficial information, he had cautioned all informants and adopted a wait-and-see attitude to the bestial propositions allegedly being contemplated to cow, cage and embarrass him. "The content of the alleged beastly designs, it was learnt are two-fold for now. One, to seize his international passport and clamp him into detention indefinitely, in order to prevent him from further expressing angst on the pervasive mediocrity in the quality of governance, economic management and in the protection of lives and property by the government. "But, since that could expose the government to a swath of international condemnation, embarrassment and outrage, it is said that another plot being hatched is to cause the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to re-open investigation into the activities of Chief Obasanjo's administration using false witnesses and documents. This will be a re-enactment of the Abacha era in which Chief Obasanjo was one of the principal victims. "The same EFCC that had conducted a clinical investigation on the activities of Obasanjo in and out of government, it was said, would now be made to stand down the existing report that gave Chief Obasanjo a clean bill of health on the probes are now to get him indicted, fair or foul for possible prosecution and persecution like it is being done to real and perceived opponents, enemies and critics of this Government." I'm ready to face EFCC - Obasanjo Obasanjo, who was president between 1999 and 2007, noted that it is regrettable that the current government is targeting its perceived enemies in a bid to silence opposition voices with blackmail and Gestapo-tactics. He said he's ready to face an independent and credible probe and promised to remain undeterred in his mission to rescue Nigeria from a terrible government that has torn Nigerians apart. The statement read, "Dissent is a fundamental principle on which liberal democracy is predicated. A true democrat must be ready to live with and accommodate dissent and opposition. While it is regrettable how the government has sunk in its shameless desperation to cow opposition, a resort to blackmail, despotism and Gestapo-tactics being employed by the goons of this government would not hold water. And no government ever remains in power forever. "For the record, Chief Obasanjo reiterates his readiness to face probe again after that of the House of Representatives, the Senate, the ICPC, and the EFCC, but before an independent, objective and credible panel of enquiry to account for his stewardship in Government and beyond. "Chief Obasanjo reiterates that he has taken a principled position to ensure that the ship of the Nigerian State does not capsize and he remains steadfast in his resolve to turn the tide of maladministration, poor economic management and rudderless governance model that has tore Nigerians apart on account of religion and ethnicity which is a great threat to our democracy. "We would like the government and its supporters to understand that no amount of campaign of calumny, no matter how well contrived, orchestrated or marketed would deter Chief Obasanjo from calling a spade by its name. Chief Obasanjo is a patriot whose sole agenda is to ensure that the country's unity, progress and democracy are not negotiated on the altar of incompetence and provincialism and mediocrity. "It is important to point out that Chief Obasanjo is one former President and Head of State who has engaged the current administration privately and in a bilateral manner on several issues of direct interest to the government and other matters of national concern. That channel of private engagement remains open and continues. However, should there be the need for public engagement, the right to free speech will always be exercised and jealously guarded, again in the best interest of Nigeria and the government." Obasanjo vs Buhari Obasanjo's war of words with Buhari started when he publicly condemned the president's administration in January and asked him to not seek re-election in next year's election. In that 13-page statement titled, "The Way Out: A Clarion Call for Coalition for Nigeria Movement", Obasanjo also expressed his lost hope in the ability of the ruling All Progressives' Congress (APC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to provide Nigeria with the initiative it needs to progress. He subsequently launched the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) which he said would be a movement of all well-meaning Nigerians that will engage in democratic practices that will drive Nigeria forward and be a source of hope for all Nigerians. That movement has recently adopted the as its political platform to install a new political class in the 2019 general elections. With Obasanjo constantly criticising Buhari since that January statement, the most high-profile clash between the two happened in May when the president raised questions over the $16 billion allegedly spent on power projects during Obasanjo's administration. While speaking at the Presidential Villa on May 22, 2018, Buhari remarked, "One of the former Heads of State was bragging that he spent more than 15 billion USD on power in Nigeria. Where is the power?" Nine police officers and 24 others lost their lives when a group of around 30 armed robbers attacked Union Bank, Eco Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank and Ibolo Micro Finance Bank,as well as the Owode Police Stationin Offa on April 5, 2018. When 15 of the suspects were paraded on Sunday, June 3, alleged mastermind, Ayodele Akinnibosun (aka, AY), confessed that Saraki and Kwara state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, are his political sponsors. He said, "I am the chairman of Liberation Youths Movement, Kwara South. My involvement with the senate president is we're his boys; we work for him at Kwara South. We're the ones that hold Kwara South for him. We've been working for him since he was Governor of Kwara. "We mobilise and do political arrangement there (Kwara South). For example, where we can't win, we make dabaru (disruptive) arrangement there; we scatter elections if we don't win." Even though the Police initially invited the senate president to show up at the Force Intelligence Response Team office in Guzape, Abuja for questioning, Saraki revealed on Monday, June 4, that he'd been asked to instead respond to the allegations in writing within 48 hours. On Wednesday, June 7, he took to his Twitter account to announce that he has sent a letter to the police in response to the allegations. He posted, "In line with their request, earlier today, the Police received my response to their letter on the investigation into the Offa robbery case." ALSO READ: Watch footage of Offa bank robbery that claimed over 30 lives Fallout of allegations againt Saraki Since he was accused of links to the criminal gang, Saraki presided over a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, June 5, with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and lawmakers reaffirmed a vote of no confidence passed on the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris. On Wednesday, the police announced that the senate president has been implicated by two more political thugs who have admitted to working for him. Lasun declared his intention to contest the September 22 governorship election in Osun state on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), on Thursday, June 7, 2018. Addressing a crowd of his supporters at the secretariat of the party in Osogbo, Yusuf said the people of Osun State are ready to hand him their votes as the next governor of Osun State. Lasun reiterated the need for a free, fair and transparent primary electionand appealed to the party leadership not to impose any aspirant as the candidate of the party so as to avoid unwarranted crisis in the party. Not leaving APC Yusuf also used the opportunity to debunk insinuations that he was planning to dump the APC. The Deputy Speaker said he is a major stakeholder in the APC and that he would remain in the party to actualise his dream of becoming the next governor of the State. Im not just contesting in the forthcoming governorship election in the state, I have come to tell you that Im the next governor of this state after by the grace of God. If the primary election of our party is free, fair and transparent, I can assure you that I will win the ticket and the people of Osun State will vote for APC when the party presents me for the election in September", Lasun said. Commending Aregbesola 61-year-old Rauf Aregbesola will see his eight years as governor of the Southwest State come to an end in the summer and Lasun has promised to continue with Aregbesola's programs because he considers them laudable. Yusuf commended Aregbesola for the strides his administration has scored in the past seven and a half years and promised that he would consolidate Aregbesolas youth empowerment programme known as Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES). When I become the governor of Osun, I will consolidate the OYES programme to reduce unemployment among the youths in the state. We will engage the youths particularly through agriculture. Im one of the owners of the biggest farms in Osun State today and I want our youths to develop interest in agriculture. I will deploy majority of the OYES cadets to farms. So, any youth that is not ready to go to farm may not need to come to us because I will also be going to farm myself. The Chairman of Osun APC, Prince Gboyega Famodun commended Yusuf for his contributions to the party and assured him that the candidate of the party for the election will be chosen through a very transparent process. Famodun admonished the aspirant to play his politics with all sense of humility and urged him to heed both the public and private advice he has been handed. If it is the will of God for you to be the governor, so be it, but one thing that is sure is that it is only one person that will pick the partys ticket for the election, Famodun said. 27 aspirants on the platform of the APC have so far expressed their intention to contest the party's primary ahead of the governorship election. The APC governorship primary in Osun has been slated for July 7, 2018. Lasun's parliamentary career 57-year-old Yusuf Lasun was elected Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, June 9, 2015, at the inauguration of the 8th House. Lasun has however been a member of Nigeria's federal parliament since 2011. He represents the Irepodun/Olurunda/Osogbo/Orolu constituency of Osun State in the House of Representatives. "Our mandate ends in 2020," Nkurunziza said in a speech to supporters and diplomats in the central city of Gitega. Describing himself as "Guide" of the ruling CNDD-FDD party and referring to himself in the third person, the 54-year-old president said he would not seek re-election at the end of his current, controversial third term. In power since 2005, Nkurunziza's decision to run for re-election in 2015 plunged Burundi into a deep and deadly political crisis, with opponents saying his candidacy went against a peace deal that had ended more than a decade of civil war. Turmoil since then has killed 1,200 people, forced 400,000 to flee their homes and triggered an investigation by the International Criminal Court. Nkurunziza's third term has been characterised by growing authoritarianism, intimidation and abuse, according to human rights groups. Many political opponents have left the country for safety, while a sustained campaign against the press has forced most independent journalists also to leave. 'Enemy claims' Last month Burundians voted overwhelmingly in a referendum in favour of constitutional changes, including extending presidential terms to seven years. The reforms also placed greater power in the hands of the president and was seen by critics as a death blow for the Arusha peace deal, signed in 2000. The changes were widely seen as a move paving the way for Nkurunziza to run for a further two terms under the new dispensation, allowing him to rule until 2034. But on Thursday Nkurunziza said that was not his plan. "The new constitution has not been tailored for Pierre Nkurunziza, as our enemies claim," he said. "As far as I am concerned, I am preparing to support, with all my strength, the new president who we are going to elect in 2020." A diplomat based in Burundi, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the announcement as a "nice political move". "It remains to be seen how sincere he is because he is the one who launched the revision of the constitution and said he would be willing to run again if the people demanded it. He said after three years of crisis that have hit the economy hard, Nkurunziza "needed to give something to the international community to try and bring back financing." In neighbouring Rwanda, President Paul Kagame held a constitutional referendum in 2015, insisting it was not about his own desire to stay in power. However, he gave into what he said was the people's will and ran successfully for a third term two years later and is now permitted to vie until 2034. The opposition took Nkurunziza's announcement with a pinch of salt. "He is no longer immune, his regime is no longer immune. If he fires at us, as we've just demonstrated, we will destroy his forces," the Israeli leader said at an event organised by the Policy Exchange think tank in London. Last month, Israel launched a large-scale attack on purported Iranian targets in Syria following what it said was a barrage of rockets fired by Iran from the country toward its forces in the occupied Golan Heights. Even before that, Israel had been blamed for a series of recent strikes inside Syria that killed Iranians, though it has not acknowledged them. "Syria has to understand that Israel will not tolerate the Iranian military entrenchment in Syria against Israel," Netanyahu added. "The consequences are not merely to the Iranian forces there but to the Assad regime as well," he said, adding: "I think it's something that he should consider very seriously". Netanyahu is on a three-day European tour -- visiting Berlin and Paris earlier this week -- marked by strategic differences on Iran, as its leaders attempt to rescue the nuclear deal after US withdrawal in May. He met Wednesday with British Prime Minister Theresa May, who reiterated London's "firm commitment" to the accord, according to Downing Street. But the Israeli leader said Thursday "the weight of the American economy" was already dooming "this very bad agreement". "It's a done deal -- in the other meaning of the word," he added, noting companies were already pulling out of Iran under threat of damaging US sanctions. "You have to choose whether to do business with Iran, or forego doing business with the United States... that's a no-brainer and everybody's choosing it effectively as we speak." Netanyahu said he had reiterated his dislike for the 2015 deal, which offers sanctions relief in exchange for strict limits on Iran's nuclear activities. However, the focus of his discussions in Europe had been on reducing Iran's presence in Syria, he added. "I found considerable agreement on that goal." At the same time, he criticised his European hosts for an outdated approach to the region. Netanyahu said Iranian expansion had led to a "realignment" of relations with Arab states in the Middle East who also oppose Tehran -- something Britain and western Europe were "evidently not understanding". "There is a whole realignment taking place in the Middle East -- they're sort of stuck in the past," he added, displaying a map of the world with numerous countries highlighted to show Israel's "expanding diplomatic horizons". The true scenario provided the inspiration for "Srbenka", an award-winning documentary by Croatian director Nebojsa Slijepcevic about a generation born years after Croatia's 1990s conflict but still deeply affected by its legacy. Nina is a "victim of something a child should not be aware of at all -- ethnicity," Slijepcevic said in an interview with AFP. "For me, it was horrible that a child in Croatia, many years after the war... cries over not being an ethnic Croat," the Zagreb-born director said. Ethnic Serbs are still Croatia's largest minority, accounting for four percent of its 4.2 million people, and protecting their rights, as well as those of other ethnic groups, was one of the key conditions for Croatia's European Union membership in 2013. Nevertheless, there are signs of intolerance. A petition, launched by a right-wing group in May to curb the rights of ethnic Serbs and other ethnic minorities has gathered more than 390,000 signatures, or 10 percent of the electorate. 12-year-old's execution The documentary originated from a theatre play set against the backdrop of the 1991-1995 war, sparked by Croatia's proclamation of independence from Yugoslavia which rebel Serbs opposed. Slijepcevic shot the movie during rehearsals for the play, which focused on the true story of a 12-year-old ethnic Serb girl, executed in cold blood at the start of the war in Zagreb. In December 1991, members of the Croatian reserve police shot dead the father of Aleksandra Zec in front of their house and abducted and executed her and her mother hours later on a mountain above the capital. Aleksandra, hands tied behind her back, was shot six times in the head. No one was convicted of the killings, one of the most gruesome crimes committed by Croatian forces during the conflict. While attending the rehearsals in the northern port of Rijeka, Slijepcevic realised that one 12-year-old actor seemed troubled, biting her lips, and he instinctively turned his camera on the girl, whose name was Nina. "A few days later I learned her story," he said. 'Croat, not a Serb' "Of the four girl actors, she was the only ethnic Serb and remembered the exact day when she discovered she is not a Croat," he said. Aged seven, she heard it accidentally from her parents and the news was devastating -- crying for days, she feared the reaction of her schoolmates. "I wasn't glad at all... Ive tried to find ways to show to others I'm a Croat not a Serb," Nina says in the movie. "Srbenka" won the prestigious Doc Alliance Selection Award, presented during last month's Cannes film festival, but awarded by several documentary festivals. The play, directed by Oliver Frljic premiered in 2014 in Rijeka and sparked protests for depicting Serb, and not Croat victims. For many Croatians, war crimes committed by their own forces are still a difficult issue to deal with. 'Fear of being different' In the Balkan country, fear of being different is not limited to ethnic minorities, Slijepcevic said. "In Croatia it is difficult to be a minority in general -- a gay, an asylum-seeker, any minority." Incidents are not the main reason as "there are fools everywhere", the director said, adding that it was, rather, the way political leaders deal with them that caused the difficulty. In recent years, Croatia has seen a growing climate of intolerance, marked notably by hate speech against ethnic minorities. "For the fourth consecutive year, hate speech, calls to violence and its different forms, intolerance speech and historic revisionism are taking root and are still tolerated in public space and institutional communication," Croatian Serb leader Milorad Pupovac told reporters last month, presenting an annual report on ethnically motivated violence and discrimination against Serbs. Hardline conservatism in the staunchly Catholic country is also on the rise. A binding treaty safeguarding women's rights in Croatia recently provoked protests by Church-backed conservatives who argue it promotes what they call a "gender ideology" undermining the traditional family. And rights groups, anti-fascists as well as Croatian Serbs and Jews have accused authorities of tolerating pro-Nazi ideology and trivialising the role of Croatia's World War II Nazi-allied regime Mirrors social fractures "It all creates an atmosphere in which people are scared and think they should be," Slijepcevic said. But the issue is not limited to Croatia alone, he added, pointing to "xenophobia and nationalism growing in the West in the past years." "A foreign audience does not just watch a movie about relations between Croats and Serbs or Croatia and minorities but apparently sees in it a mirror of their own society in a way," Slijepcevic said. Home Just In Parties agree not to suspend lawmakers accused of criminal cases Kathmandu, June 8 After a protest from the main opposition Nepali Congress and the Madhehs-centric Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, ruling Nepal Communist Party has decided to finalise the draft of House of Representatives Regulations with a provision that lawmakers will not be suspended even if they are accused of criminal cases. Otherwise, the ruling side had proposed that parliamentarians facing criminal charges be suspended till the final verdict on the case. Owing to the difference between two sides, the Regulations have been stuck in the debate for last few months. Now, it is expected that the House will endorse it very soon. Such lawmakers, however, will be deprived of all allowances, pays and perks, according to the proposed provision. A meeting held between top leaders of major parties decided to amend the draft without using the word suspension. The draft made earlier stated that any lawmaker with a criminal case filed against him/her would face automatic suspension from the post of Member of Parliament. The ruling parties had tried to approve the draft but, the main opposition party Nepali Congress had warned of leaving the process halfway if two-thirds majority government approved the draft. The HoR regulation is being presented at its meeting for discussions this afternoon. Typically, companies that are identified as fronts in North Korea's drive for hard currency quickly disappear, sometimes resurfacing later in a new guise in what has been described as an international game of whack-a-mole. But Glocom has posted frequently on Twitter in recent weeks about its products, including Friday. Andrea Berger, a London-based researcher with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies who tracks such activity, said on Twitter it was unusual for such companies to remain so visible. She said it may be due to a desire to stick to an established brand name. "Glocom is obviously betting on the fact that prospective customers won't actually do their due diligence and spot the negative coverage of Glocom. They could be right," she wrote. "And/or this is a giant middle finger." In another post, Berger said: "@TwitterSupport, you probably want to think about closing the account of a North Korean intelligence-run front company selling military equipment. You're welcome." A UN panel of experts last year singled out Glocom in a report alleging that North Korea was routinely circumventing trade bans and banking restrictions -- invoked as punishment for its nuclear and missile programmes -- by resorting to middlemen and a complex web of front companies abroad. The report said at the time that Glocom was a Malaysia-based front company operated by Pyongyang's intelligence agency that sold North Korean-made military communications equipment to Eritrea, with suppliers in China and an office in Singapore. Glocom did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment via social media or sent to a company email. Glocom sells communication radios, radar, and surveillance equipment ranging from handheld devices to larger items that can be mounted on tanks, aircraft and ships. Several are promoted on Glocom's website in digitally-animated videos set to thumping soundtracks. The website says Glocom provides products and services for "countries and organisations around the world that safeguard territorial integrity and struggle against aggression and war". It said it had "about 200 engineers, employees and managers" in 2017. But customer value may not be a top priority, according to the UN report. Stolen from the National Library of Catalonia in Barcelona in 2004 or 2005, the document was handed over late Wednesday to the Spanish ambassador to Washington, US officials said. The thieves who took the letter had replaced it with a forgery, and the switch was only discovered by experts in 2012 after a tip from an informant that several other copies had been stolen from archives across Europe and replaced with expertly crafted fakes. The discovery sparked a seven-year international investigation that reached as far as Paris and Brasilia. Investigators found that the Barcelona copy had been sold in 2005 by Italian secondhand book dealers for 600,000 euros ($708,850), and then resold in 2011 for 900,000 euros. After "long negotiations," the letter's unidentified owner in Brazil handed it over in 2014 to US authorities, who used experts to establish its authenticity. In the letter, Columbus tells the Spanish crown everything about his first trip to America, still believing he was in the East Indies. The text begins with his departure from Puerto de Palos in Spain in August 1492 and ends when he returns to Lisbon in March 1493, seven months later. Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump are reportedly set to stay at pricey hotels -- although sanctions-hit Pyongyang will almost certainly not pay its own way. "Pyongyang has been conditioned to expect others to pay for any 'diplomatic outreach' the reclusive regime makes," Sung-Yoon Lee, a Korea expert at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, told AFP. Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said at the weekend that the wealthy city-state was willing to bear some costs to play their part in the "historic meeting". Those costs could be quite significant. Even by expensive Singapore's standards, the hotels reportedly under consideration to host Kim and his team would leave the average wallet a lot lighter. The five-star Fullerton Hotel, an imposing building on Singapore's waterfront dating back to the British colonial era, has a $6,000-a-night presidential suite that may appeal to the young leader's penchant for luxury. If that's not good enough, the St. Regis -- which lays on personal butlers for guests and has a fleet of Bentleys to chauffeur them about -- charges around $6,700 for its presidential suite. Breakfast is included. It also boasts a private art collection, with over 70 works by artists inluding Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro. There's also the matter of how Kim and his entourage might get to Singapore. While Trump's Air Force One has a range of nearly 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometres) and is entirely self-sufficient, Kim's personal jet is an ageing Soviet-made aircraft. Aviation experts have cast doubt on whether it will actually be able to make it as far as Singapore. That might mean someone else has to provide an aircraft for his exclusive use, either one from their own fleet, or a hired plane. If he wants to match Air Force One -- a Boeing 747-200 -- PrivateFly.com lists one available for rent at $17,501 per hour. 'We're Not Paying' Aside from the tentative Singaporean offer, governments have so far been publicly reluctant to offer to underwrite the affair. The US has insisted it will not foot the bill -- and is not asking anyone else to. "The United States Government is not paying for the North Korean delegation to stay. We're not paying for their expenses," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. In Seoul, a spokesman said President Moon Jae-in had no intention of putting his hand in the national pocket. But, analysts note, South Korea has bankrolled Pyongyang's attendance at previous events. For this year's Winter Olympics in the South that triggered the recent inter-Korean detente, Seoul put aside 2.86 billion won ($2.7 million) to pay for Pyongyang's high-level representatives, officials, supporters, art performers and other delegates. Seoul also paid for North Koreans to attend the 2014 and 2002 Asian Games in the South, as well as for visits by South Koreans to the North for reunions with their long-lost relatives, according to the Unification Ministry. A Nobel Winner? There are other options. This week a Nobel Prize-winning anti-nuclear group offered to help. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) said it was willing to bankroll Kim's delegation, using part of the $1.1 million cash prize it received for winning last year's Peace Prize. Travel website HotelPlanner.com has also offered to pick up the tab for Kim's hotel and meals, Newsweek reported. Ultimately, most observers think another government will step in. But for some commentators, the idea that a country cannot afford to pay a hotel bill but can spend billions of dollars on a nuclear weapons programme, is risible. John D. Groesbeck, left, and Robert M. Munoz are the two finalists to be the next president at Mesalands Community College. Two presidential finalist were selected by the Board of Trustees to visit Mesalands Community College next week to be a part of campus, public forums. "The board of trustees selected these two candidates for their potential to lead the institution," said James Streetman, trustee chair. The board to trustees made the announcement on Thursday, following an executive session held during a special meeting at Mesalands. The two candidates selected by the board of Trustees are Robert M. Munoz from Fort Worth, Texas and John D. Groesbeck from North Ogden, Utah. On Monday Munoz will meet with the board, faculty and staff in the morning and take part in a public forum at 1 p.m., in the lecture hall of the North American Wind Research and Training Center, said Kimberly Hanna, Public Relations Director. Hanna said Groesbeck with visit the college on Thursday and take part in the same activities with the public form held at 2 p.m., at the NAWRT lecture hall. Streetman said the board of trustees interviewed four semi-finalists through SKYPE interviews on May 30- June 1 in executive session during special board meetings. He said originally there were five finalist but one dropped out after accepting a position at another institute. "We look forward to meeting the two candidates, welcoming them to Mesalands and encourage the residents to attend the forums to learn more about the finalist," Streetman said. The board of trustees began the search for a new president after they accepted the resignation of then president Thomas Newsom on Feb. 20, with his last official day set for April 6. Sold Out This item is no longer available, but theres still much more to discoverkeep shopping to find something new to love! Achham, June 8 Police have taken eighteen minors and two men under control from Western Gadda Station in Kanchanpur on their way to India on Friday. Ram Bahadur Buda (53) and Ratan BK (48), along with 12 boys and three girls, were taken under control with the help of India Seema Surakshya Bal (SSB) at the Indo-Nepal border in Achham. The preliminary investigation showed that they were the residents of Dhakari Rural Municipality-7 in Achham and were being taken to the southern neighbour for job opportunities with permission from their parents. The minors have been given shelter at the Maiti Nepal as of now. According to Inspector Karna Bahadur Bam, they were being taken for job with permission from guardians, but it has not been cleared yet. PHILIPPINES: A US$474m contract for Indonesian rolling stock manufacturer PT INKA to supply four diesel multiple-units and three push-pull trainsets was signed by Philippine National Railways on May 28. Rantoul, IL (61866) Today Cloudy this morning. A few showers developing during the afternoon. High 63F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Rain showers early with clear skies overnight. Low 42F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Convicted March 26 rally participant Krepkin goes to ECHR flickr.com/Denis Simonet 10:59 08/06/2018 MOSCOW, June 8 (RAPSI) - Dmitry Krepkin, a convicted participant of the unauthorized rally held in Moscow on March 26, 2017, has filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights, his attorney Ilnur Sharapov has told RAPSI. Krepkin, who had been sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for assaulting a police officer during the rally, in his application accused Russian authorities of violation of Article 3 (Prohibition of tortures), Article 6 (Right to a fair trial) and Article 11 (Freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights. On December 8, 2017, Krepkin was found guilty of assaulting a police officer at the rally and sentenced to 1.5 years in a penal colony. In March, the Moscow City Court upheld the sentence. Earlier, several other men, Andrey Kosykh, Yury Kuliy, Alexander Shpakov and Stanislav Zimovets, and Aleksey Politikov have been convicted and sentenced for violence against law enforcement officers during the rally. Kosykh was sentenced to 4 years in prison, but later his term was reduced by 4 months. Kuliy has been given 8 months in a penal colony settlement. Shpakov received a 1.5-year prison sentence. Zimovets has been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. A 2-year prison sentence given to Politikov has not taken effect yet. The Interior Ministry reported that about 500 people had been arrested during the unauthorized rally on March 26. Overall number of people present in the area at the time was estimated at as high as 8,000 people. One of the police officers received injuries; a criminal case was launched over this incident. According to the Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny, arrested during the rally, Moscow authorities refused to greenlight the rally in the citys center and proposed alternative areas only a day before it was to take place. Navalny said that in this case Russian legislation allows organizers to hold an event at the area, which was listed first. Russian Supreme Court mitigates sentence of two Vostochny embezzlement case defendants RIA Novosti, Igor Ageenko 11:48 08/06/2018 MOSCOW, June 8 (RAPSI, Nikita Shiryayev) Russias Supreme Court on Friday mitigated the sentence of Dalspetsstroy building companys ex-CEO Yury Khrizman and his son Mikhail convicted of embezzling 5.2 billion rubles (about $83 million at the current exchange rate) during Vostochny Cosmodrome construction, RAPSI reported from the courtroom. The sentence given by the Far East District Military Court in Russias Khabarovsk was changed because of expiration of the criminal prosecutions statute of limitations. The term of Yury Khrizman was reduced to 11.5 years behind bars, and fine was decreased to 1 million rubles ($16,000). Mikhail Khrizman was released as he had been charged only with one count of crime. In February, Yury Khrizman was sentenced to 12 years in prison and a 1.5-million-ruble fine ($24,000) for abuse of office and embezzlement. His son, entrepreneur Mikhail Khrizman, head accountant Vladimir Ashihmin and former chairman of the Legislative Duma of Khabarovsk Krai Victor Chudov were also sentenced to prison terms varying from 5.5 to 7 years in prison. Mikhail Khrizman was fined 800,000 rubles ($13,000) while Chudov was fined 900,000 rubles ($15,000). According to the case documents, the defendants acting as an organized criminal group embezzled about 106 million rubles ($1.8 million) belonging to Dalspetsstroy in 2006-2009. Victims in the case are Dalspetsstroy company and Roscosmos space corporation. Investigators added that Yury Khrizman and Ashihmin abused their authority by misusing money allocated for the Cosmodrome construction and caused damage to Russia valued at 5.2 billion rubles. The construction of the space center, due to become Russia's main launch site, began in 2012. The first launch vehicle operation was carried out on April 28, 2016. Moscow court arrests in absentia Russian man detained in Greece flickr.com / Keith Allison 13:53 08/06/2018 MOSCOW, June 8 (RAPSI) Moscows Ostankinsky District Court has issued an arrest warrant in absentia for Russian citizen Alexander Vinnik detained by a Greek court on the request of the U.S. where he is charged with $4-billion crypto currency fraud, the courts spokesperson Anna Selivanova has told RAPSI. Russian authorities have put Vinnik on the international wanted list on cyber fraud charges, according to Selivanova. The man could face up to 10 years in Russian prison if convicted. Vinnik was arrested in Greece, where he went on vacation, in July 2017. The U.S. authorities claim that the Russian national, acting as an operator of BTC-e digital currency trading platform and exchange, received $4 billion and did business in violation of anti-money laundering legislation. Vinnik has pleaded not guilty and filed an appeal against a ruling ordering his extradition to the U.S. In December, the Supreme Court of Greece dismissed his appeal. Russia is also seeking extradition of Vinnik on fraud allegations. In October 2017, Russian prosecutors request for his extradition was granted by a judicial council in Thessaloniki. A final decision in Vinniks extradition case is to be adopted by the Justice Minister of Greece. In January, the Prosecutor Generals Office repeatedly sent Greek authorities a request for Vinniks extradition. Russian Culture Ministrys ex-official arrested in absentia / 14:44 08/06/2018 MOSCOW, June 8 (RAPSI) The Basmanny District Court of Moscow has ruled to arrest in absentia the former director of the Culture Ministrys department of property management and investment policy Boris Mazo charged with embezzlement of funds allocated for construction of the Hermitage Museums facilities, the press-service of the court has told RAPSI. The defendant is to be put in detention for two months after the day of his extradition or arrest. Two other defendants in the case are ex-Deputy Culture Minister Grigory Pirumov, who had been earlier convicted of embezzling public funds allocated for restoration of cultural heritage objects and businessman Nikita Kolesnikov, who earlier received a 5-year suspended sentence as part of the same case. Both defendants are to stay in detention until July 16. According to investigators, they, alongside with Mazo, stole money allocated for construction of the Hermitage Museums buildings. Suspects have organized conclusion of a state contract without intent to execute it. Funds received as a down payment were transferred to firms under their control, investigators claimed. In October 2017, the Dorogomilovsky District Court of Moscow sentenced Pirumov to 1.5 years in a penal colony. The court took into consideration the time Pirumov spent in detention and freed him in the courtroom. On December 19, the Moscow City Court toughened punishment for Pirumov. The court imposed a 1-million-ruble fine ($17,000) on ex-official and deprived him of the second-class medal of the Order of Merit for the Motherland. However, prosecutors again filed an appeal against Pirumovs sentence demanding a 5-year prison term for him. The appeal has been set for May 25. As part of the case for other defendants including Mazo, received prison sentence from 1 to 1.5 years and were released as Pirumov. Three more defendants, BaltStroy manager Alexander Kochenov, businessman Andrey Kokushkin and ex-director of the State Center of Contemporary Art Mikhail Mindlin, received suspended sentence ranging from 1 year to 1 year and 5 months. Investigators claimed that between 2012 and 2016 the defendants embezzled over 160 million rubles allocated on restoration of the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow, Ivanovsky Convent in Moscow and other objects across Russia. In December 2016, Chairman of the Russian Government Dmitry Medvedev relieved Pirumov of his post. Crimean terrorism convict ends hunger strike - ombudsman RIA Novosti, Vladimir Pesnya 17:46 08/06/2018 MOSCOW, June 8 (RAPSI) - Ukrainian activist Alexander Kolchenko sentenced to 10 years in Russian prison for plotting terrorist attacks in Crimea has decided to end his hunger strike, the press service of the Chelyabinsk Region ombudsman Margarita Pavlova has told RAPSI. After finishing a 7-day hunger strike Kolchenko was placed in a medical unit. Currently, his health state is not alarming, there is no danger to his life, the statement reads. In August 2015, the North Caucasus District Military Court sentenced Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov to 20 years in prison for organizing a terrorist group in Crimea. His accomplice Kolchenko received 10 years in prison. Two other defendants, Aleksey Cherniy and Gennady Afanasyev were given 7 years in prison each. Investigators found that Sentsov started a terrorist group in Crimea, a branch of the Right Sector movement that is banned in Russia. He was allegedly promoting Crimeas secession from Russia. The Investigative Committee claims that between April and May 2014, the defendants set Crimean NGO, Russian Community, offices on fire in Simferopol and were charged with doing the same at the local United Russia office. The defendants were also charged with attempting to blowup a statue of Lenin in Simferopol on May 9, 2014. According to the Prosecutor Generals Office, Russias Federal Security Service prevented the terrorist group from committing other alleged terrorist activity in May 2014. Two other defendants in this case, Alexei Chirny and Gennady Afanasyev, have been sentenced to seven years each in prison. Sentsov denied all charges against him. He said he had never been a member of the Right Sector and that the investigators had no evidence against him. Russian court sentences thief of Levitan painting to 13 years in prison RAPSI, Maria Petrova 12:36 08/06/2018 MOSCOW, June 8 (RAPSI) Russian court has sentenced a member of an armed criminal group responsible for stealing paintings by famous Russian artists Isaak Levitan and Ivan Shishkin to 13 years in a penal colony, the Investigative Committees press service has stated. The defendant was found guilty of establishing a gang, organizing and going through with thefts, robberies, banditry as well as attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. According to investigators, from 2012 to 2016, the defendants organized a gang in the Nizhny Novgorod Region to mug and rob banks and commercial organizations. They stole over 80 million rubles ($1.3 million), the statement reads. Moreover, they stole four paintings by Levitan worth over 180 million rubles ($3 million) from a state historical and art reserve museum in 2014, a painting by Shishkin valued at more than 66 million rubles ($1 million) and two works by artists Konstantin Korovin and Stanislav Zhukovsky in 2013, according to the Investigative Committee. The criminal case against other alleged members of the gang is being heard by court. Home Lifestyle The history of royal hunts in Nepals southern plains is simply barbaric Nepals southern plains are famous not only for fertile agricultural land but also for the dense forests and a plethora of wild animals. Now converted into national parks, the area was once a fertile ground for hunting. The current Chitwan National Park was used as a royal hunting reserve from 1846 to 1951 by the Nepali Rana rulers and their guests. A set of historic photographs have become viral online showing shocking images of British and Nepali rulers engaging in a bloody hunt of many animals including tigers, bears and rhinoceroses. The British royal hunts began in February 1876 AD and were hosted by then-Nepali Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana, writes Subodh Rana in his blog: In February 1876 A.D. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, (later King Edward VII), son of Queen Victoria came to hunt in Banbassa in west Nepal hosted by Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana and bagged 23 tigers in a two week shooting spree. He had presided over the Delhi Durbar in celebration of his mother Queen Victoria having been proclaimed the Empress of India on January 1, 1876 A.D. It is written that he was so bored with the formalities of state that coming to shoot in the Terai was the highlight of his India sojourn. Later many British Royals followed the tradition invited by the Rana prime ministers. Even Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination in 1914 triggered the World War I, came to hunt in Nepal invited by Maharajah Bir Shumsher in March 1893. However, the most barbaric and horrific hunting trip was that of King George V who visited Nepal after being crowned Emperor of India in 1911. Having been invited by Prime Minister Chandra Shamsher Rana, the hunting team shot dead 18 rhinos, 39 tigers and 4 sloth bears from December 18-28, 1911. The king himself shot eight rhinos, 21 tigers and one bear. The Royal Hunt of Tiger and Rhinoceroses in the Nepalese Terai in 1911 by Kees Rookmaaker, Barbara Nelson and Darrel Dorrington details the hunting spree. Nepals PM Chandra Shamsher greeting King George V during a hunting trip to the Nepal Terai in 1911 pic.twitter.com/swkboCV96H Eddie Du (@Edourdoo) December 12, 2015 King George V with the days kill in Dec 1911. A total of 39 tigers, 18 rhinoceroses & 4 bears were killed. #Nepal pic.twitter.com/TcMTlC86N1 Nepal In Pix (@NepalInPix) November 24, 2015 1911 Edward Henry, Former IG of Bengal Police, during a royal hunt with King George V at Narayani, Nepal pic.twitter.com/AO8pkduA2M British India (@BritishRajTimes) March 30, 2015 The royal hunt has been documented in 50 photographs from an album donated to The Australian National University. The ANU Library has supplied captions to the photos. The article His Imperial Majestys Shoot in Nepalese Terai, December 1911 describes the hunt as: [] The Maharajas entourage, who were in a separate camp further along the river, numbered 14,000 including 2000 elephant attendants. After Divine Service on Sunday 24 December 1911, the Maharaja presented the King with a collection of over seventy varieties of animals indigenous to Nepal. During the hunting that followed Divine Service on 25 December, nearly 600 elephants formed the ring. The King shot the largest tiger of the expedition on that day. [] Below are select photos from the royal hunt. Other than these photographs, there are few concrete reminders of the era. Shankarshan Thakur, Delhi-based journalist tweeted: The hunting lodge built for King George V at Bhikhnathori on the India-Nepal border is now an abandoned gambling den pic.twitter.com/Zye85uoC21 Sankarshan Thakur (@SankarshanT) July 21, 2015 A version of this article was first published on Global Voices. Read the original story here Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate Ajit Balakrishnan on how the Web could return to its original egalitarian goals. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com It all started in 1989 with an inter-office memo, describing in very humble words a '...way to link and access information of various kinds' in which the user can browse at will. [through] a single user-interface to large classes of information (reports, notes, data-bases, computer documentation and on-line help...' That was Tim Berners Lee, an Englishman, and his colleague, R Cailliau, working at the CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, located just outside Geneva. After describing some of the technical aspects, it proposed its ends with the goal 'to provide the software for the above free of charge to anyone'. Starting from this universalistic desire to make all sorts of information available for free to all comers, how did we end up in a disconcerting world dominated by five American companies that The New York Times recently called 'The Frightful Five', who are alleged to be complicit in providing the tools to fix the election of the current American President Donald J Trump and for British voters' shocking Brexit vote -- Britain's exit from the European Union? And a world where the European Union has just brought into effect very strict rules and hefty financial penalties for wrong use of its residents' data. And a world where the Right to be Forgotten is beginning to be seen as a fundamental human right! Social networks, originally conceived as places where like-minded people could gather and chat about either arcane subjects, such as programming languages or societal injustices, or merely flirt, are suddenly being viewed with suspicion. Will my opinions on societal injustices or who I flirted with be used against me in some other context? Will data about products I expressed an interest in on a shopping site or how often I opened and read a free newsletter be used against me somewhere else? Being an early follower of the World Wide Web and its innocent and egalitarian goals, I nowadays find myself drifting into a reverie like some of us do when childhood memories of loving parents and happy schoolmates come back. I then pinch myself awake and ask myself are all the bad things being said about the Web and its players just another example of NeoLuddism (in case you have forgotten your high school history, the Luddites were a radical group of English textile workers and weavers, who in the early 19th century destroyed textile machinery as a form of protest against the Industrial Revolution)? In that sense, are the protests against possible misuse of user data an attempt to 'destroy the machinery' of the Information Revolution? Or is it a surrogate protest against the worldwide dominance of five American companies, against whom the only form of protection appears to be to close your borders against them as China has done? Just 'protectionism' to help your national players? Even the question about how these five American companies came to achieve such dominance is not easy to get a consensus about. One common strand of thought points to their technical and financial deep links with the American government. To start with, the Internet was built at the instance and full financial support of the US department of defense. That same entity, which unlike other countries' defence departments, does a very good job of posing challenging technical problems and funding the solutions for these problems, provides an indirect support to these American tech companies. There is an excellent scholarly account of this in Sussex University Professor Mariana Mazzucato's book, The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs Private Sector Myths, which makes the point that it is the US department of defense, not venture capitalists and tech visionaries, that has given US tech companies the elixir. She uses the iPhone as an example to show how practically every element of the technology in her beloved device is an outcome of such defence projects: The multi-touch screen, the GPS system, the microprocessor, the memory device, cell phone technology and, most of all, the Internet itself. The basic learning here is to see, in India, for example, how our own defence establishment can similarly stimulate technology and product development. What is really worrying about this is in this frenzy of anxiety about 'Data Protection', 'Privacy', 'The Frightful Five' and so on, we need to focus our policymaking effort to get the best of the Web for our ordinary citizens. For example, help India's kirana shops that provide 50 per cent of employment in India (particularly for young Indians dropping out of school at Class 10 for economic reasons) use the Internet to increase their service quality and profitability (not silently watch them being destroyed by private equity-funded price-subsidised e-commerce players), help our kaali-peeli taxi drivers/owners grow (not silently watch them being destroyed by private equity-funded price-subsidised taxi players), help our courts bring down their years-long waiting list (not silently watch the legal industry profit at the cost of citizens by repeated postponement of hearings), and perhaps, most of all, create a domestically-owned large enough number of early-stage venture equity funds (not be a slave to foreign-owned ones who will fund only models that have worked in their home countries). These are the just some of the ways that could help in returning the web to its original egalitarian goals in India. Ajit Balakrishnan, founder and CEO of Rediff.com, is the author of The Wave Rider, A Chronicle of the Information Age. You can reach him at ajitb@rediffmail.com What this also does is create a new FAWG (Flipkart, Amazon, Walmart and Google) story for India very much like the FANG quartet (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google) have done for the global tech sector and the US stock markets, says Ganesh Natarajan. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com Addressing a group of industry watchers and analysts in New York City in 2008 after the financial crisis had hit and I had just become chairman of industry association Nasscom, it was interesting to face a barrage of questions and waves of pessimism about the industrys future. Some cynics were even expecting a three-year decline in industry revenues and were almost incredulous at my five per cent growth prediction for that year and a revival after that. Which did come to pass as a resilient industry found new mojo and surged back. In an almost inevitable repetition 2016 onwards, the wave of automation, artificial intelligence and economic slowdown across the globe had provoked forecasts of doom all over again and its good to be able to confidently predict today that the IT and BPM industry will get back to double digit revenue growth this year and find new avenues to grow in future. The quarters results have been excellent, barring one or two temporary aberrations and it is heartening to see growth across all segments - digital and IT services, business process management (BPM), products and platforms. One theme that is playing out well for all services firms is the universal adoption of digital around the world and as predicted many times, firms that are prospering are those that have addressed the challenges of customer behaviour and experience, design thinking, business process re-engineering, data and analytics and cultural transformation in addition to mastering the traditional basket of social, mobility and cloud technologies. A scan across the web sites and white papers of every firm above a hundred million dollars in revenue shows the willingness to engage customer groups beyond IT directors and messaging is more around multiple talents being brought together to engineer digital transformation. Globant calls them pods and Mindtree pumpkins, but whatever be the source the fruit will be as sweet. Another welcome development is the integration of cognitive solutions in every companys arsenal which is a sure indicator that the industry will embrace artificial intelligence and machine learning and enable the next wave of predictive and prescriptive analytics solutions to emerge within client organisations. The landmark news of the month of May in India has of course been the consummation of a deal that has been in the making for a while - Walmart acquiring controlling stake in Flipkart - that has given the much-needed shot in the arm to the entire e-commerce industry in India. The naysayers have been predicting doom for many entrepreneurs who started e-commerce businesses, scoffing that this was just a game of taking money for the pockets of investors and putting it into the pockets of customers. While that allegation may not be entirely without substance, there is great truth in what the founders of PayTM and Snapdeal have said, that this deal is a true endorsement of Indian entrepreneurship in e-commerce. It will also give heart to many start-ups who are looking at future exits and get them to redouble their efforts to scale and find a path towards higher market share first and profits later. What this also does is create a new FAWG story for India very much like the FANG quartet (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google) have done for the global tech sector and the US stock markets. The FAWG (Flipkart, Amazon, Walmart and Google) assumes that the anticipated participation of Googles parent Alphabet in this deal is also going to happen in the not so distant future. This battle of the giants will boost not just the e-commerce market in the country with the ten thousand plus (almost 50 per cent) unserved pin codes getting the benefit of e-retail and cash on delivery innovations, it may also boost the reputation and the relative fortunes of Walmart vis-a-vis its rampaging global competitor Amazon. For ready reference, Amazons sales are expected to easily cross two hundred billion dollars in 2018 and its market capitalisation has surged from just over a hundred billion in 2012 to nearly eight hundred billion at present, while Amazon, in spite of larger sales of nearly five hundred billion with market capitalisation growth from just over two hundred billion to two hundred and fifty billion in the same period. This major investment in India although it sent initial shudders through Walmart investors, can make India a true theater for a mahayuddh battle between the two to the benefit of Indian entrepreneurs and smaller investors. On a side note, the Indian e-commerce market itself has huge potential to grow, from an estimated thirty-eight billion US dollars in 2017 to an anticipated two hundred billion plus by 2026. Online spending is expected to increase 30 per cent annually with both domestic and cross-border shopping showing significant growth. Venture capital fund raising has been on a sharp rise and existing as well as new PEs are raising new funds anywhere between twenty million and a billion to meet the capital needs of the ever-growing new internet and e-commerce segments. Truly the twin Phoenixes - IT services and e-commerce - are rising fast and will rule the waves of the capital markets in 2018 and beyond. Ganesh Natarajan is founder and chairman of 5F World. He can be reached on Ganeshn@5FWorld.com. 'India is strategically important and the biggest market outside China. 'It is the only market outside China, where we have built all types of set-ups - R&D centre, service centres, production lines and warehouses.' Xiaomi has expanded its dominance in the smartphone market by growing its share beyond 30 per cent in Q4 since it beat market leader Samsung in mid-2017. Manu Kumar Jain, vice-president, Xiaomi, and managing director, Xiaomi India, shares his thoughts with Arnab Dutta on how the firm has put India on the forefront. Edited excerpts: Why is your IPO prospectus flooded with mentions on India? India is strategically important and the biggest market outside China. It is the only market outside China, where we have built all types of set-ups - R&D centre, service centres, production lines and warehouses. Starting from scratch, today we have three offices and are planning to open a fourth one. We have so far invested over half a billion dollars and have plan to invest close to a billion dollar by 2022. Also, the learning from India will be crucial for our global expansion. Where does Xiaomi stand in terms of local value addition? We have begun sourcing printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) locally from our manufacturing partner Foxconn and are aiming to get 100 per cent of local demand from India by September. The global suppliers' summit that was held here is unprecedented. We have asked the suppliers to set up component manufacturing units in India while our suppliers from China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea got a firsthand experience of the opportunities here. The fleet of over 50 large-scale component suppliers attracted the attention of key policy makers, including ministers and bureaucrats from Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Currently, some of the suppliers are in talks with the central and state governments to set up units in the country. Potentially, they can bring in a few billion dollars of investments and an odd 20,000 jobs can be generated. What is your immediate goal? Our aim is to produce components locally. While we have begun the process with PCBA, which forms 40-50 per cent of a smartphone's cost, camera modules, LCD panels, battery, among others, could be next in line. Our biggest priority is to make sure to set up units of these 50 suppliers within the next two years. The picture should be clearer after six months. Jio Phone has affected the growth of smartphone market. Given Indias importance, how do you plan to overcome the barrier? Yes, the feature phone market has exploded during the past few quarters due to Jio' entry and consequently the shares of the smartphones have fallen in the short term despite growing volume. But it is a great opportunity. Jio Phone is bringing in new customers in the web universe, who, I believe will opt for smartphones in next one year or so. From a long-term perspective, this is the best thing that can happen to the industry. In the next four to five years, the size of the smartphone market will surpass 200 million a year. In 2016, Xiaomi crossed the $1 billion mark (Rs 7,000 crore) in India. What was your revenue after 2017? According to IDC, we have almost tripled our volume uptake in 2017-18. Our revenue growth was also similar. How does macro factors - growing oil prices, sliding rupee and changing customs duty - affect your business? Rapid fluctuations of rupee-dollar exchange rate is a major concern. We had to increase the price of our flagship TV model by 12.5 per cent. Since, we work on a thin margin - less than 5 per cent in case of our products - we could not absorb the additional cost. Going forward, if rupee depreciates further we may have to relook at our pricing. Another pain point is the changes in import tax, which directly affects our business. Surging crude oil prices also has the potential to affect costs as it puts pressure on the rupee -dollar ratio. The cost of memory chips have gone up by double digit. Photograph: Reuters 'Given the sharp increase in oil prices, a mounting problem for the 2nd and 4th largest importers like China and India -- the Qingdao meeting is likely to push for the large energy producers (Russia and the Central Asian Republics) and energy consumers (China and India) to arrive at some understanding for mutually beneficial outcomes,' notes Srikanth Kondapalli. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com The 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting at Qingdao on June 9-10 could turn out to be high in agenda and low in output on pressing issues. Several new features, of course, will be added to this multilateral process as leaders interact and issue a joint statement. In the last more than two decades of its existence, from 1996 when it was termed as 'Shanghai Five' and later after Uzbekistan joined in 2001 to form the current SCO, this multilateral organisation came to be known for ushering regional security for the Eurasian region with broad consensus among the leaders on border stability, counter-terrorism, energy security, enhancing economic relations and proposing a multipolar world order. Despite latent tensions and bickering on South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Crimea and other issues, the SCO progressed. Today the SCO will be witnessing new changes and challenges. Firstly, India and Pakistan have become members at the previous year's meeting at Astana in 2017 and now enter Qingdao as full-fledged participants. They bring in fresh vitality to the SCO given their population and territorial size, national power, economic growth rates, geo-strategic location and vision for long-term development. While some Chinese commentators deliberately expressed concerns on bilateral problems between India and Pakistan impacting on the multilateral SCO, the actual balance of power in the organisation is gradually shifting with Russia emerging from the shadows. Secondly, China has been exerting pressure on the SCO States to adopt much of its terminology and practice. These include statements outlining 'new type of international relations', 'community of common destiny', 'three evils', Belt and Road Initiative and others that have been outlined at the last year's 19th Communist party congress. Many of these terms remain vague, non-transparent or even double-edged. These will be debated extensively at Qingdao. As the SCO spirit emphasises a consensus approach among member States, it is likely that progress on including these issues could be slow. Already, the SCO States -- including India in 2006 -- agreed to oppose China's version of 'three evils' -- separatism, extremism and splittism -- meaning in practice opposing Uighur violence, Taiwan's independence movement, the Dalai Lama's 'splittism' from China. However, while many SCO member States agreed to the Chinese formulation, many are also disappointed that China's definition of terrorism is more nuanced and China-specific. In the light of China stalling action on Pakistan-based terrorists at the United Nations's 1267 counter-terrorism committee, the meeting at Qingdao could witness some debate on this. While India and Pakistan forces will join the annual SCO counter-terror Peace Mission exercises, another round of terrorist strikes in Kashmir will expose the fragility of this cooperation. Also, at the SCO's 2015 Ufa summit, members agreed to support the BRI, an initiative China announced in 2013 to connect Europe, Asia and Africa both in the continental and maritime domains. However, while India is the second largest contributor to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank -- part financier of the BRI -- it is opposed to both China's construction activity and deployment of 'security guards' in the disputed Kashmir region. Another aspect that would come in sharp focus is the increasing pressure of China on the other SCO member States to accept its version of 'core interests' -- on Tibet, Taiwan, the South China Sea islands dispute or the Japanese-administered Senkaku islands. However, China has been reluctant to accept similar 'core interests' of other SCO member States so far. The Qingdao meeting will see some of these debates on diplomatic reciprocities. Thirdly, given the sharp increase in energy prices from nearly $35 per barrel to over $80 per barrel recently -- a mounting problem for the 2nd and 4th largest importers like China and India -- the Qingdao meeting is likely to push for the large energy producers (Russia and the Central Asian Republics) and energy consumers (China and India) to arrive at some understanding for mutually beneficial outcomes. So far many of these States are making individual interventions in this regard. Qingdao is likely to push forward a multilateral process in ameliorating energy security in the coming years. Fourth, in the backdrop of the United States moving away from the Iranian nuclear deal, this issue is likely to be debated extensively. With the looming energy prices increase and China and India coming under US pressure in terms of imports from Iran -- as has been the practice previously -- the Qingdao meeting is likely to be more of political pressure on the US. However, as the French president suggested Russian and Chinese companies are likely to get more contracts in the Iranian market. Fifthly, given the low growth rates of some SCO States and the emerging economic problems of 'new normal' China, and the slow progress in international trade figures with threats of tariff hikes, the Qingdao meeting is likely to reiterate the globalisation process. Specifically, India, China and Russia -- in their coordination at the G-20, BRICS and other fora -- are likely to carry the rest of the SCO members for a more vocal stance on this aspect. Srikanth Kondapalli is Professor in Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. 'Lingering border disputes and fierce geostrategic competition in South Asia between China and India are likely to temper any cooperation Beijing might hope to achieve with New Delhi in the SCO,' says P K Vasudeva. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi addresses the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, June 2017. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a Eurasian political, economic, and security organisation, the creation of which was announced on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, China by the Shanghai Five group -- comprising China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan -- that was founded in April 26, 1996. The SCO Charter was signed in June 2002 and entered into force on September 19, 2003. The SCO decided in Ufa, Russia, to admit India and Pakistan as full members. Both signed the memorandum of obligations in June 2016 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, thereby starting the formal process of joining the SCO as full members. On June 9, 2017, at a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, India and Pakistan officially joined the SCO as full-fledged members. Membership of the SCO could bring India and Pakistan closer despite the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, rising geopolitical competition between the two Asian giants and their differing approaches to counter-terrorism, because of the healthy environment of give and take at the SCO. According to Derek Grossman, senior defence analyst at the non-profit, non-partisan Rand Corporation of the United States, Beijing may not have even wanted India to join the SCO. Russia first proposed India as a member to complement bilateral economic and security, mainly to contain China's growing influence in the organisation. Russia is increasingly concerned that post-Soviet Union SCO members -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- are drifting into China's geostrategic orbit. As China gains more clout in Central Asia, Moscow welcomed New Delhi by its side to occasionally strengthen Russia's hand at slowing or opposing Chinese initiatives. Prime Minister Narendra D Modi's informal summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia, on May 21 is part of the regular consultation between the two leaders with the objective of further strengthening the special strategic partnership. Going forward, this strategy is likely to pay rich dividends. New Delhi has a major problem with the activities of Pakistan -- sponsored by Beijing at the 2015 SCO summit to balance Moscow's support to India -- and continues to be highly critical of China's all-weather friendship with Islamabad. New Delhi refused to send a delegation to Beijing's widely-publicised Belt and Road Initiative summit in May 2017, which was aimed at increasing trade and infrastructure connectivity between China and Eurasian countries, as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was not 'pursued in a manner that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity' -- it passes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir to link up with the strategically positioned Pakistani port of Gwadar. Beijing can play a balancing act to bring sobriety between India and Pakistan by supporting the genuine demands of India on terrorism and counseling India on J&K for peaceful negotiations. Another major issue for the SCO to contend with is the security of Afghanistan. An integral component of the organisation is the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, aimed at combating China's 'three evils' -- terrorism, extremism, and separatism. India, however, is likely to reasonably highlight the contradiction between China's stated anti-terrorism goals and the reality of its policy. Most notably, Beijing has consistently looked the other way as Pakistani intelligence services continue to support terrorist groups in Afghanistan, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. Moreover, India, being close to Afghanistan, could seek to sponsor Afghanistan to move from observer status toward full SCO membership. This would give India greater strength in the group and could bolster Russias position as well. Lingering border disputes and fierce geostrategic competition in South Asia between China and India are likely to temper any cooperation Beijing might hope to achieve with New Delhi in the SCO. On the one hand, mutual suspicions in the maritime domain persist, with the Indian government recently shoring up its position in the strategically important Andaman and Nicobar Island chain to counter the perceived Chinese 'string of pearls' strategy aimed at establishing access to naval ports throughout the Indian Ocean that could be militarily advantageous in a conflict. On the other hand, China has naval bases in the making -- Gwadar in Pakistan, Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Chittagong in Bangladesh, Kyauskpyu in Myanmar and Gan in Maldives -- for dominating the Indian Ocean. Although India may be an unwelcome addition and an irritant to Beijing at the SCO, China does not necessarily need the SCO to achieve its regional objectives. Even though India rejected Beijing's BRI overture, China remains India's top trading partner and a critical market for all Central and South Asian States, leaving them with few other attractive options. Regardless of any bickering that may break out between countries, Beijing is expected to signal the importance of the SCO through considerable pomp and show at its summit this month. China as the host can emerge as a peacemaker in the continent if it handles the summit tactfully by accepting members' genuine viewpoints and justified demands amicably. P K Vasudeva is a retired professor of international trade. 'India needs to be cautious that its differences with Pakistan do not obstruct SCO's functioning,' says Sana Hashmi. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi D addresses the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 2, 2018, the first Indian PM to do so. Photograph: @MEAIndia on Twitter When leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meet in Qingdao on June 9-10 for the 18th summit, they will be welcoming the newest members of the grouping, India and Pakistan. India along with Pakistan was accepted as a full member of the organisation in the last SCO summit in June 2017, and this will be the first summit of the expanded grouping. This summit has gathered attention as it is taking place in the aftermath of Prime Minister Narendra D Modi's informal summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan in April and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi in May. His speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last week mentioned India's growing partnership with Russia and its multi-faceted/layered relations with China. 'India's strategic partnership with Russia has matured to be special and privileged. As far as China is concerned, among other things, Prime Minister Modi stated, 'Asia and the world will have a better future when India and China work together in trust and confidence, sensitive to each other's interests.' With its recent engagements with Russia, China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations, it is obvious that India is poised to play a larger role in the regional context. Prime Minister Modi's participation in SCO may be seen in this light as India stands to gain from its membership in the grouping. The summit offers several opportunities for India. First, Prime Minister Modi has attempted to reach out to Central Asian countries after visiting them in July 2015. India's membership has the potential to bolster India's Connect Central Asia Policy. While India's Act East Policy has been a huge success, its Connect Central Asia Policy has never taken off in entirety. It was drafted during the first India-Central Asia Dialogue in June 2012, but has remained dormant till now. One of India's purposes in SCO will be to revive its Connect Central Asia policy and to find new ways to engage the region. SCO gives a platform to India to directly engage these countries. Second, when the Shanghai Five was expanded to become the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, one of the goals of the grouping was to fight three evils: Separatism, terrorism and extremism. In fact, there is a sub-grouping under SCO, the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure that is headquartered in Tashkent to strengthen collective counter-terrorism measures. This will help India in raising its concerns on regional terrorism. Third, the SCO consists of just eight members while other groupings that India is a member have many. For example, the East Asia Summit has 18 members and the ASEAN Regional Forum has 27 members. Thus, SCO is an exclusive grouping with a focused mandate. It is unlikely that it will end up becoming a talk shop given it has members such as Russia, China and India. Fourth, inclusion in the SCO also means more avenues to cooperate with Russia and China. While India and Russia have had cordial relations, India and China had to deal with several issues in the recent past. The 73-day long Doklam standoff was a huge setback in their relations. The SCO will give member countries a platform to resolve issues and engage in a constructive dialogue. However, it will not be all easy going for India in SCO, given it has to deal with a few challenges in the grouping. First, there is no doubt that China will use the SCO to promote One Belt, One Road and, in all probability, the Chinese side will be pushing countries to include support for OBOR in the joint statement. This could be awkward for India as all other members are supportive of OBOR. During the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting on April 24, the press release mentioned: 'The foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan reaffirmed their support for China's Belt and Road initiative and called for using the capabilities of regional states, international organisations and multilateral bodies to build a broad, inclusive, mutually beneficial and equal partnership within the SCO.' Due to India's reservations on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, one of the land corridors under OBOR, India has not yet extended its support to the initiative. Second, China and Russia have already exercised their influence in the Central Asian region where these two are considered as formidable powers. To what extent India will be accepted and welcomed in the region remains to be seen. Third, India needs to be cautious that its differences with Pakistan do not obstruct the grouping's functioning. This is going to be a real test for India given that SAARC (the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) is a non-starter for exactly this reason. In the light of such challenges, it is highly recommended that India's priorities in SCO be focused and that it not let its differences cause disruptions. Additionally, India's inclusion is not only beneficial to it, but will also bring diversity and stability to regional dynamics. Sana Hashmi, a regular commentator on Chinese foreign policy, is the author of China's Approach towards Territorial Disputes: Lessons and Prospects. 'For the last 10 years the Congress made the RSS an idea of intolerance, anti-minority, especially anti-Muslim, and an idea of fascism.' 'That has been demolished now by Pranab Mukherjee.' IMAGE: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat gives the RSS salute as former President Pranab Mukherjee looks on at the closing ceremony of the Tritiya Varsha Sangh Shiksha Varg, an RSS event to mark the conclusion of a three-year training camp for its swayamsevaks, in Nagpur, June 7, 2018. Photograph: PTI Photo Former President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters in Nagpur on Thursday, Juen 7, to address its new recruits has created a vertical divide within the Congress party. Opinion continues to be divided if the senior statesman, who had spent decades in the Congress before his elevation to the nation's highest office, had done the right thing by visiting the RSS HQ. Many Congressmen felt the retired Rashtrapati should not have visited the RSS headquarters as it would send wrong signals to other Congressmen who have been fighting the RSS ideology for decades. As Sharmishta Mukherjee, the former President's only daughter, tweeted against her father's visit to Nagpur, others like party veteran Margaret Alva defended Pranabda's plan. Why does the RSS arouse such passions in the Indian polity, with sections of it treating the Hindu right, especially the RSS and its many offshoots, as untouchables? RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha tells Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf how the RSS was cast as the arch villain in many Indian political circles. A huge controversy has broken out over former President Pranab Mukherjee visiting the RSS headquarters and delivering a speech there. In contemporary India the culture of dialogue has degenerated, particularly in the last two decades. It has degenerated to such a low level, at a political and societal level, to such an extent, that the people are accusing and counter-accusing each other. There is no substantial thing (coming out) of dialogue. Pranabda, who had a long innings in the Congress, has sent a great message, that no one is an untouchable in a democracy. Whether it is ideological or political untouchability, anyone who considers political untouchability is harming democracy. This was the first message of Pranabda attending the RSS headquarters. The Congress left no opportunity to disgrace, discard and demoralise Pranab Mukherjee before the programme. They created a hullabaloo. More than three dozen Congress leaders tweeted or wrote a letter advising Pranab Mukherjee on what to speak. This itself is a disgrace for the ex-President of India who was being told not to attend a particular meeting as he is no longer a Congressman. This showed the intolerance of the Congress party. The intellectuals of the country who have been shouting that there is intolerance in the country remained silent by remaining neutral on this issue or siding with the Congress party. Before Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, Indira Gandhi visited the Bharat Mata Mandir and the Kanyakumari Vivekananda rock memorial which was built by RSS leader Eknath Ranade. Right from Mahatma Gandhi to three Presidents of India who were Congressmen -- Dr Zakir Hussain, Dr S Radhakrishnan and Dr Rajendra Prasad -- and Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy who was President during the Janata Party government, and A P J Abdul Kalam during the NDA regime, they all participated in RSS programmes. There was no problem then. So why was there so much opposition to Mr Mukherjee's visit to the RSS headquarters, when, as you say, five other Presidents had done the same? The reason is for the last 10 years the Congress has built a narrative with left-liberals, and that narrative is based on anti-RSSism. They made the RSS itself an idea of intolerance, anti-minority -- especially anti-Muslim -- and an idea of fascism. That has been demolished now by Pranab Mukherjee, as you cannot go by perception. Why is the RSS considered an untouchable by other political parties? The RSS was never considered untouchable. In 1967 the Communist party and the Socialists together with the Jana Sangh formed governments in eight states including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. The CPI (Communist Party of India) joined coalition politics in UP with the Jana Sangh and were cabinet members in the state government. The CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist opposed it, but the CPI told the CPI-M that their government was formed with the Jana Sangh on a concrete programme. In 1977, the Socialists joined hands with the RSS against the Emergency, and in 1989 the V P Singh government was supported by the BJP and Left Front. But Morarji Desai's Janata Party government collapsed over Jan Sangh leaders refusing to give up their RSS membership, isn't it? That was not an ideological fight, but a fight for power-sharing. They were afraid of the Jana Sangh because it had the (RSS) cadre. Therefore, there was opposition by leaders like (Socialist ideologue) Madhu Limaye who felt they didn't get power share. That issue had nothing to do with ideology. They (the Socialists) took an ideological route just to mask their political opportunism. At the ground level, there are 50,000 shakhas. The RSS is running 170,000 projects -- you go and check, you will find there is no discrimination on the basis of religion against anyone. Most importantly, the Muslims -- those who come to RSS schools -- have also topped exams in Assam and Jharkhand. But you cannot deny that the RSS imposes Hindu cultural hegemony like the beef ban or insistence on Vande Mataram. These issues bother Muslims about the RSS. You think Bahadur Shah Zafar was a foolish man? Not only Bahadur Shah Zafar, but many Mughal rulers too prohibited cow slaughter. It means that in a democracy where there is pluralism, diversity, you have to respect each other's sentiments. It is not food fascism. Millions of people respect the cow and you are slaughtering the cow, that is the only demand. Moreover, it is not the RSS, but the Constituent Assembly which decided on the prohibition of cow slaughter as a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy. This was at a time when there was no representative (of the RSS) in the Constituent Assembly debates. The Congress promulgated the law against cow slaughter in most states, so why are you attacking the RSS? And if you are breaking the consensus, then there must be a dialogue on why you are breaking the consensus. It is not consensus, but imposition -- that you cannot eat this or that. When cow slaughter is banned, how can you eat beef? Even the Mughal emperors Akbar and Bahadur Shah Zafar agreed. But modern left liberals protest. They want balkanisation of society, destabilisation of society, by raking up such issues. These issues need a more sensible discussion and more sensitivity, than the so-called majority and minority. The lynching of individuals like Pehlu Khan indicate growing intolerance in society. Respected journalists like Barkha Dutt are being threatened with dire consequences. Everyday on the TV channels people come and criticise Narendra D Modi's government and Hindutva. Have you ever heard anyone being chased by the government for criticising the RSS or Hindutva? On social media, I also get abused, but I don't get into victimhood mentality and narrative. On my Twitter handle thousands of people abuse me, still I don't go into victimhood narrative. During the UPA regime I was called a Hindu terrorist, but I didn't say I was being abused. Don't go by the social media narrative. Go by substantial allegations. After Modi formed the government there was award wapsi, that India is not a place to live in. We should have a dialogue and if there is a mandate for the government, it has to be respected. The New York Times criticises Donald J Trump every day, but that does not mean they say the USA is not a place to live in. This is the difference between American democracy and our democracy. They disagree, but they do not throw out each other. There is the criticism that the RSS's saffron flag was unfurled but not the national flag at the function Mr Mukherjee attended in Nagpur on Thursday. Every organisation in India has certain traditions, certain customs and a flag. If there is a Muslim League or Congress party function, will they use the national flag? Recently three parties -- the CPI, the CPI-M and the CPI-ML -- had their functions. Did they unfurl the national flag? It is an organisation's internal affair. In public places, you must respect the national flag, and on all important days like Republic Day or Independence Day. That is the core issue. During a marriage, puja or Ramzan, nobody expects you to unfurl the national flag. What about the national anthem? That was not sung either. At all RSS functions Vande Mataram and the national anthem are routine affairs. This is completely an internal affair of the RSS where it uses the opportunity to invite people from other streams. Right from its inception, the RSS has been inviting people from other streams. Jayaprakash Narayan had been invited. Dr Zakir Hussain attended more than one programme. Can you give us a historical perspective on how, as you say, the narrative was set up that the RSS is a dangerous organisation? The Left and Nehruvians created the perception that the RSS is dangerous for India. If this perception had not been created, the Muslim vote would not have become a monolithic vote bank for (these) parties. More than 700 Muslim teachers are in the RSS's Vidya Bharati schools. You can ask them if they are being pressurised not to perform namaz. Not at all. We have respect for people (of all faiths). Jawaharlal Nehru delivered a lecture on January 24, 1948, at the Aligarh Muslim University where he said, 'We may adhere to different religious faiths or even to none; but that does not take away from that cultural inheritance that is yours as well as mine.' 'The past holds us together; why should the present or the future divide us in spirit?' The same thing the RSS says, but when the RSS says it, it becomes bigotry. When Nehru says it, it becomes progressive. It is said the RSS is now rewriting history as it did not participate in the Independence struggle. History has been selectively (written) by Left historians. They have not damaged history, but also posterity. On Thursday, the Congress handle tweeted that Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar did not participate in satyagraha in the 1930s. When Pranabda was on stage, he wrote Dr Hedgewar is a great son of India. You can go to the 1930s file in Vidarbha and you will find that Dr Hedgewar was awarded one year rigorous imprisonment. But the Congress distorted history, which was uncalled for. Left Liberals and the Congress have only one objective -- to give the RSS a bad name and hang them. But the perception is that the RSS believes in brahminical superiority. After listening to Mohan Bhagwat's speech at Thursday's event, many people have changed their opinion about the RSS. There is no fundamental difference between the two speeches (Pranab Mukherjee's and Mohan Bhagwat's). Bhagwatji said a very important thing, you remain critical of the RSS but come close to the RSS and see it from your own perspective rather than go by the perception created by left liberal intellectuals. In the West facts come first, then interpretation, last comes perception. In India, perception comes first, then interpretation. Facts come at the lowest level of the ladder. In India, perception is so important that people hardly check facts. If the RSS is fascist, then why is it expanding? It is expanding because the BJP is in power in more than 20 states and it has muscle and money power. You go to any Muslim area where the RSS is working and ask Muslims if they are being discriminated against. But when propaganda takes place, then there is a fear psychosis in the Muslim mind that the RSS is a threat to you. Naturally, then, a binary is created. Binary is not the essence of democracy, dialogue is the essence of democracy. I have seen RSS workers during the Mumbai riots of 1992-1993 shouting anti-Muslim slogans like 'kamar mein lungi, moonh mein paan, bhaago saaley Pakistan', I don't think any genuine RSS worker will participate in communal riots. Anyone who is indulging in violence, we categorically condemn. The RSS as an organisation will never participate in such acts. Never. Hundreds of commissions have been formed by the government post-riots and not a single RSS worker has been awarded any punishment. They could not identity a single RSS worker's (involvement). The RSS as an organisation always believes in assimilating people. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday condemned an alleged plan by Maoists to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but said the Elgar Parishad and subsequent violence at Bhima-Koregaon near Pune had no Naxal connection. Followers of Dalit icon Dr B R Ambedkar can never be Naxals, Athawale, a prominent Dalit leader, said in a statement in Mumbai. Several Dalit activists were among the organisers of Elgar Parishad held in Pune. "We condemn the anti-national elements hatching such a conspiracy," Athawale said, referring to the Pune police's claim that Maoists were planning to carry out a 'Rajiv Gandhi-type incident'. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in May 1991. Modi is following 'sab ka saath, sab ka vikas' policy to build an India as contemplated in the Constitution, and it was 'wrong' to accuse him of working to strengthen a particular religion, Athawale said. 'Ambedkarites were attacked at Bhima-Koregaon. No Naxal was involved in the Maharashtra bandh which was called to protest the attack. Nor was there any Naxal in the Elgar Parishad,' Athawale said. Action should be taken against those arrested for alleged Naxal links if there was evidence, he said. 'Ambedkarites can never be Naxals and Naxals can never be Ambedkarites. I will speak to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis if there are any genuine Ambedkarites among those arrested,' the minister said. Meanwhile, the Congress on Friday demanded a thorough and fair probe into the Bhima-Koregaon violence after five activists with alleged Maoist links were arrested in connection with it, and said the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'doublespeak' on the matter had been exposed. Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said that 'BJP's duplicity and doublespeak exposed again in Bhima-Koregaon', citing the remarks of Athawale. "Union Minister Ramdas Athawale calls arrests of Dalit activists as 'injustice' and says 'no relation of Elgar Parishad with violence'. Maharashtra government describes them as Maoist operatives'. Who is lying?" he asked. "A fair investigation, bereft of politics, is the need of the hour," Surjewala said. He said Athawale had also called for the arrest of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh acolyte Sambhaji Bhide, whom the prime minister visited in 2014 and praised in a public rally in Sangli. "Is this the reason why Maharashtra government is not acting against Bhide and Milind Ekbote?" he asked. The Congress leader also said that terrorism, Naxalism and extremism were unacceptable as no one knew it better then the Congress, which sacrificed Mahatama Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, besides Beant Singh, V C Shukla and Nand Kumar Patel among others. Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil cited Athawale's theory that Dalits cannot indulge in such violence and said the National Democratic Alliance should first clarify which theory is right. "The cabinet works with collective responsibility. Athawale is giving a different theory while the police inquiry is giving a different theory, which the union minister is rejecting. So NDA should first clarify who is right, the police or the minister," he asked. IMAGE: Lucknow-based businessman Abhishek Gupta. Photograph: ANI The Uttar Pradesh police on Friday detained a businessman who had alleged that an aide to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's had sought a bribe from him. The police acted against Lucknow-based businessman Abhishek Gupta after a complaint by the UP Bharatiya Janata Party office that he was putting pressure on bureaucrats, dropping names of party's office bearers to get his work done. But opposition Samawadi Party has questioned why the original bribery allegation against IAS official S P Goyal, who is principal secretary to the chief minister, is not being probed. The chief minister has asked officials for the 'factual status' of the case. Lucknow's Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar confirmed that a first information report has been registered against the businessman at city's Hazratganj police station. "He has been detained for questioning," he told reporters in Lucknow. A case has been registered against him. The SSP said Gupta was picked up following complaints lodged by the in-charge of the UP BJP office on Thursday. But Gupta had earlier written to Governor Ram Naik, alleging that the IAS officer had demanded a bribe to clear a file relating to his petrol pump. The governor, in turn, wrote to Adityanath about the complaint. "Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed Chief Secretary Rajive Kumar to inform the state government about the factual status in the entire episode pertaining to Abhishek Gupta, who had wanted to install a petrol pump in Hardoi district," a UP government spokesperson said. In his letter to Adityanath, which also surfaced on social media, Naik asked the chief minister to take appropriate action over the complaint against his principal secretary. Gupta accused Goyal of demanding Rs 25 lakh as bribe for providing land to widen a road leading to his petrol pump at Raiso in Hardoi district, the governor said in his letter. A copy of Naik's April 30 letter to Adityanath was sent to complainant Gupta as well. Gupta had e-mailed his complaint to the governor on April 18, saying an oil company had approved the petrol pump and he wanted land for widening a road leading to it. It said an application for this was pending before Goyal, and this had delayed the pump's opening. Goyal said that he will reject the file if he wasn't paid Rs 25 lakh, according to the businessman. "I said that I am not in a position to pay since I have already taken a loan. I had tried to record his conversation. He saw it and scolded me and told me to leave the place," the businessman complained. But the ruling BJP sought police action against the businessman himself. Bharat Dikshit, the in-charge of BJP's state headquarters, yesterday wrote to the Lucknow SSP seeking an first information report against Gupta. Dikshit accused Gupta of pressuring officers to get 'inappropriate' work, by falsely taking the names of BJP office bearers. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. He expressed surprise over the police 'quickly detaining' the complainant rather than showing alacrity in probing his allegation that he was asked for a bribe. He said the same sections of the Indian Penal Code were applicable to those who demand or offer a bribe. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said his office had received two letters allegedly from Maoists threatening him and his family. He also said the Naxals were spreading in urban areas and were trying to mislead the people. Fadnavis told reporters that the two letters, allegedly from Maoist organisations, threatened him and his family and were handed over to the police. The letters came after the recent anti-Naxal operations in Gadchiroli in which 39 Maoists were killed, officials in the state Home Department said. Both letters mentioned the Gadchiroli encounters which took place on April 22-23, and talked about an intention of exacting revenge, they said. According to officials, the Chief Minister's Office received the first letter on May 13 and another on May 18. "One letter is from Communist Party of India-Maoist Central Committee and another from their Dandkaranya Special Zonal Committee. Both the letters contain threats to CM and his family," an official said. Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil said the letters also threatened top police officials looking after the anti-Naxal operations. The Special Investigation Department (SID) of the state police is probing this matter, he said. The chief minister also said that police had recovered evidence that the Maoists were hatching a conspiracy to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pune police, who have arrested five persons for alleged Maoist links, yesterday claimed that the ultras were planning to target the prime minister. "Earlier Naxals were confined to rural areas, now they have spread to urban areas," Fadnavis said. "They are on a mission and trying to mislead people," he said. "In one of the internal communications (recovered from houses of those arrested by Pune police) a commander has directed his cadre that Modi should be eliminated the way Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. "Many such communications have been seized during the raids. The intelligence agencies are at work and investigators are probing more links," said Fadnavis, who also handles the home portfolio. A letter found in the house of a person arrested for alleged Maoist 'links' talks about the ultras mulling a "Rajiv Gandhi-type incident" and suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be targeted during his road shows, according to the police. The letter, addressed to Comrade Prakash by sender who identifies himself as 'R', talks about the requirement of Rs 8 crore to procure M-4 rifle along with four lakh rounds of ammunition for the purpose. The letter was allegedly recovered from the house of Rona Wilson who was among five people arrested from Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi in connection with 'Elgaar Parishad' held in Pune in December and the subsequent Bhima-Koregaon violence in the district, the police said. All the five were yesterday produced before the sessions court in Pune which remanded them in police custody till June 14. Rajiv Gandhi, former prime minister, was killed by a woman suicide bomber during a public event in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. IMAGE: In this morphed photo of former President Pranab Mukherjee is seen wearing a black colour cap and saluting like RSS leaders. Photograph: Kind courtesy @Ahmad_Shakeel/Twitter Hours after his speech at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters in Nagpur, a morphed picture of former President Pranab Mukherjee surfaced on social media. In the edited photograph, Mukherjee is seen wearing a black colour cap similar to that worn by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and other RSS officials. Furthermore, the morphed photo shows him raising his hand to his chest and giving a salute akin to the one given by RSS cadres. However, in reality, Mukherjee neither wore a cap nor did he give any salute. The image prompted his daughter and Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee to say that she had feared and cautioned her father about this. "See, this is exactly what I was fearing & warned my father about. Not even few hours have passed, but BJP/RSS dirty tricks dept is at work in full swing!" she tweeted. Sharmistha, who heads the Mahila Congress and the media department of the Delhi Congress, had cautioned her father that his speech would be forgotten but the visuals would remain, giving the BJP/RSS a "full handle" to plant false stories and spread rumours. "Hope @CitiznMukherjee now realises from todays' incident, how BJP dirty tricks dept operates. Even RSS wouldn't believe that u r going 2 endorse its views in ur speech. But the speech will be forgotten, visuals will remain & those will be circulated with fake statements," she said. IMAGE: In reality, Mukherjee neither wore a cap nor did he give any salute. Photograph: PTI Photo However, after Pranab's speech, she said theirs was a "democratic, argumentative family" and she had no problem expressing differences with her father in public. It is a lesson she learnt from her father, Sharmistha Mukherjee, who has publicly opposed the former president visiting the RSS headquarters and delivering a speech there, said in response to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's reported comments backing her. "This is something you must grow up to. My own daughter doesn't agree with my views and I don't agree with hers. But we are a happy family. We must learn that individuals have opinions," Swamy was reported as saying. "Exactly! That's how I grew up, & that's why I don't have any problem expressing my differences with him on issues even in public. We are a democratic, argumentative family; & I learnt this from my father only," Sharmistha Mukherjee replied on Twitter. Warning that hatred and intolerance diluted national identity, the former president on Thursday spoke from the RSS platform to declare that nationalism was not bound by race or religion and called for dialogue to reconcile differences. Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram also lauded Pranab for highlighting Congress' ideology during his speech at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh event. "Happy that Mr Pranab Mukherjee told the RSS what is right about Congress' ideology. It was his way of saying what is wrong about RSS' ideology," Chidambaram tweeted. Earlier, Chidambaram had requested the former President to tell the RSS what is wrong with their ideology. "Now that he (Pranab Mukherjee) has accepted invitation there is no point debating why he accepted it. More important thing to say is, sir you have accepted invitation, please go there and tell them what is wrong with their ideology," Chidambaram said earlier at an event in Delhi. With inputs from PTI, ANI Top leaders of India, Russia, and China and some of their close allies will converge in Qingdao on Saturday for the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit which will explore concrete ways to bolster cooperation in the fight against terrorism, extremism and radicalisation besides deliberating on pressing global issues. In his address at the two-day SCO summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is arriving in Qingdao on Saturday, is likely to articulate India's position on dealing with major challenges facing the world including ways to tackle terrorism, and boosting trade and investment in the region. The summit in the eastern Chinese port city is taking place under the shadow of Washington's pull out from the Iran nuclear deal, its sanctions regime against Russia, and frictions with China over the trade tariffs. Diplomats from several member countries said all these issues may figure at the summit as well as during deliberations on its sidelines. Modi on Friday said he was excited to lead the Indian delegation for the grouping's first-ever meeting with the country as a full member. Modi will also hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Summit, where they will take stock of the implementation of decisions taken at the informal summit just over a month ago in Wuhan. 'I am excited to lead the Indian delegation for our first-ever meeting of the Council as a full member,' Modi said in a Facebook post. 'On 9th and 10th June, I will be in Qingdao, China to take part in the annual SCO Summit. This will be India's first SCO Summit as a full member. Will be interacting with leaders of SCO nations and discussing a wide range of subjects with them,' the prime minister tweeted. Discussions in the summit will take place on diverse issues ranging from combating terrorism, separatism and extremism to promoting cooperation in connectivity, commerce, customs, law, health and agriculture, protecting the environment and mitigating disaster risk and fostering people-to-people relations. 'In the last one year since India became a full member of the SCO, our interaction with the organisation and its member states has grown considerably in these areas. I believe that the Qingdao Summit will further enrich the SCO agenda, while heralding a new beginning for India's engagement with the SCO,' he said. 'India enjoys deep friendship and multi-dimensional ties with the member states of the SCO. On the sidelines of the SCO Summit, I will have the opportunity of meeting and sharing views with several other leaders, including the Heads of States of many SCO Member States,' Modi said. In the wake of Washington's strained ties with both Russia and China, and Iran, officials said the SCO summit will provide an opportunity for Xi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to portray a common vision for the region and present the bloc as a powerful voice to deal with pressing global issues. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is also scheduled to attend the summit which will give leaders of India, Russia, China and other central Asian countries a chance to deliberate on the Iran nuclear deal. The United States had pulled out of the deal last month, triggering sharp reactions from across the globe. The SCO leaders are meeting ahead of a much awaited summit next week between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, and the situation in the Korean peninsula may also figure at the meeting here, officials said on condition of anonymity. India became a full member of the the China-dominated grouping last year and New Delhi's entry into it is expected to increase the bloc's heft in regional geo-politics and trade negotiations besides giving it a pan-Asian hue. Hours after his arrival in this port city, Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Xi. The meeting is taking place weeks after the two leaders held an informal summit in the central Chinese city of Wuhan during which they exchanged views on solidifying the relationship between the two Asian powers. In Saturday's meeting, Modi and Xi are likely to take stock of progress in implementation of decisions they had taken at the informal summit. About the SCO summit, officials said India will pitch for evolving effective ways to deal with the growing challenge of terrorism and enhancing security cooperation among SCO countries. India is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. India was an observer at the SCO since 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region. Along with India, Pakistan was also granted membership of the SCO last year. The officials said India is also likely to focus on importance of regional connectivity projects to boost trade among members of the SCO countries. India has been strongly pushing for connectivity projects like the Chabahar port project and International North-South Transport Corridor to gain access to resource-rich Central Asian countries. Sources indicated that India's focus would be to include its concerns over cross border terrorism in the final outcome document of the summit. India has been raising the issue of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in various multilateral forums with an aim to build pressure on Islamabad to dismantle the terror infrastructure operating from that country. Modi is expected to hold nearly half a dozen bilateral meetings with leaders of other SCO countries. However, there is no official word on whether there will be any interaction between Modi and Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain, who is scheduled to attend the meeting in China. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Rajinikanth's comments on the Cauvery issue have often made him the target of pro-Kannada outfits who threatened to disrupt his film's release in Karnataka. However, this time there has so far been a lack of fanfare even in Tamil Nadu. R Rajagopalan explains why. Superstar Rajinikanths latest film Kaala has not only run into political controversies but also reportedly lost viewers in Tamil Nadu. There are reports from Chennai that, unlike in the past, Rajinikanths fans are not queuing up to see the movie. No 'release pujas are being conducted in some parts of Tamil Nadu. However, trade analysts and distributors are hopeful that the collections will pick up over the weekend. Pro-Kannada activists next door in Karnataka are also upset with Rajinikanth for favouring the formation of Cauvery Management Board. But what explains the lack of fanfare in Tamil Nadu? Rajinikanth spoke his mind after police firing during anti-Sterlite agitation in Tuticorin in which 13 people were killed. Blaming anti-socials for being behind the violent agitation, he said that the state government should control them with an "iron hand", like former chief minister Jayalalithaa did. This has provoked elements on the left, who began to demonstrate against Kaala. The main opposition DMK too has been provoking Rajini to get him to speak more on spiritualism etc, and thereby trying to show that he is close to the Bharatiya Janata Party and Hindutva outfits. Rajinikanth has a great fan following in Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru and Kolar areas, where the Tamil population is more. The 67-year-old actors comments on the Cauvery issue have often made him the target of pro-Kannada organisations. However, following his statements regarding the Tuticorin violent, Tamil activist groups in Norway and Switzerland also announced a ban on Kaala, saying they would not release the films of actors in the future who deliberately hurt the feelings of Tamil people. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce too stated that the distributors are not willing to release Kaala. Despite an order from the Karnataka high court to ensure a peaceful release of the film in the state, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy advised the distributors to delay it till the Cauvery dispute was resolved'. Even Kamal Haasan, who met Kumaraswamy to discuss the Cauvery issue, appeared to distance himself from the controversy over the film. "I did not discuss movies. That's for the film chambers in both states to sort out," he said, adding that the issue of water sharing was more important than movies. Incidentally, Rajinikanth had supported Kamal Haasan when his Vishwaroopam ran into trouble in January 2013. However, regardless the fate of his latest release, Rajinikanth remains a factor in Tamil Nadu politics. Rahstriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday said Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief Upendra Kushwaha had no place in the National Democratic Alliance and hinted that the Union minister would be welcomed if he chose to switch sides and join the RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar. "It has been evident that Kushwaha has no place in the NDA, of which his party is a constituent. He has been ploughing a lonely furrow on a number of issues," Yadav, the RJD heir apparent, told reporters in Patna. Asked whether the RJD would accept Kushwaha's RLSP into the Grand Alliance of which RJD is the largest partner, Yadav said, "It is for him to take a decision. If he wishes to come with us, we will think over the matter." "He organised a state-wide human chain a few months ago on the issue of educational reforms which his alliance partners sneered at. It was our party which supported him on that occasion as we agreed with his cause," Yadav said. Kushwaha was absent at a get-together of the NDA in Patna on Thursday night and his party demanded that the next Lok Sabha and assembly polls be fought under his leadership. The Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development, however, sought to downplay his absence today, saying it was because of some "personal reasons" and asserted that the coalition was intact. At present, Kushwaha is engaged in a campaign demanding representation of all sections of the society in higher judiciary, Yadav said. This cause is also supported by the RJD but, it appears, none of his coalition partners does, said Yadav who is the leader of the opposition in the state assembly. The RLSP has been viewing with consternation the assertion by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United that it was the main party in the NDA in Bihar, a clear hint that it wanted the largest number of seats among the constituents of the BJP-led coalition in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Yadav's comments came a few hours after former Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha president Jitan Ram Manjhi urged Kushwaha to quit the NDA and join the grand alliance. Manjhi, who was himself with the NDA until a few months ago, joined the RJD-Congress combine in March. Despite being the sole MLA of his party, Manjhi got his son elected to the state legislative council with help from the RJD. The HAM leader, however, made it clear that Kushwaha 'must give up his ambition to be projected as the leader of the coalition since grand alliance has already decided that if it wins power in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav would be the chief minister'. Archbishop Anil Couto's instructions, though politically charged, are not unusual or unprecedented, reports Manavi Kapur. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com Religion can be a sticky subject in any part of the world. Particularly so in India where it often also becomes a political hot potato. Anil Couto, the archbishop of Delhi, would know, having recently found himself in the eye of one such storm. In a letter, Couto had asked the priests in his parish and religious institutions under the Delhi archdiocese to 'pray for the nation' every Friday, especially given that the general elections were a year away. It would have passed as a harmless call for prayer had Couto not gone forward and described the 'political atmosphere' in the country as 'turbulent', which, according to him, posed a 'threat to the democratic principles enshrined in our Constitution and the secular fabric of our nation'. The reaction to the letter was not surprising. Expressing their displeasure, ministers from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre termed Couto an isolated voice from the Indian Catholic community. The otherwise silent home minister, Rajnath Singh, issued a statement dismissing the premise of Couto's letter. 'I have not seen the archbishop's letter, but I want to say India is one of those countries where minorities are safe and no one is allowed to discriminate on the basis of caste and religion,' he said. The letter was 'not appropriate', added BJP President Amit A Shah. The Hindu-majority party's token Christian voice, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Culture and Tourism K J Alphons, called Couto's statement 'unfair'. 'Godmen are supposed to stay away from politics,' he said. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue Rakesh Sinha said the letter was a 'direct attack on Indian secularism and democracy'. Ironically, it was the vehement response to Couto's edict that gave his letter unusual fame. While the letter was written and issued to the parish on May 8 and was read out during Sunday Mass on May 13, it catapulted into mainstream news only after BJP heavyweights took it upon themselves to register their disapproval. Though the letter steered clear of naming any political party or leader, it said it 'looked forward' to a 'new government'. That is perhaps what irked the government. Couto has since clarified his stance, and his letter. 'What I said is, spend time once a week for our nation and especially because elections are coming and government concerns all of us. So it is not in any way pertaining to the government of Narendra Modi,' Couto was quoted in a Press Trust of India report. The 63-year-old archbishop has since refused to speak on the matter. An e-mail requesting an interaction with Couto remains unanswered. Goan by birth, Couto was ordained as a priest for the Roman Catholic archdiocese in Delhi in 1981. He served as the bishop of Jalandhar in Punjab and the rector of the Delhi archdiocesan minor seminary in Gurugram, Haryana. He was appointed archbishop of Delhi in 2012, a position he continues to hold. Couto's instructions, though politically charged, are not unusual or unprecedented. There have often been instances of priests speaking about politics in pockets with a substantial Christian population, especially in Kerala, Goa and the north east, particularly during election season. Couto's, too, would have remained a community-specific voice had it not been for the outrage that ensued. I arrived on Faculty at Westminster in the summer of 2001. I had only been on campus for a couple of months before a group of students approached me one lunchtime and tried to recruit me to a most sinister and dangerous cult. `What?', I hear you cry, `Are the Moonies, the Children of God, and the Manson Family alive and well and operating out of a campus in Glenside, PA?' Well, no, not at all as far as I know. The offer I received was far more dangerous than anything such groups might have made to me. The request was simple: would I be willing to meet with a particular group of students every two weeks in a local bar or restaurant to talk theology? My answer was straightforward and immediate: no. I would, I said, be happy to meet for a drink or meal with any student to chat about theology; but I did not want to make it a regular or formal arrangement. My reason? That is how partisan thinking is born. That is how theological groupies emerge. That is how cults of personality are brought into being. I knew exactly where it would lead: I would try to impress students with my intellectual swagger; they would try to mimic me; and round and round it would go. Other professors, students, groups, etc. would be routinely dismissed, lampooned, and denigrated in a manner that made us feel good about ourselves, and Team Trueman would come to consider itself the best thing since sliced bread. I would give them a tidbit of theological gossip, make them feel they had the inside scoop on something or someone; they would reciprocate with suitable acts of obeisance and worship; and so on and on the merry dance would go. Well, so sorry, but I was not going to go there. I'd rather be at home with my wife and kids or out on my bike or off for a run, all of which would remind me of mortality and my more than obvious limitations; and which would ultimately be far better for my soul. The cult of professor worship is perhaps the most dangerous and reprehensible cult in the theological world. It is no respecter of theological position, afflicting the left just as much as the right. It is no respecter of intellectual ability, as the psychology of leader-follower is predicated more on personality and relational qualities than brainpower. And it is no respecter of souls; nothing so destroys a Christian leader, or his followers, than the mutual flattery involved in the uncritical adulation of a fan-base for a professorial rock star (and I use that term advisedly). Hence, while every instinct in me told me that the offer was a great opportunity to start up Team Trueman on campus, I chose to go against my fallen desires and immediately declined the offer. I had occasion to recall the incident some years later. By then, I had become something of an amateur student of the history of the Southern Baptist Convention and its various institutions. A strange occupation for a Presbyterian; but, when one remembers that the SBC has undergone a remarkable transformation over the last three decades, involving the overturning of a dominant liberal consensus in favour of more traditional evangelical orthodoxy, the story remains inspiring even to those outside the SBC. In this context, there are a couple of particularly helpful items in such study. One is the 1995 PBS documentary, "Battle for the Minds," an unremittingly hostile analysis of changes in the SBC, along with a veritable hatchet-job on Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., and the early days of his presidency at Southern Seminary. In order to tug at the viewers' heartstrings, the documentary plays the issue as one of the persecution of women, particularly one specific woman professor; but when interviewed in the film, the Vice Chair of Southern's board makes the point that the controversy was more about whether professors actually believed the Abstract of Principles (Southern's equivalent of a confession of faith) to which they were bound by voluntary vows; and that, as the woman professor featured in the documentary did not do so, she was, in effect, working, and taking money, under false pretences. The other fascinating item is the memoir by Judge Paul Pressler, A Hill on which to Die (Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 2002). Pressler was a layman and Sunday school teacher who became disturbed by the teaching and publications he saw emanating from SBC seminaries in the early sixties. He then spent the next four decades organizing a movement to reinstate Christian orthodoxy both in the SBC and in its educational institutions. It was a hard road for him to walk: the early years were lonely and frustrating, and he and his family were later the targets not only of national negative media campaigns, but even of death threats. Still, he persevered on the simple grounds that the garbage taught in seminaries today become the garbage preached in pulpits tomorrow. One paragraph in particular caught my eye as I worked my way through his book. It reads as follows: In some instances a student has gone to an institution and has been befriended by professors whom the student respected. The professors tell the student how bright he or she is and how the professors are willing to help the student escape the limited background from which he has sprung. In this way, some professors create a circle of students who follow them. They will train the students in what the professors believe. Such groups can be used to glorify the professor rather than the Savior and can become another source of liberalism. (p. 152) What Pressler offers here is a brilliant insight into the dynamic of the relationship between some professors and students, and the unfortunate results which can then transpire. Indeed, it is worth unpacking in a little more detail. First, there is the fact that the relationship is built on a mutually beneficial dynamic of basic vanity. The professor tells the students how clever they are, despite the limitations of their educational background so far; and the students reciprocate by allowing the professor, magus-like, to introduce them to the wonderful, liberating world of real thought. Everyone's a winner; everyone's ego gets stroked; everyone feels good about themselves and somewhat superior to those left outside the sacred circle of Gnostic knowledge. Second, the focus of these groups becomes the professor and then the little group of acolytes, not the Gospel or, indeed, proper thinking, scholarship, or anything else for that matter. If they feature at all, they are merely fuel for driving the larger cult of personality. In fact, the decorum and moderation of style which typically mark careful thought and scholarship, and even normal friendships and associations, are signally absent from these groups. It is often the case that these little cabals become hyper-sensitive about even the slightest perceived criticism of themselves or their chosen leader; but, by way of contrast, they are often extremely free and colourful with the language they use to describe those with whom they disagree. He who is not with them is, by definition, against them. This violence of language is symptomatic of deeper issues, indicating that it is often, at root, the emotional connection to the professor which drives the subsequent theological conviction rather than the other way around. This exact point is made with some clarity by James Gordon in his intellectual biography of James Denney, the great Scottish theologian of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Denney studied at Free Church College in Glasgow, during the years when the Free Church of Scotland was being torn asunder by the higher critical views of the brilliant young professor of Old Testament, William Robertson Smith. Gordon argues that it was as much the atmosphere surrounding the man, the liking of and sympathy for, his person that helped to shape Denney's own doctrine of scripture, particular in his positive reception of moderate higher critical approaches to the biblical text. [James Denney (1856-1917): An Intellectual and Contextual Biography (Carlisle: Paternoster, 2006), 72-74]. Affection for the man as an engaging teacher, perhaps even the fact that he was `a good bloke' as the English would say, as opposed to one of the `grumpy old men' who opposed him, led the younger hot-shots in the Free Church to lend him their loyalty and to pattern their own theology after his. Of course, this is no monopoly of the left. I am reminded of the criticism of Francis Schaeffer as made by James Barr: he taught a whole generation of the evangelicals that they didn't have to read or think for themselves. This is not to say that either Robertson Smith or Schaeffer consciously cultivated mindless clones of themselves--or that their followers necessarily acted in the ignorant, immature, and ill-mannered way I have described above--but it is to say that this is a constant temptation and danger for the powerful intellect or alpha personality, one that needs to be guarded against at all costs. Third, the long-term impact is that the views of the particular leader get transmitted to the spheres of influence in which the students themselves progress. This is where the little classroom cults become much more dangerous, where they start to harm people's lives, where they start to split churches. It is surely one of the most unsettling experiences to see one's own faults replicated in one's children. If I treat my wife with disrespect, lo and behold, my son does the same. And if I have an ounce of decency, I feel the pain and shame of my responsibility straight away. This is not simply the way biological children develop; it is the way in which intellectual and spiritual offspring grow as well. The throwaway comment that a professor makes in a lecture or a pastor makes in some context can come back to haunt the Church in unfortunate and unintended ways, as admiring students latch on to the words of the coolest profs in town and, in an attempt to get a little piece of the magic for themselves, repeat them, exaggerate them, and even misquote them out of context. This is bad enough when done unintentionally; how much more dangerous is it when swaggering professors go out of their way to cultivate acolytes, who then go out and do this sort of thing virtually for a living? Such fan bases, such personality cults, are nothing new. They afflicted the church in Corinth, and they have been an enduring malady ever since. Psychologists could no doubt have a field day here: Transposition of filial affection to a surrogate parent figure... A desperate need to belong to a group... Both of these can offer plausible, second-level explanations for such commitment and surely contain important truths. At root, however, the problem is even more serious: the Christian, biblical perspective has to be that what we see in such relationships is idolatry. The Bible is clear that idol worshipers take on the characteristics of their idols. Worship a dumb statue, and you will become dumb (Ps. 115); we might add that, if you worship a professor or teacher or pastor, you will come to be like them, warts and all, and probably in an exaggerated way. That is why so many professorial disciples sound like cheap, lightweight versions of the original; they are basically idolaters, and what you see in their lives and language is the inevitable result of their idolatry. What is worse than this, of course, is that such people negate the power of the cross of Christ. Paul makes the point with ruthless effect in 1 Corinthians 1. To indulge in a cult of personality is not simply to miss the point of the cross; it is also to empty the cross of its power. That is why it is not simply incumbent upon students to guard against being sucked in to such idolatry. How much more is it incumbent upon the professors to avoid becoming the objects of such a cult? It is often said that you cannot enter into a pulpit and make yourself look like a great preacher and Christ look like a great saviour at one and the same time. So it is in the classroom, on campus, at conferences: the professor, the theologian, cannot point to the power of the cross and simultaneously encourage a cult of personality. These things simply cannot stand together. Indeed, it is surely vital that the professor not only avoid creating such cults, but also actively opposes them as they start to arise around him. To do less than this is, I fear, to empty the cross of its power and to lead others into idol worship. Carl Trueman is professor of humanities at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. Born in Dudley, UK, he has previously been a faculty member at the Universities of Nottingham and Aberdeen (UK) and Westminster Theological Seminary (PA). He was also formerly Pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Ambler, Pa. He enjoys running, listening to rock/classical music, and doing what his wife tells him. This article was originally published on reformation21 in August of 2008. Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. (idexonline.com) - (idexonline.com) - Botswanas President Mokgweetsi Masisi is reportedly looking for a new long-term diamond deal with De Beers when the sides' current 10-year agreement expires in two years which will include provisions for more stones to be cut and polished domestically. As with the last deal that began in 2010, both Botswana and De Beers have a strong incentive to reach an agreement: diamonds are a critical part of Botswanas gross domestic product and foreign exchange earnings; meanwhile, more than 60% of the mining giant's diamonds come from Botswana. In the third quarter of this year, ALROSA produced 8.8 million carats of rough and raised $ 938 million for diamond products sold The company said in its Q3 2021 update that diamond production reached 8.8 m carats, while proceeds from rough and polished diamond sales totalled $938 m. Caledonia targets up to 67000 oz of gold output this year Dual-listed Caledonia Mining Corporation is on course to produce between 65 000 oz and 67 000 oz of gold this year from its Blanket mine, in Zimbabwe. Ultra rare Australian diamond within a diamond to be studied IBDH has released details of a rare double diamond recovered from its Ellendale alluvial deposit in Western Australia. CIBJO President extols jewellery industrys role as a catalyst for sustainable development CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri has described to an audience of business and industry leaders meeting in the Italian capital of Rome, as well as online, the current and potential role of the jewellery industry as a catalyst for the fulfilment of the... Botswana Diamonds said it has been awarded a prospecting licence for the Mooikloof kimberlite pipe concession in South Africa. Image credit: Botswana Diamonds It said that Mooikloof was a known 2.5 hectare diamondiferous kimberlite pipe last prospected in 1986. We are pleased to finally be awarded the Mooikloof concession, said company chairperson John Teeling. This was discovered and explored in the 1980s by De Beers who went on to develop the Oaks mine next door. The Oaks mine had a grade of 53 cpht at a value of $156. Botswana Diamonds said it was suspecting that past explorers may have systematically under-estimated the kimberlite pipe size, grade and diamond quality of the Mooikloof kimberlite. We will deploy state-of-the-art exploration techniques to reassess the Mooikloof kimberlite, and maybe open another by-passed kimberlite pipe development, it said. Meanwhile, the diamond explorer said that it had completed the technical and economic study on Thorny River project, also in South Africa and was currently evaluating its options for the project. It said that drilling at the Ontevreden in South Africa confirmed the existence of a kimberlite pipe, but showed the pipe to be smaller than the previously indicated geophysical anomaly. No further work is warranted, as we have higher potential targets, said Botswana Diamonds. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished, from Gaborone, Botswana Indian shares fell in early trade on Friday as a rebound in oil prices, a weakening rupee on fiscal deficit concerns and weak global cues prompted traders to book some profits after two days of strong gains. The benchmark BSE Sensex was down 90 points or 0.25 percent at 35,374, while the broader Nifty index was down 27 points or 0.25 percent at 10,741. Shares of state-run oil marketing companies BPCL, HPCL and IOC fell 1-2 percent after Brent crude futures surged nearly $2 a barrel on Thursday amid speculation that Saudi Arabia, other OPEC states and non-OPEC allies may stick to a global pact on cutting oil supplies until the end of 2018. SBI shed half a percent and ICICI Bank dropped 1.3 percent after the yields on 10-year government bonds rose above the 8 percent mark for the first time since November 2014. Tata Motors jumped over 2 percent on fund raising reports. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Air France KLM (AFRAF.PK) reported that, for total group (Air France, KLM, HOP! and Transavia), traffic measured in revenue pax-kilometers increased 2.4% year-over-year for the month of May 2018 to 23.96 billion. Capacity, measured in available seat-kilometers, was 28.02 billion, up 2.6% from the prior year. Load factor was 85.5%, a decrease of 0.2 percentage points. Total group carries 8.89 million passengers, up 1 percent from the prior year. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Games Workshop Group Plc. (GAW.L) said that the sales and profit growth, which was discussed in the trading update released on 4 May 2018, has continued in 2017/18 financial year. Sales growth has been across all sales channels. The company expects the Group's sales for the 53 weeks to 3 June 2018 to be approximately 219 million pounds and the Group's profit before tax to be at not less than 74 million pounds. Royalties receivable from licensing are about 10 million pounds. In recognition of staff's contribution to these results, the company paid during the year a bonus amounting in total to 5 million pounds. This was paid equally to each member of staff. The company also announces that it declared a dividend of 30 pence per share. This will be paid on 27 July 2018 to shareholders on the register at 22 June 2018, with an ex-dividend date of 21 June 2018. The last date for elections for the dividend re-investment plan is 6 July 2018. The company noted that it will provide detailed information on the audited results for the 2017/18 financial year at the time of full year results announcement on 31 July 2018. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Copper producer KAZ Minerals Plc (KAZ.L), formerly Kazakhmys Plc, announced an agreement to invest $70 million into the Group's Koksay project by China Nonferrous Metal Industry's Foreign Engineering and Construction Company Ltd or "Non Ferrous China" or "NFC". Following the $70 million investment, which is subject to certain conditions precedent including regulatory approvals in Kazakhstan and China, NFC will hold a 19.4% stake in the Koksay project. Koksay is a potential open pit copper mine development project in Kazakhstan, located around 230 kilometres from Almaty. The deposit has a mineral resource1 of 736 Mt at an average copper grade of 0.42%, with contained copper of 3.1 Mt. KAZ Minerals noted that the $70 million to be invested into the project entity by NFC will be ring-fenced for the development of Koksay, including a feasibility study which will determine the detailed design for mining and processing operations and the associated capital budget. The Board will review the results of the feasibility study to assess how and when to proceed with the project. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Accenture (ACN) announced an agreement to acquire designaffairs, a strategic design consultancy headquartered in Germany. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. designaffairs, which was founded in 1997, employs more than 100 professionals in studios in Munich and Erlangen, Shanghai and Portland, Oregon. Accenture expects this acquisition to bolster the capabilities of Accenture Industry X.0 to design smart products and services. designaffairs will become part of growing network of studios, by joining Accenture's Industry X.0 practice. Following completion of the acquisition, designaffairs CEO Nico Michler will continue to lead the along with Michael Lanz, managing director and Munich studio lead, Gerd Helmreich, managing director and Erlangen studio lead, as well as Lidan Liu and Moritz Ludwig, who lead the Shanghai studio. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The Japanese yen climbed against its major counterparts in the European session on Friday amid risk aversion, as investors cautiously await a gathering of G7 leaders in Canada, where trade tariffs are expected to be the key agenda. U.S. President Donald Trump launched attacks on EU and Canada via twitter, saying that they were charging the US massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers. "I look forward to seeing them tomorrow," Trump wrote on Thursday. Traders also focus on the European Central Bank and Federal Reserve meetings next week for policy direction. The high-profile US-North Korea summit was also on top of investors' radar. Data from the Cabinet Office showed that Japan's final gross domestic product fell 0.2 percent on quarter in the first three months of 2018. That was unchanged from the May 16 preliminary reading, although it defied expectations for an upward revision to -0.1 percent. Data from the Ministry of Finance showed that Japan logged a current account surplus of 1.845 trillion yen in April, down 6.8 percent on year. That missed expectations for a surplus of 2.076 trillion yen following the 3.122 trillion yen surplus in March. The currency has been trading in a positive territory against its major counterparts in the Asian session. The yen advanced to 3-day highs of 128.33 against the euro, 111.08 against the franc and 146.35 against the pound, coming from its early lows of 129.73, 112.01 and 147.44, respectively. The next possible resistance for the yen is seen around 127.00 against the euro, 110.00 against the franc and 145.00 against the pound. The yen appreciated to a weekly high of 109.26 against the greenback and an 8-day high of 83.88 against the loonie, reversing from its previous lows of 109.85 and 84.69, respectively. The yen is seen finding resistance around 108.00 against the greenback and 83.00 against the loonie. The yen climbed to a 4-day high of 76.61 against the kiwi, after having fallen to 77.21 at 9:00 pm ET. If the yen rises further, 75.00 is likely seen as its next resistance level. Looking ahead, U.S. wholesale inventories for April, Canada housing starts and jobs data for May are due in the New York session. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The People's Bank of China (PBoC), China's central bank, is introducing a blockchain-based system to digitize paper checks which will help in preventing check frauds, fake checks, and reducing check printing costs. The platform was in developmental research for the past one year, reports say. The digital currency research lab at PBoC began the process way back in 2016 and successfully tested a prototype in January 2018. Di Gang, the deputy head of the lab, reportedly told the media that the PBoC has "completed the infrastructure of a system that issues digital checks based on a blockchain with smart contracts ." All transactions will be recorded from the issuing stage to the receiving stage. The system will also act as a digital billing system and will enable shorter transaction times of about 3 seconds. Currently, physical checks are issued by several intermediaries that take up the role of traditional banks. The role of the third-party in handling checks increases the risk of fraud and costs. The use of smart contracts in the new system will also eliminate costs and time involved in process of manually cross-checking all transactions. The apex bank in China continues to have a tough stance on dealing with cryptocurrencies in China, but is positive on blockchain technology that is underlying bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. China is perhaps the home to the world's second largest number of blockchain-based enterprises, after the U.S. Blockchain technology was listed on China's "13th Five-Year Plan" as a strategic cutting-edge technology. The Chinese government is set to issue Blockchain regulations by 2019. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Women's 3000m Steeplechase ends in farce I had a sense of foreboding about the women's 3000m steeplechase even before it happened. The press conference and the clever, if left field, posters both featured the race as a duel between Norway's Karoline Bjerkkeli Grvdal and the American, Emma Coburn. They are both fine runners but how can you leave out of the equation the former world champion, Olympic silver medallist, 2018 world lead and winner of the previous Diamond League Steeplechase, Hyvin Kiyeng? Well, Kiyeng duly won the race. But sadly that was not the main story. I first became aware that there had been a problem when I spoke to the British athlete, Rosie Clarke, about her race. She commented: "Frustrating. It would help if they could put the barriers at the right height. With three laps we had a barrier at men's height which was not ideal". Don't you love the British understatement - that having a barrier at the wrong height was "not ideal"! The next development was that Gene Cherry, the DL media delegate, whispered in my ear that he understood that there had been a problem with the height of a barrier. Then we were informed that the competition director. Terje Hoffmann, would make a statement to the media. Gene and I duly presented ourselves but the location was where all the Norwegian media were gathered. Hoffmann made a statement and answered questions at length - in Norwegian. After this, Gene collared him and asked for a short summary of what had happened. The statement that he made and which was circulated to the press afterwards said: "The short version is that we made a terrible mistake. It shouldn't have happened and we apologise to the athletes. They have our deepest sympathy. It affected the three first barriers and then the four last was correct". The statement is ambiguous. The reality is that one barrier was set at men's height of 91 centimeters instead of the correct height for women of 76 centimeters. The error was corrected after three laps - ie athletes went over the barrier at the wrong height on the first three laps but not on the last four. While not in the written statement, in answer to the question, Hoffmann said that any record set would stand as the error had been to athletes' disadvantage. Coburn shed further light on the farcical events: "I'm incredibly frustrated that we had to hurdle the men's barrier on the back straight three times - we were waving around and it wasn't solved until my husband went out onto the track to tell the officials". Coburn who lost her chance to win in Rome last week when she fell at the water jump on the final lap, added about the Oslo race: "It panicked me but I tried to stay calm and feel as easy as possible from then on. After the stress, the pace slowed down a lot but today was a step in the right direction for me - I fell in Rome which was my fault but today wasn't my fault, but I will keep working hard and try to forget it now". Hyvin Kiyeng, photo by PhotoRun.net Kiyeng, who won by 7 hundredths of a second, commented: "It was all about the win, I was not thinking about the times at all. I had some injuries in Rome and wanted to continue in winning. Fast times will come later in July". By SA Commercial Prop News Aerial view of Nooitgedacht Village development funded through Nedbank Corporate Property Finance, Cape Town Nedbank Corporate Property Finance has approved a loan to Koelpark Development (Pty) Ltd for the first phase of the Nooitgedacht Village, which offers a fully integrated community lifestyle in the Western Cape growth node of Stellenbosch. Koelpark is represented by the Wirth family which has owned the Nooitgedacht Wine Farm in Stellenbosch since 1924. The Wirth family bought the subject property adjacent to their wine farm in 1989 and completed the bulk services on the subject property, which included roads, water, sewerage and electricity. The property forms part of the Koelenhof Hamlet and a total of 196,000m of new rezoning rights have been awarded including business, residential, industrial and open space. The basket of rights awarded will allow them to develop an expansive, fully integrated lifestyle estate among the vineyards with boutique shops, offices, lifestyle facilities, an equestrian centre, a wine boutique, bakery and retirement village. Phase one is almost sold out and phase two will be launched shortly. Our loan will fund the construction, infrastructure and marketing costs for phase one of Nooitgedacht Village. Its a great investment in a prime location offering a comprehensive mixed use development in the heart of the winelands, says Richard Thomas, regional executive: Nedbank Corporate Property Finance, Cape. Managing director Werner Wirth, and attorney Gerhardt Jooste are consulting on behalf of the company and developing the property. Jooste is a well-known and experienced player in the property industry who co-founded property development company Atterbury Cape and has been personally involved in the planning and completion of Kanonberg Estate, La Verona, Bella Rosa, Greenville, Admiral Island, Somerset Value Mart and Tygerberg Office Park to name a few. Jooste then started Prosperito which has been involved in the development of Swellenmark Shopping Centre, The Grand Grahamstown, Bloomingdales Office Park, Fountains Mall, Rosehill Mall and recently Kenako Mall in Port Elizabeth. Thomas continues: The development has an accompanying positive corporate social investment (CSI) element whereby 350 people who were living as informal settlers on the property have been relocated and their lives radically uplifted in the process. Before moving, 86 families were living in 50 structures with no sanitation or electricity and minimal water points. The Fritz Wirth Trust and the Koelpark Community Initiative have focused on finding suitable solutions for the disadvantaged community in terms of housing, skills development and job creation to ultimately create a better standard of living for the group. Koelpark purchased land that the community identified in Klapmuts that is located conveniently close to all amenities. Each of the families was granted a building subsidy from the government and subsequently 99 houses were built. All the families have moved into their new homes. There is also an established feeding scheme for the children, which is supported by all the owners of the farms in the area. Nedbank is proud to be associated with such an expansive development as Nooitgedacht Village as well as the accompanying CSI factor that has had a positive impact and is directly transforming lives. CSI is a non-negotiable business and ethical imperative for Nedbank and we are acutely aware of our responsibility to contribute towards uplifting the lives of disadvantaged communities in South Africa. A strong partnership such as this between Nedbank and Koelpark underscores the fact that we remain the market leader in the commercial property finance industry and continue to provide custom-fit financial solutions that benefit and empower all stakeholders, concludes Thomas. Speaking at its headquarters, former President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday did some plain-speaking on nationalism and patriotism to RSS cadre telling them that India's multiple faiths and cultures made it tolerant and that the soul of the nation resided in its pluralism and secularism. Calling for a dialogue to balance competing interests and reconcile them, he made it clear that hatred dilutes nationalism and intolerance will dilute national identity. "Divergent stands in public discourse have to be recognised." Sharing "some truths that I have internalized during my 50 year long public life" as a parliamentarian and administrator, he said the soul of India resided in "pluralism and tolerance". "This plurality of our society has come through assimilation of ideas over centuries. Secularism and inclusion are a matter of faith for us. It is our composite culture which makes us into one nation," he said addressing the third year annual training camp at the RSS headquarters here even as his acceptance of the invitation to the event came in for strong criticism from Congress leaders and Left parties. Invoking the vision of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel, Mukherhjee said India's nationhood was not one language, one religion or one enemy. "It's the perennial one universalism of 1.3 billion people who use more than 122 languages, 1,600 dialects in their every day lives, practice seven major religions, belong to three major ethnic groups... live under one system, one flag and one identity of being 'Bharatiya' and have no enemies. That is what makes India a diverse and united nation," he said, speaking in English and peppering his speech with some words and phrases from his mother tongue Bengali. He said intolerance diluted nationalism and hate was destroying people. "Only a non-violent society can ensure participation of all sections of people in the democratic process, especially marginalized and dispossesed. We must move from violence, anger and conflict to peace, harmony and happiness. Our motherland is asking for that. Our motherland deserves that," Mukherjee said in his 30-minute address. The former President surprised the political world when he accepted RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's invitation to attend the organisation's event at its headquarters. While the Congress officially maintained silence, its leaders including Anand Sharma, Ahmed Patel and his own daughter Sharmistha were critical of it. As television channels beamed images of Mukherjee watching a drill by RSS cadres in the company of Bhagwat, Sharma tweeted that the image of Mukherjee at the RSS headquarters has anguished millions of Congress workers in the country. Earlier, Mukherjee, who had strongly denounced the saffron founthead during his entire political career, visited the memorial of RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar and wrote in the visitors' book: "Came here to pay my respect and homage to a great son of India K.B. Hedgewarji." On patriotism, the former Congress leader said: "From our Constitution flows our nationalism. The construct of Indian nationalism is Constitutional patriotism which consists of an appreciation of our inherited and shared diversity, readiness to enact one citizenship at different levels and an ability to self correct and learn from others." At the outset, he said he wanted to share with RSS cadres his understanding of the concepts of nation, nationalism and patriotism in the context of India -- that is Bharat. "These three concepts are so closely intertwined that it's difficult to discuss any one of them in isolation." Samoa hosted the first Youth Co:Lab at Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, yesterday. Present were 21 young Samoan entrepreneurs and mentors from Samoa Chamber of Commerce, with the goal of creating Information and Communication Technology (I.C.T.) solutions for an ethical and inclusive Samoa. The Director of Women in Business Development Incorporated (W.I.B.D.I.), Adimaimalaga Tafunai spoke about the setting of social entrepreneurship in Samoa. W.I.B.D.I. focused on economic empowerment of Samoan families but after much research and meeting with Samoan families we were committed to finding opportunities, particularly for rural village people, to develop income generating initiatives, and offer viable incentives so that they didnt have to leave their villages, she said. W.I.B.D.I. began small but all we had were some ideas and a passion to help people. We all came from different backgrounds; I guess you can say we started out as social entrepreneurs, even though we didnt know that at the time, she added. She also stated that working as a social entrepreneur is a worthwhile endeavor, and encourages everyone to follow their dreams, because anything is possible. United Nations Development Programme in Economic Empowerment Bangkok Regional Hub, Cynthia Cheung said the programme aims to empower youths social innovations. All innovations and leadership that we try to encourage our youth to pursue are all Sustainable Development Goals (S.D.G.) related. There are 700 million youths in the region and one of the largest regions around the world and its growing. If we dont solve unemployment right now, its a time bomb. Everyone needs education and a decent job so they can sustain their families especially their lives and the youths of now are the leaders for today and tomorrow. We strongly believe that youths need to be utilized, because if youre not going to empower youths then they will resort to bad means which becomes problematic for the future. For us, its all about giving them the opportunity to learn and to prosper, she said. Ms. Cheung said bridging the gap between governments and youths is something that U.N.D.P. youth unit team is doing. We run national dialogues like the one we are doing right now in Samoa. Our role is giving them tools like design thinking and other innovation platforms that we adapt it to local contacts so youths can have a go at challenging themselves and their assumptions to see how they can break through and sharing ideas. Ive been told that some of the youths already have their enterprises and some are still new and exploring ways of contribution. According to Ms. Cheung, three young Samoan entrepreneurs will present their solutions and ideas at the Digital Pacific Conference. Login Limited founder, Therese Rivers is thankful for the programme because it provides knowledge to further develop her business. I applied to attend the Youth Co:Lab with the aim of working together with other young entrepreneurs like myself, but getting to know the workshop it highlighted many issues like gender inequality, poverty and environmental issues and were here to talk about ideas to tackle these issues. And hopefully come out of this with new ideas, she said. Samoa Chamber of Commerce C.E.O., Lemauga Hobart Vaai mentioned the young people are the future of Samoas business communities. We want to push them to come up with the ideas that will drive our economy, which give our people opportunities through employment, which is why we support this initiative. Our main role or partnership is bringing these young entrepreneurs using our networks. We have a young entrepreneurs chamber and also outreach programmes in the community for participation. We have great partners like U.N.D.P. alongside local businesses Digicel, Bluesky, international chamber networks in China, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia which assist in the digital platform, capacity building and opportunities which we want to direct to the young entrepreneurs, he said. MANA Care founder, Angelica Salele-Sefo has a plan to promote menstrual hygiene. The young entrepreneur, together with her business partner Isabell Rasch, are the first to market in Samoa affordable, sustainable and reusable menstrual pads. We want to really roll this idea out to our neighbouring Pacific Islands, whether by opening up factories or going out to teach locals on how to do this. I am looking to help Pacific Islanders with gaining the knowledge to do the product themselves, she told the Samoa Observer. Angelica was one of more than 20 young Samoan entrepreneurs attending the Youth CO:Lab workshop held at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel yesterday. We are in the process of hiring; we have one woman confirmed to join us in the upcoming weeks. She is a seamstress out in Savaii. While we can employ around the urban areas, we want to really build on the fact that were a social enterprise. Angelica also highlighted their pop up shops project where she and Bella plan to take the products out to the communities. How we are going to identify those areas, we are working with the Ministry of Women on that, she said. For me and Bella personally, because we have roots in Savaii we want to start there first, so we are going to take it to Savaii first. The timeframe for our pop up shops in relation to the award that we got is between now and November. We are kind of running a little bit late and because of commitments weve had to push it back for a couple of weeks, but we are still on track to deliver this month. This is for our final report, which we will present to U.N. Environment. Angelica hopes to reach out to many villages on Upolu and Savaii before November. The pop up shops work in a way where the first session is an informative session, kind of educational session and we plan to have volunteers like doctors, nurses and whoever is available on a specific day for the pop up shops to come and accompany us as well as someone from the Ministry of Women if they would like to accompany us to talk about menstrual hygiene and give more information on what is menstruation because we know there is limited information and education occurring in Samoa. I think its something the Government should consider because I know maybe its different right now. But with our talks with people who have been educated in the Samoan public schools they were not taught reproduction in schools and its something you will learn in Science Biology when you reach senior years in high school. For our social enterprise, the pop up shops is something that we want to keep doing for as long as necessary before such a time when we can have these products available in shops. Angelica said this is basically for their business and to find ways in which they can improve their product and services. Members of the Atoa family and the girls volleyball team from Utah Valley University yesterday donated some items to the Samoa Red Cross Society. These items are to help victims of Tropical Cyclone Gita; this included blankets, newborn kits, cleaning chemicals and other equipment. Group leader, Samuelu Atoa said this is not the first time they visited Samoa. Ever since the tsunami in 2009 we started to come to Samoa and help out in any way we can, he said. And every year I always bring a team of volleyball players here and so this year I have brought a girls volleyball team from the university to not only learn about the Samoan culture, but to help out in any way we can. There are two containers that we were able to put together and fill up, so one arrived last week and the other one arrived in May. All the things in those containers were from our friends as well as Samoan people in Utah who were willing to help out our loved ones here in Samoa. It took us a whole year to load these two containers and its our way of helping out our people here in Samoa. Mr. Atoa said Samoa Red Cross is not the only organization they donated to. Last week we started at the S.V.S.G., we gave some things to Mapuifagalele, then we went to the childrens ward and we also donated to some schools, he said. Just this morning (yesterday) we visited Vaitele Primary School, Le Amosa and Samoa Primary and gave them some school equipment to help out with the students. I had help from some of my friends here in Samoa who provides us the names of the schools so that we can visit. There are different organizations and we will be able to help them out. We want to present a few things that we hope will be helpful to the care of those here in Samoa, so there are kits for newborn, some cleaning chemicals as well as blankets. We have been coming every year in the past nine years and every time we come we always help out anywhere we can. There are still things left in the containers that most likely we will be able to assist and help out with, but we only had a little room in the truck. We are grateful for the opportunity that we have for our volleyball team to be here in Samoa and be able to learn the culture and partake in the Samoan culture, but at the same time not only to do those fun things but to be able to work hard to serve others especially here in Samoa. General Secretary of the Samoa Red Cross Society, Namulauulu Tautala Mauala, acknowledged the support of the Atoa family as well as the university. We want to return the gesture that you have shown to the Samoa Red Cross. We appreciate all the help and we are very happy to have seen the Atoa family who has been our working partner for so long, so we want to thank you. This will definitely help some families who were affected by Tropical Cyclone Gita. The Government of Samoa in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (U.N.D.P.) launched the first ever Digital Pacific Conference 2018 yesterday. Held at the T.A.T.T.E. Building, the regional conference brings together influential development thinkers, practitioners, and public, private, civil society organizations and youth representatives to learn about international experience in digital transformation, to envision how the region and its small island developing states might benefit, and to identify common development objectives that can be pursued to leverage the opportunities of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Digital Pacific 2018 forms part of a programme of events that will carry forward and contextualise the regional discussion to the national context, producing concrete follow-up activities towards an actionable digital transformation agenda. In organising the events, the focus is on three core objectives: 1. Prepare the ground for greater collaboration on digital technologies in the Pacific, in view of leveraging the increase in connectivity and potential for creating a regional digital economy which enjoys greater integration and prosperity; 2. Share lessons learnt with its own decision-makers, generate a shared vision on digitalisation and identify priority areas on which the Government can focus its implementation efforts, thereby launching a process of organisational, cultural and technological change that will ready the nation for the digital age. 3. Identify key partners and financing mechanisms for the e-Governance reform in Samoa and in the region to expedite progress in digitalizing public and commercial services through relevant legislation, institutional design and capacity development. The conference is expected to determine the cornerstones of a digital transformation agenda, produce a sound basis for the design and resourcing of an action plan for Samoa as well as initial ideas for regional collaboration that the delegates can hand over to the relevant regional organisation(s) to pursue at the leadership level. The conference was opened by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Afamasaga Rico Tupai. This is what he said: A heartfelt Pacific thank you for coming to visit us. We welcome each and every one of you to the inaugural regional conference: Together for a Digital Pacific 2018. We recognise that some of you have come a long way (and certainly do hope you got a flight upgrade on the way over). For those of you who didnt get an upgrade, I can say, that had you only flown Samoa Airways, every seat would have felt like an upgrade anyway. On a more serious note, we are very happy to have you with us over the coming days, here in sunny Apia to discuss such an important issue for our region. On behalf of the Government of Samoa, I would like to extend a special thank you to the UNDP for partnering with us to host this meeting. We thank the Assistant Secretary General Mr Xu, for his commitment and presence here today; the UN Resident Coordinator Ms Simona Marinescu and her team at the UNDP, for all their support, without which, this conference would not have been possible. The next two days are an important opportunity to exchange views and share experiences about the digitalisation of our governments and economies and how this can contribute to our peoples prosperity and our countries sustainable development As we all know, as Pacific Small Island Developing States, from the largest to the smallest, we face a common, but unique set of developmental challenges: Our small size and narrow resource and export base exposure to global environmental challenges and external economic shocks Our vulnerability to the adverse impacts of climate change ; remoteness from most large markets; and reliance on remittances Many of these challenges were highlighted in the outcome of the SIDS Conference held in Samoa in 2014 The SAMOA Pathway. The outcome also recognised the importance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in ensuring the economic sustainability of us as Small Island Developing States. The international community also reaffirmed its commitment to support SIDS to gain access and to increase connectivity and the use of ICT through improved infrastructure, training and national legislation, as well as public and private sector involvement. Therefore, the discussions this week and the outcome of our deliberations are timely, given the Pacific SIDS regional meeting to review the SAMOA Pathway will be held in the next few weeks in Tonga. Digital transformation is key to the implementation of the SAMOA pathway, and in achieving our Sustainable Development Goals. By working together on regionally relevant digital initiatives, built on timely exchanges of information, and cooperation, we can overcome, to a degree, our challenges as small island states. Through enhanced international fibre-based Internet connectivity, we can bring markets nearer to our Island shores, connect our sellers to the world, and reduce the high operating costs for our governments and businesses, through telecommuting and online delivery of education and access to training. As of February this year, with the landing of our new Tui-SAMOA submarine fibre optic trunk, our national Internet bandwidth capacity has, in one jump, expanded some 800-fold. And that is just the start of things to come. Samoa is no longer and will never be as remote as it once was; and we are excited to be able to share our vision for a Digital Pacific with you. The next two days, we will First, have practitioner experts from countries well-recognised as digital transformation pioneers, to showcase their experiences with us: Australia, Estonia, South Korea, New Zealand, and Singapore. I am positive we will all learn from their achievements. Second, we will host panel discussions, covering topics of leadership, change management, innovation, emerging job opportunities, and workforce upskilling on the digitalisation pathway. We will also discuss the cost, efficiency, effectiveness and the unexpected consequences of culture and social cohesion factors involved with digitalisation. Third, we have set up an exhibition area for you to explore, bringing together different solution providers, both local and international, to showcase their technology and answer questions you may have, relating to private and public sector digital transformation. Tomorrow, we will take time to recap key insights, and undertake a visioning exercise to identify key aspects of our digital future together. Simultaneously, some of our best young minds will be working in a parallel event to envision a digital future for 2030, from their unique perspective. I continue to be inspired by the innovation and determination of our young minds in the private and public sectors and look forward to the presentations at the end of that session. Finally, I will host a roundtable dialogue, describing our ICT sector and future needs here in Samoa, and we aim to link this conversation to the upcoming meeting in Tonga. I thank you once again for joining this important meeting, I welcome you all once again, and we look forward to taking these important steps, Together for a Digital Pacific. The Chairman of the Public Service Commission (P.S.C.), Aiono Mose Sua, yesterday confirmed they are moving to suspend the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure (M.W.T.I.), Afamasaga Sua Pou Onesemo. The decision to begin the process of suspension is to allow the Police to investigate allegations of corrupt and illegal practices brought against the C.E.O. by a former Member of Parliament of the Government of India, Sh.P.K. Bansal. The allegations have been denied by Afamasaga, who has also welcomed the Police investigation so he could clear his name. Speaking to the Weekend Observer yesterday, Aiono said the recommendation for suspension came from the Acting Prime Minister, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, and Attorney General, Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff. We are going through the usual process, Aiono said. We have written to the C.E.O. and he has responded. We are following through with the process as indicated under the law. There is a process to follow when we seek to suspend anyone and again we have to meet all the criteria under the law for any suspension to be effective. Everyone is entitled to the process and that is where we are now. Aiono declined to discuss the details of the case. On Thursday, Acting Prime Minister Tialavea told the Samoa Observer that the matter has now been handled by the P.S.C. and the Police. On the same day, Attorney General Lemalu said the decision to suspend has to be made by the P.S.C. The Acting P.M. and I recommended in writing to the Chairman that the C.E.O. could be suspended pending the outcome of inquiries. The decision is for the Commission to now consider. Whatever their decision, the criminal investigation is now activated and can continue, said Lemalu. Attempts to get a comment from Afamasaga were unsuccessful yesterday. But the allegations against him were brought by Mr. Bansal in his capacity as the Executive Director of a company called Ascent Navals. He had written to the Chairman of the Public Service Commission on 28 May 2018, alleging corrupt and illegal practices by the C.E.O. For transparency, we the Board of Directors of the Ascent Navals Company, through our Director General Capt. Suniel K. Sharma, applied to become a Recognised Organisation (R.O.) when M.W.T.I. advertised last year, Mr. Bansal wrote. Up until now, all I am receiving from this C.E.O. is lies and excuses without a proper update of my application. I know we have been betrayed by Mr. Onesemo and more (sic) worse, he has been asking favour and use us in many ways on pretext of authorising us as R.O. When Afamasaga was asked for a comment, he not only denied the allegations in the letter, he counter-accused Mr. Bansal and Ascent Navals of being corrupt themselves. These allegations is due to their frustration from numerous visits to Samoa and offers to myself and the Ministry that I continued to deny, Afamasaga said. He even offered a proposal to Samoa Shipping Corporation, which was also denied. These people are so demanding and the approach of bribing officials that I never accepted. Had there been any offers accepted, I would have been hesitant to remove them from the selection process. The Chief Executive Officer said his decision to remove Ascent Navals from the recruitment process has led to them making false allegations against him. A complaint against the Chief Executive Officer of the Samoa National Provident Fund, Pauli Prince Suhren, which led to an investigation by the Ombudsmans Office, has been resolved. This was confirmed in an email to the Weekend Observer by the S.N.P.F. C.E.O. yesterday, following the publication of a story titled Ombudsman probes S.N.P.F. complaint. Attempts to get a comment from Pauli days before the article was printed were not successful. Yesterday morning, he wrote: With reference to this article on the front page today, please note that this matter has already been amicably resolved for all parties involved and as such has been relegated to the annals of history. May the Lord continue to bless you and all the team at the Samoa Observer. The investigation was confirmed by the Assistant Ombudsman, Maualaivao Pepe Seiuli. An Inquiry has been made however details of what youre seeking, that I cannot give you, Maulaivao said. So no (further) comment. The Samoa Observer understands that the allegations surround the hiring of a senior employee at the Fund. One source confirmed that the position is in the S.N.P.Fs legal division. One of the unsuccessful applicants had apparently lodged a complaint, which had reached Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. A family at Sogi who was fighting a Government eviction notice has had their case dismissed in Supreme Court yesterday. The decision was handed down by Supreme Court Justice Leiataualesa Daryl Clarke after a Court hearing in February this year. During Justice Leiataualesas decision, he said the proceedings of the matter were brought by the plaintiffs as alleged heirs and descendants of Turaroe Tokuma on behalf of the members, beneficiaries and heirs of Turaroe Tokuma. Essentially, the plaintiffs claim arises out of land situated at Sogi that they claim in their pleaded case was given to them as a gift to Turaroe Tokuma, his wife and their four children by the then Commissioner of Crown Estates of Samoa and also the Public trustee, Percival Ernest Patrick. He also stated that at the end of Liutofagaomataafa Nanai Tokumas hearing, he has given no evidence describing the land the plaintiff is claiming, its boundaries or size. On questioning from the Court, he said the land is very large, he doesnt know whether it is 40 or 50 acres and that he has lived on the land his whole life, said Justice Leiataulesa. He confirmed that since he has lived on the land, he and his family have never taken any Court proceedings over the land. Mr. Tokuma also confirmed that to prepare for these proceedings, the plaintiffs did not engage a surveyor to survey the land they claim and that to his knowledge, his family have never engaged a surveyor to survey the land. The evidence given by Mr. Tokuma as allegedly told to him by his father and mother is hearsay. Hearsay evidence, however, is admissible in a proceeding if, relevant to this proceeding, two criteria are satisfied: One, the circumstances relating to the making of the statement provides a reasonable assurance that the statement is reliable and two, the maker of the statement is unavailable as a witness. Justice Leiataualesa went on to say in his decision on the hearsay statement given to the Court by Mr. Tokuma is simply not credible or reliable. I turn first to Mr. Tokumas hearsay evidence in relation to the statements allegedly made to him by his father about his arrest, trial and sentence to death, said Justice Leiataulesa. According to Mr. Tokuma, these statements were made to him by his father when he was 12 or 13 years of age and as they went to the mangroves after his work as set out above at paragraph 19 to search for crabs. The alleged statements made to him were oral statements, made to a 12 or 13 year-old-boy in apparently a very casual and limited context as they went crab searching in the mangroves. First, the circumstances relating to the making of the statements leave real doubt as to the reliability of the statements. It was a casual discussion between father and a young son as they went to search for crabs in the mangroves. Second, the statements are alleged to have been made approximately 65 years ago relating to events that occurred approximately 80 to 90 or so years ago. There was no evidence that the alleged statements made to Mr. Tokuma were recorded by him at any point contemporaneous or approximate to when they are said to have been made to him. I am not satisfied that the accuracy of the alleged statements made to him and then relayed in Court some 65 years later is reliable. Third, the statements lacked any real detail about the events that the statements allege to deal with and were general in nature. Indeed, his evidence at points appeared to be a narrative of Mr. Tokumas interpretation of the events as opposed to the actual words used by his father. Fourth, the contents of his fathers purported statements also lead to doubt about their reliability. Based on the alleged statements made, Mr. Tokumas father was arrested and by Monday the following week after his arrest, the matter went to Court and he was convicted of murder. The alleged speed of the judicial process as recounted in his evidence leaves doubt as to reliability, particularly given the seriousness of the charge of murder alleged to have been made and the imposition of the death sentence. Fifth, the manner in which Mr. Tokumas fathers death sentence was said to have been commuted or set aside I find particularly difficult to accept as reliable. According to the hearsay evidence, on the day that the death sentence imposed on Mr. Tokumas father was to be carried out and as his father walked to be hung at the gallows, two Chinese men ran forward and confessed to the beating of the deceased Chinese businessman. I find this hearsay statement simply not credible or reliable. As his father is walked to the gallows to be sent to his death by hanging, it is highly implausible that as he was walking to the gallows, two other men would run forward and confess to the killing of the Chinese businessman for which Mr. Tokumas father was about to be hung. Why? Because any rational person with common sense would expect that by confessing to the killing, he would most likely meet the fate of death by hanging to which Mr. Tokumas father was being led. The statements, if made by Mr. Tokumas father, are more likely in my view to be an urban myth or tall story told by his father as opposed to a faithful account of events from years earlier. In the end, I cannot be satisfied in the circumstances as to the reliability of these alleged statements made by Mr. Tokumas father to him. It therefore is not admissible pursuant to section 10(1) of the Evidence Act 2015. Even if I were satisfied about the reliability of the statements, which I am not, the evidence is irrelevant and also inadmissible pursuant to section 4(1) of the Evidence Act 2015. In his evidence, Mr. Tokuma did not link any of these events, the statements to him by his father or the relationship with Mr. Patrick to their occupation of Sogi land. In terms of the other hearsay statements attributed to his father, I also found those hearsay statements to be unreliable for the reasons I have set out above. In relation to the alleged statements from his mother, Mr. Tokuma explained that when he was 13 or 14 years of age, he went with his mother to Lepea and she spoke to the then Prime Minister, Fiame Mataafa Faumuina Mulinuu II. He was not present in that discussion and she did not say anything to him about the discussion. Justice Leiataualesa said there was no evidence given by Mr. Tokuma of any representations made by the then Prime Minister concerning their occupation of the Sogi land. Based on Mr. Tokumas age given stated as 13 or 14 at the time, that would place the meeting with the then Prime Minister Fiame Mataafa Faumuina Mulinuu II as having occurred in 1953 or 1954, he said. Samoa, however, had not become independent and Fiame Mataafa Faumuina Mulinuu II was not Prime Minister in 1953 or 1954. There was also no hearsay statements led in evidence concerning what the then Prime Minister Fiame Mataafa Faumuina Mulinuu II is alleged to have stated and what evidence was given concerning the then Prime Minister is not relevant to these proceedings. In terms of the hearsay evidence of statements attributed to his mother concerning their occupation of the Sogi land, there was also no foundation laid as to when the statements were alleged to have been made or as to the circumstances in which they are said to have been made. The hearsay evidence attributed to Mr. Tokumas mother also fails to satisfy section 10(1) of the Evidence Act 2015 and is also inadmissible. Justice Leiataualesa said the evidence given by Mr. Tokuma is vague, general and unsatisfactory by itself in establishing the plaintiffs remaining claims. On the admissible evidence, the plaintiffs, who carry the onus to prove their claim, have failed to establish unjust enrichment, he said. Having heard the evidence, there was no satisfactory, clear, credible and reliable evidence on which I can place weight establishing with any clarity for the plaintiffs to have any benefit to be enjoyed by the defendant, a corresponding deprivation to the plaintiffs and the absence of any juristic reason for the defendant to retain the benefit, even if a benefit to the defendant was held to exist. Moreover, Justice Leiataualesa said there was no satisfactory evidence offered by the plaintiffs of where specifically the alleged reclamation was carried out, the size, value or nature of the alleged reclamation, when it was alleged to have been carried out or who specifically carried it out. There was also no evidence whatsoever on behalf of the plaintiffs by a surveyor, engineer or valuer identifying the area and location of any alleged reclamation, its value or its condition to support their claim, he said. Similarly, no such evidence was offered by the plaintiffs in terms of any buildings on the land occupied by them or in respect of the alleged clearing of the land, these also suffering from the same evidential deficiencies as the alleged reclamation. Even if I was satisfied that reclamation work or any other improvements had been carried out (which I am not), and that there would be a deprivation to the Plaintiffs, the Plaintiffs have not excluded any legal basis upon which the defendant could retain the benefit of improvements to their property without paying for them. As stated at the outset of this judgment, the onus is on the plaintiff to establish its claim on the balance of probabilities and the plaintiffs have failed to establish their claim based on unjust enrichment. At the end, Justice Leiataulesa dismissed the plaintiffs claim and motion. The Plaintiffs Amended Statement of Claim and Motion are dismissed, he said. The defendant has 14 days to file and serve its Memorandum as to Costs. The plaintiffs will then have 14 days to file and serve their response to the Defendants Memorandum as to Costs. Moataa village is in the history books as one of the signatories of the Oceans Declaration inked yesterday by local stakeholders. The declaration commits the signatories to value the role of the oceans and eco-systems. To seal the momentous occasion, the Moataa Walkway was officially opened as well. The two events were part of World Oceans Day in Samoa yesterday including events held at Matareva Beach Lefaga. At the official ceremony to launch the Moataa Walkway and celebrate the global event, Acting Prime Minister Tialavea Fea Leniu Tionisio Hunt highlighted the importance of the community developments and the successful partnership between government, communities and stakeholders. Today, on World Oceans Day, with the theme, Preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean, it is only fitting that we commemorate with the launch of this important access walkway for the village of Moataa, and to sign the Moataa Oceans Declaration, a commitment to the value of oceans to these communities livelihoods and to the ecosystems within it, he said. Tialavea also touched on the crucial role that mangroves play in Samoas coastal ecosystem not just for their ecosystem services but as a livelihood source. Mangroves also contribute to lowering emissions from greenhouse gases, however they have been threatened by the impacts of climate change these impacts include prolonged spring tides submerging and stressing the mangroves, eroding the coast and gradually reducing mangrove cover, noted the Acting Prime Minister. The Acting Prime Minister reaffirmed the Governments support towards these community projects as part of Samoas commitment to the Blue Pacific theme of this years Leaders Forum. Furthermore, he acknowledged all the funding and supporting partners for their contribution and support that enabled the project to come to fruition. The project was made possible by the support of the following partners: U.N.D.P. G.E.F.-Small Grants Programme scheme $116,000 Samoa Civil Society Support Programme (C.S.S.P.) $30,000 Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E.) Solar Lights Brave Storm Initiative Signage. San Diego Countys already got Creamistry and Freeze San Diego. They make fancy ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Now, theyve got new competition. Cauldron Ice Cream will host a grand opening of its Kearny Mesa store Saturday its first of at least six franchised shops in San Diego County. Why pay more for this premium ice-cream: At Santa Ana-based Cauldron, a large scoop of made-to-order ice cream wrapped in a waffle cone costs $6.50. Just the ice cream, minus the waffle cone is $4.75. The process starts with a liquid ice cream base thats frozen quickly on the spot by liquid nitrogen at minus 321 Fahrenheit degrees entering through a pipe connected to the mixer. Its a combination of the freshness of the ice cream the liquid base is made in house just that morning and the liquid nitrogen that gives the ice cream its smooth, creamy texture beyond traditionally hand-scooped, hard-packed ice cream, said James Ho, a franchisee of the Kearny Mesa store. Back story: Cauldrons founders, Desiree Le and Terence Lioe, both 29, met in high school in Orange County and started dating as students at UC Irvine. She majored in psychology and he studied film. Le went on to become a wedding coordinator and Lioe a business investor and day trader. After the pair discovered the liquid nitrogen ice cream-making technology while visiting Singapore in 2014, they left their full-time jobs to open Cauldron. The day they opened their first store in Santa Ana in 2015, they had only $47 left in their joint bank account. Ho, 27, is familiar with San Diego County as he attended UC San Diego, worked in San Diego County for six years and is now a Mira Mesa resident. How did he come across Cauldron? I was living a block away from the Santa Ana location, Ho said. I drove by it frequently. For the year I was living there, I consistently saw lines out the door. One February night, it was fairly cold. You had to wear a jacket. It was 9 p.m. and there was still a line outside. If people are willing to wait for ice cream on a cold week night, there must be something going on there. So he quit his job building software products to open Cauldron stores. Advertisement How is Cauldron different from rivals: Its unique ice-cream flavors, Ho said, include Sun Moon & Stars, a creamy blend of oolong, jasmine and green tea; and H2O Rose, a delicate floral flavor garnished with a coat of rose sugar. But its also got classics like Double Shot Chocolate and SMores. And its known for its puffle: a puffy waffle thats crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, looks like bubble wrap and folded into a cone to hold the ice cream. This egg waffle is a popular street snack in Hong Kong that Lioe grew up eating. The puffle, which has been featured on the Food Network and Cosmopolitan and made fresh every morning, comes in original, red velvet and churro flavors. It also earned buzz for its Instagram photos of its puffle cones. Also, its ice cream can be shaped like a rose. The rose is part of our philosophy, Ho said. Not only do we want our product to taste great, we want it to look good too. People eat with their eyes. Whats next: Cauldron has partnered with Fransmart, a franchise development company behind brands such as Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Qdoba Mexican Grill. Cauldron currently has four locations, two of which are franchised, including the 1,600-square-foot Kearny Mesa shop. In addition, Cauldron has signed deals with franchisees to open 24 more stores. Specifically, Ho signed a deal with Cauldron to open two more locations in San Diego County. I feel like San Diego County is very underserved by strong delicious dessert concepts, he said. Another franchisee has also signed a deal to open three more Cauldron stores in San Diego County. They are eyeing Carlsbad, San Marcos, Del Mar and Encinitas as possible locations. Take note: The Kearny Mesa store at 4646 Convoy St., which opened Memorial Day, will hold its grand opening this Saturday with a live DJ. The store will give away special merchandise to the first 100 people. Also, everyone who comes on Saturday will get a chance to spin a wheel to try to win a backpack, bag, key chain or free ice-cream coupon. Hang Nguyen is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. Carmel Valleys coming-soon community-within-a-community, One Paseo, is starting to take shape with the reveal of the developments first batch of retailers, a collection of boutique fitness and clothing companies. One Paseo, a mixed-use development, occupies a 23-acre lot in Carmel Valley at the southwest corner of Del Mar Heights Road and El Camino Real. The under-construction development, which broke ground in January of 2017, is slated to open in March of next year. It will include 96,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 280,000 square feet of office space and 608 luxury apartments. Announced this week, the trendy spinning studio SoulCycle will join local womens fashion brand Van De Vort, along with Huntington Beach clothing company West of Camden and the Santa Barbara-based boutique Whiskey x Leather. The latter two specialty shops are new to San Diego, choosing the live-work-play site for their second storefronts. The Del Mar Heights-adjacent SoulCycle location, meanwhile, will be the elite fitness companys second San Diego spot. The premium retailers are characterized by Brian Lewis, One Paseos senior vice president of retail development, as beach-chic, reflecting the affluent coastal customer who will likely frequent or live in the community. The development is aiming to create a cool vibe with the best possible culinary, fitness and soft goods retailers in the market, he said. The community will also host farmers markets, movie nights and holiday events. Advertisement Were trying to support what the community desires, Lewis said, describing the Del Mar and Carmel Valley clientele as health- and fitness-minded. A number of contemporary restaurants ranging from upscale to fast casual have in recent months also signed on as One Paseo tenants, including celebrity chef Michael Minas International Smoke and the hip New York-based burger joint Shake Shack. On the residential front, the first phase of the development is expected to open in April 2019, with prices for the high-end units yet to be disclosed. Business jennifer.vangrove@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1840 Twitter: @jbruin Question: Does it matter to the U.S. economy if the Republican Party or Democratic Party is in power? Phil Blair, Manpower YES: There is little doubt that a Republican administration will be more pro business and develop policies that will allow the economy to grow faster and larger. However lets never lose sight of both the need for fiscal restraint and the need to provide essential services to all Americans. Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research YES: It may often seem there is little difference which party is in power but contrast effects of central planning over free-market opportunities. Benefits come as market-based systems allow labor participants to devote their effort toward supplying goods and services where they have comparative advantage. Policies promoting this result in much greater effort over centralized policies dictating presumed outcome. Whatever political party promotes policies of greater freedom results in much stronger levels of economic activity. David Ely, San Diego State University YES: Past and current leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties have had very different perspectives on optimal economic and regulatory policies. Prominent examples include the extent to which financial intuitions and markets should be regulated, programs to address climate change, the best system for health care, immigration policies, and controls on trade with other countries. Also, who is nominated for federal judgeships depends on the party in power, which can have long-term economic impacts. Gina Champion-Cain, American National Investments Not participating this week. Alan Gin, University of San Diego YES: A 2016 paper by economists Alan Blinder and Mark Watson showed that virtually every measure of economic performance is better under Democratic presidents than under Republican ones. These include GDP growth, employment growth, the unemployment rate (not statistically significant), and the growth of the S&P 500 Index. The authors attribute this partially to policy and partially to luck, as external factors impact the economy. Another impact is on the distribution of income, with inequality higher under Republican presidents and lower under Democratic ones. James Hamilton, UC San Diego YES: Over 1949 2018, U.S. real GDP grew by 3.9 percent per year when a Democrat was president and 2.5 percent per year when a Republican was president. But its not clear how that difference could be attributed to any particular policies. Many economists were worried when Donald Trump took office, but so far the economy has performed quite well. The most important variable may be how much confidence consumers and firms have in the president. Gary London, London Group of Realty Advisors NO: No party is an enemy of economic health because thats what mostly matters to be elected. Ironically, right now neither party seems to be in control. The current health of the economy is owed to Barack Obama, inherited and sustained by Donald Trump. The tax cuts were from the Republicans, but the oil price increases result from Trump foreign policy and the tariffs, and are his to own alone. Once upon a time Republicans were good for business, and the Dems were good for the worker. But the world has turned upside down. Norm Miller, University of San Diego YES: Historically, the GOP has been a party of more fiscal conservatism, less regulation, open markets, fewer tariffs, honoring contracts, and the Democrats have been concerned about the environment, social safety nets, gun control and equal rights plus fair trade. Trump does not fit into either camp. His policies reflect mostly short term concerns, and his policies will help a few short term, raise prices on imports, and cause a deeper delayed recession while damaging our trade relations with everyone. Jamie Moraga, IntelliSolutions Not participating this week. Austin Neudecker, Rev NO: Policies (not parties) matter. Stated Democrat or Republican economic platforms change relative to 1) common opinion and 2) their largest sources of funding. I lean towards enabling free trade (currently more Democratic) and free markets (currently more Republican) in many industries but am very concerned with removing the referees and reasonable constraints from unbridled, anti-competitive greed. Regardless, the economy can flourish under the right policies, regardless of party. Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates YES: Studies by a number of firms and publications indicate that Democratic presidents fared better than Republicans over the past 60 years, however, the real key is balance, not domination. A Democrat as president with a Republican Congress has done best when the total economy is evaluated, according to WalletHub. Having said that, the Democrats in the states of Washington, California and New York are killing the economy with unsustainable regulations and wage hikes. Lynn Reaser, Point Loma Nazarene University YES: It depends, however, what kinds of policies each party pursues. Republicans and Democrats have sometimes each been good or bad for the economy. Critical elements include the following. Taxes must be designed to promote business investment and entrepreneurship. Trade policy should promote a level playing field and property rights protection while expanding international commerce. Education and health care need reform to create more cost-effective outcomes. Finally, policies are needed to ensure fiscal stability. John Sarkisian, Motion Ventures NO: The U.S. economy has experienced growth and recession under both political parties. Our elected officials, whether Democrat or Republican, should create policy and laws that promote economic growth, provide social assistance and defend our country from those who want to do us harm. When political parties forget Adam Smiths concept of the invisible hand of government and disrupt or distort markets it leads to economic uncertainty and fear. When uncertainty and fear set in markets and economies retreat. Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health YES: The Republican and Democratic parties differ on a number of matters such as trade and taxes that shape our countrys economic and fiscal policies, which in turn determine how the federal government taxes, spends, borrows and regulates. However, there are many other factors that influence economic growth, including population growth, the monetary policy of the Fed and job creation through investments in new and existing companies, to name a few. Have an idea for an EconoMeter question? Email me at phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com. Follow me on Twitter: @PhillipMolnar UPDATES: 10:21 a.m.: This article was updated with Norm Millers answer. Elementary school-aged kids who poured into the San Diego County Fair on Friday morning quickly dubbed the fairs theme exhibit hall that free candy building. Easily the most popular spot in the cavernous hall near the fairs main OBrien gate was Bean Boozled -- the Jelly Belly jelly bean company tasting challenge. Participants spun a brightly colored wheel and hoped to avoid getting a canned dog food, barf or dead fish-flavored beans. Each spot on the wheel listed two beans, a good one and a bad one, and people didnt know which one they received until they bravely bit in. What I am supposed to do with it, wailed 10-year-old Alice Gonzaga of San Diegos Florence Elementary School as her teeth broke into what turned out to be a spoiled milk-flavored bean. It was horrible. One of her classmates who got moldy cheese instead of caramel corn collapsed on the ground, retching, and a third person refused to spin the wheel at all, saying she just knew that if she did shed end up with a barf-flavored bean, instead of its partner bean, the peach flavor. Advertisement Other folks got lucky, and celebrated by thrusting their hands in the air and doing happy dances. Winning tutti fruitti instead of stinky socks brought out some of the biggest smiles and loudest cheers. One combo, however, produced very little reaction. Kids who ended up with toothpaste instead of its berry blue partner seemed not to care, shrugging their shoulders and eating the bean, rather than spitting it into the helpfully provided barf bucket. Were thinking about replacing Berry Blue or Toothpaste for a harder flavor, booth worker Andrew Peters told a reporter, saying most people who try the toothpaste dont seem to mind it. Under the taste test rules, people were supposed to hold their noses as they brought the beans up to their mouths, but very few did. However, there is a very good reason for blocking off ones sniffer, a sign near the booth explained, noting that most of what people consider to be taste is actually aroma, or smell. Scent works in unison with taste to produce flavor, the sign stated. That is why when people are sick, they often cannot taste .... Its amazing how much work your nose does without you knowing it. There are five key types of taste: bitter, salty, sour, sweet and the less-known umami, a savory taste that people experience when consuming meats as well as cheeses, soy sauce, tomatoes and even green tea. Amid the candy tasting areas -- theres a Chuao Chocolatier sampling spot, too -- and the huge candy model photo opportunities are many fact-filled panels about the history of candy production and famous people in the candy industry, ranging from Domingo Ghirardelli to Franklin Mars. Random factoids scatter the walls. Visitors will learn that theres space for five letters on the top row of a Sweathearts candy heart and four on the second row, but w counts as two letters. Jawbreakers and other candies, including Jelly Bellies, with a hard outer shell are made through a process called panning where syrup is repeatedly poured over the tumbling candy centers. It takes seven to 21 days to make a single Jelly Belly jelly bean, reads a message on one wall. And, people ate enough of them last year to circle the earth more than five times. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer is traveling to Boston on Friday to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors, where he plans to advocate for stronger economic ties and cross-border commerce in North America. Faulconer is chairing a new group created under the auspices of the mayors conference, the Alliance on Trade in the Americas, which aims to have ongoing dialogue about key economic issues among American, Canadian and Mexican cities, according to a statement from his office on Thursday. The mayors announcement comes amid a recent decision by President Trump to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union, Canada and Mexico, saying their industries pose a threat to U.S. national security. The president has also been critical of the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, involving the United States, Canada and Mexico, which has been under renegotiation by the three parties. The top White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said earlier this week that the president now favors conducting negotiations separately with Mexico and Canada. Advertisement A Republican, Mayor Faulconer has spoken frequently about the importance of trade and ties with Mexico, and has been a strong supporter of extending and modernizing NAFTA. There has never been a more important time for San Diego and Tijuana to champion international trade, the mayor wrote in an opinion piece published in the San Diego Union-Tribune in March. Faulconers proposal for a mayors trade alliance was broached early this year at a Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington, D.C. A lot is happening on the federal level, with all the negotiations, said Denice Garcia, director of international relations for the mayor. But the discussions are not trickling down to the people that are doing work on the ground, thats why the mayor saw this as an opportunity to speak out and be heard. Members of the new mayors trade group are expected to meet regularly, by phone and in person, with the goal of raising public awareness about the advantages of trade between the countries, and to discuss and explore common border issues and exchange best practices, said the statement released Thursday from San Diego City Hall. Faulconer is scheduled to chair a special forum at the conference on Saturday that will focus on the newly formed alliance. Expected to participate are the mayors of Edmonton, Canada; Mesa, Arizona, Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum. sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com @sandradibble Los Angeles County and its former top lawyer have settled a series of lawsuits over the lawyers removal in 2015, ending an acrimonious public feud, a lawyer for the county said Thursday. Mark J. Saladino, who served as county counsel for less than a year before being asked to resign in 2015, sued the county and the Board of Supervisors in 2016 alleging wrongful termination and violation of the Ralph M. Brown Act, Californias open-meetings law. This year, the county countersued Saladino for breach of fiduciary duty and confidentiality. Under the settlement, Saladino will pay the county $50,000, and the county will pay no money to him, Skip Miller, an outside counsel for the county, said Thursday. We wanted to end the litigation, Miller said in an interview. Advertisement Saladino declined to comment. In a May 30 letter sent to the board, separate from the settlement, Saladino expressed regret for the statements he made against the county and for bringing the lawsuits. I was unaware of all the facts and circumstances surrounding the events in question, Saladino wrote in the letter, a copy of which was provided to The Times by the county. I was extremely upset because of my abrupt transfer and acted out of a sense of having been treated unfairly. Supervisors appointed Saladino county counsel in September 2014 on a 4-1 vote. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas cast the dissenting vote. Saladino had previously headed the county treasurer and tax collectors office. In June 2015, Saladino wrote a memo to his employees at the county counsels office notifying them of his transfer to the post of assistant treasurer and tax collector but provided no reason. In one lawsuit, Saladino claimed the Board of Supervisors violated the Brown Act by deciding in closed sessions to terminate him and to approve his transfer without providing proper notice or reporting the outcomes of the sessions afterward. In a second lawsuit, Saladino said that in a private meeting Supervisor Hilda Solis and then-Supervisor Michael Antonovich pressured him to resign and to issue a press release with a fictitious reason for doing so. He said the board forced him to accept a demotion in retaliation for his attempting to prevent the board from violating the Brown Act and from circumventing checks on its power. The ex-county attorney also alleged that he had been targeted by Ridley-Thomas for having raised concerns about the supervisors use of public funds and for having close ties to former county Chief Executive William T Fujioka, with whom Ridley-Thomas had clashed. Attorneys for the county argued in their response that the board was justified in its actions and had complied with the Brown Act. They said Saladino had no legal grounds to sue because he voluntarily accepted the agreement transferring him back to the treasurer and tax collectors office. This year a judge ruled in favor of the county and threw out Saladinos wrongful-termination suit. In their countersuit, filed in April, attorneys for the county claimed that Saladino erroneously signed off on a memo written by Fujioka to approve approximately $140,000 in vacation pay for Supervisor Don Knabe upon his retirement. Supervisors elected before July 1994 were allowed the benefit, but Knabe was elected in 1996. An outside attorney hired by the county later confirmed that Knabe was not eligible for the payment, and he did not receive it when he retired in 2016. In his letter to the board, Saladino said he should have handled the memo differently. The settlement reached this week ends all three lawsuits. Saladino is no longer employed by the county. In 2015, a few months after being transferred, he went on temporary disability leave, and he was later granted permanent disability retirement. As I move forward into the next chapter of my life, Saladino wrote to the board, I want you to know that my biggest regret is that my county career ended this way, and that I will be remorseful until the day I die. nina.agrawal@latimes.com Twitter: @AgrawalNina When Star Wars actress Kelly Marie Tran was in San Diego on April 13 donating her time at the Friends of Scott Foundations annual prom for kids with cancer, she couldnt have been more gracious. She was engaging and friendly as she enthusiastically greeted each of the 200 attendees as they arrived at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Event organizers are saddened that The Last Jedi actress from Scripps Ranch has been harassed and cyberbullied by online haters to the point that she went Instagram silent, erasing posts from her account this week and replacing her bio with the words: Afraid, but doing it anyway. Vietnamese-American actress Kelly Marie Tron made her Star Wars debut in The Last Jedi as Resistance fighter Rose Tico. (Jonathan Olley / Lucasfilm via AP ) Actor Mark Hamill posted a photo Wednesday of himself giving Tran, 29, a warm hug, captioned: Whats not to love? #GetALifeNerds. Trans agent didnt respond to an interview request. Advertisement Tran, of Vietnamese descent, is the first Asian-American cast in a major Star Wars role. She portrayed Resistance fighter Rose Tico in The Last Jedi, released last December. The film disappointed a few die-hard Star Wars fans, who began posting racist and sexist remarks online. Other fans defended Tran, cautioning the internet trolls not to blame script or plot shortcomings on the actress. In 2012, Lucasfilm, which originated the Star Wars franchise, was taken over by Disney, which oversaw the series rebirth and incorporated more racial and gender diversity. Carmen Delgadillo, who started the Unforgettable Prom event after her son, Scott, died of cancer in 2001, said when they chose a Star Wars theme this year, someone at Rady Childrens Hospital knew the actress, who graduated from Poways Westview High, and asked if she would appear. Tran agreed. The kids were very excited, Delgadillo said. Kelly was lovely and kind. She took several photos with the kids and signed autographs. Publicist GG Benitez, who worked on the event, said she was unaware of the internet bullying. Tran never mentioned it to her, and the actress still hasnt commented on it publicly. Benitez described her as genuine and full of energy. She greeted each child on the red carpet and made the night extra special. On June 3, 1937, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor pose after their wedding at Chateau de Cande in France. King Edward VIII provoked one of the greatest crises facing the modern British monarchy when he proposed to Simpson shortly after ascending to the throne in 1936. (AP file photo ) Another royal wedding: As talk of Prince Harrys and Meghan Markles wedding fades, there is another royal wedding involving an American bride with Southern California ties that begs to be remembered. Eighty-one years ago this week, Edward, the Duke of Windsor, quietly married Wallis Warfield Simpson, the love of his life, for whom he had abdicated the British throne, at a chateau near Tours, France. Relatives of Simpson, Doug St. Denis and her brother, Tom Mustin, live in Coronado, where Wallis had resided during her first marriage to a naval commander. Wallis mother was my grandmother Corinnes first cousin, says St. Denis. Wallis and Corinne were close in age and became lifelong friends, who rode horses and traveled together. When Corinne married naval aviator Henry Mustin, Wallis spent time with them at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, where he was its first commandant. Wallis was 19 years old and took the air station by storm with her wit and sense of fun, St. Denis says. My grandparents introduced her to her first husband, Winfield Spencer, a dashing young naval aviator. Wallis fell head over heels for him, and they married. The Spencers moved to Coronado when Winfield took over as commanding officer of Naval Air Station North Island. The Mustins, stationed there at the same time, lived in a bungalow just a few blocks from them. In fact, the cottage where Wallis and Winfield resided was moved to the Hotel del Coronado, where it is now known as the Duchess of Windsor Cottage. Spencers alcoholism made it impossible for Wallis to stay in the marriage, which was a sad time for everyone, St. Denis says. The Spencers divorced in 1927, and Wallis married shipping executive Ernest Simpson in 1928. While still married, she met Prince Edward in 1931 in England. St. Denis got to know Wallis in 1958 when the Duke and Duchess made a trip to California. Her grandmother, then living in San Francisco, hosted a small family luncheon for Wallis. My grandmother got us all together and gave us instructions on what to wear (no fake jewelry) and how we should properly address Wallis, St .Denis recalls. But confusion arose. Should they curtsy? Should they call her Your Grace (the greeting for a non-royal duchess)? When the Duchess arrived, Corinne asked her what they should call her. Wallis laughed and said, Oh for Heavens sake, please call me Cousin Wallis. And we did, says St. Denis. My grandmother seated me right next to Wallis, and I adored her. She was warm and fun and witty. I found her quite beautiful so unlike the rather stern photos Id seen of her, recalls St. Denis, who was 19 at the time. Wallis was 61. I could absolutely see why Edward fell in love with her. She had a way of drawing people out and seemed genuinely interested in us and our lives. Edward had to give up the throne because, at the time, the Church of England disapproved of remarriage when there was a living spouse. That restriction changed in 2002 when it was allowed under exceptional circumstances. If Wallis and Edward had met each other today, she would probably have become Queen, St. Denis says. Amazing how times have changed in 81 years. diane.bell@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1518 Twitter: @dianebellSD Facebook: dianebell.news An Alpine man facing possible retrial on charges he murdered his girlfriends toddler in 2016 on Thursday pleaded guilty to child endangerment and was immediately sentenced to six years in state prison. Wiliey Foster, 28, admitted personally causing injuries that killed 17-month-old Leah Brown-Meza, whose mother found her dead in the motor home the couple was sharing on Hunter Lane in Alpine. The mother, Lillie Brown, 22, was sentenced to four years in prison in March after pleading guilty to child endangerment. Brown did not plead to the additional allegation of personally causing her daughters death. Advertisement El Cajon Superior Court Judge Robert Amadors courtroom filled with stiffled sobs from Leahs family and extended family, members of the Kumeyaay Nation in East County. The little girls paternal grandmother, Teresa Cousins, said after Fosters plea agreement that at least he got some (prison) time. The way I see it, she said, if you take a life, you stay in prison for the rest of your life. Deputy District Attorney Chantal de Mauregne asked the judge to dismiss the original charges against Foster murder and assault on a child under age 8, causing death and to accept the plea to the new charge of child endangerment. Amador said the case had been a difficult one, with experts unable to prove whether Foster or Brown was more culpable in Leahs death. He said the fact that neither adult took the child to a doctor for treatment of severe injuries showed a terrible lack of compassion that he could not understand. In Fosters first trial, in February, de Mauregne told jurors that he was tending to the toddler the night of Dec. 5, 2016, while Brown was out with a cousin. Foster was the last person to see Leah alive and her blood was on his clothing, de Mauregne said. When Brown checked on Leah the next morning, the child was not breathing. Leah was found to have suffered a broken arm, blunt force trauma, brain bleeding and a burned foot, according to the county Medical Examiners Office. Fosters attorney, Gretchen von Helms, argued that some of those injuries occurred days earlier, when Brown was around and should have taken Leah to a doctor. Von Helms said Brown was a drug user who was responsible for her daughters death. Jurors were unable to come to a unanimous decision about Fosters guilt and a mistrial was declared. Attorney Jan Goldsmith represented the family of Robert Meza, Leahs father, in objecting to the plea deal that the mother got. In court Thursday, he read a statement from the family, saying, in part, that Fosters admitted burden of guilt will weigh on his shoulders for the rest of his life. After Foster was sentenced, his attorney, Jan Ronis, said out of court that this was one of those cases where no one is going to be happy with the result. He said Foster is a father and was devastated by Leahs death. Foster declined to make a statement in court except to thank the judge for your courtesy and professionalism. pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard To find voters who are supporting former District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis run for supervisor, head to La Jolla. Similarly, to run into former Assemblyman Nathan Fletchers backers, head to Hillcrest. A review of the electoral map from unofficial election result shows what parts of San Diego County are driving votes for Dumanis, a Republican, and Fletcher, a Democrat, to represent the 4th Supervisorial District. The two were the top vote-getters in Tuesdays primary election and will face off in a November runoff. The data also show where Democrat Michelle Gomez, from Oceanside, and Republican San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond fared well in emerging from the primary for North Countys 5th Supervisorial District. Both saw their strongest support in their hometowns. While each candidate has their own parts of town where they do their best, in some instances they share a lot of support in one particular neighborhood. And, as a whole, the four candidates that will appear on ballots in November got large amounts of supports from suburban bedroom communities. Advertisement For example, while 12 of Dumanis top-50 precincts by votes received were in La Jolla, eight of Fletchers best were from there as well. And while 12 of Desmonds top precincts were in Carlsbad, so were 26 of Gomezs. La Jolla was Fletchers top neighborhood, followed by Hillcrest and then a four-way tie for Centre City in downtown San Diego, Normal Heights, Mission Hills, and eastern Clairemont. In an email Fletchers campaign consultant Dan Rottenstreich wrote that the team knocked on doors in every single neighborhood in the district, an area that includes downtown San Diego, Mission Valley, Kerny Mesa, and the coast from Ocean Beach through La Jolla. Nathan himself also knocked on thousands of doors in La Jolla, Hillcrest and Kensington, as well as throughout the entire district, and theres few things more impactful than a candidate walking precincts himself and talking to voters one-on-one about their concerns and aspirations, Rottenstreich sad. Fletcher didnt pick up many votes around the University of California San Diego, the school where he worked in the political science department. While the support from that part of town was low, some precincts had just a few dozen registered voters and dont have much sway in the outcome of the campaign. Fletcher similarly didnt get many votes from some precincts in Pacific Beach as well as his own home neighborhood, City Heights. But like the area around UCSD, many of these precincts just had a few registered voters. While La Jolla was Dumanis base by far, she also did well in three of the four corners of Clairemont (the precincts in that part of town are divided by the four cardinal directions). Within her 50-best precincts, six were in northern Clairemont, and four each in southern and eastern quarters of that neighborhood. Dumanis also did well in Serra Mesa. Like Fletcher, she didnt get many votes from some precincts around UCSD or Pacific Beach without many registered voters. And while Dumanis once lived in City Heights, she also did not receive many votes from there. Her campaign did not return requests for comment. The 4th District includes about half of the city of San Diego, and with some provisional and late vote-by-mail still uncounted, Fletcher leads with 28.9 percent of the vote to Dumanis 27.6 percent. Former Assemblywoman Lori Saldana is in third with 21.6 percent, followed by lawyer Omar Passons with 17.4 percent and former Deputy Fire Chief Ken Malbrough at 4.4 percent. Democrats have a large voter registration advantage with 44.1 percent of voters. Another 30.5 percent do not belong to a party and 19.6 percent are registered Republicans. In North Countys 5th District, Gomez, a legislative analyst, fared well in Carlsbad, with 26 of her 50-best precincts located there. She said her campaign focused on the parts of the district with the highest populations, including Oceanside, her hometown, believing that they could efficiently earn support there. But since one of her opponents, Oceanside Councilman Jerry Kern, also claims that as his home turf, her campaign branched out heavily into Carlsbad and Vista in order to broaden support. Precinct results show it paid off, as those areas were her second and third biggest source of votes. The campaign didnt have too much direct personal contact in the unincorporated parts of the county but rather reached out to voters there by phone and text rather than by door-to-door canvassing, Gomez said. In Carlsbad the county-owned McClellan-Palomar Airport was a big issue that seemed to help her campaign, Gomez said. The residents of Carlsbad understand the importance of the supervisor role when it comes to the airport and are looking to unify around a candidate that will listen to them and advocate in their best interests, she said. Her opponent in the general election, San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond, also knows airports hes a pilot for Delta Airlines. Carlsbad was his second-best stronghold second only to San Marcos. He also found strong support in Oceanside and Vista. While not every vote has yet been counted, Desmond, who did not return a request for comment, has a strong lead in the district with 45.3 percent of all votes tallied. Gomez is at 22.2 percent, followed by Kern at 20.1 percent, and Jacqueline Arsivaud in fourth. Republicans have a strong advantage in the 5th District with 36.7 percent registered to that party. Another 30.4 percent are registered Democrats, and 27 percent do not belong to a party. The office of supervisor is officially non-partisan, but party politics often play a role in fundraising, advertising and other aspects of the campaigns. Twitter: @jptstewart joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1841 Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson announced Thursday that San Diego is one of 17 communities that will receive a new center to help people on government assistance become self-sufficient and move out of public housing. The project is one of 18 EnVision Centers HUD is opening in 17 communities, including in Detroit, which will have two. In San Diego, HUD will partner with the San Diego Housing Commission and San Diego Workforce Partnership. Housing assistance should be more than just putting a roof over someones head, Carson said at a Detroit press conference Thursday. These EnVision Centers offer a more holistic housing approach by connecting HUD-assisted families with the tools they need to become self-sufficient and to flourish. According to HUDs web page on the plan, the centers will focus on economics, education, health and wellness, and character and leadership, Advertisement The center will be San Diego Workforce Partnerships South Metro Career Center, 4389 Imperial Ave. Housing Commission President and CEO Rick Gentry predicted the center could open some time after July. Im ecstatic to be selected, he said. It reflects what weve done for a while and intend to be doing going forward. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said the same. This EnVision Center designation is a recognition of the work the city and the San Diego Housing Commission have been doing to create additional housing opportunities for low-income San Diegans, which is also important to reducing homelessness in our community, Faulconer said in a news release from the Housing Commission. This is all about providing the support folks need, and were committed to helping individuals and families by identifying skills gaps and creating job training opportunities so they can become more financially self-sufficient. Stephanie Murphy, vice president of workforce and economic development for the Housing Commission since 2012, will run the center. Murphy said she already has reached out to the San Diego Community College District to offer classes at the EnVision Center as part of the programs education component. To address the new centers health and wellness component, Murphy said, the Housing Commission will expand a mobile clinic program already offered in City Heights. Another component of the HUD program will be building character and leadership skills, especially among young people, by encouraging participation in volunteering and mentoring. Murphy said she will be reaching out to various potential partners that will help address that area. Gentry said no new federal dollars will come with the center, but he expects greater financial opportunities will be on the horizon by collaborating with partners and sharing resources and grant dollars San Diegos EnVision Center will be the only one in California. Others will be in Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. The centers will bring together in one place federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofits, faith-based organizations and private businesses. Murphy said she expects 100 to 200 people will be helped by the center in its first year. The effort to help families in public housing become self-sufficient is not new. Much of the work that will be done at the center already is offered at the Housing Commissions Achievement Academy, a 9,600-square-foot learning and skills center in the commissions downtown office. The academy offers free classes to families who receive HUD Section 8 housing vouchers or who live in properties the Housing Commission owns. Murphy said that in this past fiscal year, 1,841 people have received all services at the academy, including workshops and computer labs, and 1,292 have received one-on-one services with a workforce readiness specialist. Of those, 305 have been placed in jobs and 384 have seen their wages increase. The average hourly wage for clients was $13.22. The Achievement Academy grew out of a 1990 HUD request that public housing agencies implement programs to help clients with career planning, job training and financial literacy. Since 2009, HUD has designated the Housing Commission as a Moving to Work agency. As part of that designation, individuals who receive housing vouchers and are able to work participate in economic development programs at the Achievement Academy. Gentry said 45 percent of people who receive vouchers are able to work, and the earned income of participants in the programs has increased 25 percent over the past five years. The HUD web page on the plan said the centers are part of the Trump administrations effort to reform government services and expand opportunities for more Americans to become self-sufficient. The plan to consolidate federal, state and local public and private agencies to promote self-sufficiency has been around for a while, however, and was the subject of a 2011 report from the Government Accountability Office, according to the same page. Homeless Playlist On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services gary.warth@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @GaryWarthUT 760-529-4939 Immigration officials are moving 1,000 detainees, including asylum seekers, to a medium-security federal prison building in Victorville, California. In all, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has contracted with the Bureau of Prisons to house more than 1,600 detainees among five facilities in California, Washington, Texas, Oregon and Arizona. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is working to meet the demand for additional immigration detention space, both long and short term, said Danielle Bennett, an ICE spokeswoman. To meet this need, ICE is collaborating with the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Prisons, private detention facility operators and local government agencies. Though immigration courts have been backlogged for years, the immigration detention system began showing signs of clogging in the fall of 2017, when lines of asylum seekers waiting for room to be processed started appearing outside of the port of entry in Tijuana. Advertisement Changes in detention policy have meant that more people waiting for court dates stay in custody longer. ICE has the option to release people on parole using ankle monitors or check-ins as alternatives to detention, but for many in the immigration system, that has become rare. ICE used to have a policy of releasing pregnant women unless there was a special circumstance the agency now holds them until their last trimester. The Supreme Court this year also vacated a Ninth Circuit ruling that required ICE to give detainees at facilities in its jurisdiction bond hearings every six months. While the Supreme Court sent the decision back to the circuit court with instructions to re-decide the case, ICE still is holding many, including asylum seekers who asked for help at a port of entry, in mandatory detention. Bennett said the agency needed the extra bed space because of a surge in illegal border crossings and because of the Department of Justices recently implemented zero-tolerance policy on illegal crossings. Border Patrol agents along the southwest border apprehended more people so far in 2018 than 2017 by 91 percent, with 168,601 people caught this year compared with 88,171 the previous year. This years apprehensions are similar to those from 2016 during the same time frame. Agents arrested 161,572 people between January and May in 2016, a four percent difference from this years total. Looking at the longer-term trend, illegal crossings have been trending down since at least 2000. That year, agents arrested 963,716 people crossing illegally, more than five times the current apprehension total. The zero-tolerance policy refers people who cross the border illegally for criminal prosecution in federal court where they are held by the U.S. Marshals Service, not ICE. People in ICE custody are civil detainees waiting for hearings in immigration court. ICE does not have authority to hold people as punishment. This removes any doubt whatsoever that the supposedly civil immigration detention system is really just a system of mass imprisonment without trial, said Bardis Vakili, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in San Diego. Asylum seekers do not belong in prisons, nor do people pursuing lawful avenues to stay with their families in the U.S. The move raises many logistical questions about how the prison will handle certain requirements for the immigrant detainees. Immigration detention facilities often have courtrooms inside. Judges are either staffed to the court, or detainees appear in a court outside the facility via teleconference. Signs with consulate phone numbers and ICE hotline information are posted inside the facilities, and detainees are supposed to be able to call their consulates for free. Many do not speak English and need translation services. They also need a law library with immigration law materials. ICE spokeswoman Bennett said that the move is supposed to be short-term. The use of BOP facilities is intended to be a temporary measure until ICE can obtain additional long-term contracts for new detention facilities or until the surge in illegal border crossings subsides, she said. Under a California law passed in June last year, state and local facilities are forbidden from adding new contracts for ICE detention or expanding old ones. The first bus of about 250 detainees is scheduled to arrive in Victorville on Friday morning around 8 a.m. from Texas, according to an official from the American Federation of Government Employees, the union that represents federal prison workers. Eric Young, AFGE Council of Prison Locals national president called the situation a nightmare. He worried about understaffing at the facility and emphasized that the situation could be dangerous both for prison employees and ICE detainees. Nine housing units at the prison were previously closed, Young said, because the prison didnt have enough people to staff them. Theyre opening them all back up with no new staff, Young said. It raises red flags for us. Even teachers and other staff who dont normally work as correctional officers will get pulled in to help supervise the influx of prisoners through a process called augmented staff. That means they wont be able to provide normal programming services to help inmates with rehabilitation, Young said. Staff at the prison received a couple of days notice that inmates would be moving to another building to make way for ICE detainees. Young worried that medium-security inmates might still have a way to prey upon ICE detainees, something that he says they see happen to nonviolent offenders who end up in the prison population. Theyre going to be in a prison environment, and thats unprecedented, Young said. Its going to be a very different experience for them. He predicted that it would have a chilling effect on more people coming to the border. I think thats the whole purpose of the department partnering up with ICE, basically sending a message to deter people to try to come in the country illegally, Young said. Every time those doors slam, those metal doors slam behind you, it sends a chill down your spine knowing youre about to enter a place you might not come out of. You know youre in a prison when you go into one of our facilities. Detainees will sleep in small cells that lock every night a marked difference from immigration detention facilities like the one at Otay Mesa Detention Center that have a more open design in the housing units. Young also said that prison employees hadnt been trained how to supervise immigrant detainees. We dont know the protocols of how those detainees are to be treated, how theyre to be talked to, how theyre to be instructed, Young said. Are these individuals going to need to be strip-searched, randomly searched and patted down like we do inmates, or are we going to be told we dont do those things? Those are things we routinely do every day. We dont know if we even have the jurisdiction to oversee these people, he added. Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter A British Columbia couple lost a child custody battle after using a stuffed lion as their lawyer. The parents, whose names were withheld to protect the identity of the girl, appealed a November ruling that placed the one year old in provincial custody, claiming they were discriminated against as Christians, according to the Vancouver Sun. Both parties were unreliable caregivers and often moved from their jobs and homes, the court heard, according to the report. Their extreme religious views also caused them to clash with others, including Christian communities. Advertisement They were banned from churches for trying to purge them of evil influences, according to court records, the Vancouver Sun reported. Their bizarre behavior even once resulted in criminal charges. The woman also alleged her husband abused her, telling a social worker that he sometimes choked and beat her, but denied the allegations when interviewed by police. The couple refused all medical examinations and procedures for their daughter, including a hearing test, blood test, eye drops and a vitamin K shot. The mother also refused to vaccinate the child. Concerned over the familys history of domestic violence and mental health issues, the Ministry of Children and Family Development monitored them and removed the girl from the home after just one month. The parents continued to have supervised access a privilege that was revoked after the court ruling. The couple refused legal aid instead speaking in tongues to a stuffed lion they claim transmitted the word of God. They called Jesus Christ their lawyer, witness and judge. The judge ruled in favor of keeping the child under the care of the ministry. Justice Diane MacDonald objected to their claim that the arrangement infringed on their religious freedoms. The parents obviously love their child and wish to raise her in their home with their Christian values, she wrote in her decision. It is clear that there was sufficient evidence before the trial judge to allow him to come to the conclusion that a continuing custody order was warranted in the circumstances, she wrote, according to the Vancouver Sun. She said it was not a matter of their religious beliefs, rather that shed been swayed by evidence of domestic violence, ignoring health recommendations and the couples inability to work. A woman who suffered a shattered pelvis in a Segway crash on a La Jolla street three years ago will receive $1.7 million from San Diego under the terms of a negotiated settlement. The settlement, which the City Council is scheduled to approve on Tuesday, includes $1.5 million for Regina Capobianco and $200,000 for her husband, Christopher Capobianco, because her injuries damaged their marriage. A Segway is a two-wheeled motorized vehicle that carries one person standing upright. The new payout comes a little over a year after San Diego paid nearly $5 million to a bicyclist who suffered severe head injuries after being launched several feet by a damaged sidewalk in Del Cerro. Advertisement And this March, the city paid $1 million to settle a lawsuit over injuries caused by a damaged sidewalk in University Heights. The payouts highlight the citys lack of adequate infrastructure to accommodate a surge in people traveling by bicycle or motorized devices like scooters and Segways. Regina Copabianco was injured when she drove a Segway over a large area of broken and damaged street on Camino de la Costa at Winamar Avenue in July 2015. Her shattered pelvis needed immediate surgery that required doctors to screw in metal plates. She was rushed from the scene to Sharp Memorial Hospital in Kearny Mesa. Copabiancos lawsuit, filed in July 2016 after the city rejected a claim for damages in April 2016, said she needs intense physical therapy and relies predominantly on a wheelchair to get around. In addition to money for medical expenses and to cover pain and suffering, her lawsuit sought compensation for lost wages because Capobianco can no longer perform the undisclosed full-time job she had before the Segway crash. Christopher Capobianco was included in the lawsuit because his wifes injuries damaged the marriage, including loss of companionship and something called loss of consortium, which usually means the couple no longer has sex. The crash took place in a residential part of La Jolla one block from the ocean. The city initially defended itself, contending in court filings that the Capobiancos were careless and negligent and should have seen the damaged pavement if they were exercising due care. Attorneys for the city also filed a cross complaint against We Love Tourists, the Segway tour guide business that provided Capobianco her vehicle. The complaint argued the tour company was partly responsible for the crash and should cover a percentage of any settlement. Michael Giorgino, a spokesman for City Attorney Mara Elliott, said by email on Friday that the tour company didnt contribute to the settlement because it didnt have liability insurance at the time of the accident and the companys owner had limited assets. Elliott is working with city staff on an ordinance that would require tour operators that utilize Segways and other electric personal mobility devices to carry liability insurance and adhere to other safety regulations, Giorgino said. The council approved the settlement 8-1 during a May 22 session closed to the public, with Councilwoman Lorie Zapf voting no. City rules require settlements to be approved a second time, in open session. Another incident involving a Segway has prompted a separate lawsuit against the city. The family of Jeff Hassett filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city in February blaming protruding sidewalk in Old Town for his eventual death. The suit, filed by Hassetts four siblings, claims Hassett struck a 3-inch to 4-inch concrete stub in the sidewalk while riding a Segway in March 2016. The stub was created by the removal of a light pole on Taylor Street near Congress Street, the suit says. Hassett suffered broken ribs, a toe injury that required amputation and damage to an internal heart defibrillator. The heart issue and an infection eventually caused his death in May 2016, the suit says. david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick Prodded by growing community and political pressure, Caltrans plans to install small spikes on the San Diego-Coronado Bridge as a temporary suicide deterrent while it pursues a permanent barrier. The spikes, similar to those used to prevent pigeons from roosting on ledges and roofs, would sit atop the short wall that now lines the bridge, where more than 400 people have jumped to their deaths since it opened in 1969. Officials hope to have them installed within one year. I think its a start, and something is better than nothing, said Wayne Strickland, a retired Coronado firefighter and president of the Bridge Collaborative for Suicide Prevention, a grassroots group that has been leading the push for barriers. The way it is now, its just too easy, and thats why people go there. Advertisement Caltrans announced the temporary measure as it released a final feasibility study this week that showed a barrier would be suitable for the bridge, which is one of the regions most iconic structures but may soon supplant the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco as the nations deadliest span for suicides. The year-long study explored almost a dozen deterrent options, several of them patterned after barriers that have worked on bridges in other places. They include mesh fences, glass panels and spike-like thistles that would sit on top of the existing 34-inch wall and add an additional three-to-eight feet in height. Also under consideration is a steel net that is similar to what is being installed on the Golden Gate Bridge and would sit about 20 feet below the roadway surface. Caltrans will now narrow the choices, calculate the costs the estimated price tag for the various options ranges from $30 million to $137 million and identify possible funding sources. Add in the necessary environmental reviews and approvals from regulatory agencies and it could be 5 to 10 years before a permanent barrier is in place, said Ed Joyce, a Caltrans spokesman. Many in Coronado are tired of waiting, and Caltrans acknowledged the significant community concern as it moved forward this week. Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey said he thinks temporary spikes could deter both suicides and attempted suicides. Dozens of times every year, the bridge is shut down as emergency crews try to stop someone from jumping, creating traffic snarls that in the past have lasted up to 12 hours, he said. On average, 83,000 cars cross the bridge daily. For many years, suicide has been a very taboo topic but weve finally made it through the threshold of having an open, honest conversation about it, Bailey said. Now we have leaders on both sides of the bridge stepping forward and saying, We need to do something. Joyce said the height and type of temporary spike to be used hasnt been determined, but the plan is to install them on the 7,400 feet of the bridge that crosses the bay and reaches a peak height above the water of more than 200 feet. Caltrans is counting on any visual, historical or other impacts to be minor enough to qualify the project for an exemption from full environmental review. Cost of the spikes would be about $100,000 to $300,000, Joyce said. They would be in place for no more than five years. Officials said they hope the obstructions would at least give someone contemplating suicide enough pause to reconsider, or enough time to allow emergency crews or others to intervene. Simulation of the bird spikes (Caltrans ) Caltrans got the idea to use spikes from Coronado resident Eric Dawson, a retired attorney who suggested it as a temporary measure during a public outreach meeting the transportation agency held on the island last August. The bird spikes are not intended to act as a physical barrier like a fence, he wrote in a subsequent note to the agency. Instead, if they work, it will be because they provide a visual, psychological deterrent. He said some people determined to jump from the bridge will find a way over the obstructions, but the threat of injury from the spikes might be enough to dissuade others. Thats part of the thinking behind the steel nets being installed on the Golden Gate Bridge. Someone will still be able to go over the side, but it will be a two-story drop into the net likely to cause injury, not death. Dawson noted that a similar net installed at Muenster Terrace in Bern, Switzerland, has stopped suicides there. No one has attempted to drop first into the net and then jump again proof, Dawson said, that it acts more as a psychological barrier than a physical one. Some Coronado residents have been pushing for three decades for something to be done, scarred by the suicides and their ripple effects through the community. In a city with just 25,000 residents, many know someone who has died or their survivors. They know the emergency crews who recover the bodies. Theyve seen cars abandoned on the bridge, or been caught in traffic during bridge closures. Until recently, their concerns have gone largely unanswered. Members of the Bridge Collaborative, formed in 2014, have kept the issue in the public eye, and they drew a powerful ally in state Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, who introduced a statewide bridge-safety bill in early 2017. Hueso was concerned about suicides and the Oct. 16, 2016 incident in which a truck plummeted off the Coronado bridge into Chicano Park in Barrio Logan, killing four people. Not long after Hueso told the Senate transportation committee in April 2017, We need a solution, Caltrans announced the feasibility study. Two months ago, the agency installed a debris fence on the bridge above the park, part of a safety project that also includes signage urging motorists to slow down. Last month, Strickland, the collaborative president, and two people who survived jumps from the bridge testified about the need for a barrier at a California Transportation Commission meeting in San Diego. Several commission members expressed support, Strickland said, and a couple of weeks later he received a letter telling him about the plan to install the temporary spikes. Im happy that they are finally doing something, Strickland said. (If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please call the 24-hour San Diego access and crisis line: 1-888-724-7240.) john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com A San Diego federal judge ruled that the Trump administration policy of separating unauthorized immigrant parents from their children is unconstitutional, describing the allegations of forced separations as brutal and unfair. The ruling late Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw rejected a motion by government lawyers to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. The suit alleges that the practice of taking children away from parents when they are apprehended or are seeking asylum was not only a violation of the due process protections under the constitution, but unnecessarily punitive. While Sabraw ruled in favor of government on some claims, he said he would allow the ACLU to file an amended suit that could reinstate those claims. But the heart of the suit was the constitutional question. The ACLU said that yanking children away from parents without any verifiable reason such as doubts about parentage, or concerns the children would be in danger violated the due process rights and other protections for family unity recognized by courts. Advertisement The lawsuit detailed the circumstances of two women, one detained after seeking asylum and the other arrested after illegally crossing the border, each of whom were separated from their children. Lee Gelernt, a lawyer with the ACLU Immigrants Rights Project, said that one of the two women a Brazilian identified only as Ms. C in court papers who was arrested for illegal entry with her son, was just reunited with him this week, eight months after being separated. Sabraw wrote that the allegations in the lawsuit sufficiently describe government conduct that arbitrarily tears at the sacred bond between parent and child. He said the allegations in the suit were sufficient to shock the conscience, the legal standard for finding a due process violation. Such conduct, if true, as it is assumed to be on the present motion, is brutal, offensive, and fails to comport with traditional notions of fair play and decency, he wrote. The ruling does not automatically halt the practice. That is a decision Sabraw still has to make. The ACLU is seeking both class action status on behalf of all parents who have been separated from their children, and an injunction barring the government from doing so. The government initially contended when the suit was filed in February that it had no policy of separating families, only does so when considering factors in each case, and also has the authority to do so under its power over immigration enforcement and detention. Recently Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the policy is needed to combat what the administration said is a crisis at the border.. The policy has drawn sharp criticism from immigrants rights groups, child welfare advocates and others. Gelernt said the ruling was extremely significant because the judge concluded constitutional rights were violated. Courts and longstanding legal principles have long held that the constitution protects everyone physically within the territory of the U.S., including non-citizens. I think the judge clearly understood how kids and their families are affected by these policies, he said. Its unknown how many families have been separated. At a May 4 hearing, a government lawyer did not dispute the estimate from the ACLU that at that time there were approximately 700 children separated from their parent. On Thursday, Gelernt said the number has increased by 1,000 in the weeks since, as the administration inaugurated a zero-tolerance policy of prosecuting all illegal border crossers. A spokesman for the Department of Justice declined to comment on the ruling, citing the ongoing case. Sabraws ruling that due process rights were violated may indicate he will issue an injunction, halting the separation practice. The suit is not seeking an order requiring the government to release families on immigration parole, nor is it challenging in this suit the arrest of asylum seekers. Instead they want the government to detain families together in the same facility, rather than hundreds or thousands of miles away from each other. It will be up to Sabraw, if he decides to issue an injunction, to determine how the government should handle families if they are ordered to no longer separate them. Twitter: @gregmoran greg.moran@sduniontribune.com Westbound traffic on Interstate 8 near Alpine was jammed for several hours Friday while fire crews doused a blaze that spread from a truck into the brush. No one was injured and motorists were starting to be allowed slowly through the area shortly after 10 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol website. The CHP got reports about 9:40 a.m. that a semi truck was heading west with its tires on fire and black smoke beneath the rig. The driver pulled over a few minutes later on the right shoulder, between Dunbar Lane and Peutz Valley Road, as flames spread onto a hillside. Tires on the truck exploded from the heat, the CHP said. Advertisement Heartland, San Miguel and Cal Fire crews got the fire out by about 10:10 a.m., a Heartland fire dispatcher said. CHP officers started letting drivers use the left shoulder to pass the fire trucks about the same time. Traffic remained slow west of Willows Road for several hours, but was reported back up to full speed by 1 p.m. pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard Was it the power of incumbency, party politics or other factors that propelled two San Diego Superior Court judges ahead of challengers in Tuesdays primary election? Incumbency doesnt hurt, said Judge Gary Kreep, who garnered more votes than his four challengers, but not enough to avoid a runoff in November in his bid for re-election. Kreep managed to keep his judicial seat, so far, despite being publicly censured by the state Commission on Judicial Performance last year for nearly 30 acts of misconduct in his six years on the bench. Judge Herbert Exarhos, boycotted by the District Attorneys Office in 2016 for several months, won re-election outright over challenger Vicki Rothman, a family law specialist. Advertisement The two judges were the only ones with opponents, out of 47 San Diego County Superior Court judges whose six-year terms were up this year. When judges face no opposition, their names do not appear on the ballot. Exarhos, serving on the bench since 1983, is the second-most senior jurist after Judge David Gill, who took the bench in 1979. My history, my incumbency I dont have a lot of baggage, Exarhos said in assessing his own victory. He dismissed the DAs so-called black-balling as a short chapter in his career. He was endorsed for the primary by the Deputy District Attorneys Association. Ive been on the bench a while and never went through this process (of fighting for re-election), Exarhos said. After four months of misery, I am content. It was nasty. She (Rothman) ran against me because of Judge Kreep. Theres that connection. Rothman, an attorney since 2004, worked for a time for the United States Justice Foundation, a conservative legal advocacy organization that Kreep co-founded with another lawyer. Kreep was known for his birther lawsuits contending President Barack Obama was not a native-born American. Typically if you are a sitting Superior Court judge and anyone really knows your name youve probably done something wrong, opined Carl Luna, visiting professor of political science at the University of San Diego. Luna said many of Kreeps voters may have done so out of ignorance about his record and greater regard for his judicial title. The case of Judge Exarhos is a different kettle of judicial fish. Luna added. Judge Exarhos was targeted by supporters of (and a candidate from) the same group that elected Judge Kreep in 2012 in an unprecedented (at least locally) attempt to introduce the same kind of partisan politics into judicial races that weve seen sporadically around the county in school board races. With all precincts counted, but some mail-in and provisional ballots still to be tallied, unofficial results show that Exarhos won 64 percent of the vote to Rothmans 35 percent. Kreep captured 32 percent of the vote; Deputy District Attorney Matt Brower, 26 percent; retired Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Miller, 17 percent; criminal/civil defense lawyer Victor Torres, 13 percent and state Deputy Attorney General Tim Nader, 10 percent. That two-thirds of voters voted to oust Kreep (even though he came in first) is remarkable and probably means hes out in November, Luna said. Brower will face Kreep in the general election, and said this week that he expects to gain the votes that on Tuesday went to the other candidates. Its an illusion to think that its a good outcome for Judge Kreep, Brower said. Any incumbent with 30 percent as he has is very vulnerable. Exarhos said he believes media endorsements helped his campaign, along with his background as an Army veteran and Judge Advocate General in Vietnam. Kreep won a local Republican Party endorsement but said he doesnt think partisan politics played a role in the judicial races. Theres no mention of what political party you belong to on the ballot, he said. He added, though, that his campaign website shows endorsements by conservative organizations. He said that at candidate forums, and in talking to prospective voters, few people brought up his censure. The punishment was done and Im still on the bench, he said. Im glad voters managed to see through that and put me in first place. I feel blessed. Brower put more stock in political party support, noting his name appeared on the local Democratic Party endorsement flyers distributed by hundreds of volunteers around the county. This is my first rodeo, Brower added. This is my entry into politics. pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard A 16-year-old girl in a Thursday night police pursuit crashed in front of National City Fire Department headquarters, where a gas main erupted in giant flames and officers rescued the teen. With the SUV on its drivers side and flames inches away, two officers reached in from the passenger door, they grabbed her and pulled her out, National City police Sgt. Thomas Wilkins said. The tires were on fire and flames (were) catching on the undercarriage as (the officers) were doing this, he said. The girl was unhurt, but taken by medics to a hospital as a precaution. She was released to her parents, Wilkins said. Advertisement Fire crews hosed down the overturned SUV and a wall of the nearby building while flames roared out of the gas line broken by the vehicles impact. An electrical transformer also was damaged, knocking out power to the headquarters, Wilkins said. San Diego Gas & Electric Co. crews got the gas line shut off stopping the intense flames by 3 a.m. Repairs were expected to be completed by 3 p.m., a company spokesman said. Police had D Avenue closed at East 16th Street past the fire station, which was operating on a backup generator. The fire administrative offices are closed on Fridays, but firefighters stationed there remained on duty. Wilkins said officers Ruben Lopez and Sal Gil stopped the girl, who was driving her mothers SUV, on Highland Avenue near East 24th Street about 11:50 p.m. Thursday because the headlights werent on. Two teenage boys hopped out of passenger doors and the girl sped off, north on Highland, Wilkins said. Another officer went in pursuit, following as the SUV turned left on East 16th Street. At D Avenue, the girl tried to turn right but lost control of the vehicle. It veered over the curb in front of the fire station, took out the electrical transformer box and gas main, and landed on its side near the building. Lopez and Gil caught up to the crash scene and hauled the girl out of the SUV, Wilkins said. He said he will be recommending that they be recognized with an award for their actions. They didnt think, they didnt hesitate, they went right into action and got the young lady from the vehicle and got her medical attention really quick, Wilkins told San Diego News Video and other reporters. He said officers will submit a case to the juvenile division of the District Attorneys Office for prosecution of the teen driver, who was unlicensed and driving dangerously. He said she ran red lights while speeding before the crash. Police took the boys home. No charges are pending against them. The boys told officers they didnt know the girl very well, but were hanging out together, Wilkins said. pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard The longtime mayor of Palisades Park, N.J., apologized Thursday on behalf of his elderly mother for penning a racist rant as her son trailed his Korean-American opponent in the Democratic primary. James Rotundo rushed to defend her but not the Facebook post she penned accusing Koreans of committing voter fraud, NorthJersey.com reported. Go to hell PALISADES PARK, let the GD Koreans have this Fn town, Lorraine Rotundo wrote, according to the newspaper. All of us AMERICANS are so done. I am going to suggest that only English be spoken in our Boro Hall at least while an AMERICAN is still the mayor. Rotundo told the paper he told his mother to delete the Facebook post. Advertisement His mothers rant hits Bergen County especially hard, since the locale boasts one of the highest concentrations of Korean immigrants in the country, according to Census data. Palisades Park is home to one of the highest density of Koreans in the nation. (Mike Derer / AP ) Yesterday my 80 year old mother, who I love dearly, put up a very inappropriate Facebook message that she sincerely regrets, Rotundo said in a statement. She has apologized and retracted her statement. The mayor said his mother is mortified by the post she wrote and did not mean these hurtful things. I have never heard my mom talk like this before and I believe her when she says she is mortified and did not mean these hurtful things, he said. He went on to say he does not agree with her and respects our Korean residents. Rotundo faced off with Christopher Chung, a Palisades Park councilman, during the Tuesday election but the results are too close to declare a winner. As of Thursday morning, Bergen County election data shows Chung was leading by 18 votes. A steamy affair with a New York Times reporter has landed the longtime director of the Senate Intelligence Committee in the middle of a federal leak investigation. James Wolfe, who served on the committee for 31 years, was charged with lying to investigators about slipping information to three reporters, according to court papers. Prosecutors said that Wolfe, 58, was sleeping with one of the reporters, who The Times identified as national security reporter Ali Watkins. Ive watched your career take off even before you ever had a career in journalism ... I always tried to give you as much information that I could and to do the right thing with it so you could get that scoop before anyone else ... I always enjoyed the way that you would pursue a story like nobody else was doing in my hallway, Wolfe texted Watkins, according to the feds. Advertisement New York Times national security reporter Ali Watkins. (Ali Watkins via Twitter ) A Washington, D.C., grand jury handed down the indictment, which details tens of thousands of electronic communications with three reporters. Investigators have seized Watkins emails as part of the investigation, according to the paper. Wolfe retired from the committee in May. Before Watkins joined the Times in December 2017, she was approached by FBI agents about her relationship with 58-year-old Wolfe. The reporter told the Times she did not use Wolfe as a source during their relationship, which started when she was a news intern in 2014. She went on to work at Huffington Post, BuzzFeed News and Politico. Wolfe, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst, was still employed with the committee when he was grilled by special agents in December. He denied having a professional or personal relationship with the reporters, who were not identified in the indictment. He signed off on his answers and was then confronted with photos of him with one of the journalists. Jim Wolfe is pictured with Jared Kushner after Trumps son-in-law met with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on July 24, 2017. (Win McNamee/Getty Images ) Wolfe admitted to the FBI agents that he had lied to them, and that he had engaged in a personal relationship with REPORTER #2 since 2014, but maintained that he had never disclosed to REPORTER #2 classified information, court papers read. The documents also detail rendezvous with reporters at the Hart Senate Office Building where he worked, in addition to restaurants, bars and homes. The indictment quotes messages and phone calls on secured apps, such as Signal and WhatsApp, and mentions a 28-minute phone call between the reporter and Wolfe, who had been given a classified document moments before. Details of the document surfaced in a news report she published on April 3, 2017. Watkins, then with BuzzFeed, published A Former Trump Adviser Met With A Russian Spy about Carter Page on that same date. Wolfe was not charged with leaking classified information and the indictment does not explain how the feds accessed the secure correspondences. While a senior at Temple University in Philadelphia, Watkins was applauded in 2014 for landing a scoop involving the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Times slammed the indictment as a dangerous precedence for press freedom. This decision by the Justice Department will endanger reporters ability to promise confidentiality to their sources and, ultimately, undermine the ability of a free press to shine a much needed light on government actions. That should be a grave concern to anyone who cares about an informed citizenry, said New York Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy. Members of the committee that once employed Wolfe said late Thursday that the allegations were troubling. While the charges do not appear to include anything related to the mishandling of classified information, the Committee takes this matter extremely seriously, according to a statement. The committee learned of the FBI probe and late Wednesday the lawmakers signed off on the transfer of unspecified documents to the Justice Department. Those entrusted with sensitive information must discharge their duties with honesty and integrity, said Jessie Liu, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. That includes telling the truth to law enforcement. Wolfe, of Ellicott City, Md., is slated to appear in court Friday. It is no secret that all over the country critical infrastructure is struggling to keep up after years of deferred maintenance and foregone expansion plans. While a potential $1 trillion infrastructure revitalization plan is being discussed, a key to making infrastructure better can be found right here in San Diego and along the rest of the U.S.-Mexico border the North American Development Bank (NADB). A binational institution established alongside the North American Free Trade Agreement, NADB helps communities develop and finance environmental infrastructure relating to water, solid waste and transportation to improve the quality of life in border communities. Over the past 25 years, the bank has participated in water and wastewater projects worth more than $138 million in the Tijuana-Rosarito region. NADB has and continues to help to reduce wastewater pollution, provide clean energy to regions in need, and assist with road paving and other projects that have an environmental benefit. In the San Diego-Tijuana region, we are playing a major role in finding a lasting solution for the environmental and water quality issues impacting the Cali-Baja region. Prior to the heavy rains of 2017 that resulted in transboundary flows, the bank was proactive in working with the Tijuana water utility to develop a long-term capital improvements plan. More recently, NADB has kicked off a study to analyze infrastructure needed to prevent transboundary flows from reaching the Pacific Ocean and will soon initiate a study related to upgrades needed at the San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant. For years, the Tijuana River channel has been at the mercy of trash flows washing downstream. But now compounding the issue is an aging wastewater system, urbanization and topography with few environmental safeguards. Separate from the short-term fixes already proposed, infrastructure investments of almost $330 million are needed to address this problem. Aside from small emergency repairs, these projects remain largely unfunded with no clear way to find a full and long-term solution. Advertisement While the most recent government funding bill passed by Congress includes $10 million to continue the border infrastructure efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency thanks to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, there is no guarantee of funding in future packages. While the grant program is providing much needed relief for other communities, the levels of need in Tijuana but also Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and Naco, Sonora demand a larger solution. The biggest bang for the buck would be to capitalize the North American Development Bank, a bipartisan effort led by Sens. Feinstein and John Cornyn, R-Texas, as well as San Diego House Democrats Juan Vargas, Scott Peters and Susan Davis, and Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Will Hurd, R-Texas. While the presidents budget requests additional capitalization of $10 million dollars, their voice on this matter could help unlock additional funds and fully unleash the power of the bank to address these serious environmental concerns. I am personally grateful to these elected officials for their leadership in addressing this issue. Since the bank was founded, we have leveraged $405 million in funding to $2.35 billion in loans and grants, providing real infrastructure worth almost $8.2 billion. That is a 1:20 leverage ratio, meaning less government funding upfront and greater availability of cost-effective funds, easing the financial burden to help address the problem in Tijuana and a faster timeline for San Diego beaches to recover. With additional capital, the bank can continue to grow its current contribution toward environmental quality throughout the border region. Projects funded by the bank are helping to clean rivers by treating over 316 million of gallons per day of sewage, to displace nearly 3.19 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, and to pave or rehabilitate roadways in 14 communities. Overall, the bank has completed 199 projects to date, helping neglected communities access fresh drinking water and other basic services all along the border. The momentum for a real fix to the water-quality issues in San Diego and Tijuana exists, but we need to work together to capitalize on this opportunity. The North American Development Bank is more than just a powerful tool that can help revitalize the region, it is a driving force that can help resolve this decades-long problem and do so in the most efficient way possible. With continued support from both Sen. Feinstein and House members Vargas, Peters and Davis, the North American Development Bank can finally start working toward a long-term fix for this environmental blight. Hinojosa is managing director of the North American Development Bank. Growing up in rural America, I was prejudiced. So, I think I understand what many see as prejudice among supporters of President Trump. Back in the 1950s, about 500 people lived in my grandfathers small-town farming community interconnected by gravel roads and a shared distrust of nonwhites. The only racial or ethnic minorities lived in the nearest city 40 miles distant. My prejudice wasnt directed at individuals; it was an ingrained belief in white superiority. We learned at home and at school and at church that nonwhites were inferior, and people with different religious views were untrustworthy. The 11th-grade U.S. history teacher taught the doctrine of Manifest Destiny to justify U.S. westward expansion. The three Protestant preachers in town endorsed religious intolerance by telling worshipers to vote against John F. Kennedy because he was a Catholic. My parents sent me to a tuition-free private junior college that was all-white. There, I earned a scholarship to a four-year university where I first met classmates different from the ethnicity of my German and English ancestors. To my fathers chagrin, I abandoned my childhood teachings to embrace diversity and civil rights. Advertisement Our family farm in the Ozarks hills of Missouri failed after my sister and I went away to college. Looking back, I can see that Dad felt marginalized because he lacked more than a high school education and was forced to take entry-level jobs at the minimum wage. In private, he ranted with slurs against racial and ethnic groups, and he sometimes called women the B-word. My education and multicultural experiences led me to rewarding jobs in journalism, a congressional fellowship in Washington, D.C., and a career with the federal government. Over the years, Dads remarks became more offensive and more public including the time I was showing my parents around the Lincoln Memorial and he made certain other visitors could hear his opinions about Martin Luther King Jr. The weekend before the 2008 presidential election, he screamed in anger at me by phone for volunteering in the Barack Obama campaign. In 2009, during a July 4th holiday visit, I drove Dad from the nursing home to see that small rural town one last time. As we pulled up to his boyhood home, he spotted the mailbox at the curb. Theyve ruined it, he said, shaking his head with sadness. Ruined what? I asked. The house looks like its in great shape, and theres even a little American flag. You dont understand! he said, his voice rising with frustration. Look at the mailbox. I looked. The name on the mailbox, in big letters, said: MARTINEZ. My father took his bitter beliefs to his grave a year later. I passed my beliefs to my three sons, who have embraced the rich cultural diversity of the United States, and my grandsons study Spanish in elementary school and middle school. All of them share affectionate abrazos with my second wife, who is Mexican. Based on my background and personal experiences, I know how pervasive prejudice can be. How it can flash into anger based solely on skin color, nationality and religion even an ethnic family name. Here are three personal lessons Ive learned: 1. Understanding prejudice begins at home. Parents and grandparents have the primary responsibility to help children and grandchildren become better world citizens. 2. A good education can help alleviate prejudice. Educators need to help students examine the historical roots and repercussions of white supremacy, especially parallels to Nazi Germany. 3. Be aware of prejudice by some preachers and politicians. They are part of the problem, not the solution. Miller is a former Carter administration official who retired in 2007 and now divides his time between San Diego and Guadalajara. He is co-founder of the Lincoln and Mexico Project that informs students and the public about Abraham Lincolns support for Mexico as congressman and as president. Special interests, not students, win the day Re Civil rights legend John Lewis cancels his graduation speech at UC San Diego (June 5): What a shame that the graduating students of UC San Diego will not have the opportunity to hear from one of the great civil rights leaders, and part of a vanishing breed, Congressman John Lewis. His decision to refuse to keep his long-anticipated commitment over a union issue is an outrage. Instead of a lesson in civil rights and determination in the face of adversity, these students will now learn the lesson that some in Congress are controlled by the unions and special interests. Where are Congressman Lewis priorities? Paul Nestor Advertisement San Diego Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. We should embrace a polystyrene ban here Re San Diego officials propose banning foam containers (June 3): I am writing you to draw attention to the possible ban on polystyrene (Styrofoam) in San Diego. Polystyrene is not biodegradable and is harmful to San Diegos marine life. Also, the main component to create polystyrene is styrene, which the Environmental Protection Agency classifies as a possible human carcinogen. The chemicals in the polystyrene can leach into the food stored in the containers. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are used to produce polystyrene and HFCs have been identified as contributors to the ozone hole. San Diego should be pushing for a switch to more biodegradable and compostable containers that have less of an environmental impact. For example, Dunkin Donuts is switching to all double-walled paper cups. Advertisement There are options available and we should be using them to save our environment. Julia Thornburgh La Jolla Even surfboards should be made without polystyrene The article on the proposed polystyrene foam ban listed several items to be prohibited. I noticed that surfboards was not one of them. I believe readily available, recyclable, and renewable alternatives exist for surfboards. John Sauln San Diego Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Surprisingly, we didnt see any Taylor Swift jokes about blank spaces this week, but we got some clever entries, nevertheless. Congratulations to David Morgan for his concise gem of a caption. He will receive Steve Breens signed original in the mail. Thanks to all those who participated. Next weeks cartoon is below. Please remember to limit your submissions to three and keep em brief. Good luck! Winner Ill fill you in later. David Morgan, Encinitas Finalists Accept it ... youre part of the disappearing middle class. Dianne Trachta, San Diego Advertisement I thought you were just going to get your teeth whitened. William Farrell, San Diego And you are? Im drawing a blank. Rob Huffman, Frederickburg, Virginia When I said lighten up, I meant your attitude. Carl Kruse, Poway You must be the rich white guy my horoscope said Id meet today. Debbie Mitton, Lakeside Every time I ask you for money, you disappear. Natalie Alderton, Carlsbad Be in the moment! Its almost like youre not even here. Pablo Garcia, online submission You really know how to suck the fun from a trip to the mall. Claire Kilcoyne, San Diego Are you sure the pills side effects are temporary? Debra Schmidt, San Diego Of course you didnt get the job, you didnt even wear a tie. Ken Biblowitz, Solana Beach You OK, honey? You seem a bit vacant. Linda P. Hughes, Lakeside Claude Rains, I presume. David Narevsky, Poway Well, your dating profile said you were white. Josh Board, San Diego If youre this embarrassed shopping with me, go wait in the food court. Steve Shaner, online submission K-12 Dont lie to me, I can see right through you. Elena Grilli, fifth grade, Torrey Pines Elementary School Too much Fortnite and not enough sunlight. Matthew Aguilar, fifth grade, Baker Elementary School The reason why we dont have kids is I just dont see you being apparent. Jacob Mationg, 10th grade, Olympian High School Next weeks cartoon (Steve Breen ) To enter, email entries to cartooncontest@sduniontribune.com by 10 a.m. Tuesday. Please remember to limit your submissions to three and keep em brief. View last weeks winners. The new flavored tobacco ban that San Francisco voters approved in the June 5 primary was the latest action targeting e-cigarettes, or vape pens, showing how far the push-back against smokeless products has come. But now the question is whether other California cities could follow in San Franciscos footsteps. Heres how this debate centered around candy-flavored vape pens has evolved and where it might be headed next in other places in California. How Measure E successfully banned flavored tobacco On Tuesday, just over 68 percent of San Francisco voters approved Measure E. The genesis of Measure E was a decision in June 2017 by leaders in San Francisco to approve a citywide ban on sale of flavored tobacco products, including cigarillos. Those leaders argued that candy-flavored products lured teenagers into nicotine addiction. Opponents of the ban, including small shop owners and the tobacco industry, managed to halt the ban and gather enough signatures to put it before voters in this years primary. The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company poured in $12 million to campaign against the ban with ads that likened it to the U.S. prohibition on alcohol from 1920 to 1933, The New York Times reported. Supporters of the ban, a coalition of groups that included the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association, put in only a fraction of that money $2.3 million, per the Times. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who gave $1.8 million to this campaign, encouraged other cities to follow suit. The vote shows that the tobacco industry, no matter how much money it spends on misleading ads, can be defeated. This vote should embolden other cities and states to act, Bloomberg told the Times. Why flavored tobacco and vape pens worry health advocates While flavored cigarillos are part of the conversation in San Franciscos newly approved ban, it is actually access to products like candy-flavored vape pens that has worried health advocates for a while. From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services In 2016, the U.S. surgeon general published a report deeming e-cigarettes as a major public health concern particularly because teenagers are lured to them. E-cigarette use has increased considerably in recent years, growing an astounding 900 percent among high school students from 2011 to 2015, said then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. E-cigarettes, he said, had become the most commonly used tobacco products among young people in the U.S. In a matter of a few years, e-cigarette use among middle and high school students jumped from less than 5 percent to roughly 25 percent, according to the report. The findings of the 2016 report have been reinforced by other similar studies cited here and here. The Food and Drug Administration has done its part to eliminate flavored tobacco over the years. In 2009, it banned flavors in tobacco other than menthol. And this year, it warned nicotine and tobacco companies to stop labeling products in a way that made them resemble kid-friendly food products, like these. NEwhere Inc., d/b/a Mad Hatter Juice on the left, TreeTop apple juice on the right. Source: FDA What California cities and counties are doing about flavored nicotine California began restricting the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes to those 21 and older in June 2016, but cities and counties all across the state have taken further action of their own in a sign that the appetite to clamp down on flavored nicotine is growing. In San Diego County, cities like Vista and Escondido have gone after hookah-smoking lounges in the past, but no other cities in the county have gone as far as San Francisco or Oakland. The American Lung Association last year gave San Diego County a D grade for tobacco control programs. Reaction to a ban on flavored nicotine products Reaction to San Franciscos ban on flavored tobacco drew widespread reactions. KQED science reporter Lesley McClurg tweeted reaction from a shop owner in San Francisco who laid blame on e-cigarette makers like Juul for luring underage users. Others have also blamed Juul for making it attractive to teenagers because the compact device offers a discrete way to vape. NPR News recently featured a Colorado State University student who started vaping as a high school sophomore, and its a story that has resonated with others. But the ban on flavored nicotine, and the pushback against e-cigarettes in general, has not gone without opposition. Some people see it as an attack on their freedoms, while others say putting in place a prohibition wont stop teenagers from getting their hands on e-cigarettes. The question remains as to whether other California cities will follow, and whether this ban on flavored tobacco products will curb the use of e-cigarettes among young people. Share your thoughts do you support a ban on flavored nicotine products including menthol-flavored cigarettes? Are you worried e-cigarette products are geared too much toward teenagers? Is a crackdown on e-cigarettes going too far? Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @RunGomez Read The Conversation on Flipboard. Strong surf and dangerous rip currents will hit San Diego County beaches this weekend, arriving at a time when the weather is expected to be mostly sunny and warm at the coastline. The daytime high in San Diego will be above 70 on Saturday and Sunday, with Saturday being the hottest day. The temp will reach 77. Forecasters say the surf will begin to build on Saturday with waves in the 2 to 3 feet range in North County and 3 in 4 in South County. On Sunday, the waves will bump up to 4 to 6 in North County and 5 to 7 in South County. There will be a 3 5 high tide at La Jolla at 6:36 a.m. on Saturday, and a 5 3 high tide at 6:51 p.m. Diving conditions will be poor in La Jolla Cove. The sea surface temperatures will be in the 63-65 degree range. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/08/2018 -- Static electricity is generated when two dissimilar materials are rubbed together creating an electrical charge. Such electrical charge usually leaks away to earth. However, in cases where it doesn't, an unpleasant and potentially dangerous electrical discharge may occur, resulting into an electric shock. Anti-static fibres consist of carbon particles enclosed firmly in the surface of polyester fibre. Whenregular fibres are added to anti-static agents, static conductivity of regular fibre changed to textile fabrics, generally developed by non-woven technology utilization.Anti-static fibre is formed into fabrics to provide safe discharge of static electricity. These fibres are used in applications, such as dry filtration, shoe or boot linings, safety work wear, carpets and upholstery. Anti-static agents are added into the polymer to reduce the build-up of static charges. The role of an antistatic agent is to make the material conductive. Problems such asdust pickup and electrical discharge are reduced or eliminated by using anti-static agent.Anti-static fibres are more durable, easy to dye, stain-resistant and lighter. In textiles, static electricity potential can be influenced by low material moisture content which generally occurs in fibres like polyester, acrylic, and nylon.The ultimate use of anti-static fibreis to make products static free and enable more safety and comfort for people using it. A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-437 Segmentation of Anti-Static Fibres Market On the basis of fibretype, theanti-staticfibresmarket is segmented as polyester, acrylic, metaramide, polyamide and polypropylene. Anti-staticfibresare used in a wide range of industrial, chemical, metallurgical, mineral and agricultural applications, where the process and dust tend to build static and where a potential ignition source is present. As of 2013, chemical and textile industries are predominant consumers in global anti-static fibres market and is estimated to maintain its dominance by 2020.Cleanroom clothing fabrics, protective apparel and work wear clothing are few other additional uses.Use of anti-static fibres provides a safer and more comfortable work environment than synthetic products, particularly in applications where static electricity is of particular concern, such as aircraft carpets, buildings with sensitive electronic equipment, fuel transfer facilities, etc. The global anti-static fibres market continues to grow significantly due to growth in end user industry such as packaging and clothing. The global market for anti-static fibres is estimated to grow twofold by value, with a higher CAGR during the forecast period. In addition to this, rising consumption from emerging markets of India and China of Asia Pacific region is set to drive market growth, as there is more demand for lighter and high strength materials. However, availability of substitutes, government regulations and volatile raw material prices are major restraints for anti-static fibres market, as oil and gas industry are major raw material supplier for this market. Regional Outlook on Anti-Static Fibres Market Asia Pacific is the predominant anti-static fibres market followed by Latin America and Europe. India and China are major regional markets for anti-static fibres due to increasing consumption of end user industries. Moreover, Japan, Republic of Korea and Indonesia are other significant major consumers of anti-static fibres in Asia Pacific. Availability of economical workforce in developingeconomies such as South Africa is also attracting global players to set up manufacturing plants and research centres especially for chemical and textiles industries. Anti-static fibres have become more important in recent years with more sales of electronic components and increased demand for specialised packaging film. To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-437 Anti-Static Fibres Market: Key Players Some of the key players in the anti-static fibres market are Noble Biomaterials, Inc. W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Swicofil, Yantai Tayho Advanced materials Co Ltd, Akrilic Kimya Sanayii AS, Cytec Industries Inc., Tianyu Textile. Mergers and acquisitions, collaborations and new product launch are some of the strategies adopted by major market players. The opportunities in antistatic agents market are huge as major market players are continuously focusing on innovation and new product development.In future, increasing utilization of anti-static agents by end user industries is to propel the anti-static fibre market ahead. About Future Market Insights Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India. FMI's research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/08/2018 -- Just about every business sector and geographical region is envisaged to be advantaged by better data management solutions such as colocation. Players operating in the global colocation market are not only advised to tap into newer geographies but also untapped industries. In the foreseeable future, the global colocation market could gain a large impetus on the back of a perpetual growth triggered by a diverse range of industries, including IT, power, energy, government agency, and healthcare. It is not just North America that is envisioned to bring in lucrative opportunities for players, Europe could also step into the action and draw a heavy demand on account of the rising growth in cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, and London. In terms of type of service, vendors of wholesale services could clinch some profit-making business deals in the global colocation market while riding on economical rates and lower space and power consumer requirements. As a result, wholesale services are prophesied to be highly adopted among business enterprises. Request a sample copy of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=410 Interxion had partnered with Microsoft in May 2015 for deploying the Microsoft cloud at its colocation data center with the help of Azure ExpressRoute solutions. Colocation facilities are not just online, physical structures located close to vital power hubs could function to maintain data centers. One of the reasons for physical colocation facilities to be placed near power hubs is prognosticated to hold a strong relation with accessible connectivity. Colocation centers could also help consumers with bandwidth, cooling, and power security. Global Colocation Market: Overview With the growing data production, companies across the world are increasingly searching for creative and cost effective data center services. Colocation solutions are being increasingly acknowledged as an effective way of managing files across small, mid-sized, and even large organizations. These solutions aid in enhancing business potential by cutting down in house IT maintenance and operational expenditures and maximizing the ability to focus on the core business. The major end-user verticals of the market are banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), telecomm and IT, government, utilities, and healthcare and life sciences. The research report serves as a reliable source of analysis and information regarding various vital parameters of the global colocation market including its dynamics, geographical segmentation, and vendor landscape. It profiles prominent companies operating in the market along with their latest developments, business strategies, and contact information. Request TOC of the report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=410 Global Colocation Market: Drivers and Restraints The non-availability of strategic location for the data centers is translating into the greater adoption of cloud computing. The increasing implementation of cloud technologies is leading to the introduction of the concept of hybrid platform, which is an amalgamation of traditional and cloud colocation that eases the storage and management of data. This, in turn, is augmenting the market. Moreover, the increasing emphasis on improving business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities is creating a staggering volume of demand for colocation services. However, the high cost of initial start-up and the growing skepticism regarding the loss of direct control over the servers is limiting the global colocation market from realizing its utmost potential. Global Colocation Market: Geographical Segmentation The regions methodically examined in the report are North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. North America is expected to account for a substantial share in the colocation market throughout the forecast period. The early adoption of cloud computing provides the region an edge over other regions. Rapid technological advancements and robust IT infrastructure are contributing to the growth of the region. Asia Pacific is expected to progress at a brisk pace during the same period. The paradigm shift towards cloud technologies along with the overall increase in data production is providing a fillip to the growth of the region. Furthermore, the emergence of the region as a dynamic hub for e-trading is attracting global players to invest in the region. Countries such as Japan, India, China, and Taiwan will be the major contributors in the Asia Pacific market. Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/colocation-market Global Colocation Market: Vendor Landscape Players in the global colocation market are focusing towards offering products with unique scalability, data security, and cost-effectiveness in order to stay relevant. Key companies are investing large amounts in the research and development of new ways of securing and controlling data to stay ahead in the market. Some of the key players in the global colocation market are AT&T, Colt, Coresite, Digital Realty Trust, Dupont Fabros Technology, Equinix, IBM, Internap, Navisite, Verizon Terremark, and NTT Communications. About TMR Research TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in today's supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients' conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/07/2018 -- Electronic manufacturing and design services companies test, manufacture, distribute as well as provide return or repair services for the electronic components and assemblies for original equipment manufacturers (OEM). Electronic contract manufacturers use wide range of productive functions pertaining to component design, assembly of circuit board and hardware, product engineering, process engineering, procurement, product fulfillment, distribution as well as after-sales services. Outsourcing in electronics industry has evolved in a considerable manner during the past few years. The outsourcing providers manufacture specific products on contract basis. Through the economies of scale across contracts, the contract manufacturers can use operational expertise, cheap labor and more buying power which in turn leads to low cost of production. Request Report for Table of Contents @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/5921 This shift to outsource manufacturing for maintaining low costs has been the major evolution in electronics industry. OEMs also use contract manufacturing in order to cost effectively enter into a new market. Most of the electronic manufacturing and design service providers maintain good relations with the customers which in turn is beneficial in design and pre-production process that leads to shorter new product introduction time. The electronic contract manufacturing services concentrate mainly on technologies and sub technologies such as computers, networking, consumer devices, servers and storage, telecommunications and peripherals. Based on end-use industry, electronic contract manufacturing and design services market is segmented into industrial, healthcare, automotive, enterprise and infrastructure. In automotive industry, electric vehicles are gaining significant demand, which has significantly increased the need for contract manufacturing services in the sector. Further, in healthcare industry, the demand for electronic contract manufacturers is growing for providing medical hardware as rapidly developing countries are significantly buying medical equipment and looking for enhancing healthcare infrastructure and facilities. The major factor driving the growth of electronic contract manufacturing and design services market is the need for resource optimization. Other factors include improvement in consumer purchasing power, growing need for consumer electronics, various technological advancements, and growing internet penetration. Furthermore, fluctuation in buyer preferences and increasing need for wireless technology are expected to influence the electronic contract manufacturing and design services market. The proliferation of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones has been the key propeller of electronic contract manufacturing and design services market during the last few years. In-house manufacturing and obsolescence of technology are major challenges to the growth of electronic contract manufacturing and design services market. Software focused services are expected to be a key opportunity for the manufacturers operating in the market. Request to View Sample of Research Report @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/5921 The market for electronic contract manufacturing and design services is highly competitive, especially, the players from Asia Pacific countries such as China and Taiwan are increasingly offering low cost outsourced services for manufacturing and design. The key focus of electronic manufacturing and design services vendors today is to promote green technologies and manufacturing practices. Increase in merger, acquisition and partnership activity is another key trend in in electronic contract manufacturing and design services market. Key players in electronic contract manufacturing and design services market are Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., Flextronics International Ltd., Jabil Circuit Inc. and Celestica Inc. Rockville, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/08/2018 -- The global market discussion on Heavy Haulage Trucks can be found in an upcoming report titled "Heavy Haulage Trucks Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking - Global Review 2018 to 2027", which is going to be published in the wide database of Fact.MR. The construction industry is expected to witness significant growth, owing to increasing commercial, residential, and industrial construction activities, coupled with growth in the economy and public-private partnerships. Emerging economies in the Asia Pacific region, such as China, Australia, New Zealand, and India have reflected noteworthy growth in the construction sector with increasing infrastructure projects. Governments have supported this growth by pouring investments for the development of infrastructure of the respective nations, which reflects their industrial growth. To name a few, CRL cross rail development (UK), SGP Grand Paris Express Metro Rail Ile-de-France (France), LTF Lyon-Turin High Speed Rail (France), DoIT Brisbane to Melbourne High Speed Railway Link - New South Wales (Australia), Xinjiang-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkey Railway Link China, NHAI National Highway Development Program India, SNWTPC South-North Water Diversion Program China, and Chevron/XOM/RDSA Gorgon Gas Field Development Australia are the major projects that have been initiated. Request For Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=714 Moreover, the expansion of existing airports, construction of commercial complexes, increasing highway constructions, and construction or extension of roads has attracted international players to invest in these markets. This is expected to spur the demand for heavy haulage trucks in the years to follow. Heavy Commercial Vehicle Registrations to Impact the Heavy Haulage Trucks Market The production of commercial vehicles across the globe is expected to witness steady growth, especially across developed countries. However, emerging economies have portrayed an increase in the number of heavy commercial vehicles, owing to the growing demand from various end-use industries. For example, according to OICA, commercial vehicle production in China was 3,698,050 units in 2016, which increased to 4,208,747 units in 2017. Likewise, in India, 2017 witnessed an increase in commercial vehicles by 18,986 units (in 2016 it was 811,360 units). In addition, according to ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association), the demand for heavy trucks, especially for vehicles of 16 tons capacity and above, grew by 2.2% in November 2017. Of the five major European countries, the French market witnessed a high double digit growth in heavy trucks (around 30% increase in demand) with their growing registrations that reflected a 5.3% increase. In Italy, the highest number of heavy truck registrations were observed in 2017 that grew by 8.7%, followed by Spain which reflected a 7.8% increase in registrations. The sinusoidal growth in production and sale of heavy trucks across regions is expected to have potential impact on the demand for heavy haulage trucks, with the scenario being uncertain in most regions. Emerging Economies are a Favorable Market Attracting International Players to Tap the Asian Regions An Impetus for Heavy Haulage Trucks Market Emerging economies such as India have been tapped by international players with respect to both, passenger and commercial vehicles. The country provides a favorable business environment that has influenced the sales of heavy commercial vehicles, such as heavy haulage trucks. After a tough first quarter 2018 that reflected a 'down' in the heavy truck sector (-32%), OEMs are now decisively planning to progress towards a better future for HCVs in India. Increased spending on infrastructure projects coupled with higher freight load, especially during the festive seasons in the country, has ensured higher sales of heavy haulage trucks. This has attracted international players to invest in the heavy commercial vehicle segment in the country, to expand their current portfolio by establishing a new product line, which is expected to offer a significant push to the growth of the heavy haulage trucks market. To know more about Heavy Haulage Trucks Market Trends, Check the link - https://www.factmr.com/report/714/heavy-haulage-trucks-market For instance, South Korean automotive player, Hyundai, is planning to enter the heavy commercial vehicle space in the country. The Korean automaker has taken initiatives to set up its own manufacturing plant in India to support its planned heavy commercial business. Since 2016, Hyundai has considered India as a top priority business location for commercial vehicles, and has initiated the production of heavy commercial vehicles, such as heavy haulage trucks, for both, the export and domestic markets. The automaker is looking forward to introduce a range of premium heavy commercial trucks and buses, but is likely to face tough competition from existing players such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, and Mahindra. Competition Assessment Key manufacturers have been innovating and introducing premium heavy haulage trucks in view of expanding their business by catering to varying customer demands. For instance, Swedish truck manufacturer, Volvo, has introduced its new, second generation VNX heavy haulage truck. Volvo aimed at developing its VNX model in order to serve the increasing demand for extra heavy load carriers, especially for handling construction material, heavy equipment, and timber. Likewise, Mammoet has expanded its heavy haulage truck line in Spain in 2018. By partnering with Transmodal and Arbegui, a Spanish heavy transport specialist, Netherlands-based truck manufacturer Mammoet will introduce an additional 44 multi-axle SPMTs (self- propelled mobile transporters) that can move heavy loads. Moreover, MAN is planning to launch CNG-driven heavy haulage trucks with 16 to 49 tons capacity in India for serving the mining industry, by 2018. Key participants in the global heavy haulage trucks market include MAN, Volvo, Tata Motors, Mammoet, Marmon-Herrington, Trans Lease, and Scania. Pre-book this Report- https://www.factmr.com/checkout/714/S About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports. Contact Us Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/factmr/ Hyderabad, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/08/2018 -- According to the report published by Market Data Forecast, Singapore payment cards are majorly categorized into debit cards, credit cards and prepaid cards. As of now, debit cards lead the market with close to 86% of the transaction values. The market is close to its saturation with hefty competition and banks like DBS, OCBC and UOB leading from the front. The rapid changes in customer preferences are pushing the banks and card issuers to concentrate more on innovative services than products. Browse details of 85 pages research report developed on Singapore Cards and Payments Market @ https://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/Singapore-Cards-and-Payments-Market-6849/ The growth of online and retail stores along with the increasing use of contactless cards is driving the payment cards market to a large extent. Consumers are also opting debit cards payment compared to pay later cards because of their increasing interest in income-based spends. However, the credit cards are experiencing a positive growth with the introduction of several customer specific cards and various benefits associated with their Singapore. Distinct market strategies by banks and card issuers like reward points, discounts to all sorts of cards and cash backs along with the increased e-commerce purchases have resulted in a growth trajectory for debit, credit and prepaid cards in the market. Additionally, the expanding acceptance of contactless payments at several merchant outlets also promoted the growth of payment cards market in Singapore. Singapore Cards and Payments Market Segmentation: By Cards: Debit Cards, Credit Cards and Prepaid Cards By Payment Terminals: POS and ATM's By Payment Instruments: Credit Transfers, Direct Debit, Cheques and Payment Cards Personal cards contribute almost 95% share of the total transactions in 2015. The iN2015 Next Generation e-Payment Program by the government encouraging the free installment of contactless POS terminals at merchant outlets is achieving wide popularity among buyers to use payment cards for small to medium transactions instead of cash. Special tailor-made cards for the different sections of the society like the high-income, students, working population, youth, elderly and others are also expected to boost the market expansion in Singapore. Avail Sample Market Brochure of the report for more information, Get a Copy @ https://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/Singapore-Cards-and-Payments-Market-6849/request-sample Many leading banks are concentrating more on the small and medium enterprises by offering different credit cards related to their business expenses. Some of those cards include Citibank Corporate card, Business Debit Card by OCBC, and UOB Corporate card. Additional reward points and discounts are also offered to these cardholders. Apart from these, Business Platinum Credit card by Standard Chartered Bank, UOB Platinum business card and Citibank Business Card offer services to the large corporate sections. Therefore, the increased small merchants accepting payment cards and several custom-made card options by leading banking organizations are anticipated to propel the payment cards market of Singapore in the following years. Leading Companies Dominating the Singapore Cards and Payments Market: - DBS Bank - United Overseas Bank - Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited - Citibank Singapore - Standard Chartered Bank Key questions answered by the report: 1. What is the adoption rate of the Singapore's Cards and Payments market and different types of cards in circulation? 2. Who are the leading card issuers, scheme providers, and third-party providers influencing the Singapore payment cards market? 3. What are the growth opportunities provided by the alternative payment options in the Singapore's market? 4. How are the emerging technologies and new product launches affecting the local cards and payments market of the country? Reasons to purchase this report: 1. Enhance the decision-making with the comprehensive information about trends, conventional statistics, and forecast for next five years 2. Understand the competitive landscape in the Singapore cards and payments industry and their marketing strategies 3. Unfold hidden growth opportunities with the use of data about emerging transitions in the market and customer transactional behaviors 4. Broaden the insight about regulatory policies and frameworks that impact Singapore's cards and payments market Inquiry before buying @ https://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/Singapore-Cards-and-Payments-Market-6849/inquire Ask for Customization @ https://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/Singapore-Cards-and-Payments-Market-6849/customize-report About Market Data Forecast: Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the areas of market research, business intelligence and consulting. We have rich experience in research and consulting for various business domains to cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. A few key business areas that we handle with excellence include business process improvement, corporate financing and decision making based on market research, assisting in developing an appropriate strategy and providing consultancy based on extensive research. Contact Us: Abhishek Shukla Sales Manager Market Data Forecast Direct Line: +1-888-702-9626 Mobile: +91 998 555 0206 Mail: abhishek@marketdataforecast.com City of Industry, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/07/2018 -- The industry is relatively scattered, the key brand include Asahi Glass Co., NSG Group, Guardian Glass,LLC , Saint-Gobain, Taiwan Glass, Viracon, Trulite Glass & Aluminum Solutions, Vitrum Glass Group, Toro Aluminum Group of Companies, J.E. Berkowitz, Padiham Glass Ltd, Northwestern Industries, Inc and so on. Among them, Asahi Glass Co., NSG Group and Guardian Glass,LLC are the leaders. The global average price of Spandrel Glass is in the decreasing trend. The classification of Spandrel Glass includes Ceramic Frit Spandrel Glass, Silicone Coated Spandrel Glass and Others, and the proportion of Ceramic Frit Spandrel Glass in 2016 is the highest. Spandrel Glass is widely used in Residential, Commercial and Public Building. The most proportion of Spandrel Glass is Commercial Building. The trend of Industrial emissions is stable. The leading companies own the advantages on better performance, more abundant product's types, better technical and impeccable after-sales service. Consequently, they take the majority of the market share of high-end market. Looking to the future years, the slow downward price trend in recent years will maintain. As competition intensifies, prices gap between different brands will go narrowing. Similarly, there will be fluctuation in gross margin. The industry is expected to remain innovation-led, with frequent acquisitions and strategic alliances adopted as the key strategies by the players to increase their industry presence. Market stays in mature period with a clear concentration. Meanwhile, optimize product mix and further develop value-added capabilities to maximize margins. The Global Spandrel Glass Market Research Report 2018 released by QYResearch provides a basic overview of the Spandrel Glass industry, including definition, classification, application and industrial chain structure. Discuss development policies and plans as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. The report then focuses on major industry players in Global, including company profiles, product images and specifications, sales, market share, and contact information. More importantly, the Spandrel Glass industry development trends and marketing channels were analyzed. Providing the main statistical data on the current status of the industry is a valuable guide and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market. Request to View report TOC, figure, Table and sample?https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/243392 About QY Research QY Research established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base and seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), expert's resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc. Contact US QY Research, INC. 17890 Castleton, Suite 218, City of industry, CA 91748 USA: +1 626 295 2442 Email: sales@qyrsearch.com Web: www.qyresearch.com Deerfield Beach, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/07/2018 -- 2018-2022 Global Top Countries United States Metal Cutting Tools Market Report The detailed and latest study report entitled "Global United States Metal Cutting Tools Market 2018" presents a professional and up-to-date information on global United States Metal Cutting Tools industry. This report covers United States Metal Cutting Tools market outlook, forecast and analysis on the worldwide and regional level. Furthermore, The report also analyses United States Metal Cutting Tools market based on its investment feasibility and attractiveness. It also provides a useful description of every phase and rising industry trends. This study report will permit the readers to focus on United States Metal Cutting Tools market product description, current competitive players in United States Metal Cutting Tools market and the market revenue with profitability. Global industry analyzes United States Metal Cutting Tools Market with the guide of its Type such as (Cemented carbide, High speed steel, Ceramics, Diamond, Others), Leading Players, Regions, and Applications/end users like (Machinery Industry, Automotive Industry, Aerospace Industry, Energy Industry, Others) of United States Metal Cutting Tools market, forecast up to 2022. To Get Sample Copy With PDF Of This Report, Visit Here: http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/2018-2023-united-states-metal-cutting-tools-market-253833#RequestSample The Scope Of The Report Is As Follows: This report analyses the scope of United States Metal Cutting Tools market. This can be achieved by using United States Metal Cutting Tools previous historical statistics, studying qualitative insights in detail, probably projections about worldwide United States Metal Cutting Tools market size. The projections showed in this United States Metal Cutting Tools report are taken from formerly proved research methodologies and hypothesis. By performing such projections, the United States Metal Cutting Tools market studies document serves as a storehouse of evaluation, records, and data for every aspect of the United States Metal Cutting Tools market. Considering the geographic regions, United States Metal Cutting Tools market is split into various regions like North and South America, Europe, Middle-East and Africa, Asia-Pacific. To help key decision makers, the United States Metal Cutting Tools report includes competitive depicting of the leading players in Global United States Metal Cutting Tools market, tempting investment plans, market positioning of important manufacturers sections. The top Manufacturers/Prime Players covering Global United States Metal Cutting Tools Market (2018-2022) are; Sandvik, Kennametal, Iscar, OSG, Mitsubishi, Kyocera, Sumitomo, Mapal, Nachi-Fujikoshi, LMT, ZCCCT, YG-1, Shanghai Tool, Korloy, Union Tool, Tiangong, Guhring, Harbin No.1 Tool, Tivoly, Ceratizit, Hitachi, Feidadrills, Chengdu Chengliang, BIG Kaiser, Addison, Hanjiang, EST Tools, Xiamen Golden Erge, AHNO, Sandhog, Certrix-EG, Aloris, Kilowood. Do Inquiry For Discount On This Report At http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/2018-2023-united-states-metal-cutting-tools-market-253833#InquiryForBuying Regional Analysis of Global United States Metal Cutting Tools Market (2018-2022): 1. Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy) 2. North America (The United States, Canada, Mexico) 3. Asia-Pacific (India, China, Japan, Korea and South-east Asia) 4. South America, Middle East, and Africa Global United States Metal Cutting Tools Market report particularly covers 11 Chapters. They are as follows; Chapter 1 offers us United States Metal Cutting Tools Introduction, market overview, product scope, market possibilities, market driving force and market chance; Chapter 2 presents United States Metal Cutting Tools market forecast, by regions, application, and type, with revenue and sales of United States Metal Cutting Tools market, from 2018 to 2022; Chapter 3 and 4, to describes the challenging condition of the top manufacturers, with income, deals, and market share of United States Metal Cutting Tools market in 2016 and 2018; Chapter 5 suggests the top producers of United States Metal Cutting Tools, with revenue, United States Metal Cutting Tools price, and sales, from 2016 to 2018; Chapter 6 and 7 indicates the market with United States Metal Cutting Tools market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2018; Chapter 8 covers the global United States Metal Cutting Tools market by regions, with income, market share, and sales of United States Metal Cutting Tools, for each region, from 2018 to 2022; Chapter 9 offers the global United States Metal Cutting Tools market key areas, with sales, market share, and revenue by key countries in those regions, from 2012 to 2018; Chapter 10 and 11 provides details about United States Metal Cutting Tools investors, distributors, sales channel, dealers, research discovery and conclusion, appendix and facts source; What United States Metal Cutting Tools Market Research Report Offers:- 1) All-inclusive analysis of the worldwide United States Metal Cutting Tools market. 2) Assessment of United States Metal Cutting Tools market development. 3) Comprehensive innovation in United States Metal Cutting Tools market. 4) Share investigation of United States Metal Cutting Tools industry. 5) United States Metal Cutting Tools market essential methodologies of predominant makers. 6) Entire information about Segmentation details of the United States Metal Cutting Tools market. 7) Advancement of United States Metal Cutting Tools industry segments and regional markets. 8) Endorsement to firms to set up/settle in their speciality inside the United States Metal Cutting Tools market. At the end of United States Metal Cutting Tools market report gives you perception regarding the global business research findings and conclusion that assist you to create valuable market strategies to accomplish competitive benefits. To Read Full Information With TOC Of This Report, Please Visit: http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/2018-2023-united-states-metal-cutting-tools-market-253833#tableOfContent Referral News Network: http://qynews.biz/ Panamas recommendations were made by Jorge Barakat, Minister of Maritime Affairs after a meeting at Posidonia in Athens with the President of the European Community Shipowner's Association, Panagiotis Laskaridi. The measures proposed that will serve as a strategy for the reduction of sulphur emissions, include the following: - The means to communicate to Port State Control authorities the right information on inspection; - A standard format for communicating to the authorities on the cases of non-availability of compliant fuel; - A mandatory adoption of the latest edition of ISO standard 8754 as the reference test method for sulphur contents; and - The measures for an appropriate handling of samples. In view of this new challenge, the Panama Maritime Authority calls on States to adopt a pragmatic approach for a smooth transition of the sulphur levels in fuel from 3.50%m/m to 0.5%m/m. This will require collaboration and clear communication from all stakeholders, while also being aware and addressing any safety implications related to the implementation of this new sulphur cap. Press Release June 8, 2018 De Lima remains active in Senate work despite unjust detention Despite missing 79 session days in the Senate due to her continued unjust detention, Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has remained active in drafting legislative measures aimed at promoting the welfare and protecting the rights of the Filipino people. De Lima, the new chairperson of Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, said no amount of bogus charges filed against her can prevent her from stepping up her role as a duly-elected Senator of the Republic. "For more than a year since I was illegally detained on trumped-up charges, I never allowed the political persecution I am suffering under the despotic rule of the madman in Malacanang to prevent me from fulfilling my electoral mandate," she said. "Although I'm missing my opportunity to participate during plenary sessions and important debates in the Senate, I regularly work on filing bills and resolutions generally aimed at improving the lives of my fellow Filipinos," she added. During the second regular session of the 17th Congress from July 24, 2017 to May 30, 2018, De Lima was not able to join a single session out of 79 sessions because she remains detained at the Philippine National Police-Custodial Center, in Camp Crame, Quezon City. But despite her physical absence in the Senate halls, De Lima has authored 22 bills and 59 resolutions, co-authored 24 bills and 4 resolutions, and co-sponsored one bill, during the second regular session of Congress alone. As then chairperson of the Senate electoral reforms committee, she authorized the conduct of two hearings to tackle the proposed postponement of the 2017 barangay and youth elections and the proposed anti-political dynasty measure. To date, the Senator from Bicol has authored and co-authored 85 bills and 100 resolutions, of which 62 bills and 80 resolutions were filed while in detention. Among these measures include the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, Expanded Magna Carta of Public Health Workers Act, Qualified Reclusion Perpetua Act for Extraordinary Heinous Crimes, Autism Care Act, and Human Rights Defenders Act of 2018, to name a few. De Lima, who was recently named as the "Most Distinguished Human Rights Defender" by Amnesty International, maintained that nothing will stop her from being the Senator that the Filipinos expect her to be. "I will continue doing my work as a Senator whatever challenges come my way because, as I have said before, I owe it to the more than 14 million Filipino people who voted me in office and the people who keep their faith in me in these trying time," she said. As the chairperson of the Senate social justice committee, De Lima vowed to continue pushing for more worthy legislative measures that will address issues, such as gender inequality, discrimination against the marginalized, labor security, wage gap, human rights, social security, food security, and rural-urban migration. "My days inside detention have not been easy, but the Filipino people can expect that 'work never stops' for me," she said. Detained on false charges of illegal drug trading based on fabricated evidence and perjured testimonies of convicted criminals, De Lima's personal freedom was the price she had to pay for standing up against the killings under the Duterte regime. But despite her detention, she continued to reap awards and citations here and abroad, including the Foreign Policy magazine as one of the leading Global Thinkers for 2016 and 2017, by Time Magazine as one of 100 Most Influential People, one of the Icons, for 2017, by Fortune Magazine as 39th World's Greatest Leader, and by Amnesty International as the Most Distinguished Human Rights Defender for 2018, among others. Frucor Suntory NZ, the maker of juice brands V, Just Juice and Fresh Up, says it has a July start date from the High Court for its ongoing dispute over the tax treatment of convertible notes. The New Zealand unit of Japan's Suntory Holdings says in its 2017 accounts that the dispute with Inland Revenue amounts to about $25 million of tax, made up of $12.4 million of actual income tax in dispute, use of money interest of $8.7 million and shortfall penalties of $3.7 million. It is one of two issues where the company is at odds with the tax department. Notes to its 2017 accounts say Frucor Suntory has been unable to renew an advanced pricing agreement (APA) for royalties paid to Frucor Brands International. The APA expired in 2014 and last year IRD rejected an alternative calculation proposed by the company. The department is now doing further analysis before making a final decision which means the outcome is uncertain. Under 'other accruals' the company has included estimated royalties of $47.9 million for the use of brands, up from $35.5 million in 2016. As a result of the uncertainty about the treatment of royalties, Frucor Suntory got a qualified audit from PwC for its 2017 accounts. IRD's determination "may impact the carrying value of the goodwill and brands held, which at 31 December 2017 were valued at $319.6 million," PwC said in its audit report. "We were unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to determine the impact, if any, on the carrying value of the goodwill and brands recorded in the balance sheet, which is dependent on the value of the future royalties payable, the quantum of which is uncertain and dependent on the outcome of the NZIR review." Frucor's history dates back to the early 1960s when the New Zealand Apple and Pear Board released Fresh Up, later promoted by Olympic runner John Walker with the catchphrase "Fresh Up - it's got to be good for you!". The company's ownership since then has included Australia's Pacific Equity Partners and French drinks company Danone before its sale to its current owner Suntory in 2009. The company lifted sales by 3.3 percent to $432 million in calendar 2017, although the benefit was wiped out by rising cost of sales and other expenses including the increase in estimated royalties, so net profit tumbled to $2.6 million from $25 million. It was able to pay a final dividend of 7.4 cents a share, or $17.6 million, from 4.5 cents, or $10.7 million a year earlier. The tax treatment on the convertible notes is also listed as a contingent liability, which says certain amounts are subject to an indemnity with the former owners of the company. Frucor Suntory's battle with IRD over the treatment of convertible notes has been running for more than a decade. The tax department says its use of the notes constituted tax avoidance by letting companies juggle debt and equity components in their New Zealand divisions providing a tax advantage for their parent and a loss to the New Zealand revenue base. Frucor has consistently rejected the assessment since 2009 when the IRD first lodged its notice, whereas other companies that used similar funding structures cut their losses and settled with the tax department after High Court and Court of Appeal rulings went against them in a test case. IRD filed court proceedings against Frucor in January 2012. The tax department disputes deductions on the optional convertible notes between 2006 and 2009. In March 2017, IRD dropped a 2012 assessment that would have increased Frucor's non-resident withholding tax liability amounting to $8.3 million, plus interest of $6.3 million and shortfall penalties of $4.2 million. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. 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Related News: Arvida Group Limited (NZX: ARV) to Acquire Arena Living Retirement Living Portfolio My Food Bag Group Limited (NZX: MFB) Market Update and HY Results Announcement Date Harmoney Corp Limited (NZX: HMY) Delivers Record September Quarter Vital Healthcare Property Trust (NZX: VHP) Announces Successful Completion of $115m Placement 14th October 2021 Morning Report General Capital Limited (NZX: GEN) Completes Greenfern Listing LISTING AND QUOTATION NOTICE: NZX MAIN BOARD - GREENFERN INDUSTRIES LIMITED 13th October 2021 Morning Report Hotel Montreal: Patterson Family Buys Christchurch's Hotel Montreal Ports of Auckland: Two New Directors for Ports of Auckland Board Tabitha Johnston Chronicle Staff Shepherdstown and Martinsburg rotary clubs and the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force Shepherd and Community hosted a free community event, Facing the Monster of Human Trafficking, at Shepherd University Storer Ballroom on May 22. The event featured Carol Hart Metzker, author of Facing the Monster: How One Person Can Fight Child Slavery, as the guest speaker. The sex trafficking of human females is the top form of human trafficking in the U.S., Metzker said. You dont have to be taken to another state or country to be trafficked. Metzker said traffickers usually target children 11 to 14 years old, but can victimize anyone who is defenseless and isolated from a support network. Metzker said its important to be wary when someone starts acting like they care deeply about someones emotional needs, because they could be grooming that person for trafficking. Human traffickers can be anyone a romantic partner, friend, family member, spiritual leader, teacher or neighbor. The average number of times someone is sold for sex is 10 to 15 times per day, Metzker said. There are people out there who say they are sex workers by choice. But they have to deal with unwanted violence, unwanted diseases, so to me, its not a choice. Metzker shared a story about a 14-year-old girl from Pennsylvania who fell below the radar of social services and the public school system, and ended up trusting an online human trafficker. He promised her love, Metzker said. He would take care of her and feed her and let her live under his roof. But those promises disappeared within 24 hours of her moving in with him. Along with having a baby with her trafficker, the girl ended up developing Stockholm Syndrome and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from his physical and emotional abuse. Now that shes out of the situation, shes studying for her GED. J. Robert Leslie, West Virginia senior deputy attorney general; Katie Spriggs, Shenandoah Womens Center executive director; and human trafficking survivor Penny Kay Hoeflinger joined Metzker for a Q&A panel after her speech, to talk about how community members can be aware of people in trafficking situations. Im working with opioid addicts who are selling their kids for drugs, Leslie said. If you think thats not happening, we found a 12-year-old in that situation two weeks ago. Leslie will be training the states prosecutors about human trafficking recognition at an upcoming meeting to ensure trafficked individuals will not treated as offenders by the court system. Spriggs said the Shenandoah Womens Center works to change the culture around trafficking. To make a culture change, it takes people like us who are interested in making a difference, Spriggs. Hoeflinger, who was sold by her first husband, emphasized the importance of education. Trafficked victims are in plain sight, Hoeflinger said. What I want you to know is, educations where its at. Really look at your neighbors, and care. Just care. A trucker who cared was the one thing that helped me get out of that situation. To view Metzkers speech, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmJfoBeX63g&feature=youtu.be. For more information about human trafficking, visit www.dhs.gov/bluecampaign or polarisproject.org/. To request help or report a suspected human trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Some people cant escape their past . . . and thats not always a bad thing. Rachel Pierce, owner of Just Sayin Graphics and Printed Flair, studied environmental science at Shepherd University to avoid the struggle of being a starving artist, but after graduating in 2016, she realized job satisfaction was more important than job security. I learned a lot in environmental studies, but it wasnt my path, at least for now, Pierce said in her businesss new location at 124 West German St. Pierce moved her seven-month-old business into the location in March, a decision she said was necessary. I want to be available for the tourists, and also for the community businesses who are trying to get themselves seen and known, Pierce said. She put all of her savings into opening the shop, which offers custom printing and design services. Prices vary, but Pierce keeps them as low as possible for the customers convenience. She can print designs onto almost anything people want, including mugs, shirts, bumper stickers, magnets, tote bags, bookmarks, cup cozies and license plates. There are so many people who say they have a lot of ideas, but they havent had the opportunity to actualize them. And thats why Im here, Pierce said. She said it usually takes 7 to 10 business days to complete an order, unless requested otherwise. But it took much longer than that for Pierce to get where she is today. Pierce originally worked as a self-taught graphic designer in trophy shops in San Antonio, Texas, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. While on a cross-country road trip from Louisiana, Pierces mother got into an accident while hiking the Appalachian Trail near Front Royal, Virginia. After driving to Front Royal to see how her mother was doing, Pierce said her mother ended up meeting someone from Shenandoah Junction, who invited her to stay and heal in their home. The hospitality in this areas incredible. I came here to visit for a week and never left, Pierce said. Shepherdstowns a vortex of people from all over who come here and end up staying you dont know why, but its a great place. After Pierces mother healed, she chose to remain in the area, and Pierce ended up doing the same and getting a job at The Press Room, where she continues to work. Since moving to Shepherdstown, Pierce not only graduated from Shepherd University, but also met her husband in town during a New Years Eve party. Pierces concern for the environment is why she ultimately decided to study environmental science. And although shes not sure how that will play out in the future, right now she has incorporated some aspects of environmental awareness into Just Sayin, using reclaimed wood and recycled furniture to outfit the shop and creating items with earth-friendly themes. Everything has come full-circle. Im still kind of playing with the layout, but so far everythings come together the way I wanted, Pierce said. Having a vision, and knowing I could make that vision come true, is what made it possible. In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Robert F. Kennedys assassination, U.S. Senate Historian Emeritus Donald A. Ritchie moderated a discussion about Robert F. Kennedys legacy at the Robert C. Byrd Center Auditorium on Saturday afternoon. The free event was recorded by C-SPAN and sponsored by the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education, the Spirit of Jefferson and Farmers Advocate and the Shepherdstown Book and Author Group. Jules Witcover, a journalist who traveled with Kennedys campaign, witnessed his assassination and wrote 85 Days: The Last Campaign of Robert Kennedy; and John R. Bohrer, an MSNBC producer and author of The Revolution of Robert Kennedy: From Power to Protest after JFK, talked about Kennedys relationship with John F. Kennedy, the American public and Lyndon B. Johnson during the event. I think he was his brothers brother, Bohrer said. Thats how he scored in politics and ran his campaign. When John Kennedy died, Robert Kennedy died in a sense, without an idea of how to go on without his brother. His decision to run for president was a painful one. He wasnt just John Kennedys brother he was the leader of a younger generation that was trying to carry on after his brothers assassination. Witcover described Kennedy as someone people could relate to, because he was a young man of great wealth who had also suffered greatly. He was an intellectual Kennedy, which at that time worked with American campuses, Witcover said. He certainly developed an emotional following. Ted Kennedy said, They see that he hurts, and they can identify with that,' Witcover said about the publics generally favorable view of Robert Kennedy after JFKs assassination. Despite his emotional appeal, popularity with young voters and opposition to the U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War, Witcover said he didnt think Kennedy would have won the Democratic party presidential nomination in 1968. Bohrer disagreed, although he said the road to gaining the nomination would have been difficult. I think Bobby had a strong shot at it, Bohrer said. He knew that he could maybe rely on an emotional appeal, which Johnson was also aware of. Five community members spoke during the question and answer session following the initial discussion, some of whom wore black in honor of his legacy and reminisced on meeting Robert Kennedy as children. Ritchie also described his memories following Robert Kennedys assassination. When I think of 1968, I remember phones waking people up at night, telling people that Robert Kennedy had been shot, Ritchie said I remember feeling relieved when 1968 was over, thinking things would get better. SHEPHERDSTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY 100 E. German St. The Shepherdstown Library has an online calendar on our website, http://www.lib.shepherdstown.wv.us/>www.lib.shepherdstown.wv.us/. The Librarys popular weekly childrens programs will run through May 23; no registration is required. Lap Babies, for children birth through 18 months, is on Tuesdays from 10:15 to 11 a.m. Time for Twos, for children 19 months to 3 years, meets from 11:15 a.m. to noon, also on Tuesdays. The Three to Five Year Olds program is on Wednesdays from 11:15 a.m. to noon. Register for our Summer Reading Program starting June 11. For more information call 304-876-2783, email splchild@martin.lib.wv.us, or visit the library. WEDNESDAY Lets Paint Rocks is a free program for ages 2 and older in the War Memorial Building, 102 E. German St., at 11 a.m. Paint and decorate rocks to hide around town. No registration is needed; doors open at 10:30 a.m. Email christy.hagerty@martin.lib.wv.us or call the Shepherdstown Library at 304-876-2783 for details. JUNE 18 A Lego Club for ages 4 and older will meet in the Shepherdstown Librarys Childrens Department at 11 a.m. on these dates, as well as on all five Mondays in July. No registration is needed. For details, call the Shepherdstown Library at 304-876-2783 or email christy.hagerty@martin.lib.wv.us. JUNE 19 All ages are invited to rock out for summer reading during Music with Tony M. at 11 a.m. in the War Memorial Building, 102 E. German St. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. Free; no registration is needed. Call the Shepherdstown Library at 304-876-2783, email christy.hagerty@martin.lib.wv.us or visit www.tonymusic.com for a preview. JUNE 22 Registration is required for Rocket Building at 11 a.m. in the Shepherdstown Librarys Childrens Department. This free, hands-on program is for ages 5 and older. For details, email christy.hagerty@martin.lib.wv.us or call thelibrary at 304-876-2783. JUNE 23 Ages 3 and older are encouraged to visit the Shepherdstown Librarys Childrens Department at 11 a.m. for a Libraries Rock storytime with songs and a craft. No registration is needed; email christy.hagerty@martin.lib.wv.us or call 304-876-2783 for details. JUNE?25 A Lego Club for ages 4 and older will meet in the Shepherdstown Librarys Childrens Department at 11 a.m. on these dates, as well as on all five Mondays in July. No registration is needed. For details, call the Shepherdstown Library at 304-876-2783 or email christy.hagerty@martin.lib.wv.us. JUNE 26 Critters and Conservation is a live animal show for ages 3 and older at 11 a.m. in the War Memorial Building, 102 E. German St. No registration is needed. Learn about a Coastal Carpet Python, a Congo African Grey Parrot, a Tiger Salamander, a Common Tenrec and a Vinegaroon! Email christy.hagerty@martin.lib.wv.us, visit www.crittersandconservation.com or call the Shepherdstown Library at 304-876-2783. JUNE 29 The FOSL Book Club will meet in the Shepherdstown Library at 5 p.m. to discuss Graham Greenes The Heart of the Matter. ONGOING Community Wellness Days Everyone deserves access to restorative and nourishing self care, regardless of income. Through the grassroots efforts of Sacred Roots and Herbalists Without Borders, this is now a reality. Your first visit is free, and follow-up visits are pay what you can. No proof of income necessary. Come if youre in need. First come, first serve. Hours are 2 to 7 p.m., May through September, on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month. Text 301-452-2075 if youd like to attend. Visit us online at sacredrootswv.com. The Thursday Market at Town Run Tap House and Community Pub will run through Sept. 28 and will provide residents of Shepherdstown with fresh, naturally grown food and products from local farmers and artisans. More information can be found on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thethursdaymarket/ or via email at thethursdaymarketwv@gmail.com. Warmer weathers around the corner! Now is the perfect time to get your cat or dog spayed or neutered. Spay Today is our areas nonprofit, reduced-priced spay and neuter program. Choose from many vets throughout the area. At the time of surgery, initial shots and tests can also be obtained at lower rates. Contact Spay Today: spay-today.org or call 304-728-8330. The Shepherdstown Community Club First Weekend Handmade Market returns for its eighth season! The Handmade Market is a unique pop-up boutique-like arts and crafts market featuring local artists and makers. Join us in celebrating our local talent, meet the artists and shop for fine handcrafted art, jewelry, home decor, accessories, gifts and a whole lot more. Open June 2 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and June 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. War Memorial Building, 102 E. German St., Shepherdstown. For more info, see our Facebook page: facebook.com/SCCHandmadeMarket. Womens March Huddle for Shepherdstown will take place every 4th Tuesday of the month. Meet at Town Run. 202 E Washington St., Shepherdstown. 6:30 to 8 p.m. Intermediate Bridge players are invited to join an informal group meeting every Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Trinity Episcopal Chapel. All are welcome and walk-ins are encouraged. For more information, contact 304-876-6244. Knitting interest group meets in room 164 of the Byrd Center on Mondays, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. All are welcome. Free and open to the public. Glory Days Grill Dining for Dollars Fundraiser to Benefit Animal Welfare Society: The Animal Welfare Society of Jefferson County is proud to announce their participation in the Dining for Dollars fundraiser at Glory Days Grill in Ranson which began Jan.1 and continues through the end of the year. Keep your copy of your guest check (not credit card receipt), and either mail it to: AWS P.O. Box 147, Charles Town, WV, 25414 or place it in the collection box at Petco. The Animal Welfare Society of Jefferson County is participating in Applebees Dining to Donate program. Dine at Applebees in Charles Town the first Thursday of each month from 11 a.m. until closing and Applebees will donate 20 percent of your bill to the Anima Welfare Society. Bring in the flyer printed from the AWS website, www.awsjc.org, or mention Animal Welfare Society to your server. Enjoy an evening of delicious food and help the shelter dogs and cats that are waiting for new homes. The Trinity Thrift Shop is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stop by for some cool finds clothing for all, jewelry, books, movies, toys, kitchen and other house wares, prints, knick knacks, and holiday items! The Shop accept accepts donations of clothing, books, jewelry, and many other items. It also collects used eye glasses on behalf of the Lions Club. The Thrift Shop cannot accept furniture, other large items and electronics due to limited space. Contributions may be delivered to the screened-in back porch at any time. Tax receipts are available during business hours. Questions? Call 304-876-6990. Sarahs Tuesday Group Calling all knitters, quilters, rugmakers and more! We meet in the Trinity Episcopal Church Fellowship Hall, corner of German and Church streets, every Tuesday afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m. Work on your own projects while socializing with other crafters. Questions? call 304-876-6990. Christ Reformed United Church of Christ is inaugurating a new speaker series called First Tuesdays at CRUCC. There will be a speaker the first Tuesday of every month. Coffee, tea and refreshments will be provided. These are free events. SUNDAY South Jefferson Librarys first summer concert will be at 3 p.m. Bring your whole family to enjoy a concert on the lawn with Steve Warner and Andy Mosholder. Bring your own non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, blanket or chair or use one of the librarys. The concert will be moved into the librarys Meeting Room in the event of rain. South Jefferson Library is located on the corner of Summit Point Road and Church Street in Summit Point. For more information, visit www.sojeffersonlibrary.com or call the library at 304-725-6227. TUESDAY Speak Story event with Scott Whitehair When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Reynolds Hall, 109 N. King St. What: Scott Whitehair is a storyteller, producer and teacher from Chicago, Illinois. He is the producer of This Much Is True, one of the citys longest running personal narrative series; creator of Story Lab Chicago, which has put over 500 new and first-time tellers onstage since 2011; and director of Do Not Submit, a citywide grassroots network of open mics bringing neighbors together through story. Cost: $12 at the door; free to full-time Shepherd University students. Speakeasy: Mission to Mars-Team Composition When: 8 p.m. What: NASA and its international partners are planning to send humans to Mars in the 2030s. Mission to Mars will challenge the frontiers of human collaboration as the crew lives and works in an extreme environment. The crew of four will be confined to a space the size of a small studio apartment for two-and-a-half years. As the crew travels further into deep space, the extreme distance will result in significant communication delays with Earth. The small crew will execute complex feats such as space walks, landing and launch from Mars with unparalleled levels of autonomy from ground control. Its estimated that once the crew reaches Mars, ground control will receive updates, errors and information about emergencies with a 22-minute delay. This talk will be livestreamed to the C2ST Facebook page at www.facebook.com/C2ST1 at 8 p.m. so you may watch it from the comfort of your home. WEDNESDAY Author Gene Schmiel will speak on the topic General Jacob Dolson Cox and the Controversy over the Union command in the Maryland Campaign at Camp Hill Wesley United Methodist Church at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. For those interested, a home cooked meal will be served at 6:30 p.m., which will cost $15 per person. For dinner reservations, contact Kevin Pawlak at 16pawlak1829@gmail.com. For more info, call 304-258-2563. THURSDAY Extreme Storms Talk When: 7:30 p.m. What: Huge downpours, massive flooding, heat waves, prolonged droughts these extreme events are occurring more frequently, and with greater intensity. One-hundred-year floods are occurring every year or two is this a new normal? How are cities and regions responding and planning under such uncertainties? This talk will be livestreamed to the C2ST Facebook page at www.facebook.com/C2ST1 at 7:30 p.m. so you may watch it from the comfort of your home. JUNE 16 On the Wings of Dreams will host a tarot reading from noon to 4 p.m. Attendees can learn about their brightest pathway with the help of the events tarot reader, who has over 35 years of experience. Call the shop at 304-876-0244 for an appointment. If openings are available, walk-ins will also be welcome. Today is the first Friday of 2018. when there are no Tamil releases. It is not because of shortage of Tamil releases but Rajinikanths Kaala released a day earlier on Thursday. And when a Rajinikanth film releases nobody else will dare to release their films. Kaala got a solo release date and theatres in Chennai screened it in 80% of their screens. A major plus for Kaala release was that Tamil Nadu government went out of their way to issue a G.O allowing the film to have a special morning show on normal working days of Thursday and Friday. So big multiplexes had shows from early morning 7.30 AM onwards. The Indian government has called for a conditional ceasefire against militants in Kashmir during the holy month of Ramzan. However, the defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the army will retaliate if provoked. : The Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a front outfit of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba has provoked Muslims to wage Jihad (holy war) during the holy month of Ramzan. Maulana Bashir Ahmad Khaki, a senior JuD functionary while speaking at Friday sermon in Rawalakot city of Poonch district, Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), said, "Ramadan is the pious month of 'Jihad-o-Qital' (Jihad and killing). Those who attain martyrdom while waging Jihad, doors of heaven remain open". "JuD cadres are still waging Jihad in Kashmir and fighting with Indian forces in Kashmir. They are waging Jihad for freedom of Kashmir and destruction of India. Urge participants to raise flag of 'Jihad' against infidels," he added. Calling himself a messenger of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, Maulana Bashir said, "The flag of Islam will be hoisted in India and America. Modi (Indian Prime Minister) will be killed. India and Israel will get disintegrated as more and more martyrs will be produced." Meanwhile, terrorists attacked an army patrol party in the Haril area of Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir this morning. No injuries or casualties have been reported as yet. This comes a day after two soldiers were injured after terrorists attacked an army patrol party near Line of Control fence in Kashmir's Keran sector. It is to be noted that of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is in Srinagar to review the security situation on the LoC and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir. As his visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur to address the new recruits of the organisation sparked criticism from some Congress leaders including his daughter, Mukherjee, 82, cautioned that any attempt to define India through 'religion, dogma or intolerance' will only dilute the country's existence. Warning that hatred and intolerance diluted national identity, former President and Congress veteran Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday spoke from an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh platform to declare nationalism was not bound by race or religion, as he called for dialogue to reconcile differences. Declaring that Indias soul resides in pluralism and tolerance, Mukherjee said he is convinced that nationalism can only come out of the ideological fusion of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and other groups in India. He also called for freeing public discourse from fear and violence. "Every time a woman or child is hurt, the soul of India is wounded." Dressed in a traditional dhoti, kurta and a black waist coat, Mukherjee said people are at the centre of all activities of the State and that nothing should be done to divide them. "The aim of the State should be to galvanise them to fight a concerted war against poverty, disease and deprivation. Only then can we create a nation where Nationalism flows automatically," he said. Asserting that India's identity has emerged through a long-drawn process of confluence, assimilation and co-existence, Mukherjee made a passionate speech on nation, nationalism and patriotism in the context of Bharat that lasted nearly 30 minutes. "From our Constitution, flows our nationalism. The construct of Indian nationalism is constitutional patriotism, which consists of an appreciation of our inherited and shared diversity... Secularism and inclusion are a matter of faith for us. It is our composite culture which makes us into one nation." Mukherjee's message to hundreds of 'pracharaks' and top-brass of the RSS, which is often described as a Hindu right-wing organisation, was described as a 'mirror of truth to the RSS' by the Congress, whose several leaders have so far been critical of his decision to attend the event at the Sangh headquarters. At the same time, the Hindutva leaders including S Gurumurthy said Mukherjee talked about nationalism not being limited to any religious identity, which was the same message delivered by the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. In an apparent reference to the one-nation-one-culture ideology often identified with the RSS, Mukherjee said India's nationhood is not one language, one religion and one enemy. "It is 'perennial universalism' of 1.3 billion people who use 122 languages and 1600 dialects...practice seven major religions... live under one system, one flag and one identity of being Bhartiya and have 'no enemies'. That is what makes Bharat a diverse and united nation," he said. Mukherjee, who served as President of India between 2012 and 2017, said, "Every day, we see increased violence around us. At the heart of this violence is darkness, fear and mistrust. We must free our public discourse from all forms of violence, physical as well as verbal." In remarks that come amid outrage over incidents of rapes including of minors, he talked about soul of India getting wounded, every time a child or woman is brutalised and 'manifestations of rage are tearing our social fabric. Mukherjee said only 'a non-violent society' can ensure the participation of all sections of people in the democratic process, especially the marginalised and dispossessed. "We must move from anger, violence and conflict to peace, harmony and happiness," he said. WATCH: Mukherjee visits RSS founder K B Hedgewar's birthplace Mukherjee also talked about thousands years of Indian history, including the rules of various dynasties, Muslim invaders, a mercantile company and then the British Empire. He quoted from works of Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Surendranath Banerjea and others and praised Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for uniting India by bringing the princely states into the main fold. Speaking ahead of Mukherjee's speech, Bhagwat said Mukherjee will remain what he is and the Sangh will remain the Sangh even after the event. Bhagwat said his organisation wants to unify the entire society and no one was an outsider for it. People may have different views but they are all children of mother India, he said. Bhagwat said the Sangh has inviting prominent people to its event every year. Those present at Thursday's event also included former prime minister Lal Bahadu Shastri's son Sunil Shastri, as also Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's nephew Ardhendu Bose along with his wife and son. Earlier in the day, Mukherjee described Hedgewar as a 'great son of Mother India' as he visited the birthplace of the RSS founding Sarsanghachalak. "Today I came here to pay my respect and homage to a great son of Mother India," Mukherjee wrote in a visitor's book at Hedgewar's birthplace ahead of his much-anticipated speech at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur. Mukherjee had to walk through narrow lanes to reach the house where Hedgewar was born and also removed his shoes before entering the place. Mukherjee, who reached Nagpur on Wednesday evening, has been invited by the RSS to address its Shiksha Varg and attend a parade by the Sangh workers on completion of the training camp. It is an annual training camp, meant for swayamsevaks in their third year in the organisation. The RSS holds training camps for first, second and third-year swayamsewaks. Mukherjee's decision to attent the RSS event has already triggered a major political slugfest with several Congress leaders criticising his decision. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel today expressed his disapproval at former president Pranab Mukherjee visiting the RSS headquarters in Nagpur and said he did not expect this from him. Mukherjee's daughter and Congress leader Sharmistha had on Wednesday said her father was giving the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Sangh a handle to plant false stories with his decision to speak at the RSS event. His 'speech will be forgotten' but the 'visuals will remain', she said on Twitter. She also expressed the hope that the former president would realise how the BJP's 'dirty tricks department' works and warned him of the consequences of attending such a meet. Some Congress leaders, including Jairam Ramesh and C K Jaffar Sharief, also wrote to him, while a few leaders of the party, including Anand Sharma, personally visited him in a bid to dissuade him from going to Nagpur. : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in China on Saturday on a two-day visit to attend the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit where India is likely to pitch for concerted regional and global action against terror networks and favour effective connectivity links to boost trade. However, India has said that there will be no formal meeting between Modi and Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain, who is also attending the summit. "Neither have we, nor has Pakistan asked for a formal meeting. But during such summits (SCO Summit), leaders may talk on the sidelines. There will be no formal meeting (with Pakistan)," confirmed Indian Ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale. India became a full member of the the China-dominated grouping last year and New Delhi's entry into it is expected to increase the eight-member group's heft in regional geo-politics and trade negotiations besides giving it a pan-Asian hue. Hours after his arrival in this central port city, Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during which the two leaders are expected to explore ways to deepen ties in areas of trade and investment besides reviewing the overall bilateral cooperation. The meeting is taking place weeks after the two leaders held an informal summit in central China's Wuhan city during which they exchanged views on solidifying the relationship between the two Asian powers. In meeting, Modi and Xi are likely to take stock of the progress in the implementation of decisions they had taken at the informal summit. About the SCO summit, officials said India will pitch for evolving effective ways to deal with the growing challenge of terrorism and enhancing security cooperation among SCO countries. India is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. India was an observer at the SCO since 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its members last year. The officials said India is also likely to focus on importance of regional connectivity projects to boost trade among members of the SCO countries. India has been strongly pushing for connectivity projects like the Chabahar port project and International North-South Transport Corridor to gain access to resource-rich Central Asian countries. Sources indicated that India's focus would be to include its concerns over cross border terrorism in the final outcome document. India has been raising the issue of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in various multilateral forums with an aim to build pressure on Islamabad to dismantle the terror infrastructure operating from that country. Modi is expected to hold nearly half a dozen bilateral meetings with leaders of other SCO countries. By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree Solar Novus Today Has Been Integrated With Novus Light Technologies Today Visit Novus Light Technologies Today to see all the cutting-edge stories and products that you have come to enjoy on Solar Novus Today. In addition, you will find more information on related light-based technologies. Get the latest solar and renewable energy news delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for the Green Technologies newsletter CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR GREEN TECHNOLOGIES NEWSLETTER #ransomware hackers arrest Ransomware suspects nabbed in int'l probe involving S. Korea Key members of an international criminal organization suspected of carrying out massive ransomware attacks on South Korean companies and universities in 2019 have been arrested in ... #cold snap Unseasonable cold snap to drive Seoul's temperatures to 64-year low Temperatures are forecast to drop sharply this coming weekend to a 64-year low for Seoul, the state weather agency said Friday. The morning low is forecast to fall to 1 degree C... Pompeo: N.Korea's Kim told me he was 'prepared to denuclearize' Washington, June 7 (AFP) Jun 07, 2018 Washington's top diplomat Mike Pompeo said Thursday that Kim Jong Un had personally informed him that North Korea is ready to give up its nuclear arsenal. The secretary of state is the most senior US official to have met the North Korean leader and a key figure in preparations for next week's historic summit. US President Donald Trump is due to meet Kim on June 12 in Singapore for a summit called to press Pyongyang to end its nuclear and long-range missile programs. "He has indicated to me personally that he's prepared to denuclearize. That he understands that the current model doesn't work," Pompeo said. "That he's prepared to denuclearize and that, too, he understands... that this has to be big and bold and we have to agree to making major changes." Following the summit, Pompeo will fly on to China, Japan and South Korea to brief the key regional players on the next steps in the diplomatic effort. "I will provide an update and underscore the importance of implementing all sanctions imposed on North Korea," Pompeo told reporters at the White House. Top US, Russian military brass to meet in Helsinki Helsinki, June 7 (AFP) Jun 07, 2018 Top US and Russian military officials will meet in Helsinki on Friday as part of recurring talks to prevent conflicts such as Syria and Ukraine from escalating, Finnish and US officials said. The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joe Dunford, will meet his Russian counterpart General Valery Gerasimov at an undisclosed location in the Finnish capital, the Finnish military announced Thursday. The men sometimes speak by phone and have met at least twice before, including in Azerbaijan and Turkey last year, when discussions centred on avoiding mishaps in Syria, where both countries are conducting separate military campaigns. After Russia began bombing in Syria in late 2015 to prop up the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, the US-led coalition and Moscow established a "deconfliction" hotline aimed at preventing the two sides from inadvertently bombing the others' ground forces or operating in the same air space. The line has been used on a near-daily basis and, while imperfect, has prevented some clashes between US-backed and Russia-backed fighters. Dunford and Gerasimov "will discuss the deconfliction of coalition and Russian operations in Syria, and exchange views on the state of US-Russia military relations and the current international security situation in Europe and other key regions," Dunford's spokesman Colonel Pat Ryder said in a statement. Representatives of the Finnish defense forces will not participate in the meeting. Air strikes kill 18 civilians in northwest Syria: monitor Beirut, June 7 (AFP) Jun 07, 2018 Air strikes in northwestern Syria on Thursday, thought to have been carried out by regime ally Russia, killed 18 civilians including two children, a Britain-based monitor said. The raids, which hit a residential zone in the area of Zardana in the northwestern province of Idlib, also wounded 50 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. The monitor says it relies on sources inside Syria for its information, and determines who carried out strikes according to flight patterns, as well as planes and ammunition involved. The toll is likely to increase due to a number of victims still under the rubble, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. An AFP correspondent at the scene of the strike described a large crater in the midst of several wrecked two- and three-storey buildings. At the nearby hospital, women, children, elderly people and rescue volunteers where among the wounded, the correspondent said. Most of Idlib province lies beyond government control and is held by an array of rebels and jihadists. Zardana is largely controlled by Islamist rebels, with a small presence of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate. Since Russia intervened on its side in 2015, the Syrian regime has regained control of around half of the country. More than 350,000 people have been killed in Syria's war since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. Denuclearisation: the great divide for Kim-Trump summit Seoul, June 8 (AFP) Jun 08, 2018 The issue at the top of US President Donald Trump's agenda for his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is also the most complicated -- denuclearisation. Pyongyang's decades-long pursuit of atomic weapons and the means to deliver them to the US have seen it subjected to multiple rounds of sanctions by the UN Security Council, US, EU and others, and tensions soared last year as the two men traded personal insults and threats of war. Now after a rapid diplomatic rapprochement they will hold an unprecedented meeting in Singapore. But despite the positive imagery of recent months -- and the global headlines the summit will generate -- the gap they will need to breach is a chasm. "It does strike me as very difficult for Kim to give up the only thing that makes him important and that is nuclear weapons," former US deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told reporters in Tokyo. "The distance from where we are now to where we need to be is measured in years." Washington is demanding the North give up its weapons in a complete, verifiable and irreversible way (CVID). Pyongyang, for its part, has repeatedly expressed a commitment to the denuclearisation of the peninsula, but the phrase is a diplomatic euphemism open to interpretation on both sides and the North has given no public indication of what concessions it might be offering. Instead Kim has -- according to Chinese state media reports of his discussion with President Xi Jinping -- called for Washington and Seoul to "remove security threats against the DPRK" and take "phased and synchronous" steps in response to its own moves. The comments are a clear indication that Pyongyang will seek concessions of its own. Early signals from the US suggested Washington expected the North to hand over its arsenal. National security advisor John Bolton's reference to a "Libya model" infuriated Pyongyang, given that leader Moamer Kadhafi was deposed and killed in a NATO-backed rebellion after abandoning his nuclear programme. More recently Trump has dialled down immediate expectations, saying the summit could be the first of several. "I think it's not a one meeting deal," he said Thursday, but insisted: "If they don't denuclearise, that will not be acceptable." - 'Treasured sword' - The impoverished North has devoted vast resources to its weapons programmes, making rapid progress under Kim. Last year it carried out by far its most powerful nuclear test to date -- with a yield commensurate with an H-bomb -- and launched intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the US mainland. Aside from its nuclear arsenal, the North is also believed to have 2,500 to 5,000 tonnes of chemical weapons developed since the 1980s, according to the South's military. It has yet to conclusively demonstrate that it has the capability to shrink a nuclear warhead to fit inside a missile, accurate targeting, or the re-entry technology needed for it to survive coming back into the Earth's atmosphere from space. But it says it has mastered all three, and Kim has declared the development of the country's "treasured sword" complete. Estimates of the North's nuclear capability vary. Seoul puts the North's plutonium stockpile at more than 50 kilogrammes, enough to produce around 10 weapons, adding Pyongyang also has "a significant amount" of highly-enriched uranium. "For the Trump administration, the essence of the talks is likely to boil down to ICBMs and nuclear warheads," Hong Min, analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP. - Bridging the gap - Siegfried Hecker, a noted US nuclear expert, said the immediate CVID of the North was "unimaginable" and "tantamount to a North Korean surrender scenario", and proposed a 10-year roadmap to "halt, roll back and eliminate" its weapons programmes. But speculation is mounting in Seoul that Trump -- who pledged at his inauguration to put "America first" -- could accept Pyongyang giving up its ICBMs and freezing its atomic programme at current levels in exchange for recognising it as a nuclear power. That would remove the threat against the US mainland, while leaving Washington's allies South Korea and Japan still within Pyongyang's reach -- a scenario likely to alarm Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in particular. The leader of South Korea's main Liberty Korea opposition party on Thursday urged Trump not to agree to "any deal" purely to guarantee the security of the US. He raised the spectre of the 1938 Munich Agreement, in which then British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain agreed Nazi Germany could seize part of Czechoslovakia. "It would be very unfortunate if the fate of the Republic of Korea is decided as a result of a battle for hegemony between the US and China," the North's traditional backer, he told reporters. If Pyongyang were tacitly recognised as a nuclear power, he said, "there will be only one option for South Korea and Japan". "We have to arm ourselves with nuclear weapons." bur-jhw-slb-sh/amu/hg Australian commandos accused of Afghan war crimes: report Sydney, June 8 (AFP) Jun 08, 2018 Australian special forces have been accused of committing war crimes in Afghanistan in a secret defence report leaked Friday that described a "complete lack of accountability" from top military brass. The investigation, reported by Fairfax Media, quoted unnamed special forces insiders saying some Australian troops engaged in the "unsanctioned and illegal application of violence on operations" with "a disregard for human dignity". The report, which Fairfax said was compiled by defence department consultant Samantha Crompvoets, concerned operations by Australian Special Air Service troops and other elite commandos deployed alongside US and allied forces in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001, attacks. It described a dysfunctional military organisation rife with distrust of senior leaders and competition between different elite units. "Even more concerning were allusions to behaviour and practises involving abuse of drugs and alcohol, domestic violence, unsanctioned and illegal application of violence on operations... and the perception of a complete lack of accountability at times," the report is quoted as saying. The Defence Force declined to answer specific questions about the leaked report, but told Fairfax it was taking "all allegations about Australian Forces seriously" and would be making recommendations based on the findings of the inquiry. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop also declined to provide details as "there is an investigation underway". The opposition Labor party on Friday described the revelations as "deeply concerning" and said subject to national security concerns the report should be made public. "Our soldiers, particularly our special forces, work in difficult and complex environments," shadow minister for defence Richard Marles said in a statement. "It's important that we know, as a country, that they're doing it in a professional and legal way." Government parliamentarian and former SAS member Andrew Hastie said the allegations "should be taken seriously". "We need a free media reporting on all issues that are relevant to the public interest," he told ABC radio, declining to go into detail about the accusations. Fight against IS will step up during Afghan truce: US general Brussels, June 8 (AFP) Jun 08, 2018 A one-week ceasefire with the Taliban announced by the Afghan government will allow the fight against the Islamic State group to be stepped up, the top US general in the country said Friday. Afghan commandos backed by US special forces and air support are tackling IS and Al-Qaeda fighters who hold pockets of territory in the northern and eastern provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Jowzjan. "We are in the middle of a new offensive against ISIS in Nangahar. This will continue and in fact will be intensified during the period of ceasefire," General John Nicholson, who commands US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, told reporters. Speaking on the sidelines of a NATO defence ministers' meeting in Brussels, Nicholson said US forces would respect the apparently unilateral ceasefire with the Taliban announced by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday. But Nicholson said his troops would not hesitate to respond if the Taliban broke the ceasefire. "We will act in self defence of coalition and Afghan forces," Nicholson said. "This means that we will be watching and prepared to respond to any threat that occurs or appears imminent to affect our forces." The Taliban, ousted from power in a US-led invasion in 2001, have not yet confirmed if they will respect the ceasefire, which was called to coincide with Eid-al-Fitr, the holiday that caps the holy month of Ramadan. Ghani's surprise declaration came on the heels of a fatwa issued by Afghanistan's top clerics branding suicide attacks "haram", or forbidden, and a Pentagon announcement that senior Taliban officials had been negotiating with Afghan authorities on a possible ceasefire. Ukraine journalist's faked death may hurt press: NATO chief Brussels, June 8 (AFP) Jun 08, 2018 The staged killing of a journalist in Ukraine risks undermining trust in the media and fuelling propaganda, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Friday. Ukrainian authorities have come under fire for the faked death of Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, who was announced shot dead in a contract-style killing, only to reappear at a news conference the following day. Press freedom groups have raised fears about the impact the stunt could have on journalists' work around the world and Stoltenberg added his voice to the chorus of concern. "I would like to underline that I regret that this incident may undermine trust in the free press and be used to fuel propaganda," he told reporters. "I strongly believe that the best way to make sure we are not victims of fake news is that we have a free and independent press." There have been warnings that the Babchenko incident would lead to more accusations of "fake news" at a time when the distinction between credible and non-credible sources is becoming ever more crucial. Babchenko and the Ukrainian authorities have defended staging the killing, saying it was done to foil a genuine assassination plot. The Kremlin has said the affair is "at the very least bizarre" and dismissed accusations that it had attempted to kill Babchenko, who has been deeply critical of President Vladimir Putin's government. Sadr strengthens legislative bloc ahead of Iraq poll recount Baghdad, June 8 (AFP) Jun 08, 2018 Nationalist Moqtada Sadr, whose bloc won the largest share of seats in Iraq's May legislative elections, has strengthened his parliamentary position by forming an alliance with two other lists. The former militia leader reached a coalition agreement on Thursday with Shiite Ammar al-Hakim's Al-Hikma list and the secular outgoing vice-president Iyad Allawi, whose list was comprised largely of Sunnis. Sadr's move comes after parliament voted on Wednesday for a manual recount, cancelled expatriates' votes and sacked the electoral commission, amid mounting allegations of fraud surrounding the May 12 poll. His strengthened bloc gives Sadr around 100 seats, but not enough to generate a majority in the 329 seat parliament. Iraq's political system is designed to ensure that no one person or party can dominate, leading to extended post-election horse trading between multiple factions -- a process that hasn't been interrupted by the order for a recount. Sadr's enhanced bloc is calling for economic reform and decentralisation. It also says it opposes "politicising administrative and military institutions". Iran-backed parliamentary rivals could nullify Sadr, who has called for his country to be more independent from both Iran and the US. When initial results were announced, influential Iranian General Ghassem Soleimani came to Baghdad in a bid to rally rival Shiite factions against Sadr. Soleimani met outgoing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, whose list secured 42 seats, former anti-jihadist fighters from the paramilitary Hashed al-Shaabi units (47 seats) and former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki (26 seats). If these groups form an alliance, they would take 115 seats -- enough to form a government, according to Iraq's Constitution. Meanwhile "logistical preparations" for the manual recount have begun at the electoral commission's headquarters, Iraq's Superior Council of Magistracy said. The electoral commission has been dismissed and some members may face fraud charges, authorities have warned. The commission says it will take legal action to challenge the decision to dismiss it. Suspected Russian strikes kill 44 civilians in northwest Syria: monitor Beirut, June 8 (AFP) Jun 08, 2018 Air strikes thought to have been carried out by Russian jets on a rebel-held residential area in northwestern Syria have killed 44 civilians, a Britain-based monitor said on Friday. Six children were among those killed when the strikes hit the Zardana area of Idlib province late Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Russian defence ministry dismissed the Observatory's reports of strikes on Zardana as having "nothing to do with reality", in a statement carried by the TASS news agency. Zardana is largely controlled by Islamist rebels, with a small presence of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate. An AFP correspondent at the scene saw volunteers with a crane still searching the rubble in the early morning. Half a dozen men in civilian clothes helped carry a person in a black body bag away from the site of the strikes, which pulverised several buildings. At night, dozens of wounded streamed in to the local hospital, including children, women, elderly people and rescue volunteers, the correspondent said. Dust dashed with blood covered the twisted bodies of the dead. Most of Idlib province is held by an array of Islamist and jihadist groups with only parts controlled by the Russian-backed government. Since Russia intervened in its support in 2015, the government has regained control of around half of the country. More than 350,000 people have been killed in the Syrian war since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. The Observatory says it relies on sources inside Syria for its information, and determines who carried out strikes on the basis of flight patterns, and the type of aircraft and ammunition used. NATO's eastern allies want increased naval, air presence Warsaw, June 8 (AFP) Jun 08, 2018 The nine member countries on NATO's eastern flank want an "increased presence" by the alliance in their region, Polish President Andrzej Duda said after a group meeting in Warsaw on Friday. The so-called "Bucharest Nine" countries, which first held talks in Romania in 2015, also includes Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia. The group believes it is necessary to supplement NATO's current ground forces "with aerial and naval components" to "achieve the full spectrum," Duda told reporters alongside his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis. The B9 presidents adopted a joint statement in which they called on the US-led alliance to discuss the increased presence at next month's NATO summit in Brussels. They also requested that NATO deliver a response to what the West calls Russian "hybrid warfare" techniques, which include military, financial and political manipulation backed by computer hacking and propaganda. NATO beefed up its defences in central and eastern Europe in response to growing fears about Russia, following Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014. "The 2018 NATO summit should further strengthen the Alliance's unity and, in the spirit of the 360-degree approach, deliver a comprehensive response to the current security challenges, including against the hybrid threats the allies are confronted with," the B9 statement said. Iran president arrives at China summit Qingdao, China, June 8 (AFP) Jun 08, 2018 Iranian president Hassan Rouhani arrived in the coastal Chinese city of Qingdao Friday for a security summit where analysts say Beijing and Moscow will likely seek ways to salvage the nuclear deal ditched by Donald Trump. Rouhani is set to attend the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional security bloc led by China and Russia, which begins Saturday. Footage from state-run broadcaster CGTN showed the leader smiling broadly as he descended from his plane, striding past a bayonet-wielding honour guard to accept a bouquet of flowers from a young Chinese boy. The summit comes after US President Trump controversially pulled Washington out of a 2015 international pact with Iran that placed limits on its nuclear programme in return for easing economic sanctions. Rouhani's presence marks just the second time that an Iranian leader has participated in the annual gathering, now in its 18th iteration. This year, Iran stands to gain a lot because it "is currently evaluating the signatories of the nuclear deal to see to what extent they'll be able to effectively maintain it even after the US's withdrawal", according to Gao Shangtao, an expert on Middle East relations at Beijing Foreign Affairs College. The security bloc will also likely mull over whether to allow Iran to ascend from its position as an SCO observer to become a full member state -- a development it has sought since 2008 but has been unable to achieve while subject to UN sanctions. The 2015 nuclear deal lifted that barrier. Rouhani is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit, although the nuclear deal and the issue of its membership are not part of the official agenda. Chinese businesses are expected to step up activities in Iran to fill the void left by the exit of US companies and the possible withdrawal of European rivals who fear punitive US measures. Judge questions plan to release US detainee into Syrian war zone Washington, June 8 (AFP) Jun 08, 2018 A federal judge questioned on Friday the US military's plan to dump a US citizen alleged to have joined the Islamic State group back into the Syrian war zone, a plan his lawyers said equalled a death sentence. The Justice Department announced late Wednesday that US forces were preparing to release the man, a dual US-Saudi citizen identified only as "John Doe," into territory controlled by allied Syrian Democratic Forces as early as Saturday, after having held him as an alleged "enemy combatant" for nine months. The plan is to give him food and water "for several days", a new cellphone, and the $4,210 he was originally captured with, but no identification, and leave him on his own in northeastern Syria where the SDF dominate. In a hearing in the Washington federal court, Judge Tanya Chutkan asked Justice Department lawyers why there was a "rush" to release the man into a country so dangerous that the US State Department has warned against any travel and even advised potential visitors to "draft a will" first. "We are in uncharted territory," she said. After months of battling over the man's rights as an uncharged battlefield detainee with US citizenship, "what is the urgency in this case?" she asked. Government lawyer James Burnham defended the plan, saying the SDF is "a trusted local partner" of the US forces and the area is "much better, much safer" than where he was taken prisoner by the SDF last September. The American Civil Liberties Union lawyer for "John Doe," Jonathan Hafetz, disputed this, saying the US still contends the man was a fighter for Islamic State before he was detained, and so the SDF would consider him an enemy. According to the laws of war, Hafetz argued, "you can't release an alleged enemy prisoner into a place that is unsafe." "It's like they are releasing him into a burning building," he said, calling it a "death warrant." The case has become a test of the Trump administration's plan for handling Americans captured abroad fighting for jihadist groups. The government spent months fighting in court against giving him legal representation, and has never charged him or offered evidence that he was a fighter for IS. The man was born in the United States to Saudi parents. He denies having joined Islamic State and claimed he was in the area to do reporting, according to the ACLU. The government first moved to transfer him to Saudi Arabia. But his lawyers persuaded the court to block that, arguing that the US government has no right to summarily hand a US citizen over to another government with no charges or extradition proceedings. Hafetz said the government could release the man in Iraq, where he has been held, giving him a chance to request a new passport at the US consulate there. "He doesn't want to stay in prison but he doesn't want to go out where he is in grave danger," Hafetz said. In the end, Chutkan, stressing the untested legal questions involved, persuaded the government lawyers to agree to hold off on the release until another hearing on June 20. Bulgaria OKs spending on new fighter jets, armoured carriers Sofia, June 8 (AFP) Jun 08, 2018 Bulgaria's parliament approved on Friday to spend over 3.2 billion leva (1.6 billion euros, $1.9 billion) for new fighter jets and armoured carriers to update its ailing fleet of Soviet-built equipment. The decision was backed by 151 lawmakers, with seven voting against and one abstention. It will allow the defence ministry to restart the investment project for acquiring at least eight new or used fighter jets for 1.8 billion leva to replace its current fleet of Soviet-built MiG-29 jets. Out of a fleet of 15, the airforce can currently rely on just seven planes in good flying order. Safety concerns prompted its pilots to refuse to fly in a training operation last October, in a bid to speed up the new acquisitions. A defence ministry commission had earlier reviewed offers and shortlisted Sweden's Gripen as a preferred option but the procedure has been sidetracked by the current conservative cabinet of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. The defence ministry will now seek requests for proposals from more suppliers and under reviewed requirements -- for new or used F-16s from the US, Portugal and Israel, for new or used Eurofighter Typhoons from Germany and Italy, for second-hand Rafale fighters from France, and new or used Gripen jets from Sweden. Parliament also approved spending of 1.46 billion leva on 150 new wheeled armoured carriers for its land forces to replace the current Soviet-made BTR armoured personnel carriers and BRDM armoured vehicles. Two US companies -- Textron and General Dynamics Land Systems -- France's Nexter Sytems, and Finland's Patria have already expressed interest in the deal. ds/pvh TEXTRON GENERAL DYNAMICS Swedish PM testifies in court over war jets sale in Brazil Stockholm, June 8 (AFP) Jun 08, 2018 Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven testified in court on Friday, at the request of a Brazilian judge, over a suspected corruption case in Brazil involving the sale of Swedish fighter aircraft at the expense of their French counterpart Rafale. Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is being investigated for money laundering and influence peddling as prosecutors accuse him of having received 2.25 million reais ($1.04 million at the current rate). Lula is suspected of having received the money in the purchase of Swedish aircraft manufacturer Saab's Jas Gripen fighter jets through his son Luis Claudio's company to bribe Dilma Rousseff, who succeeded him as the nation's leader in 2011. After arriving to the Stockholm district court early Friday, Lofven denied having any knowledge of bribes related to the arms deal but admitted to having promoted the sale of the Swedish aircraft before he became prime minister. "I'm a working-class man. It's obvious that I would help a Swedish company and make sure to create jobs in Sweden," he told the daily Aftonbladet. Lofven denied before a judge that he had met Lula and Rousseff in South Africa in December 2013 on the sidelines of a tribute paid to the late President Nelson Mandela. He also denied knowing Mauro Marcondes, an alleged intermediary between Saab and Lula. The hearing lasted less than five minutes, according to Aftonbladet. At the end of December 2013, Brazil ended more than a decade of negotiations and reports and chose the Swedish Gripen jets for a $4.5 billion contract at the expense of France's Rafale and the American Boeing's Super Hornet. Brazil and Sweden inked the deal for 36 fighter jets in October 2014, a few months after Lofven became the head of state. Saab Chairman Marcus Wallenberg and President and CEO Hakan Buskhe were also questioned in court. Both said they do not know Mauro Marcondes, according to the TT news agency. The 72-year-old Lula, who was jailed in early April, is serving a 12-year sentence for taking an apartment as a bribe, a case he describes as politically motivated. The former president is charged in six additional cases in which he claims he's innocent. gab/ik/pvh DASSAULT AVIATION SAAB AB US soldier killed, 4 more wounded in Somalia attack: US defense official Washington, June 8 (AFP) Jun 08, 2018 An American special operations soldier was killed Friday in an attack in southern Somalia that also wounded four US military personnel along with a Somali soldier, a US defense official told AFP. The official did not immediately know who had carried out the attack, but the US is supporting Somali partners as they target Islamic Al-Qaeda militants aligned with the Shabaab group. "There was an attack in Jubaland, Somalia and it resulted in one US killed, four US wounded and one partner wounded," the official said. American forces under the US military's Africa Command are partnering with African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali national security forces in counterterrorism operations, and have conducted frequent raids and drone strikes on Shabaab training camps throughout Somalia. Last year, a member of the Navy SEALs was killed in a nighttime attack in Somalia, marking the first US military combat death there since the infamous events of "Black Hawk Down" in 1993, when 18 American servicemen died in what is called the Battle of Mogadishu. Since 2007, Al-Shabaab has been fighting to overthrow the internationally backed government in Somalia. Trapped in the Past Increasing Headwinds for Angela Merkel Just a few months ago, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was being described as the new leader of the free world. But recently she has been having trouble getting her way even in Berlin and Europe. Her days of dominance appear to be over. By DER SPIEGEL Staff Finance Minister Olaf Scholz 'Germany Has a Special Responsibility' In a DER SPIEGEL interview, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, 59, says its time for a Europe-wide unemployment insurance system and to resuscitate the financial transaction tax. Italy, he says, will fall into line. International Arrest Warrant Germany Takes Aim at Assad's Torture Boss DER SPIEGEL has learned that Germany's chief federal prosecutor has issued an international arrest warrant for one of the Syrian regime's top intelligence officials. He is suspected of being responsible for wide-scale torture and murder. English07/06/2018 POLITICAL STABILITY - PRECONDITION FOR STRENGTHENING ECONOMY BELGRADE, June 7 /SRNA/ - Minister of Labour, War Veterans and Disabled Persons Protection of Republika Srpska, Milenko Savanovic, has said that the Balkans is in a difficult situation when it comes to people's social welfare, and that a stronger contribution should be made in terms of political solutions, which are assumptions for strengthening the economies of the countries in the region as a key precondition for a better life of the people living in them. Today in Belgrade at the opening of the conference "The Future of Welfare State in the Western Balkans", Savanovic stressed the need to warn about the consequences of politics and war, such as the one in the 1990s. "The conference needs to send a message to all the policies, especially to those that can influence a stable political space, to turn to work and life, as the life is the greatest value to which we must subordinate everything else," Savanovic has said. He has pointed out that there are diametrically opposed policies in the territory of BiH that cannot in any way reach agreement on elementary issues. "We in BiH cannot make a political agreement in term of a sustainable life, that people should live there because it is their country, their resource," Savanovic has warned. According to him, if political solutions are not good, as is the case in BiH and the Balkans, then discussing the investments, development, social policy and welfare, which the Belgrade conference deals with, is utopia. "So, many assumptions have to happen before we come into the stage of talking about prosperity. Of course, the economy is the basis of everything, and the economy assumptions are investments, but without stable political space they do not exist," Savanovic has stressed. He has said that the Government of Republika Srpska is doing everything to protect people who are in a social need, but the consequences of a severe and bloody civil war and rapid privatisation are huge. Savanovic has said that since 2004, Srpska has taken care of approximately 61,000 people who were made redundant over privatization process of large systems and allocated approximately EUR 100 million for those needs; it also allocates EUR 30 million annually for citizens without health insurance through the Employment Agency. "Employment in Srpska is growing, but the economy is recovering slowly because we are dealing with the consequences. BiH's policies are opposed and there is no agreement on living issues," Savanovic has said. Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure of Serbia, Zorana Mihajlovic, has agreed that "political stability is the condition of all conditions" and assessed that the Balkans region is now in a much better position than it was in previous years. It is correct that we have to do much more to have political stability. On the other hand, we have the opportunity and privilege to have the right to choose whether we will fight and change the structure of spending money when it comes to social structures and what is defined in the agenda and politics, or will we wait for someone abroad to tell us about it," she has said. She has stressed that the Serbian government will take care of what social investments are and how to reconcile the existing restrictions, such as migrations, demography and etc. Mihajlovic has concluded that the fact that five million people left the region within last ten years is a disastrous one, which means that not enough has been done to respect social justice. /end/vos Frankland Farms is a family farming enterprise, with the partnership headed by brothers Richard and Chris Frankland. Farming 900 acres across three holdings they have a flock of 1200 sheep, 120 head of Suckler Cattle plus 350 replacement and store cattle and they milk 220 head of dairy cattle. Their sheep farming enterprise focusses on producing top quality prime lambs, from Texel cross and Mule ewes put to Beltex rams. This is a strategy that works, and the Frankland family are noted for producing exceptional quality lambs which are regularly seen winning the weekly prime stock shows and topping their local markets in Skipton and Bentham. NSA North Sheep organised by the Northern Regional Committee of the NSA, is a showcase for all sectors of the sheep industry. Being held on Wednesday 5th June 2019, the thousands of people who attend will have the opportunity to see first-hand how one farming family operates a hugely successful sheep farming enterprise in one of the wettest parts of the UK. The hundreds of display and exhibit stands will highlight the latest industry trends, equipment and technology and the many seminars will provide a platform for knowledge transfer, open discussion and debate. Frankland Farms is very much a family business with a number of family members involved. Since they arrived at New Hall in the late 1800s, this is the sixth generation of the family to have farmed here. Running up to 1000 feet, New Hall is renowned for the calibre of its commercial sheep. Members of the National Sheep Association for many years, Richard and Chris have themselves been attending NSA North Sheep events for as long as they can remember. Speaking on behalf of the family on the announcement of the chosen venue Richard said: We are absolutely delighted and privileged to be asked to host this very important sheep industry event and we are looking forward to welcoming people to the farm next year. Our aim is to show people how a livestock farming enterprise is managed in one of the UKs highest rainfall areas, the challenges that we face and how we overcome them. World Stands Together to Pray for Peace on Korean Peninsula Contact: World Council of Churches Media Office , +41 79 507 6363 GENEVE, June 8, 2018 / Photo: A candlelight prayer service in the Chapel of the Ecumenical centre, Geneva for the successful DPRK-US summit and peace on the Korean peninsula. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC GENEVE, June 8, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- As people in Seoul held a candlelight vigil on 7 June to pray for peace on the Korean Peninsula, they were joined by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC), and hundreds of others across the world.Photo: A candlelight prayer service in the Chapel of the Ecumenical centre, Geneva for the successful DPRK-US summit and peace on the Korean peninsula. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC In downtown Seoul, the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea and the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) co-led a candlelight prayer service for the success of the coming Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK)-USA summit scheduled for 12 June. The service began near Seoul City Hall with prayers, singing, readings, and a message given by Rev. Han Ki-yang, who discussed the need for the world to follow Koreans as they seek to bridge the divide of the conflict through respectful dialogue and mutual assurances of security. Ki-yang noted that some are seeking to block such efforts through accusations and condemnation of the other, and encouraged people to courageously share a message about the need to drop hostile threats and persuade national leaders to seek peace through building mutual trust. The prayer service in Seoul concluded with a candlelight prayer march from City Hall to the front of the US Embassy near Gyeongbokgung Palace. The NCCK asked its partners to continue praying in solidarity for a successful outcome of the DPRK-US summit. Simultaneously, in Geneva, Switzerland, staff and friends of the WCC gathered in the Ecumenical Centre chapel in prayerful solidarity at noon to express solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Korea. In Geneva, prayer cards were distributed with a design, drawn from the flag used in the Pyungchang Olympic games, to symbolize a unified Korea. In the USA, the NCC also drew people together the same day in Washington, DC for prayer and reflection. "Today we gather for peace and diplomacy," said Christine Ashley, field secretary for the Friends Committee on National Legislation. "Thank you, National Council of Churches in Korea, for the worldwide leadership that our friends in Korea are now showing us in these times." Rev. Dr Maidstone Mulenga, director of Communications for the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church, said: "Today as we offer prayers for peace on the Korean Peninsula, those of us in the United Methodist Church stand with the rest of the world in praying for peace." The effort for peace in Korea goes back decades, reflected Jim Winkler, NCC president and general secretary. "The churches in this country, along with those in Korea and all over the world have been active presences in this cause," he said. "We have prayed simply - and some would say idealistically - for peace but we have also worked at the sophisticated levels in developing proposals for peace, in holding conferences, in meeting with governments, in refusing to demonize 'the other.'" Photos from the Prayer for peace on the Korean Peninsula at Ecumenical centre, Geneva Video: National Council of Churches USA prayer for a Peace on the Korean Peninsula National Council of Churches in Korea WCC member churches in Korea Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. SRT Open Source Project Continues Momentum as Ericsson, BrightSign and Others Join the SRT Alliance, Now With 127 Members First SRT Virtual Plugfest yields more than 50 successful SRT Ready interoperability tests including contribution encoders, cameras, gateway products, decoders, multiviewers and players. Montreal, QC( ) The SRT Open Source Project, the fastest growing open source video streaming movement, announces that Ericsson and BrightSign have joined the SRT Alliance, bringing the total number of members to 127. Ericsson Media Solutions, a leading provider of broadcast video solutions, joins the SRT Alliance leveraging SRT with their distributed cloud contribution solutions. BrightSign, global market leader in digital signage players, joins the alliance to enable their endpoints to receive and display high-quality, low-latency video from remote sources. Other members that have joined recently include Anevia, Cinemassive, DaCast, and Marshall Electronics. The complete list of SRT Alliance members can be found here. With the wide adoption of SRT, now implemented within more than 40 products on the market, the SRT Alliance held its first Virtual Plugfest on May 15 and 16 in order to test interoperability of SRT streams amongst different vendors. The event yielded outstanding results with more than 50 successfully completed tests from 15 manufacturers, validating SRT streams between cameras, encoders, decoders, gateways, multiviewers and players. The two day event was hosted by SRT Alliance co-founders Haivision and Wowza, from testing facilities in Chicago, Montreal, Denver and Germany. Participants included AppearTV, Arbor Media, BrightSign, Cabletime, Camstreamer, Cinegy, Cogent, D2D, Haivision, Lumens, Matrox, Radiant, T21, Telvue, Teradek and Wowza. The SRT ecosystem is growing by the day, as evidenced by some new top tier members joining and the success of the plugfest. Its exciting to see the breadth of new SRT Ready solutions that are continuously being launched in the streaming and broadcast community, says Sylvio Jelovcich, vice president of global alliances at Haivision. With proven interoperability, users can feel confident in deploying SRT throughout their workflow, ensuring the delivery of secure, high quality, low latency video content. At InfoComm 2018 in Las Vegas on June 6-8, Matrox is hosting an SRT Alliance Pavilion (booth N1322), demonstrating multi-vendor SRT Open Source interoperability, with the following products: About the SRT Open Source Project & SRT Alliance SRT is an open source video transport protocol and technology stack, developed and pioneered by Haivision, that optimizes streaming performance across unpredictable networks with secure streams and easy firewall traversal, bringing the best quality live video over the worst networks. The SRT Open Source Project, driven by the SRT Alliance, is a collaborative community of industry leaders and developers striving to achieve lower latency internet video transport by continuously improving open-source SRT. For more information about the project and how to join the SRT Alliance, visit srtalliance.org. Capital Ship Management sets standards for excellence - LR At a ceremony at Posidonia, Lloyds Register presented Gerassimos Ventouris, Capital Ship Management Corps COO, with an attestation relating to the companys Excellence in Ship Management and Operations. LR was commissioned to provide an independent evaluation of Capitals fleet and corporate performance, covering operations of its managed LR classed fleet of 34 vessels (tankers, bulk carriers and container carriers) over a five-year period from 2013 to 2017. Ventouris commented: It is with great pride and honour that I receive this attestation on behalf of the whole Capital Ship Management team. We are extremely proud of the efforts made and the results we obtained in our operation of a wide variety of ships ordered, built and delivered to our company, varying in size from 14,000 to 320,000 dwt tankers, 1,700 to 10,000 TEU containerships, 35,000 to 160,000 dwt bulk carriers. It is a team effort and the credit goes to all our staff for their excellent input. We say in Greece that the toughest enemy of good is better and we shall continue to take on that enemy with the same dedication and effort as we have all these years, he said. LRs CEO, Alastair Marsh, said at the ceremony: LR is delighted to be able to attest to the implementation of the Capital Management System having contributed continual improvement to Capitals reported performance indicators throughout the five year period examined, from 2013 to 2017. This is an important announcement, as it not only benchmarks their fleet and corporate management performance against market standards but provides a continued commitment of excellence, he said. Stavros Meidanis, Capitals DPA and safety manager added: This award represents Capitals commitment to safety, environmental and energy standards, in accordance with international rules and regulations and industry best practices. This achievement belongs to all our people ashore and on board, for their dedication to safety and safety culture. We will continue to stay focused on our strategy for safety performance and operational efficiency, understanding future industry trends and developments, securing at the same time a successful and sustainable long-term business, he said. Theodosis Stamatellos, LRs marine & offshore regional manager for South Europe, concluded: It is great to support a client who takes a proactive approach to their shipmanagement and operations. There are a lot of learnings here of wider benefit the strengths of the Capital Management System include strong leadership engagement and accountability, aligned governance across the corporation, and a standardised management system process that provided evidence of sustainability and continual improvement. KNOT Offshore Partners reports record earnings Knot Offshore Partners (KNOP) boasted record total revenues of $68 mill for the three months ended 31st March, 2018, compared to $61.6 mill for 4Q17. This increase was mainly due to higher earnings from the Brasil Knutsen, as she was included in the operational results from 15th December, 2017; one month of earnings from the Anna Knutsen, included in the results from 1st March, 2018 and a full quarter of earnings from the Carmen Knutsen, which incurred offhire in 4Q17, due to scheduled drydocking and subsequent propeller repairs. This increase was partly offset by reduced revenues from the Raquel Knutsen as a result of 4.5 days offhire, reduced revenues from the Brasil Knutsen as she started her scheduled drydocking in the end of the quarter and by two additional calendar days in 4Q17, compared to 1Q18. Vessel operating expenses for 1Q18 were $13.2 mill, a decrease of $1.9 mill from $15.2 mill in 4Q17. The decrease was mainly due to the bunkers consumption in connection with the scheduled drydocking and propeller repairs of the Carmen Knutsen that was charged in 4Q17. This was partially offset by higher operating expenses, due to the Brasil Knutsen and the Anna Knutsen being included in the results of operations from 15th December, 2017 and 1st March, 2018, respectively. As a result, operating income for 1Q18 was $31.9 mill, compared to $25 mill in 4Q17. Net income was $30.7 mill, compared to $18.6 mill for 4Q17 and increased by $19.3 mill from net income of $11.4 mill for 1Q17. Operating income increased by $14.4 mill compared to 1Q17, mainly due to increased earnings from the Tordis Knutsen, Vigdis Knutsen, Lena Knutsen, Brasil Knutsen and Anna Knutsen being included in the results during the period. Distributable cash flow was $27.9 mill for 1Q18, compared to $21.5 mill for 4Q17. The Partnerships vessels operated throughout 1Q18 at 99.6% utilisation for scheduled operations and 99.5% utilisation taking into account the scheduled drydocking of the Brasil Knutsen. Brasil Knutsen went offhire on 29th March, 2018 for the trip to a Portuguese shipyard in order to complete her planned five-year special survey drydocking. She went back on charter on 23rd May, 2018 in Brazil. As of 31st March, 2018, KNOP had $57.1 mill in available liquidity, which consisted of cash and cash equivalents of $44.1 mill and $13 mill of capacity under its revolving credit facilities. These credit facilities mature in June and August, 2019. KNOPs total interest-bearing debt outstanding was $1,141.8 mill ($1,133.4 mill net of debt issuance cost). On 30th January, 2018, KNOPs subsidiary, KNOT Shuttle Tankers 15 AS, which owns the Torill Knutsen, closed a new $100 mill senior secured term loan facility with a consortium of banks, in which The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ acted as agent. On 1st March, 2018, KNOPs subsidiary, KNOT Shuttle Tankers, acquired KNOT Shuttle Tankers 30 AS, the company that owns the shuttle tanker, Anna Knutsen, from Knutsen NYK. The purchase price was $120 mill, less about $106.8 mill of outstanding debt related to the vessel, and about $1.4 mill for certain capitalised fees related to the financing of the vessel, plus other purchase price adjustments of $5.3 mill. On the closing of the acquisition, KNOT 30 repaid $32.3 mill of the debt leaving an aggregate of around $74.4 mill of debt outstanding under the secured credit facility related to the vessel. Anna Knutsen was delivered to the Partnership in March, 2017 and is operating in Brazil under a timecharter with Galp Sinopec Brazil Services, which is due to expire in the second quarter of 2022. Galp has options to extend the charter for two further three-year periods. KNOP said that its earnings for the second quarter of 2018 will be affected by the planned five-year special survey drydocking of the Brasil Knutsen, which was offhire for 56 days, including the repositioning voyages to Portugal from Brazil and back. Offsetting this offhire will be the Anna Knutsen, which is expected to operate for the entire second quarter. The Hilda Knutsen is due for her five-year special survey drydocking in 3Q18 and the Torill Knutsen and the Ingrid Knutsen are due for their special survey drydockings in 4Q18. These vessels are operating in the North Sea and will undergo drydocking in Europe, and are expected to incur offhire of around 18-20 days per vessel. As of 31st March, 2018, KNOPs fleet of 16 vessels had an average remaining fixed contract duration of 3.9 years. In addition, the charterers of the Partnerships timecharter vessels have options to extend their charters by an additional 4.7 years on average. KNOPs board said that it believed demand for newbuilding offshore shuttle tankers will continue to be driven over time by the requirement to replace older tonnage in the North Sea and Brazil and further expansion into deepwater offshore oil production areas, such as in Pre-salt Brazil and the Barents Sea. The board further believed that significant growth in demand exists and that this will continue for new shuttle tankers, as the availability of existing vessels has reduced and modern operational demands have increased. Consequently, there should be opportunities to further grow the Partnership, the Board concluded. Kongsberg Digital supplies simulators to new training centre Minerva Marines recently opened Athina Maritime Learning and Development Centre has signed an agreement with Kongsberg Digital to supply new bridge, engine room and cargo handling simulators. A portfolio of simulator-based courses is under development by the centre with the aim of becoming a leading maritime training organisation where seafarers will always come first. Kongsberg Digital will supply a completely integrated K-Sim Navigation Full-Mission Class A Bridge, K-Sim Engine Room and K-Sim Liquid Cargo Handling simulators. The integration between the simulators provides a unique total ship learning experience enabling crew resource training for improved operational teamwork on board, supported by physical and behavioural realism for all aspects, Kongsberg said. Complete integration between different simulator types is essential to deliver crew resource training where all operational aspects are carried out by separate teams with different, but connected functions in a total ship, real-time scenario, said Slvi Opthun, area sales manager, Maritime Simulation, Kongsberg Digital. Through our unique approach to integration, the Athina Maritime Learning and Development Centre can further promote the competence and professionalism of seafarers individually and collectively, aimed at conducting safe and efficient vessel operations. K-Sim simulators use advanced mathematical and sophisticated engine and hydrodynamic models to allow vessels, equipment and marine objects to behave and interact as in real life, Kongsberg claimed. Stelios Volakis, the centres training manager, said: By providing a training environment similar to the actual on board operating conditions, our training centre will be capable of delivering an outstanding learning experience to enable seafarers to enhance their knowledge and skills in a rapidly changing and demanding industry. Sokratis Dimakopoulos, Minerva Marine COO. said: The competence of our seafarers is a key success parameter for ensuring flawless, efficient and safe operations and as such we are looking forward with enthusiasm to the operation of the Athina Maritime Learning and Development Centre. In another move, Minerva Marine is to implement an enterprise asset management (EAM) programme with ABS Advanced Solutions in an agreement signed at Posidonia. The ABS Advanced Solutions approach is designed to help owners and operators to manage their entire lifecycle of physical assets to optimise use, reduce costs, and improve vessel reliability and efficiency. The programme addresses core elements established over more than a decade of experience: asset lifecycle management strategy, organisational readiness, computerised maintenance management system functionality and utilisation, planning and scheduling, work management, inventory management, metrics and performance improvement, and maintenance and reliability strategy. Minerva Marine currently operates 65 tankers and six drybulk carriers out of which 30 are classed with ABS. Minerva is a first-class shipmanager and their implementation of the ABS Enterprise Asset Management programme is a powerful endorsement of its capabilities, said Richard Pride, senior vice president of ABS Advanced Solutions. We are looking forward to assisting Minerva on their journey to asset optimisation. Kostas Karathanos, Minerva Marine technical manager, said, We decided early on to partner with ABS because of the teams insights into our business processes, their technical expertise and strong EAM experience. We expect the outcome of this work to make a significant contribution to our current efforts on improving the lifecycle efficiency and reliability of our assets. Dimakopoulos added: Reliability and asset integrity are among our strategic objectives, and we are looking forward to working with ABS towards optimising our existing processes. Leading shipmanagers form joint procurement business Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) and Columbia Shipmanagement have jointly formed an independent procurement company. This initiative was undertaken to deliver greater value in ship supply costs for shipowners. The move guarantees principals lower costs in the procurement of a wide range of consumables while guaranteeing product quality and service, both companies claimed. GP General Procurement Company (GenPro) will negotiate framework supply agreements with international ship suppliers on behalf of its members clients with a view to securing the lowest prices achievable on all consumables. This new agreement gives BSM and Columbias pool of more than 800 vessels access to a wider, superior range of consumables at the best prices available globally. It will capitalise on the best practices and strengths of its members by driving efficiencies into the whole procurement process to help reduce clients vessel opex and return real value to the client by way of volume-related discounts in a fully transparent and auditable way. BSM CEO Ian Beveridge said: We are pleased to be working with Columbia Shipmanagement to set up GenPro, a new company designed to deliver maximum value to our shipowner clients in a new and innovative way. We believe GenPro will change the way global procurement is delivered to shipowners on an international scale and will in time become a compelling new force in the industry. Both companies are leveraging their industry links and relationships to owners and we believe this is something owners will welcome, he said. Mark ONeil, Columbias CEO and President, added: GenPro represents optimisation of the procurement process in its purest form a veritable win-win for owners and suppliers alike. The scope and reach of the procurement effort will not be limited to maritime products and consumables but will include all products and consumables associated with the operation of the maritime business, onshore and offshore. GenPro will derive its income from a brokerage fee agreed with, and paid by the ship supplier. It will also negotiate and agree volume-related discounts with the suppliers, which will be returned to GenPro members clients in full. North American pipelines come under scrutiny Canadian and US pipelines are a study in contrasts, writes Poten & Partners in a comment piece. Recently, the Canadian Government announced that they are buying the Trans Mountain pipeline system and its expansion project from current owner Kinder Morgan for Can$4.5 bill. The expansion project, if it goes ahead, is expected to cost an additional Can$7.4 bill. This lifeline from the Canadian government became necessary after Kinder Morgan strongly considered pulling out of the project. Its importance is that it is the only Canadian pipeline that moves domestic crude to the countrys coastline for export. While its capacity is 300,000 barrels per day, some 221,000 barrels per day is allocated to refineries with connections in British Columbia (BC) and Washington State. Only about 80,000 barrels per day is allocated to the Westridge Terminal in Burnaby, BC (near Vancouver), which is only enough to load one Aframax (the maximum vessel size allowed at this facility) per week. This is only a trickle when compared to Canadas oil production which, in March 2018, was a near a record 5.2 mill barrels per day, according to the IEA. Even if the expansion project goes ahead, tanker exports will remain relatively small. Looking back to late 2014/early 2015, the outlook for Canadian production and exports was rosy. Several export pipelines were planned and analysts (including Poten & Partners) were forecasting a significant change in tanker trade flows in the 2017/2018 time-frame. An overview of the North American pipeline proposals updated by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) in September, 2014, showed Keystone XL (+830,000 b/d), Energy East (+1,100,000 b/d), Northern Gateway (+525,000 b/d) and the Trans Mountain Expansion (+590,000 b/d). These projects combined represented more than 3 mill barrels per day of additional pipeline export capacity for Canadian oil producers, all to be completed before 2019. We are now in the middle of 2018 and none of this new capacity has materialised, Poten said. Northern Gateway and Energy East have been cancelled, the Keystone XL is still mired in legal problems (even though the Trump administration fast-tracked the State Department approval) and the Trans Mountain Expansion is on life-support. As mentioned, Canada produces about 5.2 mill barrels per day of crude oil (mostly in the Western States) while added to that, Eastern Canadian refiners import another 700-800,000 barrels per day of foreign crude. Canada only consumes only 2.3 mill barrels per day and almost all of the excess production (around 3.5 mill) currently goes to the US. Since US domestic production is growing rapidly, Canadian crude is facing more competition and the discount to international benchmark prices at which Canada is selling its crude to the US is significant. This costs Canadian producers an estimated Can$15.6 bill a year. Building some of the proposed export pipelines would have gone a long way to solving this problem, Poten said. Today, the contrast between Canada and the US is particularly stark. One analyst commented recently: In Canada, new pipelines are met with red tape. In Texas, they are met with a red carpet. While Canadian pipelines are struggling, the opposite situation exists in the south of the US. As a result of the shale boom, in particular in the Permian Basin in Texas, pipeline operators are planning more than 3 mill barrels per day of additional capacity, with 1 mill barrels per day already under construction. Oil is a global commodity and through the pricing mechanism, it will find a way to get to market. If it cannot be exported directly to Asia or Europe, Canadian crude will continue to move south of the border. Some of it may even be transported to the US Gulf coast and exported to Asia, Poten concluded. Q88 version five released INTERTANKO has released the fifth version of its vetting tool, Questionnaire 88 (Q88). Q88 was first unveiled in 1988 and has been periodically revised to include up-to-date information for assessing tanker suitability and risk when chartering. INTERTANKOs Vetting Committee, and its Q88 Working Group, headed by Capt Ashley Cooper (Scorpio Ship Management), has worked to ensure that the questionnaire is kept topical, the organisation claimed. Capt Cooper explained: This latest revision ensures that the Questionnaire 88 remains dynamic as it now actively maps the variants of OCIMFs Vessel Particular Questionnaire as they currently exist. The compilation of selected information in each Questionnaire 88 variant now affords the assessor the possibility of utilising relevant data in screening specific vessels by type. Q88 was last revised in 2015 and this latest edition takes into account new questions bringing in changes to address new regulations, specifically for the LNG/LPG/chemical sectors. In order to support all the required information for each specific tanker sector, Q88 is now available in five different variants - oil, chemical, oil/chemical, LPG and LNG. The questionnaire will continue to be transferable between various parties internal systems through the publishing of an XML version. All existing Q88 data will automatically be migrated to the new version specific to each vessel; however, owners/operators are urged to check their ships data to ensure that it is correct and up to date. This revision has been carried out with the assistance of Q88 LLC, which operates the website www.Q88.com. Fritz Heidenreich, Q88 LLC president, said: This revision incorporates recommendations and feedback that we have had from our subscribers since the last revision in 2015, demonstrating that the revised Questionnaire 88 is a collaborative effort for the benefit of our industry. Ongoing feedback and revisions will continue to keep the questionnaires up to date, relevant and, as a result, widely used as an invaluable risk assessment tool, INTERTANKO said. Venezuela close to declaring force majeure on crude exports Venezuela could be about to declare force majeure on contracts with some of its major crude buyers. This is due to falling output from its oil fields and tanker bottlenecks at its ports, according to a Reuters report. There were more than 70 tankers off the coast of Venezuela earlier this week, according to Thomson Reuters vessel tracking data. State-owned oil company PDVSA was believed to have told some customers that vessels should be equipped for ship-to-ship cargo transfers instead of loading at jetties in ports. If they do not accept this, PDVSA will consider declaring force majeure, sources told Reuters. It was later reported that PDVSA has completed the first ship-to-ship (STS) transfer involving the Suezmax Sonangol Kalandula, which was believed bound for Tipco Asphalt's refinery in Kemaman, Malaysia. According to the Reuters data, the vessel has not yet sailed and has been waiting since February to load Venezuelan Boscan heavy crude. PDVSA had separately begun to notify all of its customers that it will no longer receive tankers for loading at Jose or Paraguana, its main export terminals, until ships already waiting are loaded. Most customers have so far refused the ship-to-ship transfer request, due to the lack of third party supervision for the operations, according to shippers and traders. Additional costs for completing the transfer have also contributed to the refusals. PDVSA has been using sanctions imposed on the company by the US as a rationale for the change, according to one source. Venezuela's export terminals have become congested as last month, US oil major ConocoPhillips won a court orders freezing PDVSA's key Caribbean assets, from where the Venezuelan company used to ship large cargoes to Asia. Traders and shippers were sceptical that the transfers would succeed in easing the bottlenecks, as PDVSA will still have to load vessels at Jose to ship the cargo to the proposed offshore transfer sites, and production declines are not expected to ease. Venezuela's crude exports declined by 28% in the first four months of this year to 1.19 mill barrels per day, compared with 1.65 mill barrels per day in the same period last year, according to Reuters trade flows data. In January to April, crude output fell to 1.62 mill barrels per day, the lowest annual average in over three decades. As mentioned above, aggravating the export problems, last month ConocoPhillips started to seize PDVSA's terminals, oil inventories and cargoes in the Caribbean to enforce a $2 bill arbitration award in a dispute over the socialist government's nationalisation of the US oil major's Venezuelan assets. Courtesy: Hexcel Advanced composites manufacturer Hexcel in partnership with Chinese aerospace parts manufacturer Future Aerospace is setting up a world-class materials testing lab in China. Shanghai Future Aerospace Hexcel Commercial Composite Testing will be located in Lingang and offer testing services to commercial aerospace industries in China and Asia Pacific.This new facility will provide China with an aerospace standard material test laboratory to ease material qualification and support certification for new programmes. Expected activities at the site include the testing of composite laminate specimens, material qualifications, and support for customers supply chains in China.Thierry Merlot, Hexcel president, Aerospace Europe, Middle East and Asia, said: I am delighted that we are joining with Future Aerospace to establish this world-class composite materials testing facility in China. This investment is in response to local customer demand and demonstrates our commitment to support the commercial aerospace industrys growing use of composite materials in China.Han Hua, chairman, Future Aerospace said: We are pleased to partner with Hexcel. The collaboration enables Future Aerospace and Hexcel to play a key role in supporting the development and implementation of composite material applications in commercial aerospace industries in China for both Chinese and global aerospace customers.Operations at the new site are expected to begin in September 2018 and will include the manufacture of composite coupons for mechanical testing, building on the work that Hexcel already carries out for the aerospace industry at facilities in Europe and the US with expertise in structural composite testing and qualifications.Future Aerospace is a technology-led aircraft and aerospace engine parts and components integrated manufacturer and service provider, fully owned by Xinjiang Machinery Research Institute. Products manufactured by Future Aerospace include aircraft structure components and aerospace engine components for customers including Honeywell, AVIC, AECC, CASC and CASIC. (SV) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India The Apple Watch is now able to detect Parkinson's disease symptoms, further pushing the smartwatch's status as a health-focused device. The new Apple Watch function was made possible through the new Movement Disorder API, which Apple added to the open-source ResearchKit framework at the ongoing WWDC 2018. Apple Watch To Monitor Parkinson's Disease Symptoms The Movement Disorder API that Apple is adding to ResearchKit will allow the Apple Watch to trace and monitor the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Developers will be able to use the new API to include passive, always-on monitoring of the symptoms through an Apple Watch running watchOS 5. The API will be monitoring two very common Parkinson's disease symptoms. Tremors, or shaking and quivering, and dyskinesia, or fidgeting and swaying motions usually caused by treatment for Parkinson's disease, will be picked up by the Apple Watch. Currently, doctors seeking information about the severity of Parkinson's disease symptoms in a patient will need to perform physical diagnostic tests. Patients are also required to keep written diaries to record the manifestation of the symptoms. However, despite all this, doctors will still not be able to get the complete pictures of a patient's symptoms. With the Apple Watch and the Movement Disorder API, however, keeping track of the symptoms will be done automatically and continuously, with nothing required from patients aside from wearing the Apple Watch. Apps will then be able to display the collected data in graphs, showing how often the symptoms manifest per day, hour, and minute, for the usage of doctors in monitoring Parkinson's disease. Apple Watch Saves Lives There have been numerous reports on how the Apple Watch saves lives. In May alone, there were three reports of such incidents. The Apple Watch helped diagnose a teenager from Florida who was suffering from chronic kidney disease, which was hidden for years. The device also urged a man in New York to seek immediate medical attention, and it was later discovered that he had a ruptured ulcer. Another man in England, meanwhile, was just reading a book when the Apple Watch said that his heart rate was going up, alerting him to an undiagnosed heart problem. At WWDC 2018, Apple announced watchOS 5, the latest version of the wearable operating system that powers the Apple Watch. Apple will roll out watchOS 5 in the fall, bringing with it several new features beyond the updated ResearchKit such as a walkie-talkie mode, new audio feature, updated Siri commands, and improved message notifications. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It takes a great effort to try to stop the spread of HIV, but one man in the United States is being sentenced to prison for doing the opposite of that. Crime And Punishment In Arkansas On June 4, Stephen Koch of Scranton, Arkansas admitted in court that he intentionally contracted HIV with the goal of spreading the infection to other people. He also pleaded guilty to other drug-related and child pornography charges. The 25-year-old was first arrested for the drug charges. During the investigation, the police tracked down text messages and other communications on his computer. According to the messages, Koch infected himself with HIV. He also wanted to go on double dates and he lied about his HIV status. "Just so I can get my brain around this, did I understand the state correctly; Mr. Koch intentionally contracted the HIV virus so he could then infect others?" Judge Robin Green asked in court. Koch admitted to the crime and he confirmed that his plan was to hurt other people on their dates. Koch received a 50-year sentence in court. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and join the prison's sex offender treatment program. Upon his release from prison, he must also follow a 10-year suspended sentence agreement. People React To Someone Intentionally Spreading HIV Although this is not the first time that someone has been sentenced to prison for knowingly infecting others with HIV, it is still a shocking story to hear especially for HIV survivors. "For somebody to have such low self-esteem and lack of worth that they would try to go out and do something that stupid is the only word I can think to use," HIV survivor Mark Williams told Arkansas television station KNWA. "To want to take himself down this road, and infect other people, I just can't comprehend it." Williams also said that these stories empower HIV survivors to continue to advocate to help other people. "He was set out to destroy any and everything," HIV educator Ruth Coker Burks said. "It's so unfortunate and awful when people have died just tried to live with this virus." Criminalizing HIV The Center for Disease Control says that 33 states have criminal laws relating to HIV. In 25 states, it is a felony to exhibit behaviors that pose a risk to knowingly spreading HIV. In 24 states, people with HIV are required to disclose their status to sexual partners. Meanwhile, 14 states have laws for needle sharing. Some states are diminishing HIV criminal laws. In 2017, lawmakers in California reduced the penalty for intentionally spreading HIV. Although there are many symptoms of HIV, the only way to know for sure is to get tested. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Researchers have found three strange objects moving alarmingly close to the Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole sitting at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. After 12 years of observations at the W.M. Keck Observatory in Maunakea, Hawaii, the team has concluded that three mysterious objects are currently making their way around the black hole. No definitive explanation has been made, but the team's hypothesis is that these are part of the G-class of objects. What Are G-Class Objects? Back in 2004, a group of astronomers observed a dusty red object, which they called G1, circulating around Sagittarius A*. A similar object called G2 was seen whizzing by in 2012. Scientists initially believed they were clouds of gas. However, when the objects zoomed close to Sagittarius A*, they surprisingly survived, leading astronomers to revise their gas cloud hypothesis and think that G1 and G2 are bloated stars. They are massive enough to resist being ripped apart by the black hole and are surrounded by a huge cloud of dust and gas. G3, G4, And G5 Using Keck's OH-Suppressing Infrared Imaging Spectrograph (OSIRIS), the team was able to take measurements of the gas and dust surrounding the black hole, which led them to find three new objects moving super-fast and close to Sagittarius A*. "It is fascinating to watch them move from year to year," Anna Ciurlo, postdoctoral scholar at the University of California Los Angeles, says. "How did they get there? And what will they become? They must have an interesting story to tell." G3, G4, and G5 are bright, red, dusty objects that emit hydrogen. They have relatively low temperatures registering at a few hundred Kelvin. In contrast, normal stars have temperatures of 2,000 Kelvin and up. They look puffy, like clouds, but they behave like compact, solid stars with huge mass. From the team's line of sight, the objects are moving a tenth as fast as G1 and G2 and are brighter. Why Are They There? Near the center of the Milky Way, about one-tenth light-year away from the black hole, are three dozen massive young stars called B-type stars traveling in elongated orbits around the black hole. Some of them even come as close as the Earth is to the sun. The problem is the presence of the black hole should make the birth of new stars impossible in this part of the galaxy. Its strong gravitational pull should rip any clumps of hydrogen that is used to form stars apart. So why are the G-objects there? The researchers think the Kozai-Lidov mechanism could provide an explanation. When two stars sitting close to each other near a black hole, the black hole's massive gravitational pull distorts their orbits and causes them to crash into each other. The collision causes the stars to merge into each other and generate enormous amounts of energy. This gives birth to a massive new star surrounded by a dusty red cloud that will eventually fade away to become stars that look like the B-type stars located around Sagittarius A*. "This may provide us with insight into a process which may be responsible for the recently discovered stellar mass black hole mergers that have been detected through gravitational waves," says Andrea Ghez, founder and director of UCLA's Galactic Center Orbits Initiative. More Mysteries The Kozai-Lidov mechanism, however, does not totally account for the recent observations. G5 has an elongated orbit that may have been caused by the black hole, but G3's orbit is circular. Although the team's current hypothesis remains, it is still possible that not all of the G-class objects have the same origins. Ciurlo and her team will continue observing the path of these objects. In particular, they will be paying attention to when they will make their way closest to the black hole. This will take place in 20 years for G3 and longer for G4 and G5. The team is interested to know if all three objects will survive being torn apart by Sagittarius A* once they get to their closest point to the black hole. The team's findings were presented at the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Denver on June 6. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A photo from NASA shows that a piece of the largest iceberg that separated from Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf is already nearing its final voyage. The largest iceberg, called B-15, that broke away in March 2000 has been drifting and being pounded by the strong force of the wind and the sea for 18 years now. B-15 measured about 160 nautical miles long and 20 nautical miles wide and nearly comparable to the size of Connecticut. As B-15 continued to drift, however, it was divided into smaller fragments which have melted along through its journey. Only four huge pieces remain. While they all meet the minimum size needed to remain traceable by the National Ice Center, one of them is nearing its death. Dying Near The Equator The dying iceberg is called the B-15Z. A photograph snapped on May 22 by astronauts aboard the International Space Station revealed that B-15Z currently measures 10 nautical miles long and 5 nautical miles wide. NASA said the iceberg's size remained "trackable." However, the agency believed it will not stay at this size for long. If it continues its journey, it will eventually disintegrate into smaller and smaller pieces. The photo, in fact, showed a huge fissure at its center and several tiny pieces of the iceberg are already falling off from its edges. B-15Z Journey In Antarctica In October 2017, coastal countercurrent brought B-15Z about three-quarters of the way around Antarctica. It reached farther south until making it to the Southern Ocean which was already off the edges of the Antarctic Peninsula. Ocean current had once again pushed B-15Z north into the southern Atlantic Ocean that by May when the photo was taken, the iceberg was already nearing 150 nautical miles northwest of the South Georgia islands. "Icebergs that make it this far have been known to rapidly melt and end their life cycles here," NASA explained. B-15Z 'Cause Of Death' Kelly Brunt, a NASA glaciologist, explained that its distant location, close to the equator, may have brought B-15Z its demise. "They tend to pond with water, which then works its way through the iceberg like a set of knives," Brunt explained. The announcement from NASA did not mention whether factors brought by climate change contributed to its melting or whether the iceberg's death could impact the global sea level rising. In April, however, a study noted that ice sheet in Antarctica is melting underwater at a rate five times faster than what experts previously predicted. The main culprit is the warm ocean water that is eating away at the ice found underneath the seabed. The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, found that 565 square miles of underwater ice had already disintegrated between 2010 and 2016. It also found that Antarctica's ice glaciers have been receding at a rate of 82 feet per year. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In an attempt to lure customers from other carriers, Sprint has announced a new unlimited plan for just $15 a month. Sprint Offering Unlimited Plan For $15 A Month On Thursday, June 7, Sprint announced a new time-limited "Unlimited Kickstart" plan that costs merely $15 a month. The deal, which goes live on Friday, June 8, includes unlimited talk time, text messages, and 4G LTE data. The offer will only be available online or by phone, which means that consumers will not be able to avail the offer by walking in to their local Sprint store. Sprint's $15 pricing makes it the cheapest unlimited plan available on the market, giving even the low-cost prepaid carriers some serious competition. Although no expiry date or deadline has been specified for the promotion, Allan Samson, senior vice president of acquisition for Sprint, told CNET that it would only "last weeks, not months." This isn't the first time Sprint, America's fourth-largest wireless carrier, has aggressively attempted to try and attract customers with a vanilla deal. Last year, the company offered Verizon users a free year of unlimited data if they switched to Sprint. The Unlimited Kickstart plan is a similar bid by Sprint to entice customers ahead of its proposed merger with T-Mobile later this year. What's The Catch? While the plan offers unlimited calls, texts, and data, it does not include a mobile hotspot feature for tethering several devices. The offer also restricts video streaming to a low 480p, so users won't be able to stream their favorite Netflix series in high definition. The plan also limits music streaming to 500 kbps, gaming streams to 2 Mbps, and the company also holds the right to reduce the data speed of heavy users if the network is congested. Another big caveat is that this special offer is only available to customers who are willing to port a number from another carrier. This means that one cannot just start a new line of service a huge commitment Sprint is asking users to make. Furthermore, the $15 rate does not include taxes and other fees, so the final figure is going to slightly higher than quoted but still within the affordable range. Therefore, If consumers are looking to purchase an inexpensive unlimited phone plan and willing to switch over from their current carriers to get it, Sprint's latest unlimited plan might be the best option for them. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Glasgow-based indie Raise The Roof Productions has made three new promotions within its production team. Linsay Gordon has been promoted to Head of Development having previously held the position of Development Executive. She joined Raise the Roof Productions in April 2012 and has worked on the development of new commissions including RTRPs RTS Scotland award-winners: Phil Spencer: Find Me A Home; Goks Fill your House for Free and Holiday of my Lifetime with Len Goodman (BBC One). She also helped to develop Big House Little House (Channel 4); Scottish BAFTA nominated Kirsties Fill Your House for Free (Channel 4) and Kirsties Best of Both Worlds (Channel 4). Prior to Raise the Roof, she was Head of Development at Finestripe Productions, and spent seven years at the BBC where she developed several series and single programmes for BBC One, Two, Three and BBC Scotland. She was also the Producer of five series of Castle in the Country for BBC Daytime, which was presented by John Craven and Nicki Chapman. She began her TV career at Octopus TV where she developed and produced James Martin: Deli-cious! for UKTVs Good Food Channel. Jo Scott takes up her new role as Head of Popular Factual having joined the company as Executive Producer in May 2017. She is currently working on Fight Like A Girl, the opening documentary in a new primetime series of Our Lives for BBC One. She has executive produced Best of Both Worlds, Phil Spencers Secret Agent and a ten part daytime series of Kirsties Handmade Christmas for Channel 4 and was joint executive producer on Phil Spencer: Find Me a Home, a current affairs documentary focussing on the plight of Britains hidden homeless families. She has has series produced Location Location Location and Supershoppers and has also delivered large studio shows; Time Commanders for BBC Four; access-led observational documentaries; Big Body Squad and Animal Maternity for 5 and archive and nostalgia shows: The TV That Made Me for BBC One and It Was Alright in the 70s for Channel 4. Sandy Robertson moves to become the indies Head of Production. She joined Raise the Roof Productions in 2011 and has been working in the TV industry for 17 years and working in production on a wide range of shows for BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel 4, SKY, UKTV and Discovery. Raise The Roof Productions Managing Director, Jane Muirhead said Im absolutely delighted to announce these significant promotions within the company. These new appointments reflect RTRPs commitment to continued growth and demonstrate our faith in staff who have been with us for a number of years. Share this story A recent appeals court ruling that upheld the constitutionality of a 1976 Louisiana law barring felons on probation or parole from voting was appealed Friday to the state Supreme Court. The filing came eight days after Gov. John Bel Edwards signed into law a measure that allows people who have been out of prison for five years, but remain on probation or parole, to register to vote. +4 Gov. John Bel Edwards signs law restoring felon voting rights after five years Some 2,000 felons in Louisiana will have their voting rights restored in March, after Gov. John Bel Edwards signed into law Thursday a measure Some 2,000 felons in Louisiana will have their voting rights restored in March as a result of the governor's signing House Bill 265 into law, which passed during this year's regular legislative session. Currently, people convicted of felonies can only regain the right to vote once they complete probation or parole, which has meant that some felons would never have a chance to vote again in their lives. The 1974 Louisiana Constitution prohibits people "under an order of imprisonment" on a felony conviction from voting. A 1976 state law expanded that to people convicted of felonies and still on probation or parole. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up State District Judge Tim Kelley, of Baton Rouge, affirmed the law last year, and the Baton Rouge-based 1st Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed his ruling in April. Ban preventing Louisiana felons on probation, parole from voting to continue, appeals court rules A 1976 Louisiana law that prohibits felons on probation and parole from voting is constitutional, a state appellate court in Baton Rouge ruled A group called Voice of the Experienced, or VOTE, filed its appeal Friday at the state Supreme Court in New Orleans, claiming the 1976 law unconstitutionally disenfranchises persons on probation or parole. "The Louisiana Supreme Court is best positioned to correct this, and proclaim once and for all that the Louisiana Constitution guarantees the right to vote, and that voting can only be suspended during, not after, incarceration," VOTE deputy director Bruce Reilly said. VOTE says the 1976 law prevents more than 70,000 felons on probation and parole in the state from voting. As they quarrel with state regulators and company officials over whether Bayou Bridge is being constructed legally in St. James Parish, environmentalists are trying to drag the local District Attorney's Office into the fray. However, DA Ricky Babin has let it be known that he's not interested in getting into the middle of the pipeline battle. Last month, 23rd Judicial District Judge Alvin Turner said the state erred when it issued a permit to Bayou Bridge. DNR did not adequately consider protocol in case of a pipeline emergency that could affect residents who live along the pipeline route, he wrote in his judgement. Looming over the arguments, and addressed in Turner's remarks, is that the St. James community is predominantly black and feels the company and state are taking advantage of them. State district judge sides with Bayou Bridge Pipeline opponents over DNR permit Federal judges may support construction of the Bayou Bridge pipeline, but a St. James jurist may have thrown the brakes on construction near t Locals and environmentalists cheered the decision, but they didn't celebrate long. Pipeline construction has continued, causing continued strife between the two sides on the controversial pipeline project. Bayou Bridge is an under-construction 163-mile crude oil pipeline from Lake Charles to St. James. DNR has jurisdiction over about 17 miles of the pipeline route that runs through the coastal zone of St. James Parish, including the terminal. DNR has appealed Turner's decision, though no appeal date has been set. "Our folks did right when they issued the permit," DNR spokesman Patrick Courreges said. Until the appeal is settled, the state has no standing to stop the pipeline company's work, and DNR considers Turner's judgment to be on hold, Courreges continued. However, the conservation groups contest that and contend that the work must halt. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "They do not have a permit. The permit they are constructing under now is invalid and illegal," said Misha Mitchell, attorney for the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper. To that end, she has asked Babin, the District Attorney for the 23rd Judicial District, to step in and take action. Louisiana DAs have special authority to bring injunctions against people who alter the coastal zone without appropriate permitting, she wrote in a letter. Babin did not return a request for comment. Mitchell said she hasn't heard back either, but said some of the local plaintiffs in the case spoke to Babin and reported back to her that the DA was uninterested in entering the fracas. Pipeline builders, meanwhile, have maintained that they are operating fully within their rights. "Contrary to what is falsely being said by those who oppose the project, our construction is in compliance with the law," the company wrote in a statement. "Our construction activities have been and will continue to adhere to the stipulations of our permits. Our commitment to the safe construction and operation of this pipeline remains a top priority." They pointed to a June 1 letter written by DNR's legal staff. It says the state "neither has cause nor a defensible legal position to issue and cease and desist order." DNR, Bayou Bridge and the environmentalists will all appear before Turner again on July 3 to determine whether construction should be suspended while the state appeals. Mitchell said she feared that it may be a moot point by then, since construction is proceeding so quickly. Lisa Jordan, of the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, represents St. James residents. In a May 18 letter, she wrote Bayou Bridge that her clients continued to see pipeline construction in areas that might interfere with a future evacuation route. Louisiana lawmakers will be back at the State Capitol on June 18 for the third special session of the year and a last-ditch attempt at addressing the fiscal cliff the state faces in its budget that begins July 1. Gov. John Bel Edwards issued the call Friday for the latest 10-day special session, which must end by 6 p.m. June 27. It will be the seventh budget-focused special session since Edwards took office in January 2016. A clear majority in the Legislature wants to put our states budget challenges behind us, but were blocked in the last special session, Edwards said in a statement Friday. We have one more opportunity to get this right for the people of Louisiana." Two special sessions have earlier this year ended without major movement toward bridging the $650 million budget gap the state faces when more than $1 billion in temporary tax measures expire June 30. Both ended in impasse in the state House, which has been split over whether the state should extend part of an expiring sales tax hike and by how much. House Republican leaders in the most recent special session backed extending one-third of the expiring 1 percent sales tax and temporarily suspending some sales tax breaks. Under their proposal, the state sales tax rate would go from 5 percent to 4.33 percent on July 1. The Senate, with support from Edwards, advanced a proposal to keep one-half of the expiring tax hike, setting the new state sales tax rate at 4.5 percent to generate more than $500 million. House GOP leader wants previously rejected spending cap, audit legislation in next special session House Republicans are urging Gov. John Bel Edwards to allow the Legislature to again take up previously rejected spending cap and program audi Both proposals ultimately were rejected in the House in the final moments of the special session. In the days since, Edwards has repeatedly noted that a bipartisan majority in the House voted 63-41 in favor of the one-half proposal, but it did not get the 70-vote two-thirds majority that tax legislation must get to pass. For taxpayers, the difference between the two competing proposals would be 17 cents on a $100 purchase. "We know the path we need to take, and now its time to come together as Louisianans to solve this problem," Edwards said. "Based on the input from many members of the Legislature, I am optimistic that we can get it done. He also encouraged lawmakers to end the session early, if they can. Special sessions cost taxpayers about $60,000 a day. Without any major revenue-raising measures, a budget that the Legislature approved in the final 30 minutes of the most recent special session would require deep cuts to higher education, public safety and other state services. Edwards also announced Friday that he signed that budget, after vetoing an earlier version from the regular session. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Another special session looms but questions remain; here's what's at risk under current budget Louisiana lawmakers are heading into yet another special session, but as the dust settled from a chaotic end to the most recent one, several q While this budget is not perfect by any means, it clearly lays out the choice the legislature has leading up to the special session, Edwards said. Health care, which has been among Edwards' priorities, would be protected from cuts in the current budget. But the popular Taylor Opportunity Program for Students scholarships would be slashed by 30 percent and college and university campuses would be cut by nearly 25 percent. Funding for the state's inmate housing program, human services, district attorneys and victims rights coordinators, and more also would face deep cuts, and the food stamps program could face elimination. Edwards vetoed a similar budget that was passed during the regular session, calling it "catastrophic" to state services. The latest HB1 requires that additional revenue be distributed on a "pro rata" basis, meaning that legislators may not be able to plug in funding only for pet priorities, like TOPS, without addressing other cuts. This budget funds our health care priorities and lays out a plan to fully fund TOPS, higher education, sheriffs, children and family services, our district attorneys and other critical priorities," Edwards said. "Doing so requires the Legislature to adopt the bipartisan, compromise plan that received support from an overwhelming majority of legislators. According to the bill, anything short of that would result in each of these areas being cut. Edwards, who sets the special session agenda through his proclamation announcing one, did not include items that the House Republican Delegation Chair Lance Harris, R-Alexandria, had requested in a letter Thursday. In a reply to Harris, who asked the governor to allow lawmakers to consider a proposal to change how the state spending cap is calculated and an effort to give the state auditor access to Medicaid recipients tax records, Edwards said that they either had already been addressed or would be a distraction from the cliff. "The call I have executed is focused only on (the fiscal cliff), and I hope I can count on your cooperation to work with me to get this done," Edwards said in his letter to Harris. Click here to read the call. The head of Louisiana's Corrections Department said his agency would have to release 10,000 inmates starting July 1 if the Legislature does not raise more revenue by then. Jimmy LeBlanc, the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, said the agency could not weather the $75 million in cuts apportioned to it Monday without sharply reducing the inmate population or furloughing some of its staff. He said the department would not release violent offenders or inmates convicted of sex crimes. But sheriffs and officials in various parts of the state have already expressed concern about criminal-justice reforms in 2017 that have led to the accelerated release of thousands of nonviolent offenders since last November. LeBlanc said the 10,000 additional inmates nearly one third of the total state prisoners would be released gradually over the next year and are now being housed in parish jails around the state. The budget passed by the Legislature cut about 25 percent of the money that the department uses to pay sheriffs to hold the inmates. House GOP leader wants previously rejected spending cap, audit legislation in next special session House Republicans are urging Gov. John Bel Edwards to allow the Legislature to again take up previously rejected spending cap and program audi Under state law, the department must maintain the per-diem payment for each inmate at $24.39 a day. So sheriffs are likely to return many of the 18,000 state inmates now in parish jails to state prisons that are too crowded to hold them. What that means for us is total chaos, LeBlanc said in an interview. We dont have the wherewithal to take 18,000 people into a system that is already 100 percent full. Under the Legislatures budget bill, Correction officials said, the pool of money for housing inmates in parish jails would be reduced by $45.5 million, to $133.4 million from $175 million. The departments operating budget would be cut by $29.4 million to $540 million, even though LeBlanc said it is struggling from cuts stretching back to the Jindal administration. Weve taken $200 million in cuts, he said. Weve lost roughly 1,800, 1,900 positions. Weve closed four state prisons. Weve had 16 closed parish jails. We are down to the bone with budget cuts. The agency is having trouble hiring enough correction officers to ensure the safety of both inmates and its staff, he said. We have a female officer with 170 offenders at Angola, right now, at night, LeBlanc said. We have nowhere to go here. Its ridiculous. These agencies get tired of cut, cut, cut. Theres nowhere else to go. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Gov. John Bel Edwards has said he would call a third special session later this month to try again to raise additional revenue. An Edwards-backed plan to renew one-half of a penny of sales tax that expires July 1 would have largely funded the budget that the Legislature just passed, averting most of the cuts to Corrections and other state agencies. The Rundown: Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoes construction projects as special session dates remain uncertain Today in The Rundown: Still waiting on a special session call and everything else you need to know in Louisiana politics today. That bill failed in the last hour of the special session Monday, falling six votes short of the 70 needed to pass any revenue raising measures. An attempt to vote on that bill again was blocked by House Republicans. LeBlanc said he is confident that the half-cent renewal of the sales tax would have passed had Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, not filibustered in the final minutes of the session. He added that he hopes the legislators come to their senses and raise enough revenue in an expected third special session. If no more money is raised, the department would have to choose between releasing the inmates or furloughing much of its non-security staff, reducing those workers to three-day work weeks, LeBlanc said. Any reductions in the administrative staff for the Office of Probation and Parole would inhibit the remaining officers ability to adequately supervise them. The department would make $6 million of the reductions by closing regional reentry and day reporting centers in five parishes a key component of the 2017 effort to reduce the prison population and recidivism rates. The parishes are Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, Caddo and East Baton Rouge. LeBlanc said the agency cannot afford to reduce security staff of corrections, probation and parole officers. He said that 99 percent of the vacancies in his department are for corrections officers. He said he has had to pay overtime to a skeleton crew of underpaid and overworked officers to secure state facilities. At a House Appropriations Committee meeting in March, Angola Warden Darrel Vannoy said correctional officer turnover is is expected to be 52 percent for the current fiscal year. As part of the criminal justice reinvestment package passed in 2017, the money saved from the accelerated release of non-violent offenders must be returned to state prisons for improved programming to reduce recidivism. That money was protected from the latest budget cuts by a separate bill. Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed a bill aimed at ensuring free speech on college campuses, one year after he vetoed similar legislation sponsored by one of his top political foes. Senate Bill 364, now Act 666, is designed to avoid incidents like those in other states, where campus speakers have been shouted down, sparked violence or both. The new law requires colleges and universities to spell out free speech rights, publicize those rights in student handbooks and on school websites and make clear that students cannot expect colleges to shield them from opinions that they find offensive or disagreeable. The legislation signed by Edwards was sponsored by Sen. Rick Ward III, R-Port Allen. The measure the Democratic governor vetoed in June 2017 was sponsored by House GOP Caucus Chairman Lance Harris, R-Alexandria and one of Edwards' chief opponents in ongoing efforts to tackle Louisiana's $648 million shortfall. In last year's veto message, Edwards said Harris's House Bill 269 "is a solution in search of a problem," an echo of criticism of the bill that students already have ample First Amendment protections. Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoes campus speech and highway bills; signs controversial name change Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday that he vetoed campus speech and highway bills and signed a hotly-debated measure to change the name o The governor also criticized a provision in Harris' bill that would have set up a 15-member commission to oversee the rules, which was not in Ward's bill. Ward said he did not set out to write a bill that differed with the Harris legislation, which he voted for. He said his measure was based on U.S. Supreme Court rulings on the issue. "Once it is written that way then it is pretty certain that you are not going to have any fear of any constitutional issues going forward," said Ward, who is an attorney. Asked why the two measures met different fates Shauna Sanford, communications director for the governor's office said in an email: "These are two very different bills that seek very different outcomes." "Under the bill by Sen. Rick Ward, colleges are limited in putting restrictions on when and where students can gather to express their right to free speech," she said. "The bill by Rep. Harris, HB269, would have placed sanctions on students who interfered with other students expressing their constitutional right." "As Gov. Edwards pointed out in his veto letter of HB269, it was unnecessary and created an overly burdensome structure for the evaluation of the freedom of speech on college campuses, which is already protected in the bedrock principles declared in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution." Harris did not return a call for comment. Last year Harris said his bill stemmed in part from the disruption of conservative speakers at the University of California at Berkeley and other schools. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up While no major incidents have surfaced in Louisiana, Ward said and Harris has said in the past that they have heard from students and others who said their free speech rights were threatened. "You had some things that were a little alarming, that would make you think it could lead to some bad actions in the future," Ward said. "I think sometimes the best way to address things is to try to head them off before something bad does happen," he said. "I hope this does that." Ward said that, during a committee hearing on the bill, someone testified that he was told to stop distributing pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution on a campus in Louisiana. Rep. John Stefanski, R-Crowley, an attorney, said he and Ward worked hard to ensure the bill was legally sound. Stefanski said he did not know why his bill was signed after the Harris measure was vetoed. "Obviously some people could say maybe the author being an issue with the governor but I have not heard any of that," he said. Ward's legislation applies to students, administrators and faculty. Campus speech legislation endorsed by House A Senate-passed bill touted as a way to ensure free speech on college campuses was approved Tuesday night by the Louisiana House 58-26. Under the bill, colleges and universities, in concert with the state Board of Regents, will be required to spell out policies that says students and faculty can sound off on any topic, assemble and make their views known as long as the activities are lawful and do not disrupt school operations. Schools will be required to submit reports to the governor and the Legislature by Jan. 1, 2019 on how they are carrying out the law, including how students who believe their free speech rights have been threatened can seek relief. They will also be required to submit annual reports on any barriers to free speech or incidents aimed at shutting it down. Some college officials have expressed concerns about paperwork requirements under the law. Ward said he made about a dozen changes in his bill suggested by LSU officials, agreeing to all but a few requests. Controversial alt-right speaker Milo Yiannopoulos' LSU talk canceled, organizers say Far-right author and controversial commentator Milo Yiannopoulos will not speak at LSU next month after failing to acquire proper insurance fo Harris voted for the legislation. Gov. John Bel Edwards told a news conference in the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 5, 2018, that he would call another special session after the Louisiana Legislature adjourned without approving any major revenue-raising measures. State Superintendent of Education John White, left, and Lisa T. French, right, chat with Gov. John Bel Edwards, center, who just spoke at the annual meeting of Jump Start, which allows high school students to get workforce training in addition to regular academic classes, Tuesday Jan. 23, 2018, in Baton Rouge, La. After news of famed celebrity chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain's death Friday morning, reactions from fellow chefs and others nationwide became flooding social media. Bourdain, 61, was found dead in a Haut-Rhin, France, hotel room. The cause of death was believed to be suicide. Bourdain, who was in France for filming of his current show "Parts Unknown," was remembered fondly by fellow celebrity chefs, including Gordon Ramsey. +2 Anthony Bourdain, famed chef and beloved TV host, found dead in hotel room Celebrity chef and television host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in a French hotel room Friday morning. "Stunned and saddened by the loss of Anthony Bourdain. He brought the world into our homes and inspired so many people to explore cultures and cities through their food. Remember that help is a phone call away US: 1-800-273-TALK UK: 116 123," Ramsey, the current host of "Master Chef," posted to Twitter Friday morning. Scroll below for more reactions to Bourdain's passing (can't see feed? Click here). Celebrity chef and television host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in a French hotel room Friday morning. Bourdain was 61. CNN confirmed the death, saying in a statement he was found unresponsive Friday morning by friend and chef Eric Ripert, and calling it a suicide. Season 11 of Bourdain's hit show "Parts Unknown" premiered on CNN last month. The network said Bourdain was in Strasbourgh filming a segment for his show. 'Speechless ... gutted': Fellow chefs, others react to sudden death of Anthony Bourdain After news of famed celebrity chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain's death Friday morning, reactions from fellow chefs and others nationwide beca The CNN statement said: "His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much." Bourdain has made several visits to Louisiana as part of his television career, focusing on New Orleans for episodes of his shows "The Layover" and "No Reservations". Bourdain once said of New Orleans, when asked the one U.S. city he would tell someone they had to eat: "In America, there might be better gastronomic destinations than New Orleans, but there is no place more uniquely wonderful. ... Its a must see city because theres no explaining it, no describing it. You cant compare it to anything. So, far and away New Orleans." He was most recently in Mamou and Lafayette, dressed in full attire to chase chickens during Mardi Gras and chowing down on a Popeye's buffet. Report: Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain finds food 'exotica' in Lafayette Popeyes buffet line Chef turned travel TV host Anthony Bourdain spent three days in Lafayette in February filming a Cajun-themed episode of his CNN show Parts Unk Strasbourg police, emergency services and regional authorities did not immediately have information about the death and Bourdain's assistant Laurie Woolever would not comment. Bourdain achieved celebrity status after the publication in 2000 of his best-selling book "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly." The book created a sensation by combining frank details of his life and career with behind-the-scenes observations on the culinary industry. It was a rare crossover a book intended for professional cooks that had enormous mass appeal. At the G-7 summit in Canada, President Donald Trump, whom Bourdain had sharply criticized, offered his "heartfelt condolences" to Bourdain's family, which includes his 11-year-old daughter, Ariane. Jamie Oliver wrote on Instagram that Bourdain "really broke the mould ... he leaves chefs and fans around the world with a massive foodie hole that simply can't be replaced." Bourdain's death drew new attention to celebrity suicides. It came three days after fashion designer Kate Spade died of apparent suicide in her Park Avenue apartment in New York. Spade's husband and business partner said the 55-year-old business mogul had suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Bourdain's "Parts Unknown" seemed like an odd choice for CNN when it started in 2013 part travelogue, part history lesson, part love letter to exotic foods. Each trip was an adventure. There had been nothing quite like it on the staid news network, and it became an immediate hit. He mixed a coarseness and whimsical sense of adventurousness, true to the rock 'n' roll music he loved. "We are constantly asking ourselves, first and foremost, what is the most (messed) up thing we can do next week?" he said in a 2014 interview with The Associated Press. The American chef, author and television personality was born in New York City and was raised in Leonia, New Jersey. He had written that his love of food began as a youth while on a family vacation in France, when he ate his first oyster. Bourdain also mentioned his youth was punctuated by drug use and he dropped out of Vassar College after two years. Working in restaurants led him to the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated in 1978, and began working in kitchens in New York City. He became executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles in 1998. In the preface to the latest edition "Kitchen Confidential," Bourdain wrote of his shock at the success off his book, which he wrote by getting up at 5 a.m. in the morning to steal a couple of hours at the computer before appearing at the saute station for lunch. He said he never intended to write an expose or to "rip the lid off the restaurant business." He said he liked the restaurant business the way it was. "What I set out to do was write a book that my fellow cooks would find entertaining and true," he said. "I wanted it to sound like me talking at say ... ten o'clock on a Saturday night, after a busy dinner rush, me and a few cooks hanging around in the kitchen, knocking back a few beers and talking." Bourdain said he really had no idea that anyone outside the world of chefs would even pay attention to his comments. "The new celebrity chef culture is a remarkable and admittedly annoying phenomenon. While it's been nothing but good for business and for me personally many of us in the life can't help snickering about it," he wrote. "Of all the professions, after all, few people are less suited to be suddenly thrown into the public eye than chefs." Information from Associated Press reporter Angela Charlton was used in this article. In an unusual case involving several foreign countries, a federal grand jury in New Orleans has charged nine South American men with plotting to smuggle 3,400 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Authorities said the men first drew scrutiny while on a container ship spotted by a U.S. Coast Guard crew in international waters roughly 40 miles off the western coast of Costa Rica on April 22. Using a radio, Coast Guard members interviewed the crew of the ship, the Tanzanian-flagged Tiamat. The crew said the ship was headed from Manta, Ecuador, to Ensenada, Mexico, some 50 miles south of the California-Baja California border, court filings said. Thinking the crew appeared reluctant to answer questions, the Coast Guard became suspicious and asked Tanzanian authorities for permission to search the Tiamat. A boarding team searched much of the ship but couldnt access some tanks while at sea. So the Tiamat was later searched again at a port in Guatemala, where, under questioning by U.S. Homeland Security agents, crew members admitted there were drugs on board the ship, according to court filings. Authorities allege at least one crew member drew a diagram directing law enforcement to a compartment in a specific tank. There, agents said, they found a 3.7-ton stash of cocaine, worth millions of dollars, divided into packages. Tanzania then gave permission to the United States to take the ship, crew and drugs into custody. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The case ended up on the desk of a New Orleans-based Homeland Security agent named Brian Lomonaco. Lomonaco wrote in court filings that investigation revealed the ship had originated in Peru before spending several days on a circuitous route to an area of Ecuador near Colombia. All three countries are active in the drug trade. Two of the defendants in Thursdays indictment are from Colombia: Jhonny Rodriguez, 35, and Ariel Calvo, 51. Two are from Ecuador: Hector Gomez, 37, and Vicente Lopez, 60. The rest are from Peru: Jesus Tasa, 64; Boris Vergara, 53; Wilmer Rojas, 46; Walter Viera, 44; and Edison Otero, 25. In court filings, Lomonaco said some of the Peruvians claimed Calvo had forced them to load cocaine onto the ship. At least one crew member allegedly claimed the other Colombian, Rodriguez, and the two Ecuadorians were working on the compartment where the cocaine was later found. The defendants face one count each of conspiring to import five-plus kilos of cocaine into the U.S. as well as plotting to possess and distribute five-plus kilos of cocaine while aboard a ship under U.S. jurisdiction. Any defendants who are convicted as charged could be sentenced to between 10 years and life in prison, the U.S. Attorneys Office in New Orleans said. Several dozen people filled several rows of the Kenner City Council chambers for Thursday's council meeting, many of them wearing shirts bearing the name and image of Armond Jairon Brown as part of a protest. Brown, a 25-year old Kenner man, was fatally shot by police on January 23, 2017. Kenner police: Armed man with mental illness shot, killed by police after hours-long standoff Monday After a lengthy standoff Monday, a Kenner SWAT team member shot and killed a mentally ill man who police said was advancing at an officer with Among the protesters was Veda Washington-Abusaleh, the aunt of Alton Sterling, a man killed by police in Baton Rouge in July 2016, a death that set off massive protests and violence during a tumultuous summer. Washington-Abusaleh said she had come to show unity with others who had experienced similar injustices. She said she didnt know all the details of Browns case, but that she knew he should be walking around today. His life was stolen from him, she said. I know he was murdered by a racist cop. Also among the protestors was Randell Meyers, the sister of Keeven Robinson, a man whose death at the hands of Jefferson Parish Sheriffs deputies May 10 was the cause of an earlier protest outside the Sheriffs headquarters in Harvey. The group was here to show that they would not allow the memories of dead relatives to fade. We are not letting go, Meyers said. The Rev. Michael Austin Sr., pastor of the Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Kenner, was the only member of the protesting group to speak at the council meeting. Austin said the group has no plans to rest until justice has been served, as it appeared to him Brown was "murdered by the hands of the Kenner Police Department." "We are not going anywhere," he said. "We stand here in numbers." Can't see video below? Click here. Austin's remarks were greeted with amens and applause from the crowd. The Kenner City Council did not comment on Austin's comments and motioned to adjourn shortly after since Austin was the only guest speaker on the agenda. Kenner Police Department Chief Michael Glaser declined to comment on the protest or Austin's remarks, citing Brown's family's lawsuit against the city. The officer involved in Brown's shooting was placed on leave briefly before returning to work a week later. He remains on duty with Kenner PD. +3 Family sues Kenner Police for $8.5M in damages, says menatlly ill man 'wrongfully' shot The family of Armond Jairon Brown, a mentally ill man who was shot to death by a Kenner police officer during a standoff in January, filed a f WOW. And now her son has spoken out about the ruthless write-up. Speaking to DailyMail.com Jay Dehmalo explained why he and his older sister, Gina, had felt moved to publish such an obituary. "You can't believe the dysfunction of the family," said Dehmalo, who now lives in Avon Lake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. "They'll never know what we went through but it helped us [to write this]. We wanted to finally get the last word." It was Gina's idea to write the obituary when she learned from a cousin that her mother was on her deathbed. She had no desire to see her but asked for a picture that was duly published along with the words penned by her brother. Dehmalo, a father of one, admitted that he and his sister Gina had had "reservations" about going through with the obituary, conscious that it could stir up the ill feeling that has clearly stalked this family through the decades. Dehmlow's surviving sister, Judy, has told DailyMail.com that her nephew's obituary was "nasty" and had "hurt the family tremendously". But Dehmalo replied: "Not important? Sure. They have no idea what we went through and back then, in the 50s and 60s, nobody talked about anything." Dehmalo and Gina were left to guess the details of their mother's life and piece together vast portions of it years later. They did not know that they had two half-brothers out of Kathleen's union with Lyle until several years after the boys' births. To add insult to injury, Dehmalo said that while he and his sister were unhappily abandoned in Minnesota their mother was, "off having a great life in California with her other kids". Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Januarsyah Sutan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8, 2018 09:14 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e82d326 3 Opinion Muslim,Surabaya-bombings,Islam,minority-rights,discrimination,campaign,religion,religious-freedom Free After the multiple terror attacks in Surabaya, East Java, some Muslims claimed they were discriminated against because of their religion. In Semarang, the police forced an Islamic boarding school student to reveal the inside of his bag and cardboard box. Meanwhile, a 14-year-old female student wearing a face veil was reportedly forced to step down from a bus because of other passengers suspicion. This perceived discrimination led a few Muslims to emulate a social experiment previously held in Europe and Canada. A bearded man and women with face veils stood at a shopping center in South Jakarta carrying a sign asking for a hug from passers-by who felt safe in their presence despite their appearance. Soon after the success of this campaign, more free-hug experiments were held in other places. Although these experiments gained public attention, is it appropriate for Muslims to focus on and highlight their experience when the attention should be given to those who need it the most the religious minorities? In the United Kingdom, Sweden and Canada, the same social experiments were carried out by Muslims and they received a similar warm response. However, the experiences of Muslims in these countries are completely different from mainstream Indonesian Muslims; they are vulnerable groups that consistently experience Islamophobia. Last year, according to the Independent, hate crimes directed at mosques reached 110 in the UK alone, including physical assaults and arson. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, most Muslims often enjoy expressing their religious beliefs while dismissing voices of other religious groups. During the past gubernatorial election in Jakarta, many clerics freely said Muslims should only choose leaders who are Muslims. The use of the term kafir (infidel) has been defended many times by Muslims, ignoring the discomfort it causes to non-Muslims. Furthermore, religious violence in Indonesia is often directed at religious minorities. The three suicide bombs in Surabaya targeted churches, killing those who came to worship. Mainstream Indonesian Muslims consider Shiites and the Ahmadiyah non-Muslims and they have also experienced intense discrimination. Recently, a mob in East Lombok attacked houses of the Ahmadiyah community, forcing seven families to find shelter at a police station. These are just a few of many upsetting religion-based violence in Indonesia. Different from mainstream Indonesian Muslims, Muslim minorities in the West have built an alliance with other religious and non-religious groups. They have immensely benefited from intersectionality, a framework coined by Kimberle Crenshaw that is used to analyze the relationship between identity and power. It is an effective tool to understand how vulnerable groups experience different forms of oppression due to the intersection of racism, sexism, class oppression, religious discrimination and others. Crenshaw wrote in the Washington Post that although the term was initially articulated on behalf of black women, it has unveiled the invisibility of many constituents within social groups that fail to represent them despite claiming them as members. African-American Muslims in the Muslim community, queer Muslims in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement and Muslim women in the feminist movement have learned intersectionality to understand their own experiences and help them fight for visibility. Linda Sarsour, an American-Muslim woman who has gained international recognition within the global feminist movement after co-chairing the Womens March in the United States, pointed out that oppressed groups need the movement that is intersectional because people cannot fight one form of oppression while ignoring the others. When organizing the Womens March, she invited active participation by other vulnerable groups, such as Native American women, Mexican women, undocumented women and trans women of color. Linda Sarsour has helped American Muslims to take part in the intersectional movement that unifies Muslims with other vulnerable groups. On the other hand, mainstream Muslims in Indonesia use their religious identity to identify solely with other Muslim groups locally and globally. They imagine Muslims everywhere share the same experience and belief system. The presence of Palestinian flags in Muslims marches in Indonesia signifies how they identify with the oppression experienced by Muslims on the other side of the world. This may seem harmless, even noble. However, Muslims narratives as vulnerable groups overseas are often exploited to shape the perception that all Muslims are victims of global oppression. Combined with Islamic populism, the victimhood leads many Indonesian Muslims to falsely believe that they bear greater agony compared to any other groups, legitimizing oppression against and ignorance of the suffering of religious minorities in Indonesia itself. This may explain why Muslim organizers thought it was appropriate to conduct the free-hug experiments without really addressing the terror attacks against religious minorities. When talking about Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it is important to recognize those directly affected. Linda Sarsours parents came from Palestine and she has relentlessly spoken up about the Palestinian struggle. However, when a Jewish cemetery was vandalized by anti-Semites in the US, she also expressed her support. She raised US$125,000 to repair the damages and promised to give any remaining funds to Jewish community centers. When black churches became the target of arson attacks, Sarsour also raised more than $100,000 to help them out. As quoted by Tamika Mallory, a Black Lives Matter advocate, in the New York Times, Sarsour told members of other minority groups, Im gonna help yall get your people straight and I expect you to come help me get mine straight. Muslim minorities in the West are vulnerable groups and they have built an alliance with others so they can stand together when facing oppression perpetrated by those in power. Meanwhile, mainstream Indonesian Muslims are not a vulnerable group. Most Indonesians are Muslims; the government is dominated by Muslims; all of Indonesias presidents have all been Muslims and Muslims dominate Indonesias social and political scene. Therefore, our experience as the majority is completely different from Muslim minorities. We do not experience religion-based oppression; religious minorities in Indonesia do. We, Indonesian Muslims can still show others that we are peaceful, but putting ourselves in the spotlight while ignoring the oppression that is happening to vulnerable groups only shows self-importance and arrogance. Instead, we must provide to religious minorities in our country what we want for Muslim minorities abroad: support, safety and respect. We have to guarantee that they have religious freedom as much as we have, constantly ensuring that their freedom remains intact and jumping in to help fix it when it is disrupted. *** The writer is a tuition school teacher and owner. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Poland has been synonymous with vodka around the world for years, but it is only next week that the country's first museum devoted to the national beverage will open in Warsaw. Housed in a 19th-century vodka factory that has been abandoned for decades, the museum is located at the heart of the former working class Praga neighbourhood that has been undergoing regeneration. "Our museum is a tribute to the history of vodka production in Poland, a history spanning more than 500 years," Andrzej Szumowski, president of the Polish Vodka Association, told reporters on Wednesday. Since Poland entered the European Union in 2004, "Polish Vodka" strictly applies to spirits that are produced in the country according to traditional recipes using local potatoes or grains. Read also: This job requires you to travel the world and drink cocktails "Poland is the cradle of vodka," Szumowski said, adding that the country's early distillation method was imported from Western Europe. "It's only 100 years later that vodka appeared in Russia," he said, wading into the eternal debate of which of the two neighbours can claim ownership of the alcohol. The museum, which offers vodka tasting, features five rooms whose floors are made out of wooden staves from old vodka barrels, and which show how the alcohol was made and drunk across the ages. Depending on perspective, a pile of LEGOs can be either a giant hassle to clean up or a limitless source of creativity. LEGO fans in Indonesia will surely rejoice with the arrival of BRICKLIVE, a multiday LEGO event from Britain that promises to be a fun-filled activity for the whole family this holiday season. BRICKLIVE runs from June 7 to 17 at PIK Avenue mall in North Jakarta. A ticket will grant access to approximately 1.5 million LEGO bricks spread across 16 play areas. Children and adults alike can enjoy building creations with themes ranging from architecture to sci-fi. The Technic Zone allows one to create heavy machinery and vehicles, while the City Zone offers the opportunity to create your very own cityscape, not unlike a live-action SimCity game. For those that want something more interactive than just building houses, head over to the Race Track to construct a racecar, which can be raced in a competition. Those who are geographically inclined can head to the Map Build zone, where a giant map of Indonesia made out of LEGOs is displayed, allowing them to recreate the myriad of Indonesian islands from the themed blocks. Mark Guest, the global press officer of BRICKLIVE, said he hoped the event could push both parents and children to play together while learning. I would encourage people to give LEGOs to their children because you can do it together. I sit at home with my children and [we] build together. We watch different television shows, but LEGO brings us together as a family unit. City icon: A LEGO-constructed miniature of the National Monument (Monas) is displayed during BRICKLIVE at Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta, on Thursday. The first-ever BRICKLIVE event in the city will run until June 17. (bricklive/File) BRICKLIVE is known for its brick pits, and its stop in Indonesia brought three pits in red, green and purple. Each pit allows people to explore their creativity in their creations or simply offer a good photo opportunity. One of the more common poses is to bury yourself until only your face is visible and have someone else take your photo from above. However, the blocks are rather small, and parents who are worried about choking hazards may want to visit the Duplo pits, which have noticeably larger blocks. LEGO is also known for its many collaborations, from DC and Marvel superheroes to the wizards of Harry Potter. BRICKLIVE dedicated a section for LEGOs Star Wars tie-in, allowing attendees to recreate famous scenes from the movie or even a scale model Starfighter. LEGOs collaboration with cult favorite sandbox video game Minecraft is also present. As Minecraft is a computer-based title, a number of computers are provided so that visitors can construct a digital rendition of their creations or vice versa. After a full day of playing, attendees might be tempted to leave their names on the Brick Graffiti Wall using LEGOs, which will be displayed for the remainder of the event. However, those who are feeling proud of their creations are not allowed to take them home, so make sure to have enough space in your phone for pictures. BRICKLIVEs Indonesian visit is the first stop in the events Southeast Asian tour, with another event scheduled in July for LEGO fans in Bangkok, marked with a life-size tuk-tuk (Thailands three-wheeled motorized vehicle) made out of LEGO. Jakarta is the fifth city to host the event to date. Previously, it was held in Birmingham in the United Kingdom, Basel in Switzerland, Tokyo and Seoul. Indonesian fans also have something to be proud of, as a LEGO recreation of the National Monument (Monas) is also displayed. BRICKLIVE also reached out to local LEGO communities, who displayed their creations as well. While a scale model of the castle from Disneys Frozen will surely be a hit with younger visitors, a touch of Nusantara is also present in a LEGO Komodo and TransJakarta shelter, complete with the iconic bus and passing bajaj (three-wheeled motorized vehicle). One of the more complicated recreations includes a traditional house and a scale model of the Borobudur temple, which reportedly took three months to make. Guest said the event was made by LEGO fans, for LEGO fans of all ages. BRICKLIVE wants to educate the public on the benefits of LEGO as a learning tool for children. LEGO can help improve a childs motor capabilities, as well as their emotional intelligence and ability to stay focused, he said. Ticket prices start at Rp 175,000 (US$12.60). An extra Rp 100,000 can get you a VIP ticket that allows you to enter at 9 a.m., an hour earlier than regular ticket holders and the malls normal opening hours. (jlm) US food writer and travel show host Anthony Bourdain was found dead Friday in his room at a hotel in the Alsace region of eastern France, a local prosecutor told AFP. "We learned of the death by hanging of the American chef this morning in the Chambard luxury hotel in Kaysersberg," said Christian de Rocquigny du Fayel. "At this stage, we have no reason to suspect foul play," he added. Police were investigating the circumstances of his death and a coroner was at the scene, said Rocquigny du Fayel, who is based in the nearby city of Colmar. Television network CNN, which carried Bourdain's food-and-travel show "Parts Unknown", said the 61-year-old committed suicide. It said he was found "unresponsive" by his friend and fellow chef Eric Ripert, co-owner of one of New York's most acclaimed French restaurants, Le Bernardin. Bourdain was in France working on an upcoming episode of "Parts Unknown", CNN added. Kaysersberg, a picturesque village of half-timbered houses, cobbled streets and window boxes in the Alsace winelands, was elected "France's favourite village" in 2017. It is situated about an hour's drive from the city of Strasbourg. Facebook acknowledged Thursday a software glitch that changed the settings of some 14 million users, potentially making some posts public even if they were intended to be private. The news marked the latest in a series of privacy embarrassments for the world's biggest social network, which has faced a firestorm over the hijacking of personal data on tens of millions of users and more recently for disclosures on data-sharing deals with smartphone makers. Erin Egan, Facebook's chief privacy officer, said in a statement that the company recently "found a bug that automatically suggested posting publicly when some people were creating their Facebook posts." Facebook said this affected users posting between May 18 and May 27 as it was implementing a new way to share some items such as photos. That left the default or suggested method of sharing as public instead of only for specific users or friends. Facebook said it corrected the problem on May 22 but was unable to change all the posts, so is now notifying affected users. Read also: Facebook announces first original news shows, with partners "Starting today we are letting everyone affected know and asking them to review any posts they made during that time," Egan said. "To be clear, this bug did not impact anything people had posted before -- and they could still choose their audience just as they always have. We'd like to apologize for this mistake." Facebook confirmed earlier this week that China-based Huawei -- which has been banned by the US military and is a lightning rod for cyberespionage concerns -- was among device makers authorized to see user data in agreements that had been in place for years. Facebook has claimed the agreements with some 60 device makers dating from a decade ago were designed to help the social media giant get more services into the mobile ecosystem. Nonetheless, lawmakers expressed outrage that Chinese firms were given access to user data at a time when officials were trying to block their access to the US market over national security concerns. The revelations come weeks after chief executive Mark Zuckerberg was grilled in Congress about the hijacking of personal data on some 87 million Facebook users by Cambridge Analytica, a consultancy working on Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. With many companies focusing on being as inclusive and diverse as possible, popular restaurant chains such as Wagamama and Pizza Express are extending their menus to include vegan options. Google has joined in with its latest emoji update, which features an alternate version of the current salad emojione without the egg. Just want to clarify that the goal of salad emoji redesign was to create an image more faithful to unicodes description. A bowl of healthy salad, containing lettuce, tomato, and other salad items such as cucumber. Bon appetite! Jennifer Daniel, a UX manager for Google emoji, said in a series of tweets about the emoji. There's big talk about inclusion and diversity at Google so if you need any evidence of Google is making this priority may I direct your attention to the emoji we've removed the egg in Android P beta 2, making this a more inclusive vegan salad. pic.twitter.com/kzHY0A9ZjG Jennifer (@jenniferdaniel) June 6, 2018 Read also: Google Assistant adds more languages in global push This is considered only the beginning of Googles steps to appeal to the vegan community. As reported by The Independent, it is believed that many emojis on Android and IOS could be changed to better suit vegans. Another example would be removing the pepperoni from the pizza slice emoji. The egg-less salad is not the only new addition to Google's emoji lineup. Redheaded emojis will make an appearance in the next emoji update. (ely/wng) In the latest battle in the war against plastic waste, Ikea said on Friday (June 8) that it will stop selling single-use plastic products by Jan 1, 2020, taking items such as plastic straws and freezer bags off the shelves. The policy was decided at its annual Democratic Design Days event held in Sweden, where Ikea also committed to becoming climate positive - contributing more to the health of the environment than hurting it - by 2030. The products that will be removed from its home furnishing range include the Sotvatten drinking straws, Fornybar freezer bags, Isiga ice cube bags and Forslutas garbage bags. Ikea South-east Asia sustainability director Lars Svensson said: "Through our solutions, we hope to see millions more people take little steps at home to save energy, reduce and recycle waste, and conserve water." Read also: Plastic wasteland: Asia's ocean pollution crisis Separately, Royal Caribbean Cruises announced on the same day that the 50 ships across all its brands will stop using straws by the end of this year. The brands are Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, TUI Cruises and Pullmantur Cruceros. The cruise giant currently provides straws only on request, and said that once 2019 begins, guests who ask for straws will receive paper ones. Royal Caribbean also plans to tackle the use of other single-use plastics on its ships, such as condiment packets, cups and bags. Chairman and chief executive of Royal Caribbean Cruises Richard Fain said: "Healthy oceans are vital to the success of our company. For over 25 years, our Save the Waves programme has guided us to reduce, reuse, and recycle everything we can. "Eliminating single-use plastics is another step in that program." Are you all caught up on your favourite Netflix show, but that novel on your nightstand is gathering dust? You're far from alone, according to a German study released Thursday decrying a "dramatic" decline in book readership as more time is spent online. The number of people buying books in Germany plummeted by nearly 18 percent between 2013 and 2017, the study commissioned by the German Publishers and Booksellers Association found. The drop was even steeper at 24 to 37 percent among those aged 20 to 50 -- the same age group that now spends more than three hours a day on the internet. Read also: 'Queer Eye' season two launches globally on Netflix June 15 "There's growing social pressure to constantly react and be tuned in so you don't get left behind," Boersenverein head Alexander Skipis said in a statement accompanying the study, titled "Book buyers, where are you going?". Streaming services like Netflix with their binge-worthy television series in particular "exert a great appeal" and frequently replace books as a pastime, it said. The findings are likely to make for grim reading in a country that prides itself on being well-read and is home to the world's largest book fair. The study, for which the GfK polling firm questioned 25,000 people, revealed that the long-held truism that every second German was a book buyer no longer stood up. Last year just 44 percent of Germans over the age of 10 -- or 29.6 million people -- bought a book. On a brighter note for the industry, those that are still bookworms are reading and spending more than before. The average customer bought 12 books last year, up from 11 in 2013. The total amount spent jumped from around 117 euros ($138) to 137 euros. The story is similar among e-books, with customer numbers slipping nearly eight percent between 2016 and 2017 to 3.5 million, but the amount of titles purchased per person went up. Read also: Strong subscriber growth lifts Netflix revenue, profit Reacting to the findings, the Publishers and Booksellers Association said the industry should seize the opportunity to present books as an antidote to today's hectic, digital world. "People are yearning for a time-out," said Skipis, stressing that all age groups reported having a "very positive" attitude towards books. Some respondents offered their own suggestions for how to better incorporate books in their lives. These ranged from apps that made personalized recommendations to encounters with fans and authors to make the reading experience more interactive, and putting books in unexpected places like the gym. Making an unusual stop in New York, Saint Laurent offered up a cosmic Western spring-summer 2019 collection for men that showcased designer Anthony Vaccarello's rock-and-roll aesthetic. After unveiling new lines twice at the Eiffel Tower, the venerable French fashion house opted to cross the Atlantic for its first-ever runway show in the Big Apple. To achieve the maximum Manhattan effect, the catwalk was in New Jersey, offering a spectacular view of the New York skyline, with the Statue of Liberty nearby and the towering skyscrapers in the distance. Since taking the helm at Saint Laurent in April 2016, Vaccarello has often shown menswear and women's ready-to-wear on the same stage, but the Belgian designer split the two this time around. His decision did not in any way keep female top models -- including rising star Kaia Gerber, Cindy Crawford's daughter -- from strutting their stuff in Jersey City late Wednesday. Men and women sported dark trousers, most of them skinny pants, and black cowboy boots. Saint Laurent's particular brand of rock chic, first minted by Hedi Slimane and now taken up by Vaccarello, called to mind the distinctive looks of music greats like the Ramones, Iggy Pop and Johnny Cash. Read also: Fashion superstar Slimane to take over at Celine The Belgian designer even dared to send out a group of models in nothing but trousers and boots -- and a few necklaces with a Native American flair barely covering their chiseled torsos. Red bandanas, metallic accents on shoulders, leather laces and wide-brimmed hats bolstered the Western look. Next spring, Vaccarello's urban cowboy will wear belted jackets embroidered with silver studs, breaking up the primarily black palette. The slim models projected a self-confident air in front of a packed crowd that included musician Sean Lennon, American actor Ezra Miller (Justice League) and French actor Louis Garrel. Saint Laurent breathed life into the idea for a mid-season Fashion Week, following in the footsteps of New York designer Alexander Wang, who has already abandoned the traditional runway calendar. Backed by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, this initiative has so far only attracted a handful of names presenting 2019 collections. The others are still sending out "cruise" or resort collections in the gap between usual Fashion Weeks. U.S. celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, host of CNN's food-and-travel-focused "Parts Unknown" television series, has died, CNN said on Friday, in the second high-profile suicide of a U.S. celebrity this week. He was 61. Bourdain was found dead in a hotel room in Strasbourg, France, where he had been working on an upcoming episode of his program, a CNN representative said in a statement. His death comes three days after American designer Kate Spade, who built a fashion empire on her signature handbags, was found dead in her New York apartment of suicide on Tuesday. Bourdain's profile began to soar in 1999, when the New Yorker magazine published his article "Don't Eat Before Reading This", which he developed into the 2000 book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. He went on to host television programs, first on the Food Network and the Travel Channel, before joining CNN in 2013. "His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller," the network said in a statement. "His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time." --- How to get help: Call the Medical Emergency Hotline at 119 After years of searching, the United States has returned to Spain a rare copy of a 1493 letter from Christopher Columbus, which had been stolen from a national archive in Barcelona. The letter, addressed to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain and describing the explorer's discoveries in the New World, was one of 16 copies made at the time of the original missive on Columbus's orders. Stolen from the National Library of Catalonia in Barcelona in 2004 or 2005, the document was handed over late Wednesday to the Spanish ambassador to Washington, US officials said. The thieves who took the letter had replaced it with a forgery, and the switch was only discovered by experts in 2012 after a tip from an informant that several other copies had been stolen from archives across Europe and replaced with expertly crafted fakes. Read also: Banda Islands a hidden treasure in Indonesia The discovery sparked a seven-year international investigation that reached as far as Paris and Brasilia. Investigators found that the Barcelona copy had been sold in 2005 by Italian secondhand book dealers for 600,000 euros ($708,850), and then resold in 2011 for 900,000 euros. After "long negotiations", the letter's unidentified owner in Brazil handed it over in 2014 to US authorities, who used experts to establish its authenticity. In the letter, Columbus tells the Spanish crown everything about his first trip to America, still believing he was in the East Indies. The text begins with his departure from Puerto de Palos in Spain in August 1492 and ends when he returns to Lisbon in March 1493, seven months later. "We are truly honored to return this historically important document back to Spain, its rightful owner," US Attorney David Weiss said at the ceremony to return the document to the Spanish envoy. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8, 2018 09:02 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e82c5a0 1 City Sexual-assault,rape,Cibinong,arrest Free A man, identified as Fujiyanto, 38, allegedly raped his former customer in Cibinong, West Java, on Saturday. Jakarta Police Spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said on Thursday that Fujiyanto and his female ride-hailing customer had known each other because Fujiyanto had driven her a couple of times. On Saturday, Fujiyanto asked her out for dinner in Bogor at around 5 p.m. They finished the dinner at around 9 p.m. and proceeded to watch a movie. Before the movie was over, the woman asked Fujiyanto to take her home. However, instead of taking the woman to her house, Fujiyanto took her to a place in Puncak in Bogor, where allegedly refused his demands for sexual intercourse. The suspect was angry and took the victim to Jakarta. He stopped in front of a mini market and bought duct tape, Argo said as quoted by kompas.com. Fujiyanto allegedly tied the woman with the duct tape and raped her in Cibinong. He also allegedly took her phone and money, Argo said. Argo said the police had arrested Fujiyanto on Monday. (cal) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8, 2018 08:34 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e82bb26 1 City Idul-Fitri-2018,exodus,vehicle,jasa-marga Free State-owned toll operator PT Jasa Marga predicts that more than 1.4 million cars will leave Jakarta through toll roads during the Idul Fitri mudik (exodus) starting this weekend, or a 3.6 percent increase from last year. Idul Fitri is expected to fall on June 15 and 16. Jasa Marga believe that 1.442 million cars will exit Jakarta eight days to one day before Idul Fitri, Jasa Marga operational director Muhammad Sofyan said on Wednesday as reported by kompas.com. He said more than half, or some 772,549 cars, would pass through the Jakarta-Cikampek route by the Cikarang Utama toll gate in Bekasi, West Java, a 2.86 percent increase from last years 751,100 cars. Meanwhile, 253,858 vehicles, a 10.5 percent increase from last years 230,455, is expected to pass through the Jagorawi toll road. Peak traffic is predicted to start on Saturday, Sofyan said. Previously, the Jakarta Police predicted peak traffic to start on Friday and last for three days. Travelers are then expected to return to Jakarta in two waves, on the fourth day and the eighth day after Idul Fitri. The total number of cars going into the capital on these days is predicted to reach 1.52 million, compared to last years 1.478 million. Travelers have been advised to use public transportation for this years mudik. The Kalideres bus terminal in West Jakarta is offering parking spaces to car owners who wish to leave their vehicles behind in the city. East Jakarta Mayor Bambang Musyawardana has offered up parking spaces at the mayors office, as well district and subdistrict offices. (ami) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8, 2018 12:46 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e838527 1 Business tax-incentive,tax-holiday,tax-allowance,regulation,revision,finance-minister Free The government has granted tax incentives to 64 companies since a revised regulation on fiscal incentives was issued in April, an official has said. Sixty-four companies have got tax allowances. More investors have submitted documents, said the head of the Industry Ministrys Industrial Research and Development Agency, Ngakan Timur Antara, in Jakarta on Thursday as reported by kontan.com. The government revised a Finance Ministry regulation on tax holidays and tax allowances to simplify the process of obtaining incentives as part of efforts to boost investment. Ngakan said under the revised regulation, companies operating in more than 100 business sectors could apply for tax incentives. Meanwhile, under the old regulation, only 17 business sectors were eligible for incentives. But the number has been expanded to more than 100 sectors, said the official, adding that incentives were offered to those who invested at least Rp 500 billion (US$35.9 million). Under the new regulation, investors both new and those wanting to expand their business will be eligible for incentives. For a tax holiday, investors will automatically get a 100 percent tax holiday if their documents meet the requirements, while in the past, a tax holiday was in a range of 10 to 100 percent. Under the revised regulation, the length of the tax holiday depends on the amount of investment. As an example, investors that invest Rp 500 million to Rp 1 trillion will get a five-year tax holiday, while those who invest Rp 30 trillion will get a 20-year tax holiday. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Vienna Fri, June 8, 2018 15:26 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e840668 2 World Austria,religion,Islam,mosques,shut-down,closure,foreign Free Austria's right-wing government plans to shut down seven mosques and expel up to 40 imams in what it said was "just the beginning" of a push against Islamist ideology and foreign funding of religious groups. The coalition government, an alliance of conservatives and the far right, came to power soon after Europe's migration crisis on promises to prevent another influx and clamp down on benefits for new immigrants and refugees. In a previous job as minister in charge of integration, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz oversaw the passing of a tough "law on Islam" in 2015, which banned foreign funding of religious groups and created a duty for Muslim societies to have "a positive fundamental view towards (Austria's) state and society". "Political Islam's parallel societies and radicalising tendencies have no place in our country," Kurz told a news conference outlining the government's decisions, which were based on that law. Austria, a country of 8.8 million people, has roughly 600,000 Muslim inhabitants, most of whom are Turkish or have families of Turkish origin. One society that runs a mosque in Vienna and is influenced by the "Grey Wolves", a Turkish nationalist youth group, would be shut down for operating illegally, the government said in a statement. An Arab Muslim group that runs at least six mosques would also be shut down, it added. "This is just the beginning," far-right Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache told the news conference held by four cabinet members. The ministers said up to 60 imams belonging to ATIB, a Muslim group close to the Turkish government, could be expelled from the country or have visas denied on grounds of receiving foreign funding. A government handout put the number at 40, of whom 11 were under review and two had already received a negative ruling. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) New York, United States Fri, June 8, 2018 22:43 1224 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e84eacf 2 World Indonesia,SecurityCouncil,candidacy Free The United Nations General Assembly on Friday voted to elect Germany, Belgium, South Africa, the Dominican Republic and Indonesia for a two-year term on the Security Council starting on Jan. 1, 2019. Indonesia drew more votes than the Maldives in the only contested election; the other four candidates ran unopposed. Uncontested candidates still need to win more than two-thirds of the overall General Assembly vote to be elected. The council is the only U.N. body that can make legally binding decisions and has the power to impose sanctions and authorize the use of force. Earlier, Indonesian Ambassador to the UN Dian Triansyah Djani said many countries had declared their support for the countrys attempt to become the councils non-permanent member for the 2019-2020 period. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8, 2018 16:25 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e8427e0 4 Business Chevron-Pacific-Indonesia,Rokan-block,contract-extension Free Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry oil and gas Director General Djoko Siswanto has said PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia has proposed a higher split from the oil extracted in Rokan Block if the company gets a contract extension. The demand was made when the company, the local unit of the United States-based oil and gas giant Chevron Corp, submitted a document to the government to extend the contract, which will end in 2021, the official said. Djoko said initially that Chevron wanted to maintain the existing cost-recovery scheme. We said no way if they want to use the cost recovery scheme. But later, the company agreed to use the gross split production sharing scheme, said the official, adding that the company had demanded a higher split. Djoko said he did not yet know the exact split demanded by the company, as the company was now revising the document. We will evaluate [the proposal]. There is no agreement yet from the government, said Djoko in Jakarta on Thursday as reported by kontan.co.id. He said the higher split was needed because the company wanted to boost oil production by using the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) surfactant in full scale. Djoko explained that with conventional technology, only 60 percent of oil reserves could be extracted, while another 40 percent could be extracted by using EOR technology. Chevron projects that with the technology, the Rokan Block could produce 500,000 barrels of oil per day from the current 230,000 barrels per day. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi and Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8 2018 Unwavering support: Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Agus Rahardjo (left) accepts a token of support from a coalition of civil society groups that initiated a petition against the inclusion of articles on corruption in the Criminal Code (KUHP) bill on Tuesday. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan) The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) seems to be constantly under threat. For years it has faced numerous proposals by lawmakers to curtail its powers through a revision of the 2002 KPK Law. Last year, it was the subject of an inquiry by a House of Representatives special committee that critics said was set up with the intention of undermining or even disbanding the antigraft body. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8 2018 The Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister has requested the House of Representatives budget committee allocate it additional funds in the 2019 state budget to implement the Online Single Submission (OSS) system. Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said in a preliminary meeting discussing the 2019 state budget with lawmakers on Thursday that additional funds of Rp 53.33 billion (US$3.84 million) were required to develop the OSS and to continue business licensing reform. In total, the office proposed a Rp 482.68 billion allocation, above the indicative ceiling of Rp 414.16 billion, because it needed Rp 15.17 billion more for personnel payment expenditure. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8, 2018 09:40 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e82d9ec 1 Business oil-and-gas-blocks,agreement,gross-split-scheme Free The government has officially signed contracts for two oil and gas exploration blocks under the gross split scheme. The two contracts related to the on and offshore Merak-Lampung block located between Banten and Lampung province with oil firm PT Balmoral Gas and the Citarum block, an onshore block in West and East Java, with a consortium involving PT. Cogen Nusantara Energi and PT Hutama Wiranusa Energi. Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry secretary-general Ego Syahrial told journalists at a press conference on Thursday that the agreements represented a milestone for new production sharing contracts under the gross split scheme. Both contracts prove that our new scheme [gross split] is interesting [for investors]. We asked the new operators to commit to a five-year exploration plan, he said. The Merak-Lampung block investment commitment for exploration stands at US$1.3 million and the signature bonus stands at $500,000, while the Citarum block stipulates for a $3.75 million investment commitment and $750,000 signature bonus. The contracts were offered after the government decided on the winners in an auction. In order to reach the assignment phase, the winners have to complete various requirements such as fulfilling the signature bonus, performance bonds and exploration investment commitment. The assignment of the Merak-Lampung block contract was the latest among five blocks that the government has assigned since January. Meanwhile, the Citarum block is among 26 blocks that the government offered in 2018, 24 of which are conventional blocks. However, as of May, only four blocks have been assigned -- Citarum, East Ganal, East Seram and Southeast Jambi that will ink contracts on July 17. As many as 20 oil and gas blocks have been and will be managed under the gross and split scheme since its kickoff in early 2017. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8, 2018 13:59 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e83c46d 1 National Walhi,KY,Judicial-Commission,KPK,environment,environmental-issues,environmental-crimes Free The Environment and Forestry Ministry, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Judicial Commission participated in a public discussion held by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) in Jakarta recently to brainstorm on how to kick-start stalled enforcement of the Environmental Law, especially in dealing with environmental crimes. Walhi executive director Yaya Nur Hidayati said recently that Indonesia had a law to regulate the environment, but implementation was not efficient. She lamented that government officials lacked awareness about protocol and channels for reporting environmental crimes to initiate immediate investigation. The police immediately investigate when a murder occurs, she said earlier this week. There should be the same sense of urgency for environment damage, she said, adding that officials should not just wait to receive complaints before taking action. She cited the wait-and-see culture among ministry and other agency officials, who take no action until a formal report has been lodged with them by law enforcers and NGOs. KPK deputy chairman Laode Muhammad Syarif expressed a similar opinion. He was of the opinion that frontline agencies, such as the police, needed to improve their support for prevailing regulations on the environment. There are only few specifically trained institutions, he explained, adding that greater awareness and knowledge of the problem must be instilled among the relevant law enforcers. Yaya pointed out that civil service investigators at every ministry worked by themselves on a basis of current need. She proposed the creation of a specialized task force as a solution. An integrated task force could be trained to identify environmental problems more comprehensively, Yaya explained. This is particularly true in cases of systematic environmental crime with vast negative impact perpetrated by corporations, she said. Yaya added that it was possible to impose a variety of punitive measures on corporations under the law. Not many cases against corporations are brought to court. Law Enforcement Director General Rasio Ridho Sani at the Environment and Forestry Ministry said the majority of cases brought to court by his team in the last two years did not involve corporations but individuals. He said it was not easy to go after corporations because they had power and could afford many lawyers to represent them in court, as well as experts to testify on their behalf. Were going after corporations slowly, at our own pace, Rasio said. If we keep working, gain more experience, of course this will help us in the future. (stu) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java Fri, June 8, 2018 10:40 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e8307d3 1 National Jokowi,Joko-Widodo,Ahmad-Yani-International-Airport,Rini-Soemarno,Airport,international-airport Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo commended the beauty of Ahmad Yani International Airport when he inaugurated the newly expanded terminal in Semarang, Central Java, on Thursday. The President recalled his experiences in the old terminal, which he said was dirty and overcrowded. Four years ago, when I went to Ahmad Yani Airport in Semarang, I was quite amazed. How could such a [poor] airport be categorized as an international airport? The building was dirty. said Jokowi. The President said he then ordered State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno and state airport operator Angkasa Pura (AP) I to expand and refurbish Ahmad Yani. I have always checked the construction process of our airports, but for this [Semarang] airport, I never checked it. When I arrived, I was surprised. I was really surprised. Construction was supposed to be completed in December, but it is ready. Alhamdulillah [thank God], said Jokowi. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and First Lady Iriana inspect the newly inaugurated Ahmad Yani International Airport terminal in Semarang, Central Java, on June 7. (JP/Suherdjoko) The President said the new terminal had beautiful architecture and a comfortable environment. What we need to improve on is the runway, which is still 2,500 meters in length. By the end of this year, it must be 3,000 meters because its an international airport," he went on to say. Ahmad Yani's reconstruction cost Rp 2.2 trillion (US$157.74 million). The project included the construction of a 45-meter nine-story air traffic control tower. The terminal can serve up to 7 million passengers a year, up from 800,000 in the old terminal. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8, 2018 18:21 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e847129 1 City molestation,students,Depok,teacher,arrest Free Nine more students have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against an elementary school teacher in Depok, West Java, raising the number off alleged victims to 13. We arrested the suspect yesterday and he is currently being detained at the Depok Police headquarters, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said on Friday as reported by tempo.co. The arrest was made following police reports filed by the parents of four alleged victims. According to Depok Police chief Sr. Comr. Didik Sugiarto, the teacher had confessed to molesting the students, who have undergone physical examinations at the Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta as part of the investigation. The abuse started last year, the four students alleged. Argo said the police were still investigating the case. Meanwhile, the Depok Police are working with the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) to counsel the students. The suspect has been charged with Article 76 of Law No 25/2014 on child protection. (ami) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java Fri, June 8, 2018 20:13 1224 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e84bb46 1 National Central-Java,Central-Java-Police,Idul-Fitri,Idul-Fitri-2018,idul-fitri-exodus,#IdulFitri Free Authorities in Central Java said during the Idul Fitri holiday exodus, only small vehicles, such as cars, pickup trucks and minibuses, are permitted to enter functional toll roads, which span from the Gandulan exit toll gate in Pemalang to Krapyak in Semarang as well as from Tingkir in Salatiga to Ngawi, Sragen. Only Hi Ace-type minibuses at maximum are allowed to travel on the functional toll roads, Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Condro Kirono said in Semarang, on Wednesday. He referred to toll roads whose construction activities had not yet been fully completed but would be operating to help reduce congestion during the holiday season. All motorists using the functional toll roads will not have to pay toll. Big vehicles, including buses, traveling from Greater Jakarta must exit at the Brebes exit toll gate and enter Javas northern coastal highway [Pantura]. We have reached an agreement with the transportation minister [Budi Karya Sumadi] on the matter, said Condro. He further explained that motorists using the toll roads also must not exceed the maximum speed limit of 60 kilometers per hour. Although the condition of both asphalt and concrete functional toll roads is now better than in 2017, its conditions are not yet perfect to accommodate vehicles driving at high speed. Condro said the Central Java Police had prepared personnel to be deployed in front of the Kali Kuto Bridge in Gringsing to secure Idul Fitri. This is the most crucial point for the police to carry out traffic engineering, he said. (stu/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8, 2018 15:33 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e8408bd 1 National worldoceansday,KIARA Free As World Oceans Day is marked on Friday, Indonesia is faced with huge amounts of waste polluting its waters. Research by the People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA) has revealed that at least 1.29 million tons of waste is dumped into rivers every year, with 13,000 tons of plastic waste per square kilometer polluting the ocean. According to KIARA secretary-general Susan Herawati, Indonesia was the second-worst polluter after China when it came to ocean plastic waste. Many people tend to think that the ocean is a huge dump site instead of a source of food, she said in a written statement received by The Jakarta Post on Friday. The KIARA research and development center also recorded 37 oil spills from 1998 to 2017. The most recent case occurred this year in the Balikpapan bay, considered as Indonesia's worst environmental disaster in the past 10 years. Oil spills cause severe environmental damage to the ocean and are very difficult to clean up. We need a consistent policy from the government to overcome this matter. The government also needs to educate people to raise awareness on the importance of the ocean, Susan said. (dpk/swd) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan Fri, June 8, 2018 13:17 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e839f77 1 National murder,crime,Medan,North-Sumatra Free A man suspected of killing his business partner, Rika Karina, 21, in Medan, North Sumatra, has been arrested. The police also shot him in the leg for trying to escape. He admitted to the police that he killed [Rika] following a quarrel over a cosmetics order,Adj. Sr. Comr. Putu Yudha, the head of criminal unit at the Medan Police, said on Thursday. Rika, an employee at Plaza Milenium, reportedly visited the suspect, Hendri alias Ahen, 31, at his house on Tuesday night. Hendri said they had gotten into an argument because Rika had yet to fulfill a Rp. 4.2 million ($US 301) cosmetics order he had placed on May 31. The suspect smashed her head into the wall and stabbed her neck with a knife. He also cut her wrist and killed her, Putu said. The suspect reportedly placed Rikas body in a suitcase, which was then packed in a box and left on Jl, Karya Rakyat, along with the victims motorcycle. Hendri reportedly left the scene in a pedicab and dumped the victims belongings into the Deli River. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8, 2018 11:34 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e836195 1 City banners,South-Tangerang,PKS,caliphate Free Local residents have removed four campaign banners promoting a caliphate that were installed in North Serpong and along Jl. Raya Serpong, South Tangerang. The banners included such phrases as Uniting Ummah under the System of Khilafah Islamiyah and Moving Together Toward the Wonders of Khilafah Islamiyah, tempo.co reported on Thursday. One of them was found on the side of a footbridge in front of the Less Belles Masions residential complex, Serpong Police chief Comr. Dedy Kurniawan said. He said the police received reports from residents who rejected the message of the banners. The banners, which had the logo of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), were installed on the sides of two footbridges in North Serpong. The banners have been removed and we have handed the case over to the South Tangerang Police special crimes unit, Dedy said. The head of the PKS fraction at the South Tangerang Council, Siti Chodijah, denied the partys involvement in the banners installment. We are deeply concerned about this issue, she said. The banners in North Serpong have since been removed. She explained that similar banners had been previously seen in regions that were due to hold regional elections. Siti said the party would keep a close eye on future installments of similar banners. The idea of caliphate was previously promoted by Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), which was recently disbanded by the government for its anti-Pancasila stance.(rfa) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8, 2018 15:31 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e8406bf 1 City Idul-Fitri-2018,Transportation,exodus,ramp-check Free Ramp checks for buses transporting passengers for this year's Idul Fitri exodus are picking up pace, according to Jakarta Transportation Agency chief Andri Yansyah. "We will assign three teams to cover three shifts for checks over the weekend," Andri told tempo.com on Friday. "Hopefully, we will be able to complete checks for 150 to 200 vehicles at nine terminals per day," he explained. The Jakarta administration has provided 2,665 buses specifically for this year's homebound trips, with 2,370 of them being Jakarta intercity buses. The buses consist of regular buses, support buses and tour buses. State-run bus company Perum PPD, as well as private companies PT Mayasari Bhakti, PT Sinar Jaya and PT Bayu Holong Persada are providing 175 support buses. Other bus companies like PT Big Bird, PT Sinar Jaya Langgeng, PT BPW Pahala Kencana, Perum Damri and PT Primajasa will provide 120 tour buses. The Jakarta administration, in cooperation with the transportation agency, previously conducted ramp checks on 1,598 buses. "The checks were conducted from May 15 to June 4," Andri said. He added that the government had established public posts at nine bus terminals, two seaports, two airports and seven train stations in anticipation of both departure and inbound influxes. Supporting personnel from the Jakarta Narcotics Agency (BNN Jakarta), the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police, the Indonesian Amateur Radio Organization (ORARI), the Indonesian Scout Movement (Pramuka), Jasamarga toll road operator and Jasa Raharja state-owned insurance company will be in charge of operating the posts, Andri said. (rfa) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Surakarta, Central Java Fri, June 8, 2018 12:04 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e837a4f 1 National surakarta,chicken,beef,cattle,meat,IdulFitri,Idul-Fitri-2018,#IdulFitri Free As Idul Fitri draws near, the Surakarta administration has intensified the monitoring of meat distribution. The Surakarta Agriculture, Food Security and Fisheries Agency said increased demand for meat had led to the distribution of rotten chicken and water-injected beef. Demand of both chicken and beef started to increase in the third week of Ramadhan. In such situations, markets usually become prone to the distribution of meat unfit for human consumption. Hence, we have begun to carry out inspections at markets, monitoring and directly checking the commodities sold, agency head Weny Ekayanti said recently. She said the administration had tightened monitoring, especially in border areas, to prevent poor quality meat from entering the city. The sellers usually hide their rotten chicken. During Ramadhan inspections, we have found 25 kilograms of water-injected meat and 10-kg of rotten chicken, said Weny She said meat suppliers from outside Surakarta must have animal healthcare certificates. The agency has also heightened supervision over the distribution of meat from regions that have a history with bird flu and anthrax (stu/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8, 2018 14:08 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e83d449 1 City pickpocket,crime,assault-case,East-Jakarta Free A group of suspected pickpockets assaulted app-based ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers Rahmat Hidayat and Yunias Dionisius at Pulogadung bus terminal, East Jakarta, as the drivers tried to stop their attempted theft. The violence began soon after Yunias reportedly caught Manurung, one of the alleged pickpockets, in the act on Wednesday. Manurung was seen trying to dig into a pedestrian's bag, Pulogadung Police chief Comr. Sukadi said. "These ojek drivers claimed to have seen the suspect [pickpocketing someone] and attempted to apprehend him. The suspect hit one of the drivers [Yunias] with a helmet," Sukadi told kompas.com on Thursday. It was later revealed that the suspect was accompanied by a group of alleged pickpockets in the area. One of them, identified as Harapan Sitinjak, immediately rushed to assist the suspect and hit Yunias in the face. The group of suspected pickpockets were reportedly heard calling for backup to attack the victims. The two app-based ojek drivers sustained injuries. They also took the victim's phone and wallet containing Rp 200,000 (US$14.30) in cash, Sukadi said. The incident caught the attention of passersby. "The suspects fled the scene as soon as people started approaching," Sukadi said. "But one was arrested before he could be beaten up." The suspect in custody was Sitinjak, while the others were still on the run. "We're investigating whether or not they are part of a larger criminal group," Sukadi said. (rfa) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8 2018 An elementary school teacher was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly molesting male students in Depok, West Java, in the latest case of sexual abuse to hit Indonesia. People convicted of sexually abusing children are chemically castrated. The alleged perpetrator, identified as WA, 23, was nabbed after the parents of four students reported his alleged misconduct to the police. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, June 8 2018 Papers, please: Transportation agency officers examine the documents of a bus at Grogol Terminal in West Jakarta on Thursday. The Jakarta Transportation Agency has added five temporary terminals to accommodate passengers leaving the city during the Idul Fitri exodus. (JP/Seto Wardhana) It has been an annual tradition for Tomi to travel back to his hometown in Palembang, South Sumatra, and reunite with his extended family for Idul Fitri. The middle-aged entrepreneur living in Cibinong, south of Jakarta, prefers to travel by the bus. He booked bus tickets for himself and his young daughter, Retno, at Kampung Rambutan Bus Terminal in East Jakarta weeks ahead of this years exodus season. But one concern has lingered in his mind: the questionable safety of these buses. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Fri, June 8, 2018 21:20 1224 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e84d1c6 2 World trump,Russia,G-7,Putin Free US President Donald Trump further broke ranks with Group of Seven allies Friday, calling for Russian expulsion from the bloc to end. Departing the White House for a fractious summit with European, Canadian and Japanese leaders, Trump said their 2014 decision to suspend Russia from the group of the world's most advanced economies -- after Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea region -- should be reversed. "I have been Russia's worst nightmare," Trump claimed, "but with that being said, Russia should be in this meeting. "Why are we having a meeting without Russia being in the meeting? "I would recommend -- it's up to them. But Russia should be in the meeting, should be a part of it." Trump's comments are likely to cause consternation, especially among European allies furious at Russia's support of separatists in eastern Ukraine, assassination plots against Russian dissidents on European soil and meddling in Western elections, including Trump's election in the United States. The US president has steadfastly refused to acknowledge that Russia had any substantive impact on his 2016 election, despite the verdict of his own spy agencies and a major FBI investigation that has looked into his campaign's ties with Russia. Trump argued that Moscow was too important to isolate. "They should let Russia come back in. Because we should have Russia at the negotiating table," he said. Trump's comments are likely to be greeted warmly in Moscow, and perhaps too in Rome, where a new populist dominated government would like better ties with the Kremlin. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi Fri, June 8, 2018 17:59 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e84683c 1 National terrorism,TerrorAttacks,terrorists,JAD,Islamic-State,IS,Jambi,Jambi-Police Free The National Polices Densus 88 counterterrorism squad arrested two suspected members of Jamaah Ansharud Daulah (JAD) at two separate locations in Bungo regency, Jambi, on Thursday. JAD, the largest terror group in Indonesia, has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group. They were both interrogated at the Bungo Police station. But now, the investigation has been moved to Jambi Polices Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarters, police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. Kuswahyudi Tresnandi said on Friday. The two suspected terrorists were identified as Fadli and Muhammad Husdiyanto S. alias Ucok. Kuswahyudi said both were allegedly from the same terror network that carried out the recent terror attack at the headquarters of the Dharmasraya Police. He added that Ucok was apprehended at the Bungo Indah Travel Agency on Jl. Sri Soedewi in Bungo Barat sub-district, Pasar Muara Bungo district, at around 4 p.m. local time. Police confiscated a laptop and a bow and arrows from him. An hour later, Densus 88 arrested Fadli at his parents house in Tanjung Gedang sub-district, Pasar Muara Bungo district. Police confiscated his passport and several books. Ucok was a known member of the discussion group at Al Furqon Islamic Center Mosque in Bungo regency that was headed by the late Eka Fitra Akbar, one of the Dharmasraya terror attackers. Fadli was initially a member of the Salafy As Sunah discussion group, which routinely held its activities at the same mosque. He later joined Ekas group. (stu/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Beijing, China Fri, June 8, 2018 15:11 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e83fbd1 2 World Putin,Russia,China,Xi-Jinping Free Chinese President Xi Jinping treated Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to a state visit on Friday as the neighbouring giants forge closer ties in the face of US diplomatic and economic challenges. Putin, re-elected to his fourth Kremlin term in March, arrived at the grandiose Great Hall of the People in Beijing for talks with Xi, who could stay in power for life after term limits were lifted this year. The two heads of state reviewed a military honour guard and greeted flag-waving children during the welcoming ceremony before retreating into the vast building. The most powerful Russian and Chinese leaders in decades, Xi and Putin have built closer ties while US President Donald Trump has labelled both countries as economic rivals that challenge US interests and values. Xi and Putin are "soulmates who want to make their countries great again", Alexander Gabuev, senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, told AFP. "Both share scepticism towards American hegemony and distrust US intentions, both are authoritarian personalistic rulers," he said. China is mired in tough negotiations with the United States to avoid a trade war, while Moscow has deep differences with Washington on multiple diplomatic fronts, including Syria and Ukraine. Putin played up his bond with his "good friend" Xi in an interview with China's state broadcaster CGTN this week. He said the Chinese president was the only state leader to celebrate his birthday with him, with the two sharing vodka and sausage. Xi "is approachable and sincere", Putin told CGTN. "But he's also a very dependable man to work with." Maria Repnikova, director of the Center for Global Information Studies at Georgia State University in the US, said China makes Russia look "stronger and more relevant" on the global stage. For its part, Russia allows China to show the US that it has "other options" in international negotiations, she said. "Trump's policies justified (the) growing closeness, especially for Russia but also for China given the volatile relationship with the United States," Repnikova told AFP. TheJakartaPost Please Update your browser Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below. Just click on the icons to get to the download page. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Singapore Fri, June 8, 2018 13:50 1225 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e83c1e1 2 SE Asia Korea,kim-jong-un,trump,Impersonator Free A Kim Jong Un lookalike said Friday he was questioned on arrival in Singapore ahead of a historic US-North Korea summit and told to stay away from sites linked to the event. The Hong Kong-based impersonator, who goes by the name Howard X, has gained worldwide attention for his impressions of the North Korean leader in recent months. He appeared at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics alongside a Donald Trump lookalike, and the duo are set to take part in an alternative summit ahead of Tuesday's meeting between the US president and Kim. But the Kim impersonator said that when he arrived at the city-state's Changi Airport he was stopped by an immigration officer and questioned for two hours. "They (searched) my bags and then told me that this is a very sensitive time to be in Singapore and that I should stay away from the Sentosa Island as well as the Shangri-La hotel in town," he said in a Facebook post. Trump and Kim will hold their historic meeting on Sentosa, off Singapore's main island, while Trump will reportedly stay in the five-star Shangri-La. The lookalike said he was asked if he had participated in Hong Kong's "Occupy Central" protest movement, to which he responded he had. It is illegal to hold a protest in tightly-controlled Singapore without a police permit, except for in one corner of a downtown park. He said he was finally allowed to enter Singapore after the grilling, and that he was now "prepared for some fun during this historical moment". Reaction was swift and heartfelt today after it became known that television personality, chef and author Anthony Bourdain took his own life while on assignment in France. Here on the Lower East Side, many of the people who either crossed paths with Bourdain or were influenced by him, are offering their personal tributes. Back in April, Bourdain, 61, spent some time in the neighborhood shooting an episode of his CNN show, Parts Unknown. He visited Max Fish, Rays Candy Store, Veselka, among other locations. Bourdain also hung out with Clayton Patterson, who he described as master archivist and street photographer of the Lower East Side. Patterson says producers for the show had reached out to set up an interview, and to ask him for some local intel (he hooked the production team up with some other LES luminaries). When we spoke with Patterson this morning, he had only praise for Bourdain. He was just an every day guy, said Patterson. We had this really nice casual conversation, which I thought was really great. He was accessible, easy to talk to. In an essay first published in Spin a decade ago, Bourdain wrote about the pre-gentrified New York of the 1970s: Entire neighborhoods were given over to organized gangs, feral junkies. The Lower East Side was a gigantic drug supermarket, its blocks and blocks of abandoned tenements riddled with the candlelit tunnels, steel-lined rooms, boobytraps, and shooting galleries of its many entrepreneurial retailers. During their conversation, said Patterson, Bourdain had no qualms talking about his days as a junkie on the Lower East Side during the 70s. He was talking about five guys being in a cab, explained Patterson. And one of them said, four out of five junkies die. He just looked around and said, Thats not going to be me. After that he started to clean up his life. Social media today is full of remembrances from local chefs and other well-known downtown personalities. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Here are a few of the restaurant/food items that caught our eye recently: Bon Appetit web editor Alex Delany went in search of the perfect plain New York slice. He checked out 30 pizza spots in two days and when he was finished stuffing his face Scarrs on Orchard Street was the victor! See his story here. For the New York Times Hungry City column, Ligaya Mishan visits the fashionable Japanese restaurant Develle on Suffolk Street. The three-month-old spot is a coffee shop by day and an izakaya by night. Mishan writes, Davelle might be loveliest in the morning, hushed and half-empty, with crumbs as fine as dust on your fingers. Music murmurs; time retreats. I could have sat there for hours, wishing I could keep this place to myself, and tell no one. Zyara, a tiny Mediterranean restaurant, is the newest arrival on Clinton Street. The meu features falafel sandwiches and burgers, shawarma pita sandwiches, lamb and chicken kabab, tabbouleh salad and a few other Middle Eastern specialties. Zyara, at 57 Clinton St., is open for lunch and doesnt close until midnight. Eaters Robert Sietsema sings the praises of Delight Wong, the duck shop thats been at 300 Grand St. (under many different names) for years. He writes, The over-rice dishes (with gravy, promises the menu) are still a steal at $5.25 for shredded pork with vegetable or 25 cents more for my favorite, shrimp with scrambled egg. This week has been crazy when it comes to movie trailers . How crazy? Usually we just write one short piece for every new trailer , but there's been so many lately that we've started to bundle them together just so that we can keep up. This is first trailer for the final entry in the beloved How to Train Your Dragon animated movie franchise - and by the looks of it, it was worth the long wait. Dean Deblois returns to direct the story of Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) who fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia. Meanwhile, Toothless discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccups reign as chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind. UK RELEASE DATE: 1 February, 2019 Outcast vigilante Lisbeth Salander returns to the big screen in the first trailer for The Girl in the Spider's Web, an adaptation of the fourth book in Stieg Larsson's acclaimed Millenium series. The previous three books have been adapted into Swedish-language films, while the very first, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, got an English remake as well. This time around, Claire Foy takes on the role of Lisbeth, with director Fede Alvarez (Don't Breathe) at the helm. UK RELEASE DATE: 9 November, 2018 Finally, here's an absolutely insane, stunning first look at Bad Times at the El Royale. Written, directed and produced by Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods, wrote the script for The Martian), Bad Times at the El Royale features a cast of characters whose shady agendas are about to violently colide in a rundown hotel. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Nick Offerman, Dakota Johnson, Cynthia Erivo and Cailee Spaeny. We have no idea what it's about, but it looks amazing and Chris Hemsworth appears to be shirtless in it a lot. UK RELEASE DATE: 12 October, 2018 A mother has shared a sign from a classroom which teaches pupils how to act if a gunman enters their school to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Georgy Cohen spotted the poster written in colourful lettering as she visited the school her own child will attend come September. It was next to one teaching the alphabet. This should not be hanging in my soon-to-be-kindergarteners classroom. pic.twitter.com/mWiJVdddpH Georgy Cohen (@radiofreegeorgy) June 6, 2018 The full version reads: Lockdown, lockdown, lock the door. Shut the lights off, say no more. Go behind the desk and hide, wait until its safe inside. Lockdown, Lockdown, its all done. Now its time to have some fun! Cohen, who is half-British, has no issue with the rhyme being taught, but is sad that such a threat makes it a necessity, she said. She added that the school is doing exactly what they need to be doing and called upon people to talk to government representatives about gun reform. So I dont have a SoundCloud but I, like most of you, have congressional representatives I can call to advocate for gun reform https://t.co/ivEa1qdnl2 Or we can support orgs like @Everytown and @SandyHook Georgy Cohen (@radiofreegeorgy) June 7, 2018 Im only going to add one more comment to this: the school is doing exactly what they need to be doing, and I am glad for it. My issue is with the political & cultural factors that brought us to this sad state. Please talk to your legislators about the need for gun reform. Georgy Cohen (@radiofreegeorgy) June 7, 2018 Cohen declined to name the Massachusetts school where she saw the sign. But in a statement Somerville Public Schools said lockdown drills are a sad necessity, adding that unfortunately this is the world we live in. Online, the post attracted a mass of debate about the fact that such lessons are needed. Jesus, thats to the tune of the alphabet song, and Twinkle Twinkle what a horrifying contribution to the songbook. Margot Bloomstein (@mbloomstein) June 6, 2018 Omg this is sad that our kids have to learn a song like this as part of their survival strategy DramaFreeLeo (@DramaFreeLeo) June 7, 2018 This could not be more terrifyingly dystopian. Ellie McIntosh (@_emcintosh) June 7, 2018 Godthis this shouldn't exist in any classrooms. This shouldn't be a standard. Ken (@kenjsasaki) June 7, 2018 But people praised the school for teaching something so awful in a way that would keep young children calm. Thats fair i guess it is a better solution in order to keep kids calm under the stiuation, still tho i still think its kinda messed up things like this are pretty normalized now :/ Deku The Best Boi (@maadfamily) June 7, 2018 The 2018 meeting of the G7 countries is set to take place in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada. With many of the Trump administrations recent decisions running directly counter to the other members interests, the summit promises to be tense. Heres what each member state hopes to get from it. The US Natasha Ezrow, University of Essex The US position at the G7 Summit will be complicated by several different problems, but chief among them is the Trump administrations radical approach to trade policy. There are unanimous concerns about the tariffs on steel and aluminium that Washington will impose on several allies, among them Canada, Mexico and the EU. All the other G7 countries are urging the US treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, to consider the impact on the global economy and instead of working together to deal effectively with China, G7 countries are preparing retaliatory measures against the US. The US has also pursued a policy of noncooperation on climate change. Some Trump administration officials even decline to use the phrase climate change and instead talk about environmental resilience. The administration has made it clear that it is still reviewing its policies on climate change and the Paris Agreement and claims its not yet in a position to join a consensus Nevertheless, even these towering issues are overshadowed by the growing possibility of a full-on trade war and the USs growing isolationism, which could have dire consequences for the entire international order. Canada Steve Hewitt, University of Birmingham Given it is hosting the G7 for the first time since 2010, Canada would have been well-positioned to be at the centre of global attention with an agenda focusing on women and gender equality but instead, Donald Trumps economic nationalist approach to trade looks set to dominate the agenda. This spells trouble for the Canadian government. The prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and his Liberal government are increasingly exasperated by their experience of dealing with the Trump administration. They have tried to ingratiate themselves with Trump, and worked hard to avoid confrontation and provocation. But, more recently, Ottawa has responded to Trumps aggressive trade policy with retaliatory tariffs and Trudeau has given interviews to American media outlets to express his frustration. The one positive for Trudeau at the G7 is that his government is not alone in its outrage at the Trump administrations economic policy. The European nations in attendance are equally angry. Nevertheless, Trudeaus position is inevitably weak. Canada is economically dependent on the US, a country ten times larger there are more Californians than there are Canadians and it is therefore highly vulnerable to any further escalation in what could be becoming a full-on trade war. The temptation for Trudeau is to lead an effort to isolate the US at the G7, an approach that would undoubtedly play well with Canadian voters as the 2019 election looms. But that approach risks riling the Trump administration even more and if that happened, Canada would be the ultimate loser. Japan Ra Mason, University of East Anglia The Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has his work cut out for him. Top of his list are three interrelated challenges. Coming off a bruising few months at home, with his approval ratings sliding in the face of multiple scandals , Abe must reassure his foreign doubters that the future of the US-Japan alliance is secure. Abe also needs to build the momentum gained from a week of exchanges with the Trump administration about the North Korean issue. He has used that dialogue to assure his electorate that hes doing all he can to make sure North Koreas abduction of Japanese citizens will be on the agenda when Trump and Kim Jong-Un meet for a summit in Singapore on June 12. The challenge for Abe is to maintain a hard line against Pyongyang without undermining Japans most important partner and to make sure his government doesnt become isolated in an East Asian community that is increasingly leaning towards engagement with the North Koreans. Finally, like many of the other leaders in attendance, Abe will want a clear take-away on tariffs. As he tries to ease fears of a potential trade war with the US, he needs a specific goal to aim for this is his best chance to define it. Germany Dennis Schmidt, Durham University As Europes economic powerhouse and one of the worlds staunchest defenders of multilateralism, Germany has a serious stake in holding the G7 format together. However, after the US withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement and Paris climate accord and slapped tariffs on its European allies, the delegation from Berlin will be prepared for contentious discussions. As one of the worlds top three global merchandise exporters, Germany has a vested interest in open markets and free trade. Also high on the agenda for Berlin is the Iranian nuclear deal , which the German government helped negotiate. If German security interests are to be protected, Angela Merkel must rally global support for the agreement while ensuring constructive engagement rather than tension with Washington. Climate change is another top priority. Germany has one of the most ambitious climate policies of all Western industrialised nations and wants to make sure that the climate targets agreed in Paris are not watered down. All in all, this will be a difficult summit for Merkel, who has to strike a balance between good faith diplomacy and standing her ground when it comes to defending German and European interests. The UK Victoria Honeyman, University of Leeds The G7 is not a place for formal agreements; any assurances given or deals done there are not strictly enforceable. So for the UK, this years G7 is above all a chance to make friends and influence people. With the Brexit deadline looming, London needs to negotiate clear, mutually beneficial trade deals with all the nations around the table, not least the Americans and the Canadians. By adopting a conciliatory, even benign position at the G7, it may at least be able to cultivate a little good feeling. A little, after all, can go a long way especially when you are faced with a volatile US president who feels increasingly isolated and attacked. However, the dilemma is how friendly and conciliatory the British can reasonably be to every nation at once. The Canadians are extremely worried about the USs protectionist tariff changes. If the UK sides with its historic partner in Washington it will put itself in the firing line. Conversely, should the British government align itself with the other G7 nations, it will surely only antagonise Trump who is set to visit Britain in July. Faced with such a delicate line to walk, the British government will probably keep its messaging as uncontentious and evenhanded as possible. Its always possible that the UK government would decide that one player or another in this trade dispute is so crucial most likely the US. But that is a worst-case scenario the British government will mostly be trying to keep on the good side of all the G7 nations, glad-handing at every available opportunity while keeping its head down. What else could it realistically do? France Andrew Glencross, Aston University The twin priorities for French president, Emmanuel Macron, at the G7 will be trade and security which as far as France is concerned are inextricably linked. Macron sees Trumps protectionist trade policy not just as a threat to French economic interests, but also as a challenge to established security alliances. US steel tariffs are merely one part of a broader challenge facing European leaders. Trump has also criticised other countries low defence spending relative to NATOs requirements, and rejected the Iran nuclear deal, which will be policed by punishing French and other companies that do business with Tehran. Macron is thus fighting a damage control mission on all these fronts by trying to act as a transatlantic go-between based on his personal relationship with the US president . France wants to use the G7 to argue that interlinked policy challenges are best solved in international fora, not by the US acting alone. Unilateralism, Macron will surely point out, risks undermining global security because it makes other countries hedge their bets. That effect is already visible Russia is already making trade overtures towards Europe , while Iran is threatening to relaunch its nuclear enrichment programme . The French president needs to convince Trump that backing a rules-based international system is a sure bet, and not an opportunity to strike deals at others expense. Italy Felia Allum, University of Bath The G7 summit is the first international outing for Italys new coalition government to present its foreign policy on the world stage. That government, which took 89 days to pull together, was formed just in time. For a while during the coalition negotiations, it seemed that new elections were on the cards and one of the most pressing concerns was that Italy wouldnt have a sure-footed government in place during this years string of important international summits. That would have greatly diminished Italys voice at a crucial time. But while that particular scenario has been avoided, getting on with it now wont be easy either. Italys new prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, must combine the foreign policy approaches of the governments two coalition partners: the Northern League, seen as pro-Russia and anti-EU, and the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which is rethinking its European stance. Long gone are the days of the traditional pro-European Christian Democratic Party, Pro-European Democrat Party, or the ambivalent Forza Italia. While the new foreign minister may well be more pro-European, conciliatory and diplomatic than his political sponsors, it is less clear what position Conte will adopt. It wont be more pro-European, conciliatory and diplomatic than his political sponsors. It wont be easy for him to be his own person while listening to his political masters, who might seek to monopolise the debate about foreign affairs. So for anyone trying to work out how the new government will behave, the G7 is the first and best chance to take a look. While the new foreign minister may well be more pro-European, conciliatory and diplomatic than his political sponsors, it is less clear what position Conte will adopt. It wont be more pro-European, conciliatory and diplomatic than his political sponsors. It wont be easy for him to be his own person while listening to his political masters, who might seek to monopolise the debate about foreign affairs. So for anyone trying to work out how the new government will behave, the G7 is the first and best chance to take a look. Portugal s second largest city is becoming an increasingly popular destination amongst European tourists wanting a weekend getaway to relax and enjoy a fun city. With a vibrant food and cultural scene, and located a mere 30 minutes from the beach, Porto offers just that. Porto has been elected twice as the best European destination by the Best European Destinations Agency, in 2014 and as recently as 2017. There are so many reasons why Porto should be on your 2018 summer bucket list! Image credit: Airbnb francesinha croque francesinha savour francesinha realised Staying in Porto wont break the budget. The average price per night for Airbnb listings stand at between 30-50, which can snag you an entire flat, so private rooms can be rented for even less. Hostels also offer a cheap accommodation option. The Oporto Invictus Hostel is a personal recommendation, given its location near to all the historical sites, its friendly staff and generally welcoming atmosphere.Who doesnt take food into consideration when choosing where to go on holiday? Portos culinary scene is not to be sniffed at. The renowned local dish is the, styled on the Frenchbut oh so much more. Labeling aa sandwich doesnt do its three layers of meat, cheese coating, and thick, gravy-like sauce justice. Get your comfy trousers on and be prepared tothis stomach stretcher, which is often served with a side of fries and a fried egg on top. While themay be the star of the show, Portos pastries are not to be overlooked. Thea Portuguese custard tart,steals much of the limelight when in fact the citys plethora of patisseries have a whole range of other sweet treats to tickle your taste buds. Rumour has it that centuries ago, egg whites were used as a glue for sticking gold leaf onto the interiors of church walls, which left plenty of egg yolks to be used up. The ingenious Portuguese made the most of this abundance of egg yolk, incorporating it into their pastries, hence the overload of yellow-hued pastries around. Many different versions of custard/egg glazed pastries exist so put a few euros aside and enjoy a coffee and baked delicacy in one of Portos many eateries.No trip to Porto is complete without tasting Port wine. Many companies offer wine tasting experiences where one can visit wine cellars and try different types of the delicious fortified beverage. Port's higher alcohol percentage, usually around 20%, is explained by the citys nautical past. Sailors who used to embark on long tripsthe wine they packed aboard spoilt very quickly, therefore started to pour more alcohol into the barrels to keep the wine fresh. Nowadays, Port provides the perfect drink to enjoy on a terrace overlooking the Douro river or as a gift to take home to friends and family. In terms of what to do to fill your days in Porto, the citys historical centre boasts a wealth of sights to visit. A walking tour is always a good start to get to grips with the city, which usually last between 2-3 hours and works on a tip basis you pay what you feel the tour was worth. colourful Tour guides can provide great insights into the citys local history and can also offer up many suggestions for the rest of your trip. Aside from the walking tour, a stroll along the River Douro allows you to enjoy views of the citys cutehouses as well as the Dom Luis bridge, which was designed by one of Gustave Eiffels apprentices at the end of the nineteenth century. Other activities include a visit to the, a bookshop that JK Rowling supposedly gained inspiration from during the 22 months she lived in Porto. The bookshop costs a few euros to enter, and long queues can form to buy tickets so its worth going early, but it is definitely worth it due to its stunning interior. Nearby one can also visit the Clerigos Tower, which rewards any visitor with beautiful views over the city. Image credit: Travel In Portugal centre travelling While Portos beach is not in the city, it can be easily accessed via public transport or by driving if you are renting a car. Porto is less renowned for pickpocketing than Lisbon, but it is always important to remain aware of your valuables whenon local buses. The beaches of the Costa Verde are the closest to access and boast golden sands and clear blue water. Porto provides the perfect destination for anyone wanting to get all the benefits of a city break as well as the relaxation of a beach trip. As with any holiday, its a good idea to check the Foreign Offices travel checklist before setting off, and once youre informed and good to go, enjoy all the wonders Porto has to offer. Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: Home Page State Reps. Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown Twp.) and Robert Kosowski (D-Westland) introduced legislation that would create an advisory board to address the issue of trains blocking railroad crossings for extended periods of time. RELATED: State Rep. Darrin Camilleri fighting against train delays Legislation was introduced Wednesday to create the Meeting Immediate Transportation, Rail and Infrastructure Needs (MI-TRAIN) Account Advisory Board. Two House bills, 6116 and 6117, will serve as a continuation of a bill package introduced back in April. It would create a MI-TRAIN account targeting the chronic problems with train crossings in the Downriver area and surrounding communities. I was impressed at Rep. Camilleris strong leadership ability for trying to find a remedy for this problem, Kosowski said. These two new bills only strengthen the bill package that Rep. Camilleri has already introduced. The legislation creates a board that will review the projects that deal with rail grade crossings, prioritize them and submit those recommendations to the Department. The Downriver community has some of the longest and most expansive crossings throughout Michigan, and creating the MI-TRAIN Account Advisory Board would help aid efforts in installing grade separations at these congested railroad crossings. Camilleri has been addressing the issue since he was elected. He said if there is one issue he hears about from residents more than any other, its the issue of train delays at crossings. The representative said he recently was traveling through Woodhaven and became stuck at a crossing for nearly an hour. This is not just an inconvenience; its also bad for our local economy and a hazard to public safety, Camilleri said. Thats why I introduced the MI-TRAIN account to fund much needed grade separations across our state. He said he was proud to partner with Kosowski to build on the MI-TRAIN proposal and make sure that the most problematic crossings are identified and addressed first. Kosowski said he is looking forward to continuing their work on this extremely important issue. He said its a major safety concern for residents, police, fire and other emergency vehicles that should not be inhibited from crossing railroad tracks for long periods of time. By: Dezan Shira & Associates Editor: Koushan Das The agriculture industry contributes around 20 percent to the GDP while employing 40 percent of the working population in Vietnam. However, both numbers are predicted to decline in the near future. To ensure a sustainable growth going forward, the industry needs to move towards high-tech farming and value chain development to reduce costs, increase production, and achieve better product quality. The sector continues to suffer from low product quality and climate change which reduces its competitiveness. The government has taken note of these issues and pledged to offer numerous incentives to farmers, cooperatives, and private firms to encourage investments in high-tech farming solutions in Vietnam. Currently, high-tech agricultural products only contribute around a quarter of the total value of agricultural products, leaving significant room for growth. RELATED: Business Advisory Services from Dezan Shira & Associates High-tech farming firms According to a new decision by the Prime Minister, there are certain procedures and criteria that need to be fulfilled by a firm for it to be recognized as a high-tech agricultural firm. These include: Use of high-tech applications as mentioned in Article 5 of Law on High Technologies. It includes information technology, biotechnology, new material technology, and automation technology; Producing quality products of higher value through high-tech applications and ensuring that revenues of such products account for at least 60 percent of the total revenue; Conducting R&D activities for production, with total R&D spending accounting for at least 0.5 percent of the total revenue, and ensuring that more than 2.5 percent of the total employees are graduates involved in R&D; and Applying environmental friendly and energy efficient solutions. RELATED: Planting the Seed: A Guide to Opportunities in Vietnamese Agriculture In the last decade, only 29 agricultural production zones and 20 firms have used technology in their production process in Vietnam. Most of these entities are in Bac Ninh, Lam Dong, HCM City, Vinh Phuc, Thai Nguyen, and Mekong Delta. These regions also lead in terms of high-tech agricultural cooperatives. As of January 2017, there are around 12,000 agricultural cooperatives in Vietnam, with only 193 being high-tech cooperatives. Around 85 percent of these focus on plantation and forestry, while nine percent and six percent focus on animal husbandry and aquaculture respectively. Around two-thirds of the countrys 63 provinces and cities have established high-tech cooperatives, with Central Highlands and Mekong Delta leading with 57 and 35 cooperatives respectively. Lam Dong and Long An lead amongst provinces, at 36 and 14 cooperatives respectively. RELATED: Vietnam: Exporters Need to Self-Certify the Origin of Goods Exported to the EU Government support The Vietnamese government has introduced a number of policies and incentive schemes to attract private firms and encourage local producers to shift towards high-tech agriculture applications. In March 2017, the Prime Minister had approved a credit package worth US$4.4 billion (VND100 trillion) for high tech application loans. The loan package will allow commercial banks to provide loans at 0.5 to 1.5 percent, much lower than current commercial loans rates. The government had also issued Decree 57/2018/ND-CP focusing on incentives and policies to increase investments in agriculture and development of rural areas. It focuses on land rights and rents, reductions and exemptions in taxes, and financial support from provincial and national development programs for R&D and technology transfer. RELATED: Vietnams Aquaculture Exports to Reach US$13 billion by 2020 Going forward The Prime Minister has approved a master plan on developing high-tech agriculture zones by 2020 through 2030. The plans aim to develop large-scale and modern agriculture production methods through R&D to increase quality and reduce costs. By 2030, the country aims to have at least 10 more hi-tech agricultural zones in Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Son La, Nam Dinh and Nghe An provinces and Hanoi. In addition, the government also plans to have at least 500 hi-tech agricultural cooperatives and increase the high-tech farming production value by five times by 2020. Around 60 percent of the cooperatives would be located in production hubs such as Mekong River Delta, Red River Delta, Central Highlands, and around 30 to 40 percent of them would use automation technology models and biotechnology from the current 17 percent. Apart from the incentives, development programs, and investments, the government will continue to reach out to countries experienced in such technologies such as Israel, South Korea, and Japan to develop training programs for high-tech farming to support local producers. RELATED: Investment Environment in Mekong Delta Need to do more In addition to the development of cooperatives and agricultural zones, the government needs to increase the linkages of such entities with firms and buyers for the overall development of the value chain. Another crucial area the State needs to invest in is training, as labor quality continues to remain low in the agriculture sector. They can do so through vocational training centers or training programs focusing on areas such as water preservation, biotech, and new material technology. The local producers need to be educated about the benefits of high-tech farming such as reduced costs, better quality, and higher production value and how it can help them to cope with the effects of climate change. Dezan Shira & Associates Brochure Dezan Shira & Associates is a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm, providing legal, tax and operational advisory to international corporate investors. Operational throughout China, ASEAN and India, our mission is to guide foreign companies through Asias complex regulatory environment and assist them with all aspects of establishing, maintaining and growing their business operations in the region. This brochure provides an overview of the services and expertise Dezan Shira & Associates can provide. An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam 2017 An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam 2017 will provide readers with an overview of the fundamentals of investing and conducting business in Vietnam. Compiled by Dezan Shira & Associates, a specialist foreign direct investment practice, this guide explains the basics of company establishment, annual compliance, taxation, human resources, payroll, and social insurance in this dynamic country. Managing Contracts and Severance in Vietnam In this issue of Vietnam Briefing, we discuss the prevailing state of labor pools in Vietnam and outline key considerations for those seeking to staff and retain workers in the country. We highlight the increasing demand for skilled labor, provide in depth coverage of existing contract options, and showcase severance liabilities that may arise if workers or employers choose to terminate their contracts. Vietnam has emerged as a regional startup hub in Southeast Asia with investments worth US$815 million at the recent Vietnam Ventures Summit. Key sectors in the startup space include fintech, e-commerce, and enterprise solutions. Vietnams digital economy offers numerous opportunities for disruption at scale. Foreign investors have played a key role in fuelling the growth of Vietnams startup ecosystem and recent regulations have attempted to streamline investment regulations surrounding foreign investors such as VCs. Vietnams emergence as a startup hub received a boost at the recent Vietnam Ventures Summit 2020, where investors signaled their intent to invest US$815 million in startups. The agreement covers 33 foreign and domestic investment funds including CyberAgent Capital, 500 Startups, AlphaJWC, Monks Hill Ventures, and Access Ventures. Last year, investment commitments totaled US$415 million. The US$400 million increase in investments in 2020 reflects a belief that Vietnam could rival Indonesia as Southeast Asias growth market for tech investments. Vietnams startup ecosystem Since 2017, Vietnam has emerged as a hub for startups, closely competing with Indonesia and Singapore. In the first half of 2019 for instance, Vietnamese startups raised US$246 million with startups such as Tiki, VNPay, and VNG capturing 63 percent of these deals. The first half of 2020 witnessed a 22 percent reduction in deals compared to the same period in 2019 owing mainly to the economic impact of COVID-19, however fundraising by Vietnamese startups has shown signs of recovery in the second half of 2020. There are numerous drivers of Vietnams emergence as a startup hub in Southeast Asia. These include revenue growth in digital sectors such as fintech and e-commerce, rising consumer spending, increasing interest from foreign investment funds particularly Japanese, Singaporean, and South Korean VC funds, and targeted government support. Foreign investors have played a major role in funding Vietnamese startups. In February 2020, Affirma Capital invested US$34 million in Sieu Viet Group, which focuses on online recruitment. Japans SoftBank and Singapores GIC invested US$300 million in VNPay. US-based 500 Startups aims to invest in 80 Vietnamese startups by 2021. Tech sector dominates The tech sector dominates the startup ecosystem in Vietnam. Between 2016 and 2019, invested capital in tech startups has risen by a factor of eight reaching a peak of US$861 million in 2019. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in particular have developed a robust ecosystem for tech startups. Sectors such as e-commerce, fintech, AI, food-tech, enterprise solutions, and information technology services have dominated funding rounds in recent years. In fintech for instance, there were 123 startups in Vietnam in 2020 compared to just 44 in 2017. These trends reflect the strong potential for growth in Vietnams digital economy and the ability of Vietnamese startups to capture market opportunities. Government support To encourage entrepreneurship, the Vietnamese government has established a number of funds at State and provincial/city level to support startups. In addition, the government has also collaborated with countries and banks to develop funding and innovation programs, provide loans, technical training, and business mentoring. Some of the programs are as follows: SpeedUP is a VND 11.75 billion (US$ 520,520) fund, which has been started by Ho Chi Minh Citys Department of Science and Technology. The fund has a range of investments ranging from VND 350 million (US$15,500) to VND 1,282 billion (US$56,792). Startupcity.vn is an online platform launched by Hanois People Committee that has details about startups and investors and aims to connect investors with entrepreneurs. Vietnam Finland Innovation Partnership Programme is a program financed jointly by both governments. The second phase ran through 2014-2018 with a budget of EUR 11 million. The programmes portfolio includes Abivin (big data analytics), Beeketing (online marketing), Entobel (sustainable feed supplier), and Ezcloud (integrated hotel management solutions) among others. Saigon Silicon City Center is a 52-hectare complex, which is being built to support tech-focused startups and international firms. It is expected to attract investments worth US$1.5 billion by 2020 in target industries such as microelectronics, precision engineering, biotechnology, and nanotechnology among others. Mekong Business Initiative is a partnership program between the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Australia that focuses on alternative financing, including venture capital, angel investments, and fintech in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Mobile Applications Laboratory (mLab) East Asia was launched by Ho Chi Minh City and has an incubation program that focuses on mentoring, training, access to equipment, and financing. National Technology Innovation Fund (NATIF) is a government agency and financial institution under Vietnams Ministry of Science and Technology that provides grants and preferential loans for R&D, innovation, and technology transfer. National Agency for Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Commercialization Development (NATECD) is a national platform under Vietnams Ministry of Science and Technology that provides training, mentorship, and financial aid Startup regulations In January 2018, the Law on Supporting Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises came into effect, with detailed provisions for support to start-ups in areas such as technology transfer, training, trade promotion, investments, preferential loans, and incentives for venture capital funds. Under Vietnams Law on Support for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, a startup is defined as a small- or medium-sized enterprise that is established to realize an idea by exploiting intellectual property, technology and/or new business model and capable of growing fast. This definition, therefore, builds on two key economic features of a startup: innovation and capacity to scale. Following this, Decree 38/ND-CP, which came into effect in March 2018, focuses on innovative start-up investments. It identifies and recognizes start-up investment activities as a business and provides legal status to innovative start-up companies and funds. In addition, one of the regulations stipulates that the State can also invest in a startup, with a maximum of 30 percent of the total investments. In 2016, the Prime Minister approved the Supporting National Innovative Start-up Ecosystem to 2025 Project, or Project 844, through Decision 844/QD-TTg/2016. It focuses on supporting the national innovation startup ecosystem through 2025 and developing a legal system and a national e-portal for startups by 2020. In addition, it will also provide funding support to 200 startup enterprises. Decree 76/ND-CP builds on the Law on Technology Transfer and allows for the use of Science and Technology Development Funds which have tax exemptions to invest in startups. Regulatory trends suggest that the governments focus is on attracting foreign investment in startups, promoting crowdfunding and P2P lending, and sustaining investor networks in Vietnam. ASEAN startup ecosystem Southeast Asia currently has a population of around 655 million people with a median age of 30 years. Driven by young demographics and rising discretionary spending, the region has seen a rapid rise in new startups: 11 unicorns have emerged in the region over the past decade alone. According to Tech in Asias data, investments in the regions startups grew from US$2.52 billion in 2016 to US$7.7 billion in 2019. Singapore and Indonesia continue to lead in the region, with e-commerce, logistics, agri-tech, fintech, and digital payments emerging as the most attractive sectors. Vietnams first unicorn, VNG is an online gaming and platform company. Vietnams startup space promising but challenges remain Major challenges facing the startup community in Vietnam is the lack of a talented workforce, funding, lack of scale, and slow regulatory reforms. In addition to financial support through funds and preferential loans, the government needs to increase investments in training and education to build a skilled workforce. It also needs to continue with its regulatory reforms, as this will lead to a friendly business environment for investors and developers. This will not only attract much needed foreign investments but also the talented workforce from the surrounding region, which will help firms to achieve reasonable scale. Going forward, the ability and capacity of Vietnamese startups to redesign business models in light of COVID-19 will also be key to funding outcomes. COVID-19 has brought into focus the need for startups to be consumer responsive, rapidly innovative, and fiercely competitive. High growth, demographics offer significant potential for startups Vietnam, driven by its growing internet penetration, smartphone adoption, and young demographics, offers huge potential for startups, especially ones focusing on fintech, e-commerce, and enterprise solutions. These sectors have attracted significant portions of funding in the last year. Other emerging sectors include education technology, agri-tech, and logistics. Note: This article was first published in June 2018, and has been updated to include the latest developments. Douglas Lippoldt, chief trade economist at HSBC Global Research Trade often delivers benefits domestically thanks to increases in productivity from economies of scale and specialisation, competition, and returns to investment in innovation. The economic gains generally outweigh any trade-related adjustment costs by a large margin. According to one big historical study, countries that liberalised their trade regimes were able to accelerate annual economic growth on average by about 1.5 percentage points. Among the Asia-Pacific nations we can see this in action. Global, regional, and bilateral accords are delivering increased market openness. This rules-based framework is helping to reduce policy uncertainty and impose discipline against unfair trade practices. Clearly, there is room for improvement, but overall this framework works well. The region has seen real GDP growth of 4.0 per cent or more annually since 2010, well ahead of the global average. Over the same period, export growth in the region has beaten the global average every year except for 2015-2016. HSBC forecasts that these trends will continue this year and the next. The Asia-Pacific region is demonstrating the potential of trade to contribute to improved welfare. However, the US administration is resisting such an open approach to trade. In striving for balanced bilateral trade flows, the US appears willing to limit imports as it promotes exports. The US has withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. It has proposed reforms to NAFTA, but announced its intention to withdraw if its requirements are not met. The US is not keen on new regional deals, preferring bilateral negotiations where it hopes to use its clout to win more concessions from partners. The US authorities have launched numerous trade actions under anti-dumping, countervailing duty, and safeguard provisions. Perhaps more unsettling for the multilateral trading system, the US has employed a tough interpretation of certain World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. In March, the US referenced national security concerns to impose new tariffs on steel and aluminium, going beyond the traditional view of the relevant WTO provisions. Despite granting some exclusions and temporary exemptions, this still set a potentially damaging precedent. In the case of China, the US also used a domestic law (already the subject of challenges at the WTO) to allege unfair trade practices and propose further tariffs on Chinese imports and investment. Fortunately, partner dialogue with the US on these issues continues. Formal consultations have been requested at the WTO by US partners, including some Asian-Pacific nations. Direct bilateral talks have been launched with China, South Korea, and Japan, among others. Indeed, South Korea concluded a revision of its bilateral agreement with the US, providing for some liberalisation. However, this also entailed South Koreas acceptance of restrictions on exports of steel to the US. Enforcement concerns have also been raised at the WTO, where the US has questioned the purview of WTO dispute resolution findings. While the use of strong trade actions may enable the US to gain negotiating clout, its willingness to exit from existing accords creates uncertainty about present and future deals. So far, most American trade partners have responded with moderation. China is a positive illustration, practising the "Art of non-war" as HSBCs China economics team has noted. Potentially more important economically are trade developments across the rest of the world. As the US share of global goods and services imports has slipped below 15 per cent, countries representing much of the other 85 per cent are still working towards liberalisation, including in the Asia-Pacific. Here are a few examples: Eleven countries signed the CPTPP (the revised Trans-Pacific Partnership) in March 2018, a big trade deal covering a region with a GDP of $10 trillion. The Chinese-led Belt and Road Initiative is underway, promoting trade-related investment that could total $1.4 trillion or more. Negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership are advancing, with the 22nd round completed in May; the next round is set for July 17-27 in Bangkok. Implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and related measures is progressing (the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific estimates full implementation could cut the cost to trade in the region by a quarter.) In May, the EU Council authorised trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand. The Council also adopted a ratification path for trade deals that could move pending accords with Japan, Singapore, and Vietnam. As trade liberalisation advances in the Asia-Pacific, the US risks missing out. Through negotiated market opening, the US could better tap into markets growing at 4 per cent annually or more, a mutually-beneficial prospect. Failure to do so could leave the US side-lined from one of the world's most dynamic regions. Deputy Dang Thi Phuong Thao from the northern provine of Nam Dinh stressed the negative consequences of such vices, both physically and mentally, on children which are already in dire need of proper attention. - VNA/VNS Photo Lam Khanh Discussing the National Assemblys supervision programme of 2019, National Assembly (NA) deputies said such activities were urgent and fitting with the countrys social and economic development. Deputy Au Thi Mai from the northern province of Tuyen Quang noted that of the 13.6 million ethnic people in Vietnam, accounting for 14 per cent of the countrys population, some 10 million are living in under-privileged areas. Despite attention and investment from the Party and the Government in recent years, those areas are still the poorest in the country, Mai said, adding that the poverty rate in ethnic areas is on average three times higher than the average rate of the country. On top of this, many ethnic minority villages are still not connected to the national power grid, and households have limited land for cultivation. Governments policies for ethnic minority areas still have loopholes and routinely fail to meet targets, she added, urging the National Assembly to closely supervise the sustainable poverty reduction programme in ethnic and mountainous areas, which was implemented in 2011, to solve shortcomings and develop more appropriate policies. Pointing out recent cases of children abuse, deputy Dang Thi Phuong Thao from the northern provine of Nam Dinh stressed the negative consequences of such vices, both physically and mentally, on children which are already in dire need of proper attention. According to statistics from the Child Protection and Care Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, by the end of 2017, Vietnam had an average of 2,000 children suffering from serious abuse who now require special care. This number is increasing, Thao said. She noted statistics from the Ministry of Public Security saying that in the first five months of 2018, more than 600 sexual abuse cases were reported, of these 84 per cent were on children. There are more than 10 agencies and organisations across the country responsible for child care and protection, but the situation is still ongoing, Thao said. To thoroughly solve this problem, child care and protection need to be added into the NAs supervision agenda, she said. Deputy Trieu Thi Thu Phuong from the northern province of Bac Kan asked for supervision on fire prevention and protection work, noting the increasing number of fires that caused severe loss of life and damage to property this year. The deputies also listened to a report on the revised Law on Peoples Police. The revised law had seven chapters, including 48 clauses, and supplemented four clauses, revised 31, and removed one clause from the previous 2014 law. In the afternoon, the deputies discussed in groups the revised Law on Peoples Police. DHG will follow Domesco to become the second no-FOL pharmaceutical in the country According to information from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HSX), on June 7 DHG officially submitted the dossiers related to lifting its FOL to the State Securities Commission. Previously, DHG's extraordinary annual general shareholders meeting held in late July 2017 approved the motion to remove the FOL. On June 6, Taisho Group completed the purchase of 650,000 shares, or 0.5 per cent of the charter capital, to increase its holding in DHG to 24.95 per cent, equaling 32.606 million shares. After the deal, Taisho is the biggest foreign shareholder, followed by FTIF Templeton Frontier Markets Fund. State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) is the biggest stakeholder with 43.3 per cent. DHG will be the second Vietnamese pharmaceutical to remove the FOL, following the third-biggest listed domestic drug maker Domesco (DMC) in 2017. Foreign pharmaceutical groups see the FOL removal as a positive signal. A clear path in converting partnerships into majority ownership would provide companies with much stronger grounds to convince their global headquarters to invest in Vietnam. Right after DMC scrapped its FOL, US-based Abbott Laboratories increased its stake in the company to 51.7 per cent, boosting its footprint in the local pharmaceuticals market. Hanoi City Tour Hop on-Hop off was launched in Hoan Kiem lake. Photo: hanoi.gov.vn vtc.vn quoted the representative of Hanoi Transport Corporation (Transeco), the developer of Hanoi City Tour Hop on-Hop off, as saying that 300 customers travelled on the double-deckers in the first two days. However, after one week, the number of customers is very small. Many people claimed the tickets were too expensive, especially when compared to fares for other buses. Transeco is selling double-decker tickets for VND300,000 ($13.2) for 4 hours, VND450,000 ($19.8) for 24 hours, and VND650,000 ($28.6) for 48 hours. Many people suggested that the investor should cut prices to better fit peoples wallets and lure in more customers. Trang (Hoan Kiem district) told website kenh14.vn: VND150,000 ($6.6) for two hours would be more reasonable, because I cannot travel for four hours. Taking with VIR about the ticket price, the representative of Anh Viet Hop on-Hop off Vietnam Co., Ltd., the co-developer of Hanoi City Tour Hop on-Hop off as well as the developer of Vietnams first double-decker buses launched in Ho Chi Minh City, said: This is the most reasonable price we could offer. On May 30, Hanoi City Tours Hop on-Hop off officially launched its double-decker buses at Hoan Kiem Lake. This is the first bus line for tourism in Hanoi. She explained that in fact, the ticket price in Vietnam is far lower than in other countries. In addition, the service s target customers are foreign visitors who want spend a lot of time to travel around the city. According to tourism website viator.com, double-decker fares in England fluctuate from $16.38 to $156.99, which is much higher than the price in Vietnam. Entering into co-operations with tourism companies may boost customer numbers, the representative added. Meanwhile, vtc.vn also quoted the explanation of Transecos representative: A large number of people are afraid that the double-decker bus ticket is just valid for a single bus. In fact, customers can get in and get off at any stop. Thus, the bus fare is more reasonable than the taxi alternative. Regarding the activities of the double-decker buses in Ho Chi Minh City two years after the launch, Anh Viet Hop on-Hop off Vietnams representative said that the number of passengers is usually the highest during the spring. Especially, in June-July business is a little slower because the rains and hot weather keep tourists off the streets. The index for industrial production in this years first five months rose by an astounding 9.7 per cent year-on-year, Photo: Le Toan Last week, the Network of German Chambers of Commerce Abroad released a survey of over 5,100 German firms around the world including in Vietnam conducted in March and April. Results showed that 95 per cent of respondents said they will continue investing in Vietnam, 67 per cent will hire more employees in the country, and 61 per cent are expecting better business performances. Results also showed that 67 per cent of respondents expected Vietnams medium-term economic trend to become better. The same number also said that the current business climate is good, while 61 per cent expected business trends for the coming 12 months to be better. Some 44 per cent also said they will expand their investment in the country. Vietnams economy is getting brighter, with local production strongly bouncing back. This has helped strengthen investors confidence and helped Vietnam attract more foreign investment, including investment from Germany, Marko Walde, chief representative of German Industry and Commerce in Vietnam, said at a German-Vietnamese forum held in May in Hanoi. At the Meet Europe 2018 conference organised on May 25 in Hanoi, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told hundreds of Vietnamese and European firms that in this years first five months, the economy continued its uptrend, which followed the development foundations laid in 2017. According to a EuroCham survey on Vietnams investment climate conducted in March 2018, 90 per cent of European firms wish to maintain or even increase their investment in Vietnam, Phuc said. I hope that the rate will be 100 per cent in the next survey. Vietnam must be an attractive long-term investment spot for all enterprises. The General Statistics Office (GSO) announced last week that the index for industrial production (IIP) in this years first five months rose by 9.7 per cent year-on-year, making it the highest five-month IIP increase since 2012. One of the biggest drivers of this growth is local production surging more than ever, especially industrial production. There are many reasons for us to believe in Vietnams brighter economic prospects from now until the years end, and over the next years, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung told the National Assembly (NA). According to GSO, in this years first five months, almost all key indexes of the economy witnessed significant increases. For example, the manufacturing and processing sector, which contributes to nearly 80 per cent of the economys industrial production growth, climbed by 11.8 per cent year-on-year, another record climb not seen in the first five months of a year since 2012. Production and distribution of electricity also rose strongly, at a rate of 10.6 per cent year-on-year. One of the biggest drivers of industrial manufacturing growth is the big hike of 18.7 per cent year-on-year in the production of electronics, laptops, and optical products, said GSO head Nguyen Bich Lam. This is greatly contributed to by South Koreas Samsung Electronics, which focused on producing high-end mobile phones in February and March. While discussing Vietnams economic prospects last week, many NA members expressed optimism, expecting the economy to continue its uptrend. In this years first quarter, the economy grew by 7.38 per cent year-on-year, the highest rise in the first quarter over the past 10 years. Vietnam has surpassed Indonesia to become a major exporter, while its economic scale is one-fifth of Indonesias, said deputy Le Minh Chuan representing the northern province of Quang Ninh. Vietnam is expected to grow by over 7 per cent this year thanks to local productions strong recovery, big exports, and major consumption power in the domestic market, said Chuan, who is also a member of the legislatures Economic Committee. I want to stress that Vietnams economic growth for 2018 will greatly benefit from the positive impacts of free trade agreements, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the countrys business climate improvements, and strong domestic consumption, Minister Dung said. Last week, the members of the State Appraisal Council for the eastern spur of the North-South Expressway project, including representatives of the Ministry of Transport (MoT), the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and others, appraised the feasibility study of the Nha Trang-Cam Lam section of the North-South Expressway project. The 29-kilometre Nha Trang-Cam Lam section is one of the eight sections of the project to be developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) format. It has a total investment capital of VND5.13 trillion ($228 million), with VND2.53 trillion ($112.44 million) to be sourced from the state budget and VND2.6 trillion ($115.55 million) to be contributed by investors. As planned, the feasibility study of this section will be adopted in July, thus enabling the country to shortlist potential investors one month later, ultimately kicking off construction in early 2020. Nha Trang-Cam Lam is one of five PPP sections that are slated to have their feasibility studies approved in July, while three others were planned to get approval for their feasibility studies in May. Some will shortlist potential investors in June, while the process for the others will take place in August. Also last week, the process of three state-funded sections of the project was fast-tracked as well. In addition, the council appraised the 15km Cao Bo-Mai Son section, which has a total investment capital of over VND1.6 trillion ($71 million), with VND360 billion ($16 million) to be used for site clearance. The consultant had to adjust the draft feasibility study after getting comments from council members. The feasibility study of this section was scheduled to be approved in May, a senior MoT official told VIR. On May 28, the government issued Document No.675/TTg-CN, approving the legal framework on site compensation, support, and resettlement for the Cam Lo-La Son section. The move will facilitate the drafting of the feasibility study. The 102km section will have a total investment capital of VND7.9 trillion ($351 million), of which VND843 billion ($37.46 million) will be sourced from the state budget for site clearance. The Cao Bo-Mai Son and Cam Lo-La Son sections are two of the three sections to be funded by the state. The other is the My Thuan Bridge 2 section. These recent steps are expected to help the project move forward on schedule and enable interested investors to prepare for the bidding, scheduled for 2019. Many foreign investors have already shown interest in the project, which is estimated to cost over VND118.7 trillion ($5.27 billion), with a total of over VND63 trillion ($2.86 billion) to be mobilised by investors with 654km to be built. It is considered an economically and politically important project. The list of sub-projects is very attractive for foreign investors, in particular European investors. EU firms have a good record of PPP projects in highways and airports, including projects implemented in developing countries looking to improve their transport infrastructure. The airport of Santiago and other projects in South America may be quoted as good examples, Antoine Logeay, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerces legal sector committee, told VIR. However, EU investors and others are concerned about the drafting of new regulations for PPP projects, particularly the Law on PPP Investment, although the country issued Decree No.63/2018/ND-CP in early May, with some never-before-seen changes to support PPP investors. Engineering and construction companies need the support of banks and other financial investors. This support is conditional upon a clear and efficient legal framework for PPP in Vietnam, said Antoine Logeay. Japan's finance ministry came under fire for its handling of the allegations of sexual misconduct against top official Junichi Fukuda (centre), who stepped down over the claims. (Photo: AFP/Jiji Press) "We are now preparing such a plan," a cabinet office official told AFP, adding that a final version will be presented at a meeting headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later this month. The move comes after the top bureaucrat at the Finance Ministry quit in April following allegations he sexually harassed female reporters. He denied the claims, but a ministry probe subsequently found the allegations credible and docked his retirement benefits. The finance ministry was slammed for its poor handling of the case, with Finance Minister Taro Aso initially dismissing the allegations and officials later calling on victims to come forward publicly. Earlier this week, a foreign ministry official in charge of Russian affairs was suspended for nine months, with Japanese media widely reporting he had been accused of sexual harassment. Foreign Minister Taro Kono has declined to clarify why the bureaucrat was suspended, citing the privacy of "the victim." The training plan could be approved as early as next week at the meeting entitled "Base for creating a society where all women shine," that Abe will head, the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper reported. How many officials will be required to undergo the training remains unclear, though some media reported it may become mandatory for bureaucrats seeking promotion. Abe has made increasing female participation in the workforce a key plank of his economic policies as Japan struggles with a labour shortage. But the country ranked bottom among G7 countries in the World Economic Forum's latest Global Gender Gap Report, coming 114th worldwide. It scored poorly on women's participation in the economy and political involvement. The #MeToo movement has sometimes seemed to have skipped Japan, though some observers said the outcry over the finance ministry case suggested a reckoning could now happen in the country too. The sexual harassment scandal at the finance ministry has proved an additional headache for Abe, whose government is already under fire over two cronyism scandals - one of which involves the scrubbing of documents by the finance ministry. In light of your reported VND800 billion ($35.2 million) losses, will Lotte withdraw or at least reduce your investments in Vietnam? No, we will not withdraw or reduce investment capital. Lotte Vietnam Shopping is committed to long-term investment in Vietnam, so there will be no backing down. We anticipated difficulties in the initial stage of investment, however, with the strong potential of the parent company in South Korea, we will continue to develop, invest, and do business in Vietnam. All issues so far have been calculated into the long-term investment plan of Lotte Mart in Vietnam. Lotte Mart in District 7 of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Le Toan We heard that Lotte has reduced its investment capital in China. What is your investment strategy in Southeast Asia? What role do you envision for Vietnam in Lotte's investment strategy? In our view, Vietnam is the most promising retail market in Asia, for a number of reasons, such as the young labour force which makes up the majority of the population, the increasing urbanisation not only in the major provinces and cities, but also in junior provinces, which have been actively developing their infrastructure system. The country has also been narrowing the area of agricultural production and widening industrial and service trade. All of this restructuring is attracting investors. Therefore, Vietnam is considered a suitable destination for Lotte Mart in the coming time. I may say that Vietnam is in the long-term visions of Korean enterprises. Lotte Vietnam Shopping is currently experiencing losses at some of its centres, such as the one in District 11, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai province. How will you improve business efficiency in these centres or will you close them to restructure investment flows? Truth be told, the losses in the above-mentioned commercial centres were beyond our expectations, but are due to outside reasons (such as changes in the investment plan). This is a great challenge for us. We need time for our on-going development plans to yield fruit and to make these centres operate efficiently and profitably. The idea of closing down these centres has not even occurred to us, because we think that profitability is only a matter of time. Measures to improve, renovate, and earn experience from inefficient business will be deployed to help these centres operate effectively and contribute to the overall business results of the company. We hope that with our continuous solutions, along with the completion of the plans from the government, these centres will soon operate more effectively. Lotte Vietnam Shopping has also set the target for profitability by 2020. Please clarify, based on what data did you come up with this forecast? Over time, we have been trying to improve the effectiveness of these centres and learn from our experiences in opening new centres. Recently opened centres (like Lotte Mart Go Vap in Ho Chi Minh City and Lotte Mart Nha Trang) have been operating very well. These good results have been cutting down our accumulated losses each year. We expect that by 2019 we will start to generate operating profit, helping Lotte Marts operation become more lucrative and more efficient in Vietnam. The potential of the Vietnamese retail market is clear, however, what challenges does Lotte Vietnam Shopping see for investors in general, and your company in particular? The Vietnamese retail market hold great potential. However, retailers have to deal with many challenges when investing. There is tough competition and consumption habits vary by region. At Lotte, we have learned many lessons from the opening of our new centres: the efficient model needs to be convenient, customer friendly, and meet the increasing demands of consumers. How does Lotte Vietnam Shopping plan to promote business in Vietnam? At present, we are making strong investments in the field of e-commerce through our online mobile application so that customers can shop and order goods conveniently through smart phone. This is an already budding trend in the retail industry. In addition, we will also renovate, improve, and restructure ineffective centres, and will invest more into facilities and products and services to attract customers. We want to better connect with customers in Vietnam, the same way we did in our home country, Korea. Read more about Lotte Group subsidiaries in Vietnam in VIR's printed publication released on June 11. Migrants build temporary houses on the isolated land. - Photo danviet.vn Their 18-month-old baby, Ly Thi Hoa, who had her hand burned by boiled water four days ago, is playing on the ground, and occasionally crying out in pain. Xi said that he bought medicine for his young daughter. The pain will wear off after a few days. My house is too far from the hospital so I cannot take my daughter there, he told Nong Thon Ngay Nay (Countryside Today) newspaper. His house is one of thoses located in an isolated area in the middle of a forest in Ea Sup District in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, where there is an without electricity, clean water, schools or clinics. The area is called Zone 286 of Cu MLan Commune, and is some 15km from Yok Don National Park. The commune is home to more than 100 migrant families, with nearly 700 residents in total. They moved here to earn a living off of the forest. About 500m from Xis family is 78-year-old Ly Seo Cos house. The old man has been living in the Central Highlands region for 11 years. Before migrating to Cu MLan District, he used to live with his children in Mdrak Commune in Krong Pak District, about 160km from Cu MLan District. Since settling down in the isolated commune, his grandchildren stopped going to school. They went to school when we lived in Mdrak Commune. Now the closest school is 20km from my house. When they grow up, they will tend to the fields with their parents. When they get older, then they will get married. Thats all, he said. Fourteen-year-old Ly Thi Tra had to drop out of school before finishing grade 5, since she and her parents moved to the isolated area. Now I stay at home to take care of my younger sisters and brothers. I miss school, she said. Instead of going to school, all the children of more than 100 migrant families in Cu MLan Commune stay at home and do housework, or follow their parents to the fields. Facing thieves Running a small grocery store as a main source of living, Ly Seo Xi and his wife did not expect one day someone would break into their property and rob it. One day, my family went away for the whole day. When we came back, there was nothing left, even the chickens and dogs were gone, he said. His family did not dare to report the thief to the local authorities. We have to accept the loss, and we can do nothing because we are migrants and live here without permission from the local authorities. I had to take a loan of VND20 million (US$870,000) to buy new goods for my shop but do not know when I can pay back the loan, he said. Twenty-six-year-old Cu Vi Xa bought a new land lot covering 3ha in Cu MLan Commune. Shortly after a new house was built on the land, some strangers armed with weapons came and claimed the land lots ownership. Xa did not do anything but took his wife and children to hide in the mountain area. We just moved in so we do not dare to fight with them, he said, adding that two migrants died in Ea Bung Commune when they tried to react to land claimers aggressive actions. Sung Xe Cho, 50 years old, a migrant from Yen Minh District of Ha Giang Province, said, Our life is so simple that we only need water to drink and land to plant seeds. We only want to live and earn some money from the land. We have become a community, he said, adding that the migrants intend to tell more of their relatives to move to the land. We want to ask for local authorities permission to set up a village with a school and a community house, he said. According to Ea Sup Districts Peoples Committee, the local authorities have mobilised sources to stabilise and improve the lives of migrant families. However, due to a limited budget, the projects have yet to have a meaningful effect on the daily lives of migrants. While waiting for proper solutions from local authorities, the migrants will continue to live together in an isolated oasis. Chinese investor refused to take over notorious Chu Lai Soda This was announced by Deputy Chairman of the Quang Nam Peoples Committee Huynh Khanh Toan. Toan affirmed to local media that the province will take control of Chu Lai Soda in order to prevent it from selling the factory to another Chinese investor. The soda manufacturing plant has gained notoriety after repeated violations and pollution incidents since it came into pilot operation in June 2015. It was even temporarily closed from August 2016 due to its relapses and delays in paying the fines. The problem is that the factorys closing left the massive debts unpaid. A total of VND3.34 trillion payables, including debts from state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) and other banks, value-added tax, salary for employees, and land-renting fees were left hanging. Numerous investors, including foreign investors, intend to invest in the suspended Chu Lai Soda processing factory. Agribank provided a loan worth over VND2 trillion to Chu Lai Soda to develop the project. However, after the environmental incidents, this sum became a bad debt for Agribank. According to the Quang Nam Peoples Committees report to the prime minister, Chu Lai Soda increased co-operation with banks to find a way to resume the plants operation as soon as possible. The representatives of Chu Lai Soda and banks to which Chu Lai Soda owes money arrived to China to join a working session with China Tianchen Engineering Corporation (TCC) to discuss plans to solve environmental issues at the factory. Besides, Chu Lai Soda and Agribank worked with another Chinese soda manufacturer to resume the factorys operation with a higher capacity. Toan said that the province is waiting for the assignment from the prime minister. Previously, in the report submitted to the prime minister, the Quang Nam Peoples Committee mentioned that numerous investors, including foreign investors, intend to invest in the suspended Chu Lai Soda processing factory. However, the list of interested investors has not been disclosed. Japanese firms continue to invest in local development, from healthcare and high technology to retail and aviation, photo Le Toan - State President Tran Dai Quang may be the only state guest of Japan in 2018. His visit to Japan is the most important event out of over 100 events organised by the two countries this year to celebrate their 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations. - From 1992 to the 2016 fiscal year, Japan committed $30.5 billion in official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam. In 2017, the two sides signed deals worth over $1 billion in ODA. During this visit, Japan committed to an ODA sum worth $142 million for Vietnam to develop vocational training. - Bilateral trade turnover hit $33.4 billion last year, and $8.7 billion in this years first quarter. - Vietnam and Japan upgraded their relationship to the Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia in 2014. - Japan was the first of the G7 nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US) to welcome a visit by Vietnams Party General Secretary (1995), to forge a strategic partnership with Vietnam (2009), to recognise Vietnams market economy status (2011), and to invite Vietnam to attend the G7 Summit (Japan 2016). Japans International Total Engineering Corporation (ITEC) is now busy partaking in the design of a multimillion-dollar project to build a 40ha high-tech healthcare complex in Hanoi. The projects investor is Vietnams TH International Medical Development JSC. One year ago, in Tokyo, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on developing this 50-year project was signed. Under the MoU, ITEC will supply services for management, operation, and human resources training for this complex. All doctors and nurses at the complex will receive ITEC training. It is expected that construction will begin later this year and take three years to complete. This project is among many upcoming projects either partaken in or invested in by Japanese firms in Hanoi and other localities in Vietnam. Last week in Tokyo, Japans NIDEC Corporation was licensed for a project worth $1 billion in Hanois Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park. NIDEC is finalising procedures for construction in order to operate the plant in 2019s first quarter. The plant will manufacture electric motors. Also last week in Tokyo, AEON Group was licensed to build a $180 million mall in the northern city of Haiphong. In March, AEON commenced construction of its mall in Hanois Ha Dong district, with a total capital of $90.4 billion. The general contractor designing and constructing the project is a joint venture between Hoa Binh Construction Corporation and Kajima Corporation. This is the second AEON mall in Hanoi, and the fifth in Vietnam. Heavy investments NIDEC and AEON are among many Japanese firms to have received investment licences during Vietnamese State President Tran Dai Quangs state visit to Japan from May 29 to June 2, during which firms and localities from the two countries finalised deals worth about $1 billion, focusing on many projects in Vietnam relating to aviation, retail, garment and textile, renewable energy, IT, and urban development. For example, Vietjet Air launched a direct air route linking Hanoi and Japans Osaka, which will officially become operational from November 8. This is Vietjets first foray into Japan. In the future, Vietjet Air will continue many more air routes from Vietnam to other cities in Japan, said the firms deputy general director Nguyen Thi Thuy Binh. Vietjet also signed an MoU on aircraft financing worth nearly $600 million with Japanese financial firms SBI Leasing Services and Natixis. In another case, Vietnams central province of Quang Tri made a deal with Japans largest egg producer, ISE Food INC. Besides egg production, the two sides will construct a solar power plant and invest in high-tech breeding and food processing in the province. Last November, firms from Vietnam and Japan also finalised co-operation agreements worth about $5 billion, as witnessed by both President Quang and Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at their meeting in the central city of Danang. The agreements relate to some thermal power plants in Vietnam, including Nghi Son 2, Van Phong 1, and Vung Ang 2. There is also a co-operation deal between Japans Mitsui Bussan and PetroVietnam. Japans Deputy Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Yoji Muto said at the Japan-Vietnam Business Forum during Quangs visit to Japan that Vietnam has high economic growth, with rising demand for infrastructure which is attracting Japanese firms. Vietnam is becoming an extremely valuable economic partner of Japanese enterprises, Muto said. As of April 20, 2018, Japan was Vietnams second-largest foreign investor, with 3,725 valid investment projects registered at over $50.5 billion. In 2017, Vietnam attracted $9.11 billion in Japanese investment, four times more than in 2016. Japan currently has over 2,500 firms in Vietnam, including many large ones such as Sony, Panasonic, Canon, Mitsubishi, and Marubeni. The largest project is a $2.79 billion coal power plant invested by Japans Marubeni and Korea Electric Power Corporation in the province of Thanh Hoa. The project, implemented via a build-operate-transfer contract, is expected to become operational in 2021. Sumitomos $2.64 billion coal plant in the province of Khanh Hoa will be another notable project, expected to commence operations by 2022, while Mitsui Oil Exploration is participating in a $1.27 billion gas pipeline project in Kien Giang province. Japans small- and medium-sized manufacturers, distributors, and service companies have stepped up spending, and more firms are buying into Vietnamese enterprises. For example, Sekisui Chemical acquired a 15-per-cent stake in state-owned Tien Phong Plastic in October 2017 as part of Vietnams reforms to state enterprises. Strong commitments During his stay in Japan, State President Quang met with Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and other leaders. The two sides vowed to further the two countries investment ties. While meeting with the chairpeople of many large member companies of the Japan Business Federation and Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Quang stated that Vietnam treasures private investors and foreign direct investment as an important impetus for its socio-economic development. We encourage Japanese firms and investors to invest into Vietnam in the sectors of infrastructure, supporting industry, high-tech agriculture, energy, environment, finance, and banking. Japanese firms and investors are also encouraged to participate in the equitisation of state-owned enterprises in Vietnam, and to provide training for Vietnams work force, Quang said. The state of Vietnam commits to create the best conditions for Japanese firms to effectively do stable, long-term business in Vietnam. We always consider your success in Vietnam the countrys success. According to Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Umeda Kunio, the two countries share many strategic interests. For Japan, Vietnam is a reliable partner. Currently, Vietnam is grabbing development opportunities and its sustainable development is in line with Japans national interests. Japan wishes to boost co-operation with Vietnam in the sectors of infrastructure and human resources in support of Vietnams on-going administrative and financial reforms, Kunio said. ITEC, as well as co-operating with TH International Medical, will continue to co-operate with many other firms and hospitals in Vietnam to provide design and training services. Since 2012, ITEC has implemented dozens of projects in Vietnam. I believe trust is the most important element of our business, because trust can only be gained through satisfactory results from professional consulting services. We will continue to make every effort to provide the very best services to clients in the corporate spirit of self-discipline, reinvention, and creativity, said ITECs president Johtaro Seki. - O . . 28 ... North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and US President Donald Trump. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) At a White House news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump also repeated what he said last week that it was possible he and Kim could sign an agreement to end the 1950-53 Korean War, which was concluded only with a truce, not a peace treaty. "We could sign an agreement, as you know that would be a first step ... We're looking at it, we're talking about it with a lot of other people," Trump told reporters. "That's probably the easy part. The hard part remains after that." Trump added that he hoped someday U.S. relations with Kim's secretive Pyongyang government could be normalized. The main issue for the June 12 summit in Singapore is the U.S. demand for North Korea to abandon a nuclear weapons programme that now threatens the United States. North Korea has rejected giving up its arsenal unilaterally and defends its nuclear and missile programs as a deterrent against what it sees as U.S. aggression. The United States stations 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the Korean War. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday reemphasised Washington's stance going into the talks. Pompeo said Trump will reject anything short of "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. "President Trump is hopeful. But he's also going into the summit with his eyes wide open," Pompeo said at a White House briefing after the Trump-Abe news conference. Pompeo, however, added that the U.S. would work to guarantee North Korea's security should it denuclearize. Trump "is prepared to ensure a DPRK free of its weapons of mass destruction is also a secure North Korea," Pompeo said. Pompeo plans to stay in the region following the summit to meet with officials from Japan and South Korea and to travel to China, an important North Korean ally, to discuss the next steps involving Pyongyang. TRUMP WARNING Trump told reporters on Thursday he would quit the talks if he felt he must, and would ramp up U.S. sanctions pressure on North Korea if the talks did not go well. "I am totally prepared to walk away," he said. On the other hand, Trump said he might extend an invitation to Kim to Washington. "Certainly if it goes well. I think it would be well received," he said in answer to a question. "I think he would look at it very favourably so I think that could happen." Pompeo, who has twice met with Kim in Pyongyang, said he believes the North Korean leader is prepared to take "bold" steps to alter the course of his nation. "He has indicated to me personally that he is prepared to denuclearize," Pompeo said. "That he understands that the current model doesn't work, that he's prepared to denuclearize and that two, he understands that we can't do it the way we've done it before. That is has to be big and bold and we have to agree to making major changes." Asked whether the two sides had narrowed their differences on how they defined denuclearization, Pompeo said they had, but he declined to give details. U.S. officials said Kim had indicated he was willing to make a pledge to denuclearize, but had never made it clear if this would mean simply halting development of the weapons programme where it stands or also disposing of its existing nuclear arsenal. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they expect that the Singapore summit will yield nothing more than a vague "end of war declaration" and leave the main issues on defining denuclearization for further negotiations. North Korea has argued for a "phased" approach to denuclearization of the entire Korean peninsula, which in the past has also meant removal of the U.S. nuclear umbrella protecting Washington's allies South Korea and Japan. At the meeting with Abe, Trump said he promised to raise with Kim the subject of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea, after Abe focussed on the issue during an earlier conversation. "He talked about it long and hard and passionately and I will follow his wishes and we will be discussing that with North Korea absolutely, absolutely," Trump said. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who announced a deal to ease sanctions on Chinese firm ZTE, is seen at a Jun 3 meeting in Beijing with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He. (AFP/Andy Wong) US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who announced the deal, reiterated a denial that there was any connection between the two. But the ZTE settlement comes just days after Beijing reportedly offered to ramp up purchases of American goods to help cut the yawning trade imbalance with the United States - moving part-way towards meeting a major demand of US President Donald Trump. The defusing of tensions with Beijing is good news for Trump, who is preparing to face outraged allies at this week's Group of Seven summit in Canada, where Europe and Canada will voice their strenuous objections to US steel and metal tariffs. Not all was rosy - US lawmakers threatened legal action against the ZTE deal, saying the telecoms firm posed an "espionage risk" to the United States in addition to having violated its sanctions on Iran and North Korea. Ross told CNBC on Thursday the deal was tough and would keep ZTE on a short leash. "This is a pretty strict settlement - the strictest and largest settlement fine that has ever been brought by the Commerce Department against any violator of export controls," he said. In April, Washington banned the sale of crucial US components to the company after finding it had repeatedly lied and failed to take action against workers responsible for the sanctions violations. The company was fined US$1.2 billion last year. But under the deal announced on Thursday, ZTE will pay an additional US$1 billion penalty and put another US$400 million in escrow to cover possible future violations. ZTE will also be required to change its entire board of directors and hire outside legal compliance specialists who will report to the Commerce Department for 10 years. In return, Washington will strike the company from a sanctions list. ANOTHER SHOE TO DROP? Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers threatened to take congressional action that could block or alter the deal, calling ZTE a threat to US national security. "There is absolutely no good reason that ZTE should get a second chance and this decision marks a 180-degree turn away from the president's promise to be tough on China," Chuck Schumer, the Senate's top Democrat, said in a statement. "It's up to Congress now to act to reverse the deal." Republican Senator Marco Rubio said: "After today's decision to give #ZTE a pass, we have introduced a bipartisan amendment to restore penalties on ZTE." The clash raised the prospect that Trump's own Republican party could work to undermine key planks of his trade agenda. Despite the settlement, there was no sign Trump had veered from plans this month to impose as much as US$50 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports to punish Beijing for its alleged theft of American technology and know-how. Washington and Beijing have pursued a halting series of trade talks, with Trump demanding a US$200 billion reduction in its trade deficit with China. Ross insisted the ZTE deal was an enforcement matter unrelated to the trade talks, which he has led. "It happens that I have been involved with the other negotiations with China. But that's quite separate," he told CNBC. But Ross's denial appeared to conflict with Trump's own public statements. In a tweet posted May 14, Trump said the new ZTE deal was "reflective of the larger trade deal we are negotiating with China." US officials say China last weekend offered to buy an additional US$70 billion in US goods to cut the trade deficit - on condition that Trump call off the planned tech-sector tariffs. William Reinsch, a trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the ZTE offer suggested Beijing had made concessions to Trump on trade but it remained unclear whether these were of equal value. Beijing's reported offer to buy $70 billion in goods was "peanuts" compared to the $200 billion cut in the US trade deficit with China that Trump demanded, Reinsch told AFP. "It's hard to believe there's no linkage but Ross clearly left Beijing without anything last weekend," he said. "I think there's another shoe to drop." Vietnam needs to focus on developing the wind power industry and implementing transparent policies on granting investment licences to wind power projects.-Photo vov.vn Experts said at a seminar on the development of wind power in Vietnam held in Hanoi on June 7 by the German and Danish embassies, alongside the GIZ German international cooperation organisation. The seminar was a chance for Vietnam to learn from experiences of foreign countries and international experts in the development of wind power. During the seminar, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) said that to abolish some of the major barriers and to bring into play the full potential of Viet Nams wind power, the Government must increase its support for the development of the industry. Secretary General of GWEC Steve Sawyer said that the organisation intends to help Viet Nam reap the benefits of the wind power sector, which are a clean and affordable energy source for economic development, the enhancement of energy security and the development of technology. According to GWEC, the council is ready to help create favourable conditions and to support Viet Nam in wind power development. To develop the wind power industry, Viet Nam needs to establish a national wind power association and boost the sector to take advantages of wind resources. According to a representative of the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ), Vietnam has many problems in wind power development, including policy, technology, the cost of exploiting wind power and integration of wind power into the national grid. In addition, Vietnam should continue to standardise electricity trading contracts for wind power projects under international standards. The process of getting approval for such projects should be simplified to increase the confidence of investors. According to the adjusted power plan VII, Vietnam has set a target of reaching a wind power capacity of 800MW by 2020 and 6,000MW by 2030. However, the development of the sector is still very slow. At present, only seven projects have been put into operation, with a total capacity of 190MW. Meanwhile, many countries in the world have developed and successfully utilised the benefits of wind power, including China and India, who are making strong progress in this area and have achieved unexpected results. At the seminar, Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy head of the Electricity and Renewable Energy Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said there are still many difficulties that the sector is facing, such as land use, limited capital, hesitancy to approach new technology and a lack of backup power. The selling price of wind power is currently not attractive enough for investors. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has been studying a suitable level of selling price in the coming time to ensure fairness between renewable energy sources, and to reflect current technology in the world, said Thanh. The ministry aims to continue receiving expertise from relevant groups, corporations and experts in the field of energy especially renewable energy, including experiences in exploiting the potential of wind and solar energy in regions with different terrain and climate, and experiences in integrating renewable energy sources into the power grid. The ministry is currently advising the Government in deciding a proper strategy to develop the countrys power sector to ensure energy security and to reduce negative impacts on the environment. The ministry will propose policies to encourage the development of renewable energy. It also hopes to continue receiving support from the German Government, the Danish Government and international organisations when developing both the energy and renewable energy sectors. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. In the western Utah desert, the Telescope Array sprawls across an area the size of New York City, waiting for cosmic rays. The facility detects the high-energy particles that collide with Earths atmosphere constantly; the cosmic rays trigger the 500-plus sensors once every few minutes. While pouring over data in 2013, Telescope Array physicists discovered a strange particle signature, the photon equivalent of a light drizzle punctuated by a fire hose. The array had unexpectedly recorded an extremely rare phenomenon gamma rays, the highest-energy light waves on the electromagnetic spectrum, produced by lightning strikes that beam the radiation downward toward the Earths surface. Five years later, an international team led by the Cosmic Ray Group at the University of Utah has observed the so-called downward terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) in more detail than ever before. The Telescope Array detected 10 bursts of downward TGFs between 2014 and 2016, more events than have been observed in the rest of the world combined. The Telescope Array Lightning Project is the first to detect downward TGFs at the beginning of cloud-to-ground lightning, and to show where they originated inside thunderstorms. The Telescope Array is the only facility capable of documenting the full TGF footprint on the ground, and show that the gamma rays cover an area 3-5 km in diameter. The lead author of the study, which was published in The Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Rasha Abbasi, said: Whats really cool is that the Telescope Array was not designed to detect these. We are 100 times bigger than other experiments, and our detector response time is much faster. All of these factors give us the ability that we werent aware of we can look at lightning in a way that nobody else can. An accidentally perfect laboratory The work builds on a study published by the group last year that established a strong correlation between similar bursts of energetic particle showers detected between 2008 and 2013, and lightning activity recorded by the National Lightning Detection Network. The physicists were stunned. John Belz, professor of physics and principal investigator of the National Science Foundation-funded Telescope Array Lightning Project, said: It was BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM. Like, four or five triggers of the detectors occurring within a millisecond. Much faster than could be expected by cosmic rays. We realized eventually that all of these strange events occurred when the weather was bad. So, we looked at the National Lightning Detection Network and, low and behold, there would be a lightning strike, and within a millisecond we would get a burst of triggers. The researchers brought in lightning experts from the Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research at New Mexico Tech to help study the lightning in more detail. They installed a nine-station Lightning Mapping Array developed by the group, which produces 3-D images of radio-frequency radiation that lightning emits inside a storm. In 2014, they installed an additional instrument in the center of the array, called a slow antenna, that records changes in the storms electric charge caused by the lightning discharge. Paul Krehbiel, a long-time lightning researcher at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and co-author of the study, said: Taken together, the Telescope Array detections and the lightning observations constitute a major advance in our understanding of TGFs. Prior to this, TGFs were primarily detected by satellites, with little or no ground-based data to indicate how they are produced. In addition to providing much better areal coverage for detecting the gamma rays, the array measurements are much closer to the TGF source and show that the gamma rays are produced in short duration bursts, each lasting only ten to a few tens of microseconds. Gamma Rays produced by lightning Until a FERMI satellite recorded the first TGF in 1994, physicists thought only violent celestial events, such as exploding stars, could produce gamma rays. Gradually, scientists determined that the rays were produced in the initial milliseconds of upward intracloud lightning, which beamed the gamma rays into space. Since discovering these upward TGFs, physicists have wondered whether cloud-to-ground lightning could produce similar TGFs that beam downward to the Earths surface. Previously, only six downward TGFs had ever been recorded, two of which came from artificially-induced lightning experiments. The remaining four studies with natural lightning report TGFs originating much later, after the lightning had already struck the ground. The arrays observations are the first to show that downward TGFs occur in the initial breakdown stage of lightning, similar to the satellite observations. Addasi said: The downward-going TGFs are coming from a similar source as the upward ones. We safely assume that we have similar physics going on. What we see on the ground can help explain what they see in the satellites, and we can combine those pictures in order to understand the mechanism of how it happens. Krehbiel added: The mechanism that produces the gamma rays has yet to be figured out. Whats next The researchers have many questions left unanswered. For example, not all lightning strikes create flashes. Is that because only one particular type of lightning initiation produces them? Are the scientists only seeing a subset of TGFs that happen to be large enough, or point in the right direction, to be detected? The team hopes to bring additional sensors to the Telescope Array to enhance the lightning measurements. In particular, installing a radio-static detecting fast antenna would enable the physicists to see the substructure in the electric field changes at the beginning of the flash. Belz added: By bringing other types of lightning detectors and expanding the effort, I think we can become a significant player in this area of research. Provided by: the University of Utah [Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.] Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest The event on June 2nd (the day in 1946 when Italy became a Republic) was not a military parade, not even a parade, but a "review", according to the Ministry of Defense that directed it (Minister Pinottis final act). The parade at the Fori Imperiali - in front of the newly-installed government - was symbolically opened by 330 mayors representing civil society, followed by all the sectors of the Armed Forces, to celebrate "Italians Day - United for the Country. In his message, President of the Republic Mattarella expressed the gratitude of the Italian people to the Armed Forces for "the precious work they carry out in many troubled regions of the world to assist the populations who suffer from armed conflict", a work based on "our Constitutional Charter, architrave of the Institutions and fundamental benchmark for all. As the military units paraded, the announcers listed the military missions in which Italian armed forces are engaged in over 20 countries: from Kosovo to Iraq and Afghanistan, from Lebanon to Libya and Latvia, from Somalia to Djibouti and Niger. In other words, they listed the wars and other military operations in which Italy has participated and is still participating, in violation of its own Constitution, in the framework of the USA/NATOs aggressive expansionist strategy. The number of military operations abroad in which Italy is engaged is constantly increasing. On June 5, on behalf of NATO, Italian Eurofighter Typhoon fighter-bombers began, together with units of the Greek airforce, to "protect" the airspace of Montenegro, the latest member of the Alliance. Italian fighter-bombers already "protect" the skies of Slovenia, Albania and Estonia from the "Russian threat". Italian warships are preparing to sail to the Pacific, where they will participate in RIMPAC 2018, the largest naval exercise in the world. The military navies of 27 countries will be taking part in the exercise, under US command, directed against China (accused by the US of "expansion and coercion" in the South Chinese Sea). Italian special forces participated in Niger in an exercise run by United States Africa Command, sponsored by the European Union, in which about 1,900 soldiers from 20 African countries were trained. In Niger, where the US is building a large base in Agadez for armed drones and special forces, Italy is preparing to build a base that will initially host 470 soldiers, 130 military vehicles and 2 aircraft. The official purpose of the operation, hampered by opposition within the Nigerian government, is to help Niger and its neighbors to fight terrorism. The real purpose is to participate, in the wake of France and the United States, in the military control of a region rich in raw materials - gold, diamonds, uranium, coltan, oil and many others - of which not even crumbs go to the population, who mostly exist in a state of extreme poverty. As a result, social tension is growing, and consequently, also the migratory flow towards Europe. The new government intends to "re-evaluate our presence in international missions in terms of their effective importance for the national interest". To do so, however, it is necessary to determine what the national interest is. That is, whether Italy should remain within the war system dominated by the US and by the major European powers, or should decide to be a sovereign and neutral country based on the principles of its Constitution. Internal policy and foreign policy are two sides of the same coin: there can not be real freedom at home if Italy, subverting Article 11 [1], uses war as an instrument of offense to the freedom of other peoples. American Woman Liberation Season 1 Episode 1 Editors Rating 3 stars * * * A scene from American Woman. Photo: Paramount Network Here at the Real Housewives Institute we have sat as judge, jury, and sometimes executioner on so many heinous acts. We sat and judged women as they fell in bushes, flipped tables, fell off camels, planted their faces into cakes while the candles were still lit, asked a vaping psychic for a reading, threw gummy bears in the faces of well wishers, and of course, pulled at each others wigs on a sidewalk in front of Michael Lohan. But never, not even once, have we been asked to sit and judge a member of the unscripted royaltys scripted television comedy. Yet, thanks to co-executive producer Kyle Richards, that is just what we are here to do. For several seasons weve seen this Real Housewife of Beverly Hills creating and filming this series loosely based on her mother, which also happens to be the mother of her co-star Kim Richards and their half-sister Kathy Hilton (mother of Paris and host of I Want to Be a Hilton). Weve also seen the drama that it caused in her family, particularly with her sister Kathy who thinks that Kyle sold out their private life for a little bit of TV money. Was it all worth it? Honestly, I think it kind of was. There is something of a stiffness to the program, but the silly one-liners and bald-faced female empowerment vibe of a mother striking out on her own in Beverly Hills in 1975 is well worth it. Who am I kidding? The outfits are well worth it. I want every single outfit worn by Bonnie (Alicia Silverstone) for my Fire Island drag bag right this second. They are, all, both flowing and formfitting at the same time. I feel like the wardrobe coordinator for the show might be Kyle by Alene Too because Kyle has the same exact style. Also, much like Kyle, Bonnie never covers her shoulders, even when shes wearing full sleeves. We find out that Bonnie Nolan got knocked up when she was young and it thwarted her burgeoning career as an actress. Now shes married to a successful real estate agent and spending her sun-dappled afternoons taking care of the house and making him the perfect Old Fashioned when he walks in the door to complain about his long day at work. Something is brewing not just inside Bonnie but also in the country. She sees something on the television about how women should be entitled to their careers as well, or at least their choice to have a career or not. Her husband, Steve (James Tupper), doesnt share this philosophy and thinks that women have a pretty good deal just making dinners, planning parties, and wearing all of those flowing yet formfitting dresses. But its Steve who messes things up. After a dinner with a younger couple that just moved to town and joined the agency, Bonnie discovers that Steve is wearing new cologne. While chatting with her sister Kathleen at the country club, she hears about a woman on Donahue who found out that her husband was cheating when he changed his cologne. When Steve calls in with a work emergency that night, Bonnie tails him and discovers that hes sleeping with another woman. This outing with the children in the back seat (which Bonnie likens to a cheaper version of a roller coaster) was hopefully not inspired by real life, but it was the best part of the episode. Silverstone does a great job with Bonnie, giving her both a Stepford Wife passivity and a little bit of psychosis crackling just beneath her thin veneer of hairspray and expensive manicures. As shes trudging with the kids to spy on her husband or, better yet, when she starts threatening the thugs trailing her through a bad part of town, you get the feeling that Bonnie is just crazy enough to go full Lorena Bobbitt on Steve. When he arrives home she confronts him and immediately kicks him out, getting even firmer in her resolve when he tries to get a bit physical. The next day Bonnie throws the big birthday party shes been planning for Steves birthday, even though he has been disinvited. The kids were invited though, partying with the grownups who were hopefully responsible enough to keep the martinis out of their hands. Her hangover the next morning is interrupted by the cops looking for her husband. Turns out hes about to be under arrest and Bonnie could lose the home that she was just willing to risk everything for. Alright, Im intrigued enough to tune in next episode. Well, Im getting paid to tune in next episode, but hopefully youre hooked. Theres also some possibility in Bonnies two besties, her sister Kathleen (Mena Suvari) who has a thick Texas drawl even though Bonnie sounds like she grew up at a boarding school somewhere near Farmington, Connecticut. Kathleen seems to have a lot of money as well, whereas Bonnie is struggling without her husband. Kathleen is parting with that money though. Her new boyfriend Greg (Cheyenne Jackson) has convinced her that they should open their own casting agency, with Greg doing all the casting and Kathleen just writing the checks. Just wait until she finds out that Greg would much rather be making out with the pool boy than shacking up with her. (And quite an attractive pool boy he is.) Their third amigo is Diana (Jennifer Bartels). We dont know much about her quite yet except shes a career gal who works at a bank for a boss who tells her she has nice tits every day. Also she looks like she would be a really good dancer, but I am basing that on absolutely nothing other than a gut feeling. Sadly, this episode we dont get to see much of Bonnies kids Becca and Jessica (Makenna James and Lia McHugh), but based on the life of Kyles mom Big Kathy shes going to be pushing them into show business sometime very soon to make ends meet. So far it seems like the Real Housewives arent just good at reality TV but TV in general. Lets just hope they can keep this act up. Photo: Mike Pont/WireImage Tonight, CNN will air a special tribute to the chef, writer, and TV host Anthony Bourdain, who was found dead early this morning. The network, which has aired Bourdains series Parts Unknown since 2013, said in a statement that it will air Remembering Anthony Bourdain tonight at 10 p.m. ET. On Saturday June 9, starting at 8 p.m., it will air Bourdains favorite episodes of Parts Unknown; on Sunday, it will air its regularly scheduled episode of Parts Unknown, in which Bourdain traveled to Hong Kong, at 9 p.m. ET with a special introduction by Anderson Cooper. Remembering Anthony Bourdain will also air following that episode. In a statement, CNN previously said of Bourdain, His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Photo: Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Some spoilers below for Oceans 8. All you really need to pull off a robbery is a bit of practical know-how, a well-balanced lineup of collaborators, a shipping containers worth of elegant couture, a dash of sublimated sapphic tension with Cate Blanchett and the right tech. For Debbie Ocean, the wily crook portrayed by Sandra Bullock in the new caper film Oceans 8, assembling an elite crack team was only half the job. Her scheme to boost a priceless diamond necklace right off the neck of fictitious starlet Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) during the hubbub of the Met Ball could never have gotten off the ground without some sophisticated gear, much of it courtesy of hacker expert 9-Ball (Rihanna). Infiltrating one of the most well-monitored museums on the planet during its biggest night to lift a hunk of jewelry so expensive it comes with its own security detail requires stealth, and the digital age has revolutionized the art of not being noticed. To get some professional insight on the gadgetry featured in the star-studded new release, Vulture took a trip to The Spy Store in New Yorks West Village, the one-stop shop for Manhattanites dabbling in surveillance. While shop proprietor and one-time Mission: Impossible 2 consultant Bob Leonard declined this writers request to record him (obviously not, came the reply), he did still offer a wealth of knowledge about the wild world of surveillance, counterfeiting, and assorted shenanigans. As such, however, the conversation has been reconstructed from memory and liberally paraphrased. The whole afternoon was very Oceans 8, come to think of it: be guarded with your trust, and leave no trail. The diamond printer The Toussaint necklace from Cartier provides director Gary Ross with his MacGuffin, the shiniest bauble a career thief could hope to purloin. To get the six pounds of rocks off of Kluger without rousing suspicions, the ladies would need a suitable knockoff with which to replace it, and thats where virtuoso forger Amita (Mindy Kaling) comes in. Assembling an ersatz copy on the fly falls to her, and shes able to falsify the necklace so hastily by using duplicates of the jewels pre-made using a 3-D printer loaded with cubic zirconia. Pop the faux diamonds into the chain and nobody will be the wiser until, that is, a jeweler takes a close look at it. Has dummying up bling really hit full automation already? Leonard is unfazed by my bare-bones description of the films premise, nonchalantly informing me that I could get that done at a place down the hall that very moment. Loading up a 3-D printer with a diamond substitute is simple enough, but the results only pass muster to the naked eye. He says this technique isnt so common because the fakery is easily discerned by any inspector worth his salts not a problem to Ocean and her gals, gone in the breeze by the time Cartiers people realize the jig is up. When I ask if this is all legal, Leonard replies that legislation is slowly coming together, and that what the lawmakers are really worried about is 3D-printed guns. The camera glasses Acquiring the specific cut and shape of the Toussaint diamonds to use with the printer requires an even more specialized device. Oceans woman on the inside is Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), a designer on the skids who lands Klugers Met Ball ensemble as her big comeback. 9-Ball outfits her with a pair of spectacles concealing a camera intended to scan and transmit the geometric details of the jewels back to the printers computing unit, which then reproduces the object. The online connection between the glasses and the printer can be a bit spotty, especially in the necklaces subterranean storage zone, but one Fonzi-style slap to the receiving console and its in good working order. Visibly unimpressed, Leonard explained that using a real-world image to reconstruct a three-dimensional plane then fed into a printer is common practice. He was dubious only of the methods by which the film depicts this process, suggesting that the percentage-by-percentage real-time upload had been thrown in for the sake of movie magic. On a real job, Rose would get a handful of angles and then report back to her home base to link the glasses to the computer the old-fashioned way instead of risking discovery by doing so near her mark. Anyone whos wrestled with an email attachment that just wont attach knows not to execute such careful operations in a high-pressure scenario. The blind spot 9-Balls greatest coup involves outfoxing the Met closed-circuit team by slowly but surely creating a small blind spot near the bathroom where Ocean plans on swapping the necklaces. With a little Hollywood hacking which, for us viewers, amounts to a determined-looking Rihanna tapping some keys on a multicolor computer keyboard she can take remote control of their cameras and shift them a fraction of an inch several times each day, right below the guards difference threshold. With their eyes glued to the art, they dont even notice the 12 feet of nothingness allowing a body to pass by unseen. Related Stories Anne Hathaway Is the Best Part of Oceans 8 Again, Leonard rules that the question isnt of plausibility but practicality. If you know the right code, the right back door, the right way around security, then sure, tinkering with a closed system of cameras is perfectly doable. But somewhere like the Met or other facilities on the Fort Knox tier have employees on the payroll whose entire job revolves around noticing and neutralizing mischief in this precise form. Leonard says that the instant some regular patron vanished into thin air, security would have attended to the situation, and prior to a shindig as high-profile as the Met Ball, theyd conduct a full sweep of the system to prevent any eventuality such as the one coordinated by Ocean. The magnet lock The biggest hiccup comes when Rose discovers that the Toussaint necklace can only be put on and taken off by deactivating a magnetized lock on the clasp. The Cartier officials have a specialized tool that works some manner of science sorcery when pressed to the lock; to the films credit, 9-Ball provides a rudimentary explanation of how the mechanism works when she calls on her wily sister to jerry-rig a makeshift magnetized key. In the nick of time, the girl devises a workaround and all goes semi-according to plan. Leonard takes no issue with the technology itself, but scoffs at the teams solution in a pinch. The magnet doohickey isnt as rare as the movie makes it out to be just take a look at your local department stores anti-shoplifting tags. Integrating a magnet element to the existent standard wouldnt take too much additional effort, but thwarting it would. The whole point of proprietary tools is that they cant be copied without specific information on their design held by the original party. (Apple does this, which I know because I am one of the 17 people who saw the Michael Fassbender Steve Jobs movie.) Itd be impossible for her sister to mimic the magnet-key without one of her own to work from, no matter how cunning the Rihanna bloodline may be. Wayne. Photo: Paras Griffin/WireImage Our long national nightmare is over: The Blast reports that Lil Wayne has reached a settlement with Birdman which will also release him from his record deal with Cash Money Records. Since 2014, Wayne has fought to divorce himself from the man that launched his career when he was teenager, after Birdman and the label allegedly refused to release his album Tha Carter V. In 2015, Wayne sued Birdman and Cash Money for $51 million, seeking release from his contract. He later sued parent company Universal Music for $40 million, claiming he was owed royalties for Young Money artists (including Drake and Nicki Minaj). According to The Blast and court documents, both disputes have been settled for an undisclosed amount (though its rumored to be upward of $10 million), paid for by Universal and not Birdman himself, and that Lil Wayne is now free from Cash Money; all his future releases will reportedly be handled solely by Universal. In addition to the money and contract relinquishment, Tha Carter V will reportedly also see its long-awaited release. Most recently, the album was in Martin Shkrelis possession until he was ordered to hand it over to the federal government after his conviction. Let the celebrations begin! WAYNE FREE Chance The Rapper Owbum (@chancetherapper) June 7, 2018 Update, 9;15 p.m. ET: Waynes lawyer has confirmed the settlement in a statement to Billboard saying, He is his own man, a man that owns his assets, his music and himself. At some point, Wayne will let his fans know whats going to happen next. It was a group effort. Photo: Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for go90 The concept behind Kanye West and Kid Cudis new album, Kids See Ghosts, is collaboration. Its a partnership between the two artists who have worked closely for over a decade, but never officially solidified that relationship as a fully formed musical duo until now. (They operate as Kids See Ghosts.) But no Kanye production is complete without a whole stable of collaborators; last weeks solo album YE was the result of multiple writers, producers, and featured artists. Ghosts is no different: Its album credits, provided by Tidal (whose song titles on the album are currently mislabeled), reveal multiple artists secretly contributed to the project, including Andre 3000, Ratatats E*Vax, and, posthumously, Kurt Cobain. Lets take a deep dive into who all made this album, and other nerdy details. Feel the Love The first verse on the whole album isnt handled by either Kanye or Cudi instead, its Pusha-T. In fact, theres no full verse on the entire song other than Pushs. Cudi and Kanye elsewhere appear in unintelligible vocal spurts and spasms (Grrrat-gat-gat-gat-gat!), and also Cudi on the chorus (I can still feel the love). The song was produced by Kanye; his frequent right-hand man Mike Dean; Bon Ivers Justin Vernon; Cashmere; Ratatats E*Vax (credited as Evan Mast, who previously worked on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy); Benny Blanco; Dot Da Genius, who has worked with Cudi since his debut mixtape; and Plain Pat, who managed Cudi and Kanye in their earliest days. Pat, Cudi, and Kanye were first spotted back together in the studio in early 2016, when they were originally thought to be working on Kanyes Turbo Grafx 16. Fire Boom! A surprise appearance from Andre 3000, though not in a way youd expect. Unlike The Life of Pablo, on which Andre 3000 rapped (30 Hours), Three Stacks co-produced this rock-heavy song and is credited as a songwriter. He produced alongside Kanye, Cudi, and G.O.O.D. Music producer Boogz (who previously worked on Cruel Summer). 4th Dimension Theres only one artist officially credited as a feature on the album (at least on Tidal), and its the late New Orleans jazz musician Louis Prima. His Christmas song What Will Santa Claus Say is sampled on the songs intro; Prima is also credited as a songwriter. Kanye and Mike Dean produced the song. In its outro, the song also samples Shirley Ann Lees Someday, which was previously sampled on Ghost Town off YE. Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2) Though Kids See Ghosts is technically a separate project from Kanyes latest solo album, its of the same creative era, and so it contains a sequel to the Cudi-featuring Ghost Town from YE. The song opens with a sample of excerpts from Marcus Garveys Know Yourself speech. The song also riffs on the original psychedelic guitar work from Ghost Town (some of which was a Vanilla Fudge sample), and Kanyes scoop rambling from Lift Yourself. The song features Ty Dolla Sign and Zach Djurich. It was produced by Kanye; Cudi; Mike Dean; Jeff Bhasker (All of the Lights, Run This Town, and more); British DJ Andy C; Andrew Dawson (who has worked with Kanye as far back as Late Registration); Boogz; and Russell Love Crews. It was written by Kanye, Cudi, Bhasker, Ty Dolla Sign, Mike Dean, and Corin Littler (better known as Mr. Chop, who has worked with MF DOOM). Littler is credited because Freeee samples his song Stark. Reborn This is one of two songs on the album that Kanye didnt produce. He instead raps candidly on the song about mental-health stigmatization: I was off the chain, I was often drained / I was off the meds, I was called insane / What a awesome thing, engulfed in shame. His verse also references the Arthur J. Audy Home (Caught in the Audy Home, we was all insane), which was the worlds largest juvenile-detention center, based in Chicago. The song was produced by Cudi, Dot Da Genius, Ratatats E*Vax, and Plain Pat. Kanye, Cudi, E*Vax, and Dot all wrote it. Kids See Ghosts Another surprise! Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) raps the hook to the title track, and is also credited as a songwriter. Kanye, Cudi, Justin Vernon, Noah Goldstein, Plain Pat, and Andrew Dawson all produced it. Vernon also wrote on the song. Talib Kweli first teased that Kanye and Bey were working together with a photo from January. Kanye once again addresses the rumors about his mental health: For anybody who said that I was better off dead / Told em, dont ever believe nothin that you ever read. Cudi Montage The most prominent guest on the whole album comes from one of the most famous people Kanye has ever sampled: Kurt Cobain. The song uses Cobains guitar riff from Burn the Rain (from his posthumous Montage of Heck compilation); he is credited as a songwriter and composer on the song. Courtney Love was reportedly in attendance at the album listening party and may have hinted at the sample last month, posting a photo of her and Kanye. Cudi, Dot Da Genius, and Mike Dean produced the song. Mr. Hudson, a past Kanye and Cudi collaborator, has uncredited vocals on the songs hook. Kanyes verse interpolates Nass One Love (Everybody want world peace / Til your niece get shot in the dome-piece / Then you go and buy your own piece); Kanye has also produced Nass next album. His verse also references Alice Marie Johnson, who served 20 years in prison for a first-time, nonviolent offense until Kim Kardashian met with Donald Trump recently to urge for her release. Earlier this week, Trump granted Johnson clemency and she was freed from prison. Kanye raps, All growin up in environments / Where doin crime the requirement / They send us off to prison for retirement / Hopefully Alice Johnson will inspire men. His verse suggests that, while much of the album was written and recorded some time ago, parts of it originate as recently as this week. In a new video that both hypes his Comedy Central show Nathan for You and effectively demonstrates how any online voting system can be manipulated by outside forces, Nathan Fielder sits down with election security expert Carsten Schurmann from University of Copenhagen to find out how someone, potentially a male or female Nathan For You fan (or enemy), could illegally obtain access to the Emmys voting system. All attacks are frighteningly easy, admits Schurmann. The only way to know for sure if a voting system has been hacked, of course, is to wait and see if Nathan For You takes home the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. Only then will you have proof positive that the people have been heard. Anthony Bourdain. Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic After writer, chef, and TV host Anthony Bourdain was found dead Friday morning, Vulture phoned Bourdains book editor Daniel Halpern to discuss Bourdains literary work. In the 90s, Halpern paid $100,000 for the paperback rights to Bourdains megahit Kitchen Confidential, and helped Bourdain kick off his writing career. Later, the two collaborated on a new imprint, Anthony Bourdain Books. Halpern shared his favorite titles from the imprint (two of which are due later this year). See Halperns choices, below. L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food, by Roy Choi Los Angeles food-truck king Roy Choi writes about eating, cooking, and addiction in L.A. Son. Chois memoir includes recipes and food stories from his own upbringing, and the food that inspired his own cooking. He also writes about the gambling addiction and drinking, which, Choi told NPR, began his career: The worst thing that happened in my life actually was the gateway to what I was supposed to do in life. The Mission Chinese Food Cookbook, by Danny Bowien and Chris Ying Danny Bowien, and a few others like him mostly first-generation immigrants from Asia are changing, redefining, and defining forever what American cuisine really is, Bourdain wrote in his forward to Bowiens cookbook. The Mission Chinese Food Cookbook is full of Bowiens memories and observations, and some really good recipes. Its helped by Chris Yings voice, a longtime friend of Bowien (and the editor-in-chief of Lucky Peach), who prods him in revealing Q&As throughout. The book chronicles Bowien taking the restaurant bicoastal and maintaining his own vision. W-D 50: The Cookbook, by Wylie Dufresne and Peter Meehan Manhattans Lower East Side is immortalized in this story of Wylie Dufresnes iconic restaurant wd~50. Its part oral history, recipe book, and guide for young chefs with dreams of opening up their own place. In New York, wd~50s influence is hard to avoid, and this is clear from the giant family tree that Dufresne managed to cultivate there, wrote Grub Street, and the cameos from chefs like J.J. Basil and Stupak sprinkled throughout the book. We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time, by Jose Andres Were still reckoning with the devastation in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. (Or, at least, many of us are. The president is not.) Chef Jose Andres reckons with the loss by cooking and cooking, and cooking. Andres and his team fed hundreds of thousands of people for free, using community kitchens to help Puerto Ricos people heal. The book, to be published this September, outlines his process and the broken practices of NGOs and charities when addressing similar crises. Prisoner, by Jason Rezaian Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian spent 18 months detained in an Iranian prison. His forthcoming memoir Prisoner will be released in January and tell stories from his childhood as an Iranian-American growing up in California, reporting from Iran, and his imprisonment. Weeks before Rezaians arrest, he and his wife filmed a segment with Bourdain for Parts Unknown, and Bourdain acquired his memoir. Its an important story. Harrowing and suspenseful, yes. But its also a deep dive into a complex and egregiously misunderstood country with two very different faces, Bourdain told the Post in 2016. There is no better time to know more about Iran, and Jason Rezaian has seen both of those faces the warmth and hospitality of the people, and the cruelty and absurdity of its security apparatus. I am very proud to be publishing him and grateful to have him back. The Trump administration's highly unusual deal to save a giant Chinese tech company is drawing deep skepticism. The United States had banned ZTE, a state-controlled Chinese smartphone maker, from buying American parts, saying it breached a 2017 deal in which it admitted to violating sanctions on Iran and North Korea. That ban, which threatened to put the company out of business, will be lifted under the deal announced Thursday. ZTE will pay a $1 billion fine and change its entire corporate leadership. Most unusual, though, is a provision that will allow a US-appointed oversight team to keep tabs on the company from the inside. That arrangement took experts on Chinese business by surprise, and some questioned how it could work. "That to me seems like an aspirational goal," said Scott Kennedy, director of the Project on Chinese Business and Political Economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "I can see this one getting dragged out." Kennedy expects the Chinese government to keep negotiating that part of the deal. And he said he believes the United States may drop the provision altogether rather than get locked in a prolonged battle over it. Derek Scissors, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank, said that even if compliance officers were allowed into ZTE, they wouldn't prevent China from violating sanctions. Chinese officials "will just set up another company to break sanctions," he said. Compliance officers "will accomplish nothing." Related: US cuts a deal with Chinese smartphone maker ZTE The deal requires ZTE to put $400 million in escrow. If ZTE violates the terms, it will forfeit the money, and the ban will resume. ZTE hasn't yet commented on the deal. The management changes have to be completed in 30 days. But for state-controlled wireless companies in particular, "rotating the top management team is not news," said Minyuan Zhao, an associate management professor at Wharton's Center for the Study of Contemporary China. "Having a foreign compliance officer is definitely news," she said. In Congress, the deal met a backlash from members of both parties, and some vowed to try to block it. Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Chuck Schumer of New York introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would stop the president from offering ZTE a deal. "ZTE has flagrantly and repeatedly violated US laws," Van Hollen said in a statement. "Any deal to let them off the hook should not move forward." Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross celebrated the deal and pledged that it would impose "the most strict compliance that we've ever had on any company, American or foreign." "Prior administrations have been real patsies for the Chinese and for other countries. They've never really pushed back," he told CNBC. "So I think the Chinese are well aware there's a new marshal in town, and it's called Donald J. Trump, and he's a very, very good shot." Still, some experts wondered what the United States will get out of the deal. One possibility is that China will finally approve Qualcomm's $44 billion purchase of the Dutch company NXP Semiconductors, said Samm Sacks, a senior fellow in the Technology Policy Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Related: What is ZTE, and why does the US think it's a national security threat? The fate of ZTE has become a flashpoint in trade tensions with China as the United States readies tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods. The United States is expected to announce the details of those tariffs next week. Ross insisted that ZTE deal was an enforcement matter, separate from trade. David Dollar, a China expert at the Brookings Institution, said the ZTE deal was an unorthodox way to correct an overly harsh punishment. "It's probably good that we've reached a compromise," he said. "But it is a bad precedent" to use a regulatory matter as a negotiations tool. "The main thing the US is getting out of this is generating some goodwill" with China, he said. The Utah State Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to direct staff to develop a statewide school safety plan. The recommendations will come back to the 15-member board for its approval. "This is one area where we can effectuate change and we should do it at all cost," said State School Board member Spencer Stokes. Stokes said the board needs to go beyond developing a plan by releasing it to Utah schools and giving them a year to implement the recommendations. "Then we ought to actually do an audit of all LEAs (local education agencies) to find out how they have met (the recommendations) and we should issue a complete report online so all parents in the state can see how school districts met the safety needs as it applies to this," Stokes said. Utah isn't meeting the emotional needs of students "because we can't afford enough school counselors. We know we're not meeting many other needs in the state for our children. This is something of the utmost importance," Stokes said. At least with the statewide school safety plan, "they can count on their students being safe when they send them off to school," he said. State School Board member Terryl Warner recently attended the Indiana school safety conference along with State Superintendent Sydnee Dickson and Deputy State Superintendent Patty Norman. Indiana has developed state school safety guidelines and each school has a state school safety officer. "I want to get away from the idea that school safety is only school shootings," Warner said prior to proposing that state education leaders develop a Utah school safety plan. The umbrella of school safety includes child abuse, truancy, background checks, fire codes, reporting requirements and so on, she said. Given Utah's penchant for local control, some board members questioned whether the plan should be top-down or fashioned by school districts and charter boards taking in mind their individual circumstances. Dickson said she envisions something that is less "dictation" but more akin to a framework of resources. Whatever the approach, Utah must not shy away from talking about guns in the context of school safety, said board member Carol Lear. "We can't just pretend that's not an issue," she said. While she agreed guns should be part of the conversation, board member Lisa Cummins said the drafters of the recommendations need to respect the Second Amendment. "The Second Amendment is we shall not infringe upon the rights of ownership. As long as that is secure then let's talk about safety and let's talk about the proper handling of guns. I'm all for teaching the proper respect about guns," she said. BESSEMER, Ala. (AP) An Alabama inmate who was serving time for killing two people in the 1970s has been found dead in a prison infirmary. Al.com cites the Jefferson County Coroners Office a saying 66-year-old Donald Thigpen was pronounced dead Tuesday around 8 p.m. The newspaper reports there was no foul play involved in his death. Thigpen was convicted in a 1972 shooting death of his girlfriend, Cassie Lee Davis. He was sentenced to death. On appeal, that sentence was reduced to life. Thigpen and several inmates escaped Alabamas Holman Prison in 1975. The next day, Thigpen was involved in the death of 68-year-old Henry Lambeth. Thigpen was convicted and again sentenced to death. He escaped execution per an Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals ruling. ___ (CNN) -- A record number of black women are running for office as Democrats in Alabama. In the aftermath of Alabama's roller coaster Senate special election in December 2017, a national spotlight was shone on the black women who turned out in large numbers to vote for Democrat Doug Jones. Making up 17% of the electorate, 98% of black women cast a ballot for Jones, who many thought would never represent the very red state. Six months later, more than 70 black women are running for electoral office in Alabama, says Stacie Propst, executive director of Emerge Alabama, a Democratic candidate training program. That number doesn't capture the candidates running for county and municipal offices, says Propst, who just ran a boot camp for female candidates in Mobile this past weekend. Propst, an Alabama native, points to Donald Trump's surprise win in 2016 as a galvanizing force and says she's never seen this many African American women running for office in the state. All but two of the black women running are Democrats, and organizers say a strong showing in such a red state sends a message to the rest of the country. "The tide is shifting, and these southern states are showing the rest of the country, again as they always have, that we can lead, and we can change the world," says Rhonda Briggins, co-founder of VoteRunLead and Alabama native. "If you look at history, especially Alabama history, civil rights history, women have always led those charges, and have been the ones working very diligently, behind the scenes, organizing." VoteRunLead is a nonpartisan effort to train women to run for office and Briggins says Alabama's rejection of Republican Roy Moore -- after multiple accusations of unwanted sexual advances toward young women -- motivated African American women to get more involved in politics. "Now that storm is brewing, I think it's only going to grow," Briggins says of the national attention on black women as a voting bloc. "They've turned these cliches into a reality, of 'Black Girl Magic.' I think people really believe that. I think people really believe they can make a difference, and all you have to do is put yourself out there and do it." Briggins says judicial positions represent a unique opportunity for black women to impact their local communities. "If we're going to do something about Black Lives Matter then it starts with our local judicial system, it starts with our local policing powers," Briggins says. "People are now connecting the dots to their lives and connecting that to the political power and influence and then pulling all of these pieces together to create real change." Around 18 black women are running for circuit, district and probate judge positions in Jefferson County, where voters chose Jones 68% to 31% over Moore. Three of those women running graduated in Emerge Alabama's inaugural training class, and they've "become like a family." "We call each other, we text each other," says Jameria Moore, who is running for probate judge. "We talk all the time just encouraging each other. So this has been just a wonderful sisterhood." Clotele Hardy Brantley, who is running for the district court, met Moore on the campaign trail, but has known Marshell Jackson Hatcher, running for the circuit court, for around 15 years. Moore says she met Hatcher when she first passed the bar, around 12 years ago. The three are also Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters and say that sharing the campaign experience has knit them closer together. Moore and Hatcher turned to Brantley, who has for office before, for advice. "This was our first time and we didn't know what to do and when you go to this event, how are you supposed to present yourself, or what to expect. And so we were relying on what you were telling us," Hatcher says. They shared tips about elevator pitches, and the best places to get face time with voters. "Most people congregate on Sundays, at churches. You get a mass amount of people at churches. It's a little bit easier than going knocking door-to-door, especially in the Alabama heat," Moore told CNN. They have supported each other through the ups and downs of running for office and feel optimistic no matter the outcome. "I am claiming victory. And I have from the day that I decided to run this time," Brantley said of Tuesday's primary. "This is my time, I've claimed it." However, the motivation to run doesn't just belong to African American women who are Democrats in Alabama. Cherokee County has only one African American woman running for office in either party: 18-year-old Jayla McElrath, running as a Republican. McElrath graduated from Cedar Bluffs High School just a week ago and is running for County Board of Education. She says her mom always told her "to think outside the box" and after being elected to student government, and serving on the local city council committee, she was determined to improve learning conditions for other students. She was too young to vote in the Senate special election but said she was following the race intently and probably would have voted for Jones. McElrath says she was inspired by President Barack Obama to see a black man as president even if she disagreed with his positions, but also takes inspiration from President Donald Trump. "You can come from a different background anywhere and create change," McElrath says. "He thinks outside of the box too." ALBERTVILLE, Ala. (AP) - An Alabama police officer accused of domestic violence has been acquitted. Al.com reported Thursday that a judge acquitted 44-year-old Albertville Police Sgt. David William Atwell on May 31. Atwell also was found not guilty of reckless endangerment. Atwell was arrested in January and accused of firing a gun into the floor near where his wife was sitting. Court records say the shooting happened as the couple was requesting a divorce, which has since been dismissed. Al.com reports Albertville Police Chief Jamie Smith and Atwell weren't immediately available for comment. ___ Information from: The Birmingham News, http://www.al.com/birminghamnews (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) 6/8/2018 11:06:47 AM (GMT -5:00) A law firm in downtown Florence is almost destroyed by a fire and many roads near the scene are still shutdown. Portions of Court Street in front of the Lauderdale County Courthouse along with portions of South Seminary Street and East College streets are still shut down. Florence fire officials said Potts and Young law firm caught fire around 3 a.m. One fireman was injured when he slipped and strained his back. He was taken to Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital but expected to be okay. The roof of the law office has caved in. Florence fire officials believe the fire started in the attic. Crews are now working to get bulldozers in to knock out walls and get the rest of the fire out. As of 3:30 you could still see smoke coming from the building. "That building dates back to 1895," said Robert Potts, whose brother Frank Potts owns the building now. Florence fire officials said since the building is older the original roof was flat and over the years the owners built a metal roof on top of the old one, which trapped the fire. "It's created quite a bit of voids and blockages. That has created a problem trying to put the fire out," said Florence Deputy Fire Chief, Tim Anerton. Potts said the building has been in his family for generations. His father started his law practice in it decades ago. "A lot of my fathers legal memorabilia, photographs, and paintings were in the building. It's a shock to our family," said Potts. Potts said all of the firms current cases were in the digital cloud so no clients lost any files. Fire crews stopped the fire from spreading to other buildings. Dick Jordan, who works at M.J. Carter Insurance, which is right next to the law firm, said Florence Firefighters have done an amazing job. "I never have seen anybody do an outstanding job as they've done on this fire. It's been an intense fire and they've done a superb job keeping it contained," said Jordan. Florence Fire officials said they don't know how the fire started. As soon as it's safe to bring in the fire inspector he will start collecting evidence and piecing together how the fire started. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) Israeli troops fired live rounds and tear gas as thousands of Palestinians protested near the Gaza border fence Friday, and at least four demonstrators were killed, including a teenage boy, with over 600 wounded, Gaza health officials said. More than 100 of the wounded, including a photographer for the French news agency Agence Press France, were hit by live fire, the officials added, as the demonstrators burned tires, threw stones and flew flaming kites in the latest in a series of mass protests to call attention to a decade-old blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt. Israel says Gazas Hamas leaders are using the protests as cover to carry out attacks. Late Friday, Israel said Gaza militants opened fire and struck an Israeli military post. No injuries were reported. The march coincided with the annual Jerusalem Day, instituted by Iran to protest Israeli rule of the holy city. Israel and Iran have been archenemies since Tehrans 1979 Islamic Revolution. In the capitals of Iran and Iraq, thousands of Shiite Muslims marked Jerusalem Day with protests, with some chanting Death to Israel or burning Israeli flags and effigies of President Donald Trump. Since the near-weekly protests began on March 30, more than 120 Palestinians have been killed and over 3,800 wounded by Israeli army fire. The overwhelming majority of the dead and wounded have been unarmed, according to Gaza health officials. Among the dead Friday was 15-year-old Haitham al-Jamal. His family said he was taking part in a protest in Rafah, in southern Gaza, when he was shot. A total of 12 children under age 16 have been killed in the protests. French news agency Agence France-Presse said one of its photographers, Mohammed Abed al-Baba, was wounded at a mass rally after Israeli forces opened fire. AFP said al-Baba was wearing a press vest and helmet about 200 meters (yards) from the border when hurt. It said he was wounded below the knee while trying to take a photo of a wounded protester after Israeli troops opened fire. The photographers injury was not life-threatening, but he was to undergo surgery. Israels military had no comment on the incident. After Muslim prayers at noon Friday, thousands of Gaza residents streamed toward five protest tent camps that were erected more than two months ago, each several hundred meters (yards) from the fence. From there, smaller groups walked closer to it. In a camp east of Gaza City, activists burned tires, releasing black smoke. Others threw stones or flew kites with burning rags attached, aiming to send them over the border and set Israeli fields on fire. Israeli troops fired volleys of tear gas, including from drones, that sent protesters running for cover. One man with a bullhorn shouted, America is the biggest evil. At one point, seven activists in black-and-white striped shirts meant to resemble concentration camp uniforms from World War II approached the fence. We want to remind the world that the Israeli occupation is committing the same massacres that the Nazis committed, said activist Ahmed Abu Artima. The attempt to draw a parallel between Gazas suffering and the Holocaust was bound to draw angry reactions. Israel was established in the wake of the Holocaust, marks an annual remembrance day for the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis and is home to the worlds largest population of Holocaust survivors. In a statement, the Israeli military said protesters had launched dozens of kites and balloons with explosives toward Israel. It also said a number of explosive devices and a grenade were hurled during the protests and later said the military post had been struck by gunfire. At the expense of the people of Gaza, the Hamas terrorist organization continues using terror in order to damage security infrastructure and harm security forces, it said, adding that troops had been reinforced along the border. The military escorted journalists to a sniper position along the fence along Gazas northeast border. Crowds of several dozen Palestinians could be seen approaching the fence constantly, as soldiers fired tear gas to scatter them. Some Palestinians launched kites rigged with incendiary devices, which were intercepted by small military drones. Snipers, perched about 50 meters (yards) from the fence and protected by sandbags and concrete barriers, frequently fired warning shots into the air. The mass protests have been aimed at a border blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt in 2007, after the Islamic militant group Hamas overran the territory. The marchers have also pressed demands for a right of return for descendants of Palestinian refugees to ancestral homes in what is now Israel. More than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled in the 1948 Mideast war over Israels creation. Two-thirds of Gazas 2 million residents are descendants of refugees. Protester Fadi Saleh said the frequent marches have helped revive sympathies in the Arab world for the Palestinians, but that more could be done. We need real Arab support and solidarity with our cause, said Saleh, a student of Arabic literature who wore a medical mask against the tear gas. Israels use of potentially lethal force against the protesters has drawn international criticism. Rights groups have said Israels open-fire rules are unlawful. Israel has accused Hamas of trying to carry out attacks and damage the fence under the guise of the protests, and that it only targets instigators. Hamas leaders have threatened possible mass border breaches, raising concern in Israel that communities near Gaza might be at risk. The protests have largely been organized by Hamas and to some extent by the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group. Both have received political and financial support from Iran, but they also pursue their own agendas. Growing despair in Gaza over blockade-linked hardships, including daily power cuts and rising poverty, have driven turnout. Israel and Egypt argue that they must maintain the blockade to contain Hamas and other militant groups, which have built up arsenals over the years, including short-range rockets. Israel and Hamas, which seeks Israels destruction, have fought three cross-border wars since 2008. The Jerusalem Day protests are being held each year on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The day is known in Arabic as Al Quds Day, a reference to the citys historic Arabic name. Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it to its capital, a move not recognized by most of the international community. Israels current government has said it will not accept a partition of the city as part of a peace deal with the Palestinians. Tensions were further heightened last month after the U.S. moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in a step seen by both Israel and the Palestinians as siding with Israel on the most sensitive issue in the conflict. East Jerusalem houses major shrines revered by Muslims, Christians and Jews. The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in east Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam, is built on the spot where tradition says the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. The compound sits on the ruins of biblical temples and is revered by Jews as the holiest site of their religion. In Irans capital of Tehran, thousands joined a Jerusalem Day march, chanting Death to Israel and burning a Trump effigy. In Iraq, thousands of Iran-backed Shiite militiamen in uniform marched through the streets of the capital of Baghdad, burning an Israeli flag and carrying posters of the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 23-year old Oregon man (who will never be Florida man, despite a valiant effort) Anthony Clark was recently arrested while tripping on LSD after stealing a car right in front of cops and leading them on a chase. Apparently police were waiting for a tow truck to remove a 2003 Toyota Camry from a suspected drunk-driving incident when Clark saw the vehicle, told them he was going to steal it, then did, thanks to the keys still being in the ignition. Personally, I'm a firm believer that if the keys are in the ignition then you're not actually stealing, only test driving. While speeding through Ashland, Talent and Phoenix, Clark crashed through chain link fences off the roadway, ran over spike strips twice and drove the wrong way down several roads, the sheriff's office said. After several attempts, a patrol car managed to bump the rear of the Toyota and cause Clark to spin out in Medford. Clark tried hitting a patrol car, then ran from the Toyota. He fled into a mobile home park and was arrested by police as he was trying to steal another car, the sheriff's office said. After his arrest, Clark told authorities he was hallucinating so hard he thought he was actually playing Grand Theft Auto, which, to his credit, he absolutely was. You should ducked into a Pay 'n' Spray to lose that wanted level, bro! Thanks to ClosetNerd, who agrees somebody needs to invest in a Playstation. NEW YORK, June 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (Deutsche Bank or the Company) (NYSE:DB) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of New York, and docketed under 18-cv-05104, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise acquired Deutsche Bank securities between March 20, 2017 through May 30, 2018, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased Deutsche Bank securities between March 20, 2017, and May 30, 2018, both dates inclusive, you have until August 6,, 2018, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here to join this class action] Deutsche Bank is a global financial service provider delivering commercial, investment, private, and retail banking. The Bank offers debt, foreign exchange, derivatives, commodities, money markets, repo and securitization, cash equities, research, equity prime services, loans, convertibles, advice on M&A and IPO's, trade finance, retail banking, asset management, and corporate investments. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Deutsche Banks internal control environment and infrastructure were materially weak and deficient; and (ii) as a result, Deutsche Banks statements about the Companys business and operations were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On May 31, 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Federal Reserve has designated Deutsche Banks U.S. business to be in troubled condition, citing concerns about its controls around measuring financial exposure to clients and valuing collateral that backed loans. The article further reported that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has added Deutsche Banks subsidiary Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas to its problem banks list of at-risk institutions. On this news, Deutsche Banks share price fell $0.49, or 4.24%, to close at $11.08 on May 31, 2018. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com 888-476-6529 Ext. 9980 A Hartland woman faces drug charges. Lebanon Police say they arrested Hannah Olmstead, 25, as part of a surveillance operation of a parking lot on Main Street. They say she dove into the parking lot and was later found to have 30 bags of heroin. She is due in court on felony possession and intent to distribute charges. TORONTO, June 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Restaurants Canada extended its congratulations to Doug Ford on being elected as the 26th Premier of Ontario. This has been a hard-fought campaign and the people of Ontario have chosen Premier Ford to build on his plan for Ontario, said Jamie Rilett, Restaurants Canada's Vice President for Central Canada. Restaurants Canada looks forward to working with the new government on behalf of Ontarios 37,000 operators and 470,000 employees who serve the province every day. Restaurants Canada (formerly CRFA) is a growing community of 30,000 foodservice businesses, including restaurants, bars, caterers, institutions and suppliers. We connect our members from coast to coast, through services, research and advocacy for a strong and vibrant restaurant community. Ontarios restaurant industry is an $32 billion industry, directly employs almost half a million Ontarians, is the number one source of first jobs and serves 7.5 million customers every day. The WCO organized a Regional Workshop on the WCO Data Model for Americas and Caribbean (AME Region) in Lima, Peru with the financial support from the Customs Administration of Japan. The workshop was attended by 28 participants from Customs Administrations in the Region. In his opening remarks, Mr. Gustavo Romero, Intendent of Customs Control of the Superintendence of Customs and Tax Administration of Peru (SUNAT1) mentioned that Digital Transformation through the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is key for Customs modernization and reform programmes. He shared the initiatives of his Administration to streamline and simplify Customs processes through the intensive use of technological tools under the FAST2 programme. Mr. Gustavo said that one of the important pillars of the implementation of the FAST programme is the adoption of the WCO Data Model. The facilitators of the Workshop explained the strategic value of the adoption of the WCO Data Model, namely to establish simplified, transparent and predictable Cross-border regulatory procedure by reducing the burden of providing data, enabling the re-use of data available in the supply chain, enhancing the data quality and reliability, enabling advance submission of data, enabling pre-departure / pre-arrival processing, and enhancing the accuracy of trade data for valuation purpose. A sound understanding of the strategic value of the Data Model is important for securing WCOs mandate and the necessary high-level support for the implementation of the WCO Data Model. The building block of the WCO Data Model, including its standardized dataset, libraries as well as electronic message template (the Information Packages) were extensively discussed. The participants were invited to undertake an exercise to map a sample of Customs Declaration to the WCO Data Model. The objective of the activity was to help participants familiarize themselves with every data element in the standardized dataset. The Workshop included a sharing session by two guest speakers from the United State Customs and Border Protection and the Customs Administration of Uruguay. The speakers provided the perspective of implementation of the WCO Data Model at the national level in the US Single Window3, as well as at a Regional level in Mercosurs Indira interconnectivity for exchanging common data set related to Customs Declaration. In his closing remarks, the Head of the division of Administration and Personnel of the WCO, Mr. Ray Mc Donagh congratulated all participants for completing the Workshop and encouraged them to promote and support the adoption of the WCO Data Model in their respective countries. He also thanked SUNAT for the support extended in the organization of the Workshop. 1Superintendencia Nacional de Aduanas y de Administracion Tributaria 2Facilitacion Aduanera, Seguridad y Transparencia 3Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Benchmark Metals Inc. (formerly, Crystal Exploration Inc., the Company or Benchmark) (TSX-V:BNCH) (OTCQB:CYRTF) (WKN:A2JM2X) Further to the Companys prior announcements on March 22 and May 9, 2018, Benchmark is pleased to report that on June 6, 2018, it received final acceptance from the TSX Venture Exchange of its option and joint venture letter agreement (the OJVA) with PPM Phoenix Precious Metals Corp. (PPM) for the Companys option to acquire from PPM up to a 75% interest in the Lawyers Property, B.C. (the Lawyers Property) over three years. The Company also proposes to close on June 14, 2018 its non-brokered unit offering for gross proceeds of $3.21 million (the Unit Offering) to fund the initial phase of exploration work on the Lawyers Property and general working capital purposes. Upon closing of the offering, it is anticipated that the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSX-V) will issue an Exchange Bulletin providing final acceptance of these transactions and notice that the Company will resume trading at the opening of the TSX-V market on the second trading day subsequent to issuance of the Exchange Bulletin. Accordingly, the Company expects trading will resume on Monday, June 18, 2018. Property Option Pursuant to the OJVA, the Company will pay to PPM a sum of $200,000 (which is credited towards the Companys earn-in requirements below), and issue to PPM the first instalment of 1.0 million common shares. The Company will have a period of one year to incur $2.0 million in exploration expenditures on the Lawyers Property (including the $200,000 advanced to PPM above), and must incur a total of $5.0 million by June 6, 2021 to acquire its first 51% interest in the project. The Company may acquire an additional 9% interest (for a total interest of 60%) by issuing to PPM an additional 2.0 million common shares, and incurring a further $2.5 million in exploration or development expenditures by June 6, 2021, and the Company may further acquire an additional 15% (for a total interest of 75%) in the Lawyers Property by issuing to PPM an additional 1.0 million common shares, and incurring a further $1.5 million in exploration or development expenditures by June 6, 2021. Upon the Company earning its largest interest in the Property, the parties will either enter into a joint venture agreement for the further exploration and development of the Property, or, if the Company has acquired a 75% interest, then PPM may elect to sell its 25% interest in the Property to the Company, based on either an independent valuation, or a formula set out in the OJVA based on the Companys market capitalization. The Company will be the operator of the Lawyers Property. The terms of the joint venture agreement will include provisions for the dilution of a partys interest, in the event the party does not contribute its proportionate cost share to the further exploration and development of the Lawyers Property. The interest of any party diluted to 5% or less will be automatically converted into a 2.5% net smelter returns royalty (the NSR), with the other party having the right to buy-down one-half of the NSR for $1 million. The Company will also issue 94,444 common shares to an arms length finder in connection with the acquisition of the Lawyers Property option, and may pay a further $90,000 to the finder, in cash or shares, upon completion of the first years minimum required exploration work of $2.0 million. The finder may elect to be paid the finders fee in cash or common shares of the Company. If payable in shares, then the common shares will be issued as a deemed price per share equal to the five (5) trading day volume weighted average closing price immediately preceding the date of such election, provided that in any event the issue price for the common shares cannot be less than $0.16875 per share. Financing Pursuant to the Unit Offering, the Company will issue 17,833,318 units (the Units) at an offering price of $0.18 per Unit, to raise gross proceeds of $3.21 million (the Offering). Each Unit will consist of one (1) common share of the Company, and one (1) share purchase warrant (the Warrants) to acquire one additional common share at an exercise price of $0.36 per share until June 14, 2020. In the event that the common shares of the Company trade at a closing price greater than $0.42 per share for a period of 10 consecutive days, then the Company may deliver a notice to the Warrant holders that they must exercise their Warrants within the next 30 days, or the Warrants will expire. The net proceeds from the Offering will be used to fund exploration expenditures on the Property over the next 12 months, as well as to provide the Company with working capital for general and administrative expenses. Certain arms length finders will receive $182,267 in fees and will also be issued a total of 552,595 Warrants in connection with the Offering. All securities issued for the Offering will be subject to resale restrictions until October 15, 2018. About Benchmark Metals Inc. Benchmark is a Canadian gold, silver and diamond exploration company with its common shares listed for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada, the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in Germany. Benchmark is managed by proven resource sector professionals, who have a track record of advancing exploration projects from grassroots scenarios through to production. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS s/ John Williamson John Williamson, Chief Executive Officer Tel: (780) 966-7014 For further information, please contact: Jim Greig, President jimg@benchmarkmetals.com Tel: (778) 788-2745 NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CERTAIN STATEMENTS MADE AND INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN MAY CONSTITUTE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS WITHIN THE MEANING OF APPLICABLE CANADIAN AND UNITED STATES SECURITIES LEGISLATION. THESE STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION ARE BASED ON FACTS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO THE COMPANY AND THERE IS NO ASSURANCE THAT ACTUAL RESULTS WILL MEET MANAGEMENTS EXPECTATIONS. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION MAY BE IDENTIFIED BY SUCH TERMS AS ANTICIPATES, BELIEVES, TARGETS, ESTIMATES, PLANS, EXPECTS, MAY, WILL, COULD OR WOULD. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN ARE BASED ON CERTAIN FACTORS AND ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE ESTIMATION OF MINERAL RESOURCES AND RESERVES, THE REALIZATION OF RESOURCE AND RESERVE ESTIMATES, METAL PRICES, TAXATION, THE ESTIMATION, TIMING AND AMOUNT OF FUTURE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT, CAPITAL AND OPERATING COSTS, THE AVAILABILITY OF FINANCING, THE RECEIPT OF REGULATORY APPROVALS, ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS, TITLE DISPUTES AND OTHER MATTERS. WHILE THE COMPANY CONSIDERS ITS ASSUMPTIONS TO BE REASONABLE AS OF THE DATE HEREOF, FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION ARE NOT GUARANTEES OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE AND READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON SUCH STATEMENTS AS ACTUAL EVENTS AND RESULTS MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE DESCRIBED HEREIN. THE COMPANY DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS OR INFORMATION EXCEPT AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS. Interoil Colombia E&P (Interoil Colombia) is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with the National Hydrocarbons Agency of Colombia -Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos- (ANH) to settle all outstanding claims and disputes between Interoil Colombia and the ANH concerning the Exploration and Production Contract No. 68, Block COR-6, dated May 3, 2011 (the "COR-6 Contract"). The settlement includes a termination of the COR-6 Contract by mutual agreement and a mutual waiver and definitive release of the parties to make any claim with regard to the COR-6 Contract. This settlement terminates the dispute concerning the COR-6 Contract and its termination by resolutions of the ANH alleging a default of Interoil Colombia, a controversy that lead Interoil Colombia to file on July 21, 2017, an arbitration complaint before the Centre of Conciliation and Arbitration of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce -Centro de Conciliacion y Arbitraje de la Camara de Comercio de Bogota- with the view of resolving the dispute. The settlement has been reached following the filing of the arbitration complaint and of the response made by the ANH and in the context of the invitation addressed to the parties by the Arbitration Tribunal acting in the case to explore a termination of the dispute by conciliation. The Arbitration Tribunal also summoned the parties to a conciliation hearing called for June 6, 2018. The parties actively worked with their respective counsels to find a satisfactory outcome of the conflict and eventually agree on the terms of a mutually acceptable resolution. By means of the agreement all claims of the ANH against Interoil Colombia concerning the COR-6 Contract are terminated, including any claims concerning damages and enforcement of related guarantees. Likewise, Interoil Colombia waives all claims against the ANH concerning the COR-6 Contract, which is terminated by mutual agreement with a mutual release of the parties relating to such contract. The Parties filed this agreement with the Arbitration Tribunal and attended on June 6, 2018, the conciliation hearing called by the tribunal. The agreement is subject to the resolution of the Arbitration Tribunal which is expected to be issued within the month of June, 2018. Interoil acknowledges the constructive approach taken by the parties during the process and negotiations aimed at resolving the differences and is pleased to have reached a mutually acceptable outcome with ANH. Contact: ir@interoil.no *************************** Interoil Exploration and Production ASA is a Norwegian based exploration and production company - listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange - with focus on Latin-America. The Company is the operator of several production and exploration assets in Colombia. Interoil currently employs approximately 60 people and is headquartered in Oslo. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. LONDON, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Findel (FDL) is seeing outstanding success with its online-led value retail strategy. FY18s 21% PBT growth includes a strong Black Friday and Christmas campaign. However, underlying independent market share growth puts FDL on the right side of a difficult sector. Also, considering that customer redress has been bottomed out, Education has been stabilised and that core net bank debt (excluding receivables-related debt) is close to net positive, most of the negatives in the investment case have been removed. FDL appears to have turned the corner and our revised valuation suggests significant valuation headroom. In our view, despite the recent share price rise, a FY19e P/E of 9.9x, does not yet fully recognise FDLs independent growth characteristics or the effective removal of the negatives in its investment case. Our revised valuation approach uses two metrics: a DCF projection to value on the longer-term income stream; and relative valuations to price growth among peer retailers. The first values the shares at 401p, the second at 455p. We therefore define a blended valuation of 428p, implying an unstretched FY19e P/E of 15.5x and EV/EBITDA of 8.5x. Click here to view the full report. All reports published by Edison are available to download free of charge from its website www.edisoninvestmentresearch.com About Edison: Edison is an investment research and advisory company, with offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East and AsiaPac. The heart of Edison is our world-renowned equity research platform and deep multi-sector expertise. At Edison Investment Research, our research is widely read by international investors, advisers and stakeholders. Edison Advisors leverages our core research platform to provide differentiated services including investor relations and strategic consulting. Edison is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Edison is not an adviser or broker-dealer and does not provide investment advice. Edisons reports are not solicitations to buy or sell any securities. For more information please contact Edison: Paul Hickman, +44 (0)20 3681 2501 Kate Heseltine, +44 (0)20 3077 5700 Consumer@edisongroup.com Learn more at www.edisongroup.com and connect with Edison on: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/edison-investment-research Twitter www.twitter.com/Edison_Inv_Res YouTube www.youtube.com/edisonitv If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. By The Associated Press Jun. 07, 2018 | 08:10 PM | FRANKFORT, KY A Kentucky judge is questioning how the state legislature passed a pension overhaul bill that prompted thousands of teachers to protest. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd spent most of a court hearing on Thursday asking lawyers for Republican Gov. Matt Bevin why the legislature was allowed to pass a bill in just one day. Senate bill 151 was originally about wastewater treatment. But lawmakers replaced it on one of the final days of the legislative session with a bill to change the state pension system. Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear says that violates the state's constitution. Bevin Attorney Steve Pitt said the legislature has the authority to set its own procedures. Shepherd said he hoped to rule on the case soon, but said it likely will ultimately be settled by the state Supreme Court. Just as the prophecy foretold, Leicester City have today completed the signing of Jonny Evans from West Brom. The Foxes pounced quickly to activate the 3.5million relegation release clause in Evans contract and, two days later, the Northern Irish utility man is holding their new shirt aloft. The move is still subject to routine Premier League ratification, but Evans has signed a three-year deal at the King Power. #lcfc have agreed terms with West Bromwich Albion for the transfer of defender Jonny Evans: https://t.co/KTldVGIO1M #WelcomeEvans pic.twitter.com/QRsnFx5Hfs Leicester City (@LCFC) June 8, 2018 Bloody. Bargain. Newest Silhouette Launches on QVC as the Todays Special Value PHILADELPHIA, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Gendel Girls, the family behind Breezies, QVCs largest intimate apparel brand, have released their newest undergarment just in time for summer the Breezies Smooth Radiance Bra. In addition to offering the brands signature support and comfort, this new silhouette features a uniquely constructed two-ply, power-mesh, bypass back wing which is wide, breathable, and provides targeted smoothing in all areas women need it most - the underarm and back; making it the perfect undergarment to wear beneath summer wardrobe staples like t-shirts and tank tops. A first for the Gendel Girls, the back wing is a brand-new design element that was inspired by offerings of high-end intimates brands. The Breezies Smooth Radiance Bra is scheduled to debut on QVC as the Todays Special Value June 8, 2018 at midnight (ET). Each day, QVC picks one special item they believe shoppers will love and offers it at an exceptionally low price from midnight (ET) until 11:59 p.m. (PT) that day. "Just as fashion changes from season to season, so should your intimates. Even though we have staple styles and fits that become our go-to bras throughout the year, an undergarment that is perfect for sweater weather in the winter, isnt necessarily the right choice for wearing underneath summer t-shirts and dresses. In the summer, ladies need a bra that is smoothing, breathable and offers more of a streamlined look. Those design elements were our top priority when creating this silhouette, including our new back power, said Kathy Gendel, Founder and CEO of The Gendel Girls. Featuring unique, seamless molded full coverage cups with two supportive layers is another reason why the Breezies Smooth Radiance Bra is best suited for the summer season. The outer cup uses shiny microfiber, allowing clothes to glide nicely over fabric. While the supportive inner liner uses specially-developed microfiber that supports and smooths, giving a beautiful naturally rounded shape. A special inner sling also adds support and offers a place for prosthetic enhancers or breast enhancers, if needed. Like most of Breezies best sellers including the Seamless Comfort T-shirt Bra, which debuted in January 2018 with over 150,000 units sold - this new style features the Gendel Girls unique lining for moisture management, UltimAir. This silhouette also features special comfort straps that have a sheer mesh outer layer and are lined with a soft, lightweight cotton for breathability and support; set closely together to prevent straps from slipping off the shoulder. The curved bottom frame provides extra support helping to anchor the bra in place. A U-shaped back allows for narrow hook-and-eye closure for a more sophisticated and streamlined look. Beautiful silvertone metallic hardware and no tags add to that polished look. The Breezies Smooth Radiance Bra is available in 39 sizes from 34B to 48DDD and five colors including classic Black, White and Sunbeige, and two new colors to the Breezies line, Iris and Rose Bloom. This silhouette is also available in Underwire (QVC Item #A301620) and Wirefree (QVC Item #A301622), beginning June 8 at midnight (ET), while supplies last, through QVC.com, the QVC apps or by calling 800.345.1515. About The Gendel Girls Kathy Gendel and her husband Craig left corporate jobs to start a lingerie business in 1994. After a lot of perseverance and a lucky encounter on Madison Avenue, they found a home at QVC, where The Gendel Girls patented performance fabric, UltimAir has made Breezies the largest intimate apparel brand on the network. Based outside Philadelphia and operating on a family farm, The Gendel Girls are first and foremost a family business with Kathy, the CEO, at the helm and her three daughters: Kalina Gendel, Chief Operating Officer, and Laurissa Gendel, President, in tandem leadership, and Catherine Gendel, VP of Creative Marketing. One of only a handful of on-air family personalities in the entire home-shopping genre, The Gendel Girls have been a mainstay on QVC for 23 years with an average annual growth increase of 22.5%. During that time, they have sold millions of bras and panties worldwide. For more information, please visit Gendel-Girls.com 2018 QVC, Inc., QVC, the Q and Q Ribbon Logo are registered service marks of ER Marks, Inc. and QVC, Inc. Press Contact Christine Perez-ORourke DiGennaro Communications christine@digennaro-usa.com 212.966.9525 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c97b11be-ea6c-49f6-ae94-0a12c23798f7 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a4ae2cd6-0fa0-4cb3-8af5-042fadc77f24 FORM 8.3 PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the Code) 1. KEY INFORMATION (a) Full name of discloser: Man Group Plc (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): N/A (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Informa plc (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken: 07th June 2018 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? YES / NO / N/A If YES, specify which: UBM plc 2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE (a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any) Class of relevant security: 0.1p ordinary Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 0 0 0 0 (2) Cash-settled derivatives: 16,897,974 2.0507 409,088 0.0496 (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell: 0 0 0 0 TOTAL: 16,897,974 2.0507 409,088 0.0496 All interests and all short positions should be disclosed. Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions). (b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors and other employee options) Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages: 3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in. The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated. (a) Purchases and sales Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit (GBP) 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a short position 153 8.1716 0.1p ordinary CFD Increasing a short position 952 8.1736 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a short position 5 8.1716 0.1p ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 54 8.1741 0.1p ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 99 8.1741 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a short position 173 8.1716 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a short position 370 8.1716 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 351 8.1727 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a short position 74 8.1716 0.1p ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 3 8.1940 0.1p ordinary CFD Increasing a short position 29 8.1736 0.1p ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 117 8.1741 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a short position 161 8.1716 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a short position 45 8.1716 0.1p ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 35 8.1741 0.1p ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 43 8.1940 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 7,741 8.1993 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 6,309 8.1612 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 1,256 8.1612 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 1,513 8.1993 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 6,266 8.1993 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 5,136 8.1612 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 833 8.1612 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 1,005 8.1993 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 1,132 8.1612 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 1,382 8.1993 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 3,601 8.1993 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 12,148 8.1612 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 383 8.1993 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 581 8.1612 0.1p ordinary CFD Reducing a long position 1,803 8.1612 (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options) (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit (ii) Exercise Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities) Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable) 4. OTHER INFORMATION (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state none None (b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state none None (c) Attachments Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? YES/ NO Date of disclosure: 08th June 2018 Contact name: Matthew Irwin Telephone number: 02071447255 Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service and must also be emailed to the Takeover Panel at monitoring@disclosure.org.uk. The Panels Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Codes disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129. The Code can be viewed on the Panels website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk. Williamson, WV (25661) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 63F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. By: Paige Cline Sometimes I am asked to reprint a column from the past. Here[Read More] Albany, New York, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The market for paints and coatings has been a highly profitable one for several decades, gaining traction from its expanding application scope. Additionally, the vendors of the paints and coatings market have always been evolving their offerings, devising ideal products that meet the requirements of the end product. As per the projections of a business intelligence report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the demand in the global paints and coatings market will increment at a notable CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period of 2013 to 2019. In terms of revenue, the global paints and coatings market is estimated to reach a value of US$143.9 billion by the end of 2019. The analyst of the report has detected an intensely competitive vendor landscape. A large pool of players are connected to the value chain and are staking a strong claim by formulating contracts with end use industry players. That being said, the TMR report has identified AkzoNobel N.V., Axalta Coatings System, Sherwin-Williams Company, PPG Industries, and The Valspar Corporation as a few companies who are ahead of the curve. The prominence of these players can be attributed to their strong supply chain, constant bid to innovate, and frequent indulgence into mergers and acquisition activities. For instance, AkzoNobel had gained strong ground over its competitors a couple of years ago by acquiring BASFs industrial coats. Request A Sample Of Paints and Coatings Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1172 Going forward, technological expertise are expected to pave a new way of greater shares over the competitors. For example, production via nano technology and usage of fluro-additives have proven their worth in cutting manufacturing costs and enhancing products. Additionally, the vendors are expected to indulge into rigorous research and development activities to develop a product portfolio that is richer than their counter-parts. Formulating ecofriendly products is a recent trend, particularly since increased emphasis of several governments to preserve the environment. View in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/1172 Product-wise, the TMR report has segmented the paints and coatings market into solvent-borne technologies, waterborne coating, powder coating, high solids and radiation cure, and others such as specialty coatings. Among these, a strikingly soaring demand for waterborne coatings has been witnessed, generating more than one third of the total demand as of 2017. The report also bifurcates and highlights the potential of demand that is coming from the end-use industries of commercial, residential, medical and healthcare, automotive and aviation, and others. Geographically, APAC has been identified as the region with maximum growth opportunities. Request For Multiple Chapters on Paints and Coatings Market Research Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=MC&rep_id=1172 The proven ability of paints and coatings to increase the durability, presentation, and performance of end-products is the primary driver of the market for the same. Additionally, growing popularity of elastomeric coating in tilt-up concrete in building construction is expected to reflect positively over the market in the near future. On the other hand, difficulties pertaining to obtaining thin films in powder coatings and transportation, requirement of greater drying time, and stringent regulations for environmental challenges are obstructing the market from attaining greater profitability. Ask for Discount on Premium Research Report (US$ 5795) With Complete TOC: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=1172 Key Takeaways: Global paints and coatings market is estimated to be worth US$143.9 billion by 2019 Intense competition among a large number well-established players Product innovation and strategic alliances key to gaining greater shares The information presented in this review is based on a Transparency Market Research report, titled, Paints and Coatings Market by Product Segment (High Solids/Radiation Cure, Powder Coatings, Waterborne Coatings, Solvent Borne Technologies and Others) For Automotives & Aviation, Medical & Healthcare, Residential, Commercial and Other End-users - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 2019. Key Segments of the Global Paints and Coatings Market Paints and Coatings Market: Product Segment Analysis High solids/radiation cure Powder coating Waterborne coating Solvent-borne technologies Others (including specialty coatings, etc.) Paints and Coatings Market: End-user Analysis Automotives & aviation Medical & healthcare Residential Commercial Others (including other industries, special purpose, etc.) Paints and Coatings Market: Regional Analysis North America Europe Asia-Pacific Rest of the World Browse Popular Research Reports by TMR: Pigments Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pigments-market.html High Performance Anti-corrosion Coatings Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/high-performance-anticorrosion-coatings-market.html About Us Transparency Market Research is a next-generation market intelligence provider, offering fact-based solutions to business leaders, consultants, and strategy professionals. Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through adhoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories. TMR believes that unison of solutions for clients-specific problems with right methodology of research is the key to help enterprises reach right decision. Contact Us Mr. Apoorv Tripathi Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Research Blog: http://www.editiontruth.com/ CALGARY, Alberta, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crown Point Energy Inc. (TSX-V:CWV) ("Crown Point" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced acquisition (the "Acquisition") of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Apco Austral S.A. ("Apco Austral") from a subsidiary of Pluspetrol S.A. ("Pluspetrol"). Acquired Assets Apco Austral holds a 25.7796% participating interest in the Rio Cullen, Las Violetas and La Angostura hydrocarbon exploitation concessions located in the Tierra del Fuego region of the Austral basin in southern Argentina (the "TDF Concessions"). Following the completion of the Acquisition, Crown Point holds a 51.56% interest in the TDF Concessions, which includes the San Martin discovery well (SM x-1001) located on the La Angostura concession. The Acquisition doubles Crown Point's reserves and production pro forma the Acquisition, the Company's average daily production volumes for the three months ended March 31, 2018 were 3,038 barrels of oil equivalent per day ("boe/d"). The Company's average daily production volumes for the month of May was 1,570 boe/d (3,140 boe/d pro forma the Acquisition), approximately 44% of which was crude oil and natural gas liquids and 56% of which was natural gas. During May, the SM x-1001 well produced an average of 2,005 boe/d gross (517 boe/d net and 1,034 boe/d net pro forma the Acquisition), approximately 96% of which was crude oil and natural gas liquids and 4% of which was natural gas. In early May, the Company sold approximately 27,500 barrels of crude oil in the export market at a price of US$68.48 per barrel. The Company and its joint venture partners have commenced a two well appraisal drilling program on the San Martin structure. Drilling operations on the first well (SM a-1002, which is located to the south of the SM x-1001 discovery well) commenced in late May. The second well (SM a-1003) will be located north and west of SM x-1001 and is scheduled to be drilled in July 2018. Purchase Price The purchase price for the Acquisition was US$28.36 million, US$6.75 million of which was previously paid as a deposit. The additional US$21.61 million payable at closing was funded using the net proceeds of the Company's recently closed rights offering, the proceeds of a new US$2.9 million loan, the proceeds of a new US$7.5 million bridge loan, and the Company's cash on hand. The Company must also pay withholding taxes incurred in connection with the Acquisition to the local tax authority in Argentina by the end of June 2018, which the Company currently estimates to be not more than US$4.43 million. The Company is in negotiations with Argentine financial institutions regarding obtaining additional loans that, together with the Company's cash on hand, will be used to pay such taxes. Apco Austral does not have any debt other than normal course payables. Crown Point has also agreed to make certain contingent royalty payments to Pluspetrol, payable quarterly, during the ten year period commencing January 1, 2018. Under the terms of the royalty agreement, Crown Point will make quarterly payments equal to 10% of the amount by which the net revenues received by Apco Austral from its interest in the TDF Concessions for the quarter exceeds certain net base revenue thresholds for such quarter. If in any quarter the net revenues received by Apco Austral do not exceed the net base revenue threshold, then no royalty payment will be payable. The contingent royalty payments are capped at a maximum payment of US$9 million. No royalty was payable for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. New Loan Facilities The Company has obtained a US$2.9 million loan facility from Banco Hipotecario (the "Acquisition Loan"). The Acquisition Loan is secured against certain accounts receivable to a maximum of US$2.9 million that will be applied against the loan when collected. The Acquisition Loan bears interest at a rate of 8% per annum, calculated and paid monthly, and is repayable in one installment on December 4, 2018. The Company paid a 1% fee (US$29,000) to Banco Hipotecario for providing the Acquisition Loan. The Acquisition Loan proceeds were used to pay a portion of the purchase price for the Acquisition. The Company has also obtained a US$7.5 million bridge loan facility from Banco Macro (the "Bridge Loan"). The Bridge Loan is secured against certain accounts receivable to a maximum of US$3.0 million that will be applied against the loan when collected. The Bridge Loan bears interest at a rate of 8% per annum, calculated and paid monthly, and is repayable in one installment on July 7, 2018. The Bridge Loan proceeds were used to pay a portion of the purchase price for the Acquisition. The Company intends to retire the Bridge Loan as soon as possible using cash deposits held by Apco Austral and the accounts receivable referred to above. Messrs. Pablo Peralta and Roberto Dominguez have personally guaranteed the Company's payment obligations under the Acquisition Loan and the Bridge Loan (collectively, the "Loans"). Mr. Peralta is a director of the Company and is the President and a director of Liminar Energia SA ("Liminar") and controls 30% of the voting shares of Liminar. Mr. Dominguez controls approximately 30% of the voting shares of Liminar. Liminar is a "control person" of the Company by virtue of owning approximately 59.5% of the outstanding common shares of the Company. As such, each of Messrs. Peralta and Dominguez is a "related party" (as such term is defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101")) of the Company. In consideration for the provision of the guarantee of the Loans, the Company has agreed to pay to Messrs. Peralta and Dominguez an annual fee during the term of the Loans equal to 1% of the principal amount outstanding under the Loans on the date of such payment. The first payment in the amount of US$104,000 was due on the date that funds were disbursed to the Company under the Loans and subsequent payments will be made annually on the anniversary date of the disbursement date. The fee payable to Messrs. Peralta and Dominguez in consideration for the provision of the guarantees are exempt from: (i) the valuation requirements of Part 5 of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101 because the Company does not have securities listed or quoted on any stock exchange other than the TSX Venture Exchange; and (ii) the minority approval requirements of Part 5 of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 because at the time that the guarantees were agreed to, neither the fair market value of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the guarantees, exceeded 25% of the Company's market capitalization. Update Regarding Acquisition Related Litigation / Arbitration As previously disclosed, pursuant to the joint venture agreement governing the TDF Concessions (the "JV Agreement"), Crown Point's and Apco Austral's partners in the TDF Concessions (each a "JV Partner") had a right of first refusal ("ROFR") that allowed them to participate in the Acquisition at a level that was equivalent to their participating interest in the TDF Concessions. Roch S.A. ("Roch"), one of the JV Partners, disputed the validity of the ROFR notices issued by Pluspetrol to the JV Partners and obtained an injunction (the "Injunction") from an Argentine court prohibiting Pluspetrol from selling the shares of Apco Austral to the Company. Pluspetrol successfully challenged the Injunction and the Argentine court ordered that the Injunction be revoked and that Roch's claim be recorded in Apco Austral's share registers to give notice of the claim to potential purchasers (a legal remedy known as "lis pendens" or "Anotacion de Litis" in Argentina) (the "Lis Pendens Remedy"). However, Roch immediately appealed this decision to an Argentine Court of Appeal, which had the effect of reinstating the lower court's initial decision (which kept the Injunction in place). The Argentine Court of Appeal subsequently rejected Roch's appeal, with the result that the lower court's decision to revoke the Injunction and impose the Lis Pendens Remedy was restored. Prior to closing the Acquisition, the Company was advised by Pluspetrol that Roch did not appeal the Court of Appeal's decision by the applicable deadline, with the result that the Injunction was permanently revoked and the Lis Pendens Remedy remains in effect. Roch has also commenced arbitration proceedings against Pluspetrol and Apco Austral under the JV Agreement in order to have an arbitration panel consider and rule on the dispute (the "Arbitration"). Crown Point itself is not a party to the Arbitration proceedings. The Arbitration is currently in its early stages and is expected to take a considerable amount of time to complete. The Company is unable to predict when the Arbitration will be concluded or what the outcome of the Arbitration proceedings will be. Pluspetrol has provided certain indemnities to the Company in connection with the Arbitration proceedings. About Crown Point Crown Point Energy Inc. is an international oil and gas exploration and development company headquartered in Calgary, Canada, incorporated in Canada, trading on the TSX Venture Exchange and operating in South America. Crown Points exploration and development activities are focused in two of the largest producing basins in Argentina, the Austral basin in the province of Tierra del Fuego and the Neuquen basin, in the province of Mendoza. Crown Point has a strategy that focuses on establishing a portfolio of producing properties, plus production enhancement and exploration opportunities to provide a basis for future growth. Advisories Forward-Looking Statements Certain information regarding Crown Point set forth in this document, including: details of the Company's drilling plans on the San Martin structure, including the number of wells to be drilled, drilling locations and the timing thereof; the amount of withholding taxes to be paid by the Company by the end of June 2018 and the Company's intention to obtain a loan to finance such payment; the Company's intention to retire the Bridge Loan as soon as possible and the Company's plans to fund such repayment; the Company's expectation that it will take a considerable amount of time for the Arbitration proceedings to be completed; may constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Crown Point, including expectations and assumptions concerning: the continued availability of the necessary services to complete the Company's drilling program on the San Martin structure; the ability of the Company to obtain a loan on acceptable terms to fund the payment of outstanding withholding taxes relating to the Acquisition; the ability of the Company to fund the timely repayment of the Bridge Loan; and the process and timeline that will be followed in connection with the Arbitration proceedings and the potential outcome thereof. Although Crown Point believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because Crown Point can give no assurances that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking information addresses future events and conditions, by its very nature it involves inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These risks include, without limitation, the delay of the Company's drilling program on the San Martin structure due to unforeseen circumstances, the inability of the Company to obtain a loan on acceptable terms to fund the payment of withholding taxes owing in respect of the Acquisition, the inability of the Company to fund the repayment of the Bridge Loan, the inability of the Company to predict all possible outcomes of the Arbitration proceedings, and the possibility that the Company incurs losses or damages arising therefrom that Pluspetrol is not obligated to indemnify the Company for. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Crown Point's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect Crown Points operations and financial results are included in reports on file with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com) or Crown Points website (www.crownpointenergy.com). The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as at the date of this news release and Crown Point does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Barrels of Oil Equivalent Barrels of oil equivalent (boes) may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of 6 thousand cubic feet (Mcf) to 1 barrel is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. In addition, given that the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil in Argentina as compared to the current price of natural gas in Argentina is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6:1, utilizing a conversion on a 6:1 basis may be misleading as an indication of value. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. WiGBits Headline News Would you like to receive our WiGBits? Signup today! WiG Entertainment News Would you like to receive our WiG Entertainment News? Signup today! Digital Issue Would you like to receive our Digital Issue? Signup today! SARATOGA, Calif., June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mount Eden Vineyards today confirmed their Domaine Eden Pinot Noira brand created by Mount Eden Vineyards in 2008was poured at the Royal Wedding Reception of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Daily Express, a UK Paper, reported details of the evening reception at Frogmore House including the menu and wine selection, which included the Domaine Eden Pinot Noir. The spectacular Royal Wedding, watched the world over, took place on May 19, 2018 at St Georges Chapel, Windsor, United Kingdom. Mount Eden Vineyards is delighted to have our Domaine Eden Pinot Noir selected for the Royal Wedding reception and we wish The Duke and Duchess of Sussex the very best, said Jeffrey and Ellie Patterson, owners of Mount Eden Vineyards. Ellie Patterson further says, This news came as a complete surprise. A local fan traveling in the UK spotted the article. If it werent for him we would not have even known. Seeking further confirmation, Mount Eden reached out to their UK distributor Roberson Wine. Peter Gordon-Smith Operations Manager with Roberson Wine responded, The Daily Express is pretty reliable for royal coverage, so I would say their report is accurate. An online customer placed a surprisingly large order of Domaine Eden Pinot Noir with us earlier in the year. Apparently, the customer did say it was for a wedding, but didnt specify which one. It wasnt delivered to a Windsor address, so theres no obvious connection Domaine Eden is a nearby mountaintop wine estate purchased by Mount Eden Vineyards in 2007, the former home of Cinnabar Winery. The viticulture at Domaine Eden is approached with the same level of naturalness and sustainability as Mount Edens estate vineyards. The soils here, however, are different, so even though Domaine Eden is a mere mile away as the crow files from the Mount Eden Estate, the wines express more varietal fruit with expansive mid-palate flavors. The vineyards are a mosaic of different selections and clones: Dijon clones 777, 667 and 828 reside alongside the historic California selections Mount Eden, Calera and Swan. [The Domaine Eden] Pinot Noir is flat-out beautiful in the way it captures the essence of the Santa Cruz Mountains and house style, said Antonio Galloni, American wine critic and founder of Vinous. Partial use of whole cluster (20%) gives the wine much of its fragrance, but ultimately the Domaine Eden bottling is all about class it represents one of the very finest buys in Pinot Noir from anywhere, including the hallowed vineyards of Burgundy. According to Ellie Patterson, This news is fortuitous since in April, Mount Eden just opened its doors for the first time to wine experiences by appointment: A Weekday Tour with Tasting and Seated Estate Tasting. Please visit www.mounteden.com/contact-us for more information. These tastings include selections of Domaine Eden wines. To learn more about Domaine Eden, visit http://www.domaineeden.com/. The Domaine Eden property is not open to the public. Media Contact: Ellie Patterson ellie@mounteden.com 408-867-5832 Taking African mobilities to Munich Dr Mpho Matsipa, researcher at the Wits City Institute is curating an architectural exhibition at the architectural museum in Munich. The exhibition African Mobilities: This is not a refugee camp, curated by Matsipa addresses the complex forms of mobility within Africa and the diaspora. "It explores experimental approaches in architecture and art to migration and circulations of ideas, people, commodities and aesthetics across Africa and the diaspora. In the current situation, in which international borders are being redrawn, managed and monitored by force, and in which individual countries are increasingly subject to the effects of capitalist profit cycles, it is time to look into architectural forms which respond to these supposedly set structures,"says Matsipa. African cities are presented here as sites of refuge, which in their rapid transformation, are producing new architectural typologies, changes in infrastructure and a rapidly expanding interaction with digital technologies. In this context, African migration is seen both as a challenge and as an opportunity for rethinking architecture and urban planning. In preparation for this exhibition, over the past two years architects, town planners, film-makers, artists, social scientists and authors from Africa met at eight different locations, Johannesburg; Harare; Kampala; Lagos; New York; Dakar; Praia and Munich. In workshops, they analysed this continually evolving world, and used diverse media to convey their research outcomes, and to visualize possible future urban scenarios. In the exhibition African Mobilities, Matsipa brings together the works that came out of those meetings, including artworks, graphic novels, films and audiobooks. Ilze Wolff, a co-director at Wolff Architects in Cape Town, is creating the exhibition design, which captures the various forms of mobility among migrants in a spatial composition. African Mobilities is a collaboration between the Architekturmuseum der TU Munchen in the Pinakothek der Moderne and the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa). The initiative is supported by the German Federal Cultural Foundation. The project was produced with the support of the Goethe Institute, which will also be involved in the upcoming tour of the exhibition on the African continent. The exhibition opened on 25 April 2018 and will continue until 19 August 2018 in Munich. First tetrapods of Africa lived within the Devonian Antarctic Circle Fossils of two new species of these four-legged vertebrates also evolved in polar regions, and not just in the tropics as previously believed. The first African fossils of Devonian tetrapods (four-legged vertebrates) show these pioneers of land living within the Antarctic circle, 360 million years ago. The evolution of tetrapods from fishes during the Devonian period was a key event in our distant ancestry. New-found fossils from the latest Devonian Waterloo Farm locality near Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, published today in Science, force a major reassessment of this event. Whereas all previously found Devonian tetrapods came from localities which were in tropical regions during the Devonian, these specimens lived within the Antarctic circle, explains lead author, Dr Robert Gess of the Albany Museum in Grahamstown, and co-author Professor Per Ahlberg of Uppsala University in Sweden. The research was supported by the South African DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences, based at the University of the Witwatersrand and the Millennium Trust. The first African Devonian tetrapods Two new species, named Tutusius and Umzantsia, are Africas earliest known four-legged vertebrates by a remarkable 70 million years. The approximately metre-long Tutusius umlambo (named in honour of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu) and the somewhat smaller Umzantsia amazana are both incomplete. Tutusius is represented by a single bone from the shoulder girdle, whereas Umzantsia is known from a greater number of bones, but they both appear similar to previously known Devonian tetrapods. Alive, they would have resembled a cross between a crocodile and a fish, with a crocodile-like head, stubby legs, and a tail with a fish-like fin. The Waterloo Farm locality (where the tetrapods were discovered) is a roadcut first revealed in 2016 after controlled rock-cutting explosions by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) along the N2 highway between Grahamstown and the Fish River. This cutting exposed dark grey mudstones of the Witpoort Formation that represent an ancient environment of a brackish, tidal river estuary that contain abundant fossils of animals and plants. The first tetrapod found outside of tropical regions The real importance of Tutusius and Umzantsia lies in where they were found. Devonian tetrapod fossils are found in widely scattered localities. However, if the continents are mapped back to their Devonian positions, it emerges that all previous finds are from rocks deposited in the palaeotropics between 30 degrees north and south of the equator. Almost all come from Laurussia, a supercontinent that later fragmented into North America, Greenland and Europe. The much larger southern supercontinent, Gondwana, which incorporated present-day Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, and India, has hitherto yielded almost no Devonian tetrapods, with only an isolated jaw (named Metaxygnathus) and footprints, being found in eastern Australia. Because Australia was the northernmost part of Gondwana, extending into the tropics, an assumption developed that tetrapods evolved in the tropics, most likely in Laurussia. By extension it was assumed that movement of vertebrates from water onto land (terrestrialisation) also occurred in the tropics. Attempts to understand the causes of these major macroevolutionary steps therefore focussed on conditions prevalent in tropical water bodies. The Waterloo Farm tetrapods not only come from Gondwana, but from its southernmost part: reconstructed to have been more than 70 degrees south, within the Antarctic circle. Abundant plant fossils show that forests grew nearby, so it wasnt frozen, but it was definitely not tropical and during winter it will have experienced months of complete darkness. This finding changes our understanding of the distribution of Devonian tetrapods. We now know that tetrapods occurred throughout the world by the Late Devonian and that their evolution and terrestrialisation could realistically have occurred anywhere. South Africa now adds insights into the emergence of land animals to its incredible fossil record, which also includes transition to mammals from reptile-like ancestors and the evolution of humans. There is probably not another country on the planet that so fully documents the long and dramatic evolutionary history of our own lineage. NEW YORK, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digital Arts Media Network, Inc. (OTCMKTS:DATI), a specialized tech accelerator leveraging the Public Accelerator-Incubator (PAI) model, announced today that the crowdfunding platform www.truCrowd.com (owned and operated by truCrowd, Inc.), is now hosting WorkDone Inc., a provider of machine learning-based workforce automation services. WorkDone officially announced the launch of its Reg. CF offering on truCrowd June 7th, 2018. WorkDone is developing an AI platform that caters to small and large organizations looking to deploy a digital workforce composed of automated software bots. These bots, referred to as agents, are seamlessly trained through normal user activity. Once learned, agents can perform the same tasks autonomously. WorkDone is AI with a conscience. WorkDone's goal is not to replace people, but rather, to replace the countless hours of low-value busywork that prevent people from excelling. With WorkDones AI agents, labor costs can be drastically reduced, and people are freed up to do higher value work which presents greater opportunity for future, long-term goals. Ajene Watson, CEO of Digital Arts Media Network, stated, WorkDone is our first endeavor to leverage crowdfunding since investing in truCrowd, Inc., as a means to introduce strong and viable startups into our developing ecosystem. We are very excited about this initial step and hope to see WorkDone successfully hit its funding goal. Our next step is to formally bring WorkDone into our business development and Invest+ programs; giving our shareholders additional opportunity. Wish to Review Reg CF Filing? Click Here: https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?company=Workdone+Inc Want to invest in WorkDone? Click Here: https://us.trucrowd.com/equity/offer-summary/919-WorkDone-Inc.-California-90211 Would you like to see WorkDone become part of the DigitalAMN portfolio of startups? Read More Here: http://digitalartsmedianetwork.com/archives/1735 ABOUT Digital Arts Media Network, Inc. Digital Arts Media Network, Inc. (OTCMKTS:DATI) is the first company to utilize the Public Accelerator-Incubator (PAI) model, with the intent to follow the global success of accelerators and incubators around the world, adding niche opportunities to both the microcap and startup communities. As a PAI, Digital Arts Media Network will develop and acquire innovations that solve problems through digital platforms and other electronic applications. Twitter: https://twitter.com/DigitalArtsDATI LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/digital-arts-media-network Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DigitalArtsMediaNetworkDATI/ Medium: https://medium.com/@DigArtsMedNet About WorkDone Inc. WorkDone, AI With A Conscience, enables organizations to seamlessly automate business processes between major SaaS platforms (Office 365, Salesforce, NetSuite, etc.) with no user training or programming required. Their patent-pending technology, Expertise Capture, uses machine learning to train WorkDone Agents to complete repetitive back office tasks so humans can do higher value work. WorkDone Agents interoperate to create systems of intelligence that preserve the corporate memory so that no institutional knowledge is lost when an employee retires or leaves the company. Website: https://workdone.ai/ ABOUT truCrowd, Inc. (owner and operator of truCrowd.com) Located in the heart of the financial district of downtown Chicago, truCrowd is a FINRA member equity crowdfunding portal operating under Regulation Crowdfunding (Title III of JOBS ACT); connecting startups and emerging businesses with non-accredited and accredited investors. Built on the belief that not all businesses and investors are alike, we pride ourselves on delivering a personalized and professional funding experience through industry-leading technology. Website: https://us.trucrowd.com/ Forward Looking Statements Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the Company's actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as "believes," "belief," "expects," "expect," "intends," "intend," "anticipate," "anticipates," "plans," "plan," to be uncertain and forward-looking. Contact: Public Relations Answering Center (866) 298-7691 Ext. 53 info@DigitalArtsMediaNetwork.com In 1994, the Clinton administration shut down a small sodium reactor that had operated without incident at Idaho National Laboratory for 30 years. This small reactor was termed "walk-away safe" because when the liquid sodium coolant got too hot, it expanded and shut itself down. Now, entrepreneurs are bringing it back from the dead. These sodium and other advanced microreactors could be a godsend for those in Alaska communities who spend up to half of their annual income on energy. Costs are so high in some remote Alaskan villages that mothers have had to choose between heating their homes and buying formula for their babies, a burden that most of the US cannot fathom and a choice that families should not have to make. More than 200 of Alaska's communities receive power from isolated microgrids, often relying on diesel generators to meet their power needs. Diesel is expensive to deliver and has among fuel sources for generating power one of the highest levels of emissions. A number of communities are integrating renewables like hydro, wind, and biomass to lower costs and decrease emissions, but many others lack the financial means and resources to do so. What if technological innovation could upend this reality -- offering a future of clean, cheap, safe, and reliable power options to microgrids everywhere from Kaktovik, nestled on the Arctic Ocean, to Puerto Rico? Enter entrepreneurs like Caroline Cochran and Jacob DeWitte of Oklo -- MIT graduates with experience at GE and Sandia National Laboratories. They have taken proven advanced nuclear concepts off the shelf, improved them into a new product the size of a shipping container, and entered promising early-stage discussions with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Their microreactor concept could be shipped by truck or barge to a location, buried in the ground, and right-sized for local power demand. It requires less equipment and maintenance to ensure safety than existing plants, and can run without refueling for years at a time. Most importantly, it has the ability to cut electricity bills in half without harmful emissions that contribute to climate change. Think of what that could mean for Alaskan communities that would have enough affordable power to heat their homes, schools, and clinics -- possibilities that are currently only dreams. Think of what it could mean for remote military installations, which require reliable power to keep our nation safe. Think of what it could mean for areas such as hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, where thousands of people are still without power. This new paradigm could attract billions in new capital investment and rapidly deploy energy-dense and efficient nuclear power across the country -- and perhaps the world. So what is holding us back? Venture capital isn't always enough. Nuclear power must be regulated, but sometimes those regulations are not right-sized. And the long-standing debate over nuclear waste must be successfully resolved. Congress recently extended tax credits for nuclear power, which is a start. But even for advanced reactors, there are several easy and obvious steps that have not been taken. For example, there is no supply chain for the fuel that advanced reactors from Oklo, TerraPower, and other operators will require, but inexpensive policy changes could help. Without domestic supplies of advanced nuclear fuel, developers will be forced to buy from Russia and China. The House recently approved a bipartisan plan led by Rep. Randy Weber and other senior Science Committee members that would authorize the Department of Energy to construct a fast-spectrum versatile research reactor, a crucial tool that will accelerate licensing times and allow innovative technologies to test fuel. The federal government should also enable public-private partnerships with nuclear developers and set clear, ambitious, and achievable goals to demonstrate reactors. The Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies Act, a bipartisan plan authored by Sens. Jeff Flake and Cory Booker, sets 2028 as the goal for demonstrating at least four new advanced nuclear designs. The bill was recently advanced by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. We need the Department of Energy to establish such audacious, yet attainable goals for pushing US advanced reactor technologies to market. We need these and additional policies that will unleash entrepreneurs like Caroline and Jake to rebuild America's nuclear industry. While efforts to mitigate climate change are heating up, China is rushing to grab the strongest foothold in the clean energy race. China is already constructing and operating advanced reactors while we have none. The US -- once the pioneer and undisputed champion of nuclear power and other breakthroughs -- is falling behind. This is not just an economic trade problem. It is a national security problem. Leadership in nuclear technology development allows leadership in nuclear regulation and safeguard regimes. A robust and healthy American nuclear sector is a prerequisite for national security in today's world. Our private sector is working hard to innovate, with many new concepts in development. But, these US companies need the federal government to be a committed partner. Together, we must reestablish US global leadership in nuclear power. There's no time to waste, for Alaska or America. A recent nationwide study shows that Idaho is perhaps the most tolerant state in America when it comes to allowing weapons in schools. Last month, the Education Commission of the States, a nonprofit nationwide policy-research group, released its State Policy Responses to School Violence report. In the wake of recent mass school shootings, researchers compared four categories of policies tied to weapons in schools across the country, including states that allow: -School security personnel to carry weapons. -School employees to carry weapons. -Concealed-carry permit holders to carry weapons. -Schools or districts to give individuals permission to carry weapons. Of all 50 states, only Idaho qualified in every category. Some states - Minnesota, Wisconsin and Kentucky - did not qualify in any category. ECS researcher Jennifer Thomsen, who helped conduct the study, said she was not aware of Idaho's outlier status until contacted by Idaho Ed News. Though Thomsen called Idaho's across-the-board qualifications "interesting," she cautioned against firm conclusions that no other state provides equal leeway for weapons in schools. Some states' school-gun policies are very explicit, while others' were harder to categorize, Thomsen said. Thomsen also pointed to two other similarly focused studies: one from the National Conference of State Legislators, which largely corroborated the ECS report; and another from the Giffords Law Center, which placed Idaho among states prohibiting guns in k-12 schools, with some "specified exceptions." Idaho law lets local school boards implement firearm policies as "an appropriate part of a program, an event, activity or other circumstance." Idaho schools use a range of safety protocols, including guns. Currently, at least four Idaho schools either allow certain staffers to conceal their own firearms or grant access to school-owned guns in emergencies. While students gear up for summer break, trustees and superintendents across Idaho will be considering ways to both introduce and fund heightened safety measures. Some measures will add more guns in Idaho schools. Last month, the North Idaho's Lakeland School District announced its plans to hire an armed guard for its Athol Elementary School. Lakeland administrators say the hire is a likely precursor to 11 other armed guards to be stationed at other schools throughout the district. Despite Idaho's emphasis on guns, Thomsen stressed that the ECS study was a broad look at state policies, not an actual tally of schools or districts putting the policies into practice. The New York Times recently took a nationwide look at schools that arm teachers. The annual Western Conservative Summit kicked off Friday in Denver, where several of Colorado's Republican gubernatorial candidates will be speaking, along with a host of high-profile conservatives that include under-fire EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Among the Friday morning speakers were Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., GOP gubernatorial frontrunner Walker Stapleton and Republican candidate for Colorado Attorney General George Brauchler. On Friday afternoon, Pruitt, Sessions and GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Robinson were among the speakers. Sessions in his speech touched on many of the subjects he's been vocal about in his time as attorney general, including the number of judges confirmed so far under the Trump administration, saying "elections have consequences," the MS-13 gang, religious freedom and empowering conservatives, who Sessions said won't be called "deplorables or bitter clingers anymore." He also discussed the move by he and the Justice Department late Thursday to oppose the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act in a lawsuit involving several states. "It's a rare step, but one I felt was necessary when it comes to this law-a monumental law of historical governmental proportions that moved the entire health care system and the entire economy in America," he said. He also talked about his view that religious freedom needs to be bolstered in the U.S., and talked about the recent Supreme Court decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop, calling baker Jack Phillips "a courageous Colorado baker who would not back down." Sessions claimed that the Trump administration has done a better job at cutting down on crime than the Obama administration did, and talked about the crackdown on the opioid epidemic without touching on marijuana-something he has tied together in the past as being similar types of drugs. He also led a brief "build the wall" chant as he talked about the massive uptick of seizures of fentanyl at the U.S.-Mexico border. "The entire government knows how strongly he feels about it, and we're getting things done," Sessions said, claiming that people were "stampeding" the U.S.-Mexico border and claiming the U.S. had "the most generous immigration laws in the world." "If you cross the border illegally, we're going to prosecute you," Sessions said. "Period. That's what we're going to do." He said he wanted to do away with so-called "sanctuary cities" and discussed the theoretical of someone crossing the border "bringing 6 ounces of cocaine" and making their way to "Boulder or Denver or Aurora" (the cities targeted by conservatives as "sanctuary cities") in two days. "Colorado's got challenges," Sessions added, to some laughs from the audience before ending his speech: "In the Trump era, we've already seen a historic string of victories for conservatives and the American people. We are going to keep up this pace. We are not slowing down. We are determined to keep winning, and winning, and winning. Are you tired of it yet?" Pruitt was a last-minute addition to the summit, which bills itself as the largest gathering of conservatives in the country, and his addition surprised some, as Pruitt has seen scandal after scandal plague the past few months of his tenure. Most recently, stories came out that Pruitt sent aides to pick up a specific hand lotion from a specific hotel chain and various sweets for the administrator. Among the speakers Saturday will be gubernatorial candidates Greg Lopez and Victor Mitchell, as well as Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk, commentators Diamond & Silk and the NRA's Dana Loesch. There are also a series of workshops, a gala, dinners and a military appreciation ball scheduled Friday and Saturday. There are seven different ticketing options for those who wish to attend-from the $500 "VIP Summit Pass" to a $125 single-day pass. Progressive groups and Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., who is also running for governor, planned rallies outside of the summit Friday to protest. UTICA The City of Utica Planning Board sought input from the public about potential environmental impacts of the new downtown hospital at a public hearing Thursday evening. Before the hearing inside the Utica State Office Building, a rally took place outside with local labor unions who support the new hospital and the jobs its construction would create. Approximately a hundred labor union members including plumbers, electricians and carpenters turned out to show their support. The #NoHospitalDowntown group implored its 4,000 or so members for days to attend a rally in the buildings courtyard, which was scheduled for 45 minutes before the public hearing. Approximately two dozen of their members turned out, but the co-founder of the group says he wasnt disappointed. They have paid protesters out there we have real citizens. There's a big difference, said Jim Brock. And we spoke to a number of the union folks who said they don't even know why they're there, but they're being paid, so good for them. We need a new hospital, the hospitals are not in good shape, said Jim Jory of the local Plumbers & Pipefitters union. It'll be good for the area, good for healthcare, and that's about it. When asked if the union members are being paid to attend the rally, Jory said no. Inside the building, the public was supposed to give input on the potential environmental impact of the hospital, but for the first dozen or so speakers, it was merely people stating their support or opposition to the hospital. Oneida County employees who spoke in support of the hospital included employees from the Health Department, Department of Public Works, and the Office for the Again. Business owners located within the footprint of the downtown hospital are urging a fair examination of the environmental impact. We urge the board to take a necessary hard look and analyze how the project will affect the neighborhood and community where the project is proposed, including people and businesses such as ours which will be displaced, said business owner Karen Corrigan. And there are still those who want voters to have the power to decide. I believe the best way to find out where everybody stands is a public referendum and let the voters decide, said Ralph Humphrey. Thursday nights public meeting is only the beginning of a long process. "There's already a draft scoping document that's been prepared and has been on the website for public review and comment for a while now, for several weeks, said Brian Thomas, commissioner of Urban and Economic Development for the City of Utica. That document will be finalized with the comments that are made by June 20, and that will be the final scoping document. Their engineers will then use that as essentially the table of contents for the environmental impact statement." The citys Planning Board had already planned to include things such as impact on air quality, surface water, and ground water in the scoping document that would become the environmental impact statement. English French MONTREAL, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Media are invited to Pearson International Airport on Tuesday, June 12th to witness the arrival of 18 dogs rescued from a South Korean dog meat farm. In total, 51 dogs rescued from this facility are being transported to Canada in the coming days. Representatives with HSI/Canada will be on hand to field questions about the rescue and the campaign to end the dog meat trade. The dogs will then be transported to HSI/Canadas Montreal emergency shelter, where journalists can meet the rescued dogs on Thursday from 10 am to noon (campaign experts will be present). HSI/Canada staff participating in the farm closure are also available for phone or email interviews from South Korea June 9-12. WHAT: Arrival of 18 rescued dogs at Pearson International Airport, tour of Montreal emergency shelter, interviews from South Korea. WHO: Rescued dogs, HSI/Canada spokespeople and volunteers (Toronto, Montreal and South Korea). WHERE & WHEN: TORONTO, June 12 th , between 4 and 5 pm: Air Canada Cargo, Pearson International Airport - 2580 Britannia Rd East, Mississauga, ON L4W 2P7. Click here for the Google Map. , between 4 and 5 pm: Air Canada Cargo, Pearson International Airport - 2580 Britannia Rd East, Mississauga, ON L4W 2P7. Click here for the Google Map. MONTREAL, June 14 th , between 10 am and noon: HSI/Canadas temporary emergency shelter in Montreal - 7314 Mountain Sights Ave (south of Jean-Talon West), Montreal, Quebec H4P 2A6. Click here for the Google Map. , between 10 am and noon: HSI/Canadas temporary emergency shelter in Montreal - 7314 Mountain Sights Ave (south of Jean-Talon West), Montreal, Quebec H4P 2A6. Click here for the Google Map. SOUTH KOREA, June 9-12: interviews with HSI/Canada representatives by phone or email. For interview requests, please call or email media contact below. To download high-resolution photos, click here; then click create account at the top of the page. Media Contact: Aviva Vetter office: 514 395-2914 x 205 / cell: 514-975-9720, email: avetter@hsi.org Humane Society International/Canada is a leading force for animal protection, with active programs in companion animals, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammal preservation, farm animal welfare and animals in research. HSI/Canada is proud to be a part of Humane Society International which, together with its partners, constitutes one of the world's largest animal protection organizations. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide - on the web at www.hsicanada.ca. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Members from a West Lafayette church are home safe after a mission trip to Guatemala. Their flight took off just before a volcano erupted on Sunday. "The volcano apparently erupted, just about the time we took off," said Pastor Will Peugeot. Pastor Peugeot of Our Saviour Lutheran Church said members didn't know what was happening at the time. In fact, they didn't know anything until they made it back to the United States. "We actually found out about it when we were on our flight from Miami to Chicago," Pastor Peugeot. Members of the church take mission trips to Guatemala every year. They team up with Christ United Methodist Church and mission organization. "Mostly our work has been some kind of labor where they build something and the mission works with the community to determine what's being built," said Pastor Peugeot. He said they were still able to help victims. They did so without even realizing it at the time. "The mission that we work with allows us to leave our sheets and towels. We did that and they told on Tuesday that those had been taken to a shelter for use by the folks who had been impacted by the volcano." Peugeot said while this trip wasn't affected, that wasn't the case three years ago. "The same volcano had put out some ash and the jet planes couldn't operate in that environment, so when we got to the airport that time, the airport was closed and we spent an extra day in Guatemala City," said Pastor Peugeot. The death toll from this eruption has reached almost 100 and about 200 people are still missing. Pastor Peugeot said the church will continue to pray for the people of Guatemala. STAMFORD, Conn., June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Finacity Corporation (Finacity) and DZ Bank announce they have successfully renewed a trade receivables securitization for Alliance One International (NYSE:AOI) (AOI), headquartered in Morrisville, NC, USA. The facility allows for up to USD $125 million in funding. Finacity provided analytic support, co-structured the transaction, and serves as the ongoing Transaction Administrator; DZ Bank co-structured the transaction and it was funded via Autobahn Funding (DZ Bank conduit). About Alliance One International Alliance One International, Inc. purchases, processes, packs, stores, and ships leaf tobacco for manufacturers of cigarettes and other consumer tobacco products worldwide. It operates in five segments: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. The company is involved in processing and selling flue-cured, burley, and oriental tobaccos, which are used in international brand cigarettes. It also provides agronomy services for growing leaf tobacco. The company was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. About Finacity and Finacity Capital Management Finacity specializes in the structuring and provision of efficient capital markets receivables funding programs, supplier and payables finance, back-up servicing, and program administration. Finacity currently facilitates the financing and administration of an annual receivables volume of approximately US $100 billion. With resources in the USA, Europe and Latin America, Finacity conducts business throughout the world with obligors in 175 countries. For further information, please visit www.finacity.com. About DZ Bank DZ Bank AG, a central and commercial bank, provides various financial products and services to retail, corporate, and institutional customers in Germany and internationally. It offers retail banking securities services; payments processing services; lending, leasing, and investment products; consumer finance services; and commercial real-estate finance. The company also provides investment and risk management products. The company functions as a central institution for approximately 850 cooperative banks and their 10,000 branch offices. DZ Bank AG is based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. For more information on this transaction, please contact: Finacity Corporation Thomas Heslenfeld USA Tel : 1 (203) 428-3519 theslenfeld@finacity.com DZ Bank Jayan Krishnan USA Tel : 1-212-745-1678 jayan.krishnan@dzbank.com China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page TEMECULA, Calif., June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE -- International Endeavors Corp (OTC:IDVV) Pioneer in off grid grow technologies for the Cannabis market announced today that sales continue to build with another 4 OGGL orders. That is on the heels of the 5 pre orders taken last week. Andrew Read has stated It is clear that the OGGL is fitting a market niche with its unique solution and sales approach. The numbers speak for themselves. Each OGGL is truly a Green profit center satisfying multiple aspects of a cannabis farmers needs and wants. From the cost and profits to the low carbon footprint of the OGGL the new age farmer considers all aspects of the business before making a financial commitment. The financial forecast below proves the viability our solution. About the OGGL: The OGGL is the 1st purpose built self-contained off grid growing laboratory. Built around low cost shipping containers the OGGL ships with integrated solar modules and lithium phosphate batteries coupled with generator backup for 24 hour power to the grow. The OGGL has been configured for the 3 stages of growing: Vegetative/ Flowering and Cloning. OFF Grid Grow Lab Video https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f7TnB45Iipbz1rrrrnTyFsGVjYym82ms/view About International Endeavors Corporation International Endeavors Corporation is a company focused on building IP in the Medical Marijuana and Legal Cannabis Industry through the creation of Biomedical Devices, Clean Energy Solutions and Patents. (IEC) is also engaged in locating and acquiring established companies, brands and technologies. The Companies portfolio includes commercial and agricultural land and buildings. Forward-Looking Statements are included within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategy, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, including words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements and involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. International Endeavors Corporation ( IDVV ) is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact: Nate Engel CEO Phone: 951-296-1024 Email: nate@internationalendeavorscorp.com Source: International Endeavors Corporation A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c968b35a-b3c6-4d51-8f37-546c01605070 China signs up to four new units from Russia 08 June 2018 Share Russia and China have signed four agreements envisaging the construction of four VVER-1200 units at Xudabao and Tianwan, cooperation in the CFR-600 fast reactor pilot project, and supply of the RITEG (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator) parts for China's lunar exploration programme. The signing ceremony was held today in Beijing and attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Two of the deals aim for construction of two units at a greenfield site in Xudabao and two at Tianwan (units 7 and 8). Russia will supply the VVER-1200 reactors and all related equipment. Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachov said that over the course of "longstanding cooperation with our reliable partners" - China's Atomic Energy Authority, the National Energy Administration, and the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) - "we have created an unprecedented level of trust". The third agreement envisages the supply of equipment, fuel, and services for the CNNC-developed CFR-600 fast reactor pilot project. The fourth concerns the supply of radionuclide heat units (UHR) used as parts of radioisotope thermoelectric generators to power equipment in China's space programme, for use in lunar exploration in particular, Rosatom said. The Tianwan units 1 and 2 were started up in 2007 and generate more than 15 terawatt hours of electricity every year. Unit 3 was connected to the grid on 30 December and is scheduled to enter commercial operation later this year. The design of the Tianwan plant is based on Russia's AES-91 project with a VVER-1000 reactor, which fully meets the requirements of current Chinese, Russian, and International Atomic Energy Agency regulations, Rosatom said. Construction of the plant is being carried out by Jiangsu Nuclear Power Corporation (JNPC) in cooperation with Russia's Atomstroyexport. JNPC is a joint venture between CNNC (50%), China Power Investment Corporation (30%) and Jiangsu Guoxin Group (20%). The State Council gave its approval for the third phase of the Tianwan plant (units 5 and 6) - both featuring Chinese-designed 1080 MWe ACPR1000 reactors - on 16 December 2015. First safety-related concrete was poured for unit 5 later that month and for unit 6 in September 2016. Unit 5 is expected to enter commercial operation in December 2020 and unit 6 in October 2021. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Serial reactor construction key to lowering costs 08 June 2018 Share Developers of new nuclear power plant projects in the UK agree that an experienced supply chain, together with a stable reactor design, will be key to significantly driving down construction costs, delegates heard at the Global Nuclear Investment Summit held yesterday at London's Guildhall. The event was hosted by global nuclear energy financial services provider Ocean Nuclear and the Financial Times. Under a strategic investment agreement signed in October 2016, China General Nuclear (CGN) agreed to take a 33.5% stake in EDF Energy's Hinkley Point C project in Somerset, as well as jointly develop new nuclear power plants at Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex. The Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C plants will be based on France's EPR reactor technology, while the new plant at Bradwell in Essex will feature the Hualong One design. Robert Davies, chief operating officer at CGN UK, told the event that the focus should be on how the industry can best deliver new nuclear in the UK. CGN, he said, has identified four key issues in keeping down the cost of constructing new nuclear power plants. Firstly, the design of a plant should be fixed. Secondly, you should use experienced engineering, procurement and construction contractors, as well as develop an experienced supply chain. Costs are also reduced by buildings lots of units, he said. Referring to a study by the OCED, he said if you build six units, the price of the sixth unit will be 60% less than that of the first. Fourthly, he said the price should be fixed or capped. "The secret for nuclear is that we need to build a series and the series needs to be identical copies and you need to help your supply chain improve productivity step by step." Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, EDF Energy Davies noted that at the Fangchenggang site in China, where two demonstration Hualong One units are under construction, every contract there was at a fixed or capped price. "That makes a big difference to the risks of the project." Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, managing director of Nuclear Development at EDF Energy, said there are two "big levers" for making nuclear more cost competitive. One is the cost of construction and reductions created by constructing one unit after another. He said there has been "strong experience" of doing that in China, Korea and Japan. The other lever is to drive down the cost of finance. "Given that a nuclear plant is a complex machine and the most obvious way of cutting the cost of nuclear is to make identical copies, this is what we plan to do for Sizewell C, an identical copy of Hinkley Point C." He said that this should reduce costs by some 20%. Making a copy will also reduce risk as well as drive down the cost of capital, he added. "If you make a copy, you don't have to do design all over again." He noted there have been a number of design changes to the Hinkley Point C EPR compared with the one at Taishan in China, in order to meet UK requirements. This has essentially made Hinkley Point C a first-of-a-kind project, which will be able to learn lessons from the Taishan project, as well as from the EPR projects at Olkiluoto in Finland and Flamanville in France, he said. "For a first-of-a-kind, you end up going into construction at a time when you are still finishing off the design. That is why I am very clear about Sizewell C. It's going to be a copy - as close as we can possibly make it - of Hinkley Point C so that we have the design fully complete before anyone goes anywhere near starting construction on the site. That's what we need in order to help do the next phase of improvement, to get the supply chain to learn and think very hard about how to improve productivity and reduce the cost of construction." Davies agreed, saying that CGN is following the same "industrial rules" as EDF. "We want to go Hinkley-Sizewell-Bradwell. It may be a different design, Bradwell, but since most of the risk in a nuclear power plant rests in construction - in the civil and the erection part - that has great similarities, being able to train and teach the supply chain to do it and for them to know there is a pipeline of activity and that is how you reduce risk." Earlier this week, the UK government raised the possibility of a public investment in new nuclear plants in the country. On 5 June, it was announced that Japan's Hitachi - owner of Horizon Nuclear Power - and the UK government have decided to enter negotiations on Horizon Nuclear Power's proposed Wylfa Newydd project. In a statement to Parliament, UK Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said actions the government is taking will support a "long-term pipeline" for new nuclear projects in the country. Cadoux-Hudson welcomed this move, saying it is a "step forward to bring down the cost of capital". He added, "We are looking at an environment for Sizewell C in which the risk is much lower than it was for Hinkley Point C. If we have four operational EFRs - if we have Hinkley Point which is half-way through its construction by the time we come to make a decision on Sizewell - we believe that the risk profile is much lower." Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Bulgarian parliament approves restart of Belene investor talks 08 June 2018 Share The Bulgarian parliament, the National Assembly, yesterday mandated the country's energy minister to resume the search for investors in the construction of a second nuclear power plant at Belene. The National Assembly has thus recommended that the Council of Ministers reverse the 29 March 2012 decision to abandon the Belene project amid difficulties at that time in attracting investors. The National Assembly said the mandate implies the plant would be built in collaboration with a strategic investor based on market principles and without a government guarantee. The assets and liabilities of the project would be owned and managed by the project company, it added. "The resolution requires the Energy Minister to organise, coordinate and supervise negotiations with potential investors and equipment manufacturers, take action to devise a procedure for selecting a strategic investor, and propose ways to structure the project by 31l October 2018," it said. The resolution, moved by the ruling coalition of GERB and the United Patriots, was passed by a vote of 172 in favour, 14 against and 2 abstentions. According to the Bulgarian News Agency, Alexander Nenkov of the GERB party has warned against making assumptions about the mandate. "We should not act prematurely, and we should not trumpet about restarting the project," Nenkov said. "We are not restarting anything. We are giving a mandate for studies in the next five months to probe investors' interest. If future investors have serious intentions and see considerable economic and financial potential, they will be inclined to take a greater risk as is stipulated in our conditions for the negotiations." The project could only be restarted once the moratorium on the Belene project, also imposed on 29 March 2012, is lifted. The National Assembly also voted yesterday 74-40, with 81 abstentions, to defeat a draft resolution proposed by the opposition BSP For Bulgaria parliamentary group, which had aimed to lift the parliament's moratorium on the Belene project. According to the same news agency, Valentin Nikolov (GERB) said: "Of course, we have to revoke the National Assembly resolution [of 2012], but when is the right moment to do that? The right moment is after the Council of Ministers revokes its own decision, because we supported it". He added: "If Belene is meant to become a fact, it will happen at the right moment - when other electricity generating capacities are shut down." Roumen Gechev (BSP For Bulgaria) said in response: "Why were you so slow in realising that the Belene project is economically feasible?" Bulgaria's National Electricity Company NEK awarded Russia's Atomstroyexport (ASE) the contract to build two 1000 MWe reactors at Belene, on the Danube River near the Romanian border, in 2006. In February 2013, after the resignation of the Bulgarian prime minister and cabinet, parliament confirmed that the project would be abandoned in favour of building a new unit at Kozloduy. However late in 2014, following an election, the matter was again under consideration. Then, in June 2016, the International Court of Arbitration ruled in favour of ASE over its claim for compensation for the cost of equipment it had produced for the Belene project. Last month, the Bulgarian Cabinet announced it had recommended to the National Assembly that it vote on lifting the moratorium on the Belene project. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said on 16 May that the project would be restarted, following the visit to Bulgaria the previous week of representatives of China National Nuclear Corporation, which has said it is interested in building the plant. Borissov had said he wanted the mandate from the National Assembly before Bulgaria hosts an annual summit of leaders from 16 central and eastern European countries and China in July. Focus News Agency cited Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova as telling reporters after the National Assembly's vote yesterday that the decision taken by parliament in 2012 had supported the actions of the government at that time. "The decision taken today is the new will of the Bulgarian Parliament," she said. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Hamilton, Bermuda, June 8, 2018 To shareholders and investors, In our message of May 30, 2018, we informed the market that NAT had sold two ships for a total price of about $9.5 million each. We indicated that further sales may take place. Today, we wish to inform you that we have an agreement to sell 3 more suezmaxes at the same price level as the first two ones. These ships are also 20 years or more. All terms have been agreed and the signature on the documents is expected to take place soon. The total cash to NAT from the sales of the 5 vessels is close to $50 million. The transactions concluded in less than two weeks illustrate the liquidity in the second hand market for suezmaxes and prove the financial flexibility of NAT. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "plan," "potential," "will," "may," "should," "expect," "pending" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market, as a result of changes in OPEC's petroleum production levels and world wide oil consumption and storage, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the prospectus and related prospectus supplement, our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and our reports on Form 6-K. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who has recently revealed a deep hatred for the Jewish state, said at the latest presidential debate that he would consider moving the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem back to Tel Aviv and slandered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Times of Israel reports. The moderator asked Sanders about his racist attack on pro-Israel lobby AIPAC yesterday, saying, What would you say to American Jews who might be concerned youre not, from their perspective, supportive enough of Israel, and specifically, would you move the U.S. embassy back to Tel Aviv? The answer is its something we would take into consideration, Sanders replied. Proclaiming himself proud of being Jewish, despite a lifelong indifference to the Jewish community and their concerns, he proceeded to launch a racist assault on Netanyahu. What I happen to believe is that right now, sadly, tragically, in Israel, through Bibi Netanyahu, you have a reactionary racist who is now running that country, he said. Charging Jews with racism is a constant mantra among antisemitic leftists. Email to a friend, Share on Facebook, Share on Twitter, and more: Security officers at a Military Base in New York called ICE agents to arrest a man who was delivering food to the base. When Pablo Villavicencio-Calderon, a 35-year-old father of two children, arrived at the army base, he showed the security guard his valid New York City identification card. He was then allowed into the base, where he was confronted by another guard who demanded another form of ID. Villavicencio, who already delivered pizza to the army base many times, did not have another form of ID so he signed a waiver to accept a background check. The security guard discovered that Villavicencio, who is from Ecuador, was ordered by a judge to leave the country but he failed to do so. An ICE spokesperson said that in March 2010, Villavicencio was granted voluntary departure by an immigration judge but failed to depart by July, as ordered. As such, his voluntary departure order became a final order of removal. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo offered Villavicencio free legal representation to fight his deportation. Villavicencios wife also made a public plea to have her husband freed so that he can be reunited with his family. Crimewatch appeal to locate man wanted in connection with Class A drugs supply This article is old - Published: Friday, Jun 8th, 2018 The above picture of Daniel Monaghan has been widely circulated this morning after a TV appeal on BBCs Crimewatch. Daniel Monaghan, or Dizzy, as he calls himself was arrested by police in North Wales in connection with the supply of class A drugs in the Wrexham area. The BBC say he was released under investigation but is now wanted for further questioning. Monaghan is 29 years old, has a Liverpudlian accent and is 5 foot 10 with short brown hair. He has links to Liverpool, Hull and across Scotland. You can call Crimewatch with information on 08000 468 999. Calls are free from most landlines, but remember, some network and mobile operators will charge. You can also text Crimewatch on 63399. Text CRIME , space and then your message. Texts will be charged at your standard message rate. You can also email Crimewatch via CWR@bbc.co.uk As always you can always ring the police direct via the 101 number Funding bids lodged to replace town signs + introduce new flexible digital signage This article is old - Published: Friday, Jun 8th, 2018 An attempt to secure six figure funding to improve the towns signage is underway. Two bids have been made from Wrexham Council revolving around the important yet unglamorous topic of signage. Details of a bid to the Welsh Government Tourism Amenity Investment Support scheme has been outlined, with the investment fund described as being aimed at developing quality sustainable tourism facilities, add value to visitor experience, deliver quality, innovation and a sense of place. If successful the first could see the old town centre signs improved, with the old signage pictured above being referred to. Although the pictured sign is pointing to the named items in the correct way, there are others in the town that have been mischievously or accidentally spun over the years and are less reliable. A second bid would see digital dot matrix signs placed on key routes into Wrexham. The aim of the signs would be to provide easily changeable signage for events promotion, road closing, guidance and similar information to road users. Likely roads for the signs would be Mold Road, Rhostyllen and a point for people heading from the Whitchurch direction towards town. Destination Manager at Wrexham Council, Joe Bickerton, described the ideas as good projects and gave a timeframe of before Christmas to deliver them if the bid process was successful. SEATTLE, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CFN Media Group (CFN Media), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry, today announced that City View Green, which is in the process of going public through a reverse merger with Icon Exploration Inc. (TSX-V:IEX), has engaged CFN Media to conduct an 6-month investor and market visibility program to begin on May 30, 2018. City View Green, a new LP applicant within reach of its cultivation through Health Canada, has an exclusive 20-year lease on a 40,000 sq. ft. facility located in Ontario with estimated production of 5,000 kilograms per year once upgrades are completed, said Frank Lane, President of CFN Media. CVG will focus on high quality extraction for the Canadian and international markets. The company will also grow for the recreational market in Canada once legalized. At City View Green we are excited by the opportunity that we feel the cannabis industry represents and are looking forward to working with CFN Media. In the near future we will have more to report as we plan the retrofit of our Brantford facility as well as exciting new developments, said City View Green President David Roff. CFN Media will leverage its powerful content platform and extensive reach into mainstream and cannabis-focused investor audiences and media across North America to attract high-quality investors to City View Green while elevating the companys financial brand. Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/become-featured-company/ Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from the palm of your hand: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8 Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com About CFN Media CFN Media (CannabisFN), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the worldwide cannabis industry, helps companies operating in the space attract investors, capital, and publicity. Private and public marijuana companies in the US and Canada rely on CFN Media to succeed in the capital markets. About City View Green CVG is targeting entry into the Canadian Medical and Recreational market in 2018 as a high quality, large-scale cannabis producer. CVG is an ACMPR applicant strategically located in Branford, Ontario, which is in close proximity to one of Canada's largest cities - Toronto, Ontario. Upon issuance of the license, CVG proposes to operate out of a 40,000 ft facility which it has leased and intends to grow pharmaceutical grade cannabis to be sold in the current medicinal market and the upcoming recreational market, upon legalization. CVG is currently advancing the design and retrofit of the Brantford facility through experienced contractors with extensive knowledge of building construction in the pharmaceutical and medical marijuana industries. CVG intends to incorporate innovative growing strategies which may be based on technological advancements in LED lighting, advanced HVAC and dehumidification technology, and automation. This progressive growing technology is expected to improve the quality, safety, output and consistency of its cannabis production. CVG's management believes that its strategic location in Brantford, Ontario should enable it to be able to draw on the best talent available in the market which is in close proximity to several agricultural learning centres, colleges and universities. FDi, a division of Financial Times Limited, ranked the City of Brantford at the top spot as the most business-friendly city in the micro city category in the 2017/2018 FDi report. Frank Lane 206-369-7050 Flane@cannabisfn.com US officials are exerting mounting pressure on both the Liberal-National Coalition government and the opposition Labor Party to push two key foreign interference bills through the Australian parliament this month, before a six-week winter parliamentary recess. The bills are intended to outlaw any political or commercial activity that is deemed to serve the interests of China. They also seek to criminalise many forms of anti-government political dissent, particularly opposition to Australian involvement in US-led wars directed against China. According to the Australian on June 4, unnamed US officials sought assurances that the Labor Party will support the governments unprecedented laws after the party raised concerns about their impact on media conglomerates. The officials quizzed Labor MPs on whether they fundamentally supported the bills. One source told the newspaper: (They were) seeking reassurance about Labors position. Two days later, the newspaper reported that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull threatened to push ahead with the extraordinary legislation in two weeks, with or without a report from the parliamentary security and intelligence committee. After widespread condemnation of the bills, including on free speech grounds, the committees report had been delayed while efforts continued to draft cosmetic amendments to secure a completely bipartisan Coalition-Labor recommendation to back the bills. Following the US intervention, the committee report was published yesterday, providing the requisite unanimous support for the main espionage and foreign interference bill. The report proposed 59 amendments, none of which alter the central anti-democratic thrust of the bill. Attorney-General Christian Porter immediately accepted the recommendations and foreshadowed similar amendments to the related Foreign Interference Transparency Scheme (FITS) Bill. He declared that both bills must now be passed before the end of the month. Without providing any evidence, he claiming that was essential to stop foreign agents perverting democratic processes during the campaign for five by-elections on July 28. The pressure being applied from Washington is blatant. The Australian also said key US congressional leaders were applying close scrutiny to the Australian experience with China and planning parallel laws. In recent months, China experts in the Trump administration have shared briefings with their Australian counterpart in Washington on the issue, the newspaper said. Congress has also invited Australian China watchers, including Mr Turnbulls former senior adviser John Garnaut and controversial academic Clive Hamilton to testify before committees in Washington. When Turnbull first tabled the bills last December, he said his government took seriously media and spy agency reports accusing China of seeking to interfere in Australias political, business and academic affairs. Amid intensifying allegations of Chinese meddling in Australia, Washingtons intervention underscores the reality: The US ruling elite retains the predominant financial, intelligence and military influence over the country, as it has since World War II, and is determined to prevent any wavering as the Trump administration ramps up trade war measures and military preparations against China. While claiming to uphold democracy against Chinese authoritarianism, a blunt message is being sent: It is no longer possible for the Australian capitalist class to maintain the stance of constructive engagement with Beijing that it adopted over the past two decades in order to extract billions of dollars in profits from commodity exports to Chinas rapidly growing economy. That stance, initiated by the previous 19962007 Coalition government of John Howard, sought to benefit from a China-driven mining boom while still adhering closely to Washington, including by sending troops to help invade Afghanistan and Iraq. Such a balancing act is no longer possible because the US ruling class, as specified in the Pentagons 2018 National Defense Strategy, has accused China of seeking to displace the US as the hegemonic power in the Indo-Pacific region and outlined preparations for war. There is no doubt about Labors adherence to the post-World War II US alliance, which has served the economic and strategic interests of both Washington and the Australian capitalist class. Labor leader Bill Shorten himself was a key player in Prime Minister Kevin Rudds removal in 2010, after Rudd suggested that the US should accommodate itself to the rise of China. Leaked US diplomatic cables published by Julian Assanges WikiLeaks revealed that key coup plotters in the Labor Party and trade unions secretly provided the US embassy with regular updates on internal government discussions during the conspiracy to replace Rudd with Julia Gillard, who quickly aligned herself with US President Barack Obamas pivot to Asia to confront China. However, Labors in-principle support for the interference bills has been complicated by the objections of the media companies. A corporate media alliance, including News Limited, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, a US citizen, called for the scrapping of the FITS Bill. That was because it could require media and other transnational companies to register as foreign agents and curtail their ability to agitate on behalf of their own interests. Sections of the Australian ruling establishment have also raised concerns about the anti-China propaganda associated with the bills, to which the Chinese government has sharply objected. The fear in these circles is damage to Australian capitalisms lucrative connections with China, on which entire industries depend. Among these voices have been iron ore magnates Gina Rinehart and Andrew Forrest, Australia-China trade consultant Geoff Raby and former Foreign Minister Bob Carr. This resistance has provoked an orchestrated escalation of the anti-China witch hunt conducted in the Australian media over the past two years, which has branded leading business and political figures as rats or panda huggers. Last week, Hamilton, fresh from testifying in Washington, accused Forrest, Carr and Raby of aiding Beijing. They want Australia to play nice with the increasingly authoritarian and belligerent regime, he declared in a Fairfax Media column. Hamiltons Silent Invasion book, published earlier this year, claims China is trying to take over Australia, and declares that a US-led war may be the only way to stop it. Then came a June 5 article in the Strategist, a publication of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a government-sponsored think tank with close links to the US military and intelligence machine. Ross Babbage declared: China has been conducting political warfare-type operations against Australia for over a decade. So its time for Australians to understand that its not a question of whether we want to fight such battles. The communist regime in Beijing is already doing so against us. Babbages intervention underlined Washingtons hand. He was the co-author of a report along those lines, Countering Comprehensive Coercion, published last week in Washington by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a Pentagon- and corporate-financed institution. The report urged joint action by the US and its allies, including Australia, to fight back against Chinas authoritarian political warfare. While seeking to silence objections within the corporate and political establishment, there is an even more critical purpose to this anti-China offensive. That is to poison public opinion, stifle popular anti-war sentiment and prepare for a potentially devastating military conflagration that would likely mean the use of US and Chinese nuclear weapons. In preparation for wartime conditions, the bills constitute a far-reaching assault on freedom of speech and other basic legal and democratic rights. Whatever amendments are made, that is their central aim. The author also recommends: Australian government vows to pass foreign interference bills [2 June 2018] Australian government unveils draconian foreign interference bills [ 31 January 2018 ] Internationally acclaimed journalist, author, lecturer and former New York Times correspondent Chris Hedges has issued the following statement endorsing the June 17 demonstration at Sydneys Town Hall Square to demand that the Australian government immediately act to secure Julian Assanges unconditional freedom and return to Australia. Chris Hedges Julian Assanges life is in danger. In violation of his fundamental human rights, the Ecuadorean government has transformed his asylum in its London embassy into a form of brutal incarceration. It has cut off his access to the Internet, thus depriving Julian of the ability to communicate with his supporters or even follow world events. The transparent aim of this inhuman treatment is to force Julian to leave the Ecuadorean embassy, so that he can be seized by London police, thrown into a British jail, and endure deportation proceedings which will be rigged to ensure a predetermined outcome. Julian Assange will be turned over to the United States and delivered into the hands of Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo, John Bolton and the CIA's expert torturer-in-chief Gina Haspel. Julian Assange is a courageous journalist. He has been victimized because he exposed the real crimes of imperialism. The conspiracy against Julian must be stopped. His defense is the cutting edge of the fight against government suppression of the most fundamental democratic rights. I therefore support the June 17 demonstration in Sydney, called by the Australian Socialist Equality Party, which is demanding that the Australian government afford Julian the protection to which he is entitled as a citizen of Australia. The Turnbull government must take action to stop Julian's illegal persecution by the British, American and Ecuadorean governments, and secure his safe return to Australia. Published reports to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry from expert witnesses have further exposed what fire expert Dr. Barbara Lane has called a culture of non-compliance on fire safety that contributed to a disproportionately high loss of life on June l4 last year. There was no understanding of how the cladding system would behave in a fire, Lane wrote, and the flat doors replaced in 2011 were not ensured to be compliant with then current fire test evidence. Lane, a chartered fire engineer and director of the design and engineering company Arup, was particularly concerned about the maintenance regime of the active and passive fire protection measures multiple automatic systems such as the control of the fire life and the smoke ventilation system, appear not to have operated as required. Such factors meant the London Fire Brigade (LFB)s stay put strategy for high-rise buildingsadvising residents to remain in their flat in the event of a fire in another flatwas fatally undermined in advance. Counsel Richard Millet QC said phase one of the inquiry focuses on the events of that night and the state of the building at the time of the fire ... when and how the fire started, the development of the fire and smoke, how the fire spread to other parts of the building. It will cover the question of why the insulation material used contained combustible material and who was responsible for signing off the building as safe. Its concerns are the buildings design, construction, modification (interior and exterior), as well as fire and safety measures, governance, communication with and advice to residents, response to recommendations, and the response of the emergency services. Millet hoped that core participants will resist the temptation to indulge in a merry-go-round of buck-passing, but it is already clear that the inquiry is intent in limiting fallout from the fire. Millet acknowledged that some core participants had not positively engaged with fire safety issues, although he expressed hopes that they would rectify this missed opportunity by greater engagement. Local residents have been critical of some of the experts invited. In an interview with the WSWS, Joe Delaney drew attention to Professor Luke Bisbys association with the Building Research Establishment, which came up with the tests that said that the [Grenfell] cladding was safe to use. Delaney said, We just dont want people who are industry insiders and have links to organisations whose actions or decisions could be considered involved or even responsible for what happened to be on this inquiry. Shortly before the expert reports were received, Edward Daffarn of the Grenfell Action Group told the Guardian, Every single link in this chain is going to be found to be rotten and cancerousfrom the governments failure to implement the Lakanal House fire inquest recommendations, to the operation of the Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), to the consultation, contracting and the very building materials. Despite the limitations, the record presented in the expert reports is overwhelming. Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, an expert in fire investigations and forensic science at Dundee University, presented a report on the cause and spread of the fire in Flat 16 on the fourth floor and its spread within and beyond that flat. Lanes report on fire protection measures within the building examined how they failed to control the spread of the fire and smoke, and in fact contributed to the speed of the fires spread. Daffarn is correct. They are devastating. Nic Daeids report identified the fire as starting in or around the fridge freezer in Flat 16, probably accidentally. It spread out of the kitchen window then back into the flat through a bedroom window. From there it spread through the flat, moving from the bedroom through the hall and back into the kitchen. Behailu Kebede, who lived in the flat, was awakened by a smoke alarm at around 12:55 a.m. In the kitchen, he saw smoke around the fridge freezer and by the window. He awakened the other residents of the flat and called the fire brigade. He alerted other residents on the fourth floor and switched off the electricity as he left the flat. Kebede was so targeted by the press in a witch-huntessentially blaming him for the deathsthat police offered him witness protection. Three fire engines were sent immediately, with a fourth despatched four minutes later because it was a high-rise. The first engine arrived at 1:07 a.m. Two firefighters described black smoke, but fire seemed isolated to the corner of the kitchen. Two fire crews searched the flat thoroughly and put out the fire in the kitchen. From entering the flat to extinguishing the kitchen fire took 11 minutes 35 seconds, but the fire had probably already caught hold of the external cladding, following the evidence of its melting and dripping. Firefighter John OHanlon said that as they extinguished the kitchen fire they noticed the window had completely gone. Even the frame wasnt there the window surround was on fire. Attempts to extinguish the window frame had no effect. Lanes report was utterly damning of the cladding system in the building, which gave a disproportionately high probability of fire spread. She concluded that the entire system could not adequately resist the spread of fire over the walls having regard to height, use and position of the building. Specifically, the assembly failed adequately to resist the spread of fire to an extent that supported the required stay put strategy for this high-rise residential building. Such was the speed of spread that the strategy had effectively failed barely half an hour after the fire started, by which time the fire had already climbed the full height of the building. The fire climbed 19 storeys in 12 minutes. Half an hour later it was spreading laterally around the building. This was when the LFB called for 40 fire engines, a very rare occurrence, and declared a major incident. Fire finally encircled the whole building three hours later. Lane wrote that the Reynobond 55PE rainscreen cladding contributed to the most rapid of the external fire spread. The windows were not fitted with fire-resisting cavity barriers, and the unprotected openings were surrounded by combustible material. Inside the flats, the ceiling materials above the window were also combustible, so that in the event of any fire starting near a window, there was a disproportionately high probability of fire spread into the cladding. This stemmed from the 2016 refurbishment, when the aluminium composite panels were fitted. New windows, which had been fitted on every floor over the previous four years, were moved outwards to sit flush with the new cladding. Gaps were covered with combustible material, and kitchen vent panels were also combustible. Manufacturer Arconic, which discontinued the Reynobond PE panels after the fire, accepted that the cladding was not of limited combustibility and that this should have been obvious to any construction professional. Arconic have since rejected claims for the centrality of the cladding to the fire and its spread. Other companies are following suit, but the early evidence is compelling. Bisbys report, for example, noted an acknowledgement in February by Celotex, manufacturer of the insulation material, that there were differences between the system as tested and that as described in the related BRE [Building Research Establishment] report dated 1 August 2014, although further information is not yet available. Lane pointed to the fires spread as having very quickly compromised the stay put strategy. It was clear from LFB testimonies that the spread of the fire was unusual. LFB Commissioner Dany Cotton said in a statement I have never seen a building where the whole of it was on fire. Nobody has ever seen that. It was incredible. It was alien to anything I had ever seen. Lane noted that the poor performance of the fire doors contributed significantly to the spread of smoke and fire to the lobbies, preventing residents from escaping this way. In 2011, the TMO replaced 106 of the flat doors. Neither these, nor the 14 that were not replaced, were compliant with requirements in place at the time of installation. An unknown number of the doors failed to close after residents had escaped, further allowing the spread of fire and smoke through the building. This prevented the LFB using the lobbies as a safe air environment, thus reducing the time available using breathing apparatus and therefore the time available for reaching upper floors. This was compounded by a failure of the firefighting lift, which meant firefighters only access up and down the building was by the stairs. Firefighters also had to pull hoses through lobby doors. Grenfells Fire Risk Assessor, Carl Stokes, wrote to the TMO after a 2015 site visit to discuss new loft ceilings and cupboards for the heating system. Lane reported that his correspondence clearly shows he believed that the ceiling and new cupboards were of fire resisting construction. There is no evidence in the refurbishment design information reviewed to date to support this. Firefighters were able to get no higher than the 20th floor, while some residents were still heading upstairs in the hope of rescue. A police inquiry is ongoing into the use of police helicopters that night, whichas testimony from family members last week confirmsgave the impression that an aerial rescue was being mounted. The Grenfell Fire Forum, initiated by the Socialist Equality Party, will be holding the next of its regular meetings on Sunday, June 17, at 2 p.m. at the Maxilla Social Club in North Kensington, London. All are welcome to attend. Grenfell Fire Forum meeting Sunday, June 17, 2 p.m. Maxilla Social Club, 2 Maxilla Walk London, W10 6SW (nearest tube: Latimer Road) For further details visit: https://www.facebook.com/GrenfellForum TORONTO, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tellza Inc. (TELLZA or the Company) (TSX:TEL) announced today that it has postponed its annual meeting of shareholders to a date to be determined. As previously announced, the Company is addressing allegations advanced by CRA in January 2018 in connection with CRAs proposed denial of HST Input Tax Credits (ITCs) claimed by Tellza in the amount of approximately $12.4 Million. Tellzas management believes that the allegations advanced by CRA are without merit and it intends to vigorously defend against these claims. However, as a result of these allegations Tellza has delayed the filing of its financial disclosure for the 2017 fiscal year (the Delayed Filings) in order that its auditor and financial advisors may perform additional audit procedures which will substantiate the Companys claim for the ITCs. Once the Company is in a position to file the Delayed Filings, it will call its annual meeting of shareholders and provide the requisite notice thereof. About TELLZA TELLZA is a Technology and Financial Support Services company. TELLZA TECH is an ASP servicing the telecommunications market, including its own Carrier brands Phonetime and Matchcom. Through its investments in Rightway Funding and Merkez Faktoring, TELLZA facilitates secondary financings in the structured annuities market and in B2B working capital financing. TELLZA is a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TEL). Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information: This press release contains forward-looking statements, which may be identified by words like "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "intends", "indicates" or similar expressions. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. TELLZAs actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors set forth in reports and other documents filed by the Company with Canadian securities regulatory authorities from time to time. See www.sedar.com which contains all securities files. Contact: Michael Vazquez, Tellza Inc., CEO Phone - +954-624-8143 Email: mike@tellza.com The University and College Union (UCU) annual congress further underscored the pro-employer and anti-democratic nature of the trade unions. The Congress in Manchester, held from May 30 to June 1, was the first since the union sold out 50,000 lecturers, librarians, administration staff and technicians who had engaged in a 14-day strike to defend their pensions and working conditions. In response to a motion to amend the democratic framework of the union, as well as two motions relating to the conduct of the UCU leadership during the strikes, union leader Sally Hunt walked out of the congress with her supporters among UCU administrative stafforganised in Unite the Unionon three separate occasions. Such was the refusal of the bureaucracy to accept any criticism, or be held accountable in any way, that the UCU Congress was forced to end early. In February and March, Higher Education (HE) staff at 65 different institutions across the UK brought many universities to a standstill during 14 days of industrial action spread over four weeks, constituting the largest-ever strike held at UK HE institutions. This was in opposition to plans to cut lecturers pensions by around 40 percent, with the average lecturer losing around 10,000 a year during their retirement. The UCU leadershipin collaboration with the Universities UK (UUK) employment bodysought to shut down the strike from the outset. On March 12, after nine days of strikes, UCU and UUK reached a sell-out agreement that would have resulted in the loss by lecturers of an average 19 percent in the value of their pensions. A mass rebellion broke out among lecturers against this, and the following day thousands of UCU members met in universities nationally to oppose the sell-out deal being proposed. Hundreds surrounded UCUs London headquarters and demanded that the agreement endorsed by the union be repudiated, leaving the UCU leadership with no choice but to reject the rotten deal it had agreed just hours earlier. However, determined to complete its betrayal, just two weeks later UCU proposed a second shoddy deal that it eventually rammed through on April 13, with UCU members voting, with reluctance, to accept the UUK deal by a 64 percent to 36 percent majority. While the UCU leadership claimed to have extracted concessions from UUK, the deal left lecturers in virtually the same position in which they had started. Management only committed to convening a Joint Expert Panel, comprised of actuarial and academic experts nominated in equal numbers from both sides, to deliver a report on the valuation of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). The agreement reached by UCU stated that current contributions and benefits from the USS could continue for members, but only for another yearuntil at least April 2019. After that, management would be able to put in place mechanisms to end the Defined Benefits system and move to an inferior Defined Contributions plan. Although 32 of the 35 UCU branches that announced their vote either rejected the UUK offer or demanded that it be revised to include guarantees protecting pensions with no detriment, the UCU Higher Education Committee made the decision to put the deal to an e-ballot with no revisions. This anti-democratic measure was aimed at isolating HE staff, who were then subject to a battery of UCU propaganda insisting no better offer would be forthcoming. In the wake of the vote, the UCU Leftwhich is dominated by members of the pseudo-left Socialist Workers Party (SWP)made token criticisms of the union, declaring that the e-ballot exposed a deep democratic deficit in our trade union, and proclaimed, We need democratic structures and a democratic culture that properly reflects our transformed union. As for Huntwho played a key role in forcing through the sell-out dealthe UCU Left declared following the yes vote that [we] have no desire to personalise the issue but she must publicly affirm that [future] negotiations must go through the proper channels. And if she is not prepared to carry out UCU policy then she should stand down altogether. These issues were the focus of the motions the UCU Left and their supporters put at last weeks congress. Motions to amend the democratic framework of the union, as well as two motions relating to the conduct of the UCU leadership during the strikes, were put forward to be discussed on the first day of the congress. The first of the two motions regarding leadership was a motion of no confidence calling for the resignation of Hunt over her handling of the lecturers strike, with the second calling for her to be censured for her actions. In response to these motions, Hunt and members of the UCU administrative staff, organised in Unite, organised a series of provocative walkouts. The first related to the motion put forward by Bath and Sheffield UCU branches to amend the democratic structures of the union. Hunt and the administrative staff walked out after claiming that this motion negatively impacted union staff, due to its reference to the number of elected officials and to mechanisms for holding elected representatives to account. A further motion from the chair to withdraw the motions of criticism was defeated on the second day of the congress by 144 votes to 123. Hunt and the Unite officials claimed that the motions went against their employment terms and conditions by naming a member of staff (Hunt) and criticising her publiclyrather than using the official complaints procedureleading to the second walkout. After an emergency national executive committee meeting that evening failed to resolve the disagreement, Hunt and the Unite members left the congress early again on the third day. The motions criticised the union leadership for having put the second UUK offer to a ballot of members without having taken a vote of branches first, as well as accusing UCUs leadership of a continuous pattern of unilateral, undemocratic action, and arguing that the union should pressurise employers to accept the will of members, not the other way around. While UCU members criticised the unions role in suppressing the strikes, Hunt declared the sell-out agreement to be a great success! UUK had been forced to withdraw the disastrous proposals to end the Defined Benefits section of the USS, stated Hunt, because when we work together we are very hard to beat. In her speech to the congress, Hunt claimed the strike a success because at key moments we all saw the value of unity, with the gains [UCU] have made this year [being] directly related to the unity we showed last year. Decrying the factionalism of those criticising the unions policies, Hunt insisted that the union must band togetheri.e., that members must submit to UCUs pro-employer dirty deals and keep their mouths shut. Hunt also effectively called for the purging of dissenting voices from the unions national executive committeeof which the UCU Left makes up a significant proportioncalling for the 68-member committee to be significantly reduced in size. These walkouts and the comments made by Hunt reveal the deeply anti-democratic and pro-employer nature of the UCU. Any attemptmild as it may beto challenge the anti-worker stance of the bureaucracy cannot be tolerated. This is not merely a result of a lack of democratic structures within the union or the personal failings of Hunt but is the logical outcome of the nature of the trade unions themselveswhich function as an industrial police force on behalf of the government and employersand are not amenable to be reformed as fighting organisations. The bureaucracys ability to increase the exploitation of their members through declining wages, the erosion of pensions and other social rights, and to facilitate their own lucrative positions, requires the suppression of the democratic rights of the membership. While criticisms of the anti-democratic character of the UCU union are entirely legitimate, the perspective of the UCU Left in calling for a few cosmetic changes at the top is bankrupt. Rather than waging a struggle against the efforts of the union to sabotage the strike, the UCU Left instead seeks to persuade educational staff that the union remains a fighting organisation, and in doing so to channel opposition to UCUs policies back into the union itself. The defence of workers jobs, conditions and living standards cannot be entrusted to the unions, but must be fought for by the workers themselves, independently of unions, through the establishment of rank-and-file workplace committees. This is the perspective of the Socialist Equality Party. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WTTV) Coordination between authorities in Kansas and Indianapolis resulted in a major drug bust in Beech Grove. According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Kansas State Police reached out to IMPD after stopping a vehicle carrying marijuana bound for the Indianapolis area. Authorities arranged for delivery of the drugs to an address on 7th Avenue in Beech Grove. After delivery, IMPD SWAT moved in with a search warrant. Police detained five people and confiscated several items, including: 50 lbs. of marijuana Several pounds of THC candy $92,000 in cash Two firearms (including one listed as stolen) IMPD arrested the following individuals: Donald Dowdell,29; preliminarily charged with dealing and possession of marijuana, and maintaining a common nuisance Willima King, 31; preliminarily charged with dealing and possession of marijuana, resisting law enforcement, and visiting a common nuisance Terrance Shane, 30; preliminarily charged with dealing and possession of marijuana, residential entry, and visiting a common nuisance Terrance McGraw, 29; preliminarily charged with dealing and possession of marijuana, and maintaining a common nuisance Telice Easley, 21; preliminarily charged with dealing and possession of marijuana, and visiting a common nuisance Police took the items seized during the operation to the IMPD property room to be held as evidence. The Marion County Prosecutors Office will make the final charging decision. The investigation involved IMPD Criminal Interdiction, North District, North District Flex Team, IMPD SWAT, Southeast District, Beech Grove police and Kansas State Police. This story was originally posted on cbs4indy.com (CNN) -- The husband of fashion designer Kate Spade, who took her own life Tuesday, says his wife was getting help for anxiety and depression. Kate Spade was seeing doctors and taking medicine for her disease, Andy Spade said in a statement released Wednesday. Andy Spade said he had conversed with his wife the night before she was found dead in her Manhattan apartment and she "sounded happy." He said her death was a "complete shock." The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York officially determined Spade's cause of death was hanging and the manner of death was suicide, it said Thursday morning. Kate Spade had anxiety and depression for years, her husband said. She had been going to doctors and taking medicine for her disease for five years, he wrote. He said they had been living apart, but he was in touch -- either visiting with her or speaking with her -- every day. "There was no indication and no warning that she would do this," he said. "It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn't her. There were personal demons she was battling." Andy Spade said he and his wife had decided to take a break and had lived in separate residences for 10 months. But they were committed to co-parenting their daughter, so they often ate meals together and vacationed as a family, he said. "We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how," he said. "We were together for 35 years. We loved each other very much and simply needed a break." Kate Spade had no alcohol, business or substance abuse problems, he said. Andy Spade called his wife the kindest person he knew and said he cannot fathom life without her. Kate Spade, who created an iconic, accessible handbag line that bridged Main Street and high-end fashion, took her own life, according to New York Police Department sources. Police responded to her apartment at 10:10 a.m. Tuesday after Spade was found by her housekeeper, Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said. A suicide note was found at the scene, he said. Spade, 55, addressed her daughter in the note, according to two New York Police Department sources. Spade's husband also was referenced in the note, according to one of the sources. Andy Spade said he was appalled that "a private message to my daughter" had been shared with the media. (The-CNN-Wire & 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.) Anthony Bourdain brought cuisines from around the world to viewers who might never otherwise have contemplated them. But his shows were always about so much more than that. After his death was announced on Friday, many commentators have noted Bourdain's ability to tell broader stories about a country's history and culture through the lens of its food. More often than not, people of the countries that were the subject of his films would remark on the insight he conveyed to the rest of the world. Bourdain made a particular impact in the Middle East -- he made memorable films in Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories. People in the Middle East noted on Friday how he was able to tell stories that went beyond the superficial picture painted by the daily news cycle. Over the course of his TV career -- for CNN's "Parts Unknown" and earlier for the Travel Channel -- Bourdain returned to the Middle East many times. But it was the Lebanese capital of Beirut that appeared to make a particular mark, writing once that he considered naming his newborn daughter after the city. Beirut Bourdain fell in love with Beirut after returning from shooting an episode of one his previous shows, "No Reservations," in 2006. He and his crew had been in the city for 24 hours when they became trapped in the beginnings of the Lebanese-Israeli conflict. They were rescued and taken to Cyprus, before flying home. In "Parts Unknown," Bourdain revisited Beirut in 2015, and in his field notes, he looked back at his first trip and how it inspired him to do television differently. "One day I was making television about eating and drinking. The next I was watching the airport I'd landed in a few days earlier being blown up across the water from my hotel window. "I came away from the experience deeply embittered, confused -- and determined to make television differently than I had before. I didn't know how I was going to do it or whether my network at the time was going to allow me, but the days of happy horseshit -- the uplifting sum-up at the end of every show, the reflex inclusion of a food scene in every act -- that ended right there." He added: "Our Beirut experience did not give me delusions of being a journalist. I just saw that there were realities beyond what was on my plate, and those realities almost inevitably informed what was -- or was not -- for dinner. To ignore them had come to seem monstrous." "And yet I'd already fallen in love with Beirut. We all had -- everyone on my crew. As soon as we'd landed, headed into town, there was a reaction I can only describe as pheromonic: The place just smelled good. Like a place we were going to love." Ramsay Short, who worked as a fixer for Bourdain and appeared in the three of his Beirut shows, described Bourdain as cool-headed when news broke that Israel had bombed the Beirut airport runway. It wasn't the start of the war but it marked the first major escalation that turned it from a skirmish to a full-on confrontation. "He amazingly wasn't too freaked out. He could handle the situation. The rest of the program was about waiting for the US marines to get him out of there," Short told CNN. Short also talked about the affection Bourdain felt for the Lebanese, and how that was reciprocated. "He was embraced by the Lebanese and they embraced him back, and that was something that really got to him at that time. When he saw what happened during the Israeli bombardment, he was flabbergasted and found it extremely painful and it was enough to make him want to come back -- not just once but twice more." Part of what Short admired most about Bourdain was his ability to show places that everyone could relate to. "He came and saw this thriving country as an example of what it could be if it wasn't for all the chaos, war and uncertainty. He was just so fascinated." He said he thought people connected with Bourdain because he was honest and genuine, and always said what he meant. "No arguments about that. That is something that really appeals to people," Short said. "You feel like you have a relationship with this person, like he's your best friend. His wit and humor and his ability to suddenly, in an awkward situation, say one thing that can relax the room. Everyone loves someone who can make you laugh." Iran When Bourdain visited Iran in 2014, he said he came back with a confusing picture of the country, as what he experienced was so at odds with what he understood of the country from the vision portrayed by the US government. He wrote: "What we saw, what we came back with, is a deeply confusing story. Because the Iran you see from the inside, once you walk the streets of Tehran, once you meet Iranians, is a very different place than the Iran you know from the news. Nowhere else I've been has the disconnect been so extreme between what one sees and feels from the people and what one sees and hears from the government." He went on: "I have said that Iran is the most outgoingly warm, pro-American place we've ever shot, and that's true: In Tehran, in spite of the fact that you are standing in front of a giant, snarling mural that reads 'DEATH TO AMERICA!,' we found that you will usually be treated better by strangers - meaning smiles, offers of assistance, curious attempts to engage in limited English, greetings and expressions of general good will - than anywhere in Western Europe." He added: "This is not a black-and-white world - as much as people would like to portray it as such. That's not an apology for anything. I'm just saying that the brief, narrow slice of Iran we give you in this episode of Parts Unknown is only one part of a much deeper, multihued, very old, and very complicated story. Like anything as ancient and as beautiful as the Persian Empire, it's worth, I think, looking further. But it's also a place that can warm your heart one day and break it the next." Iranians, including some living in other parts of the world, praised Bourdain on Twitter for capturing their country in a different light to the usual Western media reports and government rhetoric. Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Bourdain's trip to Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza in 2013 was perhaps his most contentious. And he knew it would be. He opened that episode with a disclaimer: "By the end of this hour, I'll be seen by many as a terrorist sympathizer, a Zionist tool, a self-hating Jew, an apologist for American imperialism, an Orientalist, socialist, a fascist, CIA agent, and worse." In his description of the area, he said: "It's easily the most contentious piece of real estate in the world, and there's no hope -- none -- of ever talking about it without pissing somebody, if not everybody, off." Nonetheless, Bourdain set out to discover the questions of where felafel comes from and who makes the best hummus. While that was his culinary mission, the episode unraveled as a thoughtful exploration of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "We all bring stuff along when we travel -- your preconceptions, your personal belief system, the full weight of your life experience," he said. "It's going to come to bear on the way you experience a place. But whatever you may think, and whatever baggage you may bring to this place, you should see this." Much praise for Bourdain came over his attention to Palestinians in that episode, as well as his words of support for the Palestinain people. Diana Buttu, a Palestinian-Canadian human rights lawyer who has worked on the peace process, tweeted a quote by Bourdain Friday after news of his death: "The world has visited many terrible things on the Palestinian people, none more shameful than robbing them of their basic humanity." It was part of an acceptance speech Bourdain gave for a Muslim Public Affairs Council award in 2014. Buttu told CNN that she appreciated the way Bourdain saw the Palestinians as people, rather than mere numbers in a conflict. "It was very refreshing when Bourdain came here. It was very revealing that after the segment aired and when he talked about Palestinians that he made sure to mention the issue of dehumanization, that Palestinians had been deprived of their humanity," Buttu told CNN. "He saw Palestinians as human beings -- it's sad we have to say this in this day and age, that someone saw us as human beings, but he did and that for me was very powerful." "He not only loved food but all of the things that surround food -- love, humanity culture, tradition. It was powerful because he was bringing his love and passion for food and coupled it with the story about Palestinian deprivation." JACKSON, Miss. (AP) A majority of Mississippi Supreme Court justices ruled Thursday that some local judges were wrong to ban people with enhanced concealed-carry licenses from taking guns into courthouses. The high court said judges in the 14th Chancery District overstepped their authority because the Mississippi Constitution specifies that only the Legislature "may regulate or forbid carrying concealed weapons." The Legislature enacted a law in July 2011 saying that people with enhanced concealed-carry licenses may take guns into courthouses but not into courtrooms. In November 2011, judges in the 14th Chancery District issued an order banning anyone other than law enforcement officers from having concealed guns in and around all parts of courthouses in the district in Chickasaw, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha and Webster counties. A resident with an enhanced concealed-carry license, Ricky Ward, challenged the chancery judges' ban. The chancery judges responded by writing that courthouses can be places of high emotion, with people going there for divorces and child custody cases. They wrote that it is reasonable to consider a courthouse hallway to be an extension of a courtroom and that it is "ludicrous to assume that people in heightened states of emotional upheaval would pause to decide where in the building they can be mad and where they cannot." The chancery judges also wrote that most confrontations in the courthouses had occurred outside of courtrooms. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood and the National Rifle Association submitted court papers opposing the chancery judges' ban on concealed weapons throughout the courthouses. A local attorney who practices in chancery court wrote a brief supporting the ban, as did some other chancery and circuit judges. People holding enhanced concealed-carry licenses must state on their applications that they do not have felony records and that they are physically and mentally healthy. In a dissenting opinion Thursday, Justice Leslie B. King wrote that the Mississippi Constitution specifies that the administration of justice is only a function of the judicial branch of government. "That function and that obligation both extend beyond the four walls of the courtroom," King wrote. While other justices found that the chancery judges had violated the separation of powers between the judicial and legislative branches of government, King found that legislators had done so by enacting a law that allows concealed weapons in most parts of courthouses. MORE: See the entire ruling here WATER VALLEY, Miss. (AP) A Mississippi town is ditching its ban on the sale of cold beer. Beer has been sold in Water Valley for just over a decade, but always at room temperature. Aldermen voted unanimously this week to allow the sale of refrigerated beer. Mississippi has a patchwork of city and county laws dealing with the sale of beer and alcohol. The town's Main Street Association director, Mickey Howley, tells The Oxford Eagle that Water Valley, population 3,400, is "catching up with the times." A new truck stop is being built near Water Valley, and Howley says that could have drained away some town revenue if aldermen had not legalized cold beer sales. Water Valley is only five years behind nearby Oxford, which legalized cold beer sales in 2013. SULLIGENT, Ala. (WTVA) - A man accused of abducting a woman in east Alabama now faces an attempted murder charge in Lamar County. Marshall Lee Gray, 33, faces the charge as well as theft of property. The abduction happened on Wednesday, June 6. Law enforcement say he forced a woman to drive at knifepoint in Marion County. RELATED: Woman abducted out of Marion County, suspect arrested The woman was able to escape near Sulligent in Lamar County. However, police say Gray stabbed the woman as she escaped and took off in the car. She was later released from a local hospital. Toronto unveils the Citys only monument commemorating the service and sacrifice of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) mission in Afghanistan, from 2001 2014. TORONTO, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Toronto based charity, Canada Company, has donated one of the monuments from its own Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV III) Monument Program to the Toronto Garrison Regiments to honour their service in Afghanistan. Who: Canada Companys Chairman Blake C. Goldring, The Royal Regiment of Canadas HCol Anthony Graham, MGen (Retd) David Fraser and special guests will dedicate a symbolic Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV III) Monument in honour of the soldiers from the Toronto Garrison who served and sacrificed in Afghanistan, between 2001-2014. What: Canada Company has donated a LAV III Monument to The Royal Regiment of Canada Association who has accepted the gift on behalf of the entire Toronto Garrison Group. Toronto will become the 19th community in Canada to display a symbolic LAV III Monument which was acquired through Canada Companys LAV III Monument Program. Where: The monument has been installed outside on the front lawn of Fort York Armoury 660 Fleet Street Toronto, ON, M5V 1A9 When: Unveiling Ceremony: Sunday June 10, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. 1:45 p.m. Why: The monument will ensure that the service and sacrifice of the Regiments of the Toronto Garrison Group who served in the Afghanistan conflict (from 2001-2014) will not be forgotten. The monument will also provide the people of Toronto with a special place to visit to show their respect to the 40,000 CAF who served and the 162 Canadians who lost their lives while protecting our freedom. The monument has been placed in a highly visible area close to tourist attractions, such as the Canadian National Exhibition and Old Fort York Historic Site. The outdoor monument and its three plaques can be viewed from the Fleet Street sidewalk. The area offers plenty of parking for visitors. About the LAV III Monument Program The Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) III Monument Program converts decommissioned LAV IIIs into static monuments for qualifying communities across Canada who want to display their respect for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) who served and sacrificed in Afghanistan (2001-2014). The LAV IIIs were originally manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada (GDLS-C) in London, Ontario and were used extensively by the CAF to combat the enemy while navigating the challenging desert and mountain terrain found throughout Afghanistan. The monuments are assembled in London, Ontario by Fanshawe College students and Militex Coatings Inc. Each approved community is responsible for covering the cost to build, transport and install the monument. To date 18 communities across Canada have installed LAV III Monuments and the program has committed to building a total of 33 monuments before closing its community application process. All remaining monuments are expected to be collected and installed in 2018. For more information please see: https://www.lavmonument.ca/en/index.html Contact: Shawn Deane Director, LAV III Monument Program Canada Company Toronto-Dominion Bank Tower 66 Wellington Street West, Suite 3100 Toronto, ON | M5K 1E9 T: 416-869-8456 E: shawn.deane@canadacompany.ca W: www.lavmonument.ca A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/31e57f62-d636-4bb5-91ea-6798dd5eb9ca OKEECHOBEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A woman was bitten multiple times inside a Home Depot by a pet Spider monkey after it escaped from its owner's car. The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office was called to Home Depot on Monday around 1:53 p.m. in response to an animal complaint. When deputies arrived on scene they spoke with the owner of the monkey. She told deputies that she left her pet Spider monkey in her truck while she went inside the store. She informed deputies that the monkey was on a leash, but managed to get out of the vehicle. According to the police report, the monkey attacked the victim before the owner was able to gain control of the monkey. While talking with deputies, the victim said she was in the break area outside of the Home Depot when she heard her coworker yelling about a monkey and originally thought it was a joke. The victim told deputies she suddenly saw the monkey walking down the parking lot towards her and noticed it had a leash. She explained to deputies that she got a hold of the leash and the monkey climbed on her back, biting her on the back twice. The police report states the victim then walked the monkey to the front of the store to see if she could find the owner. She said when the sliding glass door of the store opened, the monkey got scared, biting her on the arm and hand. Deputies say the monkey was able to scratch the victim on the face as well. The victim refused medical attention, but said she would go to the hospital herself to be medically evaluated for her injuries. Animal Control and Florida Wild Life Conservation were contacted and the case has been transferred over to them. Deputies say there is no further information at this time. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Florida State University's Board of Trustees will meet Friday with plans for the 2018 - 2019 school year and beyond. WTXL's Karah Bailey was live on the FSU campus to discuss $1.7 billion dollars and a 3-year plan to move FSU from 33rd in the nation to a top 25 public university. That is to happen at FSU's 8:30 a.m. meeting Friday. FSU boasts having one of the highest four-year graduation rates in the nation, with numbers in the top 15. One FSU goal is to continue a strategic campaign focused on increasing faculty, graduate education and research. And to do that, they will need a healthy budget. Kyle Clark from the office of the vice president for finance and administration submitted a request for an operating budge of $1.7 billion for the July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019, fiscal year and recommended approval. The university also includes a request to keep existing tuition and fee rates the same for the coming semesters. Other notable events: almost 25 prestigious individuals received nominations for the Alumni Association Board of Trustee Directors. MIAMI, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In celebration of World Oceans Day, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH), a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, announced today that it has partnered with Ocean Conservancy to protect and ensure the long-term health of our oceans. The company will join several of the worlds leading corporations and organizations in Ocean Conservancys Trash Free Seas Alliance, actively working toward solutions that will mitigate plastic waste entering the ocean. The success of our business is dependent on the health of our oceans and, together with Ocean Conservancy, we are taking a step forward in our commitment to protect the worlds oceans," said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. We are excited to lead the cruise industry by joining the Trash Free Seas Alliance and support Ocean Conservancys vision of a world with waterways, beaches and oceans free of plastic waste. Founded in 2012, the Trash Free Seas Alliance brings together thought leaders from industry, conservation and academia to create a forum for pragmatic, real-world collaboration focused on the measurable reduction of ocean trash. Nothing connects people to the ocean more than time spent on the water, and with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings offering that experience to more than 2.5 million guests each year, we believe this is a tremendous opportunity to foster greater stewardship of our oceans, said Janis Searles Jones, chief executive officer at Ocean Conservancy. Whats more, Ocean Conservancy believes strongly that it will take all of usincluding industry leadersto stem the tide of ocean plastic. We are grateful for Norwegians leadership and look forward to working with them to reduce the amount of plastic flowing into the ocean. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings membership in Ocean Conservancys Trash Free Seas Alliance is part of the companys global environmental program, Sail & Sustain, which reflects the companys mission of providing truly exceptional cruise vacation experiences for all of its guests while minimizing its impact on the environment. To learn more about Norwegians commitment to environmental stewardship, visit the companys website at http://www.nclhltd.com/Stewardship. About Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) is a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands. With a combined fleet of 26 ships with approximately 54,400 berths, these brands offer itineraries to more than 450 destinations worldwide. The Company will introduce six additional ships through 2025, and has an option to introduce two additional ships for delivery in 2026 and 2027. About Ocean Conservancy Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from todays greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this release, including, without limitation, those regarding our business strategy, financial position, results of operations, plans, prospects and objectives of management for future operations (including expected fleet additions, development plans, environmental sustainability objectives and objectives relating to our activities), are forward-looking statements. Many, but not all, of these statements can be found by looking for words like "expect," "anticipate," "goal," "project," "plan," "believe," "seek," "will," "may," "forecast," "estimate," "intend," "future," and similar words. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and may involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. Examples of these risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to the impact of: adverse events impacting the security of travel, such as terrorist acts, armed conflict and threats thereof, acts of piracy, and other international events; adverse incidents involving cruise ships; adverse general economic and related factors, such as fluctuating or increasing levels of unemployment, underemployment and the volatility of fuel prices, declines in the securities and real estate markets, and perceptions of these conditions that decrease the level of disposable income of consumers or consumer confidence; the spread of epidemics and viral outbreaks; our expansion into and investments in new markets; the risks and increased costs associated with operating internationally; breaches in data security or other disturbances to our information technology and other networks; changes in fuel prices and/or other cruise operating costs; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; overcapacity in key markets or globally; the unavailability of attractive port destinations; our indebtedness and restrictions in the agreements governing our indebtedness that limit our flexibility in operating our business; the significant portion of our assets pledged as collateral under our existing debt agreements and the ability of our creditors to accelerate the repayment of our indebtedness; volatility and disruptions in the global credit and financial markets, which may adversely affect our ability to borrow and could increase our counterparty credit risks, including those under our credit facilities, derivatives, contingent obligations, insurance contracts and new ship progress payment guarantees; our inability to recruit or retain qualified personnel or the loss of key personnel; delays in our shipbuilding program and ship repairs, maintenance and refurbishments; our reliance on third parties to provide hotel management services to certain ships and certain other services; future increases in the price of, or major changes or reduction in, commercial airline services; amendments to our collective bargaining agreements for crew members and other employee relation issues; our inability to obtain adequate insurance coverage; future changes relating to how external distribution channels sell and market our cruises; pending or threatened litigation, investigations and enforcement actions; our ability to keep pace with developments in technology; seasonal variations in passenger fare rates and occupancy levels at different times of the year; changes involving the tax and environmental regulatory regimes in which we operate; and other factors set forth under "Risk Factors" in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The above examples are not exhaustive and new risks emerge from time to time. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates and projections regarding our present and future business strategies and the environment in which we expect to operate in the future. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change of events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement was based, except as required by law. AMMAN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's prime minister designate Omar Razzaz said the government will withdraw the income tax draft law that has triggered widely spread protests. After a meeting with Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh and Senate President Faisal Fayez, Razzaz said there is consensus among all involved parties to withdraw the law. "We started a dialogue about the law and will put things back on track," he told reporters. The law, which seeks to increase income tax on individuals and several economic sectors, sparked nationwide protests over the past days. Tens of thousands of Jordanians joined the protests, demanding the withdrawal of the law, which is part of reforms under a deal between Jordan and the International Monetary Fund. Later in the day, Razzaz will meet with heads of the professional associations, which on Wednesday pledged continued protests against the bill. VILNIUS, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen U.S. soldiers were injured on Thursday in a traffic accident involving four U.S. Stryker armored fighting vehicles (AFV) amid intensive military vehicle movement during military trainings in Lithuania. The accident took place when a column of U.S. Strykers were moving to the training facilities in Southwestern Lithuania. Four AFVs collided during the incident, informed the Lithuanian Defense Ministry. "13 U.S. soldiers have suffered different levels of severity of injuries. They have been taken to the hospital for medical examination," said the ministry in a statement. The authorities are still investigating what had caused the accident. "Civilian vehicles were not involved in the accident," press officer for Lithuanian Army captain Tomas Pakalniskis told Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT. The U.S. soldiers involved in the accident have been attending international military drill Saber Strike 2018 currently held in Lithuania and other Baltic States. BERLIN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Law enforcement authority in Germany reported on Thursday that four suspects allegedly involved in "Islamic State (IS)" have been apprehended in different German states. According to a statement posted on the official website of the Federal Prosecutor General of the Federal Court of Justice, the accused are "strongly suspected of having participated" in Iraq as members of "Islamic State". The four Iraqi nationals were arrested in Dortmund, Bottrop, and the Bavarian district of Amberg-Sulzbach respectively on Wednesday. Their homes were searched. Among the accused, the 27-year-old Mohammed Rafae Yaseen Y. is suspected of aiding and abetting murder and war crime. He is accused of being responsible for 12 attacks in Iraq from 2006 to 2008 as an IS member, killing both soldiers and civilians. The 26-year-old Hasan Sabbar Khazaal K. allegedly produced and disseminated propaganda material for the IS. In particular, he filmed executions, punitive actions and missions of the IS and prepared the videos, according to the prosecutor. The other two were suspected of completing a four-month military training, and one of them allegedly took part in combat operations. The four suspects left Iraq in mid-2015 and entered Germany shortly thereafter. LONDON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A community of nuns in Mexico have become the unlikely collaborators in the race to save one of the world's rarest amphibians from extinction, scientists at England's Chester Zoo revealed Thursday. The zoo, along with the Michoacana University of Mexico, a Mexican government fisheries center and a group of Mexican nuns, have come together to develop a breeding program for the Lake Patzcuaro salamander to help ensure the continued survival of the critically endangered species. A genetically important colony of salamanders survive at a monastery in the small Mexican town of Patzcuaro, which is home to 23 nuns. The Sisters of the Monastery of the Dominican of Order have been caring for a clutch of the salamanders for more than 150 years. Traditionally, the nuns and people living in the local communities, harvested the salamanders from Lake Patzcuaro, the only place in the world in which they were once commonly found, and used them to create a special cough medicine. A combination of introduced exotic fish, destruction of forests and over-exploitation as a local dish, has pushed them to the brink of extinction, forcing the nuns to breed the salamanders in their convent to keep alive both the species and their traditions. Experts believe the population being kept by the nuns will play a key role in any future reintroduction back into the wild. The new collaboration is the first time a breeding network has been established for the Mexican salamanders, or "achoques" as they are locally known, and researchers hope to quickly establish a genetically viable population, said a spokesman at Chester Zoo. The salamanders once thrived in Lake Patzcuaro, Mexico's third largest lake, but are now listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). "The species is of great importance to the locals who have lived alongside it for hundreds of years but the latest research has led to fears that fewer than 100 individuals may remain," said the zoo spokesman. The new breeding plan is now aiming to boost numbers and, in time, re-energize the wild population. Chester Zoo is home to six breeding pairs of the salamander, with a further 30 adults at the Michoacana University of Mexico and at a Mexican government fisheries center, both located in the city of Morelia in south-west Mexico. Dr Gerardo Garcia, Chester Zoo's curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates, said: "The Lake Patzcuaro salamander is now perilously close to the edge of existence and requires immediate action if we are to establish more numbers and save them. "After visiting Mexico in 2014 we had the unique opportunity to meet the nuns who are keeping the species in their monastery and we now believe that the population they are looking after is one of the most genetically viable populations in the world. "The nuns deserve enormous credit in keeping this species alive. Now, in partnership with the Sisters, a European network of zoos and the University of Michoacana in Mexico, we are fighting to breed a thriving population for eventual reintroduction back into the wild." Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 01:27:14|Editor: mmm Video Player Close Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza signs the new constitution in Gitega town, Gitega province, central Burundi, on June 7, 2018. Pierre Nkurunziza on Thursday announced that he will leave the presidency in 2020 at the expiry of his current presidential term. (Xinhua/Evrard Ngendakumana) BUJUMBURA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza on Thursday announced that he will leave the presidency in 2020 at the expiry of his current presidential term. "As the party visionary, I commit that my term is ending in 2020. In that context, don't be misled by people giving wrong interpretations on terms of the current president, or on this amended constitution," said Nkurunziza after signing and promulgating the new constitution in Gitega town, central Burundi. Burundi's new constitution extends the presidential term from five to seven years and allows the president to serve two consecutive terms, which means Nkurunziza is allowed to stay in office until 2034 if he is elected in future presidential elections. "This constitution was not amended for President Nkurunziza as our enemies have been saying it. It was amended for the goodness, honor and good future of Burundi and its people," he said in Bugendana district, 30 km away from the Gitega town. "I'm ready to support the next president to be elected in 2020," he said, inviting political leaders in exile to return home and prepare for the country's 2020 elections. Nkurunziza underlined that he is committed to continuing working for his country. He also insisted that the amended constitution does not come to disrupt existing institutions of the East African nation. The Burundian Constitutional Court Thursday endorsed the results of the constitutional referendum, announcing that the amendments to the constitution were approved by a vote of 73.24 percent in the referendum. The court also said the constitutional referendum is in accordance with Burundian laws, adding that the complaint made by the opposition coalition Burundians' Hope over the regulations and the results of the vote was groundless. The opposition coalition, headed by First Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly Agathon Rwasa, had campaigned against the draft constitution before the voting. The new constitution also creates the post of prime minister and cuts the number of vice presidents from two to one. According to the new constitution, the prime minister is to be designated from the ruling party, while the vice president will come from a different party. Burundi plunged into a crisis in April 2015 when Nkurunziza decided to run his controversial bid for a third term. His candidature, which was opposed by the opposition, resulted in a wave of protests, violence and even a failed coup in May 2015. MAPUTO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A new attack by the armed extremists killed six people Wednesday night in the Quissanga district of Mozambique's northern province Cabo Delgado, residents from the district told reporters on Thursday. Local reports said the extremists assaulted the Namaluco village, burning some villagers and killing others with machetes. The residents, some fleeing the attacks, said the extremists uttered a few words mixed with Arabic and other languages, and those who did not respond in the same language were attacked. "They were burning houses, entering sanitary units and vandalizing," said one woman, describing their action as very quick. Most residents have taken refuge in the woods or moved to other places. Since the new wave of violence began at the end of May, more than 20 people have been killed by the group that claims the imposition of Sharia (Islamic law) in the same province. According to a research released last month, the group has links with Islamist militants in Tanzania, Somalia, Kenya and the Great Lakes region of East Africa. NAIROBI, June 7 (Xinhua)-- As Kenya strives to achieve the Big Four Agenda, China pledges continued support by providing strong boost for the implementation of the development package, the new Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Sun Baohong said Thursday. "Over the past half a century, China has financed nearly 100 projects in Kenya through grants, interest-free and concessional loans, supporting its infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, human resource and environmental protection, etc.," Sun said in Nairobi during a ceremony on Thursday to launch a digital TV project in Kenya. The project is part of the "Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages" initiative carried out by Chinese company StarTimes, which aims to narrow the huge information gap of African countries by giving rural communities equal access to TV content as their urban counterparts. Sun said the relationship between the two countries was upgraded to comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in May last year, thereby charting the course for the greater and deeper development of relations. The Chinese government will fund the construction of China-Africa Teacher's College of Vocational Education and also upgrade the Kenya Railway Training Institute, according to Sun. The envoy noted that the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) plays a leading role in the advancement of Big Four Agenda and has already created about 46,000 local jobs, in addition to cutting the transportation cost between the two cities by some 40 percent. The modern railway project has also increased Kenya's gross domestic product (GDP) by about 1.5 percent. Sun said the people-to-people interaction will see China provide more training opportunities in the areas of manufacturing, infrastructure, agriculture and health as well as more scholarships for Kenyan students to study in Chinese universities. She said 2018 is a year of historic importance to the development of China-Africa and China-Kenya relations. "We shall work even more closely to ensure that our bilateral cooperation will correspond to the implementation of the Big Four Agenda, and bring more tangible benefits for people of both countries," said the diplomat. The Kenyan government's development agenda includes universal healthcare, manufacturing, affordable housing and food security. By Maria Spiliopoulou ATHENS, June 7 (Xinhua) -- French artist Chloe Moglia performed breathtaking acrobatics in front of the Greek parliament on Thursday as part of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, Greece's most prestigious summer cultural event over the past six decades. At Syntagma square which in recent years hosted numerous anti-austerity protest rallies, as Greece faced an acute debt crisis, Greeks and foreign tourists watched a different sight: Moglia's impressive balancing act on a thin curbed bar set up some 6 meters above the ground, with no safety net beneath. "Our lives are constantly hanging by a thread -- the thread of time. For Chloe Moglia, hanging in mid-air is a way to live here and now; a way of giving meaning and density to things around us," the Athens and Epidaurus Festival introduced the 40 year old artist in a welcoming note. Having studied ceramics, trapeze and martial arts, Moglia introduced the audience in the centre of Athens in a unique art form which draws from her background and is not limited to traditional circus acrobatics. Through her show entitled "Horizon" she urged spectators to ponder about vulnerability and strength, action and rest. "The condition of being suspended in mid-air and hanging on for dear life generates a world of contrasts -- above and below, the trivial and the tragic," the Festival's note stressed. Speaking to Xinhua after her performance, Moglia said that she has been working on this show over the past five years, touring the world and seized the opportunity to interact with Greek people in the heart of the city. "It is a suspension performance. It is different compared to the trapeze I was doing in the past. In suspension performance you are suspended mid- air. It is a great feeling discovering things in this situation, this feeling is great," she said. Thursday's show was part of the Greek festival's campaign in recent years under the motto "Opening to the city" to bring Art closer to people out in the streets. In addition to the performances of internationally acclaimed artists inside historical venues, such as the Odeon at the foot of the Acropolis or the ancient Greek theater of Epidaurus in southern Greece, over a dozen shows are hosted in the open air across the city centre with free admission. The Athens and Epidaurus festival opened on June 1 and will close on Aug. 18. WASHINGTON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is willing to invite Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), to visit the United States for further talks if their summit negotiations in Singapore go well. Trump made the remarks at a joint press briefing in the White House with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. NAIROBI, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday expressed shock following news that there were no survivors at the crash site of the missing small plane in central Kenya. Kenyatta said he was deeply saddened and his government will offer any assistance to the families of those who perished in the plane crash. "They can be sure that there will be a full review of our procedures, so that we can all understand how this tragedy happened," he said in a statement. There were no survivors among the 10 people aboard the plane that crashed at the peak of the Aberdare ranges. Kenyatta's statement came as search and rescue teams started evacuating the bodies of the eight passengers and two crew of the Fly-SAX whose wreckage was found in the Aberdare forest. Officers from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Red Cross and Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said the bodies that were brought down from the mountainous crash site on Thursday evening will be airlifted to Nairobi for identification The search teams said they have also recovered the black box from the Cessna C208 aircraft, which was on its way to Nairobi from Kitale in western Kenya and was reported missing on Tuesday after it went off the radar minutes after taking off from the Kitale airstrip. Paul Maringa, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, had earlier told journalists in Nairobi that the search team confirmed the deaths after reaching the point where the 12-capacity aircraft crashed. FORM 8.3 PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the Code) 1. KEY INFORMATION (a) Full name of discloser: Majedie Asset Management Limited (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree LONMIN PLC (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 07 June 2018 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state N/A Yes SIBANYE GOLD LTD 2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security. (a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any) Class of relevant security: ORD USD0.0001 Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 23,081,168 8.16 (2) Cash-settled derivatives: (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell: TOTAL: 23,081,168 8.16 All interests and all short positions should be disclosed. Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions). (b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors and other employee options) Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages: 3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in. The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated. (a) Purchases and sales Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit ORD USD0.0001 Sale 3,754 43.3996 (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options) (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit (ii) Exercise Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities) Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable) 4. OTHER INFORMATION (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state none None (b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state none None (c) Attachments Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO Date of disclosure: 08 June 2018 Contact name: Matthew Hambly Telephone number: 0207 618 3900 Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service. The Panels Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Codes disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129. The Code can be viewed on the Panels website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk . Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 03:22:44|Editor: yan Video Player Close BRASILIA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) ruled out on Thursday interference in the fuel pricing policies of the state oil giant Petrobras. Speaking at the opening of a new tender for pre-salt oilfields, ANPs director Decio Oddone emphasized that "there is no intervention and there will not be. Nobody is thinking about interfering in anything. The setting of (fuel) prices in Brazil is and will continue to be free." According to Oddone, Petrobras and other players in the oil sector will maintain their independence in setting prices. He added that while the ANP had called for a public discussion about the mechanisms by which the prices are set, due to widespread discontent about the topic, this did not mean the agency would intervene. Additionally, Oddone said that the ideal scenario would take place when companies have the complete liberty to define their pricing policies with their shareholders. Furthermore, he said the ANP would prefer no rules on pricing, with the right path "not being of a monopoly, of interference, of populism and of concentration, but of competition, of diversity." At the same event, Brazil's Minister of Mines and Energy Moreira Franco defended companies' right to set their prices. He explained that the public hearing on the issue would be held with the understanding that prices must be set by the market. "Certainly, if we had been in a market situation where all sectors were in competition, we would not have faced the problem we faced, because this problem would not have existed," said Franco. The minister was referring to the truckers' strike which brought Brazil to a virtual standstill at the end of May, with angry drivers blockading highways and ports due to Petrobras increasing the price of diesel. TRIPOLI, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The head of the Libyan Higher Council of State Khaled al-Meshri announced on Thursday his readiness to visit the eastern-based House of Representatives (parliament) and meet with the Speaker Agila Saleh in order to reach a solution to the political crisis in the country. "We inform you that the presidency of the Higher Council of State will preside a delegation of 30 members from all the constituencies to visit the city of Tubrug, in order to each effective solutions," Al-Meshri said in a letter addressed to Saleh on Thursday. He expressed confidence that the meeting would be "more successful than previous meetings" in bringing together the views of the Council and the House of Representatives. "We leave you the choice of a date you deem appropriate. We are ready to be guests to the brothers and the partners of the nation," Al-Meshri said. Al-Meshri praised the Parliament Speaker's keenness on "ending the division between the country's partners and moving towards stability." Al-Meshri's call comes a few days after a meeting was held in France's Paris that gathered the Libyan political parties in order to put an end to the political division in the country. The rival Libyan factions also agreed at the meeting to hold "credible" presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 10, according to a communique issued after the one-day conference. In a joint statement, the UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj, head of the Libyan High Council of State Khalid al-Meshri, the eastern-based Parliament Speaker Agila Saleh, and the eastern-based army commander Khalifa Haftar pledged "to work constructively with the UN to hold credible and peaceful elections and to respect election results." The North African country has been struggling for seven years to make a democratic transition. It suffers a political division with two rival parliaments and governments battling to legitimacy. Ghassan Salame, the UN special envoy to Libya, proposed an action plan in September 2017 to end the Libya political crisis, which includes holding presidential and parliamentary elections before the end of 2018. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attends the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 7, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS) WASHINGTON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that after the June 12 meeting in Singapore between U.S. President Donald Trump and the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un, he will travel to South Korea and China to update those countries on the summit. Speaking at a press briefing, he said that "I will be traveling to meet with my Japanese and South Korean counterparts after the summit to continue to coordinate with them. I will also stop in Beijing following the Singapore summit." A press release from the U.S. State Department said that Pompeo will travel to Seoul on June 13-14 and then will head to Beijing on June 14. Officials of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have been holding direct talks in preparation for the Trump-Kim meeting. A comprehensive, whole-of-government effort to support for the meeting is underway, Pompeo said, referring to the U.S. advance team in Singapore to make logistical preparations. Trump and Kim will "certainly" discuss security assurances for the DPRK, improving relations between the two countries, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 08:54:44|Editor: mmm Video Player Close Performers parade near the Grand Harbor of Valletta during the Pageant of the Seas in Valletta, Malta, on June 7, 2018. The Valletta Pageant of the Seas hosted activities including competitive races, visual demonstrations and water acts here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Yuan Yun) Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 08:31:47|Editor: mmm Video Player Close Visitors view a modern cabin's design at the Cabin Fever exhibition media preview at Vancouver Art Gallery in Vancouver, Canada, on June 7, 2018. Called Cabin Fever, the exhibition comprises an entire gallery floor of models, photos, paintings, film and documents covering the role that cabins and cabin life have played in North American culture, lifestyle and architecture. (Xinhua/Liang Sen) PYONGYANG, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Singapore Thursday discussed the preparations for the upcoming DPRK-U.S. summit, said the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) Friday. This is the first time for the DPRK's official media to report on the upcoming meeting between top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, which is scheduled for June 12 in Singapore. "At the talks DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan exchanged in-depth views on further developing the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries with a long history and tradition in various fields and on the situation ahead of the DPRK-U.S. summit," said KCNA. Balakrishnan arrived here Thursday and he is expected to meet with Kim on Friday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 09:09:10|Editor: ZD Video Player Close The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov receives an interview with Xinhua News Agency in Moscow, Russia, June 5, 2018. The CSTO is looking forward to closer ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) MOSCOW, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is looking forward to closer ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov. "The CSTO takes a serious approach to the development of effective and mutually beneficial cooperation with the SCO. We are always open to filling it with practical matters," Khachaturov told Chinese reporters in a recent interview. He said the relations between the CSTO and the SCO are defined by the memorandum of understanding signed by their secretariats in October 2007 in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe. The memorandum confirms the readiness of both organizations to combine efforts to ensure regional and international security and stability, counter terrorism, combat drug trafficking, suppress illicit arms trafficking and resist organized transnational crimes. "This document reflects our aspiration to establish and develop relations of equal and constructive cooperation in order to more fully and effectively implement the tasks facing the CSTO and the SCO," Khachaturov said. In his view, the interaction of the CSTO with the SCO in the field of countering modern challenges and threats has great potential, and the joint fight against drug crimes is a primary concern. The CSTO, formed in 1992, consists of six members, namely, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, and two observers -- Serbia and Afghanistan. Founded in 2001, the SCO groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. Their leaders will hold a summit in Qingdao, a coastal city in China's eastern Shandong Province, on Saturday and Sunday. "The SCO is correctly perceived by the international community as an important factor for ensuring peace, stability, security and development in the region and Asia as a whole," Khachaturov said. He said the SCO has acquired a global profile and exerts a definitive influence on the further development of the vast Eurasian region. "Each SCO summit is a firm, confident step toward better cooperation among its member countries," Khachaturov said. He said he is sure that the Qingdao summit will be fruitful with constructive discussions on global issues and the signing of practical documents. "I am confident that the outcome will open new opportunities for further cooperation between the CSTO and the SCO," he said. At the end of a zigzag mountain trail veiled by lush eucalyptus trees, two monolithic statues with eerie masks marked the entrance to a vine-covered stone castle. "I wanted to build the castle of my childhood fantasies," 79-year-old Song Peilun says. His inspiration came from memories of desolate stone citadels scattered around the mountains and valleys of Guizhou Province. They were left behind by chieftains of ethnic minority groups centuries ago. Song's castle is home to more than 300 statues. (Liu Qinbing/Xinhua) Twenty-four years ago, Song gave up an opportunity to stay in the United States as a cartoonist. Instead, he returned to a plot of wasteland in his home province of Guizhou -- landlocked, mountainous and poor. There, he decided to create a different kind of art. The castle grounds are home to more than 300 statues lining both sides of a creek. They resemble the huge human figures on Easter Island. Song drew inspiration from local Nuo opera, a tradition in which people wear masks and dance to drive away evil spirits. Song said he had seen such rituals performed in times of sickness or death. He had found it spooky but enchanting. "I believed they bridged humans with heavenly spirits," Song said. Walls and statues are covered with greens. (Liu Qinbing/Xinhua) Thanks to Guizhou's landlocked position, many local traditions have been preserved as they were centuries or millennia ago. Song named the castle "Yelang" after an ancient kingdom that included what is now western Guizhou. Song said he would like to build a fantasy kingdom to pass on local history. Since 1997, when Song started the project, he has hired people from neighboring villages to help him. While the villagers, who have lived in the mountains for generations, are talented stonemasons, they liked to carve lotus flowers or clouds on the stone. Song urged them to carve the statues in a primitive and natural way, "just like they are building pigpens." "The villagers often teased me for preferring crude stone patterns, which they found aesthetically repellent," Song said. "Until one day when a group of foreign visitors came and expressed admiration for their work." The castle is still "a work unfinished". (Liu Qinbing/Xinhua) An Yushu, who has sold tickets at the site for 10 years, even created a genre of her own. She scribbled what she saw in the statues during work and posted the drawings on the ticket booth. A professor from the Central Academy of Fine Arts walked by one day and purchased them for 5,000 yuan (about 780 U.S. dollars). "Everyone has art living inside, regardless of their educational backgrounds," Song said. "They just need to be inspired and discovered." The castle is located on an area of about 13 hectares in a valley. "Despite its magnitude, the castle and sculptures are basically locally sourced," said villager Zhu Lang, who has worked at the castle since 1997. Used pottery, tiles, and bricks collected in nearby villages have been brought to life as part of Song's creation. Song draws inspiration from local Nuo opera. (Liu Qinbing/Xinhua) Even the use of recycled materials and local labor have not prevented rising costs. Having exhausted all his savings, Song had to borrow 3 million yuan (about 470,000 U.S. dollars) to continue construction. However, he resolutely declined all investment offers. "If an investor wants to start a barbecue restaurant in my castle, I don't want to find myself in a vulnerable position to refuse him," Song said. The castle is 21 years old and still under construction. (Liu Qinbing/Xinhua) Song said the castle is about harmony between humans and nature as the 300 sculptures have merged with the vines, trees and mountains around them. "My work is only half done here," Song said. "The latter half is left for nature and future generations to finish." Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 10:09:29|Editor: ZD Video Player Close MOSCOW, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), with its increasing global popularity, will further promote its status on the international arena through close contacts and cooperation, said Bakhtiyor Khakimov, Russian presidential envoy for the SCO's affairs. In an interview with Xinhua on the eve of the SCO summit in Qingdao, the coastal city of China's Shandong Province, Khakimov reiterated the Shanghai Spirit and hailed the organization's accomplishments. The Shanghai Spirit features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and the pursuit of common development. "The SCO is based on the Shanghai Spirit. This implies mutual trust, mutual consultations and understanding, joint work and development of a dialogue between cultures and civilizations ... On this basis, we managed to bring the organization to a high level of development," he said. With an increasing number of states showing interest in the organization, Khakimov said the SCO has become "well-known and recognized throughout the world today." "I am confident that through interaction, cooperation and close contacts we will be able to gradually increase the role of the SCO, as well as to make the voice of the SCO sound louder and more authoritative," he said. The 18th SCO summit will be held in Qingdao on June 9-10. Leaders of SCO member states and observer states, as well as heads of international organizations, will attend the annual event. Khakimov spoke highly of China's successful work during its presidency in the SCO, saying about 140 events were held under the Chinese presidency. "We always highly appreciate the role of China in the SCO ... Therefore, we closely cooperate with Chinese friends, on practically all the key issues on the SCO's agenda," he said. Khakimov underlined that the SCO has made it possible to establish mechanisms for cooperation in all areas. He said that the SCO's main activity is security, adding a convention on countering extremism signed last year will become effective soon. Among the political results, the SCO member states are united in their constant appeal for strengthening the multipolar world and improving the world order on the basis of mutual respect, equality, fairness and cooperation, he said. Meanwhile, it is "one of the key tasks" within the SCO framework to enhance economic cooperation, Khakimov said. "We discuss step by step issues related to the creation of favorable conditions for the free movement of goods, services and capital. This is what is called trade liberalization, trade facilitation," he said. Noting that there are attempts to undermine the efforts to form a better world order, Khakimov said it calls for combined actions to overcome the difficulties. In order to really strengthen the SCO, we must not simply state it orally, but must continue to work to ensure that "the world knows the SCO, perceives it and is interested in interacting with our organization," Khakimov said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 10:09:30|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BUENOS AIRES, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Argentina has secured a 50-billion-U.S.dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Finance Minister Nicolas Dujovne said on Thursday. "We have agreed to a standby loan ... of 50 billion U.S. dollars," Dujovne said at a press conference, adding that "it shows the support we have among the international community, and it is very good news." The financing will be accessible as of June 20, when the agreement between the two sides becomes official. The first "immediate" disbursement will be 15 billion U.S. dollars, or 30 percent of the total amount, he said. The government has been negotiating with the international lending agency to alleviate the currency devaluation in the country for the past few weeks. However, the negotiation has sparked protests among Argentines who fear the agreement will lead to harsh austerity measures. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Steelcase Inc. (NYSE:SCS) today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Smith System Manufacturing Company, a Texas-based manufacturer of high quality furniture for the preK-12 education market designed to inspire better learning and improve outcomes for students. The acquisition is expected to advance Steelcases growth strategy to offer a broad range of innovative solutions to customers in the education, healthcare, and office markets. As education markets continue to grow, the combination of Steelcase and Smith System will create incredible value for our customers, said Allan Smith, Vice President of Global Marketing at Steelcase. Together, we can help schools create outstanding learning environments where students thrive, such as collaboration spaces, makerspaces and tech labs. Smith noted that Steelcase sees the opportunity to double Smith Systems business within five years by expanding sales in North America through the Steelcase dealer network, as well as bringing Smith Systems products to corporate customers and global markets. Founded in 1905, Smith System makes educational environments more healthy, comfortable and inspiring for students and educators. Smith System will operate as an independent subsidiary under its own brand, and will continue to support its strong network of existing dealers as well as extending its reach through authorized Steelcase dealers. We believe that joining forces with Steelcase offers us a path to accelerate long-term growth, while maintaining the agility that has made us successful, said Molly Parnell, Vice President of Sales at Smith System. Steelcase and Smith System have complementary offerings and we look forward to growing our business together in preK-12, higher education, and corporate learning environments around the globe. Additional details regarding the transaction and Smith System can be found in the Form 8-K filed today by Steelcase with the Securities and Exchange Commission, accessible at www.sec.gov. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS From time to time, in written and oral statements, Steelcase discusses its expectations regarding future events and its plans and objectives for future operations. These forward-looking statements discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future trends, plans, events, results of operations or financial condition, or state other information relating to Steelcase, based on current beliefs of management as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, Steelcase. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as anticipate, believe, could, estimate, expect, forecast, intend, may, possible, potential, predict, project, or other similar words, phrases or expressions. Although Steelcase believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are based upon a number of assumptions concerning future conditions, any or all of which may ultimately prove to be inaccurate. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary from Steelcases expectations because of factors such as, but not limited to, competitive and general economic conditions domestically and internationally; acts of terrorism, war, governmental action, natural disasters and other Force Majeure events; changes in the legal and regulatory environment; changes in raw materials and commodity costs; currency fluctuations; changes in customer demand; and the other risks and contingencies detailed in Steelcases most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Steelcase undertakes no obligation to update, amend or clarify forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Steelcase Inc. For over 105 years, Steelcase Inc. has helped create great experiences for the world's leading organizations, across industries. We demonstrate this through our family of brands - including Steelcase, Coalesse, Designtex, PolyVision, Turnstone and AMQ. Together, they offer a comprehensive portfolio of architecture, furniture and technology products and services designed to unlock human promise and support social, economic and environmental sustainability. We are globally accessible through a network of channels, including over 800 Steelcase dealer locations. Steelcase is a global, industry-leading and publicly traded company with fiscal 2018 revenue of $3.1 billion. Investor Contact: Mike OMeara Investor Relations (616) 246-4251 Media Contact: Katie Pace Media Relations (312) 350-0502 Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 10:34:38|Editor: mmm Video Player Close SANTIAGO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Chile's central bank announced on Thursday that export revenue from copper sales saw an inter-annual rise of 34 percent from January to May, to hit 15.636 billion U.S. dollars, as global metal prices skyrocket. In May alone, exports from the world's main copper producer reached 1.74 billion dollars for copper concentrate and 1.456 billion dollars for copper cathodes. May saw copper export revenue grow 22 percent year-on-year, to reach 3.357 billion dollars, accounting for half of all Chile's exports. The growth in export revenue has been accompanied by a substantial rise in the price of copper. On Wednesday, copper was trading at 3.29 dollars a pound on the London Metal Exchange, its highest value since January 2014. According to local press, the rise in prices is driven by long-term factors such as an increased demand for electric vehicles and the expectations of greater consumption in China, as well as short-term factors such as a possible strike at Minera Escondida, a big private copper producer in the world. Sergio Hernandez, executive vice-president of state-owned Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco), told journalists that Escondida "is the single largest copper mine in the world. Any paralysis of an important mine such as this logically creates expectations for a greater need to store copper and an increase in prices." The increase in copper prices also contributes to an optimistic outlook of the Chilean economy. The country's economy grew by 1.7 percent in 2017 but is expected to reach 3.5 percent growth this year. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 10:54:44|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Guests attend the opening ceremony of a Chinese historical exhibition on the 1937 Nanjing Massacre in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, on June 7, 2018. The exhibition opened Thursday at the National House Smichov. (Xinhua/Kesnerova) PRAGUE, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese historical exhibition entitled "Common Witness: The Rape of Nanking or Nanjing Massacre" opened Thursday at the National House Smichov here. Bringing together more than 130 historical photos, 13 exhibits and two pieces of video materials on the Nanjing Massacre, the exhibition places this historic catastrophe as an international tragedy within the context of World War II and shows the tragedy from the perspective of Europeans and Americans, taking on a third-party view with original documents and archives presented. On Dec. 13, 1937, Japanese invaders captured Nanjing, then China's capital, and killed about 300,000 Chinese during a six-week atrocity that shocked China and the whole world. Chinese and foreign visitors observed a moment of silence in tribute to the victims of the Nanjing Massacre. This year marks the 81st anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre as well as the 76th anniversary of the tragedy in Lidice of the Czech Republic, said Chinese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ma Keqing during a speech at the opening ceremony. "Common Witness: The Rape of Nanking or Nanjing Massacre" is an exhibition of special historical and practical significance with an aim to become a window for the Czech people to understand China and its modern history, said the ambassador, adding it will also serve as a bridge to deepen the friendship between the two countries. In 2015, Czech President Milos Zeman attended the commemorative activities devoted to the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's Resistance War against Japanese Aggression and in the World Anti-Fascist War. In 2017, Zeman and his wife visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, where they laid a wreath to the victims and expressed their deep condolences. Rudolph Jindrak, director of the International Affairs Department of the Presidential Office said: "Today, please, let me say on behalf of the President, as in Nanjing, and express deep condolences to the victims of the Nanjing Massacre. We should remember history so that historical tragedies do not ever happen again. World peace ... (needs the) joint effort of people all over the world." The exhibition was organized by the Nanjing International Cultural Exchange Association and the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in east China's Jiangsu Province. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 11:04:46|Editor: ZD Video Player Close BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Friday announced provisional anti-dumping measures on white-feather broilers imported from Brazil. A preliminary ruling by the MOC found that Brazilian companies had dumped such broilers on the Chinese market, causing substantial damages to the Chinese industry, the MOC said in a statement. Starting on Saturday, importers of the Brazilian broilers are required to pay to Chinese customs deposits calculated based on rates ranging from 18.8 percent to 38.4 percent, the statement said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 11:19:51|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- China and Serbia have signed a bilateral pact on social security, agreeing on favorable terms to better protect the social benefits of workers. The agreement was signed Thursday in Belgrade, according to a statement released Friday by China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Under the agreement, Chinese employees of Chinese companies working in Serbia will be exempt from pension and unemployment insurance contributions in Serbia, while Serbian companies and Serbian employees will enjoy the same treatment in China. The pact will help avoid double insurance contributions and reduce investment costs of companies of both countries, and foster the development of bilateral economic and trade ties, the statement said. The agreement will take effect after completing necessary legal procedures in each country. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 11:24:52|Editor: ZD Video Player Close BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- China's goods trade rose 8.8 percent year on year to 11.63 trillion yuan (about 1.82 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first five months, customs data showed Friday. Exports rose 5.5 percent year on year to 6.14 trillion yuan in the January-May period while imports grew 12.6 percent to 5.49 trillion yuan, resulting in a trade surplus of 649.8 billion yuan, which narrowed by 31 percent, according to the General Administration of Customs. by Christopher Guly OTTAWA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The recent U.S. decision to impose import steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union, and others, is expected to be a "front and center" issue at the Group of Seven (G7) summit that will begin on Friday in Quebec, a former Canadian prime minister said on Thursday. "You're going to have the majority of the G7 countries wanting to deal with this, as was the case with the finance ministers when they met in Whistler (a resort municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia)," said Paul Martin, who is also a former Canadian finance minister, in an interview. Martin participated in a public panel with Bank of England Governor Mark Carney and International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde during the meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors last week, which was chaired by Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau. "Ministers and Governors had a frank exchange on the benefits of an open rules-based trading system and many highlighted the negative impact of unilateral trade actions by the United States," said a statement issued after the G7 finance ministers' meeting. "Ministers and Governors agreed that this discussion should continue at the Leaders' Summit in Charlevoix, (Quebec), where decisive action is needed. The aim of this should be to restore collaborative partnerships to promote free, fair, predictable and mutually beneficial trade," the statement said. Martin, who participated in both G7 finance ministers' meetings and leaders' summits as prime minister when the forum was configured as the G8 to include Russia, told Xinhua that Canada's harsh response to the U.S.tariffs was "warranted" and noted that "never in my time have I seen an issue which has so galvanized people" at those gatherings. "The purpose of the G's - whether the G7 or the G20 - is to essentially give the pertinent ministers and the leaders the opportunity to deal with issues of this kind and hopefully prevent issues of this kind," explained Martin, who served as Canada's prime minister from 2003 to 2006, and as the country's finance minister from 1993 to 2002. He also thought that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his foreign minister Chrystia Freeland, did "exactly what they should have done" in responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. The Trudeau government has threatened to impose up to 12.8 billion U.S.dollars in tariffs against American steel, aluminum and other products - ranging from coffee and candy to toilet paper and tablecloths - to take effect on July 1, unless the Trump administration withdrew its 25-percent tariff on Canadian steel imports and a 10-percent tariff on imports of Canadian aluminum. Canada's retaliatory reply is "the strongest trade action Canada has taken since the Second World War," said Freeland. Trudeau has also forcefully criticized the tariffs, imposed under the pretext of U.S. national security concerns, and hoped "that at some point... common sense will prevail," he told reporters at a May 31 news conference with Freeland shortly after the U.S. tariffs were announced. Martin also hoped that the G7 leaders will discuss other pressing issues, such as climate change, gender equality, and the Compact for Africa initiated by Germany last year when it hosted the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors' meeting to promote private investment in Africa, including in infrastructure. "We aren't talking enough about Africa," said Martin, who as Canadian finance minister proposed the idea of a G20 in 1999 with the support of then U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. "Africa is going to have the largest population base of any continent in 25 years, and I really do believe that helping Africa through what is a very difficult period now will benefit the world enormously and this is a role that the G7 and G20 must play." Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 11:44:55|Editor: mmm Video Player Close TRIPOLI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) has unveiled plans to support Libyan institutions and public services in the next two years, the UN Mission in Libya said in a statement Thursday. "UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF held a consultative workshop today with key stakeholders and members of the international community around their Country Programmes for 2019 and 2020 in Libya," the statement said, referring to UN Development Program, UN Fund for Population Activities and UN International Children's Emergency Fund. "UNDP Libya's Country Program aims at supporting Libya in the consolidation of effective, inclusive and accountable government institutions, as well as enhancing citizens' access to public services and economic opportunities," the statement said. "In this transitional period, the three UN agencies will actively support key governance functions in Libya with a particular focus on realizing the 'Leave No One Behind' agenda and in support of the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda for 2030," said Jaffar UN Resident Coordinator Syed Hussain. Abdel-Rahman Ghandour, UNICEF Special Representative for Libya, said the program "crystalizes the priorities of our work for the children in Libya over the next two years." "Consultations and discussions with international community are essential to enrich our programs to deliver sustainable results for children in Libya at this crucial moment for Libya," he said. In January, the UN Mission launched its humanitarian response plan for Libya in 2018, seeking to raise 313 million U.S. dollars to help more than 1 million Libyans. The plan is based on rapid response to emergency and life-saving assistance, multi-sector assistance targeting vulnerable people and families, and restoration of basic functions and access to services. WASHINGTON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump will travel directly to Singapore from Canada to attend the meeting with Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). According to a statement issued by White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders, Trump will leave the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada before Saturday noon. Trump will travel directly to Singapore from Canada for his upcoming meeting with Kim on Tuesday, read the statement. "G7 Sherpa and Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs Everett Eissenstat will represent the United States for the remaining G7 sessions," it added. Trump and Kim are scheduled to meet at the Capella Hotel on Singapore's Sentosa Island at 9:00 a.m. (0100 GMT). Earlier on Thursday, Trump told the media that his stay time in Singapore has not been decided. "One, two, three -- depending on what happens," he said. "It's going to be much more than a photo op. I think it's a process." Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 12:50:07|Editor: ZD Video Player Close TRIPOLI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. airstrike targeting Islamic State (IS) terrorists in Libya killed three civilians, the Libyan Foundation for Human Rights said on Thursday. "The U.S. raid on a valley in Bani Walid (city) killed three civilians, who have no links with extremist groups. The victims were traveling in a car unarmed and unwarned," the Libyan human rights organization said in a statement. "The civilian victims were present with the target Abdal'ati Eshtewi Abu-Setta for social purposes, after their relatives confirmed that they did not take part in any terrorist acts, and were not issued arrest warrants by the security authorities," the statement said. Abu-Setta was reportedly one of the most prominent IS leaders in Libya wanted by local and U.S. authorities. The Libyan Foundation for Human Rights also said that, in coordination with the families of the victims, a request for investigation will be presented, holding the UN-backed government and the U.S. administration responsible for their deaths. The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) on Wednesday said that a U.S. airstrike targeted and killed four IS terrorists, including a senior leader, on the outskirts of Bani Walid, some 180 km southeast of the capital Tripoli. "In coordination with the Libyan Government of National Accord, U.S. forces conducted a precision airstrike near Bani Walid, Libya, on June 6, killing four ISIS (IS)-Libya militants," AFRICOM said in a statement on Wednesday. "At this time, we assess no civilians were killed in this strike," the statement said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 13:25:12|Editor: mmm Video Player Close WASHINGTON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Argentina's deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to borrow 50 billion U.S. dollars would boost market confidence, said IMF head Christine Lagarde on Thursday. "I am pleased that we can contribute to this effort by providing our financial support, which will bolster market confidence, allowing the authorities time to address a range of long-standing vulnerabilities," she said. The Argentine government and the IMF staff have reached an agreement on a loan of 50 billion U.S. dollars over three years under the so-called stand-by arrangement. "This staff-level agreement will be subject to approval by the IMF's Executive Board, which will consider Argentina's economic plan in the coming days," the IMF said in a statement. The stand-by arrangement allows the IMF to respond quickly to member countries' external financing needs, and to support policies designed to help them emerge from crisis and restore sustainable growth, according to the IMF. Lagarde said the IMF supports Argentine authorities' efforts to reduce fiscal deficits. "At the core of the government's economic plan is a rebalancing of the fiscal position. We fully support this priority and welcome the authorities' intention to accelerate the pace at which they reduce the federal government's deficit, restoring the primary balance by 2020," she said. Analysts said the IMF loan agreement would help Argentine authorities to stabilize the economy, restore investor confidence and stem a drop in the value of the Argentine peso. Since the start of this year, Argentine's peso had devaluated a total of 32.14 percent before the end of May. Weeks of currency devaluation has pushed the Latin American government to turn to the IMF for help. However, Argentines fearing that the negotiation will lead to harsh austerity measures have taken to the streets to oppose the authorities. RICHMOND HILL, Ontario, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lysander Funds Limited (Lysander) today announced, on behalf of the Canso Select Opportunities Fund (TSE:SCW.UN) (the Fund), that it continues to work towards implementing the proposed plan of arrangement (the Arrangement) involving the Fund, its unitholders and Canso Select Opportunities Corporation (CSOC). On April 12, 2018, the Fund obtained the requisite unitholder approval to proceed with the Arrangement at a special meeting of the holders of Class A and Class F Units of the Fund. On April 25, 2018, the Fund obtained approval to proceed with the Arrangement by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List). On May 14, the Ontario Securities Commission approved the Arrangement. On May 31, 2018, the Fund processed annual redemptions in the amount of $23 million. The Fund continues discussions with the Toronto Stock Exchange on the delisting of the Fund and with the TSX Venture Exchange on the listing of CSOC. The Arrangement is anticipated to close in mid-June, 2018. Further details of the Arrangement are set out in the Arrangement Agreement and the Management Information Circular dated March 16, 2018, both of which have been filed by the Fund on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Lysander is the trustee and investment fund manager of the Fund. The head office of Lysander is located at 100 York Blvd., Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 1J8. For further information on Lysander, please visit www.lysanderfunds.com or manager@lysanderfunds.com or you can reach Lysander at 1-877-308-6979. Richard Usher-Jones President Lysander Funds Limited Tel. No. 416-640-4275 Fax No. 905-764-0000 Forward Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the expressions seeks, expects, believes, estimates, will, target and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the current expectations of Lysander regarding future results or events and are based on information currently available to it. Certain material factors and assumptions were applied in providing these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Lysander believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions; however, Lysander can give no assurances that the actual results or developments will be realized. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, including the matters discussed under Risk Factors in the annual information form of the Fund dated March 23, 2018 and in the Management Information Circular dated March 16, 2018. Readers, therefore, should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Further, a forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. Lysander undertakes no obligation to publicly update any such statement or to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances except as required by securities laws. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 13:30:14|Editor: mmm Video Player Close SYDNEY, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Dolphins may be more similar to humans than previously thought, with a University of Western Australia (UWA)-led study on Friday confirming that the ocean creatures use individual "names" to identify their friends and rivals among social networks. According to the study's lead author Dr Stephanie King of the UWA Center for Evolutionary Biology, no other non-human animal has ever been found to do this, even when forming long-term cooperative partnerships. "When two groups meet each other they'll exchange their signature whistles so that they know who's present," she told Xinhua. "They sometimes copy the signature whistle of another animal when they're not around but we don't know what that means yet." Conducted in Shark Bay, Western Australia, researchers collected recordings of 17 male bottlenose Dolphins, which are known for their formations of alliances. From a small research vessel, the scientists observed the dolphins and used underwater microphones to record them. After collecting the recordings, the team were able to determine the "names" or individual vocal label of each male. While some animals such as parrots, bats, elephants and primates are also known to make vocal calls, they are very similar to one another. Dolphins however are able to retain unique signature whistles. "Retaining individual names is more important than sharing calls as it allows dolphins to negotiate a complex social network of cooperative relationships," King explained. "The names help males keep track of their many different relationships; who their friends are, who are their friends' friends, and who are their competitors." King said the next step will be to study the males' relationships more closely, in order to develop a further understanding of the political landscape of dolphin alliances in Shark Bay. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 13:35:15|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Workers install solar photovoltaic panels for the Zonergy 900 MW Solar Project in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Aug. 28, 2015. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) by Jamil Bhatti, Liu Tian ISLAMABAD, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Five years after its launch, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has achieved magnificent results that help lay a solid infrastructure foundation for Pakistan's economic development. Under the long-term and systematic framework of CPEC, several projects in areas of energy, transportation infrastructure and port construction have been completed. The unprecedented CPEC projects are changing Pakistan's business and economic landscape and facilitating them with basic requirements, which has helped the country improve its international credibility and increase its economic growth rate to 5.8 percent in the fiscal 2018 from the previous year's 3.8 percent, according to official figures. Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who recently concluded his tenure, said last month that CPEC and cooperation with China have helped Pakistan emerge as a rising economy in the world. The project under CPEC would accelerate economic development and further link Pakistan with China, Central Asia and other parts of the world, said Abbasi. A couple of years ago, Pakistan was facing severe power shortage with a power cut of up to 20 hours a day. The unsolved power crises prevailing for years was causing an unrest among the public and casting negative effects on the country's industries and other economic activities. Pakistan's Ministry of Energy said that the completed CPEC power projects have brought a great change in the energy sector by bringing the power cut hours to zero form 12-14 hours a day in 70 percent of the country. Two coal-fired power projects equipped with the latest state-of-the-art environment-friendly technology -- the 1,320-megawatt Sahiwal coal-fired power project in the country's Punjab and the Port Qasim coal-fired power plant with the same capacity in southern port city Karachi -- have already started production. The two projects are expected to generate 18 billion KWh of electricity together annually, which can cater for the needs of eight million local families. The CPEC power projects not only have eased daily lives of Pakistanis but are also creating hundreds of thousands of jobs by helping restart the industries that were closed due to power shortage. Besides the coal-fired power plants, CPEC also provides new energy to Pakistan so as to diversify the country's energy sources to maintain its energy security. Part of the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park is functional and three wind power farms are also supplying electricity in southern Sindh province, while two such projects will also start their commercial operations later this year. Pakistan's Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms said that energy projects under CPEC will double the energy-thirsty country's current capacity of electricity production after their completion. Yasir Rehman, an anchor from the official Pakistan Television, said that the developed infrastructure under CPEC is bringing stimulus to the Pakistani economy, creating jobs and improving business by starting a constructive process. "Uninterrupted power supply is helping industries increase production, creating an ideal atmosphere for Pakistan's economy," said Rehman, adding that with the functionalized Gwadar port, CPEC will benefit every common Pakistani. Gwadar, the ending point of CPEC, which was once an ignored small sluggish fishing town located at the Arabian Sea in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan Province, is now witnessing a wave of development projects which are creating new opportunities for employment and business. Gwadar port, with the fully functional port terminal, regular cargo service, free zone, business center, is a symbol of future development and prosperity of Pakistan. According to China Overseas Ports Holding Company (COPHC), the port's operator, some 20 companies in different businesses have already joined the Gwadar free zone with direct investment of 3 billion Chinese yuan (over 460 million U.S. dollars). Gwadar's local people are feeling the development impetus triggered by the rapidly developing port, construction of new roads, establishment and upgrading of educational institutions and hospitals, construction of a new international airport and installation of water purification plants. Thousands of people, from laborers to businessmen, have migrated from across the country to Gwadar to grab emerging opportunities for business and employment since the launch of CPEC. In the meantime, CPEC has also brought major improvements and overhauls to Pakistan's transportation infrastructure by upgrading and reconstructing already existing roads and building new superhighways. Several transportation projects under CPEC are forming a road network in the country to improve Pakistan's internal connectivity as well as with the rest of the world. On May 26, Abbasi inaugurated the first section of the 392-km Multan-Sukkur Motorway, the largest transportation infrastructure project under the CPEC in Multan of Punjab. The motorway is expected to cut the travel time between Multan and Sukkur from 10 hours to four hours at the maximum designed speed of 120 km per hour. It will also facilitate traveling in areas located alongside it. Mumtaz Hussain, a local farmer, told Xinhua that the CPEC motorway had given a new hope of prosperity to his family because now they can easily travel to cities to sell their vegetables at a better rate. The motorway is a symbol of close cooperation between Pakistan and China, said Abbasi, adding that CPEC is the implementation of Chinese vision of connectivity and opening up under the Belt and Road Initiative that is bringing great economic opportunities to Pakistan and the region. According to Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing, Chinese companies under CPEC projects have provided over 100,000 jobs to local people and have helped to uplift their living standards through social welfare works, including restoring and establishing schools and technical training centers, providing health facilities, and sending hundreds of youngsters to China for further study. Former Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal hailed CPEC as it has brought actual positive changes in the lives of millions of Pakistanis. "CPEC is a national agenda and has been put into implementation in record time due to the solid commitment of both Pakistani and Chinese leadership," said Iqbal. (Video editors: Zhao Yuchao, Zhu Jianhui, Mu Xuyao) 2 killed after gunmen attack local council office in Afghan town Source: Xinhua 2018-06-08 13:35:16 JALALABAD, Afghanistan, June 8 (Xinhua) -- One policeman and an assailant were killed and one police wounded after gunmen attacked a local council office in eastern Afghanistan's Jalalabad city on Friday, a local official said. Editor: ZD Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 13:45:20|Editor: mmm Video Player Close NANJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A luxury recreational vehicle (RV) designed by German industrial designer Luigi Colani made its public debut on Friday in the city of Changzhou in east China's Jiangsu Province. Known for his pioneering designs, Colani gave the 16-meter-long RV a streamlined truck head that pulls a long carriage with indoor space of 40 square meters designed to accommodate 10 people. The living space features central air conditioning, a sofa, digital theater system, massage seats and a modern kitchen. The roof can be transformed into a terrace. "It took a team of 300 technicians five years to make the vehicle. This extremely long, 16-wheel RV requires very advanced automobile manufacturing techniques to make," said Luan Chengmin, deputy director of Colani Design Institute based in Changzhou. He said all auto parts for the RV were purchased in China. The institute plans to add more high-tech features to the RV, including a 5G network for internet service with gigabit speeds. The RV is priced at 18.6 million yuan (2.9 million U.S. dollars). The institute has not made plans for batch production of the RV. Colani is generally respected as a pioneer of nature-inspired biodesign. In addition to cars and ships, he has designed cameras, tea pots, and sunglasses. LOS ANGELES, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The California Department of Justice and 10 district attorneys statewide filed a lawsuit against two toddler formula-makers Thursday, accusing their products of exceeding lead levels allowed by authorities. The Department of Justice said it has found formula "Peaceful Planet," manufactured by Nutraceutical Corp, had 13 times the allowed lead level while "Sammy's Milk," made by Graceleigh, Inc., had 15 times the lead level allowed by both the Food and Drug Administration and California's Proposition 65. According to the 15-page lawsuit document applied to the Superior Court of the State of California Thursday, the Department of Justice alleges the companies violated California's Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, and Proposition 65. Proposition 65, adopted by California in 1986, "protects the state's drinking water sources from being contaminated with chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and requires businesses to inform Californians about exposures to such chemicals." The Department of Justice asked the court to forbid the two toddler formulas to be sold in the Golden State, and asked the two companies to stop introducing them to the state's consumers and pay penalty for the unhealthy products and their misleading advertising. Formulas containing high lead levels could damage the brain and nervous system, slow growth and development, lead to learning and behavior problems, cause hearing and speech problems, and lower IQ California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the lawsuit at a press conference, saying the levels "are high enough to pose a threat to a child's health." "Toddler formula should contain nutrients that help children grow, not poisonous substances that can threaten their healthy development. No parent should have to worry that the formula they purchase could endanger their child," he said. Local CBS 13 news channel reported that the Department of Justice tested the two products which were both purchased within the last few months and the department did not disclose whether it tested other brands or products. Meanwhile, the state sent cease and desist letters on June 1 to the makers of both "Peaceful Planet" and "Sammy's Milk," asking them to stop selling the products and to recall the formulas currently on the shelves, the report said. Both companies did voluntarily agree to stop selling the products in California. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 14:00:24|Editor: ZD Video Player Close XI'AN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Police in northwest China's Shaanxi Province seized 7.2 kilograms of drugs hidden in steel gears, local police said Friday. The suspects, surnamed Li and Chen, used five customized steel gears 28 centimeters in diameter and 5.5 centimeters thick for holding methamphetamine, according to police in Ankang city. "The hollow gears are packed with drugs in small plastic bags and look no different than normal gears," said a policeman handling the case. "The drugs in it can even escape X ray detection." The case is still under investigation. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 14:25:30|Editor: mmm Video Player Close WASHINGTON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday struck a positive tone towards the upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Singapore. However, his whirlwind trip to White House failed to get the two nations to meet each other halfway on issues such as Korean Peninsula denuclearization, the abduction of Japanese citizens and the trade wrangle between them. ON DENUCLEARIZATION At a joint press briefing with Trump in the White House, Abe said he "strongly" hopes that the "historic" Trump-Kim meeting could be "a resounding success" and "Japan stands ready to make every effort" for the success. His remarks echoed Trump's positive statement that he is willing to invite Kim to visit the United States for further talks if their meeting in Singapore goes well. Trump said he and Kim "could absolutely sign an agreement," but the Singapore meeting is the easy part while the hard part for the settlement of all the issues is after that. However, Trump's statement did not dispel Tokyo's fundamental doubts. In addition, Trump did not invite Japan to attend the summit despite Wednesday's reports that Japan is considering sending senior officials to Singapore. Daniel Sneider, a lecturer on East Asian studies at Stanford University, said in an article published on Tokyo Business Today that Trump has publicly backed away from the goal of an agreement on a rapid path to complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament. Richard Samuels, director of the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said: "He (Trump) has given every reason for Tokyo to fear that Washington will compromise their security by cutting a deal that doesn't include short range missiles and that effectively acknowledges the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state. Abe has few cards to play to forestall that." ON ABDUCTION ISSUE Abe said Trump will put to Kim the abduction issue, which involves several Japanese citizens, adding that he is mulling a meeting with Kim after the Singapore gathering. "If we are to have the summit meeting, the nuclear, the missile, and what is more important, the abduction issue -- the solution to all these issues must be resolved," he said. Though Trump said he will "absolutely" talk with Kim about the abduction issue in Singapore, he did not give commitment to the final results. Raising the issue to Kim "costs Trump nothing," Ferial Saeed, former senior advisor on Iran and North Korea policy at the State Department, was quoted by Sneider as saying. Saeed said that Trump can use it to pressure Abe to provide economic aid to Pyongyang, and "Abe can go back to Tokyo and claim that he got the issue on the agenda." Jenna Gibson, communications director at the Washington-based non-profit Korea Economic Institute, told Xinhua that the United States agrees that the DPRK should address the issue, but "doesn't see it as a top priority in the same way that Abe does." Analysts said that the idea that Abe can shape Trump's policy towards the DPRK, a precious belief in Abe's office, "is largely an illusion." ON TRADE ISSUE Speaking of the bilateral trade imbalance, Trump said that it was an issue the two nations "have to" deal with. He said that Abe had promised him Japan would buy "billions and billions of dollars of additional products of all kinds," which included military jets from Boeing and lots of farm products. Japan also vowed to build more factories in the United States, the White House host said. Abe's offer could not satisfy Trump, and the Japanese population back home, however. Abe has reportedly made clear that he opposes Washington's levying of steel and aluminum tariffs for alleged national security reasons on a trade ally. If necessary, he said, Japan will seek resolution through the World Trade Organization (WTO). Japan has notified the WTO that it may impose 264 million U.S. dollars in tariffs on U.S. goods in retaliation, Bloomberg reported. Tokyo has joined the Western chorus against the U.S. challenge to the world trading system and this will likely occupy the Group of Seven summit later in Canada. "Japan should take a leading role in preserving the WTO framework. And so we will act when we feel we should act," Abe said before departing to Washington. Trump has demonstrated a view of Japan deeply rooted in the trade wars of the 1980s, shaped by his experience in the New York real estate market when Japanese were "grabbing up" premier properties, said Sneider. He quoted a Congressional source as saying that "for Trump, Japan was always a foe." "The domestic constraints create opposing incentives for both leaders," said Mireya Solis, the head of Japan studies at the Brookings Institution. "Ahead of the midterm election, Trump wants huge 'wins' in foreign policy" such as a breakthrough on the DPRK and jolting trading relationships while "the opposite is true for Abe" who wants to achieve meaningful outcomes also on the DPRK and protect an open trading system, Solis said. "Abe may have to rethink his strategy and figure out how to translate his good personal ties with Trump into policy wins for Japan," Gibson told Xinhua. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 14:25:31|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close An Afghan security forces member stands on a military vehicle at the site of an attack in Jalalabad city, capital of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, June 8, 2018. One policeman and an assailant were killed and one police wounded after gunmen attacked a local council office in eastern Afghanistan's Jalalabad city on Friday, a local official said. (Xinhua/Saifurahman Safi) JALALABAD, June 8 (Xinhua) -- One policeman and an assailant were killed and one police wounded after gunmen attacked a local council office in eastern Afghanistan's Jalalabad city on Friday, a local official said. "Five gunmen attacked Mohmand People Council office roughly at 07:30 a.m., triggering a gunfight which caused the casualties. The assailants tried to enter the building but failed as policemen guarding the compound responded to the attacker," a security source told Xinhua. Four gunmen fled the scene before the arrival of Special Operations Forces but the security forces also defused several improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted at the scene. The city is the provincial capital of eastern Nangarhar province. The security forces have launched a massive manhunt in the area to nab the culprits, the official added. Attaullah Khogyani, provincial government spokesman, told Xinhua that a probe was still on. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident. Taliban militants and Islamic State (IS) are active in parts of the province. Taliban militants, who ruled the country before but was ousted in late 2001, renewed armed insurgency, killing government troops as well as civilians. They have intensified armed attacks against security forces across the country since April 25 when the Taliban's so-called yearly rebel offensive started. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 14:30:32|Editor: ZD Video Player Close QINGDAO, China, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are traveling to this scenic Chinese coastal city for a summit over the weekend set to open a new chapter in the bloc's history. As a founding member and the cradle of the SCO, China has played an important role in developing the 17-year-old organization into the world's largest regional institution. Particularly, under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Beijing has been offering more and more wisdom for the SCO to advance into a new era with more possibilities and a brighter future. VISIONARY GUIDANCE The bedrock of the SCO's remarkable development is the Shanghai Spirit, which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development. Over the past five years, Xi has further enriched the Shanghai Spirit with such philosophical concepts as cultivating a new type of international relations and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Meanwhile, China has also been boosting SCO cooperation with new practical proposals promising benefits to all involved, with the flagship being the Belt and Road Initiative, which was put forward by Xi in 2013. China-proposed initiatives "bear profound strategic character," SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov told Xinhua in an interview, stressing the importance of aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategies of all SCO members. "Xi Jinping is providing a visionary and inspiring leadership not just to China but also to Asia and the whole world," said Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former chairman of Observer Research Foundation, an Indian think tank. FRUITFUL COOPERATION Over the past five years, a series of major joint projects have been rolled out within the SCO's framework, steadily improving cross-border logistics and promoting its members' development. In 2017, China's trade with other SCO members totaled 217.6 billion U.S. dollars, and the trade structure continued to improve, with mechanical equipment and mechanical and electrical products taking up a larger share, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. The ministry said that in the first quarter of 2018, trade between China and other SCO members increased 20.7 percent year on year, higher than the 19-percent annual growth last year. During the same period, it added, Chinese investment in other SCO countries reached 84 billion dollars, with several large energy, mining, and industrial projects progressing smoothly. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev referred to the SCO's efforts to enhance development synergy with the Eurasian Economic Union and the Belt and Road Initiative, and expressed optimism about regional trade and economic cooperation. Such alignments, said the Kazakh president, would create conditions conducive to a future free trade zone within the SCO. INTO NEW ERA Seventeen years after its establishment, the SCO has evolved from a security cooperation platform into an organization for comprehensive cooperation, including economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. As China hosts the first SCO summit after India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, the organization is widely believed to be marching into a new era. The SCO has emerged as an excellent multilateral mechanism for regional security, economic cooperation and transnational connectivity, said B.R. Deepak, a sinologist and professor of Chinese studies at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University. As the bloc grows on, Xi, in a meeting with SCO foreign ministers in April, called on all members to remain true to their original aspirations, advocate the Shanghai Spirit, and fully unleash the SCO's potential after its expansion. The Qingdao summit will be a historic meeting as it serves as a link between the past and the future, said Sun Zhuangzhi, head of the Institute of East European, Russian and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. As the birthplace of the SCO, China will contribute more Chinese wisdom to its future development, he added. (Xinhua reporters Hao Weiwei, Deng Xianlai and Ma Qian in Beijing, Zhou Liang in Astana, Hu Xiaoming in New Delhi, and Zhang Xingjun in Mumbai contributed to this article.) SYDNEY, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The alleged kingpin of an international "dark web" drug syndicate has been charged by police in Sydney on Friday, after being taken into custody by detectives on Thursday. Facing a total of 45 counts, the 33-year-old man stands accused of importing and supplying a commercial quantity of prohibited drugs, as well as dealing in the proceeds of crime and directing a criminal group. "Detectives from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command commenced Strike Force Bergmark in February this year to investigate the syndicate, which police suspected was importing illicit drugs from Europe to Australia via postal services," New South Wales State Police said in a statement. "With the assistance of Australian Border Force, Australian Federal Police and other interstate policing jurisdictions, several dozen suspicious packages were tracked and intercepted arriving into New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia from January this year." During the four-month investigation, police seized over 0.5 kg of cocaine, more than 5 liters of liquid MDMA, 6 kg of MDMA (Ecstasy) pills, 1 kg of ketamine, 800 grams of MDMA rock and 0.5 kg of methamphetamine. In total, the prohibited drugs have an estimated street value of over 1.5 million Australian dollars (1.1 million U.S. dollars). When officers executed a search warrant at a Sydney home Thursday, police seized cocaine, computers, mobile phones, a diamond ring, 70,000 Australian dollars (53,000 U.S. dollars) of cash and 350,000 Australian dollars (266,000 U.S. dollars) worth of cryptocurrency. A second search warrant issued Friday at a financial institution also seized a number of documents. According to Roderic Broadhurst, a professor of criminology at the Australian National University, the use of the "dark web" to distribute illicit drugs is a growing problem in Australia and around the world. "It's a very efficient way to do crime, organized crime in particular," the expert said. MariMed to share insights from their cannabis operations in 6 states NEWTON, MA and BOSTON, MA, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Three MariMed Inc. (OTCQB: MRMD) executives will share their expertise on successfully securing real estate for cannabis businesses at the New England Real Estate Journals (NEREJ) 2018 Cannabis & Commercial Real Estate (CRE Summit. MariMed CEO Robert Fireman, CFO Jon Levine and COO Tim Shaw will provide real experiences gained from developing marijuana cultivation, production and dispensary facilities in six states and decades of collective executive experience in commercial real estate at The Summits two panels. The Cannabis & CRE Summit is 9:30 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, June 13 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, 415 Summer St., Boston. The Summit runs concurrently in the same location with the New England Builders and Facilities Management (NEBFM 18) Conference. There are many issues and challenges involved in siting and developing cannabis facilities in Massachusetts and other states where cannabis has legal medical and adult use programs, stated Robert Fireman, MariMed CEO. It requires not only a good understanding of the state law, but also a thorough review of each municipalitys zoning, ordinances, and sentiment towards cannabis. We are looking forward to sharing our hard earned insight and helping attendees connect with critical resources that can streamline their efforts. We are delighted to help others enter this new and emerging industry. Cannabis is providing relief to patients and users for all sorts of symptoms and conditions! We believe cannabis is the most important medicinal plant on Earth and has the power to transform human health and wellness. The two Cannabis & CRE Summit panel topics are: Laws and Restrictions to Operate, Zoning and Permitting Retail and Industrial Space Needed for Operations The panelists include: Camilo Basto, ABG Commercial Realty, Brian Anderson, Partner, Anderson Porter Design, Kevin Conroy, Esq., Partner, Foley Hoag, LLP Robert Fireman, Esq., CEO, MariMed Frank Flynn, Esq., Owner, Managing Partner, Flynn Law Group Bernard Gibbons, President, ABG Commercial Realty Jon Levine, CFO, MariMed Tim Shaw, COO, MariMed As Massachusetts nears legalization of cannabis, many aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs are struggling with how to overcome the real estate challenges it involves, stated NEREJ Director of Events Rick Kaplan. By bringing together experienced professionals in real estate, law and design with stakeholders in various areas of the cannabis industry, we believe the Summit offers a great education and networking opportunity that can play an important role in the success of cannabis businesses. Register for the Summit at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cannabis-and-commercial-real-estatenebfm2018-tickets-46201556098 Search MariMed and post on social media with the hash tag #MedicatedByMarimed: Twitter: @MariMedInc Facebook: @MariMedInc Instagram: MariMedInc YouTube: MariMedInc About MariMed Inc.: MariMed designs, develops, finances, and optimizes the success of medical cannabis cultivation, production, and dispensary facilities through its validated management. MariMeds team has developed or is in the process of developing state-of-the-art regulatory-compliant facilities in DE, IL, NV, MD, MA, and RI. These facilities are models of excellence in horticultural principals, cannabis production, product development, and dispensary operations. In addition, MariMed is on the forefront of precision dosed branded products for the treatment of specific medical symptoms. MariMed currently distributes its branded products in select states and is expanding licensing and distribution to numerous additional states encompassing thousands of dispensaries. MariMed Inc. is one of the 17 top-performing public cannabis companies in the U.S. tracked on the U.S. Marijuana Index, (www.marijuanaindex.com). For additional information, visit www.MariMedAdvisors.com Forward Looking Statements: This release contains certain forward-looking statements and information relating to MariMed Inc., that is based on the beliefs of MariMed Inc.s management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events including estimates and projections about its business based on certain assumptions of its management, including those described in this Release. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, including, among other factors, changes in demand for the Company's services and products, changes in the law and its enforcement and changes in the economic environment. Additional risk factors are included in the Company's public filings with the SEC. Should one or more of these underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as "hoped," "anticipated," "believed," "planned, "estimated," "preparing," "potential," "expected" or words of a similar nature. The Company does not intend to update these forward-looking statements. None of the content of any of the websites referred to herein (even if a link is provided for your convenience) is incorporated into this release and the Company assumes no responsibility for any of such content. Photo taken on May 16, 2018 shows people watching the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) during a test run in eastern Pakistan's Lahore. Pakistan on Wednesday made a test run of its first metro train service in Lahore, the capital of the country's eastern Punjab province, from Dera Gujran to Lakshmi Chowk on a 12-km portion of the total 27.1-km route. A total of 27 sets of trains, each comprising five cars, will be used for the service in the OLMT project, a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). (Xinhua/Sajjad) by Jamil Bhatti, Liu Tian ISLAMABAD, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Five years after its launch, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has achieved magnificent results that help lay a solid infrastructure foundation for Pakistan's economic development. Under the long-term and systematic framework of CPEC, several projects in areas of energy, transportation infrastructure and port construction have been completed. The unprecedented CPEC projects are changing Pakistan's business and economic landscape and facilitating them with basic requirements, which has helped the country improve its international credibility and increase its economic growth rate to 5.8 percent in the fiscal 2018 from the previous year's 3.8 percent, according to official figures. Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who recently concluded his tenure, said last month that CPEC and cooperation with China have helped Pakistan emerge as a rising economy in the world. The project under CPEC would accelerate economic development and further link Pakistan with China, Central Asia and other parts of the world, said Abbasi. Photo taken on July 3, 2017. shows the Sahiwal coal-fired power plant in Sahiwal in Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab. The first major energy project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was inaugurated on Monday in Sahiwal in Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) A couple of years ago, Pakistan was facing severe power shortage with a power cut of up to 20 hours a day. The unsolved power crises prevailing for years was causing an unrest among the public and casting negative effects on the country's industries and other economic activities. Pakistan's Ministry of Energy said that the completed CPEC power projects have brought a great change in the energy sector by bringing the power cut hours to zero form 12-14 hours a day in 70 percent of the country. Two coal-fired power projects equipped with the latest state-of-the-art environment-friendly technology -- the 1,320-megawatt Sahiwal coal-fired power project in the country's Punjab and the Port Qasim coal-fired power plant with the same capacity in southern port city Karachi -- have already started production. The two projects are expected to generate 18 billion KWh of electricity together annually, which can cater for the needs of eight million local families. The CPEC power projects not only have eased daily lives of Pakistanis but are also creating hundreds of thousands of jobs by helping restart the industries that were closed due to power shortage. Pakistani workers install a solar photovoltaic panel at Zonergy 900 MW Solar Project in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Aug. 27, 2015. The 1.5-billion-U.S.-dollar Zonergy 900 MW Solar Project is a power project under the framework of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The project is being developed in three phases. Before the end of this year, 300 MW will be added to Pakistan's national grid. The first 50 MW of the project is near completion and is going to be energized soon, according to Zonergy Company Limited. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) Besides the coal-fired power plants, CPEC also provides new energy to Pakistan so as to diversify the country's energy sources to maintain its energy security. Part of the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park is functional and three wind power farms are also supplying electricity in southern Sindh province, while two such projects will also start their commercial operations later this year. Pakistan's Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms said that energy projects under CPEC will double the energy-thirsty country's current capacity of electricity production after their completion. Yasir Rehman, an anchor from the official Pakistan Television, said that the developed infrastructure under CPEC is bringing stimulus to the Pakistani economy, creating jobs and improving business by starting a constructive process. "Uninterrupted power supply is helping industries increase production, creating an ideal atmosphere for Pakistan's economy," said Rehman, adding that with the functionalized Gwadar port, CPEC will benefit every common Pakistani. Fishing boats berth in the bay at Gwadar port in southwest Pakistan's Gwadar, Jan. 29, 2018. The first phase of Gwadar Port's Free Zone in southwestern Pakistan was inaugurated on Monday by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who commented that the free zone would help facilitate regional and global trade under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) Gwadar, the ending point of CPEC, which was once an ignored small sluggish fishing town located at the Arabian Sea in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan Province, is now witnessing a wave of development projects which are creating new opportunities for employment and business. Gwadar port, with the fully functional port terminal, regular cargo service, free zone, business center, is a symbol of future development and prosperity of Pakistan. According to China Overseas Ports Holding Company (COPHC), the port's operator, some 20 companies in different businesses have already joined the Gwadar free zone with direct investment of 3 billion Chinese yuan (over 460 million U.S. dollars). Gwadar's local people are feeling the development impetus triggered by the rapidly developing port, construction of new roads, establishment and upgrading of educational institutions and hospitals, construction of a new international airport and installation of water purification plants. Thousands of people, from laborers to businessmen, have migrated from across the country to Gwadar to grab emerging opportunities for business and employment since the launch of CPEC. Photo taken on May 25, 2018 shows the Multan-Shujaabad section of Multan-Sukkur Motorway in Multan, Pakistan. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday inaugurated the first section of the 392-km Multan-Sukkur Motorway, the largest transportation infrastructure project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Multan in the country's eastern Punjab province. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) In the meantime, CPEC has also brought major improvements and overhauls to Pakistan's transportation infrastructure by upgrading and reconstructing already existing roads and building new superhighways. Several transportation projects under CPEC are forming a road network in the country to improve Pakistan's internal connectivity as well as with the rest of the world. On May 26, Abbasi inaugurated the first section of the 392-km Multan-Sukkur Motorway, the largest transportation infrastructure project under the CPEC in Multan of Punjab. The motorway is expected to cut the travel time between Multan and Sukkur from 10 hours to four hours at the maximum designed speed of 120 km per hour. It will also facilitate traveling in areas located alongside it. Mumtaz Hussain, a local farmer, told Xinhua that the CPEC motorway had given a new hope of prosperity to his family because now they can easily travel to cities to sell their vegetables at a better rate. The motorway is a symbol of close cooperation between Pakistan and China, said Abbasi, adding that CPEC is the implementation of Chinese vision of connectivity and opening up under the Belt and Road Initiative that is bringing great economic opportunities to Pakistan and the region. According to Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing, Chinese companies under CPEC projects have provided over 100,000 jobs to local people and have helped to uplift their living standards through social welfare works, including restoring and establishing schools and technical training centers, providing health facilities, and sending hundreds of youngsters to China for further study. Former Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal hailed CPEC as it has brought actual positive changes in the lives of millions of Pakistanis. "CPEC is a national agenda and has been put into implementation in record time due to the solid commitment of both Pakistani and Chinese leadership," said Iqbal. SUVA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Fijian President Jioji Konrote stressed here Friday the importance of preserving the ocean for the world. The president also noted that Fiji's leadership on the preservation of the world's oceans is one of the most important tasks the nation has ever undertaken. Speaking on the World Oceans Day in the Fijian capital city of Suva, Konrote said that the World Oceans Day is not only an opportunity to highlight the importance of the struggle to protect and preserve the oceans, it is also a celebration of the millions of men, women and children around the world who have committed themselves to making a difference in this struggle. The president said that he is determined to persuade the nations of the world to take much more decisive actions to save the oceans. "I know many of you have been directly involved in our global campaign for action on oceans, whether it was the United Nations World Oceans Conference in New York a year ago or the Oceans Pathway launched at COP23 that we will continue to co-chair with Sweden until 2020," he said. "And many of the same people have also been spearheading our fight for climate action across a broad front through Fiji's Presidency of COP23, including the Talanoa Dialogue that is a cornerstone of that effort." "This is evidence in itself of the inextricable link between climate change and the health of our oceans. It is a simultaneous battle on two fronts. And whether you are part of Fiji's national effort or our collective Pacific effort, you are all foot soldiers and standard bearers in this struggle," he added. Next month, Pacific leaders will gather in Suva for the Climate Action Pacific Partnership Event and a Pacific Talanoa Dialogue as a prelude to the Talanoa Dialogue. Fiji will preside over with Poland at COP24 in December. While stressing that it will all be about raising ambition in the climate struggle, he appealed to the leaders of all the Pacific nations to join Fiji in Suva to set an example for the whole world of building a consensus for more ambition. The president urged Fijians to conserve and preserve marine areas, such as the 250 traditional tabu sites protected by the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Areas Network. His message on the World Oceans Day 2018 was oriented around conservation and preservation and of ambitious climate action. In a related development, Meg Taylor, secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, also urged on Friday the Pacific Islanders to make a pledge for healthier oceans. "We share one ocean, we benefit from it immensely, from food on our tables to our economies as forum members, and I believe we should feel some sense of responsibility for its well-being. The Ocean is our home and will be key for our children's and young people's future." Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 15:10:43|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close XINING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- An international carpet fair in northwest China's Qinghai Province had an expected transaction volume of nearly 200 million U.S. dollars as of Thursday, organizers said. Nearly 250 companies from 34 foreign countries and regions, as well as 400 companies from 31 Chinese provinces and autonomous regions, participated in the five-day China Qinghai International Carpet Exhibition, which was held this week. Nearly 400,000 visitors attended the fair, about 100,000 more than the figure in 2017. A total of 320 tonnes of products were exhibited, up 12.3 percent compared with last year. Exhibition tours are scheduled to be held in Yushu and Golog, two Tibetan autonomous prefectures in Qinghai. "I brought only 25 carpets to Qinghai six years ago when I first attended the fair. This year, I brought more than 100," said Ozair, a participant from India. "The Belt and Road Initiative has deepened understanding among different countries and made traditional Indian hand-made carpets more popular." Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 15:20:47|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- China's goods trade rose 8.8 percent year on year to 11.63 trillion yuan (about 1.82 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first five months, customs data showed Friday. Exports rose 5.5 percent year on year to 6.14 trillion yuan in the January-May period while imports grew 12.6 percent to 5.49 trillion yuan, resulting in a trade surplus of 649.8 billion yuan, which narrowed by 31 percent, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC). In May, the goods trade surplus shrank by 43.1 percent to 156.5 billion yuan, as exports rose 3.2 percent year on year to 1.34 trillion yuan, while imports surged 15.6 percent to 1.19 trillion yuan, according to the GAC. In the first five months, exports and imports of products under the general trade category surged 12.7 percent year on year to 6.84 trillion yuan, accounting for 58.8 percent of the total foreign trade volume, 2 percentage points higher than the same period last year. China's trade with countries along the Belt and Road registered faster-than-average growth, with the trade volume standing at 3.21 trillion yuan, up 11.1 percent year on year. The country's trade with other Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries saw growth of 10.3 percent during the January-May period. Chinese private enterprises played a bigger role in trade by contributing 38.9 percent to total trade, up 1 percentage point compared with the same period last year. Exports and imports made by foreign-funded companies totaled 4.95 trillion yuan, up 4.3 percent, contributing 42.6 percent of the total foreign trade volume during the January-May period. Exports of mechanical and electrical products rose 7.9 percent year on year to 3.61 trillion yuan, accounting for 58.8 percent of the total value of exports. In contrast, exports of traditional labor-intensive products dropped 4.1 percent to 1.13 trillion yuan, accounting for 18.4 percent of the total. China imported 36.4 percent more natural gas compared with last year in the first five months, while the average price jumped 13.3 percent. KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia is considering reopening the investigation into the death of Altantuya Shaariibuu, a 28-year-old Mongolian interpreter of a submarine deal who was killed in 2006, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Friday. At a press conference, Mahathir was asked whether Malaysia is requesting the extradition of Sirul Azhar Umar, a former Malaysian government bodyguard who was found guilty of the murder at that time but fled to Australia afterwards. Sirul, who is now held in a detention center in Australia, is reported to have said that he is willing to assist the new government in uncovering the whole truth if he was given a full pardon. "Sirul cannot come back because Australia does not allow people convicted of death penalty to be extradited," Mahathir said, adding the Malaysian authorities may commute his sentence in return for his return. "So when we reduce the sentence from death to maybe life sentence or whatever, maybe he will come back," Mahathir said. Altantuya, who served as an aide to then consultant for the Malaysian defense ministry Abdul Razak Baginda, was killed and blown to pieces with explosives at a forest in Malaysia. Razak Baginda was charged with abetting the murder but was acquitted in 2008. After the Malaysian election last month, Mongolia also urged Mahathir to reopen investigation into the case. NEW DELHI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- India's Meteorological department on Friday issued a warning of heavy rainfall for the weekend in India's western city of Mumbai. Following the warning, the Mumbai city has been put on alert and it has asked residents to stay indoors. "As rainfall activity is likely to enhance from 8th June with further increase on 9th June, people are advised to abstain from outdoor activities as much as possible during the period and also watch for weather," the local Meteorological department centre said. Local government officials said the civic authorities have geared up to deal with any eventuality in view of the heavy downpour warning. Officials said disaster management teams and some Navy personnel have also been kept ready. "Leaves of all the senior officials, including deputy municipal commissioners, assistant commissioners and heads of departments have been cancelled," a statement issued by Mumbai's municipal corporation said. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov receives an interview with Xinhua News Agency in Moscow, Russia, June 5, 2018. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) MOSCOW, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is looking forward to closer ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov. "The CSTO takes a serious approach to the development of effective and mutually beneficial cooperation with the SCO. We are always open to filling it with practical matters," Khachaturov told Chinese reporters in a recent interview. He said the relations between the CSTO and the SCO are defined by the memorandum of understanding signed by their secretariats in October 2007 in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe. The memorandum confirms the readiness of both organizations to combine efforts to ensure regional and international security and stability, counter terrorism, combat drug trafficking, suppress illicit arms trafficking and resist organized transnational crimes. "This document reflects our aspiration to establish and develop relations of equal and constructive cooperation in order to more fully and effectively implement the tasks facing the CSTO and the SCO," Khachaturov said. In his view, the interaction of the CSTO with the SCO in the field of countering modern challenges and threats has great potential, and the joint fight against drug crimes is a primary concern. The CSTO, formed in 1992, consists of six members, namely, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, and two observers -- Serbia and Afghanistan. Founded in 2001, the SCO groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. Their leaders will hold a summit in Qingdao, a coastal city in China's eastern Shandong Province, on Saturday and Sunday. "The SCO is correctly perceived by the international community as an important factor for ensuring peace, stability, security and development in the region and Asia as a whole," Khachaturov said. He said the SCO has acquired a global profile and exerts a definitive influence on the further development of the vast Eurasian region. "Each SCO summit is a firm, confident step toward better cooperation among its member countries," Khachaturov said. He said he is sure that the Qingdao summit will be fruitful with constructive discussions on global issues and the signing of practical documents. "I am confident that the outcome will open new opportunities for further cooperation between the CSTO and the SCO," he said. MANILA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said the government may restart formal talks with the leftist rebels in July. In a speech made late Thursday night in Cebu province, Duterte said he is in talks with Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison who is living in exile in The Hague, the Netherlands. "We will start the talks maybe in mid-July," Duterte said. He did not elaborate. However, Sison told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a major Philippine English newspaper, that the on-and-off talks between the government and them will take place in June, not July. "The formal talks are expected to resume on June 28 in Oslo and lead to the signing of the interim peace agreement," the Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Sison as saying. Sison's statement echoed that of Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello, who also serves as government peace panel chairman. Last month, Bello expressed hope that the formal resumption of peace talks "could happen in the first or second week of June." At the time, he said there are ongoing "backchannel talks" to meet the timeframe set by Duterte. Since 1986, the Philippine government has been trying to reach a peace deal with the leftist rebels but has failed to make any headway. The leftist rebellion began in 1969 and reached its peak in 1987 when it boasted 26,000 armed guerrillas. However, the movement has since dwindled due to differences in strategy and tactics and the arrests of many of its top leaders in the late 1980s. The government estimates the number of the armed rebels at around 3,700 as of the end of 2017. HO CHI MINH CITY, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Work began Friday in Vietnam's southern Ninh Thuan province on construction of the country's biggest solar power plant with capacity of 168 MW and total investment of roughly 4,400 billion Vietnamese dong (nearly 194 million U.S. dollars). Once becoming operational in June 2019, the plant will annually supply over 200 kWh of electricity to the national power grid, said its investor, a Singaporean-invested company named CMX RE Sunseap Vietnam. Nearly 30 Vietnamese and foreign investors have been approved to build solar power plants in Ninh Thuan which has potential of tapping some 9,000 MW of solar energy, the provincial authorities said. The provincial authorities noted that besides the power plant invested by CMX RE Sunseap Vietnam, three solar power plants with total capacity of 130 MW invested by other investors are under construction in the province. SEOUL, June 8 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in will make a state visit to Russia from June 21 to 23 to hold a summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the presidential Blue House of South Korea said Friday. The Moon-Putin summit will come after the historic summit between Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for June 12 in Singapore. Kim Eui-kyeom, Moon's spokesman, told a press briefing that the leaders of South Korea and Russia will talk about Korean Peninsula denuclearization and the peace settlement. Moon and Putin, the spokesman said, will also discuss ways to increase bilateral cooperation and strengthen cooperation for co-prosperity and development in the Eurasian continent beyond Northeast Asia. After the April 27 summit at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom, the leaders of the DPRK and South Korea agreed to link roads and railways along the western and eastern corridors of the divided peninsula. If connected, the roads and railways would be extended to China and Russia. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Metallis Resources Inc. (TSX-V:MTS) (Metallis or the Company) is pleased to announce the launch of its Phase 1 2018 exploration program at its 100% owned Kirkham Property, prospective for multiple deposit types in the heart of Northwest British Columbias prolific Eskay Camp. The Phase 1 program will focus intensely on the central and southern Kirkham area blocks which are situated at lower elevations with more moderate weather, enabling early-season work. Jeff Kyba, former Regional Geologist for the B.C. Ministry of Energy & Mines, is part of Metallis highly experienced exploration team for this first phase of an extensive 2018 program, the most comprehensive in the Companys history. Mr. Kyba has been tasked with pinning down the Red-Line and evaluating the numerous base and precious metal targets that occur in close proximity. The program was put together with support from Dr. Peter Lightfoot, one of the Companys Technical Advisers. Fiore Aliperti, Metallis President and CEO, commented: Jeff Kyba putting boots on the ground is incredibly exciting for the entire Metallis team. His experience as a district geologist who co-authored the Red-Line doctrine will be invaluable as we pursue new surface discoveries and prioritize drill targets for this summer and fall after a highly successful 2017 campaign. Notably, while the central and southern blocks of Kirkham are well known for their high-grade gold and copper-gold porphyry potential, a detailed review of historical data for these areas has revealed silt and heavy mineral samples with high nickel values in addition to occurrences of gabbro. Numerous mafic and ultramafic intrusive bodies have also been identified within the central and southern part of the property and will be investigated for their nickel-copper potential. Aliperti added, For all its great discoveries, the Eskay Camp is still remarkably under-explored. 2018 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting exploration years in this district, and we expect the Kirkham Property to play a prominent role. Qualified Person Technical aspects of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Metallis Resources V.P. of Exploration David Dupre, P.Geo., designated as a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101. About the Kirkham Property The 106 sq.km Kirkham Property is located about 65km north of Stewart, B.C. within the prolific Golden Triangle. The northern border of Kirkham is contiguous to Garibaldi Resources E&L Nickel Mountain Project whereas the northeast corner of Kirkham is within 12km of the Eskay Creek mine and the eastern border is within 15 - 20km of Seabridge Golds KSM deposits and Pretium Resources Brucejack mine. About Metallis Metallis Resources Inc. is a Vancouver-based company focused on the exploration of gold, copper, nickel and silver at its 100% owned Kirkham Property situated in northwest British Columbias Golden Triangle. Metallis trades under the symbol MTS on the TSX Venture Exchange and currently has 32,416,129 shares issued and outstanding. 2018 Venture 50 Metallis Resources Inc. was included in the 2018 Venture 50 (the V50). The V50 is a ranking of top performers on the TSX Venture Exchange last year. The ranking is comprised of ten companies from each of five industry sectors selected based on three equally weighted criteria: Market capitalization growth, share price appreciation and trading volume amount. To view the V50 video click here. On behalf of the Board of Directors: /s/ Fiore Aliperti Chief Executive Officer, President and Director For further information: Tel: 604-688-5077 Email: info@metallisresources.com Web: www.metallisresources.com CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This Press Release may contain statements which constitute forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words may, would, could, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities or performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Companys future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks, uncertainties and factors are described in the periodic filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including quarterly and annual Managements Discussion and Analysis, which may be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The TSX-V Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Chinese President Xi Jinping (3rd L, front) and other leaders and representatives of international and regional organizations pose for a group photo before a large-range meeting of the 17th meeting of Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 9, 2017. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) MOSCOW, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), with its increasing global popularity, will further promote its status on the international arena through close contacts and cooperation, said Bakhtiyor Khakimov, Russian presidential envoy for the SCO's affairs. In an interview with Xinhua on the eve of the SCO summit in Qingdao, the coastal city of China's Shandong Province, Khakimov reiterated the Shanghai Spirit and hailed the organization's accomplishments. The Shanghai Spirit features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and the pursuit of common development. "The SCO is based on the Shanghai Spirit. This implies mutual trust, mutual consultations and understanding, joint work and development of a dialogue between cultures and civilizations ... On this basis, we managed to bring the organization to a high level of development," he said. With an increasing number of states showing interest in the organization, Khakimov said the SCO has become "well-known and recognized throughout the world today." "I am confident that through interaction, cooperation and close contacts we will be able to gradually increase the role of the SCO, as well as to make the voice of the SCO sound louder and more authoritative," he said. The 18th SCO summit will be held in Qingdao on June 9-10. Leaders of SCO member states and observer states, as well as heads of international organizations, will attend the annual event. Khakimov spoke highly of China's successful work during its presidency in the SCO, saying about 140 events were held under the Chinese presidency. "We always highly appreciate the role of China in the SCO ... Therefore, we closely cooperate with Chinese friends, on practically all the key issues on the SCO's agenda," he said. Khakimov underlined that the SCO has made it possible to establish mechanisms for cooperation in all areas. He said that the SCO's main activity is security, adding a convention on countering extremism signed last year will become effective soon. Among the political results, the SCO member states are united in their constant appeal for strengthening the multipolar world and improving the world order on the basis of mutual respect, equality, fairness and cooperation, he said. Meanwhile, it is "one of the key tasks" within the SCO framework to enhance economic cooperation, Khakimov said. "We discuss step by step issues related to the creation of favorable conditions for the free movement of goods, services and capital. This is what is called trade liberalization, trade facilitation," he said. Noting that there are attempts to undermine the efforts to form a better world order, Khakimov said it calls for combined actions to overcome the difficulties. In order to really strengthen the SCO, we must not simply state it orally, but must continue to work to ensure that "the world knows the SCO, perceives it and is interested in interacting with our organization," Khakimov said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 17:06:05|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close TEHRAN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of Iranians held nationwide rallies on Friday to mark Quds (Jerusalem) Day to support Palestinians. The protesters chanted anti-Israeli and anti-U.S. slogans and carried banners condemning Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian lands, Israel's killing of Gaza protesters and U.S. moving embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Iran's senior government, legislative and military officials participated in the rallies. The protesters issued a statement, vowing "resistance against the atrocities of Israel" until dispelling of Israel from the occupied Palestinian lands. Iran's Foreign Ministry on Thursday called on Muslims worldwide to hold massive rallies Friday to support Palestinians. Quds Day, an annual event that falls on June 8 this year, is observed on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Iran along with several Arab countries. HANOI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Under the draft amended Law on National Defense adopted by Vietnam's top legislature on Friday, the country's Defense Ministry will develop economic-defense areas and supervise the operation of businesses that serve national defense and military units that have been given defense and economic tasks. Strategies, planning schemes, master plans and projects of ministries, agencies and localities must be assessed by the Defense Ministry in line with the Law on Planning, the Investment Law and other relevant regulations, Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday. The amended Law on National Defense also asks agencies, organizations and individuals to combine socioeconomic development and national defense while conducting production, business and investment activities. The Defense Ministry is restructuring and rearranging businesses, with the number of enterprises dropping from 88 to 18. ADDIS ABABA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has left here on Friday for a two-day state visit to Uganda, where he will be awarded a medal of honor. Uganda's State House has recently disclosed that Ahmed, who is due to discuss with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on bilateral and regional issues of common interest, will be awarded 'The Pearl of Africa Grand Master' medal at a function where Ugandan heroes will be celebrated on Saturday. The medal, which is said to be awarded to African heads of state that have made a contribution towards the independence struggle of the continent, has been previously awarded to Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, and Equatorial Guinea's leader, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, among others. During his stay in Uganda, Ahmed is also expected to hold a meeting with host President Museveni on various issues that aimed at bolstering the bilateral relations as well as regional and continental matters, Uganda's State House revealed in a statement previously. Ahmed's visit to Uganda, upon the invitation of Museveni, marked the fourth African country that the premier visited since he took office on April 2. Ethiopia's neighboring nation Djibouti was Ahmed's first foreign visit as prime minister of the East African country, followed by a visit to Sudan and Kenya respectively. Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, was also in Ethiopia late last month to discuss bilateral and regional issues with Ahmed. Kagame, who is also the current chairperson of the African Union, also discussed with Ahmed on issues that focused on the strategic partnership to reform the 55-member states continental body, according to the Ethiopia Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this file photo, Rakhmat Akilov, who pleaded guilty to terrorism charges for an April 2017 Stockholm truck attack, stands in a courtroom on Feb. 14, 2018 at Stockholm dictrict court during his trial. (AFP/Fredrik Sandberg) STOCKHOLM, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A Swedish court on Thursday sentenced Uzbek national Rakhmat Akilov to life imprisonment for "terrorist crimes" after he mowed down pedestrians on a busy shopping street in central Stockholm in April last year. The Stockholm District Court found Akilov guilty of five murders, 119 attempted murders and 24 cases of endangering others. He will be deported from Sweden once his sentence is served and will be banned from ever returning to the country. Akilov hijacked a truck outside a restaurant in Stockholm on April 7 last year and ran down pedestrians on the busy Drottninggatan street before crashing into a department store. Five people died and ten were injured in the attack. Before stealing the truck, Akilov swore allegiance to the IS. He was arrested on the same day outside a gas station in a Stockholm suburb after he was recognized from a surveillance camera image. Prosecutor Hans Ihrman urged the Stockholm District Court to issue the harshest punishment possible for what he labeled "perhaps the most severe crime ever committed in Sweden". The district court judge Ragnar Palmkvist explains the verdict of convicted perpetrator, Uzbek Rakhmat Akilov, during a press conference at the District Court of Stockholm, June 7, 2018. (AFP/Anders IKLUND) The court agreed with senior judge Ragnar Palmkvist, who noted at a press conference on Thursday, that "Rakhmat Akilov's sympathies for IS are beyond doubt. He has himself spoken of it on several occasions and it is also clear from material found on his mobile phone." After his arrest, Akilov quickly admitted to being the driver of the truck and he also pleaded guilty to terrorism when the trial began in February. He expressed no remorse for his actions throughout the trial, during which he turned 40. He also denied being guilty of 18 attempted murder. Life sentences in Sweden are usually commuted to a fixed term. An average life term in Sweden is 16 years. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 17:56:16|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close TRIPOLI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Spokesman of the Libyan eastern-based army, Ahmad Mismari, on Friday announced that the army has captured a senior terrorist leader. "The (army's) operations chamber commander, Major General Abdulsalam al-Hassi, announces that the terrorist Yahya al-Usta Omar has been arrested in a special operation," Mismari said in a brief statement earlier on Friday. "Omar is the security official in al-Qaida and one of the most prominent leaders of the organization," Mismari added. The senior leader had defected from the Libyan army and joined terrorist groups in the eastern city of Darna, where the army is carrying out a military operation for several weeks against the militants who control the coastal city. Since 2015, Darna has been besieged by the army who demanded the armed group of the Shura Council of Mujahideen of Darna to leave the city. The army accuses the group of being loyal to al-Qaida. JOHANNESBURG, June 8 (Xinhua) -- China has upped the ante in the fight against the illegal trade of wildlife, putting in place various measures to tackle the issue, the Chinese ambassador to South Africa said Thursday here at a conference. Speaking at the Africa - China Wildlife Conservation Conference at Wits university, ambassador Lin Songtian said that China has implemented stringent measures in recent years, demonstrating its commitment to curbing wildlife trafficking. He used China's introduction of a ban on ivory trade as an example. "As we all know, ivory carving is an important intangible cultural heritage cherished in China. But to show the firm determination and resolve of the Chinese government on wildlife protection, we have decided to put a comprehensive ban on all ivory products trade including those that are illegally sourced," he said. China's ivory ban, effective on Jan. 1 this year, resulted in the closure of hundreds of factories and other shops which sold ivory across China, and won applause from many conservation groups and individuals. "The Chinese citizens and companies are strictly banned from ivory trade and elephant poaching. Chinese citizens are strictly prohibited from smuggling ivory and ivory products. If government workers were found to be involved, they will not only be punished by law, but also be expelled from office. It is fair to say that the Chinese government has adopted the world's toughest stance of zero tolerance on wildlife protection," he said. He also said that the involvement of Chinese nationals in the illegal poaching of rhino horns and ivory "undermined the image of China" and urged African countries to be harsh when dealing with wildlife criminals. Zhou Jinfeng, secretary general of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, said that while a concerted effort was being made to protect endangered species, illegal trafficking was still widespread. "Poaching is still terrible, we have confiscated many pangolins, we want to save more. We work with different embassies in China," he added. The conference was co-organized by the Africa-China Reporting Project based at Wits and some NGOs. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 18:56:26|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close SHANGHAI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai Disney Resort Friday announced plans to launch an imaginations design competition this summer to seek creative talent. The upcoming activity, known as Disney Imaginations Shanghai Design Competition, is inspired by the Walt Disney Imagineerings Imaginations Design Competition. It aims to find and nurture the next generation of dreamers and doers. Students from five Shanghai universities, including Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Theatre Academy, East China University of Science and Technology, will be invited to participate in the competition. Shanghai Disney Resort said it hopes the competition will inspire creativity and innovation in college students. The winning team will be offered a learning experience at Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, California, fully sponsored by Shanghai Disney Resort, as well as an internship at Shanghai Disney Resort, said the organizer. First started in 1991 by Disney Legend and Imagineering executives, the annual Imaginations Design Competition inspired Hong Kong Disneyland Resort to launch the Disney Imaginations Hong Kong in 2011. Shanghai Disney Resort, which opened in 2016, is the first Disney resort destination on the Chinese mainland and the sixth in the world. Disney's Imagineers from all over the world were responsible for developing, designing, and creating Shanghai Disney Resort, including its newly opened Disney Pixar Toy Story Land. MEHTARLAM, Afghanistan, June 8 (Xinhua) -- At least four people, including a prominent religious scholar and two guards, were killed and 12 others wounded in a bomb attack in Mehtarlam city on Friday. Mehtarlam city is the capital of eastern Afghan province of Laghman. The attack was the latest in a string of targeted killing in the country, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. The incident occurred in Sultan Niazi area of the city after an improvised explosive device (IED) attached to a motorcycle was detonated near a mosque roughly at 02:10 p.m. local time, provincial spokesman Sarhadi Zwak told Xinhua. The blast took place shortly after Younus Shamakhil was leaving the mosque after Friday prayers, Zwak added, citing initial information. The injured were shifted to a provincial capital main hospital. Taliban and Islamic State (IS) often target civilians and religious clerics as well as local leaders for their support to the Afghan government. BERLIN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- German finance minister Olaf Scholz offered words of reassurance to investors on Thursday night that fears sparked by the recent inauguration of a new populist government in Italy are overblown. Speaking during an appearance on public broadcaster ZDF, Scholz expressed confidence that the governing cabinet in Rome formed by the Five Star Movement and Lega Nord (Northern League) parties would neither default on Italian sovereign debt, nor leave the eurozone. "I am absolutely certain that Italy will not fail," Scholz said. The minister admitted that Italian policymakers faced a number of challenging issues, including a sovereign debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio of 130 percent. Nevertheless, Scholz rejected suggestions Rome could use this circumstance to "blackmail" either Germany or the European Union (EU) as a whole. "I think we can observe the unfolding situation calmly," the minister told ZDF. He argued that ideas mooted on the campaign train by the two parties to unilaterally default on Italian sovereign debt were "no longer being pursued" and hence did not merit any further attention. While ruling out debt relief to Italy in the form of a haircut imposed on public and private sector creditors, Scholz was open to devising new means of assisting crisis-stricken members of the European monetary union with short-term loans and creating a Eurozone budget facility towards this end. As long as principles of "solidarity" and "responsibility" were evenly balanced, the minister predicted that an agreement on related EU reforms could still be reached before the summer. TORONTO, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Colour of Poverty Colour of Change (COP-COC) calls on the new Provincial Government to make racial justice and racial equity a focal point of its mandate. COP-COC, a provincial network of individuals and organizations working to build community-based capacity to address racialized poverty and racial inequality, invites the new Ontario Government to work with communities of colour and Indigenous communities to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination and related intolerance. Over 1/3 of the Ontario population is made up of peoples of colour and Indigenous peoples. They are also among the most marginalized, as demonstrated by various social, health and economic measures and indicators. As a group, racialized communities (including both peoples of colour and Indigenous Peoples) experience higher rates of poverty, earn less income, and are more likely to be in precarious employment. As a result of their economic marginalization, they are also more likely to be in core housing need and have poorer health outcomes. Racialized group members in particular Indigenous Peoples and African Canadians are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice and child welfare systems. COP-COC calls on the new Ontario Government to: Confirm its commitment to Ontarios Poverty Reduction strategy, and specifically address the growing racialization of poverty in Ontario. Among other things, the new Government should confirm its commitment to raising social assistance rates and to advancing income security reform to end poverty for all people in Ontario; Continue to fully implement the Ontario Anti-Racism Strategy, including the mandatory collection of disaggregated ethno-racially-based data by all provincial ministries, offices, divisions and by the broader public sector; Introduce mandatory employment equity legislation to level the playing field for all equity seeking groups in the labour market in particular Indigenous Peoples, peoples of colour, women, persons with (dis)abilities and LGBTQ community members; Continue to attach community benefits agreements (CBAs) that include employment equity objectives to all provincially funded investments, initiatives and projects; Continue with the reforms to the criminal justice system and to matters of policing to eliminate all forms of racial profiling and racial discrimination; Continue to invest in legal aid and increase funding for community based legal clinics; and Eliminate the three month OHIP waiting period for newcomers to the province. Over the next five years, COP-COC will be fully engaged with racialized communities and other allies and partners across Ontario to make sure their issues will be meaningfully and effectively addressed by the new provincial government. For full release, please click here. For further information, please contact: Amy Casipullai, OCASI- Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants 416-524-4950 Avvy Go, Chinese & South East Asian Legal Clinic - 416-971-9674 Shalini Konanur, South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario - 416-487-6371 TOKYO, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) said on Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump's launch of a national security investigation into imports of automobiles could result in a loss of jobs in the United States and damage its own economy. While saying that it was "gravely concerned" about Trump's moves, Akio Toyoda, chairman of JAMA, went on to explain how consumers and the United States itself could be affected by Trump's latest protectionist push. "It is consumers themselves who would be penalized, through increased vehicle prices and reduced model options, an event in which trade-restrictive measures were to be implemented as a result of the investigation," Toyoda said. Concerns have been growing among automakers here as the United States is Japan's biggest export market for Japanese automakers and if Trump goes ahead with restricting vehicle imports from Japan, there's a high chance more automakers will relocate their production hubs to the United States, thus damaging the domestic market. Toyoda highlighted the fact that Japanese car makers have contributed greatly to providing workers with jobs in the United States and to the growth of the world's largest economy. He emphasized that vehicles being imported by the United States are of no threat to the nation's national security. "JAMA member companies today operate 24 manufacturing plants and 44 research and development or design centers in 19 U.S. states, and in 2017 nearly 3.8 million vehicles were produced by American workers at those facilities," Toyoda said. "JAMA deems that free and fair trade and a competitive climate in line with global rules benefit consumers in the United States and strengthen the sustainable growth of the U.S. auto industry and its economy." As for Toyota Motor specifically, along with the government, Japan's biggest automaker has blasted Washington's latest move to tighten up yet another trade loop in its march towards protectionism. "We believe free and fair trade is the best way to create sustained growth for the auto industry and provides more choices and greater value for American consumers," Toyota said in a previous statement on the issue here recently, adding that a national security probe leading to higher tariffs is "a determination which seems implausible." Toyota, for its part, as a heavy-hitter for the U.S. market, highlighted the fact that it has 1,500 dealers and employs 136,000 people in the United States, and the Japanese automaker plans to open its 11th U.S. manufacturing plant there soon. The Japanese auto giant manufactured nearly 12 million cars in the United States last year, with Toyota stating that, "it has been a significant contributor to both U.S. employment and growth." OSLO, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Norway's multinational oil and gas company Equinor said Friday it has found new discovery in the North Sea that is currently estimated to contain 15 to 35 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent. The company, which changed its name from Statoil to Equinor last month, said it and its partners -- Lundin and Spirit Energy -- have struck oil in the PL 167 licence at the Utsira High in the North Sea. The Lille Prinsen well is located 200 km west of Stavanger and northwest of the Johan Sverdrup field, Equinor said. "We are very pleased to announce the first Equinor discovery," Nicholas Ashton, Equinor's senior vice president for Exploration, Norway & UK, was quoted as saying in a statement. "This is a good discovery which we expect will be commercial. In addition, the results from the drilling indicate an upside potential in this discovery," he said. Ashton noted that the discovery has good quality and adds new volumes in an important area of the North Sea. JUBA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) said malaria has claimed 99 lives while almost 770,000 cases were reported in different parts of the country in the first six months of 2018. "Since the beginning of 2018, at least 769,966 malaria cases including 99 deaths have been reported countrywide," said Makur Matur Kariom, the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, told journalists on Thursday evening. Kariom told reporters in Juba that malaria remained a leading killer among children and pregnant mothers in the World's youngest republic. "Currently malaria is the top cause of illness and death in South Sudan with most cases and deaths occurring in children and pregnant mothers especially in strife-torn areas affected by food insecurity and acute malnutrition," said Kariom. He said the Ministry of Health is keenly monitoring malaria trends in the country to avert new infections during the onset of the rain season. The South Sudanese official said the national malaria control program and partners have also finalized arrangements to distribute essential commodities like drugs and long-lasting insecticide treated nets countrywide besides carrying out indoor residual spraying in selected camps for internally displaced persons. "As part of the national efforts to enhance public health safety, the ministry of health has established a national disease surveillance system in collaboration with the WHO African region integrated disease surveillance and response strategy," said Kariom. Charimari Lincoln Sunganai, the WHO Medical Officer, said multilateral agencies are ready to support South Sudan to ensure that malaria preparedness and response is strengthened. Sunganai said South Sudan's Ministry of Health and WHO will be distributing 885,500 long-lasting mosquito nets during 2018 to prevent new malaria infections. He disclosed that distribution of the first batch of insecticide treated nets will commence in July. "We expect to distribute 885,000 nets to cover an estimated 540,000 people in Western Bahr el Ghazal region and an additional 980,000 people in Western Equatorial region," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 20:31:53|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani receives an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, on June 7, 2018. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an important platform for anti-terrorism cooperation and enhancing regional connectivity, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has said. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah) by Dai He, Abdul Haleem KABUL, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an important platform for anti-terrorism cooperation and enhancing regional connectivity, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has said. Ghani gave the remarks in an exclusive interview ahead of his departure for China to attend the 18th SCO summit, which will be held Saturday through Sunday in China's eastern coastal city of Qingdao. "I look forward to the Qingdao summit. We hope to obtain support in two important ways, one is regional connectivity and the second is the common threat, which is terrorism," he said, adding that countries involved in the SCO "need to move to enhance our cooperation." Afghanistan is an observer country of the SCO. The president said improving the level of economic and trade cooperation within the regional bloc will be the focus of discussion during the Qingdao Summit. "Our objective now is to turn Afghanistan into a land bridge between East Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and South Asia," Ghani said, noting that his country stands along a shortcut connecting Central Asia with South Asia and West Asia, and that the country was once an important hub along the ancient Silk Road as well. With regard to the "Shanghai Spirit," which contains the guiding principles of the SCO, Ghani said it is a manifestation of the common will of SCO member states. Adopted in 2001 when the SCO was founded, the Shanghai Spirit features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respecting diverse civilizations and seeking common development. On security cooperation within the SCO, Ghani said Afghanistan is fighting on the frontline in the war against terrorism. "We fight and die on behalf of our neighbors," he said. Urging consensus and common actions on combating terrorist networks, the president said Afghanistan, as an observer country of the SCO, should raise the level of cooperation with member countries to jointly safeguard regional security and fight terrorism. Meanwhile, Ghani said giving support to Afghanistan will establish conditions prohibiting the spread of terrorism. "Supporting Afghanistan ... is supporting your own future," he said. To facilitate peace and stability in Afghanistan, the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group was created in 2005 as a consultation mechanism between the organization and the country. China chaired the group's meeting at the deputy foreign ministers level in Beijing on May 28, showing the SCO's growing attention to the Afghanistan issue. The president said he looks forward to "working in earnest" with regional partners in search for what he called "a new way of doing infrastructure," which he expected to involve power transmission, railway construction, fiber-optic communication, as well as the building of gas and oil pipelines. As for the prospect of Afghanistan-China cooperation under the SCO framework, Ghani said China as the world's second largest economy is an engine of the Asian economy. He said he had visited multiple Chinese provinces and was deeply impressed by China's development achievements. "We would very much like to focus on China's huge market. China, for instance, has a huge demand for marble. Afghanistan has over 40 varieties of marble," the president said, adding that by exporting goods to China, Afghanistan will promote its own economic development, which in turn is conducive to social stability. Ghani said his country and China have witnessed increasingly frequent people-to-people exchanges in recent years. Statistics have shown that China has trained over 2,300 Afghans specializing in various fields since 2015, and the number of trainees is set to be at least 1,000 for this year. On top of that, China granted scholarships to over 150 Afghan students in 2017, and currently there are 307 Afghan students studying in China. Ghani said the two countries are expanding the scale of people-to-people exchanges, since doing so will contribute to enhancing mutual understanding and trust. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 20:36:54|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Administrator of National Irrigation Administration (NIA) of the Philippines Ricardo Visaya speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony held in Pinukpuk city of Kalinga, the Philippines, June 8, 2018. The construction of a China-funded irrigation project in northern Philippines started on Friday. (Xinhua/Dong Chengwen) PINUKPUK CITY, the Philippines, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The construction of a China-funded irrigation project in northern Philippines started on Friday. The project will provide stable supply of water to nearly 9,000 hectares of agricultural land and create thousands of jobs in Kalinga and Cagayan, two northern Philippine provinces The Chico River Pump Irrigation Project will provide water to 8,700 hectares of agricultural land, benefit 4,350 farming families and serve 21 villages in the two provinces in main Luzon island. The project, which will be implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) of the Philippines, costs an estimated 83.89 million U.S. dollars, according to the Department of Finance. "This provides a perfect demonstration of our efficient work and close cooperation," Jin Yuan, the economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy to the Philippines said during the groundbreaking ceremony held in Pinukpuk city of Kalinga. As the first infrastructure project financed by Chinese soft loan during President Rodrigo Duterte's administration, the project involves installation of pumps, construction of pumping station, irrigation canals and other structures. It is estimated that 14,784 jobs will be created during its implementation and over 8,000 permanent jobs will remain when it becomes operational. The irrigation project is among the flagship infrastructure projects that the Duterte administration is undertaking under its "Build, Build, Build" program as the linchpin of its strategy is to develop major alternative growth areas in central and northern Luzon. Speaking on behalf of the Philippines, NIA Administrator Ricardo Visaya said it will take three years for the project to be completed. He thanked China for its "unfailingly support" to the development projects of the Philippines. Visaya said the breaking of the ground of the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project "marks the sailing of the first of the flagship projects to be implemented by NIA" under "Build, Build, Build" program. "This is a strong move to carry on the power of redesigning the future of the country and uplifting the lives of greater Filipinos," Visaya said. Project contractor China CAMC Engineering Corporation told Xinhua that they have completed three large scale projects in the Philippines since 2003. This time, just as before, the company will hire thousands of workers from local labor market, the company said. NAKASEKE, Uganda, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Mary Nabunya, 61-year-old, has had internal chest pain for a long time. Visits to her village health center in Kakoola in the central Ugandan district of Nakaseke have not helped as there are constant reports of drug stock-outs and lack of specialists. When Nabunya heard that a Chinese medical team was visiting a neighboring village for a one-day medical camp, she could not miss. For her, it was a chance to get the much needed medication free of charge. Earlier last month, Nabunya picked up her friend Janet Nakyazze and headed to the medical camp that was sponsored by China's state enterprises, China CAMC Engineering Co., Ltd and ZTE Uganda Ltd. Although Nabunya and her friend came early in the morning, they had to brave the long queues to be able to see the medical experts who were stationed at Kapeeka Secondary School. "I have had a lot of pain in my chest and I also cough a lot but now that I have got the medication, I hope I will get better," Nabunya said. This medical camp is one of the many that the Chinese medical experts carry out in rural Uganda when they take a break off hospital work in the capital Kampala. Since 1983, China has sent over 18 medical teams to Uganda consisting of a total of 200 experts. The teams, with the support from Chinese companies, have traversed different parts of the country, providing the much needed health care. "Over the past 35 years, the Chinese medical team has treated thousands of Ugandan patients. Besides working in the hospital, we give training to interns and staff," said Cong Linhai, head of the medical team. Zheng Zhuqiang, Chinese Ambassador to Uganda told a gathering at Kapeeka Secondary School that besides trade and economic relations, China also cares about a healthy population. "Medical cooperation is one of the most effective cooperation between our two countries," Zheng said, noting that China has previously donated a hospital, medicines, and medical equipment among others. In areas where medical camps have been held, the local leaders hail the Chinese medical team for extending their services to remote areas. "Medical services are very expensive to access and when someone provides it free, then we must thank them," said Tom Sserwanga, Chairman of Kayunga district in central Uganda. "We appreciate the kindness of the China Water and Electric Company who have provided free medical services. Many of these people here have been finding difficulties going to hospital because they don't have money," Sserwanga said. Ignatius Koomu, Chairperson of Nakaseke district said the medical team lessens the burden of not having enough personnel or drugs especially in the remote parts of the country. "In our health centers, most times the drugs are not enough and the medical people are rarely on duty, but these Chinese medical people have come with medicines and also treated our people," he said. Chinese companies operating in Uganda say they have the responsibility to give back to the communities. Bao Yihong, China CAMC Engineering Co., Ltd. Uganda Office Representative said there is need to have a good working relation with the community. Yu Bin, ZTE East Africa Region Representative said it is not always about making money but also ensuring that the communities and companies work harmoniously. JUBA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Representative of the UN Commission for Human Rights in South Sudan, Eugene Nindorera, on Friday condemned continued use of sexual violence as a weapon of war against civilians in the conflict-torn East African nation. Nindorera, who also heads the Human Rights Division (HRD) of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said cases of sexual violence against women and girls continue unabated across South Sudan despite the warring parties making commitments to end the practice. Nindorera said the UN has documented instances of rape and gang-rape by government forces, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the SPLA-in Opposition (SPLA-IO) loyal to former vice-president Riek Machar as a tactic to humiliate, dominate and instill fear onto the civilian population. "The practices of using sexual violence as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, instill fear in, disperse or forcibly relocate civilian members of a community or ethnic group unfortunately remains widespread with little indications of perpetrators being held accountable for their actions-regardless of whether they belong to government or opposition forces," he told a public forum to commemorate the International Day for Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict in Juba. Observed on June 19, the day is meant to commemorate the UN Security Council resolution 1820 (2008), which condemned sexual violence in war zones. South Sudan celebrated it earlier due to other programs scheduled for that day, the UN said. Nindorera noted that the HRD has recently documented the rape and gang-rape of more than 100 women and girls, including pregnant and lactating mothers, allegedly carried out by SPLA soldiers in the northern regions of Leer and Mayendit following renewed armed clashes. The official added that UN human rights investigators found one case of a six-year-old girl who was gang raped by eight SPLA soldiers, even after she lost consciousness and in some cases, those who resisted rape was immediately shot dead. Lul Ruai Koang, military spokesman of the SPLA, denied the latest UN allegations, adding that the army did not receive any complaint of sexual abuse in Leer or Mayendit. "This is what they (UNMISS) have been saying all time without producing evidence. Let them give us information about the reported sexual violence. Let them help us in the process of identification of suspects because without any culprit being identified, it will be very difficult for us to bring that person to book," said Koang. South Sudan has been embroiled in civil war since December 2013 and the conflict now in its fifth year has taken a devastating toll on the people, creating one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world. A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under UN pressure led to the establishment of a transitional unity government in April 2016, but was shattered by renewed fighting in July the same year. ADDIS ABABA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's export sector generated 2.35 billion U.S. dollars during the first ten-months of the current 2017-2018 Ethiopian fiscal year, the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade revealed on Friday. The amount marked a 64.5 million-U.S. dollar increase compared with the corresponding period in the previous fiscal year, state affiliate Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported. Boosting the East African country's export trade was the Ethiopian government's major economic goal as it recently decided to devalue the Ethiopian Birr (ETB) by 15 percent - a move the Ethiopian National Bank (NBE) said would boost the current fiscal year's export performance. The ETB devaluation, effective as of October 2017, was mainly targeted to bolster the export of Ethiopia's agricultural products as price decrease in global market for agricultural products affected the country's export trade in recent years. While agricultural products remain the largest contributor of export earnings, with 1.79 billion U.S. dollars during the past 10-months alone, the Ethiopian government has recently revealed the addition of natural gas as one of Ethiopia's major export commodities in the near future. The Ethiopian Ministry of Mines, Natural Gas and Petroleum in April this year revealed the East African country's plan to generate close to 1 billion U.S. dollars on annual basis from the export of the recently discovered natural gas. The 7 to 8 billion cubic trillion feet (TFC) of natural gas, which was recently discovered in Ethiopia's Somali regional state by the Chinese firm Poly-GCL, is also expected to increase in terms of its annual revenue in the subsequent years, according to the ministry. Photo shows Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Sun Baohong delivering a speech on June 7, 2018 in Nairobi during a ceremony to launch a digital TV project by Chinese company Startimes in Kenya. (Xinhua/Wang Teng) NAIROBI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- As Kenya strives to achieve the Big Four Agenda, China pledges continued support by providing strong boost for the implementation of the development package, the new Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Sun Baohong said Thursday. "Over the past half a century, China has financed nearly 100 projects in Kenya through grants, interest-free and concessional loans, supporting its infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, human resource and environmental protection, etc.," Sun said in Nairobi during a ceremony on Thursday to launch a digital TV project in Kenya. The project is part of the "Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages" initiative carried out by Chinese company StarTimes, which aims to narrow the huge information gap of African countries by giving rural communities equal access to TV content as their urban counterparts. Sun said the relationship between the two countries was upgraded to comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in May last year, thereby charting the course for the greater and deeper development of relations. The Chinese government will fund the construction of China-Africa Teacher's College of Vocational Education and also upgrade the Kenya Railway Training Institute, according to Sun. The envoy noted that the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) plays a leading role in the advancement of Big Four Agenda and has already created about 46,000 local jobs, in addition to cutting the transportation cost between the two cities by some 40 percent. The modern railway project has also increased Kenya's gross domestic product (GDP) by about 1.5 percent. Sun said the people-to-people interaction will see China provide more training opportunities in the areas of manufacturing, infrastructure, agriculture and health as well as more scholarships for Kenyan students to study in Chinese universities. She said 2018 is a year of historic importance to the development of China-Africa and China-Kenya relations. "We shall work even more closely to ensure that our bilateral cooperation will correspond to the implementation of the Big Four Agenda, and bring more tangible benefits for people of both countries," said the diplomat. The Kenyan government's development agenda includes universal healthcare, manufacturing, affordable housing and food security. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 21:27:04|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday agreed to promote greater development of China-Russia relations at a high level. The two leaders reached the consensus during talks in Beijing. Putin is on a state visit to China, and he will also attend the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao on Saturday and Sunday. The two leaders agreed that China and Russia should adhere to the concept of everlasting friendship and the spirit of strategic coordination, and expand and deepen cooperation in all areas. Xi extended congratulations to Putin again on starting his new term as Russian president, and expressed appreciation to him for choosing China as the first country he pays a state visit to in his new presidential term. Xi described China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination as "mature, stable and solid." No matter how international situations change, China and Russia always firmly support each other in defending their respective core interests, deepen cooperation in all areas, jointly and actively participate in global governance, and play a pivotal role in establishing a new type of international relations and building a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said. China is ready to work with Russia and make unremitting efforts to consolidate high-level mutual trust, expand cooperation in all areas, deepen people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning, enhance international coordination and cooperation, pass down the concept of everlasting friendship from generation to generation, continuously enrich the meaning of the two countries' strategy of coordination, and carry forward and renew bilateral ties day by day, so as to benefit the two peoples, Xi said. TORONTO, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the election of a Progressive Conservative majority government, Ontarios labour movement will fight to ensure workers rights and public services are protected. While this is not the result the labour movement was hoping for in this election, we saw clearly in the campaign that many Ontarians support decent work, protections for workers rights and value Ontarios public services, said Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley. Labour leaders across this province will stand together to send a clear message that workers are the backbone of Ontario. Our movement will mobilize to win positive change for all people in the coming years. Doug Ford has often said that he will cancel the scheduled increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour, something that labour and community fought for and won under the first review of Ontarios labour and employment laws in a generation. We will defend the gains we made for workers in Ontario, said Buckley. As a labour movement we know that when we work together, we win positive change for workers. I encourage all labour activists to continue their work in solidarity to protect the rights of Ontarians to safe and healthy workplaces where they have paid sick days, paid emergency leave days, and fair treatment. Buckley congratulated the labour movement on its mobilization during the election campaign. The labour movement made its values clear and mobilized strongly across the province from the first moments of the campaign until election day. I want to commend the activists who volunteered and supported these campaigns, said Buckley. The OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter. For more information, please contact: Meagan Perry, Director of Communications, Ontario Federation of Labour mperry@ofl.ca l 416-894-3456 cope343 Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 21:27:05|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIRUT, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil Friday issued instructions to freeze the renewal of the United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) staff residency permits until further notice. A delegation went to Arsal and spoke with Syrian refugees who voiced their willingness to return to their homeland, but the UNHCR scared refugees away from returning through warnings and threats, said a statement of the ministry. The refugees were scared to return because of questions asked by the UNHCR, and were told that they would be obliged to join the military, due to poor security situation, the statement said. The UNHCR threatened cutting off aid to them and said that their return was not under international support," it said. The measure comes after multiple warnings from the ministry issued directly to UNHCR Representative in Beirut, Mireille Girard, who was summoned twice to the ministry to warn her about the policies, the statement added. The UNHCR has not changed its alleged "policy of intimidation" despite the Bassil informing the UN secretary-general of his disapproval, it said. "Bassil has asked for studies on further measures that could be taken towards the UNHCR, which are numerous, if it insists on adopting the same policy," the statement read. BERLIN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- German city of Aachen located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia was ordered by a local administrative court on Friday to prepare for the imposition of diesel driving bans. The court ruled that a municipal ban would have to be enacted automatically from Jan. 1, 2019, unless the city and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia produced a plausible alternative plan for lowering Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions levels in accordance with European Union clean air legislation by the end of the current year. The ruling marked the first time that a regional court has followed up on a landmark verdict reached by the Federal Administrative Court in the wake of the "dieselgate" scandal which granted municipal governments in Germany the right to unilaterally impose driving bans on vehicles as means to reduce urban pollution. NOx levels currently exceed binding EU limits in several German cities, prompting the Brussels-based Commission to sue the federal government in Berlin for its repeated non-compliance. The German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) estimates that diesel cars are responsible for more than 50 percent of harmful nitrogen oxide emissions in Germany. Hamburg has recently become the first city in Germany to impose an at least partial driving ban on older diesel vehicles on two centrally-located district of Altona. So far, the city of Aachen and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia have merely committed to a package of measures intended to ensure the necessary reduction of emissions by 2025. The Aachen administrative court ruled on Friday, however, that the attempts to address the issue by less effective means than driving bans were too little, too late. According to the UBA, driving bans in German cities could only realistically be averted if older diesel vehicles undergo comprehensive technical retro-fitting efforts resisted as too costly by carmakers and the minister for transport Andreas Scheuer. For lack of a plausible alternative solution in sight, the presiding judge at the Aachen administrative court consequently predicted that diesel driving bans would ultimately have to be enacted in the city from 2019 onwards. It is unclear whether municipal policymakers will seek to appeal the ruling. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 21:42:07|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close BRUSSELS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- NATO and the European Union (EU) leaders plan to sign a new joint declaration in July to further enhance their level of cooperation, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Friday. Joined by the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and defense ministers from Finland and Sweden, NATO defense ministers met Friday to review the progress in NATO-EU cooperation. Speaking at a press conference, Stoltenberg said the two organizations have been working together on 74 concrete areas of cooperation, including hybrid and cyber, maritime operations, exercises and military mobility, and the fight against terrorism. "We discussed how NATO and the EU could cooperate even more closely going forward," Stoltenberg said, adding that "military mobility is one area that will become a flagship in our cooperation." He welcomed the EU's efforts on defense, and stressed that NATO-EU cooperation and the EU's steps can complement each other. A woman prepares food outside her temporary house at Konyo Konyo burial ground in Juba, capital of South Sudan, Nov. 5, 2017. (Xinhua/ Gale Julius) JUBA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Representative of the UN Commission for Human Rights in South Sudan, Eugene Nindorera, on Friday condemned continued use of sexual violence as a weapon of war against civilians in the conflict-torn East African nation. Nindorera, who also heads the Human Rights Division (HRD) of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said cases of sexual violence against women and girls continue unabated across South Sudan despite the warring parties making commitments to end the practice. Nindorera said the UN has documented instances of rape and gang-rape by government forces, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the SPLA-in Opposition (SPLA-IO) loyal to former vice-president Riek Machar as a tactic to humiliate, dominate and instill fear onto the civilian population. "The practices of using sexual violence as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, instill fear in, disperse or forcibly relocate civilian members of a community or ethnic group unfortunately remains widespread with little indications of perpetrators being held accountable for their actions-regardless of whether they belong to government or opposition forces," he told a public forum to commemorate the International Day for Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict in Juba. Observed on June 19, the day is meant to commemorate the UN Security Council resolution 1820 (2008), which condemned sexual violence in war zones. South Sudan celebrated it earlier due to other programs scheduled for that day, the UN said. Nindorera noted that the HRD has recently documented the rape and gang-rape of more than 100 women and girls, including pregnant and lactating mothers, allegedly carried out by SPLA soldiers in the northern regions of Leer and Mayendit following renewed armed clashes. The official added that UN human rights investigators found one case of a six-year-old girl who was gang raped by eight SPLA soldiers, even after she lost consciousness and in some cases, those who resisted rape was immediately shot dead. Lul Ruai Koang, military spokesman of the SPLA, denied the latest UN allegations, adding that the army did not receive any complaint of sexual abuse in Leer or Mayendit. "This is what they (UNMISS) have been saying all time without producing evidence. Let them give us information about the reported sexual violence. Let them help us in the process of identification of suspects because without any culprit being identified, it will be very difficult for us to bring that person to book," said Koang. South Sudan has been embroiled in civil war since December 2013 and the conflict now in its fifth year has taken a devastating toll on the people, creating one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world. A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under UN pressure led to the establishment of a transitional unity government in April 2016, but was shattered by renewed fighting in July the same year. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 22:07:12|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close GAZA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 100 people were injured on Friday during the ongoing clashes in five different locations in eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel, between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers, medics said. The health ministry in Gaza said in a press statement that at least 100 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire and tear gas canisters fired during the protests in eastern Gaza Strip. The clashes, which broke out on Friday afternoon, are part of the 11th Friday rallies of the "Great March of Return" that started on March 30. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli soldiers stationed at the border used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. Local media reported that tens of thousands of Palestinian demonstrators have gathered to join the rallies and protests. They said that fierce clashes broke out in the area between hundreds of demonstrators and Israeli soldiers. Demonstrators burned tires, and soldiers fired tear gas canisters and live gunshots at them. Demonstrators flew hundreds of kites carrying Molotov cocktails that landed at Israeli agricultural fields and caused large fire. Eyewitnesses said Israeli soldiers fired tear gas at journalists and TV crews in eastern Gaza. AFP photographer Mohamed al-Baba was shot in his right foot with a gunshot and another cameraman working for al-Aqsa Radio of Hamas was hit with a tear gas canister in his back, both of whom are in moderate condition, the health ministry said. The ministry said that Israeli soldiers also fired tear gas at the medical crews who were treating injured protesters in the clashes. Dawood Shihab, spokesman of Islamic Jihad told reporters in eastern Gaza "from here, from eastern Gaza, we send a greeting message to the people in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Syrians, who took to the streets in their cities to support our marches of return." "In spite of the heat and the fasting of Ramadan, thousands of people participated in today's marches and rallies to reiterate the Palestinians solidarity with Jerusalem and to say there is no place for the Americans and the Zionists in Palestine," he said. "We tell the occupation that we will carry on with our resistance by all means whatever the price and the sacrifices are," he said. Fathi Hammad, member of Hamas politburo told reporters in eastern Gaza "today our people are unified because Jerusalem belongs to all Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians." "We reject (Donald) Trump's declaration and we came here to say that all the decisions which divided Jerusalem are under our feet. We will carry on with the marches of return until the siege is broken and return is achieved," said Hammad. He said "we will carry on with our activities in the sea, on the ground and in the air. The most attractive scenes in the marches of return are those young men who are facing the Zionist arsenal of arms and guns with naked chests." Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 22:13:49|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Aerial photo taken on June 7, 2018 shows cargo ships at a container dock of Tangshan Port in north China's Hebei Province. The total cargo throughput of Tangshan Port reached 247 million tonnes from January to May, growing 8.11 percent year on year. (Xinhua/Yao Shiyao) Tear gas canisters are fired by Israeli troops at Palestinian demonstrators during a protest marking al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day), at the Israel-Gaza border in the southern Gaza Strip June 8, 2018. (Reuters photo) GAZA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 100 people were injured on Friday during the ongoing clashes in five different locations in eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel, between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers, medics said. The health ministry in Gaza said in a press statement that at least 100 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire and tear gas canisters fired during the protests in eastern Gaza Strip. The clashes, which broke out on Friday afternoon, are part of the 11th Friday rallies of the "Great March of Return" that started on March 30. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli soldiers stationed at the border used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. Local media reported that tens of thousands of Palestinian demonstrators have gathered to join the rallies and protests. They said that fierce clashes broke out in the area between hundreds of demonstrators and Israeli soldiers. Demonstrators burned tires, and soldiers fired tear gas canisters and live gunshots at them. Demonstrators flew hundreds of kites carrying Molotov cocktails that landed at Israeli agricultural fields and caused large fire. Eyewitnesses said Israeli soldiers fired tear gas at journalists and TV crews in eastern Gaza. AFP photographer Mohamed al-Baba was shot in his right foot with a gunshot and another cameraman working for al-Aqsa Radio of Hamas was hit with a tear gas canister in his back, both of whom are in moderate condition, the health ministry said. The ministry said that Israeli soldiers also fired tear gas at the medical crews who were treating injured protesters in the clashes. Dawood Shihab, spokesman of Islamic Jihad told reporters in eastern Gaza "from here, from eastern Gaza, we send a greeting message to the people in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Syrians, who took to the streets in their cities to support our marches of return." "In spite of the heat and the fasting of Ramadan, thousands of people participated in today's marches and rallies to reiterate the Palestinians solidarity with Jerusalem and to say there is no place for the Americans and the Zionists in Palestine," he said. "We tell the occupation that we will carry on with our resistance by all means whatever the price and the sacrifices are," he said. Fathi Hammad, member of Hamas politburo told reporters in eastern Gaza "today our people are unified because Jerusalem belongs to all Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians." "We reject (Donald) Trump's declaration and we came here to say that all the decisions which divided Jerusalem are under our feet. We will carry on with the marches of return until the siege is broken and return is achieved," said Hammad. He said "we will carry on with our activities in the sea, on the ground and in the air. The most attractive scenes in the marches of return are those young men who are facing the Zionist arsenal of arms and guns with naked chests." BERLIN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The trade union IG Metall Kueste attacked the federal government on Friday for being at least partially responsible for a "looming disaster" in the Germany shipbuilding industry. The trade union's comments were made in response to reports that industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp was considering divesting its Kiel-based shipbuilding business ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) after being passed over in a public tender to build a series of new MKS 180 frigates for the German navy. IG Metall Kueste accused the ministry of defense of "risking the end of German marine shipbuilding" by deciding against TKMS. According to the newspaper Handelsblatt, TKMS' failure to secure the government order worth 3.5 billion euros (4.12 billion U.S. dollars) has thrown the future of its 6,000 employees into doubt. Aside from a general dearth of orders currently experienced by the unit, TKMS is also likely to struggle to attract new defense sector business from other countries without the credentials of already delivering equipment to its own national navy. The mother corporation ThyssenKrupp has consequently entered talks with competitors over the future of its wharfs responsible for building oversea vessels and may also consider selling its larger submarine division. TKMS is the world's leading supplier of conventional submarines. In order to prevent a resulting wider decline of shipbuilding in Germany, IG Metall Kueste called on the government in Berlin to deliver on a promise made in its coalition agreement by formally declaring German naval construction as a "key technology." This way, policymakers would be able to offer domestic wharfs special subsidies in order to keep critical know-how surrounding the construction of frigates and submarines in the country. The wharf German Naval Yards (GNY) and the Dutch Damen Group are the last two remaining competitors in the ongoing MKS 180 tender. While the Damen Group plans to build the vessels in Germany in cooperation with domestic firm Luerssen, significant naval know-how would still be transferred to the Netherlands as a consequence. By contrast, GNY intends to form a joint venture with a U.S. company. This circumstance has also been described as problematic by some German policymakers in light of deteriorating transatlantic relations. Even local rivals of TKMS have reacted to the news of its potential demise with unease. An unnamed industry executive cited by Handelsblatt warned that it would be a "fatal signal" if TKMS would have to be wound down entirely as a ThyssenKrupp division. The individual emphasized that TKMS played a key role in the shipbuilding industry as the local market leader. "No wharf would be able to fill this gap at the moment." Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 22:22:17|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close QINGDAO, June 8 (Xinhua) -- After months of preparation, Qingdao, a coastal city renowned for its scenery and beer, is ready to welcome guests from afar for the upcoming 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. During this weekend, leaders of the eight SCO member states and four observer states as well as heads of international organizations will gather to exchange views on cooperation and the SCO's development. The summit, the first after India and Pakistan were accepted as full members in June 2017, will be chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The member states' leaders will sign the Qingdao Declaration as well as a dozen agreements on security, economic cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. Security will be one of major topics at the summit, during which the leaders will analyze international and regional security situations and discuss concrete measures to enhance cooperation, Liao Jinrong, head of the international cooperation department with the Ministry of Public Security, said Friday at a press conference ahead of the summit. Since its founding in Shanghai 17 years ago, the SCO has grown into a regional organization that now accounts for nearly half of the world's population and over 20 percent of global GDP. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had said he expected the SCO to embark on a new journey in Qingdao. With a focus on carrying on the Shanghai Spirit, the bedrock of the SCO, the Qingdao summit is expected to enhance member states' cooperation on security challenges, promote the alignment of development strategies, and strike a firm note for improving the global governance and safeguarding multi-lateral trade system. The Shanghai Spirit features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and pursuit of common development. During the summit, Qingdao's coastline will be lit up. In addition to a firework display, a large-scale light show will take place, using skyscrapers as the backdrop. The city has nearly 20,000 volunteers at service stations around the city's streets, railway stations, and airport. Existing infrastructure has been used for the summit. For example, the venue for the sailing events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics is used as the summit conference hall. The media center is located at the Haier Global Innovation Model Research Center, which was designed by Robert Greenwood, a world-renowned designer from Norway. More than 2,500 journalists from home and abroad will cover the summit. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 22:22:17|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close LONDON, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in Britain have served as a bridge of friendship and understanding, and will make greater contribution in the future, said Chinese Ambassador Liu Xiaoming in a signed article published Thursday. During Liu's eight years as ambassador to Britain, he has seen the number of Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms grow from 11 and 47 to 29 and 156 respectively, more than any other country in Europe. Last year's enrolment in the country totalled 160,000, and more than 1 million people participated in over 4,000 cultural events hosted by Confucius Institutes, according to the article published in the Daily Telegraph. Liu believes there are three major possible reasons behind the enthusiasm for Confucius in Britain. Firstly, there is an immense appeal of the 5,000-year Chinese civilization, whose vim and vigor are evident. Learning the Chinese language gives one the "golden key" to unlock the door to understanding it. China's development "miracle" should also take credit, Liu said. In the four decades since the beginning of reform and opening-up, China has grown to be the second largest economy in the world, having lifted 700 million people out of poverty and made a major contribution to global development. The Chinese language enables a better understanding of the stories behind the "miracle" and greater benefit from the opportunities China has to offer. The third factor is the China-Britain "Golden Era", launched during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Britain in 2015. The exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields have improved and led to fruitful results. The Chinese language has been the "golden bond" of friendship between the peoples of the two countries. The ambassador also pointed out that there are still false accusations on the institutes, calling them "preposterous." In response to those accusations, Liu said Confucius Institutes follow the principle of openness, focus on public well-being and exchanges, and adhere to transparent operation. "The Chinese side respects the (foreign) host's right to make their decision in running the institute and never interferes in academic freedom," Liu said. There is a complete system of open standards for the application, assessment, approval and establishment of Confucius Institutes, and every penny spent is according to laws and regulations, and can be tracked, Liu said. The ambassador said that the Confucius Institutes have been able to grow because they represent the unstoppable historical trend towards greater mutual learning and exchange between different civilizations, which is the driving force behind human progress, peace and prosperity. "The institute is initiated by China, but it belongs to the world," Liu said. "Looking ahead, the institute can make new and greater contribution to the progress of human civilization and to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind." The enthusiasm for Confucius Institute is not only a British phenomenon. There are 525 Confucius Institutes and more than 1,000 Confucius Classrooms in 147 countries and regions, offering courses to over 9 million people. TORONTO, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patrick Dillon, Business Manager for the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario sent his congratulations on behalf of the organization to Premier-elect Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Doug Ford and his party received a strong mandate from Ontarians in last nights election. I want to offer my congratulations and I look forward to working with him and his government to strengthen Ontarios economy, Dillon said. I also want to congratulate Andrea Horwath and the NDP for forming the Official Opposition and sending a strong team to Queens Park, Dillon went on to say. The NDP message of 'Change for the Better' resonated with many voters and it is our hope that they will continue to be a strong voice on issues that impact working Ontarians. To Premier Wynne and Ontario Liberals, yesterday was a difficult evening but you can take solace in the knowledge that your work has resulted in important positive changes for many Ontarians, Dillon said. From significant changes to Ontarios labour laws, to raising the minimum wage, to improving the environment, and bringing in a number of changes that improved life for groups most in need, you have left a strong record that you can be proud of. The election of Mike Schreiner of the Green Party is an important milestone for this province, Dillon pointed out. After years of effort, the Green Party has broken through and will inject a new voice in the Ontario legislature. To all the candidates who sought office regardless of political affiliation, we salute you for your selfless act of civic duty, Dillon said. We look forward to working with all Members of the 42nd Ontario Legislature to build a stronger, more inclusive and progressive Ontario. The Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario represents 150,000 trades workers throughout the province. For more information, please contact Patrick Dillon: Cell: (416) 347-8245 E-mail: patrick@ontariobuildingtrades.com Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 22:27:17|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close TEHRAN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of Iranians held nationwide rallies on Friday to mark Quds (Jerusalem) Day to support Palestinians. The protesters chanted anti-Israeli and anti-U.S. slogans and carried banners condemning Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian lands, Israel's killing of Gaza protesters and U.S. moving embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Iran's senior government, legislative and military officials participated in the rallies. Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said in an address to the ralliers in Tehran that the U.S. peace plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict known as "the deal of the century," which aims to obliterate the Palestinian cause, is nothing but an illusion. Larijani said that under the new plan, the United States and Israel do not want the Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland nor want to stop the Israeli settlement constructions in the West Bank. They want to give money to Palestinians so that the people relinquish their right to return to their motherland, he said, adding that the Palestinian people have been fighting for 70 years, and their problem is not money. Iran's Foreign Ministry on Thursday called on Muslims worldwide to hold massive rallies on Friday to support Palestinians. Quds Day, an annual event that falls on June 8 this year, is observed on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Iran along with several Arab countries. Iranians burn U.S. and Israel flags during a protest marking the annual Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan in Tehran, Iran June 8, 2018. (Tasnim News Agency/via REUTERS) TEHRAN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of Iranians held nationwide rallies on Friday to mark Quds (Jerusalem) Day to support Palestinians. The protesters chanted anti-Israeli and anti-U.S. slogans and carried banners condemning Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian lands, Israel's killing of Gaza protesters and U.S. moving embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Iran's senior government, legislative and military officials participated in the rallies. Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said in an address to the ralliers in Tehran that the U.S. peace plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict known as "the deal of the century," which aims to obliterate the Palestinian cause, is nothing but an illusion. Larijani said that under the new plan, the United States and Israel do not want the Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland nor want to stop the Israeli settlement constructions in the West Bank. They want to give money to Palestinians so that the people relinquish their right to return to their motherland, he said, adding that the Palestinian people have been fighting for 70 years, and their problem is not money. Iran's Foreign Ministry on Thursday called on Muslims worldwide to hold massive rallies on Friday to support Palestinians. Quds Day, an annual event that falls on June 8 this year, is observed on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Iran along with several Arab countries. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 22:42:21|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, capital of China, June 8, 2018. Putin arrived in Beijing on Friday for a state visit and the attendance of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday met here with Russian President Vladimir Putin to promote economic ties of the two countries. Li said the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations is of great significance to both sides and the world. President Xi Jinping's talks with Putin again will inject new impetus into bilateral ties, he stressed. China is ready to enhance the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, expand the scale of bilateral trade, and steadily promote oil and gas cooperation projects, he said during the meeting held at the Great Hall of the People. Li called on both sides to discuss the possibility to extend industrial chains of cooperation, intensify cooperation on science and technology, aviation and finance so as to lift the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination to a new high. Hailing the high level of bilateral ties and fast development of economic cooperation, Putin said Russia is willing to enhance the alignment of development strategies, continuously promote pragmatic cooperation in various areas, and boost people-to-people and cultural exchanges. He encouraged both sides to better cooperate under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and other multilateral mechanism to further advance bilateral ties. Putin arrived in Beijing on Friday for a state visit and the attendance of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. JUBA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan is on the verge of eradicating guinea worm since no transmission was reported in the country last year and the first quarter of 2018, a senior official said on Friday. Makur Matur Kariom, the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, said South Sudan will soon achieve the goal of total guinea worm eradication thanks to targeted interventions like improved hygiene and public awareness. "We have been going on for more than 17 months now without cases of Guinea worm reported in the country. So guinea worm is not in the country as we talk," said Kariom. He said South Sudan's health ministry is working closely with multilateral partners to fast-track the process of being certified guinea worm free. The official revealed that the ministry has instituted a cash reward scheme to encourage the public to report any guinea worm case. Guinea worm disease is contracted when people drink contaminated water that hosts the larvae, which then grows inside the body of the victim. The adult female guinea worm later erupts through the victim's skin, causing painful blisters. South Sudan's health ministry began a campaign to eradicate guinea worm disease 13 years ago before the country gained independence from Sudan in 2011, with assistance from foreign donors. Guinea worm disease is believed to be nearing total eradication in many parts of Africa where it was endemic. Chad and Ethiopia were the only countries in the Sub-Saharan African region that reported Guinea worm cases last year. LUSAKA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Police in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, on Friday charged five foreigners for trading in counterfeit products. Zambia Police Spokesperson Esther Mwaata-Katongo said the five, who include four Burundians and one Democratic Republic of Congo national, have also been charged with forgery of trade marks and sale of goods bearing false trade description. The five were arrested early this week when the police raided a house north of the Zambian capital where the suspects were found packing smuggled sugar from neighboring countries into bags bearing the trade mark of Zambia Sugar Plc, the country's biggest sugar producer. The police spokesperson said two of the suspects have been released on police bond while three others were still detained and will appear in court soon. The country has witnessed an increase in counterfeit sugar that has flooded the market, with the biggest producer warning consumers to be wary of the fake commodity. Sally Namutowe, the company's spokesperson said counterfeit sugar has flooded four of the country's 10 provinces. JUBA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Friday said humanitarian workers are no longer being subjected to several restrictions in government held areas compared to rebel held territories amid recent warning by relief agencies of worsening food insecurity ahead of the lean season. President Salva Kiir's spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said the government has granted increased access to relief agencies in most of its controlled territories but that rebels are to blame for restrictions and abductions of aid workers in the territories they control. "The President already issued an order to government officials ensuring unlimited access to humanitarians. There are now few roadblocks in government territories but instead the rebels are to blame for obstructing humanitarian workers," Ateny said in Juba. This came after humanitarian chiefs on Wednesday called on the warring parties to cease hostilities and provide improved relief access before the lean season in June, July and August to avert looming hunger. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and UN World Food Program said the humanitarian situation in the country continues to deteriorate and an unprecedented seven million people wait upon humanitarian assistance in 2018. "The rebels should give humanitarian access in their areas instead of humanitarian workers talking about the government not granting relief access," Ateny said. South Sudan descended into civil war in late 2013, and the conflict has created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world. The UN estimates that about 4 million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally. MOSCOW, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday refuted allegations that the recent airstrike in Syria which killed dozens of people was conducted by a Russian warplane, Russian media reported. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said earlier that a Russian warplane attacked a Syrian village in the rebel-held Idlib province on June 7, killing at least 44 people so far, one of the highest death tolls on the region this year. The defense ministry was quoted as saying in a statement that all the reports issued by the organization as well as the non-governmental Syrian Civil Defense (the White Helmets) claiming that Russia should be held accountable for the deadly incident are "untrue." According to available information, there was fierce fighting in the past 24 hours between militants of the al-Nusra Front terrorist organization and Jaysh al-Ahrar opposition fighters with the use of heavy artillery guns, the ministry said. The Syrian armed conflict broke out in 2011 and quickly turned into a full-fledged war, which has killed about half a million people so far. Russia started participating in anti-terrorist operation in Syria in September 2015 at the invitation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, predominantly with missile strikes in support of the Syrian army. WASHINGTON, June 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said here on Friday that Russia should be invited back into the Group of Seven (G7) meeting, which gathers a group of leading industrial nations. Before departing to Canada for this year's G7 summit, Trump told media that "why are we having a meeting without Russia in the meeting?" "It may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run and the G7, which used to be the G8, they threw Russia out, they can let Russia come back in, because we should have Russia at the negotiating table," he said. Russia was suspended from the multilateral group in 2014 due to its conflicting opinions and practices with Ukraine on the Crimea issue, which had upset other members. The G7 is a group consisting of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. Speaking of his upcoming meeting with Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Trump said, "I've been preparing all my life." Trump will travel directly to Singapore from Canada to attend the meeting with Kim scheduled for June 12, the White House said on Thursday. Trump blasted Europe and Canada in recent days for what he called "unfair trade deals." Earlier on Friday, he tweeted that he was "looking forward to straightening out unfair Trade Deals with the G-7 countries. If it doesn't happen, we come out even better!" The European Union and Canada have recently put forward "tit-for-tat" measures on the U.S. tariffs. Trump announced in March a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and a 10-percent tariff on aluminum, causing worldwide opposition. ADDIS ABABA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) High Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) on Friday launched three reports on emerging technologies that are beleived to help drive Africa's sustainable socio-economic and structural transformation. In cordination with the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Agency and the AU Commission, APET advises AU on current and emerging technologies to enable Africa's science base to be competitive and contribute to achieving the goals of the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA) 2014-2024. The reports, which were lauched at the Africa Innovation Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, focus on malaria control and elimination, increasing Africa's agricultural productivity and enhancing Africa's energy security, according to a joint by statement by AU and NEPAD on Friday. Stating that there are advancements of modern technologies in robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science and artificial intelligence, among others, the statement underilined the need to harnness the opportunity to advance Africa's socio-economic development agenda and position the continent as a frontrunner in the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). Recognizing the role of science, technology and innovation, the APET has identified three emerging technologies that have the potential to benefit Africa; Gene Drives for Malaria Control and Elimination in Africa; Drones on the Horizon: Transforming Africa's Agriculture; and Micro-grids: Empowering Communities and Enabling Transformation in Africa. Speaking during the official launch of th reports, the APET Chairperson, Yaye Gassama Dia, emphasized the need to strengthen regulatory systems in order to ensure timely access and effectiveness of these technologies for Africa's economic development. She also stated that there are perceived risks associated with these technologies and further research is encouraged with full participation of African scientists, policy makers, with active engagement of the target communities. "Advances in science, technology and innovation, particularly in gene technology, big data, artificial intelligence and robotics, offer unprecedented opportunities to speed up Africa's development and transformation process," Yaye said, "High-tech, reliable technologies at affordable cost, exist to address many problems in agriculture, energy production and health." The Africa Innovation Summit has been held over the last three days, from June 6 to 8 in Kigali, Rwanda. The three reports are expected to serve as valuable resource in unpacking emerging technologies and building a culture of science, technology and innovation in Africa, acording to the statement. ULAN BATOR, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's two former prime ministers held in custody since April over corruption allegations were released on bail, judicial authorities said Friday. Sanjaa Bayar and Chimed Saikhanbileg were released for health reasons. Three different district courts in the Mongolian capital jointly made the decision at the prosecutor's request. The two former prime ministers are allegedly implicated in a large mining deal involving foreign investment. The court has also banned them from leaving the country. The Independent Agency Against Corruption, Mongolia's top anti-corruption body, is investigating the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine deal between the Mongolian government and the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto. The deal was signed in 2009 during Bayar's term, with its financing arrangement revised in 2015 during Saikhanbileg's term. The Oyu Tolgoi mine, located in a gobi desert 80 km north of Mongolia's border with China, is expected to produce 430,000 tons of copper and 425,000 ounces (about 12,050 kg) of gold annually for 20 years. English French Financiere Helios resigns from office as a Director Albioma announces that Financiere Helios has resigned from office as Director on 5 June 2018. Represented by Mr Maurice Tchenio, Financiere Helios had been a member of the Board of Directors since 2005. On 15 March 2018, Financiere Helios had disposed of 2 million Albioma shares representing around 6.5% of the capital using an accelerated bookbuilding procedure. Next on the agenda: first half 2018 results, on 25 July 2018 after close of market. About Albioma An independent renewable energy producer, Albioma is committed to the energy transition thanks to biomass and photovoltaics. The Group, which is established in Overseas France, Mauritius and Brazil, has developed a unique partnership for 20 years with the sugar industry, to produce renewable energy from bagasse, a fibrous residue from sugar cane. Albioma is also the leading generator of photovoltaic power overseas where it constructs and operates innovative projects with integrated storage capabilities. For further information, please visit www.albioma.com Investor contact Julien Gauthier+33 (0)1 47 76 67 00 Media contact Charlotte Neuvy+33 (0)1 47 76 66 65presse@albioma.com Albioma shares are listed on Euronext Paris (sub B) and eligible for the deferred settlement service (SRD) and PEA-PME plans. ISIN FR0000060402 - Ticker: ABIO File Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump attends a joint press briefing with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (not in the picture) at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 7, 2018. (Xinhua/Yang Chenglin) WASHINGTON, June 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said here on Friday that Russia should be invited back into the Group of Seven (G7) meeting, which gathers a group of leading industrial nations. Before departing to Canada for this year's G7 summit, Trump told media that "why are we having a meeting without Russia in the meeting?" "It may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run and the G7, which used to be the G8, they threw Russia out, they can let Russia come back in, because we should have Russia at the negotiating table," he said. Russia was suspended from the multilateral group in 2014 due to its conflicting opinions and practices with Ukraine on the Crimea issue, which had upset other members. The G7 is a group consisting of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. Speaking of his upcoming meeting with Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Trump said, "I've been preparing all my life." Trump will travel directly to Singapore from Canada to attend the meeting with Kim scheduled for June 12, the White House said on Thursday. Trump blasted Europe and Canada in recent days for what he called "unfair trade deals." Earlier on Friday, he tweeted that he was "looking forward to straightening out unfair Trade Deals with the G-7 countries. If it doesn't happen, we come out even better!" The European Union and Canada have recently put forward "tit-for-tat" measures on the U.S. tariffs. Trump announced in March a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and a 10-percent tariff on aluminum, causing worldwide opposition. QUEBEC CITY, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Group of Seven (G7) summit, which kicked off here on Friday, is expected to be a tough meeting between the United States and its allies amid raising concerns over U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The leaders of the G7, the world's most powerful industrialized countries including Canada, France, Germany, Britain, Japan and the United States, meet every year to discuss collaboration on issues like world economy, climate change, security and peace. The official themes for this year's summit include increasing investments and creating jobs to boost growth and advancing gender equality. However, the confrontation over Washington's unilateral decision to impose metal tariffs on imports from the European Union (EU) and Canada might dominate the summit. What's more, U.S. President Donald Trump's rejection of the global climate accord and Iran nuclear deal have also divided the G7. The White House said that Trump will miss the G7 meeting on climate change as he will leave the two-day meeting earlier than originally planned. Trump on Friday fired off tough tweets directed at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron and the EU on trade issues, saying he is looking forward to "straightening out unfair Trade Deals" with the G7 countries. At the end of the summit, the leaders hope to sign a joint statement detailing the policy positions and initiatives they agree on. France and Germany have warned that they will not sign the final agreement unless Washington makes some major policy concession. by Sovan Nguon PHNOM PENH, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has achieved a landmark public health victory by reducing the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen among children to less than 1 percent, said a joint statement on Friday. Jointly released by the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the statement said Cambodia joined 20 of 37 other countries and areas in the WHO Western Pacific Region that have been verified by an independent panel as having met this goal by 2017. Hepatitis B is a virus that spreads through blood and other bodily fluids and attacks the liver, the statement said, adding that it is often transmitted during pregnancy or childbirth. Most babies who are exposed to the virus show no symptoms, but the infection increases their risk of later developing serious problems including cirrhosis and liver cancer by 15 percent to 25 percent, it said. Hepatitis B was highly endemic in Cambodia, and most new infections were among babies or young children, it added. "Cambodia has made tremendous strides in combating the virus since the hepatitis B vaccine was added to the national immunization program in 2005," the statement said. "Since 2005, the hepatitis B immunization schedule has included a birth dose given within 24 hours, followed by additional doses given at six weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks of age." Cambodian Minister of Health Mam Bunheng said that before 2005, between 5 and 10 percent of Cambodia's population had hepatitis B, and the prevalence of hepatitis B among children was 3.5 percent in 2006. He added that in 2017, a survey was conducted and found that the prevalence of hepatitis B among 5-6-year-old children in Cambodia had declined to 0.56 percent. "By now, Cambodia has achieved three national and regional immunization goals within three years set by Western Pacific Regional Committee Meeting. These include the eliminations of measles and maternal and neonatal tetanus in 2015, and the hepatitis B control goal in 2018," he said at a press conference in Phnom Penh. Liu Yunguo, WHO Country Representative in Cambodia, congratulated Cambodia for its one and a half decades-long efforts towards achieving hepatitis B control goal. "Hepatitis B control goal is a significant achievement for Cambodia and it proves that vaccination is the most effective preventive measure, and maintaining high vaccination coverage can drastically reduce burden of disease and delivers results," he said at the press conference. "Our next steps would be to strengthen routine immunization systems, keeping the vaccine available at all levels, sustaining and increasing hepatitis B birth dose coverage, and wiping out all forms of viral hepatitis: A, B, C, D and E by 2030," he said. Natascha Paddison, UNICEF deputy representative in Cambodia, said hepatitis is preventable with timely vaccination, starting with the birth dose being given within 24 hours of birth. "Cambodia has made great progress in combating hepatitis B infection control, we will continue working closely with Ministry of Health and WHO to ensure a consistent supply of all national immunization program vaccines and every child is given the opportunity to live a life free of vaccine preventable diseases," she said. Tung Rathavy, director of Cambodia's National Immunization Program, said that some 1.72 million children, or 98 percent of all under-5-year-old children, had received hepatitis B vaccination in 2017. She added that the Southeast Asian nation spent about 2 million U.S. dollars a year for hepatitis B vaccines. According to the joint statement, hepatitis B is a major global health problem, with nearly 260 million people around the world living with the disease, and nearly 800,000 die from hepatitis B-related liver disease every year. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-08 23:57:42|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing, capital of China, June 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday agreed to promote greater development of China-Russia relations at a high level. The two leaders reached the consensus during talks in Beijing. Putin is on a state visit to China, and he will also attend the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao on Saturday and Sunday. The two leaders agreed that China and Russia should adhere to the concept of everlasting friendship and the spirit of strategic coordination, and expand and deepen cooperation in all areas. Xi extended congratulations to Putin again on starting his new term as Russian president, and expressed appreciation to him for choosing China as the first country he pays a state visit to in his new presidential term. Xi described China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination as "mature, stable and solid." No matter how international situations change, China and Russia always firmly support each other in defending their respective core interests, deepen cooperation in all areas, jointly and actively participate in global governance, and play a pivotal role in establishing a new type of international relations and building a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said. China is ready to work with Russia and make unremitting efforts to consolidate high-level mutual trust, expand cooperation in all areas, deepen people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning, enhance international coordination and cooperation, pass down the concept of everlasting friendship from generation to generation, continuously enrich the meaning of the two countries' strategy of coordination, and carry forward and renew bilateral ties day by day, so as to benefit the two peoples, Xi said. With concerted efforts, cooperation between China and Russia in various areas has maintained a strong momentum, and the integration of mutual interests has deepened constantly, Xi said. The two sides have reaped important early harvests in aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union, Xi noted. Both sides should explore new ideas and measures to promote all-round cooperation, and turn the two countries' advantage in high-level political relationship into more practical cooperation results, Xi said, calling for strengthening people-to-people and cultural cooperation to deepen the friendship between the two peoples. China and Russia, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, firmly safeguard the international order and system with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as the core, stand for democracy in international relations, push for political settlement process for hotspot issues, and continue to play their active role in maintaining world peace and international strategic stability, Xi said. China is willing to work with the other SCO member states, including Russia, to take the Qingdao summit as an opportunity to further carry forward the "Shanghai Spirit" and ensure the healthy and stable development of the SCO, Xi noted. Stressing that Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination remains Russia's diplomatic priority, Putin said the two countries have taken care of each other's core interests and major concerns, actively promoted dialogues and cooperation in political, economic and people-to-people and cultural areas, and worked closely in international affairs. The Russia-China relations are at their best level in history and have set a good example for state-to-state relations in the present world, which has played an important role in safeguarding international peace, security and stability, Putin said. Russia is willing to enhance cooperation with China in areas of economy, trade, investment, energy and infrastructure, he said. He noted that Russia appreciates China's efforts to promote cooperation among SCO members after taking over the SCO rotating presidency and supports China in hosting a successful summit in Qingdao. Russia would like to develop closer coordination and cooperation with China in international and regional affairs and under the multilateral frameworks including the United Nations, BRICS and G20, Putin said. The two heads of state also exchanged views on issues of common concern including the situation on the Korean Peninsula and Iran nuclear issue. Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the talks. Before the talks, Xi held a welcome ceremony for Putin outside the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing. After the talks, Xi and Putin signed a joint statement, witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation agreements and met the press. China-Russia partnership is a paradigm for today's state-to-state relations, and coordination between the two countries serves as a key factor in maintaining the world's strategic balance and stability, said the joint statement. The two countries will support international community's joint efforts to cope with terrorism, extremism and other traditional and new threats and challenges, said the statement. China and Russia reiterate their determination to engage in counter-terrorism cooperation and abandon politicization and "double standards," and agree to advocate establishing an international united front against terrorism, it said. The two countries will stand against the act of bypassing the UN Security Council to impose unilateral economic sanctions, said the statement. They will also oppose the acts of sabotaging the principle of fair and honest competition, as well as the acts of blackmailing and imposing pressure which damage the world economy. The two countries hold that the territorial integrity of Syria should be safeguarded and its sovereignty should be respected. The two pledge to continue their coordination efforts for a peaceful and comprehensive solution to the Korean Peninsula issue. It is disappointing that the United States unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, said the statement, adding that China and Russia will try their best to safeguard the deal and take note of the extreme importance of protecting the interests of all parties who engage in economic and trade cooperation with Iran from unilateral imposition of long-arm jurisdiction. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-09 00:02:47|Editor: mmm Video Player Close Palestinian protesters carry a wounded man during clashes with Israeli troops, on the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City, on June 8, 2018. Two Palestinians were killed and more than 500 others injured Friday in the clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers that broke out close to the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, medics said. (Xinhua/Wissam Nassar) GAZA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Two Palestinians were killed and more than 500 others injured Friday in the clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers that broke out close to the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, medics said. Ashraf al-Qedra, health ministry spokesman in Gaza told reporters that Zeyad al-Briem, 25 years old, was killed east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip and Emad Darabieh, 26, was shot dead east of Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip. Al Qedra said that during Friday's protests and rallies, the Israeli army stationed at the border with eastern Gaza Strip killed two and wounded 525, including 92 injured by live gunshots, 40 by tear gas inhalation, 19 by bullets shrapnel and 41 by tear gas canisters. The clashes, which broke out on Friday afternoon, are part of the 11th Friday rallies of the "Great March of Return" that started on March 30. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli soldiers stationed at the border used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. Local media reported that tens of thousands of Palestinian demonstrators have gathered to join the rallies and protests. Demonstrators flew hundreds of kites carrying Molotov cocktails that landed at Israeli agricultural fields and caused large fire. Eyewitnesses said Israeli soldiers fired tear gas at journalists and TV crews in eastern Gaza. AFP photographer Mohamed al-Baba was shot in his right foot with a gunshot and another cameraman working for al-Aqsa Radio of Hamas was hit with a tear gas canister in his back, both of whom are in moderate condition, the health ministry said. The ministry said that Israeli soldiers also fired tear gas at the medical crews who were treating injured protesters in the clashes. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-09 00:12:48|Editor: yan Video Player Close SHANGHAI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Friday held the third trilateral high-level dialogue on the Arctic in Shanghai, agreeing on research as priority for cooperation. The three countries pledged to enhance information exchange, encourage the sharing of data and work on collaborative surveys. The dialogue was attended by Gao Feng, special representative for Arctic Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Kang Jeong-sik, ambassador for Arctic Affairs of the ROK Foreign Ministry, and Eiji Yamamoto, ambassador in charge of Arctic Affairs of the Japanese Foreign Ministry. They welcomed the first white paper on China's Arctic Policy published in January, and stressed the importance of policy dialogue in mutual understanding and cooperation. They also welcomed the conclusion of negotiations on the draft agreement to prevent unregulated fishing in the Central Arctic Ocean and pledged to follow up the agreement. The three Asian countries held their first trilateral talks on the Arctic issues in April in 2016, following the Sixth China-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Summit in 2015. The ROK will host the fourth dialogue in 2019. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-09 00:12:49|Editor: yan Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The typhoon Ewiniar has brought torrential downpours into south China's Guangdong Province, local meteorological department said Friday. As of 4 p.m., nearly 73,000 residents had been moved to safe places, according to the local civil affairs department. The storms also led to flight delays in Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong. Seventy-three outbound flights and 71 inbound flights had been canceled as of 5:30 p.m. In a high school in Zhaoqing City, fire fighters and armed police have transported students and teachers to attend gaokao, the national college entrance exam, because of flooding. In the city of Yunfu, houses collapsed and landslides killed five residents. More than 3,000 emergency shelters have been opened and over 8,000 residents have been resettled. A total of 290,000 yuan (45,000 U.S. dollars) in disaster relief funds have been allocated, and tents, folding beds, towels, bottled water and food have been distributed. Ewiniar, which formed in the northwestern Pacific, made landfall in Hainan and Guangdong Wednesday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to many areas in southern China. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-09 00:22:50|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), presides over a bi-weekly consultation session of the CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, capital of China, June 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- China's political advisors on Friday convened a bi-weekly consultation session to discuss better ways of enforcing court decisions. The enforcement of court decisions reflects the system and the capacity for governance, and embodies the progress in establishing law-based governance, said Wang Yang, chairman of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, who presided over the meeting. Political advisors agreed that progress had been made, but due to lack of sound institutions, rule of law awareness, and risk awareness, some problems remain. The problems mentioned by the advisors include difficulties in locating persons or property, closing cases, and taking joint punitive action. They suggested improving the systems of property registration, social credit, bankruptcy, enforcement and information sharing. They called for speeding up legislation on enforcement, and scaling up punishment towards the defaulters. They also urged the government departments to set an example by fulfilling court decisions, and maintain a positive image of being law-abiding and honest. VILNIUS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Lithuanian Finance Ministry released on Friday the comprehensive guidelines for initial coin offerings (ICO) amid the country's efforts to become a location for ICO projects. The Baltic state becomes one of the first countries in the EU to provide clarity on launching ICO projects, or sales of virtual tokens, according to the Lithuanian finance ministry. The ministry hopes the guidelines on how Lithuania treats businesses raising funds through ICO projects, would attract investors and entrepreneurs to the Baltic country. "We should make our efforts for Lithuania to become the main headquarters for those ICO project promoters which are willing to operate in a transparent and orderly legal environment," Minister of Finance Vilius Sapoka was quoted as saying in a press release. The guidelines cover regulatory, corporate, indirect taxation, accounting and anti-money laundering aspects for ICO projects. In its guidelines, the Lithuanian Finance Ministry describes by detail the conditions under which released tokens can be described as security and be subject to legislation on financial markets instruments, securities, collective investment subjects. The document also describes which funds raised through ICOs are subject to corporate or personal income taxes, value added tax. Efforts by the Lithuanian government to attract ICO projects to the country comes amid increasing number of Lithuanian ICO projects which are mostly launched using entities registered in Gibraltar, Switzerland and Virgin Islands. Lithuania, a small Baltic State with a population of less than 3 million, has managed to gain a foothold in global ICO market which is unregulated. In 2017, Lithuanian ICO projects have raised more than 400 million euros (470 million U.S. dollars) worldwide, according to the Lithuanian finance ministry. "It takes up to 10 percent of total world market," says the ministry. The Central bank of Lithuania recently said that ICO projects managed by Lithuanians have raised at least 250 million U.S. dollars worldwide in the first three months of this year. BUDAPEST, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A young brown bear crossing Hungary from Slovakia to the South has caused sensation and even panic when spotted by Hungarians who have not seen such a wild animal for centuries, local media reported Friday. According to local media, the bear, a young male of 2 to 3 year old entered the Hungarian territory in May from Slovakia and was heading steadily to the south of the country. Thursday, it has been spotted in Csongrad County, which is close to Serbia Besides some rare footage, on which the bear can be sitting on railways or trying to get his lunch from some litter bins, the animal leaved marks in rural areas. According to the Kiskunsag National Park (South), the bear has left footprints and also destroyed ant farms. "The larva of the ants provides a good source of proteins to bears," the Park announced in a statement published by Hungarian news agency MTI. In the last few days, the bear has caused a sensation in the country. Omnipresent on every television channels, the different experts give their professional opinion on what to do with the animal, which can be summed up as: nothing. They concur: "Young bears are afraid of humans and avoid any contacts when possible." National park specialists and County police officers are following the animal that might be held up by the fence, which had been built by the Hungarian government between Hungary and Serbia in order to stop massive migration of refugees from the South in 2015. NEW YORK, NY, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BANQ, a leading Reg A electronic broker-dealer and division of TriPoint Global Equities, LLC, announced today that its CEO, Mark Elenowitz, will be a panelist at Chain Reaction Blockchain Healthcare Summit hosted by Morrison & Foerster LLP on June 14, 2018 in New York City. The Panel, titled Raising Capital to Drive Blockchain for Healthcare will discuss how Regulation A+ as an on ramp, the traditional venture capital raising methods seem to be continually in flux and explore the various alternative capital raising strategies that can be utilized by companies in the ever-evolving Blockchain space. The panelists include: Spencer Klein, Partner & Co-Head of the M&A and Life Sciences Groups, Morrison & Foerster LLP Mark Elenowitz, Founder and CEO, TriPoint Global Equities Cass Sanford, Associate General Counsel, OTC Markets Moderator: F. Dario de Martino, Co-Chair, Blockchain + Smart Contracts, Morrison & Foerster LLP Mr. Elenowitz will discuss the benefits of the Regulation A Improvement Act of 2017, current market conditions and the future of Security Token Offerings (STOs), also known as Internet Coin Offerings (ICOs), using Reg A. BANQ made history in 2017 when it completed the first Reg A to list on a National Securities Exchange (which listed on the New York Stock Exchange). The BANQ team hopes to continue making history by combining its deep experience in the equity capital markets with its tech-focused platform to become the global leader in fully-compliant STOs. BANQ takes the entire public and private offering process online, digitally providing access to U.S. opportunities and offerings in the U.S. markets. BANQ widely markets its offerings utilizing the new general solicitation and advertising rules promulgated by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, in response to the passage of the JOBS Act of 2012. To learn more about the conference and to review the agenda and register visit http://blockchainhealthsummit.com About TriPoint and BANQ TriPoint Global Equities, LLC ("TriPoint "), a FINRA member firm, is a boutique investment bank. TriPoint focuses on providing U.S. and non-U.S. companies of up to $500 million in revenue with capital raising, corporate finance advisory services and assistance with navigating the regulatory environment for companies listing on U.S. markets. TriPoint Global maintains specialized practices in Reg A IPOs, institutional private placements, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance. BANQ, the online division of TriPoint, www.banq.co , is an electronic investment banking platform that takes the entire public and private offering process digital and online, providing access to U.S. opportunities and offerings in the U.S. markets. BANQ widely markets its offerings utilizing the new general solicitation and advertising rules promulgated by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, in response to the passage of the JOBS Act of 2012 including Reg A+ and Reg D. TriPoint has offices in New York City, Akron, OH, and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit http://www.tripointglobalequities.com About Morrison & Foerster Blockchain Group Morrison & Foerster blockchain group features over 70 lawyers with longstanding practices at the intersection of business and technology, spanning industry sectors across the U.S., Asia and Europe, and assists clients understand, deploy and integrate blockchain technology to their best business advantage. Its interdisciplinary team connects market participants with legal pioneers from its capital markets, regulatory, private equity, FinTech, IP, privacy and litigation practice groups, and provides strategic guidance to help clients thrive in this rapidly evolving ecosystem. In addition to structuring token offerings (aka ICOs) and private equity investments or joint ventures for companies developing blockchain-enabled technologies, MoFos blockchain group also assists a wide range of clients, including old economy industrial company clients, in creating and implementing strategies to support a host of commercial objectives. From supply chains to medical records, from digital rights to micropayments, from improving internet security to helping low income people access basic financial services, from reshaping the way people use social media, purchase tickets for live events or determine the accuracy of news, MoFo blockchain group delivers experienced and practical counsel to execute on dynamic, cutting-edge, and high-velocity projects. DUBLIN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Ireland-headquartered Ryanair was fined 1.85 million euros (2.18 million U.S. dollars) by Itlian Competition Authority (ICA) over Ryanair's failure to provide adequate information to customers when the airline cancelled thousands of flights last year due to pilot strikes, local media RTE reported on Friday. Ryanair has not made any response to the fine yet. An unidentified source from Ryanair told local media that the airline has noticed the ruling by the ICA and the ruling is being reviewed by its lawyers. Last year about 400,000 passengers were reportedly affected due to the cancellation of more than 20,000 Ryanair flights, which was caused by the strikes of the Ryanair pilots over the rostering issue. The ICA said that the cancellations of Ryanair's flights in September and October 2017, which had caused significant inconveniences to consumers, were not due to unforeseeable causes or problems beyond the airline's control, but rather were triggered by organizational and management problems. It said that Ryanair had initially failed to correctly inform passengers of the existence of their rights to financial compensation as provided for under the European Union legislation. However, following the opening of the ICA's investigation, Ryanair had altered its procedures by updating passenger information on its website and by sending individual communications to affected consumers on how to exercise their rights, it said, adding that otherwise a higher fine would have been imposed on the airline. Ryanair is the largest budget airline in Europe with a fleet size of about 430 planes, all sourced from Boeing. WASHINGTON, June 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday entertained the idea of pardoning deceased boxer Muhammad Ali, but Ali's lawyer said the gesture was "unnecessary" as Ali's conviction was overturned. Trump remarked before departing for the G7 summit that he is considering pardoning a number of people, including Ali, who was sentenced to five years in prison after refusing to fight in the Vietnam war citing religious objections. "He wasn't very popular then, he certainly is, his memory is very popular now, I'm thinking about Ali, I'm thinking about that very seriously," he said. "And some other, and some folks that have sentences that aren't fair," Trump added. In response to Trump's comment, Ali's lawyer Ron Tweel said in a statement at while Trump's sentiment was appreciated, a pardon is "unnecessary." "The U.S Supreme Court overturned the conviction of Ali in a unanimous decision in 1971. There is no conviction from which a pardon is needed," the statement said. Trump has been keen to exercise his power to pardon or commute sentences in recent weeks. Earlier this week he commuted the sentence of 63-year-old Alice Johnson, who was sentenced to life in prison for drug related crimes in the 1990s, partly as the result of strong lobbying efforts by celebrity Kim Kardashian. Trump has also touted on twitter that he had "absolute power" to pardon himself, prompting the White House press office to clarify that it wouldn't be necessary for Trump to do so because he had done "nothing wrong." Analysts believe Trump's newfound enthusiasm for exercising pardoning power is because it's a presidential privilege unchecked by other branches of government, which cannot be said of most of Trump's other policies. HO CHI MINH CITY, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam has been ranked one of the 10 best places to visit by the world's most popular travel guide, TripAdvisor, Vietnam News Agency reported Friday. Iceland tops the list, followed by Greece, Mexico, Portugal and Morocco. Vietnam, which was named among the world's 20 fastest growing travel destinations in 2016, has overtaken its neighbor Thailand for the first time. Thailand came in the ninth, three places behind Vietnam. Vietnam is loved by both local and foreign visitors for its natural beauty, cheap prices, vibrant nightlife and memorable travel experiences. In April, TripAdvisor's readers also voted An Bang beach in Hoi An city, central Quang Nam province, as one of the 25 most picturesque beaches in Asia for a third year in a row. In the first five months of this year, Vietnam hosted more than 6.7 million international arrivals, up 27.6 percent year-on-year, with the highest growth of 62.1 percent in the number of visitors from South Korea, followed by Finland, up 39.1 percent, and China, up 37 percent, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Vietnam plans to receive 16-17 million foreign visitors and 78 million domestic ones, and gain tourism revenue of 27.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, said the administration. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-09 02:08:11|Editor: mmm Video Player Close Palestinian women take part in protest on the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City, on June 8, 2018. Four Palestinian protesters were killed and 618 others were wounded by Israeli soldiers on Friday during clashes near the Israel-Gaza border, Palestinian sources said. (Xinhua/Wissam Nassar) GAZA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Four Palestinian protesters were killed and 618 others were wounded by Israeli soldiers on Friday during clashes near the Israel-Gaza border, Palestinian sources said. Ashraf al-Qedra, the health ministry spokesman in Gaza, told reporters that Zeyad al-Briem, 25, and Haytham al-Jammal, 15, were killed in east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip, while Emad Darabieh, 26, was shot dead in east of Jabalia in northern Gaza. Meanwhile, Yousef al-Faseeh, 29, was killed in east of Gaza City, al-Qedra added. Among the injured Palestinians, 117 were hit with live gunshots, 60 with tear gas inhalation, and 77 by bullets shrapnels or tear gas canisters, said al-Qedra. The clashes, which broke out on Friday afternoon, were part of the 11th Friday "Great March of Return" held by Palestinians in Gaza since March 30. More than 120 Palestinians have been killed so far. The Palestinian organizers called the latest rally "the Friday of the One-million-men March for Jerusalem." Local media reported that tens of thousands of Palestinian demonstrators joined the protests at five different spots in eastern Gaza. Hundreds of kites carrying Molotov cocktails flown by demonstrators landed on Israeli agricultural fields and caused large fires. Eyewitnesses said Israeli soldiers fired tear gas at journalists and TV crew in eastern Gaza. Palestinian demonstrators brought down an Israeli drone carrying a camera used to film demonstrators in eastern Gaza City. Five journalists were injured, including AFP photographer Mohamed al-Baba, who was shot in his right foot, and a cameraman working for the al-Aqsa Radio of Hamas, who was hit with a tear gas canister in his back, the Health Ministry in Gaza said. The ministry also accused Israeli soldiers of firing tear gas at the medical workers who were treating the injured protesters. GENEVA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Switzerland on Friday threatened to respond with its own measures if the European Union refuses to allow the Swiss stock exchange to fully operate in the EU market on a permanent basis. In December last year the EU only granted the Swiss stock exchange, operated by the SIX group, permission to trade EU company shares for one year. The Swiss government issued a statement on Friday saying that if the EU continues its refusal to grant SIX long-term access to its market then "EU trading venues" would not receive the recognition they need in Switzerland. EU exchanges would be hit with similar restrictions by Switzerland, said the Alpine nation's Finance Minister Ueli Maurer on Friday, the Swiss news agency SDA-ATS reported. The EU's December decision infuriated Swiss politicians who accused the EU of acting in bad faith and threatening Switzerland's financial interests. Switzerland's relationship with the EU has soured in recent years, particularly on the topic of immigration. The EU has also toughened its stance on non-member states after Britain voted to leave the single market. Swiss Finance Minister Maurer unveiled plans to give EU trading venues a dose of the same medicine if SIX is not granted further financial "equivalency" by the end of this year. He said Switzerland would enact new regulations that would require all foreign exchanges to apply for permission to trade Swiss shares. Switzerland could prevent EU banks and securities dealers from continuing to trade Swiss shares on the Swiss stock exchange with its own measures. The proposed ordinance would come into force by Dec. 1 at the latest, according to the Swiss government statement. ADDIS ABABA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) on Friday said ethnic clashes in Southern Ethiopia have left more than 68,000 people displaced. UNOCHA said its working with officials from the Southern regional state, home area of ethnic Gedeos and officials from Oromia regional state, home area of ethnic Oromos, to repatriate the internally displaced people, the office said in a statement. Clashes between ethnic Gedeos and Oromos started on June 3, apparently over a long running dispute on the utilization of resources along the shared border of the two communities. UNOCHA further said an unknown number of civilians have died along with substantial damage to private properties and to public infrastructures, including schools and health facilities has been reported in the clashes. "Government security forces are deployed to the area to prevent the escalation of the conflict and for protection of civilians, but the situation remains tense," said UNOCHA. Ethiopia follows an ethnic federalism model, which has been credited with giving self-governance rights to the more than 80 ethnic groups that make up the country's estimated 100 million people. However, critics say the model magnifies ethnic diversity at the expense of national unity, leading to occasional ethnic tension and clashes. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-09 02:58:22|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Mehmed Ozkan, rector of Bogazici University, addresses the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition at Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 8, 2018. A photo exhibition was held on Friday at Istanbul's Bogazici University to showcase the achievements made by the Chinese city of Shanghai in its reform and opening up over the past 40 years. (Xinhua/He Canling) ISTANBUL, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A photo exhibition was held on Friday at Istanbul's Bogazici University to showcase the achievements made by the Chinese city of Shanghai in its reform and opening up over the past 40 years. A total of 78 photos were on display, highlighting the progress made by Shanghai, China's top economic center, in the fields of urban construction, culture, education, technology and economy. Shanghai was twinned with Istanbul as sister cities in 1989, while Bogazici University co-established a Confucius Institute with Shanghai University in 2008, as part of the cooperation between the two cities. Addressing the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition, Mehmed Ozkan, rector of Bogazici University, said that the exhibition shows how successful the Chinese city has been in implementing the policy of reform and opening up in the past four decades. He said his university did not select Shanghai by coincidence, because the city was known as a gateway of China to the rest of the world. Jin Donghan, president of Shanghai University, highly spoke of the joint researches, exchanges of students and faculty, and many other activities in the field of language teaching and cultural exchange carried out through the Confucius Institute in the last decade. Ying Yong, mayor of Shanghai who is on a visit to Turkey, Huseyin Eren, adviser to the Istanbul mayor, and Chinese Consul General in Istanbul Cui Wei also attended the opening ceremony. LJUBLJANA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The parliament building as well as individuals in the capital city of Ljubljana, cities of Koper and Postojna in Slovenia on Friday received envelopes containing suspicious white powder, which later were identified harmless. Those targeted include a former MP, a reporter and an anthropologist in the different cities, which seemed not to be related to each other, Slovenian Press Agency STA reported. Local police and fire workers were called in to intervene at the parliament building in Ljubljana, before the suspicious mail has been sent for analysis, which showed the substance was harmless. Mails containing suspicious powder also targetted anthropologist Svetlana Slapsak, TV Slovenija reporter Eugenija Carl and former MP Jerko Cehovin as well, but all turned out to be harmless, said the STA. Cehovin, who served as MP for the Positive Slovenia, a party of Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Jankovic, between 2012 and 2014, confirmed to the STA that he was quarantined at the Postojna police station after he brought there suspicious mail addressed to him. It has been not rare for official addresses in Slovenia to receive mail containing white powder that turns out to be harmless. Most often such mail is addressed to courts, but in April 2015 there was a major scare after several addresses, including the offices of president, government and parliament, were targeted. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-09 03:08:24|Editor: mmm Video Player Close South African Ambassador to the United Nations Jerry Matthews Matjila reacts after South Africa was elected as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, at the UN headquarters in New York, June 8, 2018. The UN General Assembly on Friday elected South Africa, Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, Belgium, and Germany to serve during 2019-2020 in the UN Security Council. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) UNITED NATIONS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The UN General Assembly on Friday elected South Africa, Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, Belgium and Germany to serve during 2019-2020 in the UN Security Council. Germany and the Dominican Republic each received 184 votes in favor, South Africa 183, Belgium 181 and Indonesia 144. The Council is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions and has the power to impose sanctions and authorize the use of force. Winning a seat on the Security Council is a great achievement for many countries because they could express fully and explicitly on major international peace and security issues. The elected five are to join on Jan. 1, 2019 the five permanent members of the 15-nation council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States and replace the five non-permanent members elected in 2016 to serve during 2017-2018 -- Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, the Netherlands and Sweden, who are ending their two-year terms (excluding the Netherlands) on Dec. 31 this year. During the 2016 Security Council elections, Italy and the Netherlands agreed to split a two-year term, in which Italy would serve from Jan. 1, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2017 and the Netherlands would subsequently serve from Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2018 because Italy and Netherlands were tied 95-95 after a total of five rounds of secret ballots. Six member states -- South Africa, Indonesia, the Maldives, the Dominican Republic, Belgium and Germany were running for the five available seats. Indonesia and the Maldives were contesting the one available seat for the Asia-Pacific Group, while the other four candidates ran unopposed. The Maldives received 46 votes in favor. A country must obtain the votes of two-thirds of the member states present and voting at the General Assembly session in order to secure a seat on the Council, regardless of whether the election is contested. This means that a minimum of 129 positive votes are required to win a seat if all 193 UN member states are present and voting. Altogether 190 member states cast votes for the Asia-Pacific Group election and a minimum of 127 votes were required to secure a seat. The East European Group is not contesting any seat this year as its seat, held by Poland through 2019, comes up for election every other year. Among the six candidates, four have previous Council experience. Belgium and Germany have served five times, Indonesia three times, and South Africa twice. The Dominican Republic and the Maldives have never served on the Council. More than 60 UN member states have never been members of the Security Council. In accordance with the Security Council's rotation rules, whereby the 10 non-permanent UNSC seats rotate among the various regional blocs into which UN member states traditionally divide themselves for voting and representation purposes. The five available seats this year were allocated as follows: one for the Africa Group, one for the Asia-Pacific Group, one for the Latin America and the Caribbean Group, and two for the Western European and Others Group (WEOG). Israel, which did not belong to any group for many years, was given temporary membership in WEOG in May 2000. It had previously planned to contest for the seat allocated for WEOG, but dropped out recently, leaving other WEOG members-Belgium and Germany unopposed. The General Assembly mandated in 2014 that elections beginning in 2016 for non-permanent Security Council seats be held six months in advance of the term in order to give the elected countries more time to prepare for their new responsibilities. Previously balloting was held in October. This was the third Council election since the timing was brought forward from October to June. As a result, the incoming members enjoy a longer preparatory period, including three months of participation as observers in Council consultations of the whole, Council subsidiary bodies, and some informal Council meetings. Diplomats say that the candidates appear to have a strong national interest in particular regional issues and country-specific situations on the Council's agenda. South Africa can be expected to emphasize African issues, which make up a significant portion of the Council's workload. In its previous two terms on the Council, in 2007-2008 and 2011-2012, South Africa advocated closer cooperation between the UN Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council, on the basis that this would enhance the effectiveness of the UN Security Council in addressing challenges to peace and security in Africa. The Dominican Republic is also likely to take a keen interest in its own region, in particular the situation in Haiti, given its proximity. With the possibility that the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti may draw down or even close in the coming years, it is likely that the Dominican Republic will seek to influence this process so as to promote stability. Germany has expressed interest in engaging closely on several issues on the Council's agenda. High on its list of priorities are the Syrian conflict, Libya, Yemen, and what it has described as the migration crisis. Shortly before setting off to New York to attend the vote, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters in Berlin: "Especially in the current situation, we need a strong and empowered United Nations." This year's candidates seem to have a shared interest in thematic issues concerning the protection of civilians, including children in armed conflict; women, peace and security; and youth, peace and security. The conflict prevention and sustaining peace agenda is another common priority among this year's candidates, which is also in line with the Secretary-General's renewed emphasis on these issues. Current divisions within the Council over issues including Syria and Israel/Palestine are likely to persist following the departure of the five current non-permanent members and the arrival of the five newly elected members, according to an analysis report of the Security Council Report, Inc. A state which is a member of the United Nations but not of the Security Council may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the Council considers that country's interests are affected. ABUJA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 23 travelers were kidnapped on Friday in Nigeria's northwestern state of Kaduna, according to local media. A nursing mother and her baby were among victims of the abduction, PRNigeria, a local media in Abuja which syndicates press releases for Nigeria's security agencies, reported. The travelers were traveling along the dangerous Birnin-Gwari road in Kaduna when the gunmen intercepted them at Kwanar-Tsauni, between Udawa and Labi villages in the area, the agency said. Mohammed Kebi, a commercial driver who witnessed the incident, said at least five vehicles were intercepted by the kidnappers at about 11 a.m. local time. Another witness, Musa Yakubu, said the Birnin-Gwari road had become a haven of kidnappers. Dozens of attacks have been recorded in Nigeria's northwestern region since the beginning of the year, despite efforts to calm the situation by the government. The Birnin-Gwari expressway has become one of the most dangerous routes to ply in northern Nigeria, according to locals. Last week on Thursday, at least 25 passengers were abducted on the same road by gunmen. They, too, were occupying five vehicles when the gunmen struck, leading them to a bush. Last month, the Nigerian military confirmed 107 passengers kidnapped on the Birnin-Gwari-Kaduna highway. Recent activities of gunmen operating in that axis had prompted Nigeria's army chief, Tukur Yusuf Buratai, to deploy more troops, charging them to end the killings and rampant destruction of property, including farmlands. Concerned with the incessant kidnapping and killing, a local transport union in the area had also cautioned its members from plying the route until troops end the attacks. Loas Angeles, California, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chimbote, Peru June 7th, 2018 - In the latest setback for the colossal 50,000 ton pirate ship, Belize has revoked the registration of the Damanzaihao, the largest fish factory vessel in the world. The International Marine Registry of Belize (IMMARBE) stripped the Damanzaihao of its flag, at the request of Sea Shepherd Legal (SSL), for failing to appropriately complete its vessel registration materials and notify Belize of its record of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, according to a statement issued Wednesday. The move renders the vessel stateless, according to marine conservation group Sea Shepherd, who has been working to get the vessel arrested and de-listed in the region. Sea Shepherd's Captain Paul Watson stated Sea Shepherd will work hard to ensure that other potential flag states follow suit should the Damanzaihao ever be allowed to leave Peruvian waters. If it ends up on the other side of the world, I hope it is in the form of paperclips, after it has been scrapped. The Damanzaihao is the largest fish factory vessel in the world, capable of processing 547,000 tons of fish per year. In February 2015, The South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization or, SPRFMO , declared the vessel a 'pirate' and added the Damanzaihao to its lists of vessels involved in illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing, after detecting an unauthorized trans-shipment and false reporting to authorities about cargo of frozen Pacific mackarel. . Pacific Mackerel stocks have collapsed in recent years, being caught increasingly for reduction into feed for the salmon farming industry. Last week Peruvian authorities initiated a criminal investigation into China Fishery Group and detained the vessel in the El Ferrol bay, Chimbote. The ship is being held for a period of 70 days for allegedly polluting the Peruvian sea and for criminal charges relating to IUU Fisheries Crimes spanning from South America to New Zealand. Ministerio Publico Fiscalia de la Nacion said fines for the vessel could be up to $7 million USD (6 million) for the damage. Peruvian prosecutors and ministry officials are actively working with Sea Shepherd to defend the ongoing detention of the Damanzaihao pending a criminal investigation, with a hearing on the detention status scheduled for Monday, June 14. In April, bankrupt China Fishery Group, said it would sell the controversial vessel to Singapore-based DVS-R PTE, in a New York Bankruptcy Court. Sea Shepherd has received documents affirming the sale has gone ahead within Peruvian waters, despite the vessel's intention to slip port prior to the completion of sale. Over the past two weeks, the Damanzaihao had twice requested permission to leave port in an obvious attempt to escape the tightening noose. On April 20, 2018, Sea Shepherd delivered a formal letter to the Peruvian Ministry of Production (the agency that issued the multi-million dollar fine) imploring the government to take additional steps to ensure the ship pay for its crimes, and informing the authorities the vessel would likely flee offshore and shirk its responsibilities. Sea Shepherd Vessel M/V John Paul DeJoria was recently in Peruvian waters, investigating and gathering intelligence to assist the Peruvian Government, in its fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. Sea Shepherd commends the governments of Peru and Belize and their commitment to combatting IUU Fishing. Sea Shepherd is steadfast in its resolve to stop the Damanzaihao from destroying marine ecosystems across the planet. Photos Video Video on YouTube with text and Music Images and video Credit: Sea Shepherd # # # ABOUT SEA SHEPHERD CONSERVATION SOCIETY: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-profit marine conservation organization established in 1977 by Captain Paul Watson, a world renowned, respected leader in environmental issues and co-founder of Greenpeace. Its mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the worlds oceans to conserve and protect ecosystems and species. Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and act when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. Visit www.seashepherd.org for more information. For media inquiries please reach Carolina Castro at carolina@seashepherd.org or call 1-407 335 86 56 Attachment VALLETTA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Maltese government denied on Friday the claims that it did not give assistance to migrants at sea. Reacting to Italian media reports quoting Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, Malta's government insisted that Malta adheres to all its obligations at all times. "With regards to search and rescue, Malta acts in accordance to the international conventions that apply. Malta will continue to respect these conventions with respect to the safety of life at sea, as happened in this latest case and indeed in each case."it emphasized. According to the reports, Salvini has warned Malta that it can not continue to say "no" to rescue migrants shortly after an NGO vessel with migrants was barred from landing on the island. LUSAKA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government has established a bank aimed at giving impetus to the government's industrialization agenda, an agency that spearheads the government's commercial investment agenda said on Friday. The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) said the setting up of the Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank Limited was one of its new projects aimed at giving impetus to the government's industrialization agenda. The new bank was expected to open its doors to the public before the end of the third quarter of this year, it added in a statement. "The bank, which has been created with a vision of fostering economic development by promoting the industrialization and commercialization of Zambian businesses, is currently in the process of implementing a new core-banking system, and will open to the general public before the end of the third quarter of 2018," the statement said. The Industrial Development Corporation was incorporated in January 2014 and is mandated to spearhead government's industrialization and commercial investments agenda. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-09 05:28:47|Editor: yan Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, June 8 (Xinhua) -- At least four people died and another 10 remain missing after two fishing boats sank on Friday in the bay of Sepetiba, south of Rio de Janeiro. According to firefighters, the tragedy happened near the port of Itaguai when the two boats, carrying a total of 22 people, collided for as yet unknown reasons. Eight people were immediately rescued and taken to a nearby hospital, with all of them being out of danger, said the statement by the local brigade. One of the survivors, identified only as Marlon, said that the boats were fishing when they were hit by a strong wind. "We had stopped to fish, we anchored the boat. Suddenly, a very strong gust of wind came. We shut ourselves in the cabin, but another strong gust came and the boat sank in 15 seconds," he was reported as saying. One of the rescuer workers added that strong winds accompanied by hail lasted about seven minutes. Firefighters from three squads in Rio de Janeiro are searching for those still missing, supported by a helicopter and two boats. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-09 05:33:47|Editor: yan Video Player Close QUEBEC CITY, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Group of Seven (G7) summit, which kicked off here on Friday, is expected to be a tough meeting between the United States and its allies amid raising concerns over U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The leaders of the G7, the world's most powerful industrialized countries including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, Japan and the United States, meet every year to discuss collaboration on issues like world economy, climate change, security and peace. Upon his arrival in the Charlevoix city of La Malbaie, Quebec, U.S. President Donald Trump had a brief discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron on issues concerning trade and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), according to media reports. The official themes for this year's summit include increasing investments and creating jobs to boost growth and advancing gender equality. However, the confrontation over Washington's unilateral decision to impose metal tariffs on imports from the European Union (EU) and Canada might dominate the summit. Trump's rejection of the global climate accord and Iran nuclear deal have also divided the G7. The White House said that Trump will miss the G7 meeting on climate change as he will leave the two-day meeting earlier than originally planned. Trump on Friday fired off tough tweets directed at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Macron and the EU on trade issues, saying he is looking forward to "straightening out unfair Trade Deals" with the G7 countries. At the end of the summit, the leaders hope to sign a joint statement detailing the policy positions and initiatives they agree on. France and Germany have warned that they will not sign the final agreement unless Washington makes some major policy concession. The summit took place against a backdrop of Trump creating the highest level of tension between the United States and its allies in decades, from trade to the Iran deal to NAFTA, according to an article published on the latest issue of the New Yorker. On Thursday morning, Trump tweeted that he was "getting ready to go to the G-7 in Canada to fight for our country on Trade." But other G7 leaders were preparing for an America more alone than ever before, and now Trump faces the very real risk of allies teaming up against him, the article said. "The American president may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a 6 country agreement if need be," Macron tweeted later on Thursday. "Under Trump, 'America first' really is turning out to be America Alone," the New Yorker's article said. Before departing to Canada for this year's G7 summit, Trump told media that Russia should be invited back into the G7 meeting. His claim was unanimously opposed by the European members of the G7, the French president's office said Friday. TUNIS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia's trade deficit rose 2.3 percent year-on-year to 6.6 billion dinars (2.57 billion U.S. dollars) in the first five months of 2018, National Institute of Statistics (INS) said Friday. Meanwhile, Tunisian imports increased 19.3 percent to 23.6 billion dinars, while the exports surged 27.4 percent to 17 billion dinars, INS said. In addition, 72.2 percent of Tunisian exports went to the European Union in the first five months, it said. The demands for Tunisian goods from Spain, Germany and France grew 80.2 percent, 32.7 percent and 19.8 percent, respectively, it added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-09 05:43:49|Editor: yan Video Player Close BRASILIA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's National Industry Confederation (CNI) on Friday said it has decided to legally contest minimum freight rates recently set by the government as a concession to striking truckers. In a statement, the CNI said it will file a complaint at the Federal Supreme Court (STF), arguing the shipping rates are too high and therefore unconstitutional. "The freight table is unsustainable because it is extremely damaging to the economy, especially for the productive sector, and for the population," the president of the CNI, Robson Braga de Andrade, said. According to the CNI, the minimum freight rates raise shipping costs from 25 percent to 65 percent. In addition, the concept of setting a minimum price infringes on the principle of free enterprise, is inefficient, and represents "undue state intervention in the economy," said the industry group. President Michel Temer's government last month negotiated the end of a prolonged nationwide truckers' strike, in part by agreeing to establish minimum shipping rates. Source: Xinhua| 2018-06-09 05:53:50|Editor: yan Video Player Close ANKARA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Turkey on Friday blasted Austria over the latter's decision to shut down seven mosques and expel 40 imams as they are foreign-funded. "We condemn Austrian politicians, especially Chancellor (Sebastian) Kurz, for trying to achieve political interest from these alarming developments, rather than fighting racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia and the rise of the extreme right," Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted by the Anadolu Agency. Kurz told a news conference earlier Friday that his decision was part of a crackdown on "political Islam." He said that investigators found out that the activities of seven mosques, one of which belongs to the Turkish-Islamic Cultural Associations, were found to be forbidden. The ministry warned that the Austrian move also contributes to the rise of Islamophobia and racism in Europe, and will affect the ongoing efforts to normalize the bilateral ties. Speaking to reporters in central Kirsehir province, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag called the Austrian step as "unacceptable" as it destroys freedom of religion and conscience, and the values that define Europe. In a tweet, Turkey's presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin denounced the Austrian move as "an attempt to target Muslim communities for the sake of scoring cheap political points." Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu vowed Friday to stand against such injustice and defend the rights of Turkish expats, Anadolu Agency reported. Cavusoglu, in a phone call with his Austrian counterpart Karin Kneissl, expressed his "discomfort" over Kurz's statement on the issue, the report said. BERLIN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A refugee suspected of the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in western Germany has been arrested in Iraq, the German Interior Ministry confirmed on Friday. According to Interior Minister and Christian Social Union (CSU) leader Horst Seehofer, Kurdish security forces seized the 20-year-old Ali B. in northern Iraq. Seehofer thanked local authorities for their swift assistance in the investigation and said that the German foreign office and police had begun filing a request for the suspect's extradition "in accordance with international regulations." The asylum seeker Ali B. stands accused of having raped and murdered the 14-year-old girl Susanna F. before successfully fleeing with his entire family from the German refugee center in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim to his native country of Iraq. In the event, airport personnel failed to notice that the names given by the group in Arabic on the boarding tickets for the flights to Iraq via Istanbul did not match the identification papers. Seehofer announced the news of the suspect's subsequent arrest during a hastily-convened press conference in the town of Quedlinburg. "It is important for me to inform the population that no one can feel safe (from prosecution) anywhere on Earth after this horrible crime thanks to international cooperation", the CSU leader said. However, a spokesperson for the Wiesbaden state prosecution office noted that Germany has not signed an extradition treaty with Iraq and that it was hence a matter for local judiciary authorities to decide whether or not to fulfil Berlin's request. An Iraqi trial as an alternative solution is not possible under the German constitution as the crime would "carry a potential death sentence" in the suspect's home country. Susanna F. was a member of Germany's Jewish community who volunteered at the refugee center in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim and reportedly knew the brother of the suspect. After disappearing two weeks ago, police revealed on Thursday that they had found the mutilated body of the 14-year-old and issued a public search warrant for Ali B. as the primary suspect in the case. German police reiterated on Friday that they were still asking people with any knowledge of the case to come forward in order to enhance their understandings of the events which led to the teenager's death. A 35-year-old refugee with Turkish nationality was temporarily taken into custody on suspicion of being involved in the murder but has since been released again. State prosecutors emphasized that no evidence had surfaced prior to Ali B.'s airborne escape on May 23 to link him to the disappearance of Susanna F. Only on the following day did a 13-year-old boy living at the same refugee center report to police that the suspect had boasted about committing the crime. The case has provoked widespread outrage in Germany, not least because Ali B. was known to police as being violent and had already been accused of raping an 11-year-old girl living at the same Wiesbaden-Erbenheim refugee center. The suspect was formally denied asylum status at the end of 2016 and subsequently filed an ongoing appeal. Carsten Schneider, the German Social Democrats' (SPD) deputy parliamentary faction leader, called for a swift clarification of how the suspect managed to escape and how he could now be placed before a court in Germany "as fast as possible." Free Democratic Party (FDP) leader Christian Lindner further opined in the newspaper BILD that the incident raised the question of "why rejected asylums seekers are not deported more resolutely." KIEV, June 8 (Xinhua) -- About 30 Ukrainian experts held a roundtable in Kiev on Friday to discuss Ukraine' s role in building the China-proposed modern Silk Road. The roundtable themed "Belt and Road: potential for Ukraine" was organized by the Ukrainian Institute for the Future and the Ukrainian Association of Sinologists. It brought together Ukrainian international relations experts, sinologists, scientists, economists and representatives of business community. At the first part of the event, which was aired live to internet users, eight experts have presented their scientific reports on the Belt and Road to better inform the Ukrainian public about the goals and objectives of the Initiative. Then, all experts present at the event held a professional discussion on China-Ukraine cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. They also exchanged their views on the projected economic effect from the Initiative for Ukraine. While speaking with Xinhua during the event, Viktor Kiktenko, the head of Ukrainian Association of Sinologists, spoke highly of the Belt and Road Initiative, saying it provides equal cooperation opportunities for all participating countries. "The prospects on the China-proposed Silk Road have long been open to everyone. This is an inclusive project that involves all the interested parties," Kiktenko said. He mentioned that Ukraine and China are developing their cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, particularly in such areas as transport and logistics, agriculture and industry. "Me personally and other experts are hoping that Ukraine will manage to take the rightful place and tap its potential in this global geo-economic project," Kiktenko said. In December 2017, China and Ukraine signed an action plan on jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. According to local experts, currently, the Belt and Road Initiative is gaining increasing popularity in Ukraine and Ukrainians are becoming more aware of its benefits and goals. "In Ukraine, there is a growing understanding that the Belt and Road is not only a landmark transport and logistics project, but also a new philosophy of interaction for the states," Andriy Goncharuk, a senior researcher at the National Institute for Strategic Studies, told Xinhua during the roundtable. In the same time, he pointed that much work for Ukraine lies ahead to enhance its role as a link on the modern Silk Road. An important component of this work is the development of relations with China, the expert noted. "First of all, each ministry and each institution should establish a position of Chinese-speaking professional. There should be government officials, whose professional responsibility would be the development of Ukrainian-Chinese relations," Goncharuk said. Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. In the past five years, China signed cooperation agreements on the development of the Initiative with over 80 countries and international organizations, while more than 100 countries and international organizations have voiced their support for this Initiative and actively participate in it. HELSINKI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. and Russian top military commanders met in Helsinki on Friday, and press releases from the two sides mentioned that the crisis in Syria and ways of preventing clashes in Syria between Russia and the U.S.-led alliance were discussed. The American release noted that the U.S. and Russian militaries "have undertaken efforts to improve operational safety and strategic stability". The U.S. further said that "both leaders recognize the importance of maintaining regular communication to avoid miscalculation". They also want to promote "transparency and deconfliction in areas where the militaries are operating in close proximity". The U.S. Armed Forces delegation was led by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph F. Dunford Jr. and the Russian Armed Forces delegation by Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov. Russian news agency TASS said Gerasimov and Dunford Jr. discussed "various aspects of resolving the Syria issue and ways to ease tensions and ensure security in Europe". Finnish representatives did not participate in the close door talks. Finland had facilitated the meeting at a fairly short notice, upon request from Russia and the U.S. Later in the afternoon, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto met the two generals separately. Niinisto said it is important and positive that such type of dialogue functions, and Finland is pleased to offer the location. Commander of the Finnish defense forces General Jarmo Lindberg met Gerasimov on Friday. He had met Dunford on Thursday. TASS quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying Gerasinov and Lindberg had "a thorough discussion of the European security situation." Lindberg and Gerasimov also "emphasized the importance of a direct telephone line established last November, which helps build mutual trust and increase transparency amid growing military activities in the Baltic Sea area." The line connects Russian National Defense Management Center and the Finnish Defense Forces. HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX:ERD) ("Erdene" or "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed its non-brokered private placement ("Private Placement") announced on May 31, 2018 for proceeds of $4.12 million. Pursuant to the Private Placement, Erdene has sold 10,834,580 units at a price of $0.38 per unit for gross proceeds of $4.12 million. Each unit consists of one common share of the Company and one common share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.60 for 30 months from the closing date. The Company paid finders fees in the aggregate of $182,400 and issued 480,000 finders warrants in connection with the Private Placement. Each finder's warrant is exercisable into one common share of the Company at $0.60 per share, for a period of 30 months from the closing date. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period from the closing date. The Private Placement was completed in parallel with the launch of an offering of common shares to Mongolian residents (Mongolia Offering) and Erdenes recently received approval from the Financial Regulatory Commission of Mongolia for a secondary listing of its common shares on the Mongolian Stock Exchange (MSE), as reported by the Company on May 31, 2018 (click here for May 31 news release). Pursuant to the Mongolia Offering, expected to close on June 14, 2018, Erdene will sell 4,000,000 common shares at a price of $0.34 per share for gross proceeds of $1,360,000. The Mongolia Offering will be completed on a firm commitment underwritten basis by BDSec SC JSC under a prospectus prepared pursuant to Mongolian laws. The underwriters of the Mongolia Offering will receive a cash commission equal to 7% of the gross proceeds raised. All securities to be issued pursuant to the Mongolia Offering will be subject to a four-month hold period in Canada from the closing date. The MSE listing is expected to be effective upon closing of the Mongolia Offering. Proceeds of the Private Placement and Mongolia Offering are anticipated to fully fund the Company into 2019, and will be used to advance the Company's Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar gold projects, and to further explore and develop the Companys other gold properties in southwest Mongolia, as well as for general corporate purposes. The transactions are subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval and acceptance by the Toronto Stock Exchange and Mongolian Stock Exchange. About Erdene Erdene Resource Development Corp. is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of base and precious metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. The Company has interests in four exploration licenses and a mining license in southwest Mongolia, where exploration success has led to the discovery and definition of several prospects and deposits including: Bayan Khundii the Companys flagship and newly discovered, high-grade, near-surface gold project; Altan Nar an extensive, high-grade, near-surface, gold-polymetallic project located 16 kilometres northwest of Bayan Khundii; Altan Arrow an early-stage, high-grade gold-silver project 3.5 kilometres north of Bayan Khundii; Ulaan a recently acquired copper-gold porphyry prospect adjacent to Bayan Khundii; Khuvyn Khar an early-stage, copper-silver porphyry project; Nomin Tal a narrow, high-grade copper-gold discovery; and Zuun Mod a large molybdenum-copper porphyry deposit. In addition to the above projects, Erdene has an Alliance with Teck Resources Limited on regional copper-gold exploration in the prospective Trans Altai region of southwest Mongolia. The Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar licenses have a 2% net smelter returns royalty (NSR Royalty) in favour of Sandstorm Gold Ltd. with a buy-back option to reduce the NSR Royalty to 1%. For further information on the Company, please visit www.erdene.com. After giving effect to the Private Placement, Erdene has 157,682,014 issued and outstanding common shares and a fully diluted position of 179,141,320 common shares. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information regarding Erdene contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Erdene believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Erdene cautions that actual performance will be affected by many factors, most of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Erdene currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and is subject to change after that date. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS RELEASE LONDON, June 8 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May shrugged off Friday what appeared to be a frosty response to Britain's proposals to avert a hard border between Britain and Ireland after Brexit. Britain presented to Brussels what it called its backstop proposals for a time-limited continued link to the European Union's customs union after Brexit. The backstop plan is intended to come into play if Britain and the EU fail to agree a new trading deal after Britain finally ends its links to the bloc. The 500-kilometer border between the Irish Republic and Britain's Northern Ireland will become the only EU land border in the British Isles. Both May and the Irish government has said a hard border between the two will be unacceptable. In his first response to Britain's proposals, the European Union(EU)'s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said at a media conference in Brussels that any backstop to prevent the return of a hard border in Ireland could only apply to Northern Ireland and not the whole of Britain as the British government suggested. Otherwise there was a risk the backstop could turn into backdoor access to the EU's single market and without proper enforcement of its rules. That would mean a border down the Irish Sea, leaving Northern Ireland within a customs union, and the British mainland outside, an idea rejected by May. May's official spokesperson at Downing Street said Friday: "The prime minister has been clear that we will never accept a customs border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. "We are also committed to maintaining the integrity of our own internal market. That position will not change. The (European) Commission's proposals did not achieve this, which is why we have put forward our own backstop solutions for customs. Michel Barnier has confirmed today that discussions will now continue on our proposal." Avoidance of a hard border on the island of Ireland is seen as critical to maintaining the integrity of the Belfast Peace Agreement which brought to an end decades of troubles, killings and shootings in Northern Ireland. May, who has travelled to Quebec for the G7 meeting said in media interviews: "The border between Northern Ireland and Ireland matters. It matters to people who live on both sides of that border, it matters to the United Kingdom because we want to ensure that we're delivering a Brexit that works for every part of the United Kingdom and that includes Northern Ireland. "But I'm also clear that we cannot accept the proposals that the European Commission originally put forward, that would have meant there was a border down the Irish sea cutting Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. I want to deliver Brexit and I want to deliver it for the whole of the United Kingdom." There was also a sharp response to Barnier's comments from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Ireland. DUP leader Arlene Foster said: "We will not tolerate the annexation of Northern Ireland. Let's focus on getting a new trade deal." The party's deputy leader Nigel Dodds was even more forceful in his response, saying Barnier's response showed he had no respect for the constitutional integrity of Britain. Following last year's general election when May lost her majority in the House of Commons, she relies on support of the DUP to shore up her majority. RABAT, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The African Development Bank (AfDB) will loan Morocco 235.5 million U.S. dollars to support its inclusive and sustainable agricultural development, the Moroccan Ministry of Economy and Finance announced Friday. The loan agreement was inked in Rabat at a ceremony chaired by Economy and Finance Minister Mohamed Boussaid, in the presence of Leila Mokadem Farah, resident representative of AfDB national bureau in Morocco. Boussaid praised the level and quality of the cooperation between the kingdom and the AfDB, which provides "invaluable and constant support" for Morocco in the implementation of basic structural reforms. The two sides reaffirmed their willingness to further strengthen this exemplary cooperation. The support program is part of a multi-sectoral approach to back the agricultural development strategy, called Morocco's Green Plan. It aims to contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of the agricultural sector for an inclusive and sustainable economic growth, through the promotion of value chains, job creation, business climate and the sustainable management of natural resources. Following the closure of several independent media outlets in Hungary in recent times, weekly political magazine Heti Valasz has announced the end of its print edition. The move comes after unsuccessful negotiations with a potential American investor. The closure continues a shrinkage in the market of independent media not controlled by figures close to the government, which most recently saw conservative daily newspaper Magyar Nemzet close down in April after 80 years in print. Beginning next week, Heti Valasz will only be available online, with the publisher filing for bankruptcy, Gabor Borokai, the magazines editor in chief, said in a final op-ed. The publisher had been in talks with a Hungarian-born Republican businessman in the United States, who has now withdrawn their interest in acquiring Heti Valasz. The reasoning given was that the lack of advertisements from state institutions and state-controlled companies have made the magazine unprofitable. News of the possible imminent closure of Heti Valasz surfaced less than two months ago, when businessman Lajos Simicska, a former friend and ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, shut down Magyar Nemzet and radio station Lanchid Radio. In his op-ed, Borokai did not specifically point to Simicska, referring only to "the former owner," who "wouldnt/couldnt" support the magazine financially any more. Borokai added that Heti Valasz may be reborn, but "with a content we cannot control." Heti Valasz first appeared in 2001 as a state-owned magazine, strongly connected to the then governing Fidesz, and was named among the publications recommended by Orban during the 2002 election campaign. Following the Fidesz defeat in that election, it was privatized in 2004 and became more independent in approach, setting publications such as Newsweek, Time and The Spectator among its benchmarks. The Hungarian government and U.S. oil and gas company ExxonMobil concluded a strategic partnership agreement in Budapest on Friday. ExxonMobil will thus play an important role in shaping Hungarys future, said Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto. The strategic partnership agreement between the Hungarian government and ExxonMobil was signed by Szijjarto and Romke Noordhuis, director of ExxonMobils Budapest office. Following the signing ceremony, Szijjarto highlighted that ExxonMobil will play an important role in shaping Hungarys future not only because it will help highly-trained Hungarian workers make a living in their country, but also as its gas industry activities will reinforce the security of the countrys energy supply, said a statement published on official government website kormany.hu. The company has acquired the rights to a significant Black Sea gas field, which will partly be available to Hungary also, from 2022, providing that Romania fulfills its duties regarding the project, Szijjarto added. The minister recalled that the Romanian party has undertaken to establish an interconnector with an annual capacity of 4.4 billion cubic meters for the shipment of natural gas from beneath the Black Sea. The capacities have been acquired by two Hungarian companies until 2037. Hungarys annual gas consumption is almost 10 billion cubic meters. The greater part of this quantity, some 85%, is purchased from abroad, therefore the gas imported from Romania could cover half of Hungarys natural gas requirements, the minister added. Szijjarto stressed that ExxonMobils Hungarian support center, which employs over 1,600 people, is performing increasingly complicated tasks that represent a growing level of added value; the center provides IT, controlling, accounting and tax-related services for ExxonMobils African, Middle Eastern and European subsidiaries, he noted. Noordhuis was cited as saying by kormany.hu that, as head of ExxonMobils Business Support Center in Budapest, he expects the companys Hungarian activities to expand further in the upcoming years, adding that Hungarian professionals are skilled, cooperative and identify with the companys values. He stressed Budapests importance within the companys global network, adding that the newly concluded strategic agreement reinforces ExxonMobils commitment to Hungary, and that the company will continue to participate in training programs and maintain its cooperation with Hungarian universities. MTI Photo: Balogh Zoltan Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close EDMONTON, Alberta, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When wildfires caused more than 1,700 people to be airlifted from the Little Grand Rapids and Pauingassi First Nations in May, they were forced to to leave their pets behind, leaving hundreds of dogs and cats stranded on their own and desperately in need of help. Norway House Animal Rescue in Winnipeg set a goal of sending about 13,000 kilograms of pet food to the First Nations between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds per day and it had about 900 kilograms on hand, all of which it donated toward the rescue. Now, Champion Petfoods is donating 12,000 kilograms of dog and cat food enough for 75,000 meals. Champions shipment of its ORIJEN and ACANA pet food will arrive via float plane at the First Nations in the next few days. The donation will help Norway House reach its goal and, most importantly, provide food for the dogs and cats out there alone until their families return. When we heard about the dogs and cats separated from their families due to these devastating fires, our entire team was heartbroken, says Frank Burdzy, Champion Petfoods president and CEO. At Champion, were all passionate Pet Lovers, so we knew we had to help. Our hearts go out to the Little Grand Rapids and Pauingassi First Nations, and we want to thank Norway House Animal Rescue for its tremendous work bringing pet food to dogs and cats in need. We hope our donations make a difference to the dogs and cats in the First Nations and to the Pet Lovers waiting to see them again. The Little Grand Rapids and Pauingassi First Nations are small communities in Manitoba, northeast from Winnipeg. With the help of the Red Cross, Indigenous Services Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces, the community was evacuated in late May after a fire about 20,000 hectares large almost half the size of Winnipeg approached. Weve hit a crisis point, but a donation as big as this will take off the pressure of finding food for these pets, says Debra Vandekerkhove, Director of Norway House. Now we can focus on getting into these communities to help the dogs and cats. Were getting pleas for help from people showing us photos of their pets and asking if theyre all right now, we can feed these pets and take photos back to their families, and say, Heres your dog hes OK. Theres no better feeling in the world than knowing were saving lives. Norway House is accepting donations of pet food, as well as dishes and bowls for the food. You can donate to Norway House through their Facebook page. About Champion Petfoods Champion Petfoods is an award-winning pet food maker with a reputation of trust spanning more than 25 years. Its ORIJEN and ACANA brands feature unmatched inclusions of Fresh Regional Ingredients and are made exclusively in Champions own kitchens. Founded in the small town of Barrhead, Alberta, Champion now exports to more than 80 countries around the world. To learn more, visit championpetfoods.com. For more information, please contact: Desiree Dozier, Finn Partners 310.552.4177 Desiree.Dozier@finnpartners.com Normel Martinez, Senior Communications Specialist 587.525.6907 Champion Petfoods LP Posted Thursday, June 7, 2018 3:33 am As shots rang out and the casualty struggled to breathe, the team leader barked, We gotta move. Madigan Army Medical Centers doctors were treating injured Soldiers on the ground in a hostile urban area before providing care in medevacs and Stryker ambulances. Although the training scenario at a range on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in April simulated what our doctors can expect downrange, the scenarios they encountered can and do occur in real operations, which is exactly why we ran the Capstone field exercise for our residents. While many may already know that we train young doctors at Madigan in a wide spectrum of residency programs, they may not realize the additional requirements of training Army doctors. Theres a difference all doctors need to promote health and save lives, of course. Army doctors need to do this downrange with oftentimes less-than-optimal (or downright hostile and austere) environments, where they can truly be the difference between a wounded service member making it home alive or not. We take our mission of training, not just doctors but Army doctors, to heart at Madigan, knowing that when our doctors are deployed, they need to provide excellent care without the benefit of a full-sized military treatment facility behind them. Downrange, they need to rely even more on their own exceptional skills and knowledge to independently provide high-quality care to deployed service members. More than that, our service members who are deployed to conflicts around the world deserve the very best care that can be provided, and at Madigan its our pledge to provide exactly that. Were proud to boast that across the hospital, our residents are outscoring their peers in their annual medical board exams. Two thirds of our emergency medicine residents scored better than 90 percent of their peers, and in fact four residents scored in the top one percent nationally. Our ophthalmology residents performed similarly, with two thirds of residents scoring better than 89 percent of their national peers; half of our radiology residents also scored better than 85 percent of other residents throughout the country. Possibly most impressive is our general surgery program, which the Association of Program Directors in Surgery recognized as having the best 15-year resident board pass rate in the nation. While the residency boards measure technical medical knowledge, we augment that with mentorship from seasoned military physicians and field exercises to augment traditional clinical work. Many of our senior doctors at Madigan have lived the experience of deploying to combat zones and treating service members in field conditions. There is no better teacher of the importance of training highly qualified Army doctors than to be in combat and receive casualties. Caring for them is why Army Medicine exists. Ensuring that future Army doctors are the absolute best in their fields, and are prepared to practice medicine downrange, is deeply personal to us. Its what keeps us motivated to train our residents to the highest standards, and its our commitment to train future doctors in order to bring those service members wounded in combat safely home. By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] Ironwood With the school year over, the Ironwood Area Schools is once again launching its free Meet Up and Eat Up summer lunch program. (The district offers the program) because of the amount of free and reduced lunches we have here that dont seem to get a healthy, balanced lunch for the summer; so its nice to have (the program) available, Ironwood Food Services Director Mary Hampston Kusz said. Its a great place for kids to get outside, get together, play and get some exercise. The lunches will be served in Depot Park in downtown Ironwood, starting Monday. The lunches are offered from 11 a.m. to noon Mondays through Thursdays, with Hampston Kusz saying it is only four days a week because in past years the program has seen a noticeable drop in Friday attendance as kids leave the area on weekends. The lunches will be offered through July 26, according to Hampston Kusz, except for July 4 and July 19. She explained no lunches on those days are because of the Independence Day holiday and Festival Ironwood respectively. The lunches are offered to anyone under the age of 18, Hampston Kusz said, or those under the age of 26 enrolled in a recognized educational program for the mentally or physically disabled. Hampston Kusz stressed participants didnt need to be an Ironwood student to get a free lunch. You can be visiting from California and go to lunch, she said. A lot of times grandparents bring their kids that are visiting for the summer because there is also stuff going on every day. The program is partnering with a range of community organizations including the Ironwood Carnegie Library, the local extension offices and 4-H program to offer programs to accompany the meals each days. Those with questions can contact Hampston Kusz at 906-932-3476, or Amy Nosal at 715-561-2695. ONTONAGON The Ontonagon-White Pine Rotary has joined other Rotary Clubs throughout the world in a project to plant trees in their communities. The project, to plant the same number of trees as there are members in each club, was a request to the thousands of clubs in the world by the Rotary International president. Following a lengthy discussion and comparing quotes from nurseries, the local club voted Wednesday to order 10 trees. The trees maples and crab apples will be planted at the Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital and at the Ontonagon Township Memorial Building. Rotary President J... This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company. As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism. We hope you are equally as excited as us. This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers. Keep an eye. Big things are coming soon. We couldn't be more excited. In the meanwhile, here are some of our most popular posts and categories to keep you busy. Happy shootin' my friends! Buying Guides: Firearms Firearm Accessories Ammunition Gun Safes Scopes & Optics Hunting Air Rifles Best AR-15 Best AR 15 Scope Best Hunting Rifle Best Gun Safe Best AK 47 Best AR 10 Best Glock Triggers Best Glock Best Home Defense Shotgun TORONTO, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alacer Gold Corp. (Alacer or the Corporation) (TSX:ASR) (ASX:AQG) is pleased to announce the results of its 2018 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) held on June 7, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. All matters presented for approval at the Meeting by management were duly authorized and approved, as follows: (I) Election of director nominees, listed in the Corporations Management Information Circular dated May 2, 2018, to the board of directors of the Corporation; (II) Appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as auditors of the Corporation for the ensuing fiscal year and authorization of the directors to fix their remuneration; (III) Approval and ratification, on an advisory basis, of the Corporations approach to executive compensation. Detailed voting results (according to proxies received and a vote by show of hands) regarding the election of directors are as follows: Director Vote Type Number of Shares Percentage of Votes Cast Rodney P. Antal Votes For: 213,213,370 99.90% Votes Withheld: 215,773 0.10% Thomas R. Bates, Jr. Votes For: 195,544,841 91.62% Votes Withheld: 17,884,302 8.38% Edward C. Dowling, Jr. Votes For: 208,294,309 97.59% Votes Withheld: 5,134,834 2.41% Richard P. Graff Votes For: 198,559,093 93.03% Votes Withheld: 14,870,050 6.97% Anna Kolonchina Votes For: 213,077,653 99.84% Votes Withheld: 351,490 0.16% Alan P. Krusi Votes For: 197,998,483 92.77% Votes Withheld: 15,430,660 7.23% Further details on the above matters are set forth in the Corporations meeting materials, including the Corporations Management Information Circular dated May 2, 2018, accessible under the Corporations issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Corporation has also filed a report of voting results on all resolutions voted on at the Meeting on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About Alacer Gold Alacer is a leading low-cost gold producer, with an 80% interest in the world-class Copler Gold Mine in Turkey operated by Anagold, and the remaining 20% owned by Lidya. The Companys primary focus is to leverage its cornerstone Copler Mine and strong balance sheet to maximize portfolio value and free cash flow, minimize project risk, and therefore, create maximum value for shareholders. The Copler Mine is in east-central Turkey in the Erzincan Province, approximately 1,100 kilometers southeast from Istanbul and 550 kilometers east from Ankara, Turkeys capital city. Alacer is actively pursuing initiatives to enhance value beyond the current mine plan: Copler Oxide Production Optimization Expansion of the existing heap leach pad capacity to 58 million tonnes continues in preparation for the addition of oxide ore from Cakmaktepe reserves expected in Q4 2018, pending approval of the revised Cakmaktepe Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and operating permits. The Corporation continues to evaluate opportunities to extend oxide production beyond the current reserves with in-pit exploration, Copler District exploration, and evaluating options to increase heap leach pad capacity, including potential for a new heap leach pad to the west of the Copler Gold Mine. Copler Sulfide Expansion Project (the Sulfide Project) The Sulfide Project is over 85% complete with commissioning underway. Additionally, the Project is under budget and on schedule for start-up in Q3 2018. The Sulfide Project is expected to deliver long-term growth with robust financial returns and adds 20 years of production at Copler. The Sulfide Project will bring Coplers remaining life-of-mine (LoM) gold production to approximately 4 million ounces at All-in Sustaining Costs averaging $645 per ounce 1 , 2 . . The Corporation continues to pursue opportunities to further expand its current operating base to become a sustainable multi-mine producer with a focus on Turkey. The systematic and focused exploration efforts in the 80% owned Copler District, as well as in other regions of Turkey, are progressing. In February 2018, the Corporation announced additional positive drilling results at Ardich3 within the Copler District. The Copler District remains the focus, with the goal of continuing to grow oxide resources that will deliver production utilizing the existing Copler infrastructure. In the other regions of Turkey, targeted exploration work continues, and work on the Definitive Feasibility Study for the Gediktepe Project4 is expected to be complete later in 2018. Alacer is a Canadian corporation incorporated in the Yukon Territory with its primary listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Corporation also has a secondary listing on the Australian Securities Exchange where CHESS Depositary Interests (CDIs) trade. For further information on Alacer Gold Corp., please contact: Lisa Maestas Director, Investor Relations at +1-303-292-1299 [1] All-in Sustaining Costs per ounce is a consolidated non-IFRS performance measure with no standardized definition under IFRS. For further information and a detailed reconciliation to IFRS, please see the Non-IFRS Measures section of this MD&A. [2] Detailed information regarding the Sulfide Project, including the material assumptions on which the forward-looking financial information is based, can be found in the technical report dated June 9, 2016 entitled Copler Mine Technical Report available on www.sedar.com and on www.asx.com.au. [3] Detailed information, including complete drill hole data, can be found in the press release entitled Alacer Announced Additional Positive Drilling Results for the Copler District including 67.7 Meters at 4.08 Grams per Tonne Gold Near Surface, filed on February 26, 2018, which is available on www.sedar.com and on www.asx.com.au. [4] Additional information on the Gediktepe Project can be found in the press release entitled Alacer Gold Announces a New Reserve for its Gediktepe Project Providing Future Growth, dated September 13, 2016, available on www.sedar.com and on www.asx.com.au. News Release New Lubrizol PV2500 Series for The Next Generation of Mid SAPS Lubricant Performance Combined with LSPI Protection CLEVELAND, June 8, 2018 - The Lubrizol Corporation announces its new Lubrizol PV2500 series additive technology designed to address the increasing lubrication demands of modern gasoline and diesel automotive hardware. The challenges associated with gasoline direct injection and turbocharged gasoline direct injection (TGDI) engines mean that mitigating low speed pre-ignition (LSPI) and chain wear is critical to enable more reliable engine performance. "Lubrizol PV2500 series represents the next generation in mid SAPS lubricant additive technology, developed for ACEA 2016 and European OEM approved performance, while addressing LSPI field concerns to ensure new industry requirements, such as licensable API SN Plus are also met," says Anthony Smith, Lubrizol product manager, Passenger Car Engine Oils. Lubrizol worked closely with European OEMs to combine LSPI protection for gasoline engines with the latest mid SAPS requirements for diesel powertrains. Smith continues, "Diesel particulate filters (DPFs) have long been a feature in diesel emissions control and now the automotive market is expected to see a rise in demand for mid SAPS lubricant solutions going into gasoline vehicles as OEMs start to introduce gasoline particulate filters (GPFs). This will be particularly important for the European and Chinese markets with new emission regulations such as China 6 on the horizon." "We are pleased to bring our new Lubrizol PV2500 series solution to the market as the latest addition to our established range of market leading Lubrizol ACTTM additive technologies," says Colin Morton, Lubrizol regional business manager for Europe, Passenger Car Engine Oils. "This family of additives provides proven durability and protection for engines and aftertreatment systems. It now goes even further to provide LSPI protection and gives oil marketers access to the coverage needed to supply aftermarket workshops servicing European vehicles." Success in today's automotive industry depends on higher performance, and Lubrizol is committed to helping our partners get there. For more information on Lubrizol's solutions for passenger car engine oils, contact your Lubrizol representative and visit lubrizoladditives360.com to learn more. About The Lubrizol Corporation The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a market-driven global company that combines complex, specialty chemicals to optimize the quality, performance and value of customers' products while reducing their environmental impact. It is a leader at combining market insights with chemistry and application capabilities to deliver valuable solutions to customers in the global transportation, industrial and consumer markets. Lubrizol improves lives by acting as an essential partner in our customers' success, delivering efficiency, reliability or wellness to their end users. Technologies include lubricant additives for engine oils, driveline and other transportation-related fluids, industrial lubricants, as well as additives for gasoline and diesel fuel. In addition, Lubrizol makes ingredients and additives for home care, personal care and skin care products and specialty materials encompassing polymer and coatings technologies, along with polymer-based pharmaceutical and medical device solutions. With headquarters in Wickliffe, Ohio, Lubrizol owns and operates manufacturing facilities in 17 countries, as well as sales and technical offices around the world. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has approximately 8,700 employees worldwide. Revenues for 2017 were $6.3 billion. For more information, visit lubrizol.com. Media Contact Rebecca Appledorn 440-347-8731 Website: www.lubrizol.com NEW DELHI: Latest in the long line of privacy issues for Facebook, the social media giant on Thursday admitted a software bug suggested some 14 million users publish their private posts in public. The glitch potentially changing the settings of some private post over several days in May. Facebook says that the problem has been fixed and they are letting the affected users know. We recently found a bug that automatically suggested posting publicly when some people were creating their Facebook posts. Today we started letting the 14 million people affected know and asking them to review any posts they made during that time, said Erin Egan, Facebooks chief privacy officer. Later, the social media giant took to Twitter to say, No private posts were changed to be public. The bug made the suggested audience public as opposed to the previous audience setting. Nothing was changed after posted. No private posts were changed to be public. The bug made the suggested audience public as opposed to the previous audience setting. Nothing was changed after posted. Read more details here: https://t.co/xKiYgxoJ62 https://t.co/25eh3I3vXw Facebook (@facebook) June 7, 2018 Facebook claims that the bug did not impact anything people had posted before, and users could still choose their audience in settings. The bug occurred while building a new way to share featured items on your profile, like a photo. Since these featured items are public, the suggested audience for all new posts not just these items was set to public. The problem has been fixed, and for anyone affected, we changed the audience back to what theyd been using before, shared Facebook. This comes days after the recent furor of the company shared user data with device makers, including Chinas Huawei, computer maker Lenovo Group and smartphone makers OPPO and TCL Corp. The company is still recovering from the privacy scandal of Cambridge Analytica scandal, where a Trump-affiliated data-mining firm got access to the personal data of as many as 87 million Facebook users. The company claims the bug occurred while trying to build a new feature. "This bug occurred as we were building a new way to share featured items on your profile, like a photo. Since these featured items are public, the suggested audience for all new posts not just these items was set to public," said Egan. AHMEDABAD: Independent MLA from Gujarat and Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani on Friday claimed to have received a death threat from a person who identified himself as fugitive gangster Ravi Pujari. The Vadgam legislator alleged that he has been receiving similar threats over the last two days and the latest came on his old mobile number, which is currently being used by his associate Kaushik Parmar. "Today again, I received a threat call on my original number from a person introducing himself as Ravi Pujari from Australia,'' Mevani tweeted. Day 3, threat call continues from Ravi Pujari. Today again I received a threat call on my original number from a person introducing himself as Ravi Pujari frm Australia and also sent a text saying - "stop giving provocative speeches or will shot you. Umar Khalid is also in list" Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) June 8, 2018 ''The caller also sent a text message, saying - stop giving a provocative speech or will shoot you. Umar Khalid is also on my list," Mevani said in another tweet. +75397326097 +60176206085 - Yeh Jo Provocative Speeches Dena Bandh Kar Warna Tok Dunga. Umar Khalid Bi Mere Hit List Me he. yeh mere Tarpshe warning .MAFIA DON RAVI POOJARY Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) June 8, 2018 Mevani also suspected BJP hand behind regular death threats to him. ? Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) June 8, 2018 According to Parmar, he received a call from a person claiming to be Pujari, who asked him whether he had read the text message. "In that message, sent from another number, the person warned Mevani to stop giving provocative speeches, otherwise the MLA will be shot dead. "He even said that student activist Umar Khalid is also on his hit list," Parmar said. Mevani claimed that this was the third death threat he had received in as many days. Parmar has informed the police in Banaskantha district about the latest alleged threat call. He had lodged a complaint about the first threat call on June 6. "As we are already investigating the case after the FIR was registered on June 6, we will include this fresh incident in the ongoing probe," said Sub-Inspector RP Zala. On June 6, Parmar, who manages Mevani's office in Vadgam and carries a mobile phone with the MLA's old number, lodged a complaint that a person who identified himself as "Rajvir Mishra" called him and threatened to shoot Mevani. Yesterday, Parmar claimed that someone called from the same number again and threatened that Mevani should "get ready to pay the price". (With PTI inputs) GURUGRAM: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will be looking into the role of local police who misled the investigation into the murder of 7-year-old Prince who was killed in a private school in Gurugram in September last year. The CBI is taking the help of school bus conductor Ashok to ascertain who in the local police were involved in misleading the murder investigation initially. Ashok was earlier arrested as the main accused in connection with the murder of Prince but was acquitted later by a special court due to lack of evidence. The CBI after taking over the case, arrested a Class 11 student. It was alleged that the 17-year-old accused murdered Prince to defer a unit test and parent-teacher meeting. After arguments over whether he should be tried as a juvenile, the Gurugram Juvenile Justice Board on December 20 said that the accused will be tried as an adult. "There is sufficient material to establish that the physical and mental capacity to commit the crime and understand its consequences and hence the accused comes within the parameters of the newly amended Juvenile Justice Act," the court said while dismissing three appeals filed by the accused student. The accused is currently in an observation home in Faridabad in Haryana. The court has also barred the media from using the name of the 17-year-old accused and the victim in the case and gave fictitious names Bholu and Prince respectively to them. JAMNAGAR: A Jaguar aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday developed a technical snag before landing at the Jamnagar airbase in Gujarat. The pilot ejected to safety. The incident took place at 9:20 am when the aircraft was on a routine training mission. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident. "At around 9:20 am, the pilot of a Jaguar aircraft, on a routine mission from Jamnagar, safely ejected when the aircraft developed a snag during the landing phase. It was a minor accident. Pilot is safe," an official said. The official added that the plane had not crashlanded, as it had only developed a technical snag. There was only minor damage to the fighter jet, he said. The mishap comes days after another Jaguar aircraft crashed in Gujarat's Kutch. The pilot, Air Commodore Sanjay Chauhan lost his life in the crash. The mishap took place in Bareja village near Mundra in Kutch. The IAF Jaguar aircraft was on a routine training mission from Jamnagar. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident. An IAF spokesperson said the aircraft met with the accident at around 10.30 am. "The pilot, Air Commodore Sanjay Chauhan, sustained fatal injuries during the crash," the spokesperson said. Air Commodore Chauhan was a recipient of the Vayu Sena Medal and the Air Officer Commanding of Jamnagar Air Force Station. Jaguar is a twin-engine, single seater deep penetration strike aircraft of Anglo-French origin. It has a maximum speed of 1350 km /hr (Mach 1.3). It has two 30mm guns and can carry two R-350 Magic CCMs (overwing) along with 4750 kg of external stores (bombs/fuel). NEW DELHI: All is well in the Mukherjee household, public arguments notwithstanding. A day after former President Pranab Mukherjee attended the RSS event, daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee - who openly expressed her dissent on the matter, said that the argumentative genes run in the family. Responding to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's comment, where he said individuals including family members, have different opinions, Sharmistha tweeted, Exactly! Thats how I grew up, & thats why I dont have any problem expressing my differences with him on issues even in public. We are a democratic, argumentative family; I learnt this from my father only. Exactly! Thats how I grew up, & thats why I dont have any problem expressing my differences with him on issues even in public. We are a democratic, argumentative family; & I learnt this from my father only https://t.co/GcF3S7gVmc Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) June 8, 2018 Earlier on Friday, as morphed images of Pranab Mukherjee did the rounds of social media, Sharmistha had tweeted, "See, this is exactly what I was fearing and warned my father about. Not even few hours have passed, but BJP/RSS dirty tricks dept is at work in full swing!" she said. Sharmistha Mukherjee along with other Congress leaders had vehemently opposed her father attending the RSS event and said was giving the BJP and the Sangh a handle to plant false stories. Hope @CitiznMukherjee now realises from todays incident, how BJP dirty tricks dept operates. Even RSS wouldnt believe that u r going 2 endorse its views in ur speech. But the speech will be forgotten, visuals will remain & those will be circulated with fake statements. 1/2 Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) June 6, 2018 .@CitiznMukherjee By going 2 Nagpur, u r giving BJP/RSS full handle 2 plant false stories, spread falls rumours as 2day & making it somewhat believable. And this is just d beginning! 2/2 Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) June 6, 2018 In his speech at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday warned that any attempt to define India through "religion, dogma or intolerance" will only dilute the country's existence. He said intolerance will only dilute India' national identity and Indian nationalism emanated from universalism, assimilation and co-existence. "In India, we derive our strength from tolerance and respect our pluralism. We celebrate our diversity," Mukherjee said. Mukherjee, who served as president of India between 2012 and 2017, added, "I am here to share my understanding on nation, nationalism and patriotism about our country which is 'Bharat'... We must free our public discourse from all kinds of fear and violence." The purported plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been met with scepticism from leaders of the opposition parties. While Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam alleged that the plot could be fake, CPM chief Sitaram Yechury expressed confidence that the PM would receive adequate security cover. The reactions came to the Pune Police's release of a letter that it claimed was an intercept of communication between two Maoist leaders. The letter shows the Maoist leaders discussing the merits of ending 'Modi-raj' by carrying out a 'Rajiv Gandhi type incident', meaning assassination. Congress leader Nirupam was sceptical straight off the block about the Pune Police's decision to release the purported plot. "I am not saying this is completely untrue but it has been PM Modi's old tactic, since he was Chief Minister. Whenever his popularity declines, news of an assassination plot is planted," alleged Nirupam, to news agency ANI. "So, it should be probed how much truth is in it this time," he added as a hedge. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury however was more balanced in his approach. He skirted making a direct comment about the alleged assassination plot, and expressed confidence in the security agencies. "There are security agencies in this countries. They will do their jobs. They have been protecting the leaders of our country and they will continue doing so," he said. Pune Police had on Friday released a letter it claimed to have intercepted between two Maoist leaders. The letter, which seems to have been written in April 2017, shows a call for the Maoist leadership to weigh the benefits of assassinating PM Modi. The rationale the Maoist leaders give for their plots to kill the PM is to 'end Modi-raj' because of the string of electoral victories of the BJP and its allies in Assembly elections. New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday accused the central government of having conspired to take over controls of the Tirumala temple. News agency ANI reported that Naidu, while addressing a public meeting in Chittoor, claimed that the central government had wanted to manage affairs at the highly-revered temple but it is he who ensured their plans did not succeed. "We will not let any conspiracy against the Tirumala temple be successful. The Centre tried to take the temple under their control. We will not let such conspiracies turn into reality. I survived an extremist attack in 2003 only because of Lord Balaji`s blessings. I won`t let the sanctity of the temple of Lord Balaji tampered," he was quoted as saying. Naidu's Telegu Desam Party (TDP) and the central government have had a tumultuous relationship in the last few months over the issue of granting special status to the state of Andhra Pradesh. Accusations have been traded and Naidu walked out of the NDA block over the matter. On Thursday, he once again raked up the issue and said that he and the people of Andhra had been betrayed. "The Central government has betrayed our state in the matter of Special Category Status. Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged SCS to Andhra Pradesh at the feet of Lord Balaji," he said. "As a Chief Minister, I went to Delhi and asked for special status and funds for state development. But they did not give it." Naidu has, in recent times, been seen hobnobbing with prominent faces of opposition parties like Congress and AAP. He was even one of the several high-profile politicians at the swearing in of HD Kumaraswamy as CM of Karnataka - a show of intent, many say, that he has indeed parted ways with the BJP. NEW DELHI: While Congress lauded former president Pranab Mukherjee's speech at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) event in Nagpur, voices of dissent can still be heard from party leaders. Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari on Friday trained guns at the former president over why he chose to attend the event. "May I ask you a question that you still have not answered that is bothering millions of Secularists and Pluralists. Why did you choose to go to the RSS headquarters and deliver homilies on Nationalism? Your generation cautioned mine in training camp after training camp through 80s & 90s about the intent & designs of RSS. You were a part of the Govt that banned RSS in 1975 & then again in 1992. Dont you think you should tell us what was evil about RSS then that has become virtuous now? Either what we were told then was wrong or your lending respectability if not legitimacy to RSS by the act of association is not kosher given your stature in Public life. Was it an attempt at ideological rapprochement/lowering bitterness in political firmament/positioning as cynics suggest," he tweeted. "Whatever the motivation was it will be seen as just an attempt to mainstream RSS in secular and pluralistic consciousness. History tells us when Nazis were strutting around Europe in black berets Chamberlain thru Munich Pact- 1938 thought he had bought the Peace of our Times.What a false dawn it was," he added. His attack at Pranab comes even as the Congress cheered his Thursday's speech in Nagpur. Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram said he was happy that the former president highlighted Congress's ideology during the speech. "Happy that Mr Pranab Mukherjee told the RSS what is right about Congress's ideology. It was his way of saying what is wrong about RSS's ideology," Chidambaram tweeted. Besides Chidambaram, other Congress leaders including Anand Sharma and Randeep Surjewala also lauded Mukherjee's speech at the event. Mukherjee's acceptance of the RSS invitation to attend the Third Year Sangha Shiksha Varga (SSV) event had drawn ire from the Congress and others with the party questioning the motive behind the move. At the event, Pranab said: "We accept and respect our pluralism and celebrate our diversity. Our national identity has emerged after a long drawn process of confluence and assimilation, the multiple cultures and faiths make us special and tolerant. Nationalism is defined as identification oneself with one's own nation. Patriotism is defined as devotion to one's own country. We derive our strength from tolerance. We respect our pluralism. We celebrate our diversity. Intolerance will only dilute our national identity. Any attempt to define our nation through religion, dogma or intolerance will only fade our existence." DALLAS, Texas, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TCQ Financial LLC (TCQ) announced today the filing of an Early Warning Report under Part 5 of Multilateral Instrument 62-104 Take-over Bids and Issuer Bids reporting on the control and direction it currently has over securities of Quantum International Income Corp. (TSXV:QIC) (the Corporation). As part of a loan agreement entered into with the Corporation in 2016 but which has since been repaid in full by the Corporation and which is no longer in place as of April 9. 2018 (the Financing), on May 17, 2017, June 30, 2017, October 6, 2017, November 27, 2017 and December 15, 2017, TCQ acquired an aggregate of 1,956,500 warrants (the Warrants) in connection with additional loans under the Financing. Each Warrant is exercisable for one common share of the Corporation. If fully exercised the Warrants represents approximately 2.78% of the 70,321,206 issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation (the Common Shares). Taking into consideration its current holding of Common Shares and the full exercise of all its Warrants, TCQ currently has control and direction over 9,770,674 Common Shares representing 13.42% of all of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Prior to these issuances of Warrants, TCQ had control and direction over 7,814,174 Common Shares (assuming the full exercise of 500,000 Warrants it already had control or direction over) which represented 14.45% of all of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. The Warrants were issued in connection with additional loans under the Financing with no additional consideration paid and through successive private placements. The Warrants were acquired by TCQ for investment purposes and not for the purpose of exercising control or direction over the Corporation and were issued under the accredited investor prospectus exemption provided in Section 2.3 of National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions. The Corporation reports its address as 79 Wellington Street West, Suite 1630, Toronto, Ontario, M5K 1H1. About TCQ Financial LLC TCQ Financial LLC is organized in Delaware, USA, and managed by Trive Capital Management LLC. Trive Capital is a private equity firm that is focused on acquiring, and making equity and debt investments in, strategically viable middle-market companies that exhibit transformational upside potential. Trive Capital forms collaborative, long-term partnerships with exceptional management teams to identify and implement strategic initiatives that ultimately will lead to operational improvements and value creation. TCQ Financial and Trive Capital have the address set forth below. For Further Information Contact: TCQ Financial LLC c/o Trive Capital Management LLC 2021 McKinney Avenue Suite 1200 Dallas, TX 75201 United States of America Attn: Conner Searcy Telephone: (214) 499-9722 New Delhi: Former Union Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said he was happy to know that former President Pranab Mukherjee had shown the mirror to the Rashtryiaswayam Sewak Sangh (RSS). Former union minister, who had earlier expressed concerns over Pranab Mukherjee's decision to attend an RSS event in Nagpur, said that he was glad that the former president had told the RSS as to what was wrong with its ideology. "Happy that Mr Pranab Mukherjee told the RSS what is right about Congress` ideology. It was his way of saying what is wrong about RSS` ideology," Chidambaram tweeted on Mukherjee's Nagpur visit on Thursday. Happy that Mr Pranab Mukherjee told the RSS what is right about Congress' ideology. It was his way of saying what is wrong about RSS' ideology P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) June 8, 2018 Speaking at the ''Tritya Varsh Varga'' or the last leg of the three-year Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) training programme at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, Mukherjee said that India`s multiple faiths and cultures made it tolerant and that the soul of the nation resided in its pluralism and secularism. "This plurality of our society has come through assimilation of ideas over centuries. Secularism and inclusion are a matter of faith for us. It is our composite culture which makes us into one nation," the former president said. His visit to RSS headquarters had, however, drawn a lot of flak from the Congress party, including from his daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee. (With IANS inputs) JAMMU: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that the Maoists are fighting a lost battle and urged them to shun violence and come to the mainstream of development. The Home Minister made these remarks while speaking at an event in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara. Singh said that out of 135 districts affected by Maoist violence, only 10 districts remained "worst hit", asserting that there had been a considerable fall in left-wing extremism in the country. He stressed that the Maoists, extremists and terrorists were fighting a losing battle. "As far as the Maoists are concerned, they are fighting a lost battle. Extremism by Maoists has shown a significant decrease ( in the country)," Singh said at a press conference here. The Home Minister said that the Maoist influence was spread across 135 districts of the country. "Now it has come down to 90 districts. This is the achievement of our four years of rule and if we go further in describing it, only ten districts have been left where there is a high influence of Maoists," he said. On being asked about reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on the radar of such extremists, Singh said, "We are very cautious about the security of our prime minister". The senior BJP leader added that the north-east has also seen a dip in extremist activities. He said there has been 85 percent decrease in extremism in the northeast. Singh, who reached Jammu and Kashmir yesterday for a two-day visit, also visited the border belts of Kupwara and RS Pura. Remarks from Rajnath Singh came after Pune Police released letters that point to a Maoist plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Police also released pictures of four more persons involved in the Koregaon-Bhima riots of January 1 that left one person dead and appealed to the public to inform them of their whereabouts. One of the incriminating letters has been found from the home of Delhi-based activist Rona Wilson, who was among the five activists arrested from different parts of India on Wednesday as part of the probe into the riots conspiracy and "urban Maoist sympathisers". The letter refers to a requirement of Rs 8 crore to procure M-4 rifles and 400,000 rounds and speaks of "another Rajiv Gandhi-type incident". Former Prime Minister Gandhi was killed by an LTTE suicide bomber during his campaign for the May 1991 Lok Sabha elections in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. The investigators also claimed that the communication seized from the laptop of one of the arrested persons says that "Modi has successfully established BJP government in more than 15 states... if this pace continues, then it would mean immense trouble for the Maoist party on all fronts". Accordingly, they were thinking along the lines of "another Rajiv Gandhi-type incident" by "targeting his roadshows" which they thought "could be an effective strategy". "It sounds suicidal and there is a good chance we might fail but we feel the party must deliberate over our proposal," one of the letters reads. The latest development in case follows the arrests of Wilson, who is the secretary of Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners, advocate Surendra Gadling, General Secretary of Indian Association of Peoples' Lawyers, Shoma Sen, Head of Department of English at Nagpur University (both from Nagpur), Mumbai journalist and 'Vidrohi' editor Sudhir Dhawale, and Mahesh Raut, an activist of Bharat Jan Andolan and a former Fellow at Prime Minister's Rural Development programme in Gadchiroli. Charged under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, they were produced before a Pune court and have been sent to police custody till June 14. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Pranab Mukherjee's daughter and Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee tonight said that as she had feared and cautioned her father against, the "dirty tricks department" of the BJP-RSS was at work in full swing, after a morphed picture was circulated on social media showing the former president raising his hand in salutation like the RSS leaders and cadres. Sharmistha Mukherjee was vehemently opposed to the former president visiting the RSS headquarters and took to Twitter yesterday to express her disapproval of it. "See, this is exactly what I was fearing and warned my father about. Not even few hours have passed, but BJP/RSS dirty tricks dept is at work in full swing!" she said, responding to a tweet showing a "morphed" picture of Pranab Mukherjee doing the salutation along with RSS leaders and cadres at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur today. Sharmistha Mukherjee had yesterday said her father was giving the BJP and the Sangh a handle to plant false stories. "Hope @CitiznMukherjee now realises from todays' incident, how BJP dirty tricks dept operates. Even RSS wouldn't believe that u r going 2 endorse its views in ur speech. But the speech will be forgotten, visuals will remain & those will be circulated with fake statements. "@CitiznMukherjee By going 2 Nagpur, u r giving BJP/RSS full handle 2 plant false stories, spread falls rumours as 2day & making it somewhat believable. And this is just d beginning!" she said on Twitter. See, this is exactly what I was fearing & warned my father about. Not even few hours have passed, but BJP/RSS dirty tricks dept is at work in full swing! https://t.co/dII3nBSxb6 Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) June 7, 2018 The former president's official Twitter handle is @CitiznMukherjee. Her outburst came soon after rumours about her joining the BJP cropped up ahead of Mukherjee's visit to Nagpur tomorrow. She dismissed such "rumours" of her joining the BJP as "false" and alleged they were the handiwork of BJP's "dirty tricks department". She said she would rather leave politics than quit the Congress. New Delhi: The government has left no stone unturned in convincing a UK court that fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya must be extradited to India, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday. "Extradition hearings have been going on. I understand that the closing submissions in the case have already been made. We now wait for the verdict. I can only assure you that we have left no stone unturned in our efforts to convince the courts that the extradition of Vijay Mallya to India should take place," Kumar told reporters in response to a question. In February 2017, India made a formal request to the UK for extradition of Mallya, who faces charges of financial misconduct amounting to nearly Rs 9,000 crore in debt owed to Indian banks by his defunct Kingfisher Airlines. When asked about the location of fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, who allegedly duped Punjab National Bank to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees, he said the MEA will not be able to provide their location details as it comes into picture only when the agencies concerned inform it about their whereabouts. Responding to a question on whether the issue of the extradition of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik from Malaysia came up for discussion during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad, Kumar said the interaction between the two leaders was very short. The meeting happened on May 31 during Modi's visit enroute Singapore and the talks covered a broad overview about the relationship between the two countries. Modi made a brief stopover in Malaysia to meet the nonagenarian leader, who won polls after trumping Najib Razak, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia. Kumar added India had sent request to Malaysia to extradite Naik and it was waiting for a response. On the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un scheduled for June 12 in Singapore, Kumar said, " India welcomes the proposed meeting and supports the peaceful resolution to the Korean Peninsula problem." Rawalakot: Members of banned terrorist outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), led by 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, openly spoke about assassinating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and disintegrating India at a public platform. "Flag of Islam will be hoisted in India and America. (PM) Modi will be killed. India and Israel will get disintegrated as more and more martyrs will be produced," said Maulana Bashir Ahmad Khaki, a senior JuD functionary, reported news agency ANI. Maulana Bashir was speaking at the Friday sermon, during the holy month of Ramzan 2018, in Rawalakot city of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's (PoK's) Poonch district. He further instigated the listeners to wage Jihad (holy war) during the holy month of Ramzan. "Ramadan is the pious month of 'Jihad-o-Qital' (Jihad and killing). Those who attain martyrdom while waging Jihad, doors of heaven remain open "JuD cadres are still waging Jihad in Kashmir and fighting with Indian forces in Kashmir. They are waging Jihad for freedom of Kashmir and destruction of India. Urged participants to raise flag of 'Jihad' against infidels," he said while requested the people in PoK to allow their sons to join for Jihad. "I Appeal participants to donate generously (wheat, ration and cash) during the month of 'Ramadan' to JuD and for 'Mujahideen' waging Jihad. I also urge women to donate their sons and cash for 'Mujahideen' who were waging 'Jihad' in Kashmir," he added. The global community has been cracking down on JuD, the front organisation for the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), since the beginning of the year. JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, who was under house arrest from January to November, carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities. President Donald Trump-led US administration froze the $2 billion military aid for Pakistan and asked it to act on home-grown terror elements. Another plot to assassinate PM Modi by ISIS operatives was foiled by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in May this year. The assassins wanted to kill him with a sniper rifle. With ANI inputs NEW DELHI: Bhartiya Janata Party patriarch Lal Krishna Advani on Friday lauded former president Pranab Mukherjee for attending the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) event in Nagpur on Thursday. Advani said that Pranab showed grace and goodwill in accepting the invitation. "I warmly commend Shri Mohan Bhagwat ji, Sarsanghchalak of the RSS, for inviting Shri Mukherjee to address the swayamsevaks who completed the third year of training this year. I also heartily congratulate Shri Mukherjee for his grace and goodwill in accepting the invitation," he said in a statement on Friday. Advani said that the views shared by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Pranab at the event had a lot in common and expressed hope that such conversations will help in creating an atmosphere of tolerance, harmony and cooperation. "There was significant concord and resonance in the views expressed by both leaders. Both of them highlighted the essential unity of India, which accepts and respects all diversities including the pluralism of faiths. Such conversations, conducted in the spirit of openness and mutual respect, will surely help in creating a much-needed atmosphere of tolerance, harmony and cooperation to build an India of our common dreams," he added. He stated that the coming together of the two leaders has set a praiseworthy example. "I believe that these two national leaders have truly set a praiseworthy example of dialogue transcending ideological affiliations and differences," he said. Here is the full text of Advani's statement on Pranab Mukherjee's visit to the RSS event: Yesterdays visit by Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Indias former President, to the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur, and his illuminating exposition of the noble idea and ideals of Indian nationalism, are a significant event in our countrys contemporary history. I warmly commend Shri Mohan Bhagwat ji, Sarsanghchalak of the RSS, for inviting Shri Mukherjee to address the swayamsevaks who completed the third year of training this year. I also heartily congratulate Shri Mukherjee for his grace and goodwill in accepting the invitation. There was significant concord and resonance in the views expressed by both leaders. Both of them highlighted the essential unity of India, which accepts and respects all diversities including the pluralism of faiths. As a lifelong swayamsevak of the RSS, I believe that these two national leaders have truly set a praiseworthy example of dialogue transcending ideological affiliations and differences. I have had the pleasure and privilege of knowing, and working closely with, Shri Pranab Babu in and outside Parliament. His own reflective nature, combined with his long and varied experience in public life, have made him a statesman who strongly believes in the necessity of dialogue and cooperation among people of various ideological and political backgrounds. I am happy that, under the leadership of Shri Bhagwat ji, the RSS has expanded and intensified its efforts to reach out to various sections of our nation in the spirit of dialogue. Such conversations, conducted in the spirit of openness and mutual respect, will surely help in creating a much-needed atmosphere of tolerance, harmony and cooperation to build an India of our common dreams. QINGDAO: Top leaders of India, Russia, and China and some of their close allies will converge here on Saturday for the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit which will explore concrete ways to bolster cooperation in the fight against terrorism, extremism and radicalisation besides deliberating on pressing global issues. In his address at the two-day SCO summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to articulate India's position on dealing with major challenges facing the world including ways to tackle terrorism, and boosting trade and investment in the region. The summit in this eastern Chinese port city is taking place under the shadow of Washington's pullout from the Iran nuclear deal, its sanctions regime against Russia, and frictions with China over the trade tariffs. Diplomats from several member countries said all these issues may figure at the summit as well as during deliberations on its sidelines. In the wake of Washington's strained ties with both Russia and China and Iran, officials said the SCO summit will provide an opportunity for President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to portray a common vision for the region and present the bloc as a powerful voice to deal with pressing global issues. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is also scheduled to attend the summit which will give leaders of India, Russia, China and other central Asian countries a chance to deliberate on the Iran nuclear deal. The US had pulled out of the deal last month, triggering sharp reactions from across the globe. The SCO leaders are meeting ahead of a much-awaited summit next week between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore, and the situation in the Korean peninsula may also figure at the meeting here, officials said on condition of anonymity. India became a full member of the China-dominated grouping last year and New Delhi's entry into it is expected to increase the bloc's heft in regional geopolitics and trade negotiations besides giving it a pan-Asian hue. Hours after his arrival in this port city, Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Xi during which the two leaders are expected to explore ways to deepen ties in areas of trade and investment besides reviewing the overall bilateral cooperation. The meeting is taking place weeks after the two leaders held an informal summit in the central Chinese city of Wuhan during which they exchanged views on solidifying the relationship between the two Asian powers. In tomorrow's meeting, Modi and Xi are likely to take stock of progress in the implementation of decisions they had taken at the informal summit. About the SCO summit, officials said India will pitch for evolving effective ways to deal with the growing challenge of terrorism and enhancing security cooperation among SCO countries. India is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. India was an observer at the SCO since 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region. Along with India, Pakistan was also granted membership of the SCO last year. The officials said India is also likely to focus on the importance of regional connectivity projects to boost trade among members of the SCO countries. India has been strongly pushing for connectivity projects like the Chabahar port project and International North-South Transport Corridor to gain access to resource-rich Central Asian countries. Sources indicated that India's focus would be to include its concerns over cross-border terrorism in the final outcome document of the summit. India has been raising the issue of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in various multilateral forums with an aim to build pressure on Islamabad to dismantle the terror infrastructure operating from that country. Modi is expected to hold nearly half a dozen bilateral meetings with leaders of other SCO countries. However, there is no official word on whether there will be any interaction between Modi and Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain, who is scheduled to attend the meeting in China. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. New Delhi: Ahead of his departure for Qingdao, China, on Saturday for this year's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on June 9-10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the meeting will herald a new beginning for India's engagement with the Eurasian bloc. Stating that he is excited to lead the Indian delegation for India's first ever participation in the Summit as a full member, Modi said in a pre-departure statement, "I believe that the Qingdao Summit will further enrich the SCO agenda while heralding a new beginning for India's engagement with the SCO." On 9th and 10th June, I will be in Qingdao, China to take part in the annual SCO Summit. This will be Indias first SCO Summit as a full member. Will be interacting with leaders of SCO nations and discussing a wide range of subjects with them. https://t.co/7mwQLaHGkS Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 8, 2018 This will be the first time India will be participating in the SCO Summit after being granted full membership of the bloc, along with Pakistan, in June last year. The SCO is a Eurasian inter-governmental organisation, the creation of which was announced in 2001 in Shanghai by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism. "The SCO has a rich agenda for cooperation, ranging from fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism to promoting cooperation in connectivity, commerce, customs, law, health and agriculture; protecting the environment and mitigating disaster risk; and fostering people-to-people relations," Modi said. "In the last one year since India became a full member of the SCO, our interaction with the organisation and its member states has grown considerably in these areas." Modi will also hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Summit. While the bilateral meeting with Xi will be held on June 9, June 10 is the main day of the SCO Summit in Qingdao in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong. The bilateral summit between Modi and Xi will be held after the two leaders met for an informal summit on April 27-28 at the invitation of the Chinese leader in Wuhan, China, where they pledged to keep the India-China border quiet and personally guide their respective armies to avert a Doklam-like military stand-off in future. Modi is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders of other member states of the SCO on the sidelines of the Summit Stating that India enjoys deep friendship and multi-dimensional ties with the member states of the SCO, he said: "On the sidelines of the SCO Summit, I will have the opportunity of meeting and sharing views with several other leaders, including the heads of states of many SCO member states." At a media briefing here on Thursday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that connectivity, the fight against terrorism, common development and extending relations with Central Asian countries will be among India's objectives at the Summit. SCO countries now account for around 42 percent of the world's population, 22 percent of the land area and 20 percent of the GDP. NEW DELHI: The Congress and the RSS seem to have found themselves on same unlikely page for the second time in as many days. Both organisations, which see each other as existential foes, on Friday strongly condemned fake viral images showing former President Pranab Mukherjee performing an 'RSS salute'. The Congress had earlier in the day tweeted its displeasure over the doctored images doing the rounds. The fake image had gone viral despite the fact that numerous videos of Mukherjee taking part in the event at the RSS headquarters were available online. "Within a few hours of @CitiznMukherjee's speech at the RSS HQ, Sangh Brotherhood's photoshop factories were back to their old tradition of trying to appropriate Congress leaders," read the tweet from the Congress, which placed the blame for the manipulation squarely at the feet of Sangh outfits. Within a few hours of @CitiznMukherjee's speech at the RSS HQ, Sangh Brotherhood's photoshop factories were back to their old tradition of trying to appropriate Congress leaders. pic.twitter.com/16qawDps7M Congress (@INCIndia) June 8, 2018 However, this turned out to be one of those rare instances when the Congress found the RSS agreeing with something it said. RSS deputy chief Manmohan Vaidya issued a statement condemning the image as well. "Some divisive political forces have posted a morphed photo of former president of Bharat Dr. Pranab Mukherjee standing in a prayer position with a folded hand during recitation of Sangha Prarthana at yesterday's RSS function at Nagpur We denounce and strongly condemn such dirty tricks by these divisive political forces to deliberately defame RSS," read the statement Press Statement Issued by Dr.Manmohan Vaidya, Sah Sarkaryavah of Sangh, in the context of a morphed photo of Sh Pranab Mukherjee posted by some divisive political forces. https://t.co/LmxyWLyCqF RSS (@RSSorg) June 8, 2018 "These forces initially tried to create an opposition to make Dr Mukherjee refrain from attending this function. And now these frustrated forces are doing all such dirty tricks to defame RSS," Vaidya added. Mukherjee made history of sorts when he appeared on stage at the RSS headquarters, arguably becoming the first Congress leader to do so. The Congress was not at all pleased with his acceptance of the RSS invitation, with the former First Citizen also attracting criticism from his own daughter and Congress member Sharmistha Mukherjee. The Congress was forced to flip-flop into praising its veteran after his speech. BJP veteran LK Advani too praised Mukherjee's participation and speech at the RSS. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to set up a committee to study how the temples of cultural and architectural importance across the country were managed, particularly vis-a-vis facilities for pilgrims and utilisation of donations/offerings. A vacation bench of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Ashok Bhushan said that the best practices so identified would be used to facilitate hassle-free access to pilgrims to these places of worship and curb fleecing by priests and others associated with these shrines. "We only want that lakhs and lakhs of devotees who visit the places of worship of importance are not exploited... there are no encroachment, malpractices... funds coming to the temple are not misused," said Justice Goel. The court said its endeavour is to "protect the welfare of the pilgrims going to these shrines for thousands of years". The court order came on a petition that sought curbing of malpractices in the management of Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri in Odisha and a report on the missing key of the 'Ratna Bhandar', where precious jewellery and other valuables are stored. The Supreme Court asked the government to constitute a committee to study the management practices at the Vaishno Devi shrine, Tirupati Temple, Sai Baba Temple at Shirdi, Somnath Temple and the Golden Temple in Amritsar and suggest changes in the management of Shri Jagannath Temple. The top court also issued a slew of directions to address the alleged exploitation of devotees at Shri Jagannath Temple and the management of its finances, including donations and offerings by pilgrims. The court said that the donations/offerings to the temple deity will go directly to the temple management and not be pocketed by priests attending on the deity. It is the temple management that will make payments to the shrine's 'sevaks' (staff), including priests. Describing Shri Jagannath Temple as a place of national importance, the apex court directed the Puri District Judge to submit by June 30 a factual report on the difficulties faced by pilgrims/devotees, including their alleged exploitation. The report will point to deficiencies in temple management and make suggestions to improve the same. The Supreme Court directed the temple committee and the district administration, including the District Collector, to extend the necessary help to the District Judge. The court ordered the district administration to submit a report on the number of closed-circuit televisions installed in the temple complex, and who all were viewing the footage. The court said that the administration has to ensure there is no direct collection of contributions/donations from devotees and all offerings are accounted for. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Candente Copper Corp. (TSX:DNT) (BVL:DNT) ("Candente or the Company) was advised this morning that Anglo Pacific Group PLC has acquired the existing 0.5% Net Smelter Return Royalty (NSR) over the Canariaco Copper Project from Entree Resources Ltd. Given Anglo Pacifics decision to purchase the NSR and their positive comments about the Canariaco Copper Project and our Company in their News Release of today, we consider this a very positive validation of the project's attractiveness, commented Joanne Freeze, President and CEO of Candente Copper Corp. The Company agrees with Anglo Pacific's stated prediction that decreasing copper supplies will lead to a supply deficit based on industrial demand sources alone. Add to this an incremental copper demand, driven by green technology, creates conditions for an even tighter supply environment. About Anglo Pacific Anglo Pacific Group PLC is a global natural resources royalty and streaming company with a diverse portfolio of assets in low risk jurisdictions and is the only listed company on the London Stock Exchange focused on royalties connected with the mining of natural resources. The Company's strategy is to develop a leading international diversified royalty and streaming company with a portfolio centred on base metals and bulk materials, focusing on accelerating income growth through acquiring royalties and streams on projects that are currently cash flow generating or are expected to be within the next 24 months, as well as investment in earlier stage projects. About Candente Copper Candente Copper is a mineral exploration company engaged in acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. The Company is currently focused on its 100% owned Canariaco project, which includes the Feasibility stage Canariaco Norte deposit as well as the Canariaco Sur deposit and Quebrada Verde prospect, located within the western Cordillera of the Peruvian Andes in the Department of Lambayeque in Northern Peru. Joanne C. Freeze, P.Geo., CEO, and Michael Thicke, P.Geo., are the Qualified Persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for the projects discussed above. They have reviewed and approved the contents of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Candente Copper relies upon litigation protection for forward-looking statements. On behalf of the Board of Candente Copper Corp. Joanne C. Freeze P.Geo. President, CEO and Director ___________________________________ For further information please contact: Joanne C. Freeze P.Geo. President, CEO and Director Tel +1 604-689-1957 info@candentecopper.com www.candentecopper.com NOIDA: The ZIMA School of Journalism has launched an exclusive 9-month Certificate programme in Journalism at its Noida campus on Friday in collaboration with Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL), Indias largest news network. The 9-month course includes a 3-month internship in an actual newsroom, during which students will be paid a stipend. Loan facilities through Essel Finance are also available to those who may wish to opt for it. Students are enrolled after an extremely rigorous Potential Assessment that comprises news based written tests in English, Hindi & anyone Regional Language, Live video shot into Camera and culminates with an interview by senior Editors of Zee Media/DNA. Those successfully completing the 9-month course, will get opportunities to work with Zee Media /DNA in various capacities. Pedagogy is designed to ensure students are groomed as multi-format, multi-lingual journalists and trained in the latest trends and technologies within media, including Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality etc. Classes will be taken by established names of the academia as well as industry, supplemented by guest lectures and internships; thus ensuring a very strong industry interface. This course thus addresses the growing concern that students may not be industry-ready. While the batch at Noida has commenced, a similar initiative is planned in Mumbai, with enrolments on in full swing. Sushil Joshi, Chief Human Resources Officer, CHRO, Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL) stated, We are very selective about entry standards into the course & select only those who have high natural aptitude so that we can transform a rough diamond into a polished diamond ie. top class new-age Multi-Format Multi Lingual journalist for Zee Media & DNA . Hence, the course design is highly experiential & practical oriented. This course will be the route through which Zee Media & DNA will build its own Young Journalist pipeline. Those interested to enrol in the courses can contact yogesh.lad@zeemedia.esselgroup.com / diana.chettiar@dnaindia.net at Mumbai; .. for Noida, . for Jaipur. NEW DELHI: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Friday replied to the FIR filed against them in connection with the death of a youngster after being allegedly run over by the security vehicle in Srinagar. The CRPF in its reply said that officers present inside the vehicle had shown utmost restraint and only got to know about the incident later. The CRPF quoted DSP Ayoub Pandith case where he was lynched by a mob in and around the same area. They said that utmost restraint was shown by the CRPF and learnt about the incident later as the whole vehicle was under attack and boys were on top of the same vehicle. Jammu and Kashmir Police had filed two FIRs against CRPF's Srinagar unit under sections 307 (Attempt to murder), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 279 (Rash driving) among other sections including sections 149, 152, 336 and 427. Kaiser Ahmad, a 21-year-old youth, was allegedly run over by a CRPF vehicle in Nowhatta area last week. The vehicle was stuck amid a protesting mob when the incident took place. Police said there was no deployment in the area on Friday as the authorities had decided to ease tension in the area during Friday's congregational prayers. However, after the Friday prayers culminated at the Jamia Masjid, a group of youth reportedly started pelting stones on the security forces. Police said that the forces fired tear shells to chase away the protestors. Some protestors attacked a vehicle of the CRPF which had taken a wrong turn and crossed paths with the mob while it was reportedly going for another assignment. The vehicle hit two youngsters from the mob, leaving them injured. One of them succumbed to his injuries later. Kanpur: Government hospitals in Uttar Pradesh are once again in the line of fire after five deaths were reported within 24 hours at the Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital here. Relatives of patients who died have alleged that the AC plant for the ICU had not been working for several days. It is reported that the ACs in the ICU wing of the hospital had not been working since Wednesday and that the head nurse had even submitted a written complaint about it. To provide relief to the patients, windows and doors around the wing were opened but relatives say it was not enough because of the intense heat across the city. They say they even had to use hand fans to try and bring some relief to the patients. It was not enough and between Wednesday and Thursday, as many as five patients died. Saurabh Agarwal, in-charge for the ICU wing has admitted that the ACs were not working but has refused allegations that the deaths happened due to it. He claimed that patients in ICU are in serious conditions and that the deaths that occurred were because of natural reasons. The principal of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College too has said that the deaths happened because of cardiac arrest and chronic illnesses. A complaint, nonetheless, was lodged with the District Magistrate who came here to investigate the matter. He reportedly assured help to relatives of all patients who passed away. Instances of apathy in UP's medical set-up - especially in government hospitals in both urban and rural centres - are aplenty. The most infamous was when a number of children died in Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College, allegedly due to lack of oxygen cylinders. Bhubaneswar/Puri: Amid controversy and intense scrutiny of the missing keys of the ancient treasury chamber Ratna Bhandar of Puri's 12-century Jagannath Temple, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday questioned state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the progress on finding the missing keys. CM ordered setting up of inquiry commission over lost keys of Ratna Bhandar. But I want ask to CM Naveen Babu, does inquiry commission posses a magic wand? Commission is just to make a fool of Odia people, said Pradhan. Meanwhile, Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, who possesses one of the three keys of the Ratna Bhandar, refuted any role in the incident. "Prior to 1960, the Gajapati as 'Raja Superintendent' in-charge of the administration of temple affairs, was fully responsible and accountable for the safe custody of Ratna Bhandar and its keys," he said. "But upon implementation of Shri Jagannath Temple Act in 1960, the state government became the supreme authority of the secular management of temple affairs and consequently the ultimate responsibility for ensuring safety of Ratna Bhandar and safe custody of its keys was taken over by the state government with power to frame appropriate rules and/or issue directions in that regard," Deb said. The keys of the Ratna Bhandar treasury went missing, sparking an intense speculation if the ancient coffers are under threat. State Chief Minister on Monday, June 4, ordered a judicial probe into the matter. The incident came to light two months ago, on April 4, during a meeting of the Sri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee. On April 4, after 34-long years, a 16-member team entered the inner chambers of the ancient temple to inspect the physical conditions amid tight security following an order of the Orissa High Court. However, the team could not enter the inner chambers due to unavailability of keys and inspected the condition through an iron grill from outside with the help of search lights. The state on Thursday appointed retired Orissa High Court judge Raghubir Dash as the chairman of the inquiry commission constituted to probe the case of missing keys of the Jagannath Temple treasury. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved Dash's name for the post and the commission will submit its report in August after the annual Ratha Yatra on July 14. With agency inputs Mumbai: American celebrity chef, author and television personality Anthony Bourdain has been found dead in his hotel room on Friday. He was 61. According to reports, it seems to be a suspected suicide. His close friend and French chef Eric Ripert reportedly found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room on Friday morning. He was in France's Strasbourg to shoot for a series titled Parts Unknown, reports CNN. "It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain," the network said in a statement. "His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time." He rose to popularity soon after his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly hit the stands in 2000. He hosted shows such as A Cook's Tour, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and The Layover. (With IANS inputs) Mumbai: Actress Sonakshi Sinha will be attending a charity gala hosted by the Women's India Association in London as the brand ambassador of their empowerment program. The Vintage Glamour charity Ball will be held on Friday at Grosvenor House Hotel, London, read a statement to IANS. Sonakshi will be aiding the organisation to raise funds for the projects that reflect the ethos of empowering women and children. "WIA is one of the oldest Indian charitable organisations in the UK which is completely dedicated in its commitment to empowering women and children through education, rehabilitation, life skills and social welfare," Sonakshi said. "I feel honoured to be part of the gala this year and help them raise funds for their ongoing effort to reconstruct the place of women and children in our society," she added. According to a source, the actress has wrapped up "her shoot for 'Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi' and is amidst prep for 'Kalank' and rehearsals for the Dabbang Tour". "When this opportunity came her way, she knew it's something she wanted to pursue given how legitimate their efforts were towards women and children's initiatives. So she decided to make time for the gala," the source added. San Francisco: After reports of Facebook's data-sharing partnerships with 60 device makers including some Chinese players raised eyebrows, members of the US Congress have now reportedly expressed concern about Google's parent company Alphabet's dealings with Huawei and Xiaomi. In an open letter addressed to Alphabet CEO Larry Page, Senator Mark Warner talked about indications of the practice of embedding social media sharing functions with Chinese Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) "may have been more widespread, potentially through agreements between Alphabet's subsidiaries and these Chinese companies". The Virginia Democrat pointed out that Google pursued various strategic partnerships with Chinese mobile device manufacturers, including Huawei and Xiaomi, as well as Tencent, a Chinese technology platform. Warner said that the possibility of Tencent having access to data from Google "raises national security concerns," CNET reported on Thursday. The Alphabet CEO should disclose more information about Google's deals with those companies, Warner said. Google is likely to address the concerns raised by Warner. "Like many US companies, we have agreements with dozens of OEMs around the world, including Huawei," a Google spokeswoman was quoted as saying by CNET. "We do not provide special access to Google user data as part of these agreements, and our agreements include privacy and security protections for user data," the spokeswoman added. Republicans also appear to be concerned by Google's relationship with Huawei, the report said. The alarm from Congress speaks volumes about the tensions between the US and China over concerns that Beijing could digitally spy on Americans. Facebook earlier admitted sharing users' data with Huawei along with three other China-based smartphone makers Lenovo, OPPO and TCL. The Facebook confirmation came a day after The New York Times reported that the social media giant provided access to users' data to at least 60 different device makers -- including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Samsung and BlackBerry. New Delhi: Television actress Aashka Goradia recently made a big revelation on Rajeev Khandelwal's talk show 'Juzz Baatt' about how her sexuality was misinterpreted in the reality show Bigg Boss. Aashka was part of the sixth season of the reality show Bigg Boss. During her stay, she was rumoured to be in a relationship with actress Sana Khan. Speculations started doing the rounds when Aashka was seen applying a balm on Sana on the show. The actress, however, claimed that the scenes were edited in such a way that made her relationship with Sana seem otherwise. "My sexuality was portrayed in a wrong way. I was intentionally made to come across as a lesbian on this reality show through editing tricks and it was extremely embarrassing for me and my parents. I was rubbing balm on a sick fellow inmate's body after she had broken into an allergic reaction," said Aashka in a statement to IANS. "I was putting my hand inside her blanket so as not to embarrass her about her rash on national television and they made it look like something else was going on. At that point, I was inside the house as per the show's format and wasn't even around to defend myself. When my mother visited me, she told me about how I was being depicted in the media and how everyone had started questioning my sexuality," she added. "But, the show's host, my friends and the entire media fraternity came out in my support and tried their best to salvage the situation. And, today I want to take this opportunity to let the whole world know that I am happily married to a very handsome man and extremely content with being straight", she added. Aashka became a household name after featuring in Ekta Kapoor's 'Kkusum' in 2003. She then went on to portray the iconic role of Kallavati in 'Laagi Tujhse Lagan'. She tied the knot with Brent Goble, a businessman on December 1, 2017. All her close friends from the television industry attended her wedding. Also, she had a Christian wedding ceremony on December 1, followed by a traditional Hindu ceremony on December 3, 2017. Aashka and Brent participated together in dance reality show 'Nach Baliye 8'. (With inputs from IANS) Mumbai: Actor-comedian Kapil Sharma, who has been in the news for controversies and trouble in his professional and public life, says he is trying to change his lifestyle and will come back with a new show soon. After his abusive rant on Twitter in April, Kapil returned to the micro-blogging website on Thursday to share an update about his health and his lifestyle. "Hello friends. Hope all well. Let's have a chat...till then listen to this Punjabi dance number by my friends Dr Zeus and Zora Worldwide," he tweeted late on Thursday. When one user expressed how much he misses Kapil on TV and how he has been watching his "Comedy Circus" episodes on repeat, Kapil said: "No problem... will start something new soon." He also shared that he has gained weight, but will work hard to get back into shape. "Chalo now good night... Trying to change my lifestyle. God bless all," he signed off. In April, Kapil made headlines drawing bad press when an audio call in which he is heard hurling abuses at a journalist, was made public. Many of his fans were shocked to see this side of their favourite entertainer. Last year, Kapil had a mid-air fight with his colleague, comedian Sunil Grover. The fight led to a widely talked about controversy, after which they parted ways professionally from "Comedy Nights With Kapil" which had brought both of them unprecedented fame. Kapil also featured in films, but then returned to television with his new show "Family Time With Kapil Sharma", which didn't get the expected response. The show went off on a break after only two episodes, soon after the controversy with the journalist broke. London: UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has reportedly warned there may be a Brexit "meltdown" and has also praised US President Donald Trump saying there is "method in his madness", media reports said. In comments made at a private dinner this week, the British Foreign Secretary also referred to the Treasury as the "heart of Remain", according to a report by Buzzfeed. In recorded comments to the campaign group Conservative Way Forward, he reportedly said he was "increasingly admiring of Donald Trump". Johnson`s friends said they were disappointed that the remarks made at a private event had been covertly recorded, the BBC said. The foreign secretary was apparently speaking to a group in a private room after an Institute of Directors reception on Wednesday night. According to Buzzfeed, Johnson said Prime Minister Theresa May was "going to go into a phase where we are much more combative with Brussels". He reportedly added: "You`ve got to face the fact there may now be a meltdown. OK? I don`t want anybody to panic during the meltdown. No panic. Pro bono public,... It`s going to be all right in the end." Johnson was said to have also described concerns over the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic as "pure millennium bug stuff" and suggested that Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond`s department was "basically the Heart of Remain". On the US President, who is preparing for a historic summit with North Korea`s leader Kim Jong-un, Johnson reportedly said: "I have become more and more convinced that there is a method in his madness." He added: "He`d go in bloody hard... There would be all sorts of breakdowns, all sorts of chaos. Everyone would think he had gone mad. But actually, you might get somewhere. It`s a very, very good thought." TORONTO and NUCLA, Colo., June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Western Uranium Corporation (CSE:WUC) (OTCQX:WSTRF) (Western or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Letter Agreement (Agreement) with Battery Mineral Resource Nevada Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Battery Mineral Resources Limited (BMR) to form a joint venture for vanadium development at the Sage Mine Project. Vanadium grades in excess of 1.50% at the Sage Mine represent some of the highest in the world. The Sage Mine Project is located within the Uravan Mineral Belt and comprised of 94 unpatented mining claims in Utah and Colorado, USA. Sage Mines last production was in 1990. A technical report on the Sage Mine Project entitled "Technical Report on Sage Plain Project" (the "Report") was prepared for Colorado Plateau Partners LLC. The Report, which is dated December 16, 2011, was prepared in accordance with the National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral projects ("NI 43-101"). The Report was prepared by Douglas C. Peters (Peters Geosciences) as a "qualified person" as such term is defined under NI 43-101. The Report provided historic resource estimates of about 4.8 million pounds of vanadium at an average grade of 1.72% and about 580,000 pounds of uranium at an average grade of 0.21%; an approximately 8:1 ratio of vanadium to uranium. Moreover, the Report disclosed ultra-high vanadium grades in the Sage Mine deposit at 1.67%, 2.54%, and 1.80%, respectively for the formerly classified measured, indicated, and inferred resources. Western notes that a qualified person (as defined in NI 43-101) has not done sufficient work on the Sage Mine Project to classify historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves (as defined under NI 43-101) and Western is not treating these historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. More work, including the filing of a NI 43-101 technical report on www.sedar.com will be required in order to disclose the historic estimates outlined above as current NI 43-101 mineral resource estimates. In the Report, the vanadium grades are based on assays where known, and otherwise were estimated at the average vanadium to uranium ratios for the property used by previous operators based on past production. Western believes that the historical estimates are relevant to support continued exploration and development of the Sage Mine Project. Under the Agreement, BMR will underwrite the cost of scoping, engineering and technical studies during the due diligence period to prepare for commencing pre-production work for resumption of production. Subsequent to the due diligence work program, BMR has the option to enter into a definitive Joint Venture Agreement which will trigger an additional buy-in payment to Western. Thereafter BMR and Western will divide joint venture expenditures 50/50 and divide vanadium offtake 65/35 and uranium offtake 10/90. The higher percentage of vanadium offtake for BMR aligns with its rechargeable battery and energy storage mandate. The agreed deal structure compensates Western for the differential in the offtake percentage. The Agreement provides BMR an additional period to exercise a short-term option to purchase the entire Sage Mine Project. BMR also retains the right to not proceed beyond due diligence. Under the joint venture or purchase option, the transaction is anticipated to close on or before August 10, 2018. Western has increasingly focused on monetizing its vanadium rich resources as vanadium prices have rallied from the $5 per pound price level to over $14 per pound over the past year. Notably, the Sage Mine Project represents one (1) of seven (7) permitted and previously producing property/mines in the Western resource portfolio. Going forward, Western will continue exploring additional transactions which provide an economic basis to baseload additional mines into production with other resource companies or end users. This Agreement exemplifies the increased importance of vanadium to Western and is supportive of the Companys proposed name change to Western Uranium & Vanadium Corp. A name change proposal has been placed on the Proxy for shareholder consideration at the Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders to be held on June 29, 2018. The global vanadium pentoxide market is facing a supply deficit, while the Company holds large vanadium resources that make Western one of the more significant U.S. holders of vanadium resources. About Western Uranium Corporation Western Uranium Corporation is a Colorado based uranium and vanadium conventional mining company focused on low cost near-term production of uranium and vanadium in the western United States and development and application of ablation mining technology. This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on the Companys expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: George Glasier President and CEO 970-864-2125 gglasier@western-uranium.com Robert Klein Chief Financial Officer 908-872-7686 rklein@western-uranium.com In what could be a powerful statement to the United States that China stands with North Korea, a Chinese fighter jet may escort Kim Jong-un's plane to Singapore where he is scheduled to meet Donald Trump next Tuesday (June 12). A South China Morning Post report quoted a South Korean military source as saying that China is planning to send an escort fighter jet with North Korea Air Force One that would be taking Kim Jong-un for the historic meet. "Escorting (a head of a state) with jets is one of the highest security protocols that the air force can provide, the source was quoted as saying. "If China does provide the escort, it may be a message directed at the US-ROK alliance that China is strongly backing up the Kim regime." Singapore is over 4,000 kilometres away from Pyongyang. The only known overseas trip Kim has made since taking power was to China earlier this year - in a heavily-armoured train. It is learnt that he is extremely finicky - bordering on paranoia - about his personal security and having a Chinese fighter jet trailing his plane could be reassuring. Security analysts believe he would also be making use of Chinese airspace for most parts of his aerial journey towards Singapore. Meanwhile, North Korean security and intelligence officials have already begun preparing for Kim's visit in Singapore. His security contingent could be extremely large with many saying it could rival that of Trump. Washington: US President Donald Trump will skip scheduled sessions on climate change, clean energy and oceans during the two-day G7 Summit which is slated to begin on Friday in Quebec, Canada, the White House announced. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, announced on Thursday that Trump will leave the resort in Charlevoix (where all the events are taking place) at 10.30 a.m. on Saturday, well before the Summit officially concludes later that day, reports The New York Times. He will attend an early-morning session on "women`s empowerment", but he will be gone before any joint statement is issued by the other leaders, Sanders added. Earlier Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lashed out at Trump for imposing tariffs on their steel and aluminium industries. "The American President may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a six country agreement if need be," Macron tweeted. "Because these six countries represent values, they represent an economic market which has the weight of history behind it and which is now a true international force." Also on Thursday, Trudeau said at a news conference that with Macron, "we are going to defend our industries and our workers" and "show the US President that his unacceptable actions are hurting his own citizens". Trump responded with his trademark Twitter bluntness a few hours later, The New York Times reported. "Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the US massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers," he tweeted. "The EU trade surplus with the US is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out... Look forward to seeing them tomorrow." Trump is scheduled to arrive Friday morning for the Summit. He will then attend a gathering that traditionally includes a moment of global camaraderie -- the "family photo" that captures Presidents and Prime Ministers smiling for the camera. The tariffs he imposed last week on Canada, Mexico and the European Union have drawn sharp backlash from allies, whose leaders have described feelings of anger, regret and confusion, reports CNN. "Patently absurd" is what Liam Fox, the British trade minister, called them. German Chancellor Angela Merkelsaid they were "illegal", while Trudeau said they were "insulting and totally unacceptable". But Trump`s aides have signaled that he was unwilling to rethink the decision. "There are disagreements. He`s sticking to his guns, and he`s going to talk to them," said Larry Kudlow, Trump`s top economic adviser, at a briefing on Wednesday. Peshawar: A cousin of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will contest the July 25 general election in Pakistan from a constituency here, a media report said on Thursday. Noor Jehan will be running for a Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly seat as an independent candidate, The Express Tribune reported. Jehan and her family reside in Shah Wali Qataal area, adjacent to the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazaar. Being Shah Rukh's paternal cousin, Jehan visited the Bollywood superstar twice and the family maintains a close contact with their relatives across the border, the report said. "We have a political legacy attached to the family," her brother said, adding that his sister has previously served as a councillor. The Awami National Party (ANP) had also considered Jehan for a reserved seat for women, but unfortunately she couldn't make it to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, the report said. Read the original text at 112.ua. Afanasyev The lawyer of Ukrainian political prisoner Alexander Kolchenko, Andriy Lepekhin believes that the Russian authorities are trying to pass Ukrainian political prisoners off as the terrorists. In his opinion, this is the only way to understand the information that the alleged accusation against Oleg Sentsov was based in part on the testimony of Gennadiy Afanasyev. "The thing is that when dealing with the administration of the colony, we see that they have one position: "these are terrorists, why do you come here and help those terrorists?" This is an attempt to pass Ukrainian political prisoners off as terrorists," said Lepekhin. May this year marked the fourth anniversary of the arrest of the so-called Crimean Four. Oleg Sentsov, Olexandr Kolchenko and two other Crimean citizens - Gennady Afanasyev and Oleksiy Chyrniy were seized by the Russian FSB in May 2014. According to the FSB, the group was going to organize a series of terrorist attacks in major cities of Crimea: Simferopol, Yalta, and Sevastopol. In particular, Russian security claimed that the terrorist cell planned to blow up a monument to Vladimir Lenin and the Eternal Flame Memorial, as well as to set on fire a number of United Russia party offices. Neither Sentsov nor Kolchenko pleaded guilty to the charges calling the latter absurd and politically motivated. The evidence provided by the prosecution is largely based on the testimony of two other defendants in the case, Gennadiy Afanasiev and Oleksiy Chirniy who had copped a plea bargain and admitted their guilt. Afanasyev and Chirniy initially gave confessions under torture, and agreed to "cooperate" with the investigators. Both received minimum 7-year sentences in separate trials. Later in court, Afanasyev found the courage to refuse to obey the FSBs orders and to stand up and state that all previous testimony had been untrue and extracted through torture. Sentsov had, from the outset, described the torture that he was subjected to, but had withstood. Gennady Afanasyev returned to Ukraine from the Russian imprisonment on June 14, 2016. He was exchanged for Odesites - media representatives - Olena Glischynskay and Vitaly Didenko, who were accused of separatism. As early as 2015, Afanasyev's lawyers stated that he had testified against Sentsov after he had been tortured with a gas mask and current. Afanasyev later refused these testimonies. In October 2016, Afanasyev became Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Klimkin. State Administration of Affairs at the President of Ukraine has allocated Afanasyev an apartment in Kyiv. The ECHR ordered Russian Federation to pay ex-political prisoner Afanasiev 2 thousand euros. Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Russia. May 14, he announced an indefinite hunger strike demanding the release of all Ukrainian political prisoners in Russian jails. Open source Two Ukrainian soldiers were injured from the beginning of the day in Donbas, as Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, Ministry of Defence of Ukraine spokesperson on the JFO said at the briefing. Two our soldiers were wounded as a result of the battle actions near Krymske. They were immediately taken to the military hospital in Severodonetsk, their health condition is satisfactory, Motuzyanyk stated. He added that the militants attacked at the Ukrainian positions seven times from the beginning of the day (as at 9:00). In particular, the enemy used 82- and 120-mm mortar launchers, having launched 29 shells in Luhansk sector. Besides, Russian occupation troops shot at the positions near Krymske using infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers and small arms. The militants were firing from small arms in Donetsk sector near Marinka, Vodyane, Pavlopil and Krasnohorivka. Earlier, it was reported that the militants have violated the ceasefire 37 times over the past 24 hours. As a result, four Ukrainian soldiers were wounded. The power line, located in the militant-held territory of Donetsk region, took damage; the local water tanks contain enough water to be supplied for four consecutive days The air power line of Donetsk water filtration plant took damage due to the shelling. This resulted in the shutdown of the facility, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported. Avdiivka's local authorities decided that the local residents will get the industrial water from mobile cisterns of the local municipal enterprise. The restoration works will not be taking place because no safety is guaranteed. 'In case of emergency, the water supply system will be working hourly, using the local storage, which contains up to 4,000 cubic meters of water (it's located in the city); it has enough drinking water to be supplied for four consecutive days. In case there's no water left in the storage tank, the cars will be bringing the water for the locals,' the State Emergency Service reports. According to the press service of Company Voda Donbassa public utility provider, the issue of evacuation of the stations staff pending for two days already. As we reported earlier, several explosions occurred at the filtration station near Donetsk on June 4 after it resumed its work after the shelling by pro-Russian militants on May 17. Before the militants shelled the convoy of the filtration station's workers. Five workers suffered, one of them is in the serious condition. On April 18, Donetsk Filtration Station has stopped its work and the supply of the drinking water was stooped to Avdiivka, partially to Donetsk and Yasynuvata, Chervony Partyzan, Kruta Balka and Verkhnyotoretske villages. The Headquarters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is sure that the situation was staged and provoked by the leaders of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics. U.S. State Department condemned the shelling of the filtration station and claimed that Russia is responsible for the worsening of the humanitarian station in the east of Ukraine. The Head of the state assured that step by step the policy of the restoration of Ukraines sovereignty in Donbas will be conducted Open source The Joint Forces Operation in Donbas is much more effective than the Anti-terrorist operation conducted earlier, as Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine, said on June 8 at the meeting with the students of Kyiv Taras Shevchenko National University, broadcasted by 112 Ukraine. Dont you see how the reports on the front have changed? Havent you noticed how more effective the Joint Forces Operation than ATO was? he said. The Head of the state assured that step by step the policy of the restoration of Ukraines sovereignty in Donbas will be conducted. I assure you Donbas will never be Russia's, the President promised. As it was reported earlier, the Joint Forces Operation in Donbas replaced the Anti-Terrorist Operation on April 30 this year. A new format is designed to replace the anti-terrorist operation that has lasted four years. The format change of the Anti-terrorist operation to the Joint Forces Operation is provided by the law on Donbas reintegration. According to the law, the Joint Operation Headquarters is the main HQ in the Donbas conflict zone. It is responsible for forces and means of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, other military formations, Internal Ministry, the National Police, which are involved in the deterrence and rebuff of Russian aggression in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The law enforcers, military servicemen and everyone involved in the counterwork against the aggressor, report to the Head of the Joint Operation Headquarters. The Joint Force Commander participated in the deployment of the forces and the development of the action plans in cases of unexpected circumstances to use the Armed Forces and Security Forces. The Commander has a right to report to the President about the readiness and the progress the Joint Forces tasks. The President is to approve the idea to implement the Joint Forces Operation. Poroshenko appointed Serhiy Nayev the Joint Force Commander. Despite the format change, the situation in Donbas has not changed substantially the militants are firing at the Ukrainian soldiers, who, in their turn, fire back. The number of the victims among the Armed Forces officers and the civilians increased in May. Ukraine news on 112.international The US expressed its support of Ukraine one more time Open source The US urges Russia to withdraw its troops from the occupied Donbas. Heather Nauert, the spokeswoman of the U.S. State Department reported this on Twitter. May was the bloodiest month this year for Ukrainian soldiers defending their country against Russian aggression: ten killed and 91 wounded. The United States stands with Ukraine and calls on Russia to withdraw its forces from the Donbas, she noted. On June 7, Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia supports and will continue to support the illegal armed formations in Donbas. Earlier U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker claimed that the ethnic Russians participate in the Donbas Conflict on both sides. He noted that Russia's President Vladimir Putin has some guidance and possibilities to 'present himself in the best light' toward the situation at the east of Ukraine. Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov predicts holding of the police operation for the deoccupation of Donbas without the involvement of the soldiers soon. The minister is sure that it will be unnecessary to attract 40, 000 UN peacekeepers to this operation and 2, 000 law enforcers will be enough. English Icelandic Today, rating agency S&P Global affirmed its long- and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on the Republic of Iceland as A/A-1 with a stable outlook. According to the rating agency this rating reflects the countrys strong institutional framework and general policymaking effectiveness, comparatively low net general government debt at 30% of GDP and high per capita income levels. The rating agency also said that the ratings are constrained by Icelands vulnerability to external developments as well as typically high volatility throughout the economic cycle in addition to risks stemming from overheating in the domestic economy. According to S&P the stable outlook balances the risks stemming from the domestic economy overheating against the potential for more rapid improvements in the government and external balance sheets over the next few years. Attachment The two countries signed a deal on the aviation security system that would supply the Interior Ministry with 55 helicopters. The Verkhovna Rada, the parliament of Ukraine, adopted a Law #0189 On the ratification of an agreement between the governments of Ukraine and France concerning the official support in the creation of a unified system of aviation security and protection in Ukraine, UNIAN reports. On 25 May, Ukraine and France signed a treaty on the aviation security system that provides for the supply of 55 modern Airbus helicopters to Ukraine. The deal was signed by Arsen Avakov, the Interior Minister of Ukraine and Delphine Geny-Stephann, the Secretary of State to the Minister of Economy and Finance of France. The signed agreement specifies helicopters of three types H145, H125, and H225. All of which are supposed to replace the already existing helicopter fleet of the Soviet-made MI-8 aircraft. The new helicopters will serve the purposes of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service, the National Guard and the National Police of Ukraine. Airbus Helicopters is among the worlds leaders in large aircraft building that produces passenger, cargo and military transport aircraft. Read the original text at 112.ua. Open source Chairman of the Board of PJSC Gazprom Alexey Miller In the world information milieu, we often face not only Freudian slips, but also Freudian bans. Though this phrase is not that nice-sounding but this is what it is. As you know, analyst of "Sberbank of Russia" Alexander Fek was dismissed from the analytical service of the bank on personal instructions of the chairman of the board of German Gref. Usually, analysts are fired for errors in forecasts. But they do it quietly, no fuss, no muss. After all, a bad analyst is rather a dark stain on the bank's reputation, not a stain on his own suit. Banks are not accustomed to admitting that they made a mistake in their forecasts. But firing after public obstruction, and even with the blessing of the first is something unusual. At that moment, dozens of Ukrainian analysts happily exhaled in Ukraine, it would work in another way. It is in this situation you begin to feel that "Ukraine is not Russia," as ex-president Kuchma used to say. The report by Alexander Fek touches the tabooed issue for the Russian establishment - "Gazprom and its team", more precisely the plan for capital investments of the gas monopoly for the coming years. Russian analyst has quite clearly identified the main problems of infrastructure costs of the largest Russian company: economically unjustified (most projects do not develop new sales markets, but only improve the approaches to them); unprofitable: the payback period of various projects refer to the second half of the twenty-first century, when taking into account the industrial revolution 4.0. and the transition to the sixth-seventh technological order, the role of traditional hydrocarbons in the structure of the energy balance of the world economy could decrease significantly. In addition, the projects prepared by the analyst are non-transparent in terms of their implementation (the procedure for financing and selecting general contractors), and also politically motivated when only the naive presentation remains in the economy. In fact, Fake's analytical report is a unique memo for various monitoring bodies, and it is not about the Investigative Committee, but about Western structures that fight against corruption and money laundering, especially in the European environment. As the analytical report showed, it is not about Gazprom itself, but rather about the conglomerate of its counterparties, including ultimate beneficiaries, who, as a rule, coincide with the participants in the Kremlin list. At the moment, Gazprom has one basic external sales market (Europe) and a mythical reserve market (China). Let us start with the first one. Supplies of natural gas from Russia to European countries increased from 138 billion cubic meters in 2010 to 158 billion in 2015 and 178 billion in 2016. The cluster of European consumers that have concluded contracts with Gazprom can be divided into two basic market segments. The first includes the countries of Western, Northern, and Southern Europe, including Turkey. Russians have delivered 156 billion cubic meters last year to this market, primarily to Germany (almost 53.44 billion), Italy (24 billion), UK (16 billion), Turkey (29 billion), France (12 billion), and Austria (more than 9 billion). The second direction of supply is the countries of Central Europe and the Balkans. The capacity of this segment of the market amounted to more than 36.3 billion cubic meters in 2017, Poland (10.5 billion), Hungary (5.8 billion), Czechia (5.8 billion), Bulgaria (3,3 billion), Slovakia (4.6 billion). At the moment, Gazprom has the following operating transit routes. Ukrainian GTS, with a planned capacity of 178 billion cubic meters, the actual load in 2016 amounted to 82.2 billion, or 46%. Belarusian route "Yamal-Europe", with a design capacity of 39 billion cubic meters, was loaded by 84% (32.9 billion). "Nord Stream - 1" in the form of two threads of 27.5 billion cubic meters. each. Loading amounts to 80%, or 43.8 billion. "Blue Stream" - 16 billion (by the passport) and almost 13 billion in fact (loading 81%). In addition, two more projects are under development: "Nord Stream-2" with a planned capacity of 55 billion cubic meters and "Turkish Stream" (the Black Sea route), which will be able to supply more than 31 billion cubic meters. As is known, as a result of the conflict with Ukraine and the judicial fiasco in Stockholm, Gazprom has become a zealous apologist for the well-known principle that "normal heroes always go around". Although the construction of bypass roads did not begin yesterday. Until 2012, the dependence of Russians on the Ukrainian route was critical for their national security, and there were no "Russian springs" up to this benchmark. For example, in 2010 Ukraine's share in the transit of Russian gas reached 70%. But with the launch of the "Nord Stream-1" in 2012, a transit hanging on the neck of Gazprom began to weaken, and this became the prologue to the first act of the tragedy. Political engagement of the new projects drew the attention of analysts of "Sberbank", as well as their main performers. Stroygazmontazh of Arkady Rotenberg and Stroytransneftegaz of Gennady Timchenko became the largest contractors of Gazprom for the construction of new transit routes were the companies. In his report, Alexander Fek has rightly noted that the new transit routes do not open up new markets and are just an infrastructure for the supply of Russian gas to European consumers who are already subscribers of this system. Their only role is to exert political pressure on Ukraine. The economic "expediency" of the new transit highways is especially bright in the analysis of "Power of Siberia," project for the supply of Russian natural gas to China. Initially, the Chinese offered to supply gas along the "Altai" route, and the cost of this project would be only $ 10 billion, but the Russians insisted on the other, more capital-intensive direction, explaining that in such a way, new fields will be developed. The estimate thus increased 5.5 times - up to 55.4 billion dollars. This project is beneficial to Gazprom's counterparties because it allows dividing a piece of the pie equally between the main contractors: $ 20 billion will go to the development of new Chayandinske and Kovykta deposits. In addition, it will be necessary to build the Amur GPP ($ 14 billion). At the same time, the project itself was tied to the cost of the oil basket: at the conclusion of the contract, a price of $ 100-110 was taken for a barrel. Now the fuel prices are much lower, therefore, the price of gas will also decline. In any case, the project will be able to reach the planned payback point (even if it is fully loaded) only if the price of oil exceeds 110 dollars per barrel within the next 10-15 years. Meanwhile, according to Russian analysts, "the net present value (NPV) of this project will be negative and amount to about $ 11 billion." The calculation is based on the price of oil at $ 65. In total, Gazprom provides 130 billion dollars for investment projects (a five-year program): 41% for the maintenance of existing facilities, 34% for the Power of Siberia, 14% for the Nord Stream-2 and the Turkish Stream. It is not difficult to see that with a comparable throughput, Gazprom's investments in the Siberian Power significantly exceed the similar costs for Nord Stream-2 and Turkish Stream. The proximity of Europe and its supervisory bodies play their role here, all the same, "capital-intensive" projects are "easier" to implement with the Chinese than with Europeans. The conclusions of the Russian analysts were also supported by the Association of Professional Investors, which initiated an appeal to the government of the Federation with a proposal to increase the size of Gazprom dividends, arguing that it is better to pay shareholders and attract new investments in equity than to produce projects with payback in 2040-2050- and negative net present value. This whole story is noteworthy for Ukraine for several reasons. First, our expert environment has not noticed Aleksei Kudrin's appointment as head of the Accounting Chamber of the Russian Federation. Former head Tatyana Golikova had to hurry away. Since the beginning of the 2000s, Alexei Kudrin has been the permanent head of the Ministry of Finance. He is the best Russian economist of the modern era and the author of the echeloned system of financial hedging in the form of the Reserve Fund and the National Welfare Fund. He also has the idea to limit the size of the oil and gas transfer (the number of oil revenues channeled to federal budget revenues) to a fixed percentage, as well as the oil and gas deficit (the number of oil revenues channeled to cover the federal budget deficit). Thanks solely to these measures, the Russian Federation was able to withstand Western sanctions and not slide into the abyss of the crisis. Today's coming of Kudrin to power is associated with a mega-scale project to return to his homeland the capitals of runaway elites, who cannot live in London and other Western capitals anymore. The owners of this money are offered to invest in federal bonds with a fixed yield that will allow them to bleach the funds invested in them. The problem is that people who use this laundry are very skilled at counting money and they care about where they will be spent. That is why in the near future there will be an unofficial control over the system of state expenditures, including in the segment of budget-forming state companies. The Accounting Chamber under the leadership of Kudrin should become such a monitoring center. In any case, this is still the only representative of the Russian elite, credible for the West and within the business elite of the country. That is why the reaction to the closed report of analysts has become so painful, because any leak of information can violate the consensus reached by the elites, and this is a very ephemeral thing. Criticism of infrastructure projects is now under an unofficial ban. Ukraine could quite successfully adopt the experience of the Russian analysts. Counteraction to "Gazprom" is necessary, I mean, limiting its tentacles, that is, transit routes. And there is no reason to appeal to the conscientiousness of the German president. Berlin is not swayed by tears. We need effective investigations into the facts of corruption and abuse in the construction of bypass gas pipelines, and analytical studies on the effectiveness of Gazprom's investment. The lawsuits that Naftogaz is now filing concerning the seizure of Gazprom's property aimed at securing decisions of the Stockholm arbitration should be intensified in the countries bound to major transit projects: Germany, Turkey, and even China. The only obstacle here is the affiliated ties of big Russian business among the current pro-governmental political elite of our country. In this case, any investigations can lead to the investigators. So, the only hope, paradoxically, should be pinned on the honest Russian analysts. Canadas Foreign Minister is concerned about the health state of the Ukrainian movie maker Canada urges Russia to release Ukrainian movie maker Oleg Sentsov as Chrystia Freeland, the Foreign Minister of Canada reported on Twitter. Canada is deeply concerned for the well-being of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, currently in jail and on a hunger strike to protest Russia's unjust treatment of Ukrainian political prisoners. We call on Russia to release him, she wrote. Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov has announced a hunger strike on May 14. This way, he demands that all Ukrainians detained in Russia and annexed Crimea be released. Sentsov said he was ready to die if the requirements were not fulfilled. The relatives of Sentsov note the deterioration of his health. According to the sister, he gets injections of glucose in the amount of one liter daily. Russian moviemaker Askold Kurov noted that the Ukrainian political prisoner feels good. June 1-2, international campaign #SaveOlegSentsov to be held in different cities around the world. The organizers say that these days they "will give a red card to the regime of Putin," who illegally keeps people behind the bars. Vice Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Gerashchenko claimed that Kyiv is ready to pass 23 Russians convicted in Ukraine for the exchange of Sentsov and other Ukrainians. Earlier Canada condemned the sentence of Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko by Russia. Official Ottawa treats the delivered sentence as an attempt to derogate the journalists. IMF expresses the concern on the possible changes of the institutional role of the Finance Ministry Open source The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has emphasized the importance of the preserving of the leading role of the Finance Ministry in Ukraine for the forming of the fiscal policy due to the dismissal of Finance Minister Oleksandr Danylyuk. Gerry Rice, the Director of IMF Communications Department claimed this as Ukrinform reported. We do not comment the personnel matters toward particular people but we express the concern on the possible changes of the institutional role of the Finance Ministry (of Ukraine, - 112.international),' he noted. At the same time, he emphasized, that according to the IMF the Finance Ministry should preserve its leading and crucial role in the forming of the fiscal policy. Rice also reminded that Oleksandr Danylyuk as the Finance Minister of Ukraine directly participated in the negotiations with IMF and was staunch supporter of reforms. On May 23, the argument between the Finance Minister Oleksandr Danylyuk and the Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman took place. The reason was the demand of Finance Minister to appoint one more deputy for him. According to his explanations, he cannot work properly without him. Groysman offered the minister to resign after this but Danylyuk left the session hall. After a while, the Finance Minister sent the letter to G7 Ambassadors in which he explained that reasons of the arguments with the Ukrainian Prime Minister. Particularly, he describes the unwilling of Groysman to appoint Yana Buhrymova as Danylyuk's deputy. On June 6, Volodymyr Groysman reported signing the submission for the dismissal of the Finance Minister from his post. Danylyuk claimed that he is put on pressure and demanded to deliver a speech at the parliament before the voting on his resignation. On June 7, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the governmental bill on the dismissal of Oleksandr Danylyuk from the post of the Finance Minister of Ukraine. Volodymyr Groysman, the Head of the Government, is convinced that yesterday, Oleksandr Danylyuk, ex-Minister of Finance, tried to justify himself but his speech was inadequate Open source The behavior of Oleksandr Danylyuk during his speech in Ukraines Parliament on June 7 was inadequate and unacceptable. At the same time, his resignation will not affect the talks with the international partners, as Volodymyr Groysman, Ukraines PM, said in an exclusive commentary for 112 Ukraine on June 8. I regard his behavior as inadequate and unacceptable. I noticed that he himself was confused delivering speeches: every day he got a different reason. Therefore, trust me, he was just looking for a reason to justify his inadequate steps, the Head of the Government thinks. Groysman reminded that he gave Danylyuk two weeks to correct the mistakes. But if he did not want to do this I have made a decision and regard it totally right, he noted. When asked whether Danylyuks resignation affects the talks with the Western partners, Groysman answered: I do not think one should exaggerate the ex-Minister of Finance and his role in the modern Ukrainian politics. Anyway, it will affect neither the talks nor the continuation or start of reforms at all. On June 6, Volodymyr Groysman reported signing the submission for the dismissal of the Finance Minister from his post. Danylyuk claimed that he is put on pressure and demanded to deliver a speech at the parliament before the voting on his resignation. Giuseppe Conte, the Prime Minister of Italy, is convinced that it is in everyones interest Giuseppe Conte, the Prime Minister of Italy, agrees with Donald Trump, the U.S. President, that Russia has to return to G8, as he wrote on Twitter. I agree with Donald Trump: Russia should return to G8. It is in everyones interest, he wrote. Earlier, Donald Trump stated that Russia has to return to G8. He said it for the journalists before leaving for the G7 Summit. It should be noted that Russia was included in the group of seven industrialized countries (G7) in 1997, turning it in G8. Due to the economic sitoation, the state was allowed to attend only the political meetings. After Crimea was annexed in 2014, Russia was expelled from the group. The member states imposed sanctions. As we reported earlier, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, said that NATO did not intend to isolate Russia, but to apply a double approach - deterrence against aggression and political dialogue. Stoltenberg stressed that the dialogue with Russia is not easy, that is why it is so important. It should be noted that the summit of Defence Minister of NATO member states takes place in Brussels (Belgium) on June 7-8. On May 31, Russian NATO Council had a meeting at the level of the Ambassadors in Brussels, where they discussed the situation in Ukraine, Russias military activities and upcoming training. The man has been starving in the occupied Crimea for more than 80 days now, - spokeswoman Maryana Betsa The life of Volodymyr Balukh, the Ukrainian political prisoner, who has been holding on to a hunger strike in the annexed Crimea, is now in danger - because of the long-lasting starvation. Maryana Betsa, the spokeswoman of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry posted this on Twitter. 'Political prisoner V. Balukh has been starving for 80 days in the occupied Crimea. His life is in danger. We demand him to be released', she wrote. As it was reported earlier, the Russia-controlled Crimean court scheduled for May 15 a court hearing on the fabricated criminal case against Ukrainian activist Volodymyr Balukh, who has been starving in protest for more than 55 days. This criminal case is against Ukrainian (Article 321 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) was opened in August 2017, after Balukh and his lawyer filed a complaint to the police about the illegal actions of the head of the Rozdolnensky prison cell Valeriy Tkachenko, who insulted and hit the Ukrainian. In response, Tkachenko filed a complaint against Balukh. According to Tkachenko, the Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation filed a criminal case against the activist on August 22, 2017, the statement reads. Former bodyguards of the ousted ex-president testify before the jury Kyiv's Obolon district court gathered for another session in the case of the former Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych. The judges continue to interview the witnesses for the defense - specifically, Yanukovych's former bodyguards. According to them, 'the-then opposition planned to conduct a terrorist act against the protesters at Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv in February 2014, using the gas-tank truck'. Former bodyguard Volodymyr Pavlenko added that Yanukovych's motorcade was attacked on February 2014, while on the way to his residence in Mezhyhiria, Kyiv region. The Obolon District Court of Kyiv intends to finish the consideration of the case of the former president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych suspected in the state treason until August 1. Vladyslav Deviatko, the presiding judge claimed this as 112 Ukraine broadcasted. The court will determine the final data of the debates on July 30 or July 31, 2018. The stand-by date is August 1, he noted. This decision has cost protest of the defense. An advocate of the ex-president Vitaly Serdyuk began to demand from the court to give at least five months to the defense for the preparation to the debates and noted that this term should be agreed with Yanukovych. However, the presiding judge referred to the workload of the Obolon District Court and emphasized that the state advocate will be issued to the former president if the current defense refuses to participate in the debates. Yanukovych is charged with state treason, assistance in deliberate actions against Ukraines state border, sovereignty and territorial integrity and assistance in leading the aggressive war against Ukraine. The Russian energy monopolist demands full access to the case for further appeal against the actions of the Dutch side Russian state-run gas company Gazprom addressed the Swiss court, complaining about the seizing of its assets in the Netherlands. RBC Ukraine reported this with the reference to the company's press service. 'The company filed an appeal for the consideration of the Swiss court, which aims to get the full access to the case materials, and the further appeal against the actions of the Dutch side', Gazprom said. The company plans to submit another appeal to the Dutch court. The Russian side also insists it still has not got any official notifications about the beginning of the asset freeze due to the execution of the Stockholm arbitrary court's decision. As it was reported earlier, Russia's energy monopolist Gazprom refused to abide by the decision of Stockholm arbitrary court. Gazprom's delegation offered the Ukrainian side to either submit amendments to the gas deal or to break it. Naftogaz considers such actions a violation and disrespect for the decision made by Stockholm arbitrary court. Naftogaz refuses to accept Gazprom's offers. The Russian company's denial to obey the decision of the international arbitrary questions Gazprom's reliability as European gas industry's partner', the message said, quoting Naftogaz's Chief Commercial Officer Yuriy Vitrenko. Two arbitrary disputes between Gazprom and Naftogaz at the Arbitration Institute lasted for over three years: the dispute on the gas debt from June 2014 to December 2017, on the transit agreement from October 2014 to February 2018. There are less than two years left until both agreements terminate (at the end of 2019). The Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce has granted the lawsuit of Naftogaz as to compensation for the volumes of transit gas that had not been delivered by Gazprom on February 28. According to the decision of the court, Naftogaz got a $4,63 billion compensation for the transit gas that had been agreed on, but not delivered by Gazprom. Earlier, according to the unconfirmed information, the tourists who died during the rafting on the river Acharistsqali in Khelvachauri were Ukrainians Open source No Ukrainians among died and injured tourists in Georgia, as Mariana Betsa reported on Twitter. Update on the tragedy in Georgia: according to the official agencies, there are no Ukrainians among died and injured tourists in Georgia, she wrote. Earlier, Ekho Kavkaza reported that four tourists died during the rafting on the river Acharistsqali in Khelvachauri. According to the unconfirmed information, the died people were Ukrainians. Georgias Internal Ministry started an investigation under the article of the Criminal Code on the infliction of death by negligence. TORONTO, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Globalive Technology Inc. (GT) (formerly Corporate Catalyst Acquisition Inc. (CCA)), a blockchain and machine intelligence technology firm, is pleased to announce the completion of its qualifying transaction (the Qualifying Transaction) under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange) as well as the completion of its previously announced $30 million subscription receipt financing (the Financing). In connection with the Qualifying Transaction, CCA consolidated its shares on a 6.66:1 basis and changed its name to Globalive Technology Inc. In addition, Globalive Technology Partners Inc. (GTP) amalgamated with a wholly-owned subsidiary of CCA, and such amalgamated company immediately amalgamated with CCA, resulting in GT being the resulting issuer. GT has received conditional approval for the Qualifying Transaction from the Exchange and trading in the common shares of GT is expected to commence on the Exchange on June 13, 2018 under the symbol LIVE. The Financing As previously announced, GTP completed the Financing which was a brokered private placement of subscription receipts (the GTP Subscription Receipts) for gross proceeds of $30 million. The Financing was led by Canaccord Genuity Corp. together with Clarus Securities Inc., Eventus Capital Corp. and Laurentian Bank Securities as agents. In connection with the completion of the Qualifying Transaction, each GTP Subscription Receipt was automatically exchanged for one common share of GTP which in turn was exchanged for one common share of GT. The Qualifying Transaction After giving effect to the Qualifying Transaction, there are 136,536,212 GT common shares outstanding on a non-diluted basis and 151,142,659 GT common shares outstanding on a fully diluted basis. This includes an aggregate of 7,356,447 options to purchase GT common shares (GT Options) and 7,250,000 restricted share units (GT RSUs), each of which entitles the holder to one GT common share on vesting and settlement. The number of GT Options includes 75,000 with an exercise price of $1.00 per option granted to three members of the advisory committee of GT that were granted following the date of the Filing Statement (as defined below) and not referred to therein. Pursuant to the rules of the Exchange, 73,526,905 common shares of GT, 4,475,000 GT Options and 4,225,000 GT RSUs will be subject to a 36 month escrow, 20,110,913 common shares of GT will be subject to a two year escrow and 13,674,604 common shares of GT will be subject to a one year escrow, in each case subject to interim releases as per Exchange rules. The Qualifying Transaction constitutes a reverse take-over, as the former shareholders of GTP own (on a non-diluted basis) approximately 99.5% of the outstanding GT common shares immediately after the closing of the Qualifying Transaction. The board of directors of GT consists of the following three new directors: Anthony Lacavera, Kingsley Ward and Jason Theofilos. The officers of GT are Anthony Lacavera as Chief Executive Officer, Brock Bundy as Chief Financial Officer, Eric So as Chief Strategy Officer, Simon Lockie as Chief Corporate Officer, Scott Nirenberski as Chief Operating Officer and Bhavin Shah as Chief Technology Officer. Further details of the Qualifying Transaction are contained in news releases of CCA dated March 14, April 4, May 23 and May 29, 2018. Readers are also referred to the filing statement of CCA dated May 29, 2018 (the Filing Statement) which was prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Exchange and filed under GTs issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Early Warning Disclosure Pursuant to National Instrument 62-103 In connection with the Qualifying Transaction, Anthony Lacavera (resident in Ontario), through Globalive Capital Inc. (GCI), a company controlled by him, acquired ownership and control of 56,403,402 GT common shares in exchange for 56,403,402 common shares of GTP, as well as 1,575,000 GT Options and 1,575,000 GT RSUs. In addition, through voting agreements, Mr. Lacavera and GCI have voting control, but not ownership, over an additional 41,672,528 GT common shares. This results in Mr. Lacavera having ownership and control, on a partially diluted basis (assuming exercise of the GT Options and settlement of the GT RSUs held by him), of approximately 42.6% of the outstanding GT common shares and voting control over approximately 72.5% of the outstanding GT common shares which gave rise to the requirement for disclosure pursuant to the early warning requirements of applicable securities laws. Immediately prior to completion of the Qualifying Transaction, neither Mr. Lacavera nor GCI had ownership of, or exercised control or direction over, any voting or equity securities of CCA. All of the GT common shares described above were acquired as part of the Qualifying Transaction and resulted in the ownership and control described above. Mr. Lacavera: acquired the GT common shares in connection with the Qualifying Transaction; holds such common shares for investment purposes; and does not have any plans related to any of the items enumerated in the list contained in Item 5 of Form 62-103F1. As disclosed in the Filing Statement, the securities of GT held by GCI and Mr. Lacavera are subject to escrow restrictions imposed by the Exchange. Mr. Lacavera either directly or through GCI may, from time to time and depending on market and other conditions, acquire additional GT common shares through market transactions, private agreement or otherwise, or may sell all or some portion of the GT common share he owns or controls (upon release of the securities from escrow, or otherwise in accordance with the terms of the escrow restrictions). An early warning report will be filed by Mr. Lacavera in accordance with applicable securities laws. To obtain a copy of the early warning reports, please contact Mr. Simon Lockie, Globalive Technology Inc., Telephone: (416) 204-0263. Investment Relations Agreement with Renmark Financial Communications Inc. GT has entered into a retail investor relations agreement with Renmark Financial Communications Inc. pursuant to which Renmark will provide certain investor relations and research services for GT. The agreement is for a term of six months commencing June 1, 2018 with automatic one month renewals thereafter unless terminated by either party. As consideration for the services to be provided, GT has agreed to pay Renmark monthly cash fees of $7,000, starting June 1, 2018. Renmark does not have any interest, directly or indirectly, in GT or its securities, or any right or, to GTs knowledge, intent to acquire such an interest. Renmarks appointment is subject to approval by the Exchange. About Globalive Technology Inc. Globalive Technology Inc. is a next generation software company and venture partner that is developing and investing in innovative solutions to disrupt traditional industries using AI, IoT and blockchain technology. The company forms partnerships with leading high growth companies to co-develop blockchain and machine intelligence technology stacks. It is controlled by GCI, which has founded and co-founded 12 businesses over the past 20 years with 5 successful exits ranging from $10M to $1.3B USD. It has also made over 100 venture investments and has over 45 portfolio technology companies. For further information please contact: Anthony Lacavera, Chief Executive Officer Tel: (647) 977-2727 InvestorRelations@globalivetech.com Renmark Financial Communications Inc. Laura Welsh: lwelsh@renmarkfinancial.com Tel.: (416) 644-2020 or (514) 939-3989 www.renmarkfinancial.com Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to GTs business and the date that its common shares will commence trading on the Exchange. Such forward-looking statements are identified by terms such as will, expects and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding GTs business and the date that its shares will commence trading on the Exchange are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from GTs expectations include issues arising with respect to the initial trading day for GTs shares and other risks as set out in the Filing Statement which is available on GTs SEDAR page at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of GT. As a result, GT cannot guarantee that any of the forward looking statements contained in this press release will occur within the times disclosed herein or at all. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and GT will only update or revise publicly the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by Canadian securities law. The European Federation of Journalists assumes control of the situation with 112 Ukraine as Serhiy Tomilenko, the Chairman of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine reported. We negotiated with the leadership of the European Federation of Journalists and they take control over the situation. On Monday, Secretary General of the Federation Ricardo Gutierrez will publicly comment this issue. The key point is that the journalists have rights for the profession and any official can threat, put pressure or hinder the journalistic activities. The European Federation of Journalists intends to express the solidarity with the channel and its personnel, Tomilenko said. The Chairman of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine noted that official should not dictate to the mass media what to do but look for the possibilities for the mutual understanding. We invite the representatives of the National Council for the discussion to the National Union of Journalists but they boycott us and do not come to the public report. They report on the social media that they are so great workers. The main characteristic of the European democracies and countries from where the majority of the Journalists Unions leaders originate is the accountability of the official, he added. We recall that the National Council refused 112 Ukraine TV Channel in the relocation of the broadcasting concept to the information one for 34 times. On the basis of the formal violation, it imposed the fines and preventions against 112 Ukraine TV Channel. The Ukrainian and international experts treat such actions of the regulator as the pressure on the TV channel and freedom of speech in the country. Earlier 112 Ukraine TV Channel protested against the activity of Yuriy Artemenko, the head of the National TV and Radio Broadcasting Council of Ukraine. The channel's management insists that the official has been conducting the Council's actions in the way that prevents 112 Ukraine TV from broadcasting; previously, he stated that the Council would not issue the license for this medium. Open source The President Petro Poroshenko claimed that he was pleased to hear the conviction of the statements of some MPs by the families of the Ukrainian political prisoners. He claimed this during the meeting with the students of the National University of Ukraine as 112 Ukraine broadcasted. Today I held a meeting with the relatives, parents, wives, children of the political prisoners who are in the Russian jail only for the refuse to take up Russian citizenship, leave the Ukrainian passport or remove Ukrainian flag. I was pleased to see the unity of the prisoners families, the strong condemnation which some MPs recently allowed to express from some not-Ukrainian TV channels, particularly about Sentsov, he noted. As we reported Ukraines General Prosecutors Office opened a case on Murayev, a Ukrainian MP, under the articles on state treason and misleading information about a committed crime. The criminal proceeding was registered because Sergiy Pashynsky (Peoples Front faction) informed about Murayevs illegal actions from the rostrum of the Ukrainian Parliament. On July 11-12, the NATO summit will take place in Brussels; Poroshenko is also invited. Alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg could not specify the format of the meeting President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko will be invited to the NATO summit in Brussels. Jens Stoltenberg, the Alliance Secretary-General claimed this on June 7 at the conference in the NATO headquarters as Interfax-Ukraine reported. President Poroshenko will be invited to the NATO summit. We have not decided yet the format and kind of the meeting but he will be invited as we have already decided to hold the meeting of the partners in Determined support operation, Stoltenberg emphasized. Ukraine activated the cooperation with the NATO in 2014 amid the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the beginning of the Russian aggression in Donbas. At the end of 2014, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law providing the refuse of Ukraine from the policy beyond the blocks. In June 2017, the parliament supported the law which enshrines the intention of Ukraine to enter the NATO. The final declaration of the spring session of the NATO PA, which ended on May 28 in Warsaw, states that Georgia and Ukraine should get the hope for the integration in the North-Atlantic Alliance. Alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that Ukraine and Georgia are precious and close partners of the NATO. As we reported the session of the Ukraine-NATO commission that should have taken place on February 14-15 was blocked by Hungary. Hungary claimed about its intention to block the meeting in the mid of January when Peter Szijjarto Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary claimed that the blocking will continue until Kyiv fulfills the demands of Hungary toward the education law. PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. The settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has been and remains the priority of not only our foreign policy, but also the entire statehood and security system, Armenias foreign minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said in an interview to the Russian Kommersant newspaper, Armenpress reports. Nagorno Karabakh has been and remains as an issue of security of people with clear names for us: that is the security of Nagorno Karabkah. Their security and status remain as a key issue for us. The security issue of the 150-thousand population of Nagorno Karabakh [Artsakh] unites and consolidates the Armenian society living in and outside Armenia. We are smart people and have concrete explanations to promote our issues of concern on the NK security and status. We need a region that lives in peace, but it should not be at the expense of the security of our people, the Armenian FM said, stating that the Armenian side wants to continue the negotiation process within this framework for the sake of peace and security of the whole region. FM Mnatsakanyan said the Armenian side continues the peaceful settlement course of the conflict with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs format. Asked whether Armenia will oppose Azerbaijans membership to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the FM said: Azerbaijan is the country that has blockaded Armenia, it unilaterally takes measures against Armenia. Baku runs a policy which aims at undermining any cooperation process, the creation of trust atmosphere and the establishment of human contacts. We deal with a country which does everything to contribute to the creation of hatred atmosphere. Look at the terminology that is used against Armenia and the Armenians worldwide. The EAEU is a cooperation organization, what do you expect from us? The FM highlighted the presence of peace and stability in the region, stating that all processes for the conflict settlement should take place in an environment contributing to peace. Asked whether Armenia will recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the minister stated: We support peaceful settlement of conflicts. We refrained from recognizing the independence of Nagorno Karabakh since we support solutions of all issues through a negotiation process. This is the base of our position on the remaining matters. English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. An excellent mutual-understanding exists on the level of dialogue between Armenia and Russia. Moreover, this dialogue is not only on the level of foreign ministers, Armenian FM Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said in an interview with the Russian Kommersant newspaper. Weve been very clear in our formulations: stability and consistency in Armenias foreign policy course remains unchanged, relations with Russia have a clear, brightly emphasized spot in this course. We proceed in our relations based on this formulation, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said. Speaking on certain Russian expert opinions during the days of Armenian unrest, the FM said that the Armenain side will help the expert community to more clearly see what took place in the Armenian society circle. This was a deeply domestic political issue, which didnt have anything geopolitical, he said. If the expert community hasnt yet realized this, time will definitely show this, and experts will be able to realize the situation more clearly, he said. ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he is considering to abolish the state of emergency after the June 24 elections. Turkey imposed a three-months state of emergency after the 2016 military coup attempt, and subsequently the government extended it seven consecutive times. Several EU leaders have criticized the state of emergency citing human rights concerns. The state of emergency will possible get cancelled after the elections, Erdogan said, according to NTV. ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. Davit Sanasaryan, head of the State Oversight Service, says he has already specified in which structures he is going to launch his observations, reports Armenpress. There are ideas, but we will talk about them when the structure has rules of procedure. Today there will be a session in the government on this matter, we will clarify everything, after which will define the priorities together with the prime minister, he told reporters ahead of the Cabinet meeting. Asked whether the structure has already conducted examinations in any structure, he gave a negative answer. The service only has a head and deputies, we dont have employees yet, he said. Davit Sanasaryan said he doesnt consider the National Security Service as an opponent. We are cooperating with the National Security Service, we are not opponents. I will be happy if the NSS makes more discoveries, he said. English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. There will be no change of vectors in Armenias foreign policy directions, Deputy foreign minister Ruben Rubinyan told reporters on June 8 ahead of the Cabinet meeting, reports Armenpress. Armenias state interest will be a priority in its foreign relations. No drastic changes will take place in Armenias foreign policy directions, but it doesnt mean that there are no problems and they should not be resolved, he said. Commenting on the future steps in connection with the negotiations over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, the deputy FM said as of now there is no such agreement yet. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs will arrive in Yerevan soon, and at that time we will understand on what direction we are going to move, Rubinyan said. Asked whether his experience is enough for the position of the deputy foreign minister, he said: Yes. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs will visit Armenia on June 13. Ruben Rubinyan was appointed deputy foreign minister on May 29. English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan Plantation, FL, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation (BMOTA) was recognized by The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) in the Virutal Visitor Award category for Best Feature in an Online Publicaion at the annual Caribbean Tourism Industry Awards on the evening of June 7 at the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel. The award was bestowed to the BMOTA and Alexander Britell, editor in chief of the Caribbean Journal, for the article in the digital publication titled, Following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Bimini. The Bahamas was recognized for editorial coverage with nominations in three other categories: Up the Social Ladder: Best Social Media Marketing Campaign by a CTO Member Country: The Bahamas #NoFilter Social Influencer Campaign Me Too! I Rediscovered Home! Best Feature by a Diasporan Journalist in U.S. or Caribbean Media: Essence, 4 Reasons to Fall in Love with this Classic Bahamas Resort All Over Again No Anansi Story! Best Feature by a Caribbean-based Journalist that appeared in Caribbean-based media: Welcome Bahamas, Families Flock to Pirates Cove: Freeport Welcomes First Bahamian Theme Park In addition to editorial accolades for The Bahamas, Director General Joy Jibrilu received the esteemed Allied Award, presented to an individual from the CTO family who has done an extraordinary job of contributing to the sustainable development of the region. Being recognized across four diverse categories is a huge honor for the BMOTA, and reflects the Ministrys continued efforts to impact tourism and raise the profile for the country both here in the Caribbean and in the U.S., said Bahamas Tourism and Aviation Minister Hon. Dionisio D'Aguilar. Weve seen strong growth in the online journalism and social influencer space in 2018, and continue to pursue efforts that push boundaries and innovate how we showcase all the adventures that await in The Bahamas. The award ceremony honors the best editorial media coverage and social media campaigns executed by CTO member countries to promote tourism to the destination. Winners were selected by an expert panel of nine travel media and industry judges. Minister DAguilar, Director General Jibrilu and representatives from the BMOTA accepted the awards at Caribbean Week New York 2018 (#CaribbeanWeekNewYork2018). For more information on the Caribbean Tourism Organization, and Caribbean Week, visit www.onecaribbean.org. Visit www.Bahamas.com and follow The Bahamas on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Attachment YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. During todays Cabinet meeting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan tasked all ministries to submit the list of expected actions in accordance with sectors within a week, reports Armenpress. Yesterday the Parliament approved the governments program. As we have agreed, we need to approve the list of actions that derive from the governments program. Lets agree that each ministry will present the list of its actions within a week, and during the next session we will try to approve the action plan and launch its implementation, the PM said. English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government will propose the Parliament to convene an extraordinary session on June 19, at 11:00, reports Armenpress. During todays Cabinet meeting First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said the session agenda will include the legislative initiatives on making changes and amendments in the laws on Alternative Service, General Education, Charity and etc. The government may hold an extraordinary session on Monday. It is necessary to discuss several other urgent laws aimed at submitting them to the Parliament, Mirzoyan said. English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is a very good format for partnership of colleagues, it enables to enter large markets, Armenias foreign minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan told Russias Kommersant newspaper. Our Prime Minister has already said what the EEU means in Armenias foreign policy course in the context of using the mechanisms of developing and uniting our country. EEU is the mechanism which is working in the direction of development. And we are using it. It is a very good format for partnership of colleagues, it gives us access to major markets, it enables to work freely in partner countries and to cooperate in many fields, he said. Mnatsakanyan attached importance to the role of the EEU in the development of the country, reminding that provisions in this regard are included in the governments program. Speaking about the issues which were discussed at the meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Mnatsakanyan mentioned that he is very pleased with the dynamics of the negotiations. We had limited time with Sergei Lavrov, however a quite thick folder was put on the table. We were able to touch upon the entire topics during that time, he said. ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. On June 8, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the government of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh Republic), the OSCE Mission conducted a planned monitoring of the ceasefire regime on the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, to the northeast from Martakert town, the NKR ministry of foreign affairs said. From the positions of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh, the monitoring was conducted by Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO) Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and his Field Assistant Mihail Olaru (Moldova). From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistant to the Personal Representative of the OSCE CiO Ognjen Jovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Personal Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative Simon Tiller (Great Britain). The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. However, the Azerbaijani side did not lead the OSCE mission to its front-line positions. From the Artsakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of the Republic of Artsakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense. ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has called on all stakeholder governmental, analytical, business and civil society institutions to create a platform for debating environmental issues. Tert.am, an online newspaper, inquired from the Presidents Office about environmental issues in Armenia and particularly actions taken after the latest meeting of the president with environmentalists. The environmentalists were raising the Amulsar gold mine issue. The new government has expressed readiness to discuss and find universal and systematic solutions to the problems raised by citizens, the presidents office said in the response. The PM has tasked to initiate inspections in all metal mines. The President met and talked with citizens who are concerned over environmental issues of our country, the administration has had discussions with all parties. Therefore, the president is addressing all governmental, analytical, business and civil society stakeholder institutions, calling for the creation of a discussion platform, to conduct complex studies in all mines and find future-oriented solutions, the response said. ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. The delegation of the International Young Democratic Union (IYDU) on June 8 met with Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia Ara Babloyan in Yerevan, the RPA youth organization told Armenpress. The Parliament Speaker told the guests that the RPA youth organizations becoming a full member of the IYDU in October, 2017 was very important. Speaker Babloyan said the Republican Party of Armenia attaches great importance to the international cooperation and the RPA youth organizations membership to international structures. Ara Babloyan said the IYDU is an important platform for making an exchange of international experience, establishing and developing inter-party ties. The Speaker introduced Armenias past path, stating that the country had all models of public administration which speaks about the fact that Armenia tries to find the best model which will allow to introduce democratic values, move forward and be in line with the developed, civilized world. Babloyan also touched upon the recent domestic political changes in Armenia and introduced in-detail the political situation in the country. He also answered to the questions of the guests which mainly related to the domestic and foreign policy. English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Armenia Vincenzo del Monaco, the PMs Office told Armenpress. PM Pashinyan attached importance to the constant development of the Armenian-Italian relations and stated that Armenias new government is full of energy to take necessary steps on this path. Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the need to intensify the ties between the two countries in different fields, including political, economic and cultural. The Italian Ambassador expressed confidence that the joint work will enable to give new impetus to the bilateral cooperation which will contribute to expanding and deepening the commercial ties. Vincenzo del Monaco said various Italian companies are interested in implementing investment programs in Armenia, in particular, in the fields of industry, infrastructure development and energy. In terms of the Armenian-Italian mutual partnership the officials attached importance to organization of high-level bilateral mutual visits. English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, who is in Armenia these days, has visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, reports Armenpress. She laid flowers at the Eternal Flame, after which she posted a note on Twitter: So moved to be in #Armenia at last. Thanks to @auroraprize_ for its remarkable humanitarian initiative & to the Armenian Genocide Museum for its essential work commemorating the lives of the 1.5 million Armenians killed in the Armenian Genocide. Samantha Power has joined the Aurora Prize Selection Committee. The Aurora Prize, established on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, provides the laureate with a $100,000 grant and the opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by nominating organizations to receive a $1,000,000 award. Ambassador Samantha Power served as the 28th U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as a member of President Obamas cabinet, and became known as one of the countrys foremost thinkers on foreign policy. Prior to her work at the United Nations, she served on the U.S. National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, where she focused on atrocity prevention, United Nations reform, LGBT and womens rights and the promotion of religious freedom, among other issues. She also authored the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide. Given her influential work in human rights and democracy, she has been recognized several times over, including as one of TIMEs 100 Most Influential People and Foreign Policys Top 100 Global Thinkers. English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on June 8 received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Armenia Seyed Kazem Sadjadi, the PMs Office told Armenpress. The PM attached importance to the normal development of the Armenian-Iranian relations and expressed confidence that the bilateral cooperation will boost as a result of joint efforts. We will make maximum efforts to further develop the bilateral partnership. We are interested in giving new impetus to the Armenian-Iranian ties based on mutual interest, the Armenian PM said. In this context the Iranian Ambassador highlighted the need to use the existing great potential in the bilateral cooperation and stated that all preconditions exist for expanding and deepening the economic ties. The Ambassador said the activity of Meghri Free Economic Zone, the Iran-EAEU free trade interim agreement can contribute to this. The officials also emphasized the need to take consistent steps to develop the mutual cooperation in the field of tourism and attached importance to the improvement of infrastructures and conducting regular bilateral flights in this regard. They also touched upon the process of the Armenian-Iranian joint investments programs. English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. Russian-Israeli travel blogger Alexander Lapshin, the man who was under global media spotlight for his arrest and extradition to Azerbaijan for visiting Artsakh, claims that celebrity chef Anthony Bourdains death may somehow be connected with the latters visit and filming of CNNs Parts Unknown in Artsakh. Bourdain was officially blacklisted by Azerbaijan after filming the show in Artsakh. Azerbaijan declared Bourdain persona non grata in November of 2017. The world-renowned chef, bestselling author and multiple Emmy-winning television personality traveled to Armenia and Artsakh in October of 2017 and the episode aired in May of 2018. System Of A Downs Serj Tankian, the Armenian-American rock star, was Bourdains guide during the visit. Do you think this is connected somehow to his movie about Karabakh and Armenia? This man was widely criticized by Azerbaijan authorities because of that. Btw, just recently I have published the article in Le Monde called "Azerbaijani regime kidnaps and kills anyone it dislikes" and few days later this guy is gone by "suicide". Just short remind - they called an attempt of my murder in Baku prison as "suicide" as well) p.s Anton Nosik, the well known Russian journalist "suddenly" gone after his Karabakh visit as well, not to mention that Azerbaijan threatened him as well, Lapshin said on Facebook after news on Bourdains death began emerging. CNN confirmed Bourdain's death on Friday and said the cause of death was suicide. Bourdain was in France working on an upcoming episode of his award-winning CNN series, "Parts Unknown." His close friend Eric Ripert, the French chef, found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room Friday morning. Mr. Bourdain was found in his hotel room at Le Chambard, a luxury hotel in Kaysersberg, a village in the Alsace region of eastern France, according to a prosecutor in the nearby city of Colmar. The prosecutor, Christian de Rocquigny du Fayel, said the cause of death was hanging. At this stage, we have no reason to suspect foul play, he said. Mr. Bourdain had traveled to Strasbourg in France, near the countrys border with Germany, with a television production crew to record an episode of his show Parts Unknown on CNN, the network said. It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, CNN said in a statement. Editor/translator Stepan Kocharyan VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K2 Gold Corporation (the "Company" or "K2 Gold") (TSX-V:KTO) is pleased to announce that further to its news release on May 10, 2018, the Company has now closed an oversubscribed private placement for gross proceeds of $1,066,500, representing an over subscription of 42%. In connection with the current placement, the Company will issue 3,882,000 non-flow-through units (each, a NFT Unit) at a price of $0.25, consisting of one common share and one-half-of-one common share purchase warrant entitling the holder to acquire one additional common share at a price $0.37 per share for a period of twelve (12) months. The common share purchase warrants are subject to acceleration at the Companys discretion in the event the Companys common shares trade on a volume weighted average price (VWAP) basis of $0.60 or more for a period of ten consecutive trading days. The Company will also issue 320,000 flow-through units (each, a FT Unit) at a price of $0.30, consisting of one common share and one-half-of-one common share purchase warrant entitling the holder to acquire one additional common share at a price $0.45 per share for a period of twelve (12) months. The common share purchase warrants are subject to acceleration on the same terms as the NFT Unit warrants. The securities issued by K2 Gold in connection with the private placement will be subject to a four month hold period from the date of issuance as prescribed by applicable securities laws. Insiders subscribed for 402,000 Units in connection with the placement. Finders fees of $35,010.00 and 136,200 brokers warrants will be issued in relation to closing of the placement on the same terms as the NFT and FT warrants. The issuance of securities in connection with the closing of the placement is subject to TSX approval. Following issuance of securities related to this placement, K2 Gold will have 23,183,787 common shares issued and outstanding. About K2 Gold Corporation K2 Gold Corporation is a junior mineral exploration company focused on building a portfolio of gold exploration projects in the Yukon and Alaska, including the Wels Property located approximately 185 km south of Dawson City, Yukon. In addition to Wels the Company is conducting exploration at the Flume, Storck, Ladue, and McArthur Creek properties in the South Klondike district. The Company has assembled an experienced management team and board of directors with a track record of discovery success. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Stephen Swatton Stephen Swatton, President, CEO & Director Inquiries: Tel: 604-331-5090 Fax: 604-646-4526 info@gk2gold.com http://k2gold.com/ Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This new release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. No securities of the Company have been or will, in the foreseeable future, be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. We seek safe harbor With an ROE of 12.45%, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ASX:ANZ) outpaced its own industry which delivered a less exciting 11.83% over the past year. While the impressive ratio tells us that ANZ has made significant profits from little equity capital, ROE doesnt tell us if ANZ has borrowed debt to make this happen. In this article, well closely examine some factors like financial leverage to evaluate the sustainability of ANZs ROE. View our latest analysis for Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Breaking down Return on Equity Return on Equity (ROE) weighs Australia and New Zealand Banking Groups profit against the level of its shareholders equity. An ROE of 12.45% implies A$0.12 returned on every A$1 invested. While a higher ROE is preferred in most cases, there are several other factors we should consider before drawing any conclusions. Return on Equity = Net Profit Shareholders Equity Returns are usually compared to costs to measure the efficiency of capital. Australia and New Zealand Banking Groups cost of equity is 8.55%. Since Australia and New Zealand Banking Groups return covers its cost in excess of 3.90%, its use of equity capital is efficient and likely to be sustainable. Simply put, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group pays less for its capital than what it generates in return. ROE can be split up into three useful ratios: net profit margin, asset turnover, and financial leverage. This is called the Dupont Formula: Dupont Formula ROE = profit margin asset turnover financial leverage ROE = (annual net profit sales) (sales assets) (assets shareholders equity) ROE = annual net profit shareholders equity ASX:ANZ Last Perf Jun 8th 18 Essentially, profit margin shows how much money the company makes after paying for all its expenses. Asset turnover shows how much revenue Australia and New Zealand Banking Group can generate with its current asset base. Finally, financial leverage will be our main focus today. It shows how much of assets are funded by equity and can show how sustainable the companys capital structure is. Since financial leverage can artificially inflate ROE, we need to look at how much debt Australia and New Zealand Banking Group currently has. The debt-to-equity ratio currently stands at over 2.5 times, meaning the above-average ratio is a result of a large amount of debt. Story continues ASX:ANZ Historical Debt Jun 8th 18 Next Steps: While ROE is a relatively simple calculation, it can be broken down into different ratios, each telling a different story about the strengths and weaknesses of a company. Australia and New Zealand Banking Groups ROE is impressive relative to the industry average and also covers its cost of equity. Its high debt level means its strong ROE may be driven by debt funding which raises concerns over the sustainability of Australia and New Zealand Banking Groups returns. Although ROE can be a useful metric, it is only a small part of diligent research. For Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, Ive compiled three pertinent aspects you should further examine: Financial Health: Does it have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Valuation: What is Australia and New Zealand Banking Group worth today? Is the stock undervalued, even when its growth outlook is factored into its intrinsic value? The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether Australia and New Zealand Banking Group is currently mispriced by the market. Other High-Growth Alternatives : Are there other high-growth stocks you could be holding instead of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group? Explore our interactive list of stocks with large growth potential to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. South Africa's ex-president Jacob Zuma appeared in court Friday ahead of a corruption trial, raising questions about ballooning legal costs before addressing adoring crowds outside who condemned his prosecution. In front of Durban's stone-fronted High Court, thousands of Zuma supporters sang anti-apartheid struggle songs, flew flags bearing Zuma's face and chanted his name as he was swept into court flanked by tight security. "We are not afraid to face this case," Zuma, who wore a dark charcoal suit, red patterned tie and white shirt, told supporters. "A person is not guilty until the court says so." He sang and danced along enthusiastically to a rendition of his signature soundtrack "Umshini Wam", a campaign song from the apartheid era that means "Bring me my machine gun". Police equiped with shields, water cannon and armoured vehicles mounted a major security operation outside the court, but the hearing and speeches were peaceful. Zuma, 76, who was forced to resign in February, has been charged with 16 counts of graft linked to an arms deal from before he became president and is expected to face trial from November. "It is very wrong to tell the people of this country that president Jacob Zuma is guilty before he has been judged," a firebrand speaker told the animated crowd. "We believe in Jacob Zuma." Zuma is accused of taking bribes from French arms maker Thales over a contract worth several billion dollars during his time as a provincial economy minister and later as deputy ANC president. Thales, which supplied naval vessels as part of the deal, also faces charges of corruption and a company representative from France appeared in court alongside Zuma. - 'A matter of principle' - Zuma is accused of illicitly pocketing 4,072,499.85 rand -- 280,000 euros, $340,000 at today's rates -- from 783 payments handled by Schabir Shaik, a businessman who acted as his financial adviser. After about 30 minutes of pre-trial legal discussions in a packed courtroom of the Durban High Court, Judge Mjabuliseni Madondo postponed the case to July 27. "I'm here to support him because he's innocent until proven guilty -- he is not treated fairly," said Sandra Ndlamlenza, 43, who travelled to court to back Zuma. Zuma's legal team has sought to delay prosecution by arguing that the issue of his spiralling legal costs has not been adequately resolved. Zuma has already spent 24.2 million rand of public money defending himself against corruption allegations linked to the arms deal affair, according to a government estimate. Lawyer Billy Downer, for the prosecution, said an agreement had been reached to postpone the case to next month in the hope that by then there would be "answers related to his funding". Judge Madondo adjourned proceedings to July 27, to Pietermaritzburg's High Court 80 kilometres (50 miles) west of Durban which is in KwaZulu-Natal province where Zuma, a Zulu speaker, enjoys strong support. Zuma has sought to continue to receive state funding for his defence team but the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party has gone to court to try to stop him using public money. Zuma's lawyers have claimed that the DA's case should be heard before the corruption trial can continue. No date has been set down for that ruling. Zuma's successor as president Cyril Ramaphosa has said he will abide by any court decision on who should pay Zuma's legal costs. Zuma supporter Ntanto Dlomo, 33, said "the state must pay for his legal costs because he was vice president when all this happened". "It's a matter of principle," she added. Ramaphosa has vowed to crack down on government corruption, which he has admitted is a serious problem. Campaign groups are hoping that the case could set a benchmark for allegedly corrupt leaders to face prosecutions, a rarity in Africa. Former South African president Jacob Zuma, pictured in the dock in Durban on Friday. He faces 16 charges of corruption that date to before his time as president Zuma supporters sang and danced as they arrived for a night vigil ahead of his court appearance Austria said Friday it could expel up to 60 Turkish-funded imams and their families and would shut down seven mosques as part of a crackdown on "political Islam", triggering fury in Ankara. "The circle of people possibly affected by these measures -- the pool that we're talking about -- comprises around 60 imams," said Interior Minister Herbert Kickl of the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), the junior partner in Austria's coalition government. Kickl was referring to imams with alleged links to the Turkish-Islamic Cultural Associations (ATIB) organisation, a branch of Turkey's religious affairs agency Diyanet. Kickl added the government suspects them of contravening a ban on foreign funding of religious office holders. The ministry said 40 of them had an active application for extending their residency and that a number of these had already been referred to immigration authorities, where a process for expelling them was underway. Once family members were taken into account, a total of 150 people risked losing their right to residence, Kickl told a Vienna press conference. Ankara quickly denounced the move. "Austria's decision to close down seven mosques and deport imams with a lame excuse is a reflection of the anti-Islam, racist and discriminatory populist wave in this country", presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter. However other European far-right leaders welcomed the announcement. Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French Front National, said on Twitter: "Austria is taking things in hand and showing that 'when you want to, you can!'" Matteo Salvini, head of Italy's League and interior minister in the new government, also tweeted his approval, saying: "Those who exploit their faith to endanger a country's security should be expelled!" - 'Laughable' claims - Seven mosques will also be shut after an investigation by Austria's religious affairs authority sparked by images which emerged in April of children in a Turkish-backed mosque playing dead and re-enacting the World War I battle of Gallipoli. The photos of children, published by the Falter weekly, showed the young boys in camouflage uniforms marching, saluting, waving Turkish flags and then playing dead. Their "corpses" were then lined up and draped in the flags. The mosque in question was run by ATIB. ATIB itself condemned the photos at the time, calling the event "highly regrettable" and saying it was "called off before it had even ended". Asked to address the question of foreign funding of imams on Austria's O1 radio station, ATIB spokesman Yasar Ersoy confirmed Friday its imams were paid by Turkish authorities but said that this was made necessary by a lack of training and funding for imams in Austria. One of the mosques targeted by Friday's measure was in the Favoriten district of Vienna. The government said it had been operating illegally and that it was under the influence of the far-right Turkish political movement, the Grey Wolves. Worshippers arriving for Friday prayers were met with a sign on the door reading "closed" in Turkish and German. Kursant, a 26-year-old, told AFP: "I've been coming to this mosque since I was a child. I've never heard anyone at the mosque... express any Salafist opinions. That's laughable." He also denied the mosque had any links to Turkish political parties. Six other mosques are being closed down, three in Vienna, two in Upper Austria and one in Carinthia. All but one of the mosques affected belong to the "Arab Religious Association," according to the government. - Strained relations - Even Austria's opposition parties were broadly supportive of Friday's announcement, with the centre-left Social Democrats calling it "the first sensible thing this government's done". However the Green Party pointed out it could serve as a propaganda victory for the Turkish government. Turkey's relations with Austria have long been strained, most recently when Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said he would ban Turkish politicians from campaigning in Austria for upcoming elections. Around 360,000 people of Turkish origin live in Austria, including 117,000 Turkish nationals. Last week Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attacked Kurz, saying: "This immoral chancellor has a problem with us". Both Kurz, of the centre-right People's Party (OeVP) and the FPOe made immigration and integration major themes in their election campaigns last year. The topic had been pushed up the political agenda by the migrant crisis of 2015-16, which saw more than 150,000 people seek asylum in the country of 8.7 million. In Friday's press conference Kurz was keen to emphasise that the action was being taken under legislation to regulate Islamic associations that he himself brought in as a minister in the previous government and which had so far -- in his opinion -- not been used often enough. Austria says it will move to expel up to 60 Turkish-funded imams and their families in a government crackdown on "political islam" The "Nizam-i Alem" mosque in Vienna's 10th district is one of seven mosques that the Austrian government says it will shut down in a crackdown on "political Islam" A community member gestures outside the "Nizam-i Alem" mosque in Vienna after it was closed following an Austrian government announcement they would shut seven mosques in a crackdown on political Islam A Vietnamese pro-democracy activist jailed for 15 years for "attempting to overthrow" the Communist state arrived in Germany on Friday hours after being released from prison. Nguyen Van Dai and his assistant Le Thu Ha were freed late Thursday and whisked away on an overnight flight to Germany, along with Dai's wife Vu Minh Khanh. His exit removes a perennial thorn from the side of Vietnam's authorities, who are jailing pro-democracy campaigners, dissident lawyers and bloggers at alarming rates. Dai, a leading member of the Brotherhood for Democracy (BFD) activist group, was sentenced to 15 years in jail in April, while Ha got nine years. The pair, who had been in custody since 2015, were accused of carrying out human rights training and pressing for multi-party democracy with the aid of foreign funds in a bid to topple the state. Four others were also convicted in the case that drew international condemnation for Vietnam's harsh treatment of critics. Political parties and independent press are banned in Vietnam, which is a one-party state. "I did not come to Germany to stay for the long term," Dai told AFP by telephone. "My motherland is Vietnam, my mother and relatives are there. I will fight to return." Germany greeted their release as "a remarkable humanitarian step and a good signal to the international community" after months of diplomatic tensions between Berlin and Hanoi. Relations have been icy since last July's Cold War-style kidnapping by Vietnamese agents of a fugitive Vietnamese executive from a Berlin park, which Hanoi has denied. "Germany should be highly commended for giving asylum to Nguyen Van Dai, his wife and his assistant," said Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director of Human Rights Watch. "Vietnam's rights abusing behaviour to punish people who dare use their voices and their actions to demand real reform is outrageous and unconscionable." Dai's lawyer said his client had chosen not to appeal his prison verdict in April because he had been planning to leave Vietnam since his arrest in 2015 - and had held discussions with several embassies in Hanoi. "He needed to consult with his wife but later he picked Germany," Nguyen Van Mieng told AFP Friday. The European Union, the United States and the United Nations had all issued harsh rebukes after the April trial. The four others sentenced to between seven and 12 years lost their appeal this week and remain in prison. Dai served four years in prison on 2007 for anti-state activity and has long been a problem for Vietnamese authorities. He was one of the founders of BFD, a nationwide pro-democracy network which has seen several members jailed in recent months. The one-party state has long jailed its critics, but rights groups say a conservative leadership in place since 2016 is tightening its grip and handing out heavier sentences. Amnesty International says at least 97 prisoners of conscience are behind bars. burs-fz/apj/bp Vietnamese dissident Nguyen Van Dai and other political activists stand in court during their trial in Hanoi last April 5. Dai and his assistant Le Thu Ha were freed and whisked onto an overnight flight to Germany, along with Dai's wife A massive flow of desperate Venezuelans into neighboring Colombia is impacting Bogata's implementation of a historic peace accord, the US military's top officer for the region warned Thursday. Under a 2016 deal, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) disarmed its 7,000 fighters in order to join the political process and end the country's 50-year civil war. The deal also is meant to ensure thousands of former fighters are reintegrated into Colombian society. But according to Admiral Kurt Tidd, who heads the US military's Southern Command, some of those reintegration funds are being diverted to care for Venezuelans who have fled their crisis-hit country. "A lot of resources that were going to go into reintegration of former FARC members into society... have had to go into taking care of Venezuelans who have fled the economic devastation of Venezuela," Tidd told reporters at a Washington event. He said the biggest concern about Venezuela was the "enormous outflow" of desperate Venezuelans without food, medicine or the means to support themselves, and the impact on neighboring countries. "We've seen tens of thousands in Peru. We've seen tens of thousands down in Brazil," Tidd said, noting that "probably" at least a million Venezuelans had gone to Colombia. US President Donald Trump in August said he was mulling a range of scenarios for Venezuela -- "including a possible military option if necessary." But Tidd did not comment when asked if a military option would help deal with the situation. "Right now let's talk about taking care of the Venezuelan people and helping the neighboring countries deal with that," he said. Admiral Kurt Tidd, commander of US Southern Command, speaking in Washington at a 2016 event The UN General Assembly elected Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia and South Africa on Friday to serve as non-permanent members on the Security Council for two years starting in January. All but three of the 193 UN member states cast paper ballots. Germany and the Dominican Republic each obtained 184 votes. South Africa got 183 votes, Belgium 181 and 144 went to Indonesia. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas -- who was present for the vote -- said his country wanted to be a "strong voice for peace in the Security Council." "But above all, we want a multilateral world order for the future, based on the rules that we have worked on tirelessly for decades, especially here at the United Nations," Maas added. The Belgian government said it was joining the council at a "pivotal moment." "It's a period when multilateralism no longer seems obvious to all, with some even questioning it, even as the planet is confronted with multiple global challenges, including climate change, the (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, the fight against terrorism and illegal migration," it said. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his country was "humbled and honored by the confidence the international community has demonstrated in our capability to contribute to the resolution of global challenges." He also expressed concerns about "the emergence of unilateralism and its attendant threat to the international rules-based system." There are 15 members on the UN Security Council, including the five permanent ones -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and 10 non-permanent members, half of which are elected each year. - Regional deal-making - Each candidate country needed to secure two thirds of the votes in order to clinch a seat. The Dominican Republic will take its first turn on the Security Council, while the other nations chosen have served before. Belgium and Germany obtained the two seats for the Western Europe and Others Group after Israel dropped out of the competition. The Maldives, with only 46 votes, lost out to Indonesia for the Asia Pacific regional group's seat. The African Union made a deal to see that South Africa was elected, while the Dominican Republic took up Latin America's spot after a similar consensus in that regional group. The five new members will replace Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands and Sweden on the council. Just before taking up their duties, the elected states get intense training about Security Council protocol and customs. The ambassadors will each preside over the council for a month during their mandate. - Elaborate nomination process - Each regional bloc has its own process for Security Council candidates. For some, "it's first come, first served," and countries often seek a seat very early on, a diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "You can put forward your candidacy for 10 years," the diplomat added, though others can challenge that spot. For the current election, "Israel in the end decided to withdraw because it understood it stood no chance and could face humiliation with 30, 40 or even 50 votes maximum," which would trigger its automatic elimination, the diplomat explained. In the Western Europe group, there is no agreement on who can get a spot. "As soon as it leaves the council after a term, Germany systematically puts forward its candidacy for six or seven years later," the diplomat said. So before seeking a seat, a country looks at the competitors already listed. The diplomat noted that the Africa group has a "very sophisticated" process in order to always have three seats at the council, including one Arab country. (L to R) The foreign Ministers from Germany, South Africa, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia and Belgium pose for photos on the floor of the Security Council after their countries were elected to serve as non-permanent members for two years German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas votes during a General Assembly meeting to elect the five non-permanent members of the Security Council at the United Nations in New York on June 8, 2018 The results are announced during a UN General Assembly meeting to elect the five non-permanent members of the Security Council The way to rice farmer Choi Ki-joong's paddy fields goes through a military checkpoint where soldiers stand guard against nuclear-armed North Korea only a few kilometres away, a legacy of the war that stopped in 1953. Declaring a formal end to the Korean War, when hostilities ceased with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, will be on the agenda when US President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un meet next week in Singapore for their unprecedented summit. Although residents living along the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula have grown indifferent to the propaganda broadcasts and gunfire that punctuate their daily existence, they still hope the diplomatic drive will lead to peace. Choi lives in the northernmost border village of Samgotri in Yeoncheon county, alongside the DMZ. The 75-year-old is only allowed to access his fields during daylight hours, and at times of high tensions cannot do so at all. "We just put up with it and live our daily lives," he said. "We can live like this, in peace with no war, or if both sides want it we can hold hands and live together as Koreans and go back and forth." Yeoncheon county saw heavy fighting during the war, including the 'Battle of Pork Chop Hill' which killed thousands of US and Chinese troops. US Vice President Mike Pence's father was among the Americans who took part and received a Bronze Star for his service -- which now sits on Pence's desk in his White House office. The rural farming area, only 60 kilometres away from the capital Seoul, brims with the legacy of a war that never technically ended. A group of soldiers patrolled Samgotri's empty roads on a weekday afternoon, where a fading wooden sign read: "If you want true peace, be ready for war." In recent years, the residents have been forced to evacuate twice after the North fired gunshots and artillery rounds to protest the South's propaganda activities along the border. The holes made by North Korean bullets in 2014 are on display in front of the district office as a glaring reminder, with a quote: "The war has not ended. We are still in a truce." - 'Used to gunshots' - But the villagers' sense of fear has diminished. "We are quite used to gunshots and artillery rounds," one man told AFP, loading bags of cucumbers onto his truck. His indifference is shared by other South Koreans along the border. "I actually feel safer" with Seoul's armed forces nearby, said Lee Kyung-ae, who runs a cold noodle restaurant in Myungpari, at the eastern end of the DMZ. The sound of the South's artillery drills has become so frequent she has "stopped paying attention", Lee said. Her village, on the way to the North's scenic Mount Kumgang resort, prospered when South Korean tourists flocked across the border until Seoul banned the programme 10 years ago after a Northern soldier shot dead one of the visitors. The recent peace-making efforts on the peninsula could bring travellers back to her village, Lee said, and to her restaurant, named after the North Korean capital. A formal declaration to end the conflict could gradually reduce the number of troops stationed along the Korean border. For Heo Beom-koo, who has sold backpacks, face paint and other military goods to soldiers in Yanggu county for around 40 years, that would mean a major setback in business. "That's my problem," Heo said. "As a South Korean... I think an improvement in relations between the US and North Korea is necessary." If things go really well, the 63-year-old imagines he could even relocate his store to the North, "since the military is vital for defending the Korean peninsula". But if conflict erupts again he has a different vision for his future. "If a war breaks out, I will take all these goods to the military and fight the war with the army." Despite the fences and watchtowers, residents all along the DMZ have grown indifferent to the propaganda broadcasts and gunfire that punctuate their daily existence South Korean soldiers empty roads near the DMZ on a weekday afternoon In recent years, the residents have been forced to evacuate twice after the North fired gunshots and artillery rounds to protest the South's propaganda activities along the border A miltary suplus store in Yangu near the DMZ separating North and South Korea The sounds of South Korean artillery drills near the DMZ have become so frequent that some residents have stopped paying attention The escape of a failed Iraqi asylum seeker suspected of raping and murdering a teenage girl sparked outrage in Germany on Friday, raising questions over immigration and police failings. Ali Bashar, 20, is believed to have strangled 14-year-old Susanna Maria Feldman after sexually assaulting her. As police hunted Bashar after discovering Feldman's body near a railway line this week, it emerged that he had fled to Iraq with his family on false identity papers. Bashar also turned out to have chalked up a long police record over less than three years in Germany and should have been expelled months ago. "The government should beg for forgiveness from Susanna's parents", said the top-selling daily Bild. "The only thing that is worse than the murder of a child is the murder of a child by a criminal who should not have been in our country." The case puts renewed pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel's government over the decision to open Germany's borders at the height of Europe's refugee crisis in 2015, which led to the arrival of more than a million asylum seekers over two years. Critics charged that the authorities lost control over who they were letting into the country. Bashar arrived in Germany in 2015 along with his parents and five siblings. He should have been deported after his request for asylum was rejected in December 2016, but he obtained a temporary residence permit pending his appeal. During this time, he got into trouble with the police on several occasions, including for alleged robbery, possession of an illegal switchblade and fights. He was also among suspects of the rape of an 11-year-old girl living in the same refugee shelter as him. "The girl was raped by an Ali. There were four Alis living in the refugee home," said Stefan Mueller, West Hesse police chief. The latest crime is reminiscent of another case involving the rape and murder of a student by an asylum seeker claiming to be from Afghanistan. Hussein Khavari was in March sentenced to life in jail for the deadly attack on medical student Maria Ladenburger, 19, in October 2016. Tagesspiegel daily pointed to a third case in which a teenage girl was stabbed to death by her boyfriend, an Afghan asylum seeker. "What is particularly sad in these three cases is also that the victims "were interested, curious and ... tried to befriend (the newcomers). "That's how integration usually works -- there are hundreds and thousands of examples in Germany. But now also three dead girls," it added in an editorial called "poison for society." Police handout picture released June 7, 2018, of Iraqi asylum seeker Ali Bashar, suspected of the rape and murder of a teenage girl A Gowanus chef who brags about his restaurant's eco-friendly sourcing has been arrested for attempting to poison his neighbor's seven-story maple tree, in an apparent attempt to direct more sunlight toward his solar panels. The Daily News reports that Adam Harvey, who owns Bar Salumi and appeared on the 12th season of Top Chef, stands accused of drilling holes into the tree's trunk last month and stuffing it with herbicide. The beloved maple, owned by a retired school teacher in Windsor Terrace, is now on the verge of death, according to an arborist who spoke to the tabloid. Prosecutors have charged Harvey with criminal mischief and criminal trespass, and told him to stay away from the ailing tree. "The tree has a right to be and has a right to survive," the tree's owner told the News. Why would you have solar panels and try to take down a tree? That to me is the linchpin of everything. It says a lot." The allegedly arborcidal Brooklynite has previously highlighted his own restaurants' commitment to responsible sourcing. Bar Salumi currently promises farmers market ingredients, and a previous version of the space, called A&E Supply Co., boasted of a "farm to party" ethos, according to Eater. It's also not his first time pissing off neighbors; when A&E Supply Co. first came to Gowanus, they were accused of "vandalizing" the neighborhood, after mounting a guerrilla marketing campaign that involved using a chalk-based paint to tag their logo on nearby sidewalks. The Seeley Street residents, where the tree has lived for decades, already despise Harvey too, even though he's not even moved in yet. He reportedly purchased the home for $1.5 million last summer, but has been waiting to move in until renovations are complete. Neighbors say that he's now tried to kill the tree on multiple occasions. According to the maple's owner, "The neighborhood is in mourning because of that tree suffering." We've reached out to Harvey, and were told that he has no comment at this time. We'll update if that changes. Italy's new hardline interior minister Matteo Salvini engaged in a war of words with the Maltese government Friday after accusing the Mediterranean island of not doing its fair share to take in migrants. "The good God put Malta closer to Africa than Sicily," said the nationalist Salvini, as a new wave of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean prepared to land in Italy. "It is not possible for Malta to say 'no' to any request for help," he continued. Salvini's comments came after Malta reportedly refused to come to the aid of a migrant rescue ship Seefuchs, which was stranded with 119 migrants onboard in the Mediterranean due to violent sea conditions. The ship had embarked on a mission coordinated by the Italian coastguard on Wednesday to rescue migrants aboard a dinghy in distress. But after evacuating the dinghy, the Seefuchs was forced to call for assistance from a bigger vessel, unable to navigate in the deteriorating weather conditions without putting the migrants' lives in danger. According to the German NGO Sea-Watch, which attempted in vain to assist the Seefuchs due to the adverse conditions, Valletta refused to offer assistance, apart from agreeing to accept medical evacuations by air. The Maltese government was quick to deny it had done anything wrong. "With regards to Search and Rescue, Malta acts in accordance to the international conventions that apply," the government said in a statement Friday evening. "Malta will continue to respect these conventions with respect to the Safety of Life at Sea (maritime treaty), as happened in this latest case and indeed in each case." - 70 hours in rough seas - The Seefuchs was finally reached on Friday afternoon by a tanker and an Italian coast guard ship and is expected to dock at the port of Pozzallo in southern Sicily in the evening. The migrants on board were reportedly in a state of distress after spending 70 hours in rough seas. Another 232 migrants, on board the NGO ship Sea Watch 3 are also set to disembark in the southern Italian state of Calabria Saturday morning after more than three days at sea. Unconvinced by Valletta's statement, the bullish Salvini, issued a sharp response Friday evening. "Can our Maltese friends tell us how many ships carrying immigrants docked in their ports in 2018?" he said in a statement. "How many people landed, how many asylum applications were examined and how many accepted? Italy wants to solve problems, not create them." Salvini -- who is also deputy prime minister -- has repeatedly promised to stop migrants arriving in Italy and speed up deportations. He accuses fellow EU nations of abandoning Italy in the struggle to deal with migrant arrivals, recently announcing that Italy cannot be "Europe's refugee camp." The southern European nation has seen more than 700,000 migrants arrive on their shores since 2013. However, a controversial agreement between Italy's former centre-left government and authorities and militias in Libya has triggered a decline in overall arrivals of some 75 percent since the summer of 2017. But so far this year Italian authorities have still registered more than 13,500 arrivals. Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right party "Lega" (League) speaks to the press after a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella as part of consultations of political parties to form a government, on May 14, 2018 in Rome Lebanon has accused the United Nations refugee agency of intimidating refugees to prevent their return to Syria and on Friday blocked residency applications for the agency's staff. "Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Gebran Bassil issued instructions... to stop the requests for residency presented to the ministry and (those already submitted) for the UNHCR in Lebanon until further notice," a statement said. "Bassil asked for the study of other progressive measures... in the case that the UNHCR is determined to pursue the same policy," it said. Bassil late Thursday warned his country would start taking measures against the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees over allegations the agency was preventing Syrian refugees from returning home. "We sent a mission that verified that the UNHCR is intimidating the displaced who wish to return voluntarily," he tweeted. A UNHCR spokesperson responded by denying that the agency's staff were discouraging refugees from considering a return. "We do not discourage or oppose returns taking place based on an individual decision," William Spindler told reporters. "But in our view, conditions in Syria are not yet conducive for an assisted return, although the situation is changing and we are following closely," he said. Lebanon has seen its water, electricity and waste removal infrastructure strained by the influx of Syrian refugees. But international non-governmental organisations also say their presence has helped stimulate the economy. In April, the UNHCR suggested that the government-organised return of 500 refugees was premature, explaining that it was not involved due to the prevailing humanitarian and security situation in Syria. The world body's position infuriated Bassil, who warned Lebanon could "re-evaluate" the UN agency's work. Lebanon is expected to soon have a new government after last month's parliamentary elections. Syrian refugees are a recurring topic in Lebanon's political debate, but Bassil has taken a hard line and been the only leading politician directly attacking the UN. Syria's regime has retaken more than half of the country since Russia intervened in 2015 on its behalf. The war has killed more than 350,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. A Syrian woman evacuated from rebel-held areas in Eastern Ghouta seeks refuge at a shelter in the regime-controlled Adra district on outskirts of Damascus Lebanon has accused the United Nations refugee agency of intimidating refugees to prevent their return to Syria and on Friday blocked residency applications for the agency's staff. "Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Gebran Bassil issued instructions... to stop the requests for residency presented to the ministry and (those already submitted) for the UNHCR in Lebanon until further notice," a statement said. "Bassil asked for the study of other progressive measures... in the case that the UNHCR is determined to pursue the same policy," it said. The small Mediterranean country hosts an estimated 1.5 million people displaced by the war in neighbouring Syria -- more than a quarter of its population before the conflict. Bassil late Thursday warned his country would start taking measures against the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees over allegations the agency was preventing Syrian refugees from returning home. "We sent a mission that verified that the UNHCR is intimidating the displaced who wish to return voluntarily," he tweeted. A UNHCR spokesman responded by denying that the agency's staff were discouraging refugees from considering a return. "We do not discourage or oppose returns taking place based on an individual decision," William Spindler told reporters. "But in our view, conditions in Syria are not yet conducive for an assisted return, although the situation is changing and we are following closely," he said. UNHCR spokeswoman Lisa Abou Khaled said the agency had not received any official notification of a suspension of residency permits for its foreign staff. - Escalating tension - She declined to comment on how such a step might affect the work of UNHCR in Lebanon, but said most of the UN agency's staff were Lebanese. "There are about 600 staff working at UNHCR here in Lebanon and the vast majority of them are Lebanese," she said, without giving a specific a number of international staff. Lebanon has seen its water, electricity and waste removal infrastructure strained by the influx of Syrian refugees. But international non-governmental organisations also say their presence has helped stimulate the economy. In April, the UNHCR suggested that the government-organised return of 500 refugees was premature, explaining that it was not involved due to the prevailing humanitarian and security situation in Syria. The world body's position infuriated Bassil, who warned Lebanon could "re-evaluate" the UN agency's work. Lebanon is expected to soon have a new government after last month's parliamentary elections. Syrian refugees are a recurring topic in Lebanon's political debate, but Bassil has taken a hard line and is the only leading politician directly attacking the UN. More than 350,000 people have been killed in the Syrian war millions have been displaced since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. But Syria's regime has retaken more than half of the country since Russia intervened in 2015 on its behalf. A Syrian woman washes dishes at an unofficial refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon which hosts 1.5 million people displaced by the war in neighbouring Syria Syrian refugees wait to be evacuated from the southern Lebanese village of Shebaa on April 18, 2018, to return home to their village of Beit Jinn in the southwestern Damascus countryside The Maldives has set the date for its next presidential election with incumbent Abdulla Yameen in a commanding position -- and his two main rivals either in jail or exiled abroad. Voters in the Indian Ocean archipelago will go to the polls on September 23, officials said late Thursday, with election authorities to accept candidate nominations next month. But Yameen has moved against potential rivals since winning a controversial runoff vote against then-president Mohamed Nasheed in 2013, launching a crackdown on dissent that has seen two of the country's former leaders put behind bars. Nasheed was convicted on a terrorism charge in 2015 and handed a 13-year jail sentence. He was allowed to go to London in 2016 for medical treatment and has remained there in exile since. Meanwhile Yameen's half brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, a former strongman who ruled the country for 30 years until 2008, is in prison facing terrorism charges for his alleged role in a February Supreme Court ruling that could have led to Yameen's impeachment. The court had also paved the way for Nasheed's return to the Maldives after ruling to quash criminal convictions against high profile opposition politicians. But its powers were curtailed after Yameen declared a state of emergency in February and arrested two of the court's judges. Nasheed plans to contest the presidency with the endorsement of his Maldivian Democratic Party, but election laws prevent anyone with a criminal conviction from contesting. However, the MDP said Nasheed will submit his nomination papers to challenge Yameen, who has ignored UN Human Rights Committee calls to quash Nasheed's conviction. Colombo-based MDP official Omar Razak said Nasheed will campaign through social media as he cannot return home. "The authorities have said he cannot contest because of the conviction, but we will go ahead and submit the nominations on his behalf in July," Razak told AFP. In 2013, the Supreme Court annulled the results of the first round of voting when Nasheed was leading and twice postponed votes, giving Yameen more time to organise an electoral pact and narrowly win the run-off. President Abdulla Yameen has moved against potential rivals since winning a controversial runoff vote against his predecessor Mohamed Nasheed in 2013, launching a crackdown on dissent that has put two of the country's former leaders behind bars Myanmar's army and civilian leadership held a rare "national security" meeting on Friday and discussed an internal investigation into the Rohingya crisis in Rakhine state, the president's office said. The meeting -- only the third of its kind since Aung San Suu Kyi's government took power in 2016 -- follows a deal to allow the UN to enter Rakhine to assess when refugees may be able to return. Some 700,000 of the Muslim minority have fled over the border to Bangladesh after the military launched a violent crackdown on Rohingya insurgents last August that the UN and US have called "ethnic cleansing". Until this week's deal with the UN, Myanmar had dragged its feet for months over the repatriation of the stateless minority, insisting the region is safe for their return but refusing access to outsiders to evaluate conditions. Pressure is also mounting from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is due to discuss on June 20 whether to launch an investigation into the crackdown. Myanmar, which denies the ethnic cleansing allegations, has dismissed the move, saying it is not a signatory or member of the Rome Statute which underpins the ICC. The country has said it will establish its own independent probe to investigate human rights abuses. Suu Kyi and Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing were among the 15 attendees at Friday's meeting in Naypyidaw, a Facebook post by the office of President Win Myint said. It covered "national security and international relations including the crisis in Rakhine state" and the formation of an "investigative commission" on Rakhine. The select group last convened immediately after the August 25 attacks last year by Rohingya militants which killed around a dozen border police and triggered the army's campaign against the Rohingya. Analysts say high-level meetings between the civilian government and military could help smooth differences that perforate their power-sharing agreement. Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a repatriation deal in November for the Rohingya refugees. But only around 1,000 refugees have been cleared for return, while virtually none have gone back, demanding safety guarantees, citizenship and compensation for razed villages and commandeered farmland. Both countries have traded accusations over who is responsible for the delay. New UN envoy Christine Schraner Burgener is expected to visit Myanmar shortly to discuss the Rohingya crisis. Some 700,000 Rohingya have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh since last August The meeting is only the third of its kind since Aung San Suu Kyi's government took power in 2016 Gunmen opened fire on a barricade manned by anti-government protesters, killing a student, amid stalled efforts to revive peace negotiations between the government and opposition. Roman Catholic bishops came away from a meeting late Thursday with President Daniel Ortega without a formal plan to return to the negotiating table. Meanwhile, the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights said 19-year-old student Cesar Chavarria became the 135th person to die in anti-government protests that have flared since April 18. A student leader said Chavarria was killed and another student was wounded overnight Thursday to Friday when armed men in vans opened fire on a barricade near the National Autonomous University in Managua. State broadcaster Radio Nicaragua was targeted in a firebomb attack early Friday, the official government website reported, charging that the arson was "organized and paid for by the right". The Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference (CEN) said the bishops had presented "the pain and anguish of people who have suffered in recent weeks" during a "frank and sincere meeting" with Ortega. It did not elaborate on the details of the bishops' proposal, but said it "reflects the feelings of many sectors of Nicaraguan society" and was awaiting a reaction from Ortega. Silvio Jose Baez, the auxiliary bishop of Managua, said Ortega "asked us for a period of reflection to give us an answer, which we asked he give us in writing" -- after which they will consider the feasibility of renewed negotiations. Bishops had called off the talks last week after 16 people were killed in a crackdown by security forces on a protest led by mothers of victims of the unrest. Costa Rica announced Friday it would provide visas to relatives of diplomats accredited in Nicaragua who want to leave. "We have decided to provide them with diplomatic courtesy visas so that, as a result of the crisis situation in Nicaragua, the relatives of the diplomats can come" to Costa Rica, said Foreign Minister Epsy Campbell. Cardenal Leopoldo Brenes reads a statement after a meeting June 7, 2018 in Managua with Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega Sri Lanka's jinxed second international airport was left without a single scheduled flight from Friday after the only airline using the remote facility scrapped its daily service. Dubai's flydubai gave no reason for the pullout from Mattala International, built by former strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse and financed with Chinese loans. The airport -- a five-hour, 250-kilometre (150-mile) drive from the capital Colombo -- is located inside a wildlife sanctuary and smack in the middle of a migratory route for birds. Several aircraft have hit birds since it opened in 2013 and two years ago the military deployed hundreds of troops to clear deer, wild buffalo and elephants off the sprawling facility. The airport, which cost an initial $210 million and employs some 550 workers in Rajapakse's home district, has failed to generate enough business to pay staff, let alone make a profit. Rajapakse's administration had offered hefty concessions and initially attracted Air Arabia -- which pulled out after only a few weeks -- and flydubai. Even Sri Lanka's national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines stopped flying to Mattala in 2015 saying the move saved them $18 million annually. Mattala will however remain an emergency alternate landing location for flights heading into Colombo International. Earlier this year the world's largest aircraft, the Antonov 225, refuelled there. Other Chinese investments have also turned sour for the island nation, leading the government to warn last month of a looming debt crisis as it struggles to pay back the loans. Last August, China took over the loss-making deep-sea port of Hambantota in the south of Sri Lanka on a 99-year lease under a $1.1 billion deal, sparking particular concern in neighbouring India. China has also lent other countries in Asia and further afield vast amounts of money for infrastructure projects being built under President Xi Jinping's signature Belt and Road initiative. In April the International Monetary Fund warned China about saddling other countries with a "problematic increase in debt". The airport was named after and built by former strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse and financed with Chinese loans A failed Iraqi asylum seeker suspected of raping and murdering a teenage girl in Germany was arrested in Iraq overnight, German authorities said Friday, after his escape sparked outrage and raised questions over immigration and police failings. Ali Bashar, 20, who is believed to have strangled 14-year-old Susanna Maria Feldman after sexually assaulting her, was "arrested by Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq at the request of German federal police", said German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer. A senior Kurd security official who asked not to be named told AFP that Bashar had been "arrested very early at Arbil international airport" in the Kurdish-controlled region of northern Iraq. The arrest, as Bashar got off a plane, was due to "coordination between the Kurd and German security forces," the official said. "Preparations have been made to have the suspect transferred as quickly as possible to face trial in Germany." The arrest came after an outcry in Germany as police hunting the fugitive admitted that Bashar had fled with his family. They managed to fly out of Duesseldorf airport even though the names on their identity documents did not match those on their airline tickets, police said, adding that their identity was only checked against the photos on the papers. Bashar also turned out to have chalked up a long police record over his less than three years in Germany and should have been expelled months ago. "The government should beg for forgiveness from Susanna's parents," said the top-selling tabloid Bild. "The only thing that is worse than the murder of a child is the murder of a child by a criminal who should not have been in our country. "Crimes like these are explosive for our society because they are the bitter proof that this country does not have sufficient control over who is residing within our borders." The newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said "it is time to wonder how far the credibility of the government is being undermined when it is surrounded by so many absurdities". Revealing that Feldman and her mother were members of the Jewish community, the Central Council of Jews in Germany urged a "swift and comprehensive" probe into the case and tough consequences for the perpetrator. - Protests planned - The case puts renewed pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel's government over the decision to open Germany's borders at the height of Europe's refugee crisis in 2015, resulting in the arrival of more than a million asylum seekers over two years. Far-right party AfD, which had railed against asylum seekers, jumped in to push its point. "Susanna is a new victim of the egotistical and hypocritical welcoming policy of Chancellor Angela Merkel," charged AfD chief Alice Weidel, who called for the German leader's resignation. The party has called a protest Saturday under the banner "That's enough" while counter-demonstrators plan to rally against racism on the same day. Bashar arrived in Germany in 2015 along with his parents and five siblings. He should have been deported after his request for asylum was rejected in December 2016, but he obtained a temporary residence permit pending his appeal. During this time, he got into trouble with the police on several occasions, including for alleged robbery, possession of an illegal switchblade and fights. He was also among the suspects of the sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl living in the same refugee shelter. "The girl was raped by an Ali. There were four Alis living in the refugee home," said Stefan Mueller, West Hesse police chief. - 'Revenge reflex' - The latest crime is reminiscent of another case involving the rape and murder of a student by an asylum seeker claiming to be from Afghanistan. Hussein Khavari was in March sentenced to life in jail for the deadly attack on medical student Maria Ladenburger, 19, in October 2016. Tagesspiegel daily pointed to a third case, in which a teenage girl was stabbed to death by her boyfriend, an Afghan asylum seeker. "What is particularly sad in these three cases is also that the victims were interested, curious and ... tried to befriend (the newcomers). "That's how integration usually works -- there are hundreds and thousands of examples in Germany. But now also three dead girls," it added in an editorial called "Poison for society." Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper acknowledged that such cases spark a "revenge reflex" but it warned that "barbarising the law is not the answer to barbaric acts." A cross with a sign reading "Susanna, 14 year-old, victim of tolerance" is placed at a makeshift memorial at the site where 14-year-old Susanna Maria Feldman was raped and murdered Police handout picture of Iraqi asylum seeker Ali Bashar, suspected of the rape and murder of a teenage girl A tribute in memory of 14-year-old Susanna Maria Feldman in Wiesbaden, Germany From busing supporters to Bucharest to mass mailings of party slogans, Romania's left-wing government is pulling out all the stops for a demonstration on Saturday against the country's own judiciary. The ruling Social Democrats (PSD) predict several hundred thousand people will turn out to denounce what they claim is abuse of power on the part of judges. But critics say the demonstration is part of a campaign by the ruling party to weaken the judiciary and prevent it from acting against pervasive corruption in official institutions. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila is also expected at Saturday's event, to be centred on Bucharest's Victory Square, in front of the government's main offices. The PSD hopes to match the record number of people that took to the streets last year to denounce planned reforms to the judiciary that opponents -- including Brussels -- said would have hurt judicial independence. Among the demonstrators is expected to be PSD chief Liviu Dragnea. He has led the party's charge on the judiciary since it returned to power in 2016, accusing it of creating a "parallel state" and painting himself as its victim. But critics say his stance has more to do with the suspended two-year prison sentence he received for vote-rigging which prevented him from becoming prime minister. A ruling in a separate fraud case involving Dragnea had beem expected on Friday but has been delayed until June 21. - 'Strange and farcical' - According to Romanian media, numerous local officials, as well as hospital managers and headteachers, have been urging their employees to join the demonstration. As well as laying on special trains and buses, the PSD is also handing out instructions to make sure the demonstrations are as effective as possible. According to a leaked party document, it will ensure one Romanian flag for every 10 participants and a placard for every 40. Even residents across Bucharest -- not traditionally a PSD stronghold -- have been receiving flyers for the event in the post. "Come out and say: 'Stop!' to the deep state that wants to control Romania with made-up cases, made-up evidence and fake witnesses," read one flyer. Centre-right President Klaus Iohannis, who has frequently clashed with the government, called Saturday's demonstration "strange and a bit farcical", adding that it was reminiscent of the communist era. Romania's ruling Social Democrats predict several hundred thousand people will turn out to protest the country's judiciary in Bucharest's Victory Square June 9, 2018, where an earlier demonstration is seen in 2017 New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray has made mental health advocacy a cornerstone of her time at Gracie Mansion, through an $850 million package of 54 separate initiatives known as ThriveNYC. Launched three years ago with the lofty goal to "change the culture around mental health, and the way New York City and its partners deliver services," the project offers round-the-clock counseling to New Yorkers in 200 languages, via phone, text or online form, among other mental-health related services. "We all deal with mental illness, but we don't talk about it," she said at an event recently, in which she referenced Deborah Danner and Saheed Vassellboth of whom were killed by NYPD officers responding to calls about an emotionally disturbed person. Following the suicide of fashion designer Kate Spade earlier this week, she sent out a similar message, urging New Yorkers to "help people feel comfortable talking about their emotional distress early on and help them get connected to the resources they need." On Wednesday we spoke with McCray about how New Yorkers can access the city's mental health services, and why everyone should familiarize themselves with this expanding resource. A lot of people might not be aware of what ThriveNYC is, what it does, and why it's important right now. Can you talk about the services New Yorkers have access to, and who they're aimed at? We've never had a coordinated mental health system in our country, ever. In too many ways, we're kind of doing the same thing we did before electricity was invented. But we have the resources, we have the tools, we have the understanding to do so much better. So here in New York City, what we've done is create a framework to launch a number services, some of which have never been offered before, some which are very innovative and some of which we've had around, but are now operating on a scale at which they've never operated before. It's important to know we spent 11 months just talking to all kinds of people who are stakeholders: parents, psychiatrists, consumers of mental health services and on and on. For 11 months, that's all we did. So what we've created is a reflection of what people on the ground wanted, what they said mattered to them. People told us we need to change the culture. So many people don't reach out to services because there's a such stigma that people can't even talk about it. In response to that, one of the things we're doing is offering mental health services for free, with the goal of training a quarter of a million New Yorkers. We grow up learning about what to do when someone is bleeding, or when someone breaks a bone, but we have no idea what to do if someone has a panic attack or someone is suffering from depression. We don't even don't have that common vocabulary and so it's important for people to understand these are diseases, they can be treated, sometimes prevented. And Mental Health First Aid does that. It teaches people how to recognize when something is wrong and it teaches people to respond appropriately or get people to a higher level care. And any New Yorker can take this course for free. It's been under a year since the city-run hotline NYC Well has launched. How's that going so far? Everyone I talked to said, 'I don't know where to go. I don't know who to talk to.' And that goes back to not having that language or that vocabulary to talk about these kinds of diseases. So having a phone number and a text service people can call, they can chat, they can text or speak to a trained counselor, not just in a crisis, but just if you're in a place where you just don't know what to do. It gives you some place to turn, someone will talk you through making appointments with somebody, call back the next day make sure it was the right professional and it worked well. It offers a plethora of services. You've got the ability to talk to a peer group, first. We have the ability to send out mental health crisis teams for adults and for children. Everyone has a place to turn. We need to get the number out to as many people as possible and to get people to understand they can call, they can text, they can chat. This is available free to any New Yorker. If you or someone you know is struggling or just needs someone to talk to, #NYCWell is there for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are not alone. pic.twitter.com/IXQhU9S11G Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady) June 5, 2018 Is the purpose of the hotline to help connect people with other existing services, or does it offer counseling as well? You can get brief counseling. They're trained counselors, that's what they are they for. We have peer counselors, people who have lived experience. But it's not a service that's set up for individual, long-term counseling. It's maybe ten, fifteen minutes. If someone, for example, makes an appointment and they can't get an appointment with a particular professional they want to meet with for a week or two, this service will help you until you can get to a professional. The subject of suicide contagion has come up in recent days following Kate Spade's death. Is that something that we see in New York after a high-profile death? Well, unfortunately, that is a real and documented phenomenon. The communities affected by suicide have really widened considerably in this age of social media and 24-hour news because so many people hear about it. So we know that it's important to check in with those who are affected by suicide. If there's somebody in your family or a friendit's really important to talk it out with them. The absolute worst thing to do is not talk about. You learn in Mental Health First Aid: if you know someone who is affected by this to the extent that you think they may be thinking about suicide themselves, these are the steps to get that person help. We have such a stigma, a fear that talking about it is going to make it happen. And that's not true. The best thing you can do is speak open and honestly about what happened. Especially to people emotionally affected. Do different cultures and communities experience this stigma in different ways? Every community I have been in, and I mean every community, people always say to me, "Well, my community has so much stigma around mental illness, substance abuse and disorders, my community is like no other community." I could be in an Orthodox Jewish community, I could be in a Latino community, I could be with a Korean communityeveryone says this. So I think the stigma affects all of us. That being said, building trust with people is so important and having culturally competent care for people to receive is so important. It really does help to have community-based care, with leaders reaching out to members of their community to help start these conversations and to get people with mental health illnesses safe. That's why we started Sisters Thrive in December of 2017, not that long ago. We brought together African American women and six service organizations to develop a community-wide grassroots efforts. They've already trained 3,000 women in Mental Health First Aid and I know they are going to do more. In April, we launched Brother's Thrive, which is a counterpart for mendifferent organizations with the same goal of training thousands and thousands of black men. We know that the members in these organizations are trusted and looked up to. They already have networks, so it's very easy for them to get safe spaces and have trainings with their family, their friends and others. It's a start. It's a model we will be able to use with other communities. We know that 25 percent of African Americans seek mental health services, compared to 40 percent of white Americans. So there's a big gap there. The need is very great. So I'm sure we're going to find similar disparities elsewhere, as well. How many people are using the services? We're receiving 25 percent more calls than we have expected. I said we get a little under 1,000 calls a day, and something like 367,000 answered contacts, including repeated users of the service. Fortunately, we built in for the surge. If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional. This interview was lightly edited and condensed for clarity. Thousands of Slovaks rallied in the capital Bratislava on Friday to pay tribute to a murdered Filipino expat, beaten to death by man believed to be a neo-Nazi. Henry Acorda, a 36-year-old Filipino living in Slovakia, was assaulted in the heart of the capital on May 26 by 28-year-old Juraj H., whose surname has been withheld pending trial. Five days later Acorda died in hospital from injuries he sustained in the attack. Organisers told the local Dennik N daily that around 3,000 protesters, mostly in their twenties, turned out for the memorial rally that began with a violinist playing a mournful tune. Some carried banners reading "Justice for Henry" and "Nazi brain burn in hell". Others laid flowers and lit candles at an improvised memorial where the attack occurred. CCTV footage made available to the media showed that Juraj H. hit Acorda, who then fell and became unconscious. The attacker continued to kick Acorda in the head and used a mobile phone to photograph him laying in the street. Prosecutors have charged Juraj H. with manslaughter and placed him in pre-trial detention. If found guilty, he could face up to 12 years in behind bars. Police have neither confirmed nor denied that the attack was racially motivated. Juraj H. said he "will be sorry for what happened for the rest of my life. But I don't remember anything," while being escorted from court on Monday. The Friday rally was organised on Facebook by four anti-fascist groups. "The information that we have about Juraj H. makes it clear that he is inclined to support the far right," they wrote. "Let's make sure this brutal murder does not go without consequences for him." The organisers pointed to the fact that Juraj H. used his Facebook profile to post a white Ku Klux Klan robe captioned: "Ku Klux Klan outfit not bad". He also posted a photo of a Russian vodka bottle captioned "white power". Several Slovak politicians have also condemned the attack, including leftist Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini. "These are very bad signals to our society. We must not have mercy on the murderer and justice must be served immediately," he told the Dennik N daily. However, his Smer Social Democracy party and its SNS nationalist coalition partner both campaigned on a staunchly anti-Muslim and anti-refugee platform ahead of the 2016 election that brought them to power, something analysts say paved the way for the extreme right Our Slovakia to enter parliament for the first time. Its leader Marian Kotleba is known for harsh anti-Roma and anti-migrant views and for leading street marches with party members dressed in black neo-Nazi black uniforms. Thousands rallied in Bratislava to pay tribute to murdered Filipino expat Henry Acorda Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will head to the United States next week and meet with President Donald Trump at the White House, the foreign ministry said Thursday. The royals will also take in New Orleans and San Antonio during their six-day trip starting on June 14, the ministry said in a statement. The two cities are celebrating their tricentennial this year and "have important historical evidence of the deep and close ties that link Spain and the United States," the statement added. The Spanish king and queen will get together with Trump and his wife Melania on June 19 on the last day of their visit. They royals will be accompanied during the trip by the new Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, a former European parliament president. The royal couple met with former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle at the White House in 2015. The Spanish king and queen will meet with US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania June 19, 2018 Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven testified in court on Friday, at the request of a Brazilian judge, over a suspected corruption case in Brazil involving the sale of Swedish fighter aircraft at the expense of their French counterpart Rafale. Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is being investigated for money laundering and influence peddling as prosecutors accuse him of having received 2.25 million reais ($1.04 million at the current rate). Lula is suspected of having received the money in the purchase of Swedish aircraft manufacturer Saab's Jas Gripen fighter jets through his son Luis Claudio's company to bribe Dilma Rousseff, who succeeded him as the nation's leader in 2011. After arriving to the Stockholm district court early Friday, Lofven denied having any knowledge of bribes related to the arms deal but admitted to having promoted the sale of the Swedish aircraft before he became prime minister. "I'm a working-class man. It's obvious that I would help a Swedish company and make sure to create jobs in Sweden," he told the daily Aftonbladet. Lofven denied before a judge that he had met Lula and Rousseff in South Africa in December 2013 on the sidelines of a tribute paid to the late President Nelson Mandela. He also denied knowing Mauro Marcondes, an alleged intermediary between Saab and Lula. The hearing lasted less than five minutes, according to Aftonbladet. At the end of December 2013, Brazil ended more than a decade of negotiations and reports and chose the Swedish Gripen jets for a $4.5 billion contract at the expense of France's Rafale and the American Boeing's Super Hornet. Brazil and Sweden inked the deal for 36 fighter jets in October 2014, a few months after Lofven became the head of state. Saab Chairman Marcus Wallenberg and President and CEO Hakan Buskhe were also questioned in court. Both said they do not know Mauro Marcondes, according to the TT news agency. The 72-year-old Lula, who was jailed in early April, is serving a 12-year sentence for taking an apartment as a bribe, a case he describes as politically motivated. The former president is charged in six additional cases in which he claims he's innocent. After arriving to the Stockholm district court early Friday, Swedish PM Stefan Lofven denied having any knowledge of bribes related to the Brazil arms deal but admitted to having promoted the sale of the Swedish aircraft before he was prime minister An Instagram-famous travel blogger has been forced to apologise after a picture of himself among the ruins of Romes ancient city of Pompeii caused a social media storm, and even resulted in death threats. The Dubai-based Belgian full-time globetrotter had initially bragged about finding a secluded spot to pose for a picture, during his visit to the ancient city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Nils Travel shared a picture of himself atop a pillar of Pompeiis Basilica, with his almost 44,000 followers last Friday. A post shared by N I L S T R A V E L S (@nils.travels) on May 31, 2018 at 7:54am PDT In the post, which has since been updated with an apology, he initially wrote about a little area that had NO people! Meaning, nobody to yell at me meaning I had to come down from this thing! Exactly what I needed! Italys The Local described the site as the most important public building in the ancient city and one of the oldest of its kind still visible today. Desecrating the ancient site is not only disrespectful, its also illegal, so it was no surprise Nils picture was met with swift backlash as local researchers reported it to authorities. Local historian Vincenzo Marasco was among those slamming Nils for his picture, in a Facebook post. The delicacy of our historical heritage must be preserved and defended especially by those who are not aware of its great value, he said. By Monday Nils offered a lengthy apology to his huge social media following. He retained the original picture but replaced the caption, saying: I would like to apologise to everyone that I have offended by sitting on this stone column. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD completely destroyed the town of Pompeii, burying it under molten lava and petrifying the site when it hardened. Source: Fodors I admit that it was not my smartest decision, and I was not thinking about the historical significance of the place and how it could be perceived by others if I pictured myself in this manner. Story continues He also revealed he had even received death threats over the image, which personally hurt him. Nils added that he uses his photography try to convey the beauty and feeling that I experience myself in a place and he had not intended to disrespect the Basilicas cultural and historical heritage. He also recognised his high social media profile compelled him to set a better example and urged his followers to donate to the Pompeii Preservation Project. Police reportedly acknowledged the Instagrammer didnt disrupt the artefact deliberately or maliciously, and no charges were laid. The UN General Assembly elected Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia and South Africa on Friday to serve as non-permanent members on the Security Council for two years starting in January. All but three of the 193 UN member states cast paper ballots. Germany and the Dominican Republic each obtained 184 votes. South Africa got 183 votes, Belgium 181 and 144 went to Indonesia. "Belgium will make sure to be a constructive, reliable and open partner during its mandate at the council and for the international community as a whole," Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said in a statement. The Belgian government said it was joining the council at a "pivotal moment." "It's a period when multilateralism no longer seems obvious to all, with some even questioning it, even as the planet is confronted with multiple global challenges, including climate change, the (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, the fight against terrorism and illegal migration." South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his country was "humbled and honored by the confidence the international community has demonstrated in our capability to contribute to the resolution of global challenges." He also expressed concerns about "the emergence of unilateralism and its attendant threat to the international rules-based system." There are 15 members on the UN Security Council, including the five permanent ones -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and 10 non-permanent members, half of which are elected each year. - Regional deal-making - Each candidate country needed to secure two thirds of the votes in order to clinch a seat. The Dominican Republic will take its first turn on the Security Council, while the other nations chosen have served before. Belgium and Germany obtained the two seats for the Western Europe and Others Group after Israel dropped out of the competition. The Maldives, with only 46 votes, lost out to Indonesia for the Asia Pacific regional group's seat. The African Union made a deal to see that South Africa was elected, while the Dominican Republic took up Latin America's spot after a similar consensus in that regional group. The five new members will replace Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands and Sweden on the council. Just before taking up their duties, the elected states get intense training about Security Council protocol and customs. The ambassadors will each preside over the council for a month during their mandate. - Elaborate nomination process - Each regional bloc has its own process for Security Council candidates. For some, "it's first come, first served," and countries often seek a seat very early on, a diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "You can put forward your candidacy for 10 years," the diplomat added, though others can challenge that spot. For the current election, "Israel in the end decided to withdraw because it understood it stood no chance and could face humiliation with 30, 40 or even 50 votes maximum," which would trigger its automatic elimination, the diplomat explained. In the Western Europe group, there is no agreement on who can get a spot. "As soon as it leaves the council after a term, Germany systematically puts forward its candidacy for six or seven years later," the diplomat said. So before seeking a seat, a country looks at the competitors already listed. The diplomat noted that the Africa group has a "very sophisticated" process in order to always have three seats at the council, including one Arab country. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas votes during a General Assembly meeting to elect the five non-permanent members of the Security Council at the United Nations in New York on June 8, 2018 The United States on Friday approved the extradition to Panama of former president Ricardo Martinelli, who faces charges of spying on journalists and political opponents in his homeland, his lawyers said. The lawyers told AFP the US State Department had signed off on the extradition after rejecting Martinelli's argument that he faced a risk of being tortured if returned to Panama. Martinelli's spokesman Luis Eduardo Camacho told AFP that he believed the extradition would be carried out "pretty quickly" over the coming days, without offering a precise date. Martinelli, who served as president from 2009 to 2014, was accused of spying on the telephone calls of more than 150 people, including journalists and politicians. He is under investigation in Panama in about 20 other cases of corruption, but those are not referred to in the extradition request. Under a 1905 extradition treaty, he can only be tried in Panama for the crimes alleged in the request. In Panama, President Juan Carlos Varela confirmed his government had been notified of the State Department action and pledged "everything will be managed on the basis of the proceedings, laws and constitution of the country." Martinelli, 66, was detained in June last year and has been incarcerated in Miami since then. Having exhausted his appeals, his fate was left in the hands of the US government. On May 15, his lawyers submitted a 430-page document to the State Department in which they asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to exercise his discretion and deny Panama's "politically motivated" extradition request. Martinelli argued he was the victim of a "vendetta" by Varela, his former vice president. In an open letter that his lawyers made public last month, Martinelli cited occasions when he had done favors for the United States. "When the CIA requested that I stop a North Korean ship leaving Cuba that was crossing the Panama Canal, I did not blink an eye," he wrote. That was a reference to the North Korean cargo ship, Chong Chon Gang, seized in 2013 with undeclared missile system components aboard, in an apparent breach of UN sanctions. Panama's former president Ricardo Martinelli is wanted in his homeland to face charges of spying on politicians and journalists The US embassy in Mozambique said Friday it had "information pointing to the likelihood of imminent attacks" in the country's north, which has been rocked by recent attacks blamed on jihadists. "We strongly advise American citizens in the district headquarters of Palma to consider departing the area immediately," said an advisory posted on the embassy's website. Palma, in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province, is expected to become an energy hub after promising discoveries of natural gas but the region has seen a string of bloody attacks on security forces and civilians since October. Almost 30 people have died in machete and knife attacks in rural areas that police have linked to an unnamed jihadist group. US oil and gas giant Anadarko suspended some activities in the region and moved affected workers and contractors to a secure site, according to a source close to the company who declined to be named. "The workers were moved because of the proximity of the recent attacks. As soon as the situation returns to normal, operations will resume," said the source. - 'Proximity of recent attacks' - The embassy statement said that American citizens "who elect to remain in Palma district are strongly advised to avoid travel to the district headquarters". It also encouraged them to "postpone visits to both government offices and retail locations, including markets". Suspected jihadists hacked at least five people to death on Wednesday in a village 250 kilometres (155 miles) south of Palma, an attack blamed by police on jihadists. Police believe the same group also hacked seven people to death in another village in the region on Tuesday after beheading 10 people in a seperate settlement on May 27. The group, often described by locals and officials as "Al-Shabaab", has no known link to the Somali jihadist group of the same name. Police and army reinforcements have been deployed to the region to step up security but attacks have continued unabated. The May 27 bloodshed occurred in two small villages close to the border with Tanzania and not far from Palma. In October, armed men targeted a police station and military post in the regional town of Mocimboa da Praia in what was believed to be the first jihadist attack on the country. Two officers died and 14 attackers were killed. In the weeks following the initial attacks, at least 300 Muslims, including Tanzanians, were arrested and several mosques were forced to close. - 'Should be taken seriously' - "These messages are typically a response to credible intelligence information. As such, the warning should be taken seriously," said Nick Piper, the director of Signal Risk, an Africa-focused consultancy which estimates the group has 1,000 members. Martin Ewi, an analyst at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, called the alert "serious for northern Mozambique". Analysts have previously suggested group members may have used proceeds from organised crime, including timber, gemstone and narcotics trafficking, to travel abroad to Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo to receive training in guerilla tactics. The increase in attacks in the north of the country could pose serious problems for Mozambique, which holds general elections next year and is hoping for a bonanza from the recently-discovered gas reserves. Experts predict that Mozambique could even become the world's third-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. The north has largely been excluded from the economic growth of the last 20 years, and the region sees itself as a neglected outpost, creating fertile ground for radical Al-Shabaab-style ideology. According to official statistics, 17 percent of Mozambicans are Muslim but Islamic leaders say the real figure could be double that. "A few weeks ago diplomats stationed in Maputo were saying the government had contained this crisis but their assessment has now changed," said Alex Vines, a Mozambique expert at the London-based Chatham House think-tank. Soldiers from the Mozambique army on patrol after an attack by suspected islamists late last year in the north of the country A woman raped by a trio of brothers is calling for them to be deported after one walked free. In 2002, Tegan Wagner was gang-raped by three Pakistani brothers and said in a change.org petition she was scared they would stab me to death if I did not submit. She was just 14 and the brothers had come to Australia just two years earlier. The brothers were accused of a series of sexual attacks on at least six girls in the Ashfield area in 2002. Ms Wagners appeal to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton for the brothers, all dual citizens, to be deported comes as one of them was released from prison. Tegan Wagner is calling for the brothers to be deported. Source: 7 News He cannot be identified because he was 16 at the time of the attacks. Peter Dutton, I want these men deported. Its in the interest of every familys young girls, Ms Wagner said. We dont need these men in our country. An unidentified woman wrote in the petition her daughter still lived with the emotional devastation of being raped by the brothers. She has tried to hurt herself on numerous occasions and even tried to kill herself, she said. These men destroyed her life and because of it, have destroyed mine. They stole my girl from me. Victims launched a petition as a gang rapist walks free. Source: 7 News Ms Wagner said the brothers did not deserve to live in Australia and the law needed to change to allow them to be deported. Mr Dutton said he would like nothing more than to see them booted out of the country, but little could be done. A dual citizens Australian citizenship can be cancelled if it is found they lied on their application or if they have links to terrorism. The brothers had their citizenship fast-tracked because their father is a doctor. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says little can be done to deport the brothers. Source: 7 News When watching Seven News footage of the brothers release, Ms Wagner said she felt sick. Pissed off that hes out, she said. In my mind theyre just as bad as terrorists. They terrorised me, they terrorised other women. The Immigration Minister said the brother was naturalised in 1998 by descent from his father and the government was now trying to make it harder for people to prove they were worthy of citizenship. Ms Wagners petition seeks tougher laws, where new Australians are placed on probation and their citizenship revoked if they commit an indictable, violent offence. The Seneca County House of Concern is kicking off its annual Need to Feed Challenge. The fundraising campaign sees a group of sponsors set up a fund to be matched by individual donations. Trinity Episcopal Church kicked off this year's challenge with a check for $3,400. The sponsor fund is currently at $10,000, so the nonprofit is reaching out to the community to match the amount with donations. The challenge helps keep the organization's food pantry stocked and the nonprofit equipped to help people with food insecurity in the Seneca County area. Approximately 10.7 percent of residents in the area struggle with food insecurity, and in 2017, the House of Concern served an average of 400 households monthly, or 175,000 meals for the year. For more information, or to make a donation, visit houseofconcern.org or mail a check to or drop off items at the Seneca County House of Concern, 33-35 State St., Seneca Falls, NY 13148. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Mekelburg's, the craft beer and specialty food shop in Clinton Hill, has been in turmoil since HuffPost published a story a week ago profiling a popular anti-Muslim Twitter troll, Amy Mekelburg. It turns out her brother, Daniel Mekelburg, is the shop's co-owner, along with his wife, Alicia Guevera. And since the story was published, the owners have faced accusations of condoning Mekelburg's Islamophobia, along with calls for a boycott, the New York Times reports. Responding to the uproar, Guevara posted a statement on Facebook addressing the issue. Yes, Amy is my husband's sister. Daniel and I do not agree with or support the views Amy has posted; they are hers and hers alone. It's on her to explain and defend why she's been viciously attacking people online. It's on her to explain and defend her worldview. I cannot and will not speak to any of it. To do so would offer it a validity I refuse to give. Amy has never been linked to or involved with our business in any capacity whatsoever. This revelation of her twitter account has, frankly, thrown our family into chaos. We are disturbed, revolted and humiliated. Mekelburg's has had to briefly turn off their phones after incessant out-of-state callers and hire a security detail over the weekend. Grub Street reports Guevera has received messages critical and skeptical of her Facebook statement, and even threats. Guevera declined to comment in response to our questions, and it's unclear how much their business has been impacted. Their Yelp page was inundated with negative comments, and the Twitter condemnation was characteristically swift. Ya- this is not near enough. Not even close. I'm sorry for your connected to her, but had you brought her hate into the open, on your own- forgiveness may be in order. But you sat, in silence. It's only now, worried about profits, that we hear from you. #Mekelbergs #NewJersey pic.twitter.com/rMV6xtn8wG Elizabeth Harmon (@ElizabethHarm20) June 1, 2018 If you weren't completely feckless, you'd say "I don't agree with what she said, but she certainly has the right to say it on the internet without having her entire family put at risk by a news organization who wants clicks." John Danneskjold (@JohnDanneskjold) June 5, 2018 One, where's your husband's signature? Two, "it's just family" is no good anymore. He has a responsibility to take action--to help her, to get her Twitter shut down, something. And if he wants to make his $$$ in a community that proudly includes Muslims he has to be transparent. QueensProgressive (@johnnybilo) June 1, 2018 Neither the cafe nor its owners were identified by name in the HuffPost story, but it was easy enough to figure out. Yet the establishment's familial connection to a racist Twitter troll is far from the most interesting aspect of this story, as Amy Mekelburg's ties to New York go far beyond her brother. In 2005, she was living with her future husband, Salvatore Siino, in the Upper East Side, and one of her close friends, Paul Cortez, was convicted of gruesomely killing a woman who worked as a stripper. Mekelburg and Siino created a nonprofit dedicated to exonerating Cortez, and hired John Gotti's criminal defense lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, to represent Cortez. The conviction was not overturned. When Cortez was transferred to Auburn Correctional Facility, in upstate New York, Mekelburg moved to a nearby hotel. When Cortez was transferred downstate, Mekelburg moved to Fishkill, where she lives now. While her twitter presence is largely dedicated to promoting extremist propaganda about Islam, she is also a vegan (what is it with white supremacists and veganism?) and a fitness enthusiast, all the more reason it's unlikely she would visit, or much less have any connection to, Mekelburg's, with its enthusiastic emphasis on meats, cheeses, and beer. Wells College has hired a new registrar and director of institutional research. Paul Applebee will start at the Aurora college on Monday, according to a press release from the college. Applebee was most recently the academic adviser/registrar at Bryant & Stratton College in Liverpool. Wells will benefit immensely from Pauls experience at a critical time when the College is formalizing institutional research as part of this inaugural director role, Cindy J. Speaker, the college's provost and dean, said in the press release. Applebee had previously been Bryant & Stratton's residence life director/academic adviser from 2013 to 2015 and had been a financial aid coordinator in 2012. He has a bachelor's degree in English and textual studies and English education from Syracuse University. Applebee will be taking over the Wells College position from Nicole Pellegrino, who had been the college's registrar and director of academic advising from 2015 to February 2018. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As this legislative session winds down, the New York State Senate has the opportunity to push forward a series of commonsense voter reforms. New York state lags the nation in voter participation. In Cayuga County, according to my unofficial computations from the Cayuga County BOE website, we do pretty well in presidential elections with voter turnout around 70 percent, but in non-presidential years, we do not do so well. My quick look at unofficial numbers indicates voter turnout in Cayuga County in 2015 and 2017 was around 30 percent. But these figures are not an accurate reflection of participation by total population. We have around 44,000 registered voters in Cayuga County, but according to the 2010 census, we have over 62,700 people who are 18 and over, most of whom are eligible to vote. What does this mean? It means even in a good turnout year, approximately half of eligible voters cast their votes, and in a non-presidential year, that number drops to roughly 20 percent. One of the reasons for this is the set of restrictive rules associated with voting in New York: we have no automatic registration, no early voting, we do not allow no-excuse absentee voting. While perhaps not the intent, the result is that New York makes it hard to vote, exactly the opposite of what we profess to want: full participation in our democracy. It is past time to change this. There are some easy things the current state Legislature can do and we should all encourage our elected officials to move this right-to-vote agenda forward. Automatic registration. This will not get people to the polls, but it sure will help, since all of us will be registered and able to vote. Early voting. How many of us have missed our chance to vote because we did not file for an absentee ballot, or had to work late, or had some other problem on Election Day? There are not many things of importance in life that provide no flexibility. Voting is one. With our current systems, you may not vote in a general election on any day other than the first Tuesday, following the first Monday of November. This makes no sense if we want to encourage people to cast their votes. We need early voting. And as a county legislator, I would insist that the cost be borne by the state; the cost is small, but the benefit of greater participation is priceless. There is also a step that is not so quick or easy but which must be taken. At this point, you may cast an absentee ballot only if you meet one of a short list of approved excuses. Ultimately those who wish to vote should be accommodated with choices that fit their lives. If we want participation in our democracy, we must facilitate the needs of willing voters. Apparently, a no excuse absentee ballot process requires an amendment to our state constitution; well, lets begin this session to make that change! No-excuse absentee ballots will not cost money, it does not create a problem on or before Election Day, and it provides an option for all of us! I urge everyone to contact your state senators and Assembly members and urge that we move on these simple changes in our election rules, which will promote democracy and participation by all. Batman represents Cayuga County Legislature District 7 and is a candidate for state Assembly District 126 Love 5 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 During the Irish Great Famine (18451852), an estimated half-million people came to the United States. Of those that came, at least 144,211 men arrived at the beginning of the Civil War and signed up to serve as soon as they set foot on America's shores! (At least the same number of Irish descendants signed up also.) Others from around the globe were also coming into the country as well. Truly, it was the gift of the Statue of Liberty given to us by France in 1886 that set the tone of what America was becoming! The wording at the pedestal of the statue became the address to all immigrants. It reads: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" etc. But things are apparently changing due to President Donald Trump calling for refugee bans. But wait ... there are events in our history that in the name of national security, parallel what he's doing and what happened in our own history during World War II. And, it NEEDS looking at! Many seniors remember the World War II period. We were aware in 1942 that tens of thousands of Japanese-Americans were interned into camps in California because we saw the "news reels" when we went to see movies at our local theaters. However, most of us were unaware then that millions of European Jews displaced from their homes by Adof Hitler were being put to death. It wasn't until the very end of 1944 when photographs and newspaper reports proved that the Nazis had carried out mass murder of millions. What most of us never knew then and even now, totally unaware that our government denied Jews from entering the country from 1940 to 1945. And here we go again ... we're again showing bias towards another religious group Muslims. (What ever happened to allowing all people the right to freedom of religion?" Well, it just ain't so, and the president is proving it by his prejudiced demeanor.) And, as it relates to that WALL he wants to build? He just gave the money to build it with by giving the money instead, through a "tax break" to the "top 1 percent." Wake up, folks, 'cause we've got a bigger problem with this president that far exceeds any of those who preceded him! Joyce Hackett Smith-Moore Auburn Love 0 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 LOS ANGELESStormy Daniels current attorney Michael Avenatti has dismissed as frivolous a lawsuit filed yesterday by Daniels previous attorney, Keith Davidsona lawsuit that accuses Avenatti and Daniels of defaming him, according to a CNN report. The Davidson countersuit, filed Thursday evening in Los Angeles federal court, claims that rather than wanting to tell the public her story about a sexual encounter with Donald Trump in 2006, Daniels was seemingly determined to hang on to the $130,000 hush money payment she had received from Trumps fixer Michael Cohen in exchange for her silence. "Suffice to say, since [Ms. Daniels] has begun working with Mr. Avenatti, her goals have transformed, Davidson claimed in the court filings. He also said in the court papers that the claim in Daniels' suit against him that he acted as a puppet for Trump is an outrageously false and historically revisionist statement which will not and cannot be proven true at any point. He claims that Avenatti and Daniels have damaged his reputation with a series of reckless and false claims. But Avenatti, in a statement to CNN, shrugged off Davidsons allegations. "We look forward to having his frivolous claims thrown out of court," Avenatti saidand then, on his Twitter account Friday morning, Avenatti posted documents from the California State Bar Association in 2010 showing that Davidson had been suspended from practicing law for 90 days due to his mishandling of three cases. In two of those cases, Davidson represented alleged victims of medical malpractice. Read those documents posted by Avenatti at this link. In a Twitter posting on Wednesday after filing his lawsuit against Davidson, Avenatti said that the lawyer should have been charged after his arrest for extortion not long ago. He is a disgrace to the profession. Avenatti was referring to Davidsons 2012 arrest by the FBI in connection with his alleged attempts to extract two payments of $150,000 each for a sexually explicit video of pro wrestling star Terry Bollea, aka Hulk Hogan. Davidson was not charged after the arrest, for reasons that remain unclear, according to a report by the online magazine, The Daily Beast. Read Davidsons Thursday court filings online at this link. Davidson appears to be acting as his own attorney in the countersuit against Avenatti and Daniels. In Daniels lawsuit against Davidson, which included a transcript of a text message exchange between Davidson and Trump attorney Michael Cohen, Daniels says that the communications between Trumps fixer and the lawyer were happening behind her back. But in Davidsons countersuit, he claims that Daniels had full knowledge that he was talking to Cohen about her. In April, Davidson gave a bizarre interview to CNN in which he claimed that the whole truth had not been revealed about the Daniels caseor regarding the case of Playboy centerfold model Karen McDougal, who has also claimed to have had a sexual affair with Trump. McDougal received a $150,000 payment in exchange for silence, though the money was paid by the National Enquirer, which is owned by close Trump friend and supporter David Pecker. In her lawsuit, which she settled in April, McDougal also said that Davidson and Cohen conspired to set up the hush-money deal. Photo of Keith Davidson via CNN screen capture CANOGA PARK, Calif.The state of California is one of the few states in the union that already mandates comprehensive sex education for public school pupils, beginning in kindergarten and continuing until 12th gradebut significantly, especially in light of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' vocal support for charter schools, current law does not extend that same comprehensive sex ed requirement to those charter schools. However, Assembly Bill 2601, introduced last February by Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber and co-authored by Assemblymember Lorena S. Gonzalez Fletcher, would add charter schools to the institutions required to provide such education. Free Speech Coalition recognizes the importance of comprehensive sex education in modern society, and has sent a letter of support for AB 2601 to Assemblymember Weber, and copies of that same letter to the rest of the California legislature. The text of that letter is as follows: On behalf of the Free Speech Coalition, we support AB 2601, which sets a foundational baseline for sexual health education in charter schools while maintaining significant flexibility for charters to decide what curriculum they adopt, what specific grades to provide instruction, and other curricular elements. AB 2601 enhances the California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA) (AB 329, Weber - 2015), which mandates that CA public school students receive comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education at least once in middle school and in high school; instruction must be accessible for students with disabilities and English learners. The research is clear that young people need sexual health education: more than half of CA students are sexually active in the 12th grade; CAs growing STI rates are highest in young people ages 15-24; nearly 12% and 10% of CA high school students experience sexual dating violence and physical dating violence, respectively. As California seeks to address sexual harassment and abuse, comprehensive sexual health educationwith its focus on healthy relationships, consent, and challenging negative gender stereotypesis essential for preventing these negative behaviors before they start. A recent study found that sexual health education that addresses gender and power leads to better health outcomes for young people. Comprehensive sexual health education also supports student health in myriad other ways. For example, between 2015, when CHYA was enacted, and 2017, the percentage of sexually active CA students who used birth control increased. LGBT-inclusive education has been shown to have a positive effect on school climate and make LGBT youth feel safer. Unfortunately, Californias growing charter student population is not receiving the comprehensive sexual health education these youths need to succeed and stay healthy. California now has 1,275 charter schools, which serve 10% of Californias student population. Charter schools educate a diverse and often underserved student population: 59% of students are eligible for free and reduced lunch, and 72% are students of color. Latinos making up more than half of all charter students (51%). African Americans are a larger percentage of the charter school population (8%) than of traditional public schools (5%). Quality sex education is especially critical for low-income communities and communities of color, which are affected by systemic discrimination, poverty, lack of access to health care, and lifelong health disparities. At a time when federal funding for adolescent sexual and reproductive health is being cut, California needs to do more to ensure that charter school students have the same access to comprehensive sexual health education as all other public school students. A 2017 study found that 85% of San Diego charter schools provided some sexual health education, but many failed to cover essential CHYA topics: only 53% provided instruction on birth control; 35% provided information on sexual orientation; and 29% educated students about talking with parents about sex and relationships. For all of these reasons the Free Speech Coalition is pleased to support AB 2601. ** The text of the above letter has also been added to the Free Speech Coalition website at this link. The Free Speech Coalition is the trade organization for the adult content production and pleasure products industry. CANOGA PARK, Calif.This afternoon, the Free Speech Coalition released an open letter to the news media, addressed to President Trump's personal attorney Rudolf Giuliani, regarding the recent "appalling" comments he made regarding adult actress/director Stormy Daniels in recent interviews he gave in Tel Aviv and Washington, D.C.. What follows is the text of that letter: Dear Mr. Giuliani, As the trade association for the adult industry, we were appalled by your remarks this morning about Stormy Daniels. Sex work is real work, and the way a sex worker makes their living has nothing to do with whether they should be afforded respect or equal protection under the law. The credibility of a womans word should not be grounded in her chastity, or how she dresses, or how she earns a living. We wish that your misguided views were yours alone, and were not emblematic of larger issues in law enforcement, the legal system and the culture at large. Because of views like yours, sex workers are often unable to report crimes, from theft to assault and harassment, for fear that they will not be believed, or will be prosecuted themselves. Because of views like yours, judges have ruled in favor of rapists and domestic abusers, over the women they have attacked. Because of views like yours, landlords and banks and employers freely discriminate against sex workers, or those who may have done sex work in the past. This, not the work they do to feed and house themselves, to pay for tuition and save for retirement, is the real exploitation. And its not just sex workers. Women who come forward against their accusers are routinely tarred with the same bigoted brush you used on Stormy Daniels. A woman who suffers discrimination, or harassment, or assault is too often judged on some mans idea as to whether or not she is respectable. Your prejudice is not surprising at a time when womens rights are actively being curtailed, from access to healthcare, to reproductive rights, to the repeal of the Obama-Era Fair Pay Orderan order that had banned forced arbitration clauses for sexual harassment, sexual assault or discrimination claims. Last year, we saw over five million people participating in Womens Marches across the country protesting backward views such as yours. This past weekend, as part of International Whores Day, we saw thousands of sex workers march and rally for their rights, and against dangerous SESTA/FOSTA legislation signed by Mr. Trump. Times are changingand our communities will not stand by silently while oppressive systems threaten our freedoms, safety, and dignity. Womens Rights are Human Rights. Sex Worker Rights are Human Rights. Sex workers need rights, not rescue. And certainly not your shameful disrespect. ** The letter, complete with reproductions of some of Giuliani's worst quotes, has been reproduced on the Free Speech Coalition website here. Free Speech Coalition is the trade organization of the adult content production and pleasure products industries. Its website can be found here. OTTAWAWe-Vibe has teamed with Emily Morse, host of the Sex with Emily Podcast, to create the #ReasonsToWeConnect campaign. The #ReasonsToWeConnect campaign is designed to help retailers promote the We-Connect app and We-Vibe Bluetooth-connected toys. Consumers often choose We-Vibe products because of the We-Connect app and retailers have told us that they can use some help promoting the apps best features, said Stephanie Keating, We-Vibe brand manager. We partnered with Dr. Emily Morse in this video series to highlight features in the app, but more importantly to talk to couples about how We-Connect can benefit their relationship. #ReasonsToWeConnect provides retailers with seven videos highlighting how couples enhance their intimate connection with We-Connect. The campaign includes 30 #ReasonsToWeConnect with images and gifs available for retailers to use on social media. We-Vibe partners can download full campaign assets from the We-Vibe Partner Center partners.we-vibe.com or share the videos directly from we-vi.be/reasonsweconnect. We-Connect is way more than a high tech remote control its an extension of a couples intimate imagination, Morse said. Being able to video chat while controlling each others We-Vibe product is mind-blowing. I love how the app keeps couples connected. The #ReasonsToWeConnect campaign includes seven videos by Morse that are available to retailers to share or embed directly from YouTube or download from the We-Vibe Partner Center. Retailers can also find nine video clips for sharing via social channels, along with the 30 #ReasonsToWeConnect images and gifs. Morse is a sex and relationship expert, doctor of Human Sexuality, and creator and host of the iTunes top-rated podcast Sex with Emily, which has helped millions of people achieve the love life they desire. \For more, visit We-Vibe.com. TURNERSVILLE, N.J.As summer nears, more couples will start to say I Do, and subscription service The Hand Pilot is ready to help. A Recreational Box is the perfect wedding gift for a couple, especially a yearlong subscriptionthen they have something to look forward to every month, says Founder/Owner Dee Bertino. If youre looking for a one-time gift, the Captain and Commander Boxes look extravagant, but are more affordable than most wedding gifts. Our boxes are the thing that couples wish they could add to their registry, and its the gift that keeps on giving! This months boxes feature major brands, great products you can actually use, and exceptional value. The Recreational Pilot is only $19 a month and features almost $30 worth of merchandise and give you hours of bedroom fun. The Co-Pilot (aka Couples Box) features light bondage, including Spank Me Creme, Body Mist from Classic Erotica, a satin mask and a rubber tickler from Sportsheets. And if you want to buy yourself a gift, the Flying Solo box features Zero Tolerances Bomb Masturbator, Wet Lube, and the Rubber Ring, along with male enhancement pills, condoms, and lubricant samples. Captain (a quarterly box) and Commander (higher end quarterly boxes) are also available and will also feature some of the same brands and products. All three boxes showcase the best adult products for men and couples from such companies as System JO, Fleshlight, Pipedream, Cal Exotics, Sir Richards, Blush Novelties, Doc Johnson, Pjur, Eros, Tenga, Screaming O, and many more. Find out more about The Hand Pilot subscription boxes at TheHandPilot.com/. Click on Newsletter Signup at the bottom of the home page to get a free welcome kit and receive their newsletters. Companies wanting to work with The Hand Pilot and have their products featured in future boxes can email them at [email protected] FRESNO, Calif.After having to unexpectedly cancel a scheduled visit last year, Larry Flynt will travel to Fresno to appear at the Hustler Hollywood store. Hustler Hollywood opened its Fresno retail boutique in early September 2017, and Flynt was initially scheduled to attend the store's grand opening event later in the month. At the last minute, Flynt had to cancel his visit and promised he would return. A man of his word, he is keeping that promise and will be back in the city beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 9. Flynt will be at Hustler Hollywood specifically to meet the residents of Fresno. Attendees of the event will be able to get autographs, photos, chat with Larry Flynt, and enjoy a drink plus have the chance to win prizes throughout the evening. Larry Flynt is an outspoken, controversial and ardent defender of First Amendment rights, as well as editor and publisher of Hustler magazine and president of Larry Flynt Publications. Hustler Hollywood is located at 333 E. Shaw Ave., Fresno, CA 93710. You can now see beloved fashion photographer Bill Cunninghams bike, camera and more on display at The New-York Historical Society. Celebrating Bill Cunningham honors the late photographers work and incredible lifemost of which he kept to himself. Cunningham chronicled the beauty of New Yorkers and their style for nearly 40 years for the New York Times, documenting both style on the streets and at parties around town. He was a fixture of New York City, and it was a joy to spot him on his bike capturing looks for his latest story. After Cunningham passed away from a stroke at the age of 87 in 2016, his family discovered a trove of treasures, including an unpublished memoir which is set to be released in September. Several of Cunninghams personal possessions are now part of the New York Historical Societys permanent collection thanks to his assistant John Kurdewan. Among the highlights of Celebrating Bill Cunningham are a bicycle that he rode around the city; his first camera, an Olympus Pen-D, 35mm; signature blue jacket; personal photographs of Cunningham at home and with friends; correspondence, including a few of the hand-made Valentines he frequently sent to friends; and a New York City street sign, Bill Cunningham Corner, that was temporarily installed at 5th Avenue and 57th Street in his honor, following his death. The exhibit also includes his incredible scrapbooks, and hats by William J., the hat label Cunningham started as a young, successful milliner in the 1950s, 200 books filled with clippings, and old photographs and his official New York Living Landmark plaque. There are also plenty of items in the gift shop, including this sweet Bill Cunningham purse. William J. Beach hat, 1960; label, ca. 1960. (New-York Historical Society, 2017.63.1-.2) The exhibit will be on view at the New-York Historical Society from now until September 9th. Buckingham Palace is searching for a new pastry chef, who will oversee culinary operations for both individual family members and state events. Applicants must be highly qualified and skilled with experience at a senior level from a fine dining or five-star catering operation, according to the palace. It also emphasised the need for good IT skills. The appointed chef will cook at numerous sites for the royal family, as well as volume catering for big events. It is also expected that they will be involved with staff lunches, meals for individual family members, receptions and state dinners. Additionally, they will provide support to the head chef with day-to-day catering management, such as the creation of menus, stock management, staff training, health and hygiene. "As pastry chef, youll help to lead a team of talented professionals in the royal kitchens to deliver food to the highest standards," the job advert stated. "Supporting the head chef, youll help manage day-to-day operations in our kitchens, developing and preparing both classical and contemporary menus for a wide range of events." The pastry chef will report to the Master of the Households office who handles hospitality, catering and housekeeping activities across Buckingham Palace. Live-in accommodation and prepared meals are offered, as well as 33 days of holiday with a working schedule of five days out of seven, Monday to Friday. Previous royal pastry chef Kathryn Cuthbertson worked there for over 11 years. "Whilst working here, I completed my BA Honours in International Culinary Arts, and have improved my sugarcraft skills, she said previously. The deadline for applications is 26 June. We've detected that JavaScript is not enabled in your browser. You must enable JavaScript to use craigslist. Now that it is fully apparent, to all who have the ability to pay some modicum of attention, that Imposter President Biden has extreme cognitive issues, in addition to being an inveterate liar: Can OUR Republic continue with this Executive Office that has completely failed, so many times, on far too many issues here at this early date in this abysmal presidency? No, Joseph R. Biden is completely unqualified, morally and cognitively, to represent real Americans, and lead this Republic of disparate peoples. Yes, Joseph R. Biden has started whispering again, even softer now than before; so, I know he still cares, plus, OUR media will soon stop reporting on Afghanistan in favor of OUR Socialist ideals. This Brief submits that the intellectual and political culture within most American law schools is overwhelmingly liberal, even what has been called "radical," and is also hostile to opposing views such as Petitioner's; and many within legal education state that this state of affairs is due to political animus and discrimination against conservative and libertarian faculty candidates... If this Court allows the outcome of this case to stand despite Petitioner having convinced a jury of her discrimination claims and because of Dean Jones' inconsistencies about her hiring authority...it will not only be unjust to Petitioner and unseemly for State actors, but a missed opportunity to be serious about the First Amendment in higher education and restore much needed balance to American legal education. The Court's denial of cert is not surprising, but I'm glad Teresa rose to the effort. Out of the ashes of this defeat comes an indelible record of leftist bias operating unchecked in a major law school. It is something to keep before state and federal lawmakers as well as trustees. When public colleges and universities complain about dwindling public support, someone should whisper 'Teresa.' Since the lawsuit, the school has hired at least four faculty members who are Republicans....The timings perhaps gave the school cover from charges of ideological bias, but taking such steps just perpetuates the idea that it's proper to subject job candidates to a political litmus test. If a university were to state that it will not hire people applying for a faculty position because of their race, sex, or religion, that would be clearly illegal. No school would dare to disregard applicants simply because "people of their kind" were not wanted.But what about an applicant's philosophy and political beliefs? Can schools discriminate on that basis? A case that arose years ago at the University of Iowa has finally ended with the apparent result that ideological discrimination is not illegal.Back in 2006, Teresa Wagner (now Manning) was employed part-time at the University of Iowa College of Law as a legal writing instructor. She had formerly taught at George Mason University Law School and practiced law, so she thought she had a good chance at landing one of the full-time places for legal writing instructor that the law school had advertised.But she was not hired, and at least one applicant who was hired had markedly inferior credentials, never having either practiced law or taught it. That would have been the end of things-if there hadn't been evidence that faculty members had expressed vehement opposition to Manning because of her outspoken pro-life views.She filed suit against the university and discovered internal documents to support her argument. Especially damning was a memo by associate dean Jon Carlson who wrote,(Case documents have been assembled here by the National Association of Scholars.)That line, "they so despise her politics," rings true. Leftist academics have often voiced their animosity toward those who disagree with them. Never mind that Manning would have been teaching a non-political course; some leftists just don't want to associate with ideological infidels. They were, however, happy to associate with the less-qualified candidate who had made it known that he hated Republicans.From the time she filed her suit against the university, claiming that it had violated both her First Amendment and due process rights, it took nearly 10 years for the legal system to deliver its final answer to her: nothing.The first trial in 2012 resulted in a hung jury. Manning argued that she had been discriminated against simply because of her conservative views, but the law school contended that the reason was that she had done poorly in her interview. Writing about the case for The Wall Street Journal, legal scholar Peter Berkowitz explained thatThe jury concluded that the university had violated Manning's rights but could not decide whether the defendant, law school dean Carolyn Jones, was exclusively responsible. The case was therefore appealed to the Eighth Circuit, which ordered a new trial.That second trial ended in a verdict for the defendant in June 2015. Attorney John Hinderaker wrote about that ruling on Powerline Again, Manning appealed to the Eighth Circuit, arguing that the trial judge had made an error in an evidentiary ruling, but last August the court upheld the ruling, so she made an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Her petition to the Court was written by former Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli.Appellate courts, including the Supreme Court, only review cases where there was, at least arguably, some legal error, either procedurally or in the substance of the law. The argument Cuccinelli made was rooted in the trial court's supposed procedural error in allowing the defendant to make conflicting statements about her authority to make hiring decisions for the law school, but he also addressed the key substantive matter of the case-Manning's First Amendment argument.Cuccinelli wrote:It was a strong brief, but on April 27, the Court declined to take the case. That does not mean that we now have legal precedent saying that discrimination against faculty applicants based on their philosophy is all right; it means, rather, that we do not have the hoped-for precedent against it. By declining to hear Manning v. Jones, the Court, as Cuccinelli put it, missed an opportunity to extend the First Amendment.Commenting on the Court's refusal to take the case, National Association of Scholars' president Peter Wood said (in an email),This case may have had some impact along those lines. As Peter Berkowitz noted in the piece above (after the case reached the Eighth Circuit for the first time),What about the idea of having federal lawmakers step in? After all, litigating cases like this one as violations of First Amendment rights is a stretch. The University of Iowa did not impede Manning from expressing her beliefs; it just decided not to offer her a full-time position because of them. I'm an Originalist and don't think that when the Founders drafted the First Amendment, they intended to make it illegal for government actors to consider people's speech when deciding whether or not to offer them contracts.Should Congress act? It could amend current employment and/or higher education statutes to provide that colleges may not discriminate against applicants based on their politics or philosophy. But the problem with such action is that the law would be a double-edged sword. Perhaps it is regrettable that Iowa didn't want Teresa Manning on the law school faculty, but consider another well-known faculty speech case, namely the Steven Salaita case at the University of Illinois.Salaita, who had a faculty position at Virginia Tech, was offered a position at the University of Illinois. Before the university finalized the contract, however, a large number of Salaita's tweets about the Palestinian conflict came to light. Those exercises in free speech were quite vicious, leading officials at Illinois to reconsider whether they wanted him on their faculty. (I wrote about that case here .)If we make it illegal to discriminate based on political beliefs, we will probably find that the people most inclined to sue under the law are not conservatives or libertarians, but radical leftists who will claim discrimination when they don't get faculty positions they covet. The harm could outweigh the benefits of a "no discrimination based on politics" rule.Disappointing as the final outcome of this case may be, perhaps it is best to uphold freedom of contract and combat intellectual bias through other means. Remarks by President Trump at the Signing Ceremony for S. 292, the Childhood Cancer, Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act of 2018 Press Release: THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Hi, Steve. Hello, folks. See how nice they are? See? (Laughter.) They're the nicest people in the whole world. Right? You think so. You know what? Believe it. I'm pleased to sign into law the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act of 2018. It's a big deal. Very important. The people up here have helped us so much. I want to thank Secretary Azar for being here, along with the members of Congress who are here with us, including Senators Shelley Moore Capito. Thank you, Shelley, very much. SENATOR CAPITO: Thank you. THE PRESIDENT: Dean Heller, who I hear is doing very well. Right, Dean? SENATOR HELLER: Yes, sir. THE PRESIDENT: Better do well. Right, Dean? Representatives Mike Kelly, Michael McCaul. Thanks. Thank you, Michael. REPRESENTATIVE MCCAUL: Sir, thank you. THE PRESIDENT: Great job you're doing. And Michael Burgess. Thank you, Michael. REPRESENTATIVE BURGESS: Yes, sir. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Mike. More than 15,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. Tragically, cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among American children and adolescents. And we have some wonderful stories of success with us today, most importantly. This vital legislation will expand opportunities for childhood cancer research, enhance the quality of life for childhood cancer survivors, and increase pediatric expertise at the National Institute of Health. Very big deal. Very important to everybody here, and, really, very important to the country. With us are some of the very brave children who are currently battling cancer and doing really well. Olivia Egge is here with her family. Olivia, congratulations, darling. You're doing fantastically well. Right? EGGE: Yes. Thank goodness. THE PRESIDENT: They're proud of you. And Olivia has been a tremendous story of inspiration and that fighting spirit - it's a rare bone cancer - and we are very much impressed with your strength and thankful that you're recovering so well. I'm hearing great reports. EGGE: Thank you. THE PRESIDENT: So, good. Good, honey. Jake Cunniffe is also here. Jake is a sarcoma survivor, and he has helped lead the effort to see this bill become law. Jake? Come here, Jake. SENATOR CAPITO: Look at that tie, Mr. President. THE PRESIDENT: I like that tie. That's good. (Laughter.) Sharp-looking guy, I'll you. Good job, Jake. I also want to give you a little special - because I know how hard you work on - you've really been working on it individually. As a young guy, you have other things you could be doing, right? CUNNIFFE: Yeah. THE PRESIDENT: But you've really done a great job, Jake. I want to thank you. I also want to commend Sadie Keller for her leadership of the bill and for helping to really work hard. And fellow childhood cancer survivors are very, very thrilled with the job you've done. You feeling good? I hear you're doing great. Right? Good, sweetheart. Thank you very much. So Olivia, Jake, and Sadie, we're taking this action today in honor of the work you've done and the hard work. And it has been, in fact, hard. And you're really helping to positively affect lives in America, especially of young people. We're going to be right there with you every step of the way. All of these incredible representatives, senators, and congress people - you've been reading about people like this, right? Someday you'll be there. Maybe you'll be sitting right here. I don't know if you want to do it, but - (laughter) - you're better off doing what they do. But we just want to thank all of you for being here. We want to congratulate you on doing so well in getting better. And you have helped a lot of people. So thank you very much. Thank you all. Thanks, Jake. Thank you very much, John. Do you have anything to say, Shelley? SENATOR CAPITO: Well, I'm just admiring of the strength of these young people, but their families as well. As we know, families are affected. And this is about trying to find a cure, but it's also about survivorship, and how you live your life and how, after you've had treatment, you can go on to have healthy and very productive lives. And so, for me, as a mother and a grandmother, and for my Cancer Crusade kids from West Virginia, thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you. And you're doing a great job, and we appreciate it. You really do a fantastic job. SENATOR CAPITO: Appreciate that. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Shelley. Mike? REPRESENTATIVE KELLY: Yes, Mr. President. I just think there's nothing more precious to us than our children. And whenever one child is sick, we're all feeling the same way and we want to do everything we can to help out. I know Mike McCaul and I have been working very hard on cancer. I will mention that the Hyundai Hope on Wheels, this is our 20th anniversary, we will exceed $140 million this year - THE PRESIDENT: Wow, that's fantastic. REPRESENTATIVE KELLY: - in the fight against pediatric cancer. And we're seeing so many children survive. It just does your heart well to see these young Americans succeed. THE PRESIDENT: Statistically, it's been incredible to see what's happened. Thank you, Mike. Thank you, Shelley. Michael McCaul? REPRESENTATIVE MCCAUL: Thank you, Mr. President. This is the most comprehensive childhood cancer bill ever passed by the United States Congress. And it wouldn't have been possible if we didn't have the advocates strongly behind us, like St. Baldrick's. But the children are the best advocates. It took us three years to get there, Mr. President. But, you know, they can say no to you or me, but I bring in little Sadie into the office - (laughter) - they can't say no to her and these other survivors. This will help - it's survivorship, treatment, access, and research. And it's going to really move the cause and the movement forward in the right direction. So thank you. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you for the great job you do. Dean Heller? SENATOR HELLER: Mr. President, on behalf of thousands of childhood cancer survivors in Nevada, I'm here to thank you for your work and your effort. This doesn't happen without your leadership. And I want to thank these kids also for being advocates, as they are, and getting us to where we are today. Thank you very much for your hard work. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. SENATOR HELLER: You bet. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. My friend - REPRESENTATIVE BURGESS: Yes, sir. THE PRESIDENT: Say a few words. You've been working so hard on this. REPRESENTATIVE BURGESS: Well, Sadie came into see me, I think, a Congress ago, and it was clear that she was pretty dedicated to this. At the time, she looked a little different because she was in a different place in her treatment. But as Michael said, she's the best ambassador. And I think this builds on the work we did in 21st Century Cures, and, quite honestly, the work you did last week with Right to Try. All of this works together, and it's for the betterment of American patients; you can't ask for more than that. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Michael. Great job. And Right to Try is something we're very excited about, where for years - and nobody knows why it was so tough to pass; I never could understand it. But it was a very tough one to get passed, and now people can stay and we have drugs that are really - and treatments that are really advanced, but they won't be approved for another three, four, five years. And now, if somebody's in very bad shape, we can use them, and they're not going to be going to other countries to try and get a cure. And it's really hope. But not only is it hope, a lot of people are going to be helped by this. So the Right to Try, as difficult as that was to get approved and passed and now we're signed, we're very proud of that one. Secretary Azar, would you like to say something? SECRETARY AZAR: Well, Mr. President, we just want to thank Olivia, Sadie, Jake, and, frankly, their parents and the - Danielle and others here who lost children to this battle against pediatric cancer. This legislation's going to be a material change in our ability to do research and to help kids survive cancer and survive cancer longer. THE PRESIDENT: That's great. SECRETARY AZAR: So thank you for signing it today. THE PRESIDENT: That's really great. Thank you very much. You maybe want to say something because you've been so instrumental. That's right, Jake. (Laughter.) Really, would you like to say something? (Laughter.) Everybody should be just like you. (Laughter.) You would be a great politician. Would you like you like to say something, darling? SADIE KELLER: I'm just so honored to be here. And this is just such an amazing opportunity and just - thank you. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sweetheart. Very, very nice. So nice. OLIVIA EGGE: Yeah, just like Sadie, it's so amazing to be here. I woke up this morning having no idea I was coming here today. So this is a really cool turn of events. And I'm just so grateful that this bill has been passed. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Great. I'm glad you're so much better. Thank you. SOPHIA EGGE: Same thing as Olivia. I'm just grateful that this bill can be passed to help future cancer patients and cancer patients now. THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. Would anyone like to say something here? Parents and representatives? Anybody? EGGE: If I may, Mr. President. THE PRESIDENT: Yes, please. EGGE: I'd like to thank you. I'd like to thank the leaders in Congress that are here that sponsored this bill. I can tell you, as a father, hearing that the treatment for my daughter is 40 years old - we had to go to another country to get a treatment. The fact that there is a focus on survivorship, on cures, is absolutely critical - because it's not a good place if we don't do and commit the funds and the effort to save children's lives. So I thank you. THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, we've made a lot of advancements, really, in the last - you know, we're 500 days now, Shelley. Can you believe it? But we've done a lot of improvements, a lot of speed, too, where we're getting it done quickly. That's where Right to Try is so good, where we can get things that are so promising but they won't be approved for another three or four years. So thank you very much. Appreciate it. Anybody? Would you like to say something? SARAH KELLER: I just want to thank you for passing this bill. I have seen firsthand how awful it is to watch my own child go through this. But we've also had many, many relationships of different childhood cancer fighters. And some are survivors now, and some have passed away. And, you know, these things matter so much. And so we're just so grateful. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. SARAH KELLER: So grateful. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you very much. Okay, I'll sign. Are you ready? Are we all ready? (Laughter.) Are we all set? This is a big deal, now. Thank you. (The bill is signed.) After much hemming and hawing about the prohibitive cost of subsidizing MetroCards for the poorest New Yorkers, it appears Mayor Bill de Blasio may soon reach an agreement with the City Council to fund the Fair Fares program after all. Under the tentative terms of a deal reportedly struck between the mayor and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson on Thursday, $106 million from the city's budget would go toward providing half-price subway and bus rides to those living under the federal poverty line$29,420 a year for a family of five (or under $12,140 for an individual). Johnson, who's made the project a priority in his first City Council budget, had initially asked for $212 million, but was willing to accept the smaller figure to get the program off the ground, according to sources who spoke with Politico on Thursday. The reported amount appears to be the result of tense negotiations between Johnson and de Blasio: Last week at Gracie Mansion, Mayor de Blasio proposed funding fair fares at $25 million -- far less than the $212 the council asked for. It was around midnight, according to two people with knowledge of the encounter. Speaker Johnson walked out of Gracie. J. David Goodman (@jdavidgoodman) June 7, 2018 While multiple reports say that an agreement has been reached, the mayor has not yet confirmed the deal. "We are moving in a good direction, but we dont have anything to announce tonight," de Blasio said during his weekly NY1 appearance on Thursday night. Reached for comment, Eric Phillips, a spokesperson for the mayor, told Gothamist, "No deal yet. More work to do." A final budget agreement between the mayor and City Council is expected to come next week, possibly as early as Monday. The mayor declined to fund a $50 million pilot of the project last year, despite widespread support from advocates and in the City Council. De Blasio has previously called on the state to pay for the subsidy, while maintaining that turnstile jumping is not an "economic issue" or crime of poverty. Yet one study from Baruch College professor Alexis Perrotta found that "low-income riders are more likely to evade the fare, exploit free transfers, and rely on fragmented systems of generosity and welfare than to forego goods." In the first ten months of last year, police arrested 15,600 turnstile jumpers and issued 63,462 summonses for the offensewith arrests disproportionately happening in poorer, African-American communities, according to analysis released the Community Service Society last year. The group estimates that the Fair Fares program would save roughly 800,000 New Yorkers $700 a year. "I'm not asking for a free ride," Cynthia Kozikowski, a single mom with four kids living in the Bronx, told Gothamist earlier this year. "If Mayor de Blasio says he's all about bridging the gap between the rich and the poor, then he should do what's in his power in the budget to fund Fair Fares." A new departure: Czech Breitbart-like website whips up hatred against a courageous journalist 6. 1. 2017 cas cteni 3 minuty Parlamentni listy, a Breitbart-like, widely read Czech-language website which is systematically publishing alarmist "news" and racist attacks against muslims and refugees, has provoked a wave of hate speech in emails and on Facebook against a Czech journalist who has publicly expressed revulsion over the emotional nonsense featured on the Parlamentni listy pages. Daniel Vesely, a journalist working for Czech public service radio and Britske listy, expressed his horror on Facebook over statements made by Jan Petranek, an octogenerian Czech journalist, who is uncritically pro-Putin and makes frequent anti-muslim and anti-immigration statements. In an interview, published by Parlamentni listy on 3rd January, 2017, among other things, Petranek expresses his satisfaction that Donald Trump has been elected the new US President. In the interview, Petranek also argues that Barack Obama had "close links with the muslim world, his second name was Hussein and his US birth certificate was probably faked and this will come out". In the interview, Petranek is strongly critical of the fact that the Czech government has set up an institution which is to warn the Czech public against websites which disseminate fake news. Petranek then argues that the armies of NATO should have been used to stop the refugees coming to Europe: "When the migration crisis appeared in Europe, which is basically a muslim invasion directed against Europe, and it is the greatest possible security threat, lunatics in the European Union started shouting that one must be wary of Russia, instead of concentrating on the interventionist immigration invasion to Europe, which has been organised by the terrorist centres of the muslim hard core. At that point, NATO had a chance to show itself as a brilliant defence organisation. It should not have allowed the arrival of hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands people from Africa and the Middle East, which has ended up as a wave of a million people." Source in Czech HERE On 5th January, Parlamentni listy published a summary of Vesely's expression of horror over Petranek's statements, quoting a number of vulgar comments directed against Vesely. The article was was thus formulated as an implicit call on readers to further attack Daniel Vesely, who "has foulmouthed a legendary Czech journalist". As a result, Vesely's Facebook profile has been swamped by vulgar and hateful comments. This is a disturbing new development in the Czech Republic where the authorities do not investigate and punish hate speech published on social networks and on racist servers, in spite of the fact that according to the Czech Criminal Code, dissemination of alarmist news and hate speech against minorities is punishable by three years' imprisonment. The inaction of the Czech authorities contributes greatly towards the normalisation of an atmosphere of intolerance in the Czech Republic, which was evidenced this week when hundreds of Czech citizens violently protested against the use of a black model in an advertising leaflet published by a German supermarket. If the Czech authorities take no action, there is a serious danger that incitement to hatred will sooner or later lead to physical violence against individuals brave enough to speak out against racism, hate speech and intolerance. Read more: A Czech website which is in the forefront of spreading anti-refugee hatred 0 New York City has sued a real estate management company for running an illegal hotel operation, via Airbnb and other online sites, in rent-stabilized apartment buildings in Hell's Kitchen. A longtime tenant told Gothamist that when the landlord started to illegally convert apartments, "Our family's hell began." The Mayors Office of Special Enforcement, the division of the city government charged with investigating illegal hotel offenders, claims that Big Apple Management, LLC have turned at least seven walk-up buildings into illegal hotels, "operat[ing] for years despite persistent complaints, enforcement and fines against the operation," a press release said. It has been illegal for NYC apartments to be rented out in their entirety for stays shorter than 30 days since 2016. Big Apple owns a number of rent-stabilized buildings on West 47th Street between 8th and 9th Avenue. The OSE says that there have been "at least 50 illegal hotel complaints since 2011... 150 building and fire violations, four building and fire criminal summonses, and five advertising summonses," there's also $120,000 in penalties for various violations, $90,000 of which hasn't been paid yet. Christopher LeBron, a 33-year-old third-generation native New Yorker, was raised in one of the buildings, 321 West 47th Street. After graduating from Princeton in 1978, his mother, who grew up in the Marcy Projects and on West 47th Street, jumped at the chance to be one of the first tenants of the newly rent-stabilized 321. She also helped her mother get an apartment in sister building 323 West 47th Street. LeBron said his family had a good relationship with the original landlord, but in the 1980s, "when the New York real estate market boomed," that landlord "got out." Big Apple took over in the mid-to-late 1980s, and, at one point, the tenants banded together and had a rent strike over "dereliction of maintenance and repair of the building." In the 1990s, conditions improved, and LeBron recalled that tenants knew each other and looked out for one another, "It was a mix of actors, artists, and hair stylists... It was blue-collar families, and white-collar ones who couldnt afford other parts of Manhattan." But, around the time of the dot com bubble around 1999-2000, Big Apple started to take advantage of the market, altering apartments to maximize profit. "They added a second bathroom and a rooftop bedroom addendum without permits," LeBron said. Pointing out that these were older buildings, LeBron explained that the plumbing couldn't handle substandard renovations: "Our familys hell began. We suffered flooding, cracks in walls, delays in response, and rodent problemsrats and roaches." The longtime rent-stabilized tenants would pool their resources to make fixes, but in the late 2000s, they started noticing that the neighbors were no longer younger college-aged graduates renting apartmentsthey were now strangers, toting their "suitcases in and out en masse," LeBron said. The guests have come from "all corners of the world, all corners of the country," LeBron revealed. "They have duffle bags or rolling suitcases. Theyll come for a week, at a set time, Sundays in the middle of the afternoon or Monday late at night, because there are cheaper flights inbound at JFK Airport." Even though some instructions given to the illegal hotel guests tell them not to speak to any strangers, even building residents, LeBron and other tenants learned from the guests that they were in fact tourists. In one extreme case, LeBron said, "One of the apartments was being used by the transient prostitutes... There were unwanted visitors at all hours of the day." The male prostitution ring managed to stay because of the 30-day squatting law, until the marshals raided the apartment, LeBron said. Big Apple was illegally renting out five of the apartments in LeBron's building as hotel rooms, making an estimated $4,000-5,000/week per apartment (apartments were converted from two-bedrooms to four-bedrooms, to fit six to 10 guests). Meanwhile, the company continued to ignore LeBron's and the residents' needs. In one of the illegal conversions, a bathroom that was created in a third floor apartment caused multiple floods affecting the master bedrooms above and below it in early 2017. "The super immediately went up to take care of the guest in 3A, while we had to wait a very long time," LeBron said. "We took on a lot of damage, floors, mold, dry wall needed to be replaced, personal property, artwork and clothing needed to be replaced." After many months, Big Apple made some fixes but left up unpainted dry wall. LeBron, who is the president of the West 47th Street Tenants Association, is thrilled by news of the lawsuit, plus the judge's decision to issue a temporary restraining order that prevents Big Apple from continuing the illegal hotel side hustle. He thinks the city needs to do more to make New York City affordable, calling the real estate market "hyper-inflated." "The rent-stabilized apartment system is critical for millennials and Gen Y to enjoy, given the amount of student debt they're faced with," he said. "I dont think NYC is going to be able to survive in terms of providing a workforce for tech companies, banks, and other big industries" the city is trying to attract. "We need more rent-stabilized housing. If it were possible, I would love for these illegal hotels to be turn back into rent-stabilized stock," LeBron added. In a statement about the lawsuit, Christian Klossner, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement said, "This is about protecting housing meant for New Yorkers, and preserving a sense of safety and community in a residential neighborhood. The message of this action is clearif landlords turn a blind eye to rampant illegal short-term rentals, then we will see them in court." Impact of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Decision to Delay Enforcement of Protections For Nursing Home Residents On May 30 several State Attorneys General, including Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, sent a joint complaint to Alex M. Azar II, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Seema Verma, Administrator Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and expressed extreme concern over the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) actions to slow regulatory enforcements that support the safety and wellbeing for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries who receive care in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. In the letter, the Attorneys General are holding CMS responsible for not pushing forward a 2016 series of skilled nursing facility reforms that were set to move out in three future stages. The current administrations delay will bring major challenges in holding facilities accountable for providing appropriate resident care and well-being. We write this letter to express our concern and to alert the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) about the substantial and foreseeable detriment of CMS actions to delay enforcement of protections for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries who receive care in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The recent CMS guidance significantly decreases the protections in SNFs by rolling back reforms to improve the safety and wellbeing of nursing home residents. If allowed to proceed, recent regulatory changes will not only threaten the mental and physical security of some of the most vulnerable residents of our states, but also potentially create additional challenges for MFCU investigation and prosecution of grievances, violations, and crimes occurring in SNFs. We therefore urge you not to lower the level of regulatory oversight. Attorney General Madigan was joined in sending the letter alongside Attorneys General of: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Review the Attorneys General concerns here: https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/cms_snf_regulation.pdf 2016 CMS Reforms Were Set to Improve Care Back in 2016, a set of CMS long-term care reforms were instituted to: prevent the spread of infections in nursing homes improve training for staff provide protections against abuse, neglect impose regulations against exploitation of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries ban arbitration agreements In addition, many nursing home residents suffer physical ailments, chronic illnesses and memory difficulties, making them an easy target for abuse and neglect. Without investigations, regulation and oversight of nursing homes, the lack of prosecuting grievances, violations and crimes could impact care standards and prevent basic human protections for an already vulnerable population. Most recently, CMS has delayed the implementation of certain penalties by 18 months and lowered the frequency and amount of penalties for past violations. Levin & Perconti: Attorneys for Victims of Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect Sadly, it feels there may be little hope for improving care for the more than 1.5 million Americans who reside in a nursing home. If you believe that a loved one of any age was injured or died because a nursing home in Illinois violated the standard of care, our experienced nursing home attorneys may be able to help you seek justice. Our consultations are always free and confidential. Click here to fill out an online request form or call us toll-free at 1-877-374-1417 or 312-332-2872. Teacher Charged With Animal Cruelty for Feeding Puppy to Turtle Sometimes you read a story and all can you can do is close your eyes, shake your head slowly, and maybe mutter, "But why, though?" This is one of those stories. For some reason, a teacher in Idaho decided to feed a puppy to a snapping turtle. And as if that wasn't bad enough, he did it in front of students. After word got out about the teacher's actions, the news quickly spread and sparked outrage. Now, the teacher has been charged with animal cruelty and could spend time in jail. Cruelty in Napoleon Dynamite's Backyard Until now, Preston, Idaho was only famous for being the town featured in Napoleon Dynamite. But thanks to an incident oddly similar to the scene where the farmer shoots the cow in front of a bus-load of children, Preston is making new headlines. Preston Junior High School science teacher, Robert Crosland, is accused of feeding a puppy to a snapping turtle. Although the incident didn't occur during school hours, students were present for the demonstration. After parents came forward about it, state officials took custody of and euthanized the turtle since it was listed as a non-native species. Animal Cruelty While there is no specific federal law against animal cruelty, the Animal Welfare Act requires animals who are transported, bred, or sold to be given adequate care, housing, sanitation, and nutrition. Conversely, most states do have specific statutes regarding animal cruelty, although they vary widely in how strictly they protect animals. Idaho falls pretty far down on the list, ranking as the ninth worst state on the Animal Legal Defense Fund's 2017 report. In Idaho, animal cruelty includes "the intentional and malicious infliction of pain, physical suffering, injury or death upon an animal." It also includes subjecting an animal to needless suffering. For a first offense, which this would appear to be, the penalty is jail for not more than six months, a fine between $100 and $5,000, or both. If the Preston teacher is convicted, this punishment won't seem like enough to some. Others argue he was merely demonstrating the "circle of life." But why, though? Hopefully we all treat our animals humanely. But if you've been accused of animal cruelty or want to hold someone accountable for hurting your pet, get in touch with an attorney who can help protect your interests. Related Resources: Alphabet, Google's parent company, promises not to allow use of its artificial intelligence technology in weapons and in certain forms of surveillance. The statement may help Google quash months of vigorous protest by thousands of Google employees, who were unwilling to participate silently in a Google partnership with the U.S. military to I.D. things in video shot by war drones. Google will instead look for government contract oportunities in cybersecurity, military recruitment, and search & rescue, Chief Executive Sundar Pichai wrote in a blog post today. "We want to be clear that while we are not developing AI for use in weapons, we will continue our work with governments and the military in many other areas," he said. We will not design or deploy AI in the following application areas: Technologies that cause or are likely to cause overall harm. Where there is a material risk of harm, we will proceed only where we believe that the benefits substantially outweigh the risks, and will incorporate appropriate safety constraints. Weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people. Technologies that gather or use information for surveillance violating internationally accepted norms. Technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights. The company released a list of guiding ethical principles for future efforts. In Washington today, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan received a letter signed by 47 Senate Democrats and two independents calling on him to schedule a vote to keep Net Neutrality rules active. Under Trump's FCC chief Ajit Pai, the Obama-era rules to help keep the internet free, fair, and equal will die next week. Ryan's office would not respond to reporters, and referred questions on Net Neutrality to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Oddly the Ajit Pai FCC doesn't want to chat with reporters about why it made up two DDOS attacks in a bizarre effort to downplay public opposition to one of the least popular tech policy decisions in FCC history. https://t.co/nAQaAjXa7C Karl Bode (@KarlBode) June 7, 2018 From Reuters: Special Counsel Robert Mueller today brings new charges against Trump's former campaign chair Paul Manafort. Also named in the Friday court filing is Manafort's longtime Russia/Ukraine business partner, Konstantin Kilimnik. Kilimnik was Manafort's 'right-hand man in Kiev,' and they worked together for over a decade. Killimnik will be a name to remember, as the investigation unfolds with compounded charges for Manafort. Also, last we heard of Kilimnik, Ukraine allowed him to return to Russia, apparently as part of a deal to get Javelin missiles from the Trump administration. Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) June 8, 2018 Of note, some of the materials presented today by Mueller are WhatsApp messages. From Chris Geidner, Buzzfeed News: The superseding indictment which includes charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice stems from attempts to contact and communications with people identified in a June 4 filing from the special counsel's office as D1 and D2. Manafort, who has been under indictment by the special counsel's office since this past October, faced a superseding indictment in February that accused him of orchestrating a group, known as the "Hapsburg" group, to engage in an illegal lobbying scheme in the United States on behalf of the Ukrainian government. In the February indictment, Manafort was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, money laundering conspiracy, failing to disclose to the US government the extent of his work on behalf of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych and other Ukrainian entities, and making false statements. In the June 4 filing, the special counsel's office in relation to Manafort's conditions of release pending trial on the February charges accused Manafort of trying to tamper with potential witnesses in his case. D1 and D2 worked for a public relations company that served as "intermediaries" between the Hapsburg group and Manafort, an unidentified "Person A," and Rick Gates another Manafort associate who has pleaded guilty and is now cooperating with the special counsel's office. "Person A" had been reported to be or apparently to be Kilimnik, but Mueller had not named him until Friday's indictment. "Following the public disclosure of the February 23 Superseding Indictment, Manafort and Person Awho is a longtime associate of Manafort'srepeatedly contacted Persons D1 and D2 in an effort to secure materially false testimony concerning the activities of the Hapsburg group," lawyers for the special counsel's office wrote in the June 4 filing. The June 4 filing included an exhibit that detailed 12 messages sent by "Person A" to D2 and 1 sent to D1. "Hi. This is [Person A's first initial]. My friend P is looking for ways to connect to you to pass you several messages. Can we arrange that," Person A wrote to D1 via WhatsApp. Read the rest. Also, in the New York Times today, an article which could have been titled, 'Paul Manafort Has No Friends': Prosecutors assert that Mr. Manafort's fight included trying to shape the accounts that former business partners offered prosecutors. In court filings this week, they said that starting in late February, Mr. Manafort repeatedly tried to reach the two journalists with whom he had fallen out of contact until recently to coordinate their accounts about their work to tamp down international criticism of Mr. Yanukovych for corruption, persecuting rivals and pivoting toward Russia and its president, Vladimir V. Putin. The prosecutors did not name the journalists, but three people familiar with the project identified them as Alan Friedman and Eckart Sager. Both men fended off the overtures, which included phone calls and encrypted text messages from Mr. Manafort and a longtime associate, whom prosecutors have not named but was identified by people close to Mr. Manafort as Konstantin V. Kilimnik, a former Russian Army linguist who prosecutors claim has ties to Russian intelligence. Instead of engaging, Mr. Friedman and Mr. Sager informed Mr. Mueller's team of the efforts to reach them, according to prosecutors. Mr. Friedman accused Mr. Manafort of trying to "suborn perjury" by persuading him to lie to investigators, according to a declaration by an F.B.I. agent on the case. Neither Mr. Friedman nor Mr. Sager could be reached for comment. The prosecutors are arguing that because of these allegations, a federal judge should revise the terms of Mr. Manafort's bail or even send him to jail while he awaits trial. Mr. Manafort, who posted a $10 million bond and has been confined to his home since October, has until Friday at midnight to respond to the prosecutors' accusations. His spokesman brushed aside prosecutors' allegations of witness tampering, but declined to comment on Mr. Manafort's relationship with Mr. Friedman and Mr. Sager. Konstantin Kilimnik has been charged by Robert Mueller. Here's my October report with @FranklinFoer about how his very suspect communications with Paul Manafort. https://t.co/yHqOALeehv Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) June 8, 2018 NEW MUELLER INDICTMENT: involves Konstantin Kilimnik. Who? Fire up the giant Russia timeline!https://t.co/T4UqnLhEmu Kilimnik is a longtime associate of Manaforts,and a suspected Russia operative, but he denied this in 2016. Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) June 8, 2018 Most politicians are smart enough to stick their snouts in the trough when no one is looking. EPA head Scott Pruitt is one of the dumb ones. His pea-sized brain would rattle in his skull if it wasn't cushioned by an enormous ego, one that causes him to think he's a famous and important person who needs to be protected from all the little people out to get him. Hence the first class and chartered flights, the luxury hotels, the soundproof offices, and the 24/7 security detail. It's gross overreach for a man whose only job is to hand over the department he runs to companies that want the freedom to eject pollutants into the air and water. I barely had time to get over being squicked out by the news that Pruitt ordered a staffer to procure for him a used mattress from one of Trump's hotels, when I learned that Pruitt used his expensive security detail to drive him to different hotels in a desperate search for a certain kind of special moisturizer he is fond of and is available at Ritz-Carltons. I'll bet the manufacturer of the lotion is terrified over being outed. Sales would tank. It might even spell the death of the company. From CNN: The Daily Beast reported on Thursday that Pruitt has also tasked subordinates during work hours with getting snacks for him, including Greek yogurt and cookies, citing four sources familiar with the work environment at EPA. One individual told the Daily Beast, "I can't tell you how many times I was sent out to get protein bars" at Pruitt's request. An EPA spokesperson told the Daily Beast, "EPA will not be commenting on anonymous sources who are working to distract Americans from Administrator Pruitt's accomplishments on regulatory certainty and environmental stewardship." Pruitt is currently facing multiple inquiries from ethics watchdogs, federal auditors and congressional committees into his actions at the agency. The inquiries are looking into Pruitt's travel expenses as well as his security detail. Figures released by EPA last month showed that the agency spent close to $3.5 million on security costs for Pruitt in the past year. That money has gone toward paying a team of 19 agents who offer around-the-clock protection for the administrator. Image: Shutterstock/showcake Gabriele Trovato is an Italian human-computer interaction researcher at Tokyo's Waseda University; along with colleagues from Peru's Pontificia Universidad Catolica, he presented Design Strategies for Representing the Divine in Robots (Sci-Hub mirror) at March's ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human Robot Interaction. Trovato's paper presents a theoretical framework for designing "theomorphic" robots which "carries the shape and the identity of a supernatural creature or object within a religion" robots that imply "a connection with a deity, be[ing] a messenger of the deity, or be[ing] possessed by it, or carry[ing] a divine essence." Trovato presents some guidelines for these, including not making them move too much (robot movement isn't very divine, and also religious icons tend to be immobile), don't design them to respond to user input (more godlike, less furbish), and make them glow. What are some advantages of theomorphic robots? What purpose would a theomorphic robot serve? The biggest advantage is that believers can feel at ease with, and even hold in high regard, a robot that has the appearance and identity of a familiar religious entity or an icon, while typically the approach towards robots is characterized by some discomfort. The sacred appearance can be seen as a mask, which covers the robotic component, for a device that will perform some service that can range from keeping company during prayer, to comfort and monitor people's health, or to even perform catechesis, teaching positive values of a certain religion. Can a Robot Be Divine? [Evan Ackerman/IEEE Spectrum] Design Strategies for Representing the Divine in Robots [Gabriele Trovato, Cesar Lucho, Alexander Huerta-Mercado and Francisco Cuellar/HRI '18 Companion of the 2018 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction] (Sci-Hub mirror) (Thanks, Nat!) Featured Post Fifty-five Water Protectors Arrested Occupying Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington Fifty-five Water Protectors Arrested Occupying BIA in Washington Today Photos by Jennifer Falcon About half of the... Native Women Leaders Arrested at White House Apache Stronhold on Spiritual Journey to Ninth Circuit Archive Search This Blog Donate to Censored News Please donate to Censored News for travel and equipment for our live coverage. Thank you, Brenda. About Censored News Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell. Since 2006, Censored News has received more than 20 million pageviews. As a collective of writers, photographers and broadcasters, we publish news of Indigenous Peoples and human rights. Contact publisher Brenda Norrell: brendanorrell@gmail.com From the publisher Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell, a journalist in Indian country for 39 years. Norrell created Censored News after she was censored and terminated as a staff reporter at Indian Country Today in 2006. She began as a reporter at Navajo Times during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation. She was a stringer for AP and USA Today and later traveled with the Zapatistas through Mexico. She has been blacklisted by all the mainstream media for 14 years. Contact brendanorrell@gmail.com Translate News / National by Staff reporter ZANU-PF campaign material worth millions of dollars is being imported into Zimbabwe without paying duty at a time the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) is struggling to meet its collection targets and the country's economy is on its knees.The revelations were made during a question and answer session with parliamentarians in Harare yesterday where Zimra commissioner-general Faith Mazani could neither confirm nor deny that they had been ordered by the ruling party not to levy duty on the items.MDC Member of Parliament for Chitungwiza North constituency Godfrey Sithole had put the cat among the pigeons after querying why Zimra were doing the biding of the ruling party.He added that while this was hurting an already ailing economy, it was against the clarion call of free and fair elections."I have one question regarding revenue collection at the border. We have information to the effect that there is campaign material specifically for Zanu-PF. I am talking about vehicles, I am talking about bags and they are not paying anything to Zimra. Zviri kupinda mahara (They are getting in duty-free). Is this within the confines of the law? Because they can't enter for free just because they belong to Zanu-PF. Even the outgoing president is very clear that there should be free and fair elections," he said to interjections from Zanu-PF Members of Parliament.Besides vehicles, some of the campaign material acquired by the ruling party for use in the run-up to the July 30 harmonised elections includes bicycles, motorbikes and campaign regalia such as T-shirts, caps, cloth wraps, flags, wrist bangles and other material such as torches, kitchenware and sewing machines.Mazani's answer was far from convincing but pregnant with meaning."Pabvunzwa mubvunzo wezvimwe zvinhu zviri kufungirwa kuti hazvisi kupinda zvabhandara mutero. Ndiri kuda kuti ndigadzirise ipapo. We don't allow items to enter the country without paying duty. Asi pane zvikumbiro zvinoitwa zvekuti zvinhu zvinobhadharwa kana zvinhu zvapinda (There are requests that can be made by government that other things get into the country and then pay duty at a later date). If there is anything you see and you think did not pay duty you should ask how we went about, ask with specific information because a lot of these things will have documentation inenge ichitsigira (that will be supporting). I am not talking about parties but some of these perceptions get out there but there will be documentation from government, zvikumbiro kuti zvichazobhadhara zvapinda (requests that certain items will pay duty once they are in the country)," she said to loud interjections.She added: "There are things called report orders which allow for items to be paid after they have entered the country."Asked to comment on how the party had not paid duty on campaign material, Zanu-PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu said:"If parties want to prove to the country that regalia is coming into country duty-free or not duty let us produce our documentation and we will see who is paying and who is not."However, analysts canvassed by the Daily News yesterday said there was no excuse for allowing Zanu-PF to have its duty waived."This does bleed the ailing economy and speaks of the (rot) in the Zanu-PF government. The conflation between party and State is so entrenched that Zanu-PF transactions are treated in the same way State transactions are. This is bad. It perpetuates the belling of the economy and decay of our democracy. This is another form of pre-election rigging, putting Zanu-PF on a better edge than others parties using power and incumbency and abusing it to make the party get benefits of the State to the detriment of other parties," political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said.Political analyst and post doctoral researcher Pedzisai Ruhanya said it was not a surprise that Zimra was doing the ruling party's bidding."There is nothing surprising here. This is how the government has been operating for years. Even companies led by top Zanu-PF officials don't pay tax. Since the days of Mugabe, nothing has changed. What has changed is the face but the institutional and structural behaviour remains the same. We saw the police conducting Zanu-PF primary elections. I don't know why people should be surprised," he said.Zimra acknowledges that the culture to comply with tax payments in Zimbabwe is at an all time low.The taxman is currently collecting only 25 percent of the total taxable amount.Observers reckon if Zimra could collect at least half or three quarters of the total amount due to it, Zimbabwe would not need to turn to Foreign Direct Investment, grants and loans.Yesterday, there were also questions around why Zimra's Payee tax was among the highest in Africa and continued to make the poor poorer.However, Zimra hit back saying taxes were an issue of policy and it was up to the legislators to change the legislation to allow for lower taxes that could see more people paying and boarding the amount of money collected by Zimra.Zimra called for progressive laws and the help of enforcement agents to collect tax.Economic experts contend a raft of new taxes were to a large extent self-defeating and discouraged investment. Did you get the NotifyNYC alert reading, "A gathering of approximately 400 jet skis will occur tomorrow, 6/9, at approximately 11:00 AM on the East River..." and wonder, "What the?" Well, Gothamist is ON IT. It's the NYC Invasion, which starts near the Pepsi-Cola sign in LIC. According to the announcement, the jet skiers "will travel southbound on the East River, then westerly through New York Harbor near the Battery, and then northbound up the Hudson River. The United States Coast Guard and other government agencies will have an increased presence along the route." The NYC Invasion brings together all of the area jet ski clubs for a circumnavigation of Manhattan island. And according to the badass video below, it is one of the most exclusive jet ski events in the world: Strong Island Jet Skis is organizing the event, and one of its admins, Mo Sherif, explained that even jet skiers from upstate, Pennsylvania and Connecticut flock to the NYC for this event (most are from NYC and Long Island). "Once a year, we plan a ride between all the groups to make it around the Manhattan island, from East River to, if the weather permits, Hell Gate Bridge," he said. The weather also impacts how long the event lastsit may go until 3 or 4 p.m. if there's rain or wind. News / National by Staff rpeorter Former president Jacob Zuma has "warned" those who continue to speak about him in public not to "provoke" him.Zuma told his detractors to keep quiet and discuss their own organisations, not him."Not me, because I have things to say about their organisations, but I don't want to do so because I know why I'm part of the struggle. They must not provoke me," he said.Zuma issued the warning after delivering a speech on free education at an event organised by the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) in Durban on Wednesday.After his speech, he sang Yinde Lendlela and, just as everyone thought he was done, he issued the warning.He said the reason he had kept quiet for so long was because he had been president at the time and needed to be careful about how he handled things."I just want to give that warning. Instead of discussing their own programmes and policies, they sit in their leadership to discuss me. I'm warning them, don't continue doing it," he said.He said, now that he was no longer president, "I can handle them the way I want. This is just a warning", before launching into his signature song Umshini Wami.The ANC Youth League's KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Kwazi Mshengu had earlier told those gathered at the venue that the league was worried about Zuma's "persecution" by the South African Communist Party."It is not the role of the communist party to spend three days in a meeting discussing Zuma, and then call a media briefing to say they still hate Zuma," he said.He asked what more Zuma had to do to prove that he was a loyal ANC member."If he campaigns for the ANC, they say he must stop and if he sits at home they associate him with the formation of a new party. We are saying Zuma must continue campaigning for the ANC."Khetha Mjodi from Cosas accused SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande of failing to give them free education when he was minister of higher education."But Zuma did. The same person who says Zuma mustn't be used in ANC programmes is the same person who failed to give us free education," he said, adding that they would continue using Zuma in their programmes.Nzimande reportedly said on Sunday that it was not enough for Zuma to say he was not planning to leave the ANC. He reportedly said that Zuma was at the heart of a counter-revolutionary fightback against the drive against corruption and state capture.On Thursday last week, Zuma dismissed allegations that he was part of a group that wanted to form a new political party in KwaZulu-Natal. News / National by Staff reporter PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has revealed that the government is channelling 1% of the gross domestic product (GDP) to science development in line with the 2007 call by African Union Heads of State and government for member states to allocate a certain percentage of their GDPs towards research and development.BY STEPHEN CHADENGASpeaking at the official opening of the Midlands State University (MSU)'s incubation hub at the Graduate School of Business leadership and Faculty of Law campus in Gweru on Wednesday, Mnangagwa said the development came at a time the business environment was constantly shifting due to changes in science and technology.He said higher learning institutions should churn out graduates who meet the requirements of society, industry and commerce, adding that teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering and innovation should be central to the country's education system."To this end my government is fully committed to the development of science and technology by ensuring that 1% of our gross domestic product is channelled to research and development," Mnangagwa said."In today's fast changing and constantly shifting business environment I commend the timing of the construction of the incubation hub by the Midlands State University for use by both the academia and business."We, therefore, need the appropriate inculcation of scientific and entrepreneurship ideas premised on creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness to achieve our vision to be the middle income economy by 2030."Mnangagwa challenged journalists and media houses to report on scientific developments at district, provincial and national level, saying no one should be left out in the quest for economic transformation through the use of scientific knowledge.He said the government was committed to the protection of intellectual property, copyrights and patents to encourage innovation and creativity in arts and scientific research.In February, the government released $700 000 to fund the establishment of innovation hubs at the six State universities to enable higher learning institutions to contribute to the revival of the economy.The Higher and Tertiary Education ministry was allocated $1 million towards research and innovation in the 2018 National Budget. News / National by Stephen Jakes LAWYERS representing Leman Pwanyiwa, an aspiring opposition legislator on Thursday 06 June 2018 withdrew an application filed in the High Court seeking to bar "Acting Chief" Bramwell Bushu from contesting as a ZANU PF party candidate during the forthcoming 2018 elections.During a hearing conducted on Thursday 07 June 2018 and presided over by High Court Judge Justice Amy Tsanga, it emerged that Bushu was pretending to be an "Acting Chief" in terms of the Traditional Leaders Act when he had not been appointed as required by the law.In opposing papers filed in High Court in response to an application filed by Pwanyiwa's lawyers Lizwe Jamela and Noble Chinhanu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Bushu admitted that Acting Chiefs must be appointed by the president.In his sworn statement, Bushu also lamented that although he performed the duties of his late father of a traditional leader and was being addressed by his subjects as "Acting Chief", he had never been "an Acting Chief at law".During the time that he was masquerading as an Acting Chief, he was presiding over matters that had been brought before Chief Bushu Court in Shamva. This was despite the fact that he knew that he had never been appointed as required by the Act.It was clear from his opposing papers that Bushu had no authority to preside on any of the cases and to ask people to pay fines in the forms of livestock such as cattle and goats. News / National by Staff reporter A HARARE woman is at loggerheads with her husband whom she accused of cutting her undergarments with a scissors.Hilda Chamboko bared it all at the Harare Civil court where she was seeking for a peace order against Innocent Mapfudza.Chamboko told the court that her husband is a violent man who always assaults and insults her in front of their children."Your Worship, my husband is a nuisance; he tore my undergarments into peaces."He also assaults me to an extent that our children end up crying as well. The other day he insulted me with obscenities in front of our children."He is not a good husband; I do not understand what kind of a father is he."We no longer staying together, I sacrificed to move out of our matrimonial house because of his conduct."Now he is the habit of coming to my place of residence and to my work place insulting me. May this court bar him from coming to my house, I need peace," she said.In response, Mapfudza was not opposed to the application."It is true that there is no peace between us, I am not opposed to the application at all."She is my wife, but she was coming home at midnight and she could not explain where she had gone."I no longer want to talk to her as well, so peace order is the way to go. Whenever I try to reason with her she always turns a deaf ear to me."I never assaulted her, but I only asked her to explain where she had gone without telling me at night," said Mapfudza.Presiding magistrate Manase Masiiwa granted peace order in Chamboko's favour. Opinion / Columnist At the turn of the century, Zimbabwe's economy was starting to decline. This was characterised by dwindling lines of credit, low investor confidence and negative marketing of the country by detractors. The situation was worsened when the land reform programme was effected which saw vast tracks of land being transferred from a few white commercial farmers to the majority of locals. The latter move caused ill-legal sanctions to be imposed on the country.Fast forward the above scenario to 24 November 2017, when power was transferred from former President Robert Mugabe to the new President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The latter hit the ground running. President Mnangagwa introduced the concept of "Zimbabwe is open for business" by introducing a raft of economic measures to open up the economy to both local and foreign investors. The strategy was calculated to lure investors to leverage Zimbabwe's good climate and rich treasure of over 60 mineral resources which are yet to be tapped.In May 2018, the United Kingdom government extended a loan of US$100 million meant for revival of companies, which is set to be administered through Standard Chartered Bank. On the heels of this commitment, a delegation of British investors visited the country and held a meeting with President Mnangagwa on 4 June 2018 at his Munhumutapa Office. The delegation which was representing some 21 organisations was led by Invest Africa founder, Mr Robert Hersov and Simpion Power chief executive officer, Paul Hinks. Hersov was quoted in some sections of the media commenting that "The President and his ministers were very open, honest and frank about the situation that Zimbabwe is in right now but also the potential that your country has."Energy availability in any economy will parachute development and the current administration also focused on that aspect. To this end, the Chinese Import and Export Bank (EximBank) of China has released US$200 million of the US$1 billion required for the construction of units 7 and 8 at Hwange Power Station. When completed, the two units will add 600 Megawatts to the national grid.Mining is one of the country's cash cows owing to demand for minerals which are readily available in Zimbabwe such as lithium, gold , diamond, coal, tantalite and platinum, to mention just a few. In this regard, a US$4.2 billion deal was signed with a Cypriot investor to develop a platinum mine and refinery in Zimbabwe.As a way of expressing its confidence in the Mnangagwa administration, the Chinese government unlocked a US$100 million loan facility for the mining sector. The loan was initially pledged during the Mugabe administration, but for unknown reasons was withheld. While addressing the Youth Convention in Gweru last week, President Mnangagwa said that there was no need to seek reasons as to why the loan was withheld, but the important thing was that finally the money will be availed and youths in mining will be the beneficiaries.In another exciting development, Government was embroiled in a battle with platinum miner, Zimplats Holdings Limited over a request for the latter to cede 27 948 hectares of unexploited platinum claims. The wrangle which started in 2013 was finally resolved in a move which shows that the miner has seen sense and developed confidence in the new business strategy. The released claims will see other platinum players coming on board increasing production and creating jobs thereby improving the living standards of Zimbabweans as the country moves to attain the middle income status by 2030.Infrastructure-wise China extended a US$153 million loan facility for the refurbishment of the Robert Mugabe International Airport. As the nation is expecting a boost in tourist arrivals, the refurbished airport will facilitate smooth flow of air transport in line with international standards.Another strong pillar of the Zimbabwean economy is agriculture. The sector also got its fair share of loans to boost production. Mauritius domiciled British company the Financial and Commodities Ecosystem (FinComEco), which is fronted by Hirander Misra and Rt Honourable Mark Simmonds, extended a US$1.5 billon to the agricultural sector. When fully implemented, the deal has a potential to create 630 000 jobs.While many would-be investors are still sitting on the fence pending the outcome of the 30 July harmonised elections, the President's "Zimbabwe is open for business" initiative is already bearing fruit and is set to yield more after the polls. This is set to improve the livelihoods of Zimbabweans which had regressed over the past two decades under the stewardship of the previous dispensation. Mould at Pioneer Village is having a domino effect, with patients at the long-term Regina care facility shifting to Wascana Rehabilitation Centre and displacing the patients who had been using the hostel services there. Albert Konowalchuk has been bringing his son Edward from Togo, Sask., regularly to the Regina rehab facility for the past 13 years. He said his son has come to depend on the facility, its services and the friends he's made there. "The challenge is for handicapped people to get out. And this is a place for handicapped people," he said. "It's not here for long-term patients from Pioneer Village." "The continued presence of mould" was found in the facility as part of of ongoing maintenance and monitoring in April 2018, the Saskatchewan Health Authority said last month in a news release. In all, 94 residents have been moved 65 in the hostel unit and 29 in long-term care units. Saskatchewan Government Insurance will help Konowalchuk's family with alternative accommodation, but he said the change will hurt patients, families and the rehab centre itself. He said the government should have been building a new long-term care facility years ago. "But unfortunately, they passed the buck to other departments and now this department's going to be suffering." NDP MLA Carla Beck pointed out that the Saskatchewan Health Authority's first budget shows that much of the province's medical infrastructure is in disrepair. "What it is, at its core, is a failure to invest in maintenance and preventative maintenance," she said, noting the health region has seen its deferred maintenance costs grow to $3.3 billion. 'Not an easy decision' Debbie Sinnett, Saskatchewan Health Authority's executive director of continuing care, said that the 94 people had to be moved out of Pioneer Village to clear out two floors so they could be examined for mould. The rehab facility was "uniquely suited" to accommodate some of the patients, she said. Story continues "It was not an easy decision to make." Several of the rehabilitation centre patients have support from SGI or the Workers' Compensation Board to find alternate accommodation, she noted. "But we know whenever you make a change, it's very difficult to make that adjustment and we've offered our support as well," she said. Thirty-six people from Pioneer Village will move to Wascana, while the remaining patients have either been relocated elsewhere in Pioneer Village or moved to other long-term care facilities, she said. Once patients have been moved, the health authority will take a closer look at the Pioneer Village building to provide Minister of Health Jim Reiter options on what to do next, whether it's repairing or replacing the long-term care facility, or another option, Sinnett said. The current move is a temporary one, with the assessment and remediation likely taking between six months to a year, she said. "We need to do some work on that building. We don't have an immediate option." Konowalchuk said the only solution he sees is for the government to begin building a proper long-term care facility. "If you're going to fix something, you have to do it properly so it [doesn't] happen again," he said. However, he knows that's a fix that won't happen overnight for his son and others who use the rehab centre. "Unfortunately, we have to be out in the cold." By Allison Lampert and Julie Gordon MONTREAL/VANCOUVER (Reuters) - In a battle to unclog rail bottlenecks that left Canadian commodities trapped in landlocked western provinces this winter, the country's largest railways are offering C$15,000 ($11,566.93) signing bonuses for experienced workers who can hit the rails right away and get trains moving. North America's transportation sector is struggling to hire staff amid rising demand from shippers and low unemployment, with some large U.S. railroads offering bonuses as high as $20,000 for experienced train crews in certain states. The bonuses are a "new approach" for Canadian National Railway Co , which is also bringing back recent retirees and has launched a new two-year management trainee program to deepen its pipeline of future managers, said spokesman Patrick Waldron. Harsh weather and insufficient capacity snarled service this winter, leaving grain and other commodities stranded in Canada's landlocked prairies. "The strengthening economy across the board makes the overall job market more competitive," Waldron said. Montreal-based CN initiated the bonuses last year, which its smaller rival Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd then matched, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Waldron would not say how many CN workers were hired through the bonuses which has not been previously reported. CP declined to comment specifically on the bonuses. CN is rolling out its largest expansion in decades, including a roughly 20 percent boost to its workforce over two years by the end of 2018. CP, which said on Thursday it would invest C$500 million ($385.6 million) on grain transport cars, plans to hire 700 workers, although a spokesman did not specify a time period. Calgary-based CP offered its engineers and conductors a 9 percent salary hike over four years as part of a tentative agreement reached last week. Experienced conductors earn over C$100,000 ($77,113), although salaries vary widely. Since new recruits need up to six months of training before hitting the rails, attracting experienced conductors who can work immediately is worth the bonuses' expense, said Edward Jones analyst Dan Sherman, noting it amounts to less than 1 percent of labor costs. "The idea is to get them out there and get the trains rolling," he said. TALENT WAR But both railways could face stiff competition from the oil and gas sector, as rebounding oil prices push energy patch salaries back up to the six-figure mark, making those jobs far more attractive for workers, said recruiters. Railways hire from the same labor pool as many oil and gas firms. The global oil benchmark Brent charged past $80 a barrel last month for the first time since 2014, cheering executives in Canada's energy capital of Calgary, Alberta, where a shift is underway from survival mode to cautious expansion. Oil and gas sector job postings have jumped 159 percent so far this year, compared with 2017, said Matt Munro, Canada manager for UK-based recruiter Petroplan. Pay too is rising, with the average weekly salary for a Canadian oil and gas extraction employee in the first quarter rising 7.1 percent year-on-year to C$2,878.82 ($2,219.94), Statistics Canada data shows. Railway employee salaries, by comparison, averaged C$1,337.98 in the first three months of the year. Click here for a graphic on salaries: https://tmsnrt.rs/2s2YAKa While not everyone that exited the notoriously cyclical energy sector in the last downturn is ready to run back, "compensation will always play a significant factor in attracting and retaining top talent," said Kati Greenall, Canada Regional Director at Houston-based recruitment firm Airswift. Indeed, some newly recruited railway workers are already ready to jump ship. "I would go back to the energy sector tomorrow if the opportunity came along," one recent CP recruit told Reuters. ($1 = 1.2968 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Julie Gordon in Vancouver; Editing by Denny Thomas and Marguerita Choy) By Sijia Jiang and Sue-Lin Wong HONG KONG/SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - The chairman of ZTE Corp <000063.SZ> <0763.HK> apologized to staff and customers on Friday after the Chinese technology firm agreed to pay a $1 billion fine to the United States to end a supplier ban that has crippled its business. The deal allows China's second-largest telecoms equipment firm to restart operations, reaffirm supplier relationships and rebuild trust with global clients, as it works to move on from an episode which it said threatened its very existence. But industry experts estimate it would take at least a month for ZTE to ship phones again after the ban is lifted, while employees fear job cuts, wage reductions and a potential loss of customers, as the firm is set to reshuffle senior management. The company agreed on Thursday to pay the fine and overhaul its leadership to lift the ban which has been in place since April. The ban, which traces back to a breach of a U.S. embargo on trade with Iran, had prevented ZTE from buying the U.S. components it heavily relies on to make smartphones and other devices. The case has become highly politicized and a key focus of whipsawing talks as Washington and Beijing look to avert a trade war. In a memo sent to staff on Friday, ZTE Chairman Yin Yimin apologized to employees, clients, shareholders and business partners and said the firm would look to learn from its errors and hold those responsible accountable, a member of staff told Reuters. "This issue reflects problems that exist with our firm's compliance culture and at management level," Yin wrote, according to the staffer, adding the incident was caused by the mistakes of a few ZTE leaders and employees. "The activation of the denial order has caused huge losses for the company. The firm has paid a disastrous price." ZTE did not respond to multiple requests for comment. "Paying the fine is no problem, the real difficulty lies ahead and getting future business, especially overseas. Market confidence is lost," another employee told Reuters. The person added that staff feared there would be pay cuts and possible job losses. "Bonuses are bound to be affected." Under the deal, ZTE will change its board and management within 30 days, pay a $1 billion fine and put an additional $400 million in escrow. The deal also includes a new 10-year ban that is suspended unless there are future violations. A third member of staff said all ZTE employees were being called to have group meetings to "deeply reflect" on the case, including attending compliance training and writing up reports. The management shake-up would also likely create instability - at least in the short-term. "If so many bosses are gone at the same time, what would the succession process be like? There's going to be lots of internal power struggles to come," the third employee said. The employees declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. US HANDSET SHARE THREATENED ZTE pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to evade U.S. embargoes by buying U.S. components, incorporating them into ZTE equipment and illegally shipping them to Iran. The new sanction in April was because the firm breached terms of an agreement about disciplining executives responsible for the original violations. Analysts said the fine - after a $1.2 billion settlement last year - would be a heavy burden, but not crippling for the company. "ZTE can financially handle it," said brokerage Jefferies in a report late on Thursday. The Shenzhen-listed firm had close to 30 billion yuan ($4.7 billion) of cash and short-term investment as at the end of March. Net profit last year was around $795 million. "We do not believe ZTE will need to immediately raise any debt or equity financing to fund the cash penalty," said Jefferies. At ZTE's headquarters in Shenzhen, most employees Reuters spoke to were reticent to comment on the U.S. deal. One office worker, who only gave his surname Liu, said he was not worried about the firm making major staff cuts or failing. "I'm not planning on looking for a new job." As a smartphone seller, ZTE was ranked the fourth-biggest in the United States in the first quarter of the year with an 11.4 percent market share, but has since seen sales of its handsets suspended. "It will be very difficult for ZTE to keep its position as the fourth-biggest smartphone vendor in the U.S. for 2018" considering damage to the brand, said Shanghai-based analyst Mo Jia at technology researcher Canalys. (Reporting by Sijia Jiang and Sue-Lin Wong; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Miral Fahmy and Christopher Cushing) Reuters French President Emmanuel Macron is building an election campaign machine stacked with former conservative insiders, because he has realised he needs to win over more centre-right voters to secure a second term next year. The long-held belief that the April run-off would be a repeat of the duel between Macron, once a minister in a Socialist government, and far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been upended by the rise of a far-right polemicist, Eric Zemmour Right-wing chat-show celebrity may alter France's election dynamics. In the clearest sign of where he thinks the battle of 2022 will be fought, Macron has picked his overseas minister Sebastien Lecornu, a 35-year-old former conservative prodigy, to run the campaign, the two sources and a third source also close to Macron said - although, as in 2017, the role will be unofficial and will not be made public. Are you relatively new to this bustling metropolis? Don't be shy about it, everyone was new to New York once upon a time, except, of course, those battle-hardened residents who've lived here their whole lives and Know It All. One of these lifers works among us at Gothamistpublisher Jake Dobkin grew up in Park Slope and still resides there. He is now fielding questionsask him anything by sending an email here, but be advised that Dobkin is "not sure you guys will be able to handle my realness." We can keep you anonymous if you prefer; just let us know what neighborhood you live in. This week's question is about coping with depression. Dear Jake, I woke up this morning to the news that Anthony Bourdain died of suicide. This is just three days after Kate Spade's death from the same cause was announced. I struggle with depression, and in weeks like these it just seems like what hope do I have, if these people, who I really admired, and who were so rich and so famous, ended their lives in despair? You know how this city isthe constant struggle to earn enough to pay for the basics like housing, the stress of just getting to work and back every day, and that special kind of loneliness that a person only feels when surrounded by crowds of strangersI think that even people inclined to good mental health have tough times here occasionally, and those of us inclined towards melancholy have it even worse. How do you natives make it through a lifetime of these pressures without getting crushed by them? Sincerely, Sad in Brooklyn A native New Yorker responds... Dear SIB, This has been a terrible week for this kind of news, of course you're feeling upset. Kate Spade made so many people happy with her designs, and seemed to project such a bright mood, and Anthony Bourdain was so admired as someone who had struggled with drugs and God knows what else, but overcome them to have such an amazing career the last twenty years teaching people all around the world about food and other cultures. Their loss is upsetting in itself, but knowing that despite their gifts and success they were still killed by depression is a special kind horror for those of us afflicted with that difficult disease. This group includes a lot more people that you might think: something like 7% of American adults experienced a major depressive episode this year, and almost 20% experienced a mental illness of some kind, most of which contain elements of depression. The numbers are higher for New Yorkers than our fellow Americansthe common folk wisdom here that the stress of city living leads to higher rates of mental problems appears to be correct. Discuss this with your friends; I guarantee that right now, more than one of them is afflicted with depression, up to and including thoughts about suicide. Knowing that you are not suffering alone will make you (and them) feel better. Jake Dobkin, 2001 / 2009 Until you can do that, let me share my own story. I haven't written about this before, because it's a sensitive topic and I've always been concerned that it might make people think less of me, or make it harder to find work, but I've reached a point in my career where I think I can afford to be honest, and I really believe that if I can make one person feel less alone with this disease, or point them towards help, it's worth it. So here goes: I was always a smart, but very sensitive kid. Changes in routine like school trips or camp always sent me into a spiral of anxiety that often led to getting picked up early from nurses' offices or camp bunks. But it wasn't until college that this anxiety began to lead to depressions, complete with all typical symptoms- insomnia, hopelessness, weight loss, constant worry. I particularly had trouble around big transitions. Going from high school to college was really tougha breakup with a girlfriend and 12 weeks at SUNY Binghamton sent me into a real slide, and I ended up dropping out after the first term and moving back home. Somehow, I managed to get into Columbia, and had a mostly happy time there. The next skid came when I was twenty-two, in 1999: I'd spent the year after college teaching chemistry at Stuyvesant and applying to medical school. The sneaking feeling that I didn't want to be a doctor had been growing all year, and another breakup set off the crisis. I tried to deal with it over the summer, traveling to cheer and distract myself, but by the time I showed up at Columbia's medical school, I was in a full-blown depression. After 10 days of not sleeping and feeling increasingly miserable, I was in no shape to continue. I was in a hole so deep, and so black, that I just couldn't see any future at all. In short order I overdosed on some sleeping pills, got my stomach pumped, spent a couple of days in the hospital, and left school. It was bad. It took me almost four months, and a lot of therapy and antidepressants, to bounce back to the point where I could work again, move out of my parents' house and get an apartment downtown with a friend. What happened next was unexpected: I ended up dating one of my friends who helped me through the depression, and eventually moved in with her. We got married a few years later and now have two great kids. On the work side, there was the dot com bubble going on, and all the agencies and startups needed workers, and I had taken a few programming classes in college, so I was able to get a job at a company that made websites. That led me to blogging, and blogging led me to Gothamist, and that ended up being an adventure that lasted 15 years and led to the column you're reading now. But I want to be honest: for me, depression has been a chronic illness, and even though I've never gotten that low again, and been able to have a family and a career, at times of great personal or professional stress, I've continued to have rough patches, and not a year has gone by when I haven't battled this illness in some way. Many things have helped. I was lucky to have two great therapists; one when I was a kid, and another I found after college and still see (twenty years and counting!) I found medication that worked, and was able to change it when, inevitably, it stopped working; and I had the support of a great group of family and friends the whole time. I also exercise, eat well, focus on getting good sleep, and have rewarding hobbiesaltogether, over the years this has reduced the intensity of my episodes, and though I can't predict the future, so far I've been able to live a full and productive life. I want to talk about suicide: it is far from an inevitability, even for those of us who have serious depressions. As few as 2% of people who suffer from depression will die of it, and there are many things that you as a depressed person can do to reduce your suicide risk. The three most important protective factors are getting professional help for your disease, developing a robust support system of family and friends to whom you can turn when things get rough, and adopting a belief system that discourages despair. The first two are obvious, but I want to talk about the third in a little more depth. Most of American popular culture, especially our television shows and movies, encourages us to believe that by accumulating wealth, or finding fame, we can achieve abiding happiness and fulfillment. This, of course, is false, and the two high-profile suicides this week are reminders that depression afflicts all humans, even the rich and famous. Yet our social media feeds continue to stuff us with these messages, and it makes us, especially those of us vulnerable to despondency, feel worse. There are plenty of alternatives; in my case, I've found that Buddhism, with its rejection of materialism, focus on the present moment, and emphasis on connection to other people, has really been a great comfort in tough times. But any belief systemChristianity, Stoicism, Judiasm, Humanismthat encourages you to think less about yourself, and more about others, will help. Once you spend some time with one of these systems of belief, you quickly come to the idea that suicide must be categorically rejected, on the grounds that it causes suffering to others, and can actually encourage them to commit suicide themselves. Staying alive is a service to society. Especially for those of us who are parents, knowing that suicide of a mother or father triples their child's suicide risk, and that by staying alive and getting help, you are potentially saving your children's livesthat is an incredibly powerful reason to keep fighting. Even if you don't have kids, think of your future self. A few years ago, Jennifer Michael Hecht, the author of Stay: A History of Suicide and Philosophies Against It, wrote one of the most powerful articles I've ever read about this. In it, she argues that we must consider the rights of our future selves, and "decide now not to let your worst mood kill off all the others." Depression lies. It tells you that the misery you are now experiencing will continue forever. This is not true: your life is changing all the time, and who knows what wonderful opportunity, stroke of luck, or simply more bearable circumstance lies just around the corner? You owe it to the person you will become not to make any permanent decisions. New York can be a challenging place to live, and though the stress might lead to higher rates of anxiety and depression, a very important fact to bear in mind this week is that our city's suicide rate is less than half that of U.S. overall. This is partially because we have strict gun control laws that keep weapons out of the hands of people in their worst moments, and because our city's government has made a positive and sustained commitment over many years to mental health programs. We've still got a lot more to do more, of coursesuicides now outnumber homicides as a cause of death in New Yorkbut collectively we are making an effort. How can you help? Reach out now to your friends, using this week's news as a chance to discuss depression. Remember that depression usually causes social withdrawal, so it's especially important to check in on friends who have been out of touch recently. If you want to go further, consider taking on the Mental Health First Aid Trainings offered by the city; it'll teach you to recognize the "signs and symptoms of mental illness and substance abuse," and get people help. As the famous poem says, "whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy." Please, please, please, take care of yourselves, and each other. -Jake N.B.: During times like this, the media often covers suicide in a way that is unhelpful, and can actually lead to more deaths. At Gothamist, we try to follow the American Society for Suicide Prevention's reporting guidelinesbefore you share any articles about suicide online, please read them. N.B.2. I was lucky that when my illness got bad, I had insurance that would pay for (most) of the treatment, and family and friends to get me help. Over the last twenty years, the Mental Health Parity Act, as well as the expansion of health insurance through Obamacare, has extended support to more Americans, but many people still have trouble affording or finding care. The National Alliance on Mental Illness is fighting to change this- consider donating to them. Ask a Native New Yorker anything via email. Anonymity is assured. If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional. Carnival Corporation & plc billed as the "world's largest leisure travel company" is taking over the famous White Pass & Yukon Route railway in Alaska. Carnival's subsidiary company, Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, has agreed to buy the scenic tourist train and railway, along with its port and retail operations in Skagway, Alaska, from TWC Enterprises Ltd. for $290 million US. The White Pass & Yukon Route train runs every summer on the 110-kilometre historic railway between Skagway and Carcross, Yukon. Thousands of people ride the train each day. Many of those riders are cruise ship passengers on a day trip from Skagway. According to a news release from Carnival Corp., a Ketchikan, Alaska-based company will manage the terminal operations and customer relations for the railway, in agreement with Holland America. Stein Kruse, CEO of the Holland America Group, states in the release that Skagway is "beloved by our guests and crew." "We have a long and valued history in Alaska, and remain very committed to the continued development and success of the entire region as one our most popular destinations," he says. Built during the gold rush Construction on the historic railway began almost exactly 120 years ago on May 28, 1898, at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush. It was a massive feat of engineering, involving thousands of men, tons of imported timber (local timber splintered too easily), and plenty of dynamite. Two tunnels and several bridges and trestles had to be built through the steep mountains. The line to Carcross was complete in July 1900 just over two years after work had begun. At least 35 workers had died during construction, according to the company. For decades, the railway carried ore to Skagway to be loaded onto ships. It also supplied materials to the U.S. Army building the Alaska Highway during the Second World War. By the early 1980s, the train suspended operations, but the route was revived in 1988 as a tourist train. Story continues Since then, it's become a huge part of Skagway's tourism industry. Thousands of people pour off of cruise ships in Skagway each summer to explore the area. The railway has said 5,000 to 6,000 people ride the train on a typical day. Carnival's purchase of the White Pass and Yukon Route will include three docks in Skagway, that provide berths for some cruise ships. The deal is scheduled to close on July 31. A psychological assessment of a man who is the subject of a dangerous offender application failed to take into account key factors that influenced the man's behaviour, a defence lawyer suggested on Wednesday. The prosecutor has applied to have Cody Durocher declared a dangerous offender. He has been convicted of four sexual assaults. A psychologist who assessed Durocher concluded he is at a very high risk of committing more crimes if released. Durocher's lawyer, Jennifer Cunningham, asked the psychologist why her report on Durocher did not mention the long stints he spent in solitary confinement while serving time at the Peace River Correctional Centre. - MORE ON THIS STORY | Sex offender gauged an extremely high risk to re-offend - MORE ON THIS STORY | Sex offender told parole board he should not be released Durocher, 33, served time at the Alberta facility between 2010 and 2013. Focus was on risk to re-offend, says psychologist The psychologist, Dr. Theresa Van Domselaar, said she didn't recall "specifically" asking Durocher about his experience in solitary confinement or ask him much about his Indigenous background. Van Domselaar said her interviews with Durocher were aimed at eliciting information for a series of psychological tests aimed at gauging his risk to re-offend. She agreed that being held for long periods of time in solitary confinement without access to rehabilitative programs would provide Durocher with "no platform to build on." "There's been not only no platform to build on, there's been the opposite," Cunningham responded. The defence lawyer also noted that, during his years in prison, Durocher had access to only one culturally appropriate program an Indigenous healing program. Durocher is a member of the Dene Tha' First Nation. A federal prison official previously testified that it has been only within the last few years that federal prisons have begun offering rehabilitative programs tailored to Indigenous inmates. Durocher recently dropped out of a high-intensity program for sex offenders, but has enrolled in a new version of the program geared toward Indigenous offenders. Story continues Offender grew up with violence, abuse According to information in Van Domselaar's report, Durocher's experience growing up is similar to many Indigenous people serving time in prison. His mother attended residential school. His grandparents were among the thousands of Indigenous people taken from their birth parents and adopted out as part of the Sixties Scoop. His father drank daily and his parents often argued, with the confrontations sometimes becoming physical. Durocher said he was sexually abused several times as a child. While he was growing up, three relatives committed suicide and another was stabbed to death. Van Domselaar agreed that Durocher has no mental health issues, cognitive impairment or substance abuse issues that would prevent him from benefiting from rehabilitative programs. A psychiatrist who examined Durocher is expected to testify at the hearing on Thursday. By Francois Murphy and Sudip Kar-Gupta VIENNA/PARIS (Reuters) - Iran will not cooperate more fully with atomic inspectors until a standoff over its nuclear deal is resolved, its U.N. envoy said, as one signatory warned Tehran against moving ahead with preparations to boost its uranium enrichment capacity. Tehran meanwhile signaled its resolve to expand its enrichment capability by detailing plans to build advanced centrifuges - the machines that enrich uranium. European powers have been scrambling to salvage the agreement they signed in 2015 since U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out last month and said he would reimpose far-reaching U.S. sanctions on Iran. Foreign and finance ministers from those three countries - France, Britain and Germany - have written to U.S. officials to stress their commitment to upholding the pact, and to urge Washington to spare EU firms active in Iran from secondary sanctions. An Iranian withdrawal from the deal, which lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program, would "further unsettle a region where additional conflicts would be disastrous," the ministers wrote in the letter dated June 4 and seen by Reuters on Wednesday. Since the U.S. pullout was announced, authorities in Tehran have sent mixed signals on whether they believe the nuclear deal's remaining signatories, which also include China and Russia, can salvage it. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said on Monday he had ordered preparations to increase uranium enrichment capacity if the agreement collapsed. Tehran also informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N. nuclear watchdog that polices restrictions placed on its activities under the deal, of "tentative" plans to produce the feedstock for centrifuges. In Paris on Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Yves Le Drian told Europe 1 radio that, while that initiative remained within the framework of the nuclear deal, it was unwelcome and risked sailing close to a "red line". U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Twitter that Washington was aware of reports Iran plans to increase its uranium enrichment and he vowed not to allow Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon. "Iran is aware of our resolve," he said. Emphasizing that Tehran's patience with European efforts to save the deal was not unlimited, its envoy to the IAEA said it had granted the three powers a few weeks. "A few weeks means a few weeks, not a few months," Reza Najafi said outside a quarterly meeting of the agency's Board of Governors in Vienna. STANDOFF He also dismissed calls by the IAEA to go the extra mile in cooperating with the nuclear watchdog's inspectors, telling reporters that, while the standoff over the deal continued, "no one should expect Iran to go to implement more voluntary measures." "But I should emphasize that it does not mean that right now Iran will restart any activities contrary to the (deal)," Najafi added. "These are only preparatory works." Iran's nuclear chief on Wednesday inaugurated work on a facility in Natanz plant in central Iran designed to build advanced centrifuges and said the center would be fully functional in a month. "After the supreme leader's order we prepared this center within 48 hours. We hope the facility to be completed in a month," Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said on state television. Although the move was not a violation of the nuclear deal, it sent a strong signal to the West that Tehran would not succumb to the pressures. Answering a question about a remark by Pompeo last month that Iran must halt all uranium enrichment, Salehi said: "We are far beyond that point. That man has been talking for himself." The agency has said Tehran is implementing its commitments, but also called for "timely and proactive cooperation" on providing access for snap inspections. Diplomats who deal with the agency say an inspection in late April went down to the wire in terms of how quickly the IAEA team gained access to one site. (Additional reporting by Tom Koerkemeier in Berlin, Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London and Eric Beech in Washington; writing by John Stonestreet; editing by William Maclean and James Dalgleish) One of Dellen Millard's former associates testified at his murder trial Thursday that she saw him with a gun sometime before his father died. Marlena Meneses, 24, who lives in the Toronto area, also said Millard randomly slept at the home of her boyfriend, Mark Smich, one night in 2012 something he'd never done before and then days later, she found out Wayne Millard was dead. The 71-year-old's death was originally ruled a suicide in 2012. He was found at his home at 5 Maple Gate Court in Etobicoke, Ont., with a single gunshot wound through his eye. His son was charged after police started investigating the disappearances of Hamilton's Tim Bosma and Toronto's Laura Babcock. Millard, 32, and Smich, 30, were both convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of Bosma and Babcock, a Toronto woman who once dated Dellen Millard. He has pleaded not guilty to killing his father in the judge-alone trial being held in Ontario Superior Court in Toronto. According to court documents submitted by the Crown, Millard was spending time with Meneses and Smich, in Oakville, Ont., on the day Wayne Millard died. Meneses didn't specify a date in her testimony, but she said that Millard was hanging out at Smich's house before he left to "go on a date." She said she and Smich walked him to a corner store in Oakville that night, but the pair left before they saw Millard go inside. Millard had two cellphones with him that night, she said, and he left one of them at Smich's home. Millard returned to the Oakville home later that night and slept there, Meneses said. "Mark and I passed out at some point, and I remember waking up to Dellen standing over us saying he was back from his date. It was hours after he left," she testified. Meneses also described the gun she saw at Dellen Millard's home before Wayne Millard died. She said it was a "western-looking gun, with a wooden handle "and a tube." Court has previously heard a revolver was the alleged murder weapon in the case. Story continues "Me and Mark were downstairs, and we were bored, so we went upstairs to bug Dell," Meneses said. "As we walked in, we saw a gun on his bed." Defence attempts to discredit witness Millard's lawyer, Ravin Pillay, did everything he could in his cross-examination to cast doubt on Meneses's testimony. He peppered her with questions about her memory, and her drug use. Meneses said she had used drugs like MDMA, cocaine and oxycodone during that point in her life, on top of smoking pot and drinking regularly. She also said she's a "forgetful person sometimes" and agreed that she "does not have a good memory." Pillay said Meneses repeatedly lied during her testimony at all three trials, and while giving statements to police. The crux of that argument centred around the "old school" gun the Crown believes is the murder weapon in the case, which Meneses said during her testimony Thursday she only saw once, in Millard's bedroom. Pillay suggested that Meneses had not only seen that gun before, but she'd fired it at Millard's farm in Ayr, Ont. Meneses said she did fire a gun while with Millard and Smich at the farm, but said it was a different one. Pillay then pivoted, and said he never mentioned that she had fired one of the guns connected to the case in any of her numerous statements to police. Meneses said that's because she was never asked that specific question. "Who really wants to admit that to an officer?" she said. Wayne Millard in bad shape, Meneses says Millard's defence team has suggested that Wayne Millard killed himself because he was a reclusive, depressed alcoholic who was dealing with a debilitating back problem. Meneses agreed with Pillay's suggestion that Wayne Millard looked "ill, sick and weak," and also that he had body odour, and looked like he hadn't washed in a while. "It looked like he hadn't cleaned his clothes, right?" Pillay asked. "Correct," Meneses responded. This marks Meneses's third time testifying as a Crown witness in a case against Millard. She first appeared at the Bosma trial in 2016, where she testified that Smich had told her Millard had shot and killed the 32-year-old father of one who was never seen again after taking two men on a test drive of a truck he was trying to sell. She testified again at the Babcock trial, saying she saw Dellen Millard and Smich "testing out" an animal incinerator. It was revealed at both trials that the incinerator, called "The Eliminator," was used to burn human remains. - Follow along with a recap of the CBC's live blog from inside the courtroom below. On mobile and can't see it? View the live blog here. adam.carter@cbc.ca Ontario election: How to watch and where to get results For up-to-the minute Ontario election results as the votes are counted Thursday night, CBC News has you covered. We will have special coverage throughout the night and across all platforms. Here's where you can watch and listen: - CBC News Network coverage begins at 5 p.m. ET with a special edition of Power and Politics, hosted by Vassy Kapelos. That's followed by an election night special at 8 p.m. ET hosted by Dwight Drummond and Rosemary Barton (this will include a pre-show with results beginning at 9 p.m. ET). - CBC Radio One at 9 p.m. ET. Tune in to your local station. - Get up-to-the minute results on CBCNews.ca, plus a live stream of our TV special. - Get the live stream on Facebook. - The live stream will also be available on Periscope and here on YouTube. - Follow CBC's live blog beginning at 7:30 p.m. - For the first time, CBC News is publishing updates on Amazon Alexa. Just say "Alexa ask CBC about the Ontario election" to get the latest. Co-hosts Dwight Drummond, anchor of CBC Toronto at 6, and Rosemary Barton, host of The National, will begin our election night special on CBC News Network. They will bring you the results and analysis from across Ontario. Jill Dempsey of CBC Toronto's Metro Morning will host a radio special on CBC Radio One starting at 9 p.m. ET. For up-to-the-minute, riding-by-riding results, go to CBCNews.ca and look for our election results dashboard. You can customize the view to zero in on the ridings that matter most to you, or pull back to see results from a provincewide perspective. More than 280,000 elementary and high school students made their voices heard in the 2018 Ontario Student Vote, turning out to elect a majority New Democratic Party government. The students won't be able to vote in real elections until they turn 18, but that didn't stop the young voters from participating in the province-wide program, run by Civix, a national civic education charity that aims to foster active and engaged citizenship among young people. From May 31 until the polls closed at the end of the school day on June 7, students at 2,166 schools representing all 124 ridings had cast ballots in a parallel vote on what is officially election day in the province. Some teachers participating in the program opted to give students a choice of whether or not to vote, while others had their students participate as a class. Students took on the role of election officials, with the votes counted up by each school and reported to Civix. A 'significant' impact on students As a result of the vote, the NDP walked away with 66 seats, representing 32 per cent of the vote, with leader Andrea Horwath winning in her district of Hamilton Centre. The Progressive Conservatives become the official opposition, taking 45 seats (27 per cent of the vote) and the Liberals finished third, narrowly hanging on to their official party status with 11 seats (19 per cent of the vote). PC leader Doug Ford hung on to his district of Etobicoke North and Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne lost Don Valley West to that riding's NDP candidate. And the Green Party finished a distant but historic fourth, taking two seats in Guelph and Parry Sound-Muskoka with leader Mike Schreiner winning his electoral district of Guelph. That means not one but two Green Party MPPs, shaking up the status quo at Queen's Park, where until today it had no seats. Of the 280,691 ballots cast, 7,103 students opted to reject their ballots, 2,562 declined theirs and 2,935 left theirs unmarked. Story continues And as for the issues that mattered to student voters, Civix spokesperson Dan Allen told CBC News, the issues were largely the same as those of concern to adults. "It's getting my friends talking and other people talking about the candidates," said student Tianna McFarland. "Now I feel more prepared to vote since I know how the voting process works, more about the candidates and the parties, and I have my own opinion on things. It's the fifth time the project has been conducted in Ontario and it's reportedly having a "significant" impact when it comes to cultivating engagement in the civic process, according to an independent evaluation commissioned by Elections Canada. "What makes this even more incredible is the timing. This is the busiest time of year for schools with culminating activities, assessments and exams, and more than 5,000 teachers have made citizenship education a priority," said president and CEO of Civix Taylor Gunn. But it isn't just the students who are being energized by the program. In addition to the 83 per cent of students who said they would vote in the future as part of the evaluation, almost 30 per cent of parents said the program positively affected their decision to vote. Participation in this year's Student Vote was up 60 per cent compared to the 2014 provincial election, where 173,072 votes were cast across 1,388 schools. In that election, students elected a Liberal majority government. Despite leading the busiest of royal lives, newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been finding time for themselves outside of the spotlight. They jetted off on their honeymoon a few weeks after saying I do at Windsor Castle , and royal watchers have tried to place them everywhere from Harrys beloved Botswana to a Canadian lodge in Jasper, Alberta. Now, its believed that the two spent time at Irelands Ashford Castle. Some eagle-eyed fans clued into their whereabouts when it was discovered that the stunning castle, nestled in the Emerald Isle, was under strict security. One such fan took to their Fabulous Four Updates account, writing: Harry and Meghan are rumoured to be at Ashford Castle in Mayo, Ireland! I have family living near the castle and theyve told me that security is tight with the castle and grounds closed to all, which is unusual. Another person tweeted, The first time I go to ashford castle and we couldnt get into the actual castle and around to because the ROYALS are within [sic] [https://twitter.com/Fabulous4Update/status/1004478370153984001] [https://twitter.com/RachelForde2823/status/1004416405092085768] With the stunning landscape of Mayo, Ireland as its backdrop, Ashford is a 13th century medieval castle with Victorian extensions that has transformed into a luxurious five-star hotel. Previously owned by the Guinness family, who bought it back in 1852, the estate was sold nearly 90 years later to Noel Huggard, who reopened the property as a hotel. Seeing films like John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara's The Quiet Man filmed there, as well as the CW drama Reign, the lavish grounds have definitely had some excitement through the years! Now, members of the public and royals! can expect to spend upwards of $5,000 to spend a night at the beautiful historic location. While details of their romantic getaway are unconfirmed, one thing is for sure: the lovebirds are back in London, gearing up for more royal outings, like the upcoming Trooping the Colour ceremony on Saturday (June 9) in celebration of the Queens recent birthday. Prince Harry was the guest of honour at the glitzy OnSide Youth Zones gala dinner on Thursday (June 7), where host David Walliams gave guests the giggles by introducing the 33-year-old, who looked dashing back in a tux, as a newly married man. His most eye-catching accessory? His wedding band, crafted by Cleave and Company! Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. . ..Abu Yehuda..07 June '18..As you probably know, Gaza Arabs have been launching kites and helium balloons across the border with fiery payloads, and they have set huge blazes in nearby agricultural fields, nature reserves, and even the campus of Sapir College (just south of Sderot and 4.5 km from the border of the Gaza strip). Large areas have already burned, and new fires are being started all the time. Farmers have lost millions, and plant and animal life in the region will not recover for years. Nobody has died in the fires yet, but firefighters imperil themselves regularly trying to put them out.There is a debate about how to stop these attacks. Shoot them, some say. Well, it seems that there is a legal problem. You cant just shoot civilians for possession of a kite or a balloon. And after it is in the air, the terrorist that released it is athat has to be, not summarily executed. So the only way you can shoot them is to catch them, so as to stop them from doing it. And best shoot at their legs. Good luck with this.So the talk turns to technology. Drones to cut the kite strings and similar ideas. Some model airplane hobbyists already took down a few of them with fishhooks attached to their planes. But hundreds have still gotten through.Recently Israel sent a shipment of Tamir interceptors, the projectiles used by the Iron Dome system, south to the Gaza envelope area. The Iron Dome not only intercepts the Hamas-produced Qassam rockets, but it can even take out a tiny mortar shell. The Tamirs are expensive (though it can be argued that the true marginal cost of a Tamir , after spreading the development costs over a large number of units, is more like $5,000 than the oft-quoted $50,000) and usually two are fired to intercept a Qassam, which costs Hamas a few hundred dollars to build. Mortar shells can be had for as little as $6 each All this has a familiar ring. As Bret Stephens said , Why is nothing expected of Palestinians, and everything forgiven, while everything is expected of Israelis, and nothing forgiven?We have built a multi-tiered missile defense system which includes Iron Dome, but also several other components designed to intercept medium and long-range missiles. The complete system is fabulously expensive, but will provide a level of defense that no other country in the world can match. Of course we need this. Israels small size and concentrated population make it vulnerable to missile attacks, and our enemies know it and have invested heavily in this area.That doesnt mean that we can sit back and let our enemies throw everything they have at us. None of these systems promises 100% success, any defensive system that doesnt involve science-fiction technology can be overwhelmed by a massive enough attack, and the economic imbalance inherent in using a Tamir no matter how low we make the marginal cost to kill a $6 mortar round becomes painful.But there is another issue here, which is surfacing in connection with the incendiary kites, and in general with the great march of return and our response to it. Israel loves technology, because it makes it possible to win wars without hurting anyone. We love defensive technology that enables us to bat away enemy rockets, and we love offensive technology that allows us to precisely take out a military target with no collateral damage. Nothing is cooler than sending a missile through a window to kill a bunch of terrorists without upsetting their wives and children on the next floor.This kind of warfare supposedly protects us in todays hyper-litigious world where we are attacked by brigades of lawyers working for human rights NGOs, paid by our sophisticated European enemies the descendants of the pogromists who murdered our ancestors, and now, in the name of humanity, try to prevent us from defending ourselves.Except that it doesnt protect us. The exquisite care with which the IDF repelled the popular invasion from Gaza did not prevent us from being accused of war crimes by the media and by the NGOs. If Hezbollah should launch its tens of thousands of rockets from South Lebanon, and we are forced to destroy the launchers embedded in civilian houses, all of our warnings and all of our precision strikes will not prevent the accusations and attempts to impose international sanctions against us.There are two reasons for this. One is that the international deck is stacked against us, either because the players dont think Jews should be sovereign anywhere in the Middle East (the position of most Muslim nations) or because like French President Macron they cynically pursue their economic or political interests, even if it should be obvious to them that their actions make war or even genocide more likely.That isnt news, and it isnt likely to change. The other reason is that Israels policies over the last few years have taught our enemies that appeals to morality and international law (real or imagined) actually affect Israels behavior and limit our defensive responses, even to murderous attacks directed at us.With our Iron Domes, our roof knocks, our exaggerated care when authorizing snipers to shoot at Arabs trying to breach our borders, our use of low-yield weapons in targeted killings, our tolerance for continued low-level terrorism like rock-throwing, and our bombing of empty military installations, we are training our enemies. We are teaching them one basic principle: itsfor you to try to kill Jews.Do Gazans hate us? Lets build them an artificial island . Could anything be crazier?Oh, well defend ourselves, either passively or with minimal offensive force. Butand really try to hurt you. These are not the Jews of Kishinev or of Hebron c. 1929. We will fight back if necessary. But we understand your need to kill us.As a result of our restraint, demands are placed on us to restrain ourselves further. And as a result of the message of understanding that we send to our enemies, they keep devising and trying out new ways to kill us. Why shouldnt they? In the Middle East, being good to your enemies is perceived as weakness, which invites attack.The final answer to the kites wont come from technology, because if we could push a button and bring them all down, Hamas would just come up with a new weapon, a new delivery system for their boundless hate.No, the solution to this and other problems requires a fundamental change in our way of thinking. I believe that the present defensive mentality is based on cowardice and the internalization of the pervasive antisemitism of our enemies, both the hot ones in Gaza and the cool ones in Europe. To some extent, we ourselves believe that it is acceptable to shoot at Jews.The question shouldnt be how can we stop incendiary kites? Rather, we should ask how we can hurt the Gazans both the Hamas leadership and the people that support them and share their hatred so badly, so, that they will be very sorry that they tried to burn our country.Deterrence doesnt only come from threats, Mr. Lieberman. The enemy has to believe that you will carry them out. A truly brutal response to the kite attacks could be a place to start. The fierce debate around eliminating the specialized high school admissions test will continue into 2019. State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie declared yesterday that there would not be an opportunity for the legislature to pass a bill during this session, which is scheduled to end June 20th. Heastie made the decision after meeting with the Asian Pacific task force, which represents constituents who oppose the bill. Asian-Americans make up 62 percent of students at these specialized high schools, while black and Latino students make up less than 10 percent. The mayor's plan to eliminate the SHSAT and admit top students from all middle schools is intended to address this racial inequality. The bill's chances of passing the legislature this session were always a long shot. De Blasio has long claimed that the city "cant redesign the enrollment process at specialized schools because they are governed by a 1971 state law," Chalkbeat reports, but the current law addresses only three of the eight schools. Legal experts, and even the mayor's own staff, have argued he could change admissions requirements at five of the schools, without a new state law. Rachel Kleinman, Senior Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, told Gothamist that the city "can act right now to change admissions at five of eight schools. It feels like a bit of a punt to wait for the state when there's action they can take right now." The mayor has said repeatedly he wants to wait for a state law before proceeding. But there will be some changes to the admissions process next year. Twenty percent of seats will be set aside for low-income students who just barely miss the SHSAT cutoff, through a summer program known as Discovery. This program will also expand to target high-poverty schools (instead of just poor students), which would have more of an impact for black and Latino students. As the validity of the SHSAT is being questioned, the former chief academic officer at the Department of Education, Shael Polakow-Suransky, who oversaw the Department of Educations SHSAT contract, tweeted "it's not a particularly strong or predictive test." In an interview with Gotham Gazette, Polakow-Suransky said the reason for the test's structure as a multiple choice test is because it was cheaper to produce than a more complex test. "Tests are expensive and the quality of the instrument depends on how much youre going to spend on it. And so this is a really basic one, like as far as tests go, its about as simple an instrument as you can create." He was critical of the idea that this test was predictive of intelligence or classroom performance. "Any high-performing university, any high-performing private school, and most of the other high-performing screen schools in the city all look at a range of measures in order to find the best talent and we dont for the specialized schools. We just look at this very narrow set of English and math skills that you can measure with multiple choice questions. "And it leads to an inequitable outcome because were relying on the students who are participating in this test to kind of focus on how do they do well on this set of questions that this test is measuring, which is not really the right set of things that we should be looking for to find the best talent. And then people spend lots of money and lots of time doing test prep to get good at taking this test which doesnt necessarily indicate that theyre great writers or great thinkers or great leaders." Governor Andrew Cuomo has said that integration of these high schools is a "legitimate issue" that should be revisited next year "as part of the mayoral control debate. His primary challenger, Cynthia Nixon, vowed to sign a bill doing away with SHSAT if elected governor, telling Chalkbeat, We need them to be more racially diverse when it comes to black and Latino students." The answer to that question is the same as the number of days in a year. Thats right 365 Churches in Malta, scattered ubiquitously over this small island nation. Since Malta is steeped in a rich history of Roman Catholicism, then obviously I refer to Roman Catholic Churches; a fact that I learnt on a recent trip there. Consequently, it was inevitable that wed visit some of them, and thank goodness not all of them. The reoccurring iconography (ie the statues and paintings) conveyed a motif, which was both confronting and disturbing, to someone like myself whos spent a lifetime within the Protestant (iconoclastic) tradition. I was lead to muse upon, how a non-believer with no experience of Church would receive the repetition of these melancholy images of Jesus hanging helplessly nailed to a cross, bloodied and bruised? It would seem from an outsiders viewpoint that there is little to celebrate over a Jesus portrayed as a forlorn figure, which elicits pity, rather than admiration and allegiance. It was okay for me, I knew the backstory. The weight of the sin of the world borne by the Son of God, vicariously suffering on my behalf, so that I could be acquitted from the penalty of my failure to live as God, demands. But what of those unaware of the meaning? How would they process these images? Why would anyone want to become a follower of Jesus who was brutally killed by the Romans, two millennia ago? Victory Clutched from the Jaws of Defeat Theres a remarkable parallel, like an echo from the past. For this problem is similar to that faced by Christians in the first century. A milieu which lauded victory in battle, and military conquest not defeat. And yet the message of what appears to be defeat (Christ crucified) was ultimately victorious despite the seemly impossible odds against success. The Roman Empire became Christian starting around 321 AD under the Emperor Constantine, and we, Western civilization have enjoyed the unrivalled benefits of it, until recent times, before the world went insane, when the Marxists took over. St Paul in 1 Corinthians 1, succinctly and accurately reveals the prevailing attitude of the day, towards a victim of Roman crucifixion. For God was pleased through the foolishness of what is preached, to save those who believe. Jews demand a sign and the Greeks look for wisdom, But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to Greeks It would have been so much easier, if success were the objective, to bring a message which avoided the offense of the cross. So How Did a Message of Offense, Convert so many People to Christ? The answer is simply the power of the Holy Spirit. Lets consider the activity of the Holy Spirit within the wider context of Salvation History. All this time before Christ, God had been working through his chosen people the nation of Israel. But it would not be unreasonable to say that Judaism (I use the term loosely) had failed to gain any traction in the ancient world. It was too self-focused, too exclusive and had lost its way. Neither Israel, nor Judaism (the contemporary version of the Jewish religion at the time of Christ) had been able to challenge or change the ancient world held in the stranglehold of paganism, with the universal message of Gods reign and salvation to a lost world. That all changed at Pentecost onwards. Signs and wonders (miracles) now accompanied the preaching of the apostles and the followers of Jesus. The same wonders and miracles that once accompanied the people of Israel were now transferred to the early Christians. Just read through the book of Acts, on almost every page theres a miracle of some sort or a live demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. While ancient historiography lauded the victories of their Emperors in battle, the subjugation of their enemies, their military prowess and alike. And although this mindset prevailed. There was a greater power at work, the power of the Holy Spirit, who could cure the lame and raise the dead. Something no Roman military general had ever done. The message of Christ crucified seemed folly on the surface, but there was no denying the miracles and the same power behind those miracles, which raised Jesus to life. We should consider this when we speak to our unbelieving friends, it seems folly to talk about a dead person on a cross, but we can be certain that the power of the Holy Spirit, works through this message. So lets be embolden. Vic Matthews, has three degrees B.Optom, B.Arts & B. Christian Studies. He is a kiteboard tragic, who now works as a Christian Copywriter. He can be found at http://trustworthycopywriter.com/writing-services/christian-copywriter/ Gods servant - Did you know that Queen Elizabeth II had two ceremonies to mark the beginning of her public office? The first was her coronation as Queen but the second was her coronation as Gods servant. In this second untelevised ceremony, the Queen stood dressed in a simple white dress, devoid of decoration. As she entered a place too sacred to be televised, Handels anthem Zadok the Priest was sung and the symbols of the Queens status were removed; including, the crimson velvet robe, the diamond diadem and the coronation necklace. The Archbishop anointed her with holy oil and poured it onto her hands and head, symbolic of the fact that she was being set apart as Gods servant; to love and serve her people with all her actions, heart and mind. This moment in the Queens life was recorded by the Royal Biographer William Shawcross who wrote: It was the moment when the holy oil was applied to her, rather than her crowning with St Edwards crown of solid gold, that was of supreme importance to the Queen. Indeed, it was the most solemn and important moment of her entire life. Loving in a personal way The queen is down-to-earth and values personal relationship and personal interaction. She loves people and is equally relaxed in a school or residential care facility as she is in the company of world leaders and authorities of large businesses and corporations. Despite the fact that the Queen is the most famous woman in the world and employs more than 1200 people, she still chooses to feed her own dogs. While she does not possess any formal power to make political decisions, her personal authority has brought nations together in unity. Her commitment as the Head of the Commonwealth and her 40 years of service and attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings around the world, have played a vital role in providing a venue for leaders of governments to meet and discuss important global issues. Former Prime Ministers have said that they have found Her Majesty to be very helpful in her comments. Drawing strength from the gospel The Queen is the longest current reigning monarch and the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Her normal 40-hour week includes a weekly meeting with the British Prime Minister, weekly church commitments and overseas and local travel commitments. How does she keep this up? What is the secret to the Queens remarkable consistency of character and extraordinary contribution to the nation, the Commonwealth and the global community? It is a question she herself answered back in 2002. I know just how much I rely on my faith to guide me through the good times and the bad. Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try and do what is right, to take the long term view, to give my best in all the day brings and to put my trust in GodI draw strength from the message of hope in the Christian gospel. Many commentators have noted the depth of her trust in God but few have explored it. The Queen is a woman who has always looked in two directions; upward towards God and outward towards her people. Her sincerity toward God and her people was expressed in her coronation vows and her 21st birthday radio address. I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service...But I will not have the strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in with me...God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it. Sixty-one years later, in her 2008 Christmas broadcast she said, I hope that, like me, you will be comforted by the example of Jesus of Nazareth who, often in circumstances of great adversity, managed to live an outgoing, unselfish and sacrificial life. Countless millions of people around the world continue to celebrate his birthday at Christmas, inspired by his teaching. He makes it clear that genuine human happiness and satisfaction lie more in giving than receiving; more in serving than in being served. What a wonderful long-term role model whose strength lies in her commitment to look both ways. Are we looking both ways in our lives? [Quotations are taken from, The Servant Queen and the King she serves. (2016). Jointly published by Bible Society, HOPE and LICC, Swindon, UK.] Graham McDonald is Executive Director of 'Diduno' and a Press Service International senior writer. FRIDAY, June 8, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- A new study confirms that living near wind turbines can be annoying, but it doesn't answer questions about how their noise might affect human health. Researchers from the University of Toronto and the engineering firm Ramboll, which funded the project, analyzed survey data used in a 2013 Canadian government study. The aim? To determine how living between 600 meters (1,968 feet) to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from wind turbines might affect people's health. Wind turbines generate clean, renewable energy by harnessing the power of the wind. The initial study "generated data useful for studying the relationship between wind turbine exposures and human health -- including annoyance and sleep disturbances," explained study author Rebecca Barry. "Their original results examined modeled wind turbine noise based on a variety of factors -- source sound power, distance, topography and meteorology, among others," she explained in a news release from the American Institute of Physics. The new findings confirmed the earlier findings that people who lived closer to the turbines "were more likely to report being annoyed than respondents who live further away," Barry said. The previous study found no direct link between residents' distance from wind turbines and sleep disturbances, blood pressure levels or stress. However, the new study showed that people who lived closer to wind turbines reported lower ratings for their environmental quality of life. But the new study could not determine whether this was caused by the wind turbines. "Wind turbines might have been placed in locations where residents were already concerned about their environmental quality of life," Sandra Sulsky, a researcher from Ramboll, said in the news release. "Also, as is the case with all surveys, the respondents who chose to participate may have viewpoints or experiences that differ from those who chose not to participate," Sulsky added. "Survey respondents may have participated precisely to express their dissatisfaction, while those who did not participate might not have concerns about the turbines." In the future, "measuring the population's perceptions and concerns before and after turbine installation may help to clarify what effects -- if any -- exposure to wind turbines may have on quality of life," Sulsky said. The study was published in the June issue of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. More information Here's where you can learn more about the Canadian government study. UPDATE: Pablo Villavicencio's imminent deportation was halted on Saturday, after a federal judge in Manhattan granted the Legal Aid Society's emergency habeas corpus petition. He will remain in ICE custody until a court hearing on July 20th. Attorneys for Pablo Villavicencio, the delivery man detained by ICE while dropping off a pizza to Fort Hamilton in Bay Ridge last week, filed an emergency motion on Friday afternoon in an effort to halt the deportation of the husband and father of two. At a press conference in Federal Plaza, Villavicencio's attorneys and supporters called on ICE to recognize the stay, and urged Governor Andrew Cuomo to take further action to protect New York's immigrant community. "ICE may feel confident in its legal position, but our client's confidence in the judiciary, as well as the will of the American people, is stronger," said Jennifer Williams, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society, which is representing Villavicencio. "The enforcement mechanism that was applied in Pablo's case was inhumane, unjustifiable and should shock the conscience. This is the deportation machine in full effect." Villavicencio's wife, Sandra Chica, was with her daughters and unable to make the event, but released a video statement soon afterwards: VIDEO: Sandra Chica, wife of Pablo Villavicencio, calls on rogue @ICEGov to immediately free her husband as she submits an application for a stay w/ @LegalAidNYC, @cmenchaca, and our members. Sign petition to demand ICE #FreePablo! https://t.co/fAGDLl7rvA pic.twitter.com/QWkyoOXQBo Make the Road NY (@MaketheRoadNY) June 8, 2018 "These several days have been very hard for us, especially for my daughters that miss him a lot," Chica, who is a United States citizen, said in the video. "We ask ICE to release him and let him come back to us. He's the center of our family. He's the main support, so we're really going to suffer if he's deported. Our family calls on the government to do the right thing and stop dividing families like my family." "The support from all corners of the city shows that New York City is supporting immigrants," she continued. "Please do the right thing with my husband for my family. He's trying to stay here in the legal way. Please don't take him away from us. This is the only petition in the name of my daughters and the name of Pablothat is my request." Villavicencio, who applied for a green card earlier this year, was born in Ecuador and lives in Hempstead, Long Island with his wife and two young daughters. According to a Fort Hamilton spokesperson, he was initially stopped by Military Police because he did not have the proper identification to deliver pizza to the base. The spokesperson claims he then signed "a waiver permitting a background check," which triggered the detention and deportation proceedings. But Villavicencio disputes this: in an interview from the jail in New Jersey where he is now detained, he told Telemundo, "At no time did I sign a document." The nature of the arrest has led some advocates, members of City Council and Villavicencio's wife to call on the governor to sign an executive order allowing driver's licenses for undocumented immigrantsa move that his office seems hesitant to embrace. While the governor has promised free legal representation to Villavicencio, representatives from both the Legal Aid Society and Make The Road NY say that support has not yet materialized. "I don't know what he meant when he said he'd find a lawyer," one Make The Road leader told Gothamist on Friday. Another person close to the case, who asked not to be identified, added, "I have no idea what the governor is talking about. We haven't heard from him at all." On Friday afternoon, Cuomo issued a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Acting Inspector calling for an investigation into ICE's conduct, amid "serious concerns that ICE is violating constitutional rights and targeting people based on their ethnicity." A Cuomo rep did not respond to a Gothamist inquiry about the promised legal support, or the possibility of an executive order granting driver's licenses to immigrants. "We need the governor's support and for him to do more," said Yatziri Tovar, a member of Make The Road NY. "And we need communities to come together to see that Pablo is one of many, and force them to stop tearing families apart." UPDATE: Reached for comment, Richard Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Governor Cuomo's office, tells Gothamist, "We are in contact with Pablos family and have offered legal and other supportive services free of charge. The Liberty Defense Project provides free legal services and we are collaborating with all parties to make sure the family needs are met." A spokesperson for the Legal Aid Society clarifies that the group, which is representing Villavicencio, does not receive any funding from the Liberty Defense Project. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Kiev, June 8, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on the Belarusian parliament to reject proposed laws that could further censor the media in the country. The Prosecutor Generals Office is drafting a bill on fake news, and the lower house of parliament separately is considering amendments to the media law. The bill being drafted by the Prosecutor Generals Office would allow the state to prosecute persons who spread fake information on the Internet, according to the independent Belarusian news site Tut.by and the state-owned BelTA news agency, both of which cited Belarusian Prosecutor General Alyaksandr Kanyuk. Separately, in April the Belarusian parliaments lower house approved in its first reading draft amendments to the countrys media law that would tighten government control over news websites and social media networks, the U.S. Congress-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported. The Belarusian government has jumped on the bandwagon of fake news not because it wants to shield citizens from falsehoods but because it wants more power to decide what information they receive, CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said from New York. We call on parliament to reject these thinly veiled attempts at tightening censorship. Speaking to reporters in Minsk on June 6, Kanyuk said the bill is necessary to prevent libel, nicknames [that] offend people, and the spread of false statements that turn public opinion upside down, which leads to big consequences, according to Tut.by. Kanyuk said the bill could include language stipulating that violators be forced to pay a steep fine or face criminal prosecution. Critics say that the draft bill may be used as yet another instrument for selective prosecution of journalists and media outlets. The bill must pass at least two readings in the lower house of Belaruss parliament before becoming law. A date has yet to be set for a first reading in parliament. RFE/RL said the amendments to the media law would require authors of all posts and comments online to be identified, and comments to be moderated by website owners. The amendments would allow for social networks and other sites to be blocked if found in violation, RFE/RL added. The amendments need to pass at least one more reading in parliaments lower house before they can enter into force, according to RFE/RL. Parliament has yet to set a date for a second reading. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, June 8, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern about the seizure of phone and email records from New York Times reporter Ali Watkins by the United States Justice Department in the first known incident that federal prosecutors have gone after a journalists data under President Donald Trumps administration. Prosecutors obtained the records from telecommunications companies including Google and Verizon as part of a leak-related investigation, according to the New York Times. In order to perform their public accountability function, journalists must be able to protect their confidential sources. Efforts by government that undermine this ability therefore represent a fundamental threat to press freedom, said CPJs North America Program Coordinator Alexandra Ellerbeck from Kansas City. This is why we believe that the governments seizure of Ali Watkinss data sets a dangerous precedent. We fear it could be an opening salvo in an ongoing battle over reporters ability to protect their sources. The past decade has seen repeated attacks on journalists ability to protect their sources in the United States. The Obama administration set a record for leak-related prosecutions, and came under fire in 2013 for subpoenaing the records of Associated Press reporters, according to CPJ research. Under the Trump administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions during a news conference last fall boasted about tripling the number of leak investigations and called for reviewing internal DOJ guidelines to potentially make it easier to obtain journalist records, according to media reports from the time. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Bogota, Colombia, June 8, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomed an historic ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights that ordered the Colombian government to uphold its responsibility to investigate the 1998 murder of radio journalist Nelson Carvajal Carvajal. In a statement released June 6, the court condemned the Colombian government for failing to properly investigate and pursue justice in the case of Radio Sur journalist Carvajal. The court found the government guilty of negligent treatment of Carvajals family and said that it failed to investigate death threats against nine of the journalists relatives, who were forced to flee the country. It also found the government responsible for extraordinary delays in pursuing justice. The court, which is part of the Organization of American States, ordered the government to continue investigating Carvajals death and to organize a public event at which high-ranking officials accept and acknowledge the states responsibility. It ordered the government to guarantee conditions for the safe return of Carvajals relatives currently living abroad, to pay them damages, and to provide them with access to counseling. The ruling, which was made on March 13, marks the first time the court has condemned a state for a murder related to the victims work as a journalist, according to the Bogota-based Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP). The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling is an important step toward long-overdue justice for Nelson Carvajal Carvajal. Colombia must comply with the courts demands, said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna from New York. By directly holding Colombia to account for its failure to investigate the murder and to protect the journalists family, the court is signaling that impunity will no longer be tolerated. Calls by CPJ to the Colombian Attorney Generals office, where a specialized human rights unit is in charge of the Carvajal case, were not returned. Carvajal, 37, was a part-time teacher and journalist who hosted several news programs on Radio Sur in Pitalito, a town in the Huila department of southwest Colombia. He was shot several times and died on April 16, 1998. Carvajal often reported on local government corruption scandals and money laundering by drug traffickers. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the courts sister body, determined in 2015 that Carvajal was killed in retaliation for his work as a journalist, a finding that the court ratified in its sentence. Press freedom groups said that the governments investigation into Carvajals death was marred by irregularities. The numerous delays were partly the result of the case bouncing around between four lead prosecutors, one of whom received death threats, according to the Inter-American Press Association, which has carried out an investigation of the case since 2002. A key government witness was also killed in 2007 according FLIP. In a 2001 trial, three defendants accused of the killing, a businessman, a former Pitalito town councilman, and another individual, were declared not guilty. In 2015, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights submitted the case to the court, which is based in San Jose, Costa Rica, after determining that the Colombian government had failed to carry out a serious, diligent, and timely investigation, according to its submission. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sunayana successfully evacuated 38 Indian Nationals after it entered Porbandar harbour in Gujarat. They were rescued from cyclone-hit Socotra island in Yemen under swift Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Operation (HADR) code named Operation NISTAR. Background Indian Nationals were stranded for nearly 10 days after severe cyclonic storm Mekunu devastated area around Socotra Island. Indian Navy deployed INS Sunayna from Gulf of Aden to Socotra Island for search and rescue operations after it received distress call from Directorate General of Shipping and Indian Sailing Vessels Association. The 38 Indian nationals were safely embarked onboard ship after they were successfully rescued and evacuated. They were provided with medical care, food, water and telephone facilities. INS Sunayana also undertook intensive surface search and aerial reconnaissance of area to look for any more survivors. West Bengal: Government releases guppy fish across water bodies to combat dengue June 08,2018 | Source: The New Indian Express To combat dengue in south Bengal, the State Fisheries Department, under the supervision of the State Fisheries Development Corporation (SFDC), is releasing guppy fish in the water bodies, drainage canals, agricultural canals and other similar structures of the region, both in the rural and urban areas. Till May, more than 11 lakh guppies have been released at a cost of more than Rs 11 lakh. A few lakh more were released in the first week of June. Of the more than 11 lakh, 1.26 lakh have been released in the area under South Dum Dum Municipality and 1.03 lakh in Bidhannagar Municipality. The municipalities of Maheshtala and Sonarpur have released 50,000 each in the areas under their jurisdiction. About 40,000 each has been released by the municipalities of Bardhaman, Guskara, Memari, Kalna, Dainhat and Katwa. The municipality of Kanchrapara has released 21,600. Gujarat: CIBA to inaugurate its first aquaculture research centre at Navsari Agriculture University June 08,2018 | Source: The Times of India Chennai-based Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) has joined hands with Navsari Agriculture University (NAU) in setting up the first regional research centre for aquaculture in south Gujarat. CIBA will be launching its first regional research centre in aquaculture at NAU campus on Thursday in the presence of deputy director general (fisheries science), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Dr Joykrushna Jena and director of CIBA Dr K K Vijayan, including deputy chief whip in Gujarat assembly R C Patel. Sources said the total seafood exports from the country in 2016-17 is pegged at Rs 37,571 crore and the farm aquaculture export constitute a whooping Rs 25,000 crore. After Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Gujarat is leading in shrimp farming. Surat, Navsari and Valsad have been the districts where shrimp farming has gained momentum in the past many years. About more than half of 1.5 lakh people are engaged directly or indirectly in aquaculture in Gujarat and they live in coastal areas of the states southern region. About 55,000 tonne shrimps were produced on 10 lakh hectare of land in Gujarat in 2017, which was 12% of the national production and generated a turnover of Rs 2,500 crore. ICAR considers this development as successful example of its outreach programme taken up in collaboration with NAU in the last one decade or so. Pakistan: Adopt fish farming for extra income: Minister June 08,2018 | Source: The Tribune Animal Husbandry Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Wednesday visited Muktsar district and appealed to farmers to adopt fisheries as a subsidiary profession to increase their income. Fisheries, animal husbandry are the best option to generate extra income for farmers. Unemployed people too can adopt this profession, said Balbir, while visiting Abul Khurana village here. He honoured some farmers who started shrimp farming in the district. Besides, he reviewed the construction work of Demonstration Farm and Training Centre (DFTC) for shrimp farming at Ennakhera village. He announced the opening of a veterinary dispensary at Ennakkhera village. Continuing its odious tradition of ducking and dodging transparency and accountability in how the state puts its prisoners to death (purportedly) in the name of the people the beleaguered Alabama Office of the Attorney General has asserted in a new convoluted, churlish, and utterly cockamamie federal court filing : [W]hile this Court found that there exists a public interest in understanding how Alabama carries out its lethal-injection procedure, there is a greater public interest at stake here: The States ability to carry out its lawful functions. What these public servants are circularly and asininely asserting is: although they appreciate in the wake of Alabamas recent history of botched executions that its critically important for citizens to know exactly how the killing of death row inmates occurs (again, in their name and with their tacit approval), that there is a [still] greater public interest in the state being able to carry on the killing, period; yes, as mind-boggling as it sounds it also is: state officials are arguing that even if their so far secret (and as they concede zealously guarded) lethal injection protocol may be responsible for torturous executions, its nevertheless still more important that state executioners be allowed to continue with business as usual which here, means killing and likely torturing other human beings to death while releasing only the most minimal information about how its done. You dont need me to tell you, but as it is sometimes said, particularly down South: that makes as much sense as teats on a bull. In a column titled Is Alabama hiding that it tortured its citizens?, published in the Montgomery Advertiser in May of last year, I urged Alabamians while also inviting all conscientious, justice-loving Americans and citizens of the world to join, too to [d]emand that authorities in Alabama be honest and transparent about executions. Today Im sounding the horn for reason, for humanity, and for accountability again; Im arguing for the need of the electorate to be able to ensure that their will, their vote, their system of justice, is not complicit in despicable torture. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously opined that [p]ublicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases, as [s]unlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; likewise, complete and unfettered public disclosure of Alabamas lethal injection protocol to the press and public is the best medicine for the states chronic dissembling-and-disinformation disease afflicting its increasingly disturbing, and dysfunctional administration of the death penalty. Lecturing on capital punishment in February of 2000, the late Jacques Derrida, often recognized as one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century, argued that to have a discourse on the death penalty in good conscience that one must do at least everything one can to come as close as possible, in ones body and I would add here, in ones mind and soul, too to those for whom the death penalty is the death penalty, effectively, [and] in an effective way, concretely[.] Only then, Derrida argued, will people who will never be or believe they will never be executioners carrying out the sentence, or sentenced to death, or even the defense attorneys or prosecutors of those sentenced to death, or the governorswho wield the right of pardon, be able to truly understand, appreciate, and have a fair and honest debate about capital punishment. Arent Alabamians entitled to that? And if not, isnt it high time for a change? Im asking you. Source: alreporter.com , Opinion, Stephen Cooper, June 8, 2018. Stephen Cooper is a former D.C. public defender who worked as an assistant federal public defender in Alabama between 2012 and 2015. He has contributed to numerous magazines and newspapers in the United States and overseas. He writes full-time and lives in Woodland Hills, California. Follow him on Twitter @SteveCooperEsq. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Alabama won't reveal its lethal injection protocol until a higher court reviews that decision. Court records entered Thursday show U.S. Chief District Judge Karon O Bowdre has granted a motion from the Alabama Attorney General's Office to stay her previous ruling, which ordered the state to reveal execution secrets, until a higher court can review the state's appeal. The AG's office has appealed the ruling to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. A motion from the AG's office requesting the stay says they would like the release to be delayed because the release of execution protocol "implicates a serious issue that deserves the review of a higher court before it becomes effective." "...while this Court found that there exists a public interest in understanding how Alabama carries out its lethal-injection procedure... there is a greater public interest at stake here: The State's ability to carry out its lawful functions." The motion says, "There is no doubt that there is great public interest in ensuring that the State can carry out its duly enacted laws. Alabama's death-penalty statutes are constitutional and enforceable and anything that hinders the State's ability to enforce that statute (even minimally) is of great public interest and, thus, weighs in favor of granting a stay pending appeal." The motion also says the media outlets who requested the protocol be made public--Alabama Media Group, the Associated Press, and the Montgomery Advertiser--will not suffer from the documents being sealed until the appeal process takes place. The judge's order to unseal the Alabama Department of Corrections' capital punishment protocol was entered last month. She wrote the public has a "common law right of access" to the sealed records relating how the state executes death row inmates. The judge said any identification or names of low-level prison employees involved in executions, the court's independent medical examiner, and other confidential security measures can be kept secret. The order stems from the case of Doyle Lee Hamm, a 61-year-old death row inmate who experienced an aborted execution on February 22. The execution was called off after several hours of attempting to insert a catheter for the lethal drugs in Hamm's veins, and Hamm's lawyer Bernard Harcourt said then that Hamm experienced severe pain and bleeding during the attempt. He had argued Hamm could not be executed via intravenous lethal injection because of Hamm's lymphatic cancer and prior drug use. The AG's Office said Hamm's veins would be accessible for the procedure. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde al.com, June 7, 2018 GATESVILLE, Texas (KWTX) Chet Michael Shelton, 29, who was accused of raping and killing a toddler, dodged a possible death sentence Friday when he pleaded guilty to capital murder in exchange to a life prison sentence without the possibility of parole. In entering the plea, he acknowledged he is guilty of causing the toddler's death, but as deputies were leading Shelton from the courthouse after the hearing, he told a KWTX reporter, I didnt do it. Makai Kai Brooks Lamar, 2, died after he was found unresponsive on Jan. 13, 2016 at his family's home in Gatesville was severely beaten and sexually assaulted, according to a graphic arrest warrant affidavit. Prosecutors wanted to pursue the death penalty, but the toddlers family didnt want to go through the emotional stress of a trial. Our number one priority was to seek justice, Coryell County District Attorney Dustin Boyd said Friday. In securing a conviction for capital murder and a sentence of life in prison without parole, and in turn having the defendant waive all possible appeals and potential writs, gives Makai and his family the closure and justice they sought. Although some may question the decision in not going forward with the death penalty, it is paramount they first consider the desires of the family, he said. This event has caused immeasurable grief and heartache for them, he said. Family members were in the courtroom Friday afternoon and addressed Shelton after the sentencing, I cant describe the hate I have for you. Although I believe you belong in hell I hope hell comes for you in your prison cell, the toddlers mother, Madeleine Lamar said. The evidence weve seen is disgusting. You are a monster. This would have been Kais first year to walk into a school but you Chet Shelton tore his world apart. I know you murdered him and we wished youd get the death penalty but weve had enough of this, she said. Shelton was arrested four days after the infants death and was initially charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. The brutal murder stirred anger among some residents of the community and there were immediate calls for an upgraded charge, but prosecutors resisted the pressure as they build their case, and in June 2016 Shelton was indicted for capital murder. A medical examiner determined that the boys death was a result of blunt force trauma to the head and internal injuries and that prior to his death the boy had been anally penetrated which caused "severe and distinct trauma," Texas Ranger Jason Bobo, an investigator on the case, said in the original arrest affidavit. The affidavit also showed a time line of events on that day during which Shelton told officers he "was in care, custody and control" of the boy. Shelton, who, authorities say was the mother's boyfriend, told investigators he had been caring for the toddler "all of the majority of the day" while the child's mother worked a double shift at a Gatesville restaurant. During the interview Shelton told officers that the boy fell asleep on a living room couch and that later he moved the boy to his bedroom for the night. Shelton said he stepped outside the house to smoke and when he returned to the house intending to take a shower, he went to check on the child, whom he found not breathing. He said he attempted CPR but was not successful, so he carried the boy next door to where a deputy sheriff lived and an ambulance was called. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde A group of UN human rights experts* have urged Mauritanian authorities to reconsider the adoption of an amendment to the Penal Code which would mandate the death penalty for blasphemy and apostasy , a provision which would gravely violate international law. Article 306 of the Penal Code, as revised, provides that any Muslim guilty of apostasy or blasphemy will be sentenced to death upon arrest without possibility of clemency based on repentance. The previous article imposed the death penalty for apostasy and blasphemy but required prison terms in cases of repentance. The revision was adopted by Parliament on 27 April 2018 and is pending promulgation. "We are outraged that, while international law prohibits the criminalization of apostasy and blasphemy, Mauritanian authorities have decided to enshrine the death penalty for those who express their rights to freedom of expression, religion and belief," the experts said. "This revision will further muzzle the right to freedom of expression in Mauritania and set the stage for incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence against persons on the basis of religion or belief. There is an additional risk that article 306 will be applied in a discriminatory manner to different faiths. Moreover, the revised article advances a fundamentalist agenda which puts human rights gravely at risk and encourages extremists. "For those States that haven't abolished the death penalty, it can only be imposed for the most serious crimes involving intentional killing," they said, adding that the mandatory death penalty constituted a direct violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and constituted an arbitrary deprivation of life. The experts urged the Mauritanian authorities not to promulgate the revised article 306 of the Penal Code and instead to review it so as to bring it in line with international standards of human rights law. *The UN experts: Mr. David Kaye, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Ms. Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Mr. Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; Ms. Karima Bennoune, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights. Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures' experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde scoop.co.nz, June 8, 2018 The Kanchanbagh police registered seven cases against the Rohingyas for obtaining various identity documents while the Balapur police registered 12. Hyderabad: The Telangana police has taken a strict stand against Rohingya refugees who are violating local laws, after receiving a communication from the Centre about the Rohingyas obtaining local identification documents issued by government agencies. Around 4,000 Rohingyas are settled in the Rachakonda and Hyderabad police commissionerates limits for the last few years. All of them had reportedly crossed over into India from Bangladesh and obtained United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHRC) cards. Some of those who are not having the UN card were caught and sent back as their stay was illegal. Several others were arrested for obtaining Aadhaar cards, Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) and Indian passport by submitting documents obtained fraudulently, said a Rachakonda police official. The Centre along with the UN and the Myanmar government is coordinating the repatriation of the Rohingyas who had crossed over into India to escape persecution by the Myanmar Army and local groups. The authorities fear that after obtaining Indian identities, the Rohingyas would move out of their settlements and mingle with locals, posing a challenge in identifying them later on. We are gathering information against the Rohingyas who had obtained Indian identity documents fraudulently and used it for various purposes. Action is also being initiated against the agents who had helped them, the official said. The Kanchanbagh police registered seven cases against the Rohingyas for obtaining various identity documents while the Balapur police registered 12. Central intelligence agencies had communicated to the state police about a possible threat. A few persons under the garb of refugees may create terror related activities in the country or fall into the hands of the terror groups, the officials had warned. The Rohingyas draw sympathy from the local public who make donations. The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has launched a new startup program called Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA). Located in the heart of Taipei City, inside Taipei Arena, TTA claims to be a tech innovation and entrepreneurship hub connecting the world's tech startup ecosystems under one roof. Its main mission is to cultivate deep technology entrepreneurship, foster commercialisation of innovation and build an international tech startup ecosystem in Taiwan. Over the past few years, MoST states that it has also been investing in the fundamental research of frontier technologies such as AI in schools and research centres, as well as encouraging entrepreneurship among researchers and scientists by easing regulations, providing supportive startup programs, and much more to create a robust pipeline of talent and new ventures. These efforts combined with the availability of key technologies from global manufacturing companies have made Taiwan the optimal place for the development of AI and IoT in many domains including smart manufacturing, healthcare, cybersecurity, etc. TTA promises to act as a facilitator of deep technology ventures to enable innovation and the cultivation of new industries. TTA is also collaborating with corporate partners such as Acer, AWS, Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA and Trend Micro in multiple areas such as AI talent development, cloud-computing transition, rapid prototyping and software technology development. TTA's partnerships with foreign and domestic accelerators, such as 500 Startups, Techstars and SOSV-MOX, promises to expedite the growth of over 100 startups per year through three to six-month acceleration courses featuring experienced international mentors, workshops and face-to-face consultation. In Taiwan, startups appear to be benefitted from an optimal market size and swift market response, making it an ideal place for new product testing before launching in countries in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Rapid Investment of Foreign and Domestic Capital One of the key missions of TTA is acclaimed to obtain funding for startups. Taiwan is a prime environment for investment due to the quality of its established infrastructure, free flow of information, respect for freedom and sound legal system. MoST has to date provided funding support of USD $77.26 million to 50 startups through the Taiwan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC) located in Silicon Valley. Through the Taiwan Silicon Valley Tech Fund, MoST and the National Development Fund (NDF) have also partnered with multiple venture capitalists to further inject a total of USD $60 million into the capital pool with investment priorities on TTA startups. In addition, Taiwania Capital, another key tech venture investment firm initiated by Taiwan government, is also collaborating with TTA to support tech venture initiatives. Moreover, TTA will host high-profile pitch and match events as well as systematically match startups with international investment based on a curated Taiwan startup database. TTA intends to play a key role in energising Taiwan's startup culture and propelling both domestic and foreign startups onto the global stage. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Modi would attend the two-day summit of the eight-member SCO in the estern Chinese city of Qingdao. (Photo: File/ Twitter/ @PMOIndia) Beijing: The consensus reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan would be reflected at the Qingdao summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, India's envoy to China Gautam Bambawale has said on the eve of the meeting on June 8. Modi would attend the two-day summit of the eight-member SCO in the estern Chinese city of Qingdao. This is the first summit of the organisation after the admission of India and Pakistan as full members last year. During his stay in Qingdao, Modi will also hold several bilateral meetings with the leaders of the SCO member countries including Xi. "The focus on of SCO members is in the areas of security cooperation, countering terrorism, economic development as well as cultural exchange," Bambawale told state-run China Daily and China Global Television Network (CGTN). "We will continue to expand our cooperation in these areas. India will work with the other member countries in this direction," he said. The SCO members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. He said that India would take part in the SCO enthusiastically. Bambawale highlighted the consensus reached between Modi and Xi at their informal summit at the Chinese city of Wuhan in April and said it would be reflected at the Qingdao summit. He said the two leaders reached consensus in two areas. The first was that India and China are partners in progress and development. "Second there are many more commonalities between India and China, many more areas where we cooperate with each other than where we differ with each other," he said. "Obviously, between any two countries, including India and China, there are some areas which we do not see eye to eye, where we have our own opinions. But the two leaders decided to work on the areas where we have common approaches. We will see that in Qingdao summit," he said. On India-China security cooperation in view of their differences on the border, he said, "India and China must work together in the security area too". "We might have our differences in terms of where our border lies. We don't have a final resolution of India-China border. But I think it is very important for India and China to ensure that peace and tranquillity is maintained in the India, China border areas," Bambawale said. "If we are able to achieve this, we should not have any doubts about our wisdom and our abilities, especially of our leaders to achieve this objective and this goal," he said. "If we are able to achieve this, then we will have an impact on security, not only within this region, the Indo-Pacific or the Asia Pacific region but it will have impact across the world," he said. On India's participation in the SCO, he said, "We have been a very enthusiastic member of the SCO. We have participated in all the meetings of the SCO. We are looking forward to much close cooperation between India and other member countries in the SCO." He also highlighted the significance of Modi's informal summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Sochi on May 21 "where they discussed how India and Russia view global developments and the position they take on these issues. "As all three countries, (India, China, Russia) are members of the SCO, we believe that the organisation can play an important role in global affairs," he said. The main areas of the SCO's work are security, counter-terrorism, economic development and economic growth, and cultural harmony and cultural exchange, he said. "So India and China worked very closely in the past one year in all areas and to enhance the Shanghai spirit of the SCO," he said. Asked about the opportunities and challenges faced by the SCO in the backdrop of the current international situation, particularly the rising protectionism, he said the SCO has many opportunities to reiterate the values that it stands for, including multi-polarity, the positive effects of globalisation, adhering to global rules, working together to uphold existing institutions and contributing positively towards inter-cultural harmony. "India believes that the SCO can work towards these goals" he said. On India's concerns over large deficit in bilateral trade with China, he said while the trade is growing touching about USD 84.4 billion last year, "there are some non-tariff barriers in China which need to be removed for this to happen". "We need to move towards more balanced trade between our two countries since only then will our commercial interaction be sustainable," he said. India has been asking China to open its IT and pharmaceutical sectors to address the trade deficit which climbed to over USD 51 billion last year. Ukraine's parliament ratifies Ukraine-France deal for supply of Airbus helicopters for Interior Ministry Ukraine and France signed in Paris a treaty on the aviation security system, which provides for the supply of 55 modern Airbus helicopters to Ukraine. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Groysman asks Naftogaz to review $46.3 mln remuneration to its employees after win over Gazprom That's really too much, he said. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter The IMF wants to see if the law ensures the establishment of an independent and trustworthy anti-corruption court that meets the expectations of the Ukrainian people. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will assess the law passed by the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, on the establishment of an anti-corruption court to determine the decisive role of the panel of international experts in the process of selecting judges. Read alsoUkraine's parliament eventually passes law on anti-corruption court "Regarding the parliament adopting the law on the anti-corruption court today... That happened a few hours ago. So we will now need to assess that law as it was adopted, we will take a look at that. And we will be looking to see is that it ensures the establishment of an independent and trustworthy anti-corruption court that meets the expectations of the Ukrainian people. And in this regard, the selection process for the judges who will serve on that court is critical. And it's important that the panel of independent experts to support this process has a crucial role in verifying the applicants to the position of a judge have the necessary qualifications. So those are the things we're going to be looking at as priority items as we assess the law that was passed," Gerry Rice, Director of IMF Communications Department, told a Thursday briefing in Washington DC, answering a question by UNIAN. As UNIAN reported earlier, the Verkhovna Rada passed the presidential draft law "On the High Anti-Corruption Court" in the second reading on Thursday, June 7. Read alsoUkraine's anti-corruption court may consider first cases in early 2019 Parl't Speaker The law stipulates that, the Public Council of International Experts, at the initiative of at least its three members, and the High Qualification Commission of Judges will consider the issue of the candidate's suitability for the position of a judge. In March 2015, the IMF approved a four-year EEF loan program for Ukraine under which $17.5 billion will be disbursed. Under the program, Ukraine has received only four disbursements from the Fund to the tune of $8.7 billion due to the slow implementation of the agreed reforms. The program is expiring in March 2019. However, the National Bank of Ukraine and the Finance Ministry expect to receive $1.9 billion from the IMF in 2018. The key requirements of the IMF to continue cooperation include passing a law on setting up an independent anti-corruption court consistent with the recommendations of the Venice Commission, as well as bringing gas prices to import parity and providing a mechanism for their automatic regulation, with a change in the price conjuncture. Because of hostilities in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, a large part of the infrastructure has been destroyed constituting a $9.5 billion loss alone. Ukraine has lost $100 billion due to Russian aggression in Crimea and east Ukraine, according to Anders Aslund, Resident Senior Fellow at Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council, who spoke at a panel discussion The price of the Kremlin aggression in Ukraine: the material dimension. After the annexation of Crimea, Ukraine lost 1.4 million hectares of agriculture land, its price is more than $1.8 billion. In addition, Ukrainian banks lost an estimated $1.7-1.9 billion of assets in the bank branches, according to the report. As a result of a decrease of trade relations with Russia, Ukraine has lost 14 billion dollars. Russia also confiscated Krymenergo energy company, resulting in Ukraine losing another billion dollars, the participants in the panel heard, according to Ukraine Crisis Media Center. Because of hostilities in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, a large part of the infrastructure has been destroyed constituting a $9.5 billion loss. Who is responsible? DPR and LPR are not recognized by anybody. Companies have just taken over without any legal documents, said Anders Aslund. We are not talking about selling Crimea. Crimea for us is a part of Ukrainian territory. We are talking about the protection of investors who unlawfully lost their rights in Crimea. And we are not talking about the title of ownership in Crimea. This is also obvious for us that the title is in Ukrainian position and Russia has simply usurped our right to regulate [it] and created the double legal regime in Crimea. This is our stable position, emphasized Olena Zerkal, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine on European Integration. Read alsoRussia seizes over 7 bcm of Ukrainian gas in annexed Crimea expert At the same time, Russia incurs significant economic losses due to the aggression as well: it spends about $2 billion supporting Crimea. The military expenditures of the Russian Federation have increased in recent years to 5.3% of GDP. According to Alan Riley, Atlantic Councils Nonresident Senior Fellow in Global Energy Center, Ukrainian companies and individuals who have lost their assets as a result of the Russian aggression should file lawsuits against Russia with international courts. It is also worthwhile to join the group and file class action suits to cut expenses during litigation. We encourage individuals and firms to begin to use the international legal system to go after the Kremlin and to seek recompense, said John E. Herbst, Eurasia Center Director at Atlantic Council. There are three possible courses of action that Ukrainians can take in order to attain a restitution for a damage that was caused. One is the 1998 bilateral investment treaty between the government of Ukraine and the Russian Federation. This bilateral agreement provides that each contracting party shall encourage the investors of the other contracting party to make investments on its territory and shall allow such investments insofar as it is in conformity with respective legislation, said Eugene Czolij, President of Ukrainian World Congress. Read alsoRussia snatches two-thirds of Ukraine's Black Sea shelf following Crimea grab It is also important to motivate investors to come back to these territories after the end of occupation, thinks Yulia Klymenko, MBA Program Director at Kyiv School of Economics. The motivation will gradually decrease. This issue should be a part of a public debate. Indirect losses will be much higher than direct losses in the occupied territories. We should be ready to count all losses, Yulia Klymenko emphasized. Marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, President Donald Trump hosted an Iftar dinner at the White House. To the group of U.S. cabinet officials and ambassadors from mostly Muslim-majority countries, the President offered a message of unity and respect. To each of you and to the Muslims around the world: Ramadan Mubarak, he said. President Trump noted that the iftar dinner is a sacred tradition of one of the worlds great religions, marking the coming together of families and friends to celebrate a timeless message of peace, charity and love. Its a moment to call on our highest ideals, and to give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy. He expressed gratitude for the renewed bonds of friendship and cooperation the United States has forged with its valued partners across the Middle East, and recalled his first foreign trip as President last year to Saudi Arabia, the heart of the Muslim world. The partnership and solidarity that we established over the past year has only deepened with time, President Trump declared. Weve made a lot of progress. The President concluded with the wish that all strive to embody the grace and goodwill that mark the Ramadan season. Let us pray for peace and justice, he said, and let us resolve that these values will guide us as we work together to build a bright and prosperous future that does honor and glory to God. On June 8th, much of the world observes United Nations World Oceans Day. The idea is to remind people how important the worlds oceans are to all life on Earth, to celebrate their beauty, and to bring attention to the impact human activity has on the oceans. This year, the theme is preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean. The world's oceans cover nearly three fourths of the Earth's surface, and contain 97 percent of our planet's water. They produce over half of our oxygen, help regulate our climate, absorb carbon dioxide, and support the greatest abundance of life on our planet. Nearly half of all species on Earth depend on the oceans for survival, and for many of the rest, including for people, the oceans improve the quality of life. The oceans are also indispensable to the world's economy, because they are key to transportation and recreation. And inasmuch as over 95 percent of the underwater realm remains unexplored, it is nearly a certainty that their depths may hold the cure to many a disease, the resolution to many a problem. And yet, as much as 40 per cent of the worlds oceans are heavily affected by human activities that result in pollution, over-fishing, and loss of coastal habitats. Of particular concern is plastic debris. Some of it comes from ships that ply our rivers, lakes and seas, and eventually makes its way into the ocean. But about 8 million metric tons of plastic waste washes off land into the ocean each year. Once there, it begins to break down until it turns into small fragments known as microplastics. Plastics are a serious threat, because they degrade very slowly, entangle sea creatures, damage habitats like coral reefs, and are ingested by marine animals. Researchers have documented impacts of plastic on over 650 different marine species including sea turtles, seals, whales, dolphins, porpoises, seabirds, and fish. On World Oceans Day, we must remember that the health and safety of our oceans is our collective responsibility, one that we cannot afford to neglect. Only through good stewardship can we safeguard the health of our oceans, and ensure that the oceans continue to meet the needs of future generations. Oleksandr Danyliuk, who was dismissed by the Ukrainian parliament under the proposal of Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman on Thursday, has said that among his key achievements in the post was the nationalization of PrivatBank, when he was not afraid of taking the lead, which allowed to protect the interests of 20 million citizens from one of the most powerful oligarch groups. "Although those, who were supposed to do this together with me, were cowardly hiding in the offices," Danyliuk said, speaking before the resignation in the Verkhovna Rada and pointing to the head of the government who was present at the consideration of the issue. He said that there were other representatives of the authorities who "frankly worked for private interests." "I initiated a trial against Kolomoisky in the court of London, filing a lawsuit about fraud, and there are people who hampered me from doing it using all methods, and also offered me to reach an agreement," the ex-minister said in the Verkhovna Rada hall. According to him, these same people hindered the introduction of the automatic VAT refund system. At the same time, Danyliuk refrained from mentioning any last names, except for Roman Nasirov, who was dismissed this year from the post of head of the State Fiscal Service, which the ex-minister also named one of his achievements. Spain's ACCIONA Energia Global to invest EUR 54.7 mln in joint project with UDP to build solar power plant near Kyiv UDP (Kyiv) from the UFuture investment group has arranged a joint project to expand Dymerka solar power plant (Kyiv region) from 6 MW to 57.6 MW with Spain's ACCIONA Energia Global, the press service of UDP reported on Friday. "The first project of the Spanish energy giant on the Ukrainian market will be the development of the second, third and fourth stages of the Dymerka solar power plant in Kyiv region with a total peak capacity of 57.6 MW. The first phase of this plant was commissioned by UDP Renewables in the summer of 2017. The total volume of foreign direct investment only in this project is EUR 54.7 million," UDP said. The founder of UFuture Vasyl Khmelnytsky said that the launch of the Dymerka solar power plant at a full capacity is scheduled for the first quarter of 2019. "I believe that this example would stir up the process of attracting investment and the global expertise, which is also important," UDP reported, citing Khmelnytsky. ACCIONA Energia CEO Rafael Mateo said that the Spanish company starts its operations in the renewable energy sphere in Ukraine with support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The UDP said that they arranged with Acciona Energia Global to work together on a broad portfolio of investment projects in both solar and wind energy in the Ukrainian market. As reported, the first stage of the solar power plant in the village of Velyka Dymerka (Kyiv region) with a capacity of 6 MW was registered for Dymerka solar power plant-1 LLC. The company belongs to the majority shareholder of the UDP development company Vasyl Khmelnytsky. ACCIONA Energia Global from ACCIONA Group headquartered in Madrid is a global leader in renewable energy with 25 years of experience. UFuture investment group is a leading business group in Ukraine. It incorporates UDP, the Sikorsky Kyiv airport (Zhuliany), RTM national outdoor advertiser, Bila Tserkva industrial park, UNIT.City and LvivTech.City innovative parks, Biopharma pharmaceutical company and UDP Renewables. UFuture is headquartered in Brussels and its head office is located in Kyiv. UDP Renewables is a Ukrainian developing company in the renewable energy sphere. Kyiv administration together with USAID will work out plan for upgrading heat supply system in Kyiv Kyiv City State Administration together with the USAID will work out a plan for the modernization of the heat supply system of the capital, Deputy Head of Kyiv City State Administration Petro Panteleyev has told reporters in Kyiv. "We, together with USAID and experts, have begun work on a new heat supply scheme for the city, which will show what first of all we need to invest in," he said. Panteleyev added this summer Kyivteploenergo will carry out work to eliminate the problems identified in the process of hydraulic testing of the heating systems, it is not planned to implement major projects for the relocation of networks. As reported, previously the capital completed the first stage of accepting the city's heat and power complex from Kyivenergo, the transfer of personnel to municipal company Kyivteploenergo. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will be invited for the NATO summit in Brussels in July, but it is not yet known in what formats, in addition to the meeting on the Afghan mission Resolute Support, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg has said. "President Poroshenko will be invited to the NATO Summit. We haven't yet decided the exact formats and the exact types of meeting, but he will be invited. Not least because we also have we have decided already that we will have a meeting of the Resolute Support partners," said Stoltenberg at a press conference in Brussels on Thursday, where the meeting of defense ministers of the alliance takes place. "So, it remains to be seen exactly what kind of formats we will have at the Summit, but President Poroshenko is invited," the secretary general repeated, answering the question whether the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine commission at the highest level would take place "on the sidelines" of the summit. U.S. calls on Russia to withdraw its troops from Donbas U.S. Dept. spokesperson The U.S. Department of State has once again urged Russia to withdraw its troops from Donbas, calling the number of killed and wounded Ukrainian military over the past month. "May was the bloodiest month this year for Ukrainian soldiers defending their country against Russian aggression: ten killed and 91 wounded. The United States stands with Ukraine and calls on Russia to withdraw its forces from Donbas," Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State Press Heather Nauert wrote on Twitter on Friday. President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio has called the adoption by the Ukrainian parliament of the law "On the High Anti-Corruption Court" a testament to Ukraine's intention to continue the path of reforms and European integration. "It is with great satisfaction - I would even say with great joy - that I learnt of today's decision by the Verkhovna Rada to adopt the law on the High Anti-Corruption Court. According to the reports the law as adopted is in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission," the Commission chief said in his statement posted on the Commission's website on Thursday. The official congratulated the Ukrainian MPs on the vote and thanked all those who contributed to the adoption of the law. "This is an important step forward for Ukraine and for Europe, most of all for the citizens of Ukraine who have suffered for too long from the evils of corruption. Today's vote shows that Ukraine is determined to continue on the path of reform and European integration," said the VC chief. He also urged all those involved to ensure the rapid formation of the court and to provide it with appropriate means for functioning. As reported earlier, the Verkhovna Rada passed presidential draft law "On the High Anti-Corruption Court" (No. 7440) at the second reading. Russia's hybrid military forces have mounted 37 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with four Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA), the press service of the Joint Forces Operation has reported. "Russian-occupation troops during the past day used mortars of 120 and 82 mm calibers 10 times and 122-mm artillery two times that is prohibited by Minsk agreements. A total of 37 violations of the cease-fire regime on the part of the enemy was recorded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on June 8, 2018. In the Luhansk sector, hostilities were most active near the villages of Krymske and Novotoshkivske, where the enemy used mortars and tank shells four times during the day. In the Horlivka sector, fighting continued near the village of Zaitseve. In the Donetsk sector the situation was tense near the village of Kamianka. The situation also escalated in the Mariupol sector, namely near the villages of Vodiane and Lebedynske, where the invaders launched at least 85 mines and shells in the last day. According to intelligence reports, the enemy also suffered losses: one invader was killed and two others were wounded. The situation in the area of the Joint Forces Operation is controlled. EP to vote on EUR 1 bln of macro-financial aid to Ukraine on June 13 The European Parliament will vote on the third macro-financial assistance program for Ukraine in the framework of the plenary session on June 13. The program envisages the allocation of EUR 1 billion. According to the information posted on the website of the European Parliament, a voting on a package of further macro-financial assistance for Ukraine is scheduled for Tuesday, June 12, and Wednesday, June 13. MEP Jaroslaw Walesa is to report on it. As reported, the EU Council approved the allocation of financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of EUR1 billion, which is expected to be used by the Ukrainian authorities within the next two years. The purpose of allocating funds is "economic stabilization and a program for structural reforms." This is the third package of financial assistance to the Ukrainian authorities from the EU since 2014. In 2014, the EU sent aid to Ukraine in the amount of EUR 1.6 billion, and in 2015 EUR 1.8 billion. Observers of the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) recorded over 5,300 ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine in the past week, OSCE SMM Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug said. The situation in eastern Ukraine remains unstable, and monitors of the mission recorded over 5,300 ceasefire violations, bringing the total in May to 28,000, he said during a conference via Skype on Friday afternoon. According to Hug, weapons which were supposed to have been withdrawn from the contact line under the Minsk Agreements were used 2,248 times. Last month, monitors recorded the deployment of banned 430 weapons and the deployment of 48 multiple-launch rocket systems in territories outside Kyiv's control and 22 of them in areas controlled by Kyiv in violation of the agreed-on withdrawal lines, he said. The parties are not only failing to demine, but also laying new mines, and they are not disengaging forces and hardware, Hug said. The deterioration of the security situation has already resulted in 11 civilian deaths and 32 civilian injuries, Hug said, adding that information about other victims is being verified and their number is likely to increase. The United States and China have reached a deal that allows the Chinese telecom giant ZTE Corp. to stay in business in exchange for paying an additional $1 billion in fines for having violated U.S. sanctions against Iran and North Korea. The fines announced on June 7 come on top of $892 million ZTE has already paid for breaking U.S. sanctions by selling equipment to North Korea and Iran. The Commerce Department said that ZTE must also put $400 million in escrow a sum that would be forfeited if it violates the latest agreement. A previous U.S. ban on ZTE purchasing equipment from U.S. suppliers -- which ZTE said was threatening to put it out of business -- was also lifted under the deal. In addition, a compliance team chosen by the United States will be embedded at ZTE and the Chinese company must change its board of directors and executive team under the deal. U.S. President Donald Trump has drawn fire from Congress for intervening in the case to rescue a Chinese company that had violated U.S. sanctions in ways deemed "dangerous" by some legislators. "Despite his tough talk, this deal with ZTE proves the president just shoots blanks," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. In April, the Commerce Department barred ZTE from importing U.S. components for its cell phones and other telecom equipment for seven years, a penalty imposed for allegedly deceiving U.S. regulators after it settled charges last year of sanctions violations. But ZTE warned that the decision amounted to a death sentence on its business, which relies on U.S. parts, and it announced that it was halting operations. The ban also hurt U.S. companies like Qualcomm that supply ZTE. Trump intervened in the ZTE case last month, tweeting that he was working with Chinese President Xi Jinping to put ZTE "back in business, fast" and save tens of thousands of Chinese jobs. He later tweeted that the ZTE talks were "part of a larger trade deal" being negotiated with China. The latest ZTE settlement may clear the way for the United States to make progress in its broader trade talks with China. The two countries have threatened to impose tariffs on up to $200 billion worth of each other's products in a dispute over China's policy of demanding that U.S. companies hand over trade secrets in exchange for access to the vast Chinese market. With reporting by AP and Reuters China will host a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization this weekend that is expected to focus on expanding economic ties with Iran and Central Asia. Iranian President Hassan Rohani will attend the meeting of the regional security bloc created by Russia and China in the coastal city of Qingdao on June 9 and 10. Iran is currently an observer member of the organization and it is only the second time an Iranian president has attended a summit. The presence of the leaders of China and Russia may facilitate conversations about the recent U.S. decision to withdraw from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Rohani on the sidelines of the summit, but the nuclear deal is not on the formal agenda. China is Iran's top trade partner and one of the biggest buyers of its oil, and Chinese leaders have pledged to forge ahead with plans to expand business ties with Tehran despite the threat posed by a revival of U.S. sanctions later this year. One giant Chinese corporation -- ZTE -- has been hit with nearly $2 billion in sanctions this year for its alleged violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran and North Korea. Chinese officials said the meeting will promote Beijing's massive Belt and Road infrastructure project in Central and South Asia. Shanghai group members which have benefited from Xi initiative include Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. Based on reporting by AP and AFP Chinese Telecom Giant To Pay $1 Billion In Iran Sanctions Case European Refiners Winding Down Purchases Of Iranian Oil Despite assurances from the EU that European companies will be supported in continuing to do business with Iran and shielded from U.S. sanctions, several companies have already announced they are cutting ties with Iran. EU officials emphasize firmly that they will support their companies in order to live up to the nuclear agreement with Iran, Fereydoun Khavand, professor of Economics in Paris, said in an interview with Radio Farda, adding, but it seems that the managers of European companies do not trust these assurances. After pulling out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran early in May, the U.S. set a 180-day wind-down period for international companies to cease their business relationships with Iran, lest they face sanctions on their operations in the U.S.. French automaker PSA, which makes Peugeot and Citroen cars, announced June 4 that it would pull out of two joint ventures to sell its cars in Iran to avoid the risk of U.S. sanctions. Europes second-biggest car maker, PSA had secured deals in 2016 after sanctions were lifted with two Iranian automakers, Iran Khodro and Saipa. Several oil companies such as Total of France, Eni of Italy, Repsol and Cepsa of Spain, as well as Hellenic Petroleum of Greece, have also started to wind down their oil purchases from Iran. After oil and gas, the automotive industry is the most important branch of Irans economy. PSA, which sold more than 440,000 cars in Iran during 2017, is the biggest partner of Iranian car makers. The company does not only bring foreign investment into Iran, but also know-how, Khavand said, pointing out that it is likely that another French automaker collaborating with Iranian firms, will follow PSAs example and leave the Iranian market. There is a danger that Iranian automakers will return to the catastrophic situation of 2012-2013 when sanctions created the worst conditions since the Iran-Iraq war. Some companies, such as oil giant Total, have announced that they will seek a waiver from the U.S. to be able to continue their business with Tehran. However, referring to the threat by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to impose the strongest sanctions in history against Iran, Total Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said recently that he was not optimistic that the U.S. would issue such waivers. The way the European companies and banks act indicates that the waivers will not be issued, and therefore we should consider their departure from Iran as finalized, unless a miracle happens, Khavand said In what appears to be a new form of protest in Iran, hackers took control of sign boards at a major airport for the second time in two weeks on June 6. The hackers defaced sign boards at Tabriz airport in northern Iran in the evening, showing a protest message against wasting Iranians resources and expressing support for Iranian truckers who have been on strike across Iran for several weeks. A group introducing itself as Tapandegan (Palpitaters) assumed responsibility for the hacking in a tweet on June 7. This is the same group that hacked sign boards at Mashad airport May 24, posting similar messages for several hours. News of the hacking broke almost immediately on social media as Iranians posted tweets and pictures of the incident. However, the posts came under pseudonyms as users inside Iran fear a heavy-handed clampdown by the government. Meanwhile, an e-mail sent around by Tapandegan to Iranian journalists said, Two weeks ago, we took over the computer systems of Mashhad Airport in support of the national protests. We protested against wasting Iranian lives and assets by IRGC. And, today, we support the truck drivers, the bazar, and the strikers! It appears that the incidents in Tabriz and Mashad are only the beginning of a new trend, as the hackers new message stressed, They cannot shut us up any longer. We will keep carrying out actions like this. The hackers also called on the Iranian government to improve the economy. The messages posted by hackers include two hashtags in Persian about truckers strike, and nationwide protests. The message posted on sign boards at Mashad Airport also protested against the IRGCs presence in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere in the region. Airport officials in both cities turned off the sign boards for several hours after the hacking and made apologetic public statements. Hacking attacks in Iran have been on the rise recently. In August 2016, Internet security experts warned that hackers have found access to banking and contact details of millions of Iranians by hacking into their Telegram accounts. However, it is not yet clear whether this was a genuine warning or an attempt by hardliners in the Iranian government to convince people to leave Telegram and migrate to home-grown messaging services, where the government has easy access to users private information and can intercept their communications. Qingdao, China, June 8, 2018 (AFP) Iranian president Hassan Rouhani arrived in the coastal Chinese city of Qingdao Friday for a security summit where analysts say Beijing and Moscow will likely seek ways to salvage the nuclear deal ditched by Donald Trump. Rouhani is set to attend the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional security bloc led by China and Russia, which begins Saturday. Footage from state-run broadcaster CGTN showed the leader smiling broadly as he descended from his plane, striding past a bayonet-wielding honour guard to accept a bouquet of flowers from a young Chinese boy. The summit comes after US President Trump controversially pulled Washington out of a 2015 international pact with Iran that placed limits on its nuclear programme in return for easing economic sanctions. Rouhani's presence marks just the second time that an Iranian leader has participated in the annual gathering, now in its 18th iteration. This year, Iran stands to gain a lot because it "is currently evaluating the signatories of the nuclear deal to see to what extent they'll be able to effectively maintain it even after the US's withdrawal", according to Gao Shangtao, an expert on Middle East relations at Beijing Foreign Affairs College. The security bloc will also likely mull over whether to allow Iran to ascend from its position as an SCO observer to become a full member state -- a development it has sought since 2008 but has been unable to achieve while subject to UN sanctions. The 2015 nuclear deal lifted that barrier. Rouhani is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit, although the nuclear deal and the issue of its membership are not part of the official agenda. Chinese businesses are expected to step up activities in Iran to fill the void left by the exit of US companies and the possible withdrawal of European rivals who fear punitive US measures. ANKARA, June 8 (Reuters) The speaker of Iran's parliament Ali Larijani said on Friday that security in the Middle East could be threatened if Tehran was further pressured by its arch foes Israel and Saudi Arabia. Tens of Thousands of Iranians took part in anti-Israel rallies across the country to mark Irans annual day of solidarity with the Palestinians. They chanted "Death to Israel" and "Death to America", burning the Israeli flag. "Israel and Saudi Arabia are the source of chaos in the region. The Saudi Arabia, Israel and American triangle wants to turn the region into a chaotic scene," state television showed Larijani telling demonstrators "The region's security will be threatened if they corner Tehran." Israel has strongly backed President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of a 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran. Washington has re-imposed sanctions on Iran and demanded Tehran make sweeping changes from dropping its nuclear programme to pulling out of the Syrian civil war. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said on Monday he had ordered preparations to increase uranium enrichment capacity if the nuclear agreement collapsed despite European efforts to keep it alive. Opposition to Israel, which Tehran refuses to recognise, has been a cornerstone of Iranian policy since its 1979 Islamic revolution. Shiite Muslim Iran backs Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups which oppose peace with Israel. "Israel is failing ... the claim of creating a new regional order is a mistake they are making and it is an illusion ... It is our responsibility to defend Palestinians," Larijani told the crowd in Tehran. Iran has repeatedly called on its Sunni Muslim rival Saudi Arabia to help improve their strained bilateral relations and work for stability in the Middle East. "The regional issues should be resolved by regional people, nations and the government," Larijani said. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; editing by David Stamp) DUBAI/WASHINGTON/LONDON, June 7 (Reuters) A day before U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, one of his senior officials phoned Saudi Arabia to ask the world's largest oil exporter to help keep prices stable if the decision disrupted supply. Riyadh, Tehran's arch rival, has long been a close Washington ally, but direct pressure on a member of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) over oil policies is rare. Washington last pressed Saudi Arabia to increase output in 2012. Riyadh has said that even though prices have spiked to over $80 per barrel, the highest since 2014, the market has yet to recover from a long slump. Until the phone call, Saudi officials had been saying it was too early to raise output. Riyadh took this line partly because higher crude prices could help the stock market float of a stake in state oil giant Saudi Aramco expected to take place in 2019, Saudi industry sources had told Reuters. So there was shock among some of Saudi Arabia's fellow OPEC members when it issued a supportive statement hours after Washington imposed new sanctions on Tehran. It said it was ready to raise output to offset any supply shortage. Three sources familiar with the matter said a senior U.S. administration official had called Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before Trump's announcement to make sure Washington could count on Riyadh, the de facto OPEC leader. One of the sources said the call took place on May 7. The other two did not specify a date for the call. Washington was worried that the sanctions would curb deliveries from Iran and push oil prices up, the sources said. A White House spokesperson declined to comment on whether a call took place. A senior Saudi official did not confirm the call but said: "We were made aware of the decision on the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) before the announcement...We always have conversations with the U.S. about the stability of the oil market." The Saudi statement in May threatened to undermine a deal between OPEC and its allies led by Russia to curb output by about 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd), starting from January 2017, to reduce a supply glut and boost prices. The deal is due to expire at the end of 2018. OPEC will meet on June 22 and needs a consensus of all members to officially change its output policy. Iran's oil minister, Bijan Zanganeh, said last week he did not agree on the potential need to increase global oil supplies. An OPEC source familiar with Saudi thinking said that Riyadh and Washington had discussed their oil policies before the U.S. announcement on Iran. "You need to work with your partners in dealing with any potential effect on supply," that OPEC source said. ALLIES "UPSET" The sudden shift in Riyadh's public position came as a surprise to its Gulf allies, who coordinate OPEC policies closely. Some Gulf countries were "upset that there was no prior consultation with them", a separate source said. They felt Riyadh had come under pressure from Washington and they had not been consulted before public comments by Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih. Falih traveled to Russia's economic forum in St Petersburg last month and said the kingdom was prepared to gradually ease oil output curbs to calm consumers' worries. The shift has also irked some producers outside the Gulf. "Some people felt they were not properly consulted before the comments in St. Petersburg," a second OPEC source said. Since the original international sanctions were lifted in January 2016, Iran has struggled to raise production above 4 million barrels per day. This is due to a lack of new projects. Iran would benefit less than Saudi Arabia from an increase in supplies if it cannot raise output, as well as receive a lower price for existing production. A third OPEC source said it would be against the OPEC charter to raise output just because Washington had requested it. "For some OPEC members, this is too much," the source said. MORE PRESSURE U.S. reliance on Saudi crude imports has decreased in recent years, in part as domestic shale output has risen, but Saudi Arabia remains an important source of U.S. supply. The U.S. imported 748,000 bpd from Saudi Arabia in March 2018, having reached a post-1970s peak of more than 2 million bpd during 2003, according to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Reuters reported in late May that OPEC and its allies could raise production by about 1 million bpd from July to address any potential oil shortages. The sources say Riyadh's shift in stance was prompted by pressure by Washington and other consuming countries but does not reflect concern in Saudi Arabia that there is a supply deficit. In late April, Trump in a tweet criticized OPEC for high oil prices. India and China also raised concerns about high oil prices in separate calls with Falih. "The thinking before was to continue with the OPEC deal until the end of the year," a fourth OPEC source said. "But then Trump and the Iran nuclear deal happened and consuming nations started to complain. Consumers are very important for us." Hackers Deface Signs At Tabriz Airport To Voice Protest (Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington and Steve Holland; Editing by Dmitry Zhdannikov and Anna Willard) U.S. celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, who visited Russia, Iran, Georgia, and Armenia, among dozens of other countries for his television program, has been found dead in Paris, a victim of a suspected suicide. Bourdain, 61, was found in his hotel room in France, where he was working on his CNN series on culinary traditions. Bourdain was host of CNNs Parts Unknown program, which focused on exotic foods in the cities and countries he visited but also featured travel, history, and cultural aspects. One of his most-recent episodes, broadcast on May 20, featured his trip to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Based on reporting by CNN, AP, and AFP Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 85 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said June 8. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 Trend: The OSCE monitoring held on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia on June 8 passed without incidents, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said June 8. The monitoring was under the mandate of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative in Azerbaijans Terter district. On the Azerbaijani side, the monitoring was held by Ognyen Yovic and Simon Tiller, field assistants of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative. On the Azerbaijani territories, occupied and controlled by Armenian armed forces, the monitoring was held by Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office on the conflict, and his field assistant Mikhail Olaru. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Details added (first version posted on 13:22) Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 Trend: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by Foreign Minister of Gambia Ousainu Darboe. The delegation also included Minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure of Gambia Bai Lamin Jobe. Noting the existence of friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Gambia, the head of state said with satisfaction that the two countries successfully cooperate and always support each other within international organizations, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations. President Aliyev expressed gratitude for Gambia's support on the international platform for Azerbaijan's fair position on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Darboe conveyed greetings of Gambia's President Adama Barrow to the head of state. The minister said President Barrow noted that under President Aliyev's leadership Azerbaijan has achieved great development and is making an important contribution to ensuring cooperation, economic development, peace and security in the region. Darboe noted the active participation of Azerbaijan and Gambia in the Non-Aligned Movement, further saying that the two countries support each other in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the UN. The minister said that his country supports Azerbaijan's just position on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and brought to attention that President Barrow strongly condemns the occupation of the Azerbaijani lands by Armenia. President Aliyev expressed gratitude for the greetings of the President of the Gambia, and asked to convey his greetings to Adama Barrow. During the talks, the sides noted the importance of defining the prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Gambia in various spheres of bilateral relations, including in the economic sphere. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 Trend: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has received a delegation headed by his Gambian counterpart Ousainou Darboe in Baku, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry told Trend June 8. Expressing his satisfaction over visiting Azerbaijan, the Gambian minister mentioned that he was received by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and during the meeting fruitful discussions were held. The sides discussed the prospects of cooperation in various areas between Azerbaijan and Gambia. The ministers underlined the importance of the expansion of legal framework and exchange of mutual visits in the development of bilateral relations, adding that the two countries closely cooperate within the UN, OIC and other international organizations. The ministers also noted that there is a huge potential for the cooperation in tourism, education, health and other spheres and to this end discussed the possibility of education opportunities for Gambian students at the higher education institutions of Azerbaijan. Speaking about the ADA University, Mammadyarov informed his interlocutor about scholarships by Azerbaijan for students from the OIC and Non-Aligned Movement member countries. Mammadyarov also informed his colleague about Bakus candidature to host Expo 2025. Informing his interlocutor about the recent negotiation process on settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mammadyarov highly appreciated the just and fair position of Gambia on the settlement of the conflict on the basis of territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan within the internationally recognized borders in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. At the meeting, the sides exchanged their views on the issues of mutual interest. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 Trend: The election of members of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was held on the sidelines of the 20th meeting of states parties of the United Nations Commission on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in New York City on June 7, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a message on June 8. Thanks to the promotion campaign conducted by the Foreign Ministry, State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs and the Permanent Representation of Azerbaijan to the United Nations, the nominee of Azerbaijan, who is the representative of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, gained a vote of 143 states and was elected to the Committee for the years of 2019-2022. The nominations from 16 states (Azerbaijan, Peru, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Bahrain, Algeria, Montenegro, Egypt, Georgia, Mauritius, Kingdom of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Bulgaria, Togo, Afghanistan and Burkina Faso) were put forward for 12 vacancies in the Committee. Although at least two-third of votes - namely 126 states - were required to be elected, Azerbaijans candidate won 143 votes, according to the ministry. The Foreign Ministry expressed gratitude to all the member states that supported the nominee of Azerbaijan, adding that election of the Azerbaijani candidate with a large majority of votes is a sign of high confidence to Azerbaijan by the member states. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women fulfills the implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Azerbaijan is adhering to the UN Charter carrying out a policy of isolating Armenia, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Azerbaijan Farhad Mammadov told Trend on June 8. He noted that Azerbaijan was subjected to the occupation of its territories by Armenia, as a result of which ethnic cleansing was carried out on those lands. "After that, Azerbaijan applied articles 41 and 42 of the UN Charter, which stipulate that if a state does not comply with the resolutions of the UN Security Council, sanctions may be applied against that state," Mammadov said. According to him, good-neighborly, equitable, mutually beneficial cooperation with neighboring countries, in particular with Georgia, allows Azerbaijan to implement economic projects, the amount of which in monetary terms is hundreds of times higher than the budget of Armenia and tens of times higher than its GDP. "Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev always stressed that if the Armenian authorities, regardless of who they are, think about the independence of their country, about economic development, they should peacefully get along with their neighbors. This would bring more benefits to the people of Armenia and strengthen its state independence, because it is impossible to develop in isolation," Mammadov said. According to Mammadov, it is enough to look at the map to understand that with closed borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey, Armenia cannot develop and implement any economic initiatives. "Armenia has borders with four countries. And the longest borders are closed. The infrastructure that existed in Soviet times also passed through the territory of Azerbaijan. The only railway linking Russia to Armenia and passing through Abkhazia in Georgia has been closed for 25 years and is not expected to be opened in the near future," the director of the Center said. Nevertheless, the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey trilateral format of cooperation is not directed against any party, but is formed and operates within the national interests of these three states. Mammadov reminded that this format has its agenda, including traditional meetings of heads of state, foreign ministers, profile structures, defense ministers, as well as joint military exercises, and implementation of pipeline and infrastructure projects. "The doors for participation in these projects are open to all parties, including Iran and Russia. This provision was written back in 2007, when the foundation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project was laid. However, there is a reservation that the territorial integrity of these countries should be respected. This was and is a message for Armenia," Mammadov said. He added that Armenia can also take advantage of the opportunities of regional projects, in case if Yerevan shows respect for the territorial integrity of the neighboring countries. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 Trend: Azerbaijan will continue supporting the efforts of the international community aimed at restoring peace and stability in Afghanistan, Azerbaijans defense minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov said, according to the message of Azerbaijans Defense Ministry. Hasanov was speaking at the NATO meeting in Brussels June 8 held at the level of defense ministers of the nations contributing to the NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. During the meeting, the political situation and security in Afghanistan, the future of the mission, the continuation of the financial support required for maintaining the security forces after 2020 and other issues were discussed. The peacekeeping contingent consisting of 120 servicemen of Azerbaijan takes part in the NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. Azerbaijan also continues to contribute to the NATO mission by means of multimodal transit, training, and financial support to the Trust Fund of the Afghan National Army. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 Trend: Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov received the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Azerbaijan, Mikhail Bocharnikov, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a message on June 8. Bocharnikov presented his credentials to the minister. Mammadyarov congratulated the ambassador on his appointment and wished every success to him in his diplomatic mission. Bocharnikov said that he is pleased to be appointed to Azerbaijan and vowed to spare no effort for further development of traditionally friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Russia during his tenure. During the meeting, the sides expressed their satisfaction with the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia in the spirit of good neighborhood, friendship and mutual understanding at the level of strategic partnership. The prospects of cooperation in political, economic-commerce, cultural-humanitarian and other spheres were reviewed. It was emphasized that cooperation among the regions play a particular role in furthering bilateral ties. The sides also exchanged views on settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, legal status of the Caspian Sea and cooperation within the international organizations. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 Trend: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on measures for construction of the Gazakh-Uzuntala (9 km)-Jafarli highway of the Gazakh district. In accordance with the order, the State Agency of Highways of Azerbaijan will receive 3.3 million manats for the construction of the highway. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 By Leman Zeynalova - Trend: Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi will visit Azerbaijan, the Iranian Embassy in Baku told Trend on June 8. Salehi will participate in the opening ceremony of the Iranian Culture Week in Baku, scheduled for June 27-July 1, according to the embassy. Lian Pearl Folk Music Band from Bushehr as well as a theater group from the Iranian province of Hormozgan will perform at the event. Holding the Azerbaijani Culture Days in Iran and the Iranian Culture Days in Azerbaijan promotes further strengthening of friendship between the two peoples, as well as the development of relations. The two nations have a common religion and a similar culture, and due to this cultural programs are of great interest. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 Trend: Azerbaijans Cabinet of Ministers under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Novruz Mammadov held an expanded meeting on the issues envisaged in the Working Plan of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan for 2018, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers said in a statement. The agenda of the meeting included the commitments arising from the Paris Agreement on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the tasks assigned to the relevant state agencies on fulfillment of these commitments, the new draft "Law of Azerbaijan on the State Registry of Real Estate and proposals for promotion and support of the manufacture of competitive import substituting products. After the reports of heads of relevant agencies on the issues of the agenda were heard, a wide exchange of views took place on each of the three topics. Then, the appropriate resolutions on the issues of the agenda were adopted. Summing up the meeting, Prime Minister Novruz Mammadov instructed the relevant agencies of the Cabinet of Ministers on implementing the tasks. Details added (first version posted on 18:46) Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 Trend: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has received Jan Zahradil, president of the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE), vice-president of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade (INTA). Ilham Aliyev expressed satisfaction with Jan Zahradils participation at the ACRE Baku Summit, to be held June 9, and highly appreciated the organization of this important event in the capital of Azerbaijan. Zahradil said that he arrived in Azerbaijan as ACRE president, as well as vice-president of the INTA and an MEP. He noted that the alliance led by him successfully cooperates with Azerbaijan. Touching upon bilateral relations between the Czech Republic and Azerbaijan, the guest said these relations are successfully developing. He underlined the importance of cooperation of the two countries at the level of strategic partnership. Zahradil expressed satisfaction with the contribution he made to the development of ties between Europe and Azerbaijan. Noting the high level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Commission, Ilham Aliyev stressed the importance of the adoption and signing of agreements and declarations on strategic partnership with nine countries, including the Czech Republic. President Aliyev expressed confidence that the event to be held June 9 in Baku will create a good opportunity for the guests arriving in the capital to get familiarized with Azerbaijan closer. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend: A general meeting of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) held election of the ANAS president on June 8. Academician Akif Alizadeh was re-elected as president of the National Academy of Sciences. Sixty-six people took part in the voting. Akif Alizadeh was elected president of ANAS in 2013. Previously, he served as its vice-president. Head of the Presidential Administration, Academician Ramiz Mehdiyev, rector of the Baku branch of the Lomonosov Moscow State University, full member of ANAS, Professor Nargiz Pashayeva, Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Chairman and Executive Secretary of New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) Ali Ahmadov, Head of the Department for Humanitarian Policy Issues at Presidential Administration Farah Aliyeva, Minister of Education Jeyhun Bayramov and other state officials, full and correspondent members of the Academy, MPs, rectors attended the general meeting. After the announcement of the election results, Akif Alizadeh made a speech. "In the future, I will make every effort to do everything in my power to achieve the goals set for us," Alizadeh said. "President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has set important tasks for science in the country. Science in Azerbaijan should move forward. The fulfillment of these tasks is the main way of development of our science. We must further deepen the reforms carried out in the Academy, and expand the path of the revival of science. This is the biggest issue facing us," Alizadeh said. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 By Ali Mustafayev Trend: Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands is expected to grow in 2018 due to the expansion of bilateral cooperation in agriculture and energy sectors, Dutch Ambassador to Azerbaijan Onno Kervers told Trend. "There is a number of trade opportunities between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands. Azerbaijan currently aims at diversifying its economy, and agriculture is one of the key drivers of this process. The Netherlands has rich agricultural tradition, being one of the strongest agricultural countries in the world, and second largest exporter of agricultural products after the United States, so there is a lot of experience that we can share with Azerbaijan," said Kervers. He added that Azerbaijan also works on development of energy sector, and particularly, of oil and gas projects, and there are many Dutch companies coming to Azerbaijan and expressing willingness to participate in such projects. "In general, there are of course many spheres that our countries may expand cooperation in, but currently the implementation of energy and agriculture projects remains the main driver of increasing trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands," said the ambassador. Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands in January-April 2018 amounted to $51.1 million. Export of Azerbaijani products to the Netherlands amounted to $27.2 million; imports from the Netherlands to Azerbaijan, in turn, amounted to $23.9 million. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Ali_Mustafayev Subscribers of Trend News Agency can read this and other exclusive materials before they are published in open access. More information on Trends news products can be found here. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 By Anvar Mammadov - Trend: A new health insurance product was presented in Baku June 8. The product, titled International Health Insurance and developed by PASHA Insurance, offers health insurance valid all over the world. The client who wants to purchase insurance can choose one of four territorial zones with different coverages. The first zone covers the whole world, the second - the whole world with the exception of North America, the third excludes North America, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Great Britain and Switzerland, and the fourth - the above countries and territories plus Australia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Thailand. As Ulviyya Jabbarova, Chairwoman of the Board of PASHA Insurance, noted at the presentation, PASHA Insurance, after many years of work in the corporate sector, decided to work more actively in the retail segment. "Over the years, we have improved our services and started to cooperate with more than 100 medical institutions. We have gained experience and decided to apply it in the retail sector. Our product will allow everyone to receive medical care anywhere in the world," Jabbarova said. She noted that the product will be further developed and modernized in the future, and the change in the cost of insurance is not excluded. "We will take into account the wishes and needs of our customers, and modify and change the product," said Jabbarova. Currently, the cost of insurance varies depending on the selected zone and package. In total, PASHA Insurance provides the choice of two packages, Advantage and Advantage+, the cost of which start from $769 and $1,127, respectively. The maximum amount of insurance coverage for both packages is $250,000. The Advantage+ package differs from the Advantage by a number of additional items - insurance coverage includes the costs of staying in a hospital of one parent next to a child under 19, a number of additional medicines, the costs of evacuation and repatriation, and the possibility of providing emergency assistance in countries outside the chosen zone. PASHA Insurance has been operating in the insurance market since 2006. PASHA Insurance - a member of PASHA Holding Group - provides services to corporate and individual clients for 36 types of voluntary and compulsory insurance. PASHA Insurance is one of the leaders and largest companies in the Azerbaijani insurance market. (1.7 AZN = 1 USD on June 8) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, June 8 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: The possibilities of cooperation of Turkmen and Russian transport companies in the region of the Caspian Sea were discussed in Moscow, says the message of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan. The talks were attended by Deputy Minister of Transport of Russia Viktor Olersky and Head of the Turkmen Logistics Association Mele Bekmuradov. The importance of increasing the volume of cargo transportation through the ports of the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan was emphasized, the message says. The possibilities of cooperation in the framework of promising projects of multimodal transportation along the North-South international transport corridor were discussed. The ceremony of opening the international seaport was held in early May in the Turkmenbashi City. The cost of the project implemented by Gap Insaat Company (Turkey) is more than $1.5 billion. With the commissioning of the Turkmenbashi port, the great opportunities have appeared for sending goods arriving in Turkmenbashi port along the "Silk Road" route from Asia and the Pacific region, further to European countries through the ports of Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran. The port complex includes a common loading terminal, bulk cargo terminal, polypropylene terminal, as well as shipbuilding and ship repair docks. Also the motor car road with trestle junctions has been built, and the railway road has been laid. The project is developed in accordance with the international Greenport standard. The annual intake capacity of the port will be 17-18 million tons. Together with the previously operating port, this figure has made up 25-26 million tons. The international ferry and passenger port can serve 300,000 passengers and 75,000 trailers per year. The container terminal has an average annual capacity of 400,000 TEU. Multimodal Logistics Park provides a range of services for storage and the combined handling of containers and cargo delivered by air, road and rail transport, providing their transshipment onto water transport and vice versa. Tehran, Iran, June 8 By Kamyar Eghbalnejad - Trend: Tehran will soon file a complaint with the international court of justice and other international tribunals against Boeing after the American aerospace giant said it would not deliver aircraft to Iran due to the threat of new US sanctions, an Iranian lawmaker said. Such a move by Boeing cannot undermine our determination and Americans cannot harm us this way, Seyed Taghi Kabiri, a member of the Iranian Parliaments Economy Commission, said on Friday, Tasnim news agency reported June 8. He added that the Islamic Republic would lodge a complaint against Boeing and follow up on the issue with relevant international and judicial tribunals. On Wednesday, a Boeing spokesman said, "We have not delivered any aircraft to Iran, and given we no longer have a license to sell to Iran at this time, we will not be delivering any aircraft. "We did not factor the Iran orders into our order backlog either." Boeing in December 2016 announced an agreement to sell 80 aircraft valued at $16.6 billion to Iran Air. Boeing also announced a contract in April 2017 to sell Iran Aseman Airlines 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for $3 billion, with purchase rights for another 30 aircraft. In a speech from the White House on May 8, Donald Trump accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and seeking nukes before announcing the US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany). Trump also said he would reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose "the highest level" of economic bans on the Islamic Republic. The new US sanctions will take six months to kick in, but a number of European companies have already halted their businesses in Iran despite verbal pledges by their governments to protect them against any fallout. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: There will be no further discussions with Iranian airlines on sale of Boeing aircraft to the country, Fakher Daghestani, Boeing Regional Director for India Middle East & Africa (IMEA), told Trend. "We no longer have a license to sell aircraft to Iran, so there will be no further discussions with Iranian airlines at this time," said Daghestani. US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement, which was reached between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany. Trump also said he would reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose "the highest level" of economic bans on the Islamic Republic. The fresh US sanctions effectively prevent Boeing and Airbus from further pursuing ongoing efforts to sell commercial aircraft to the Islamic republic because planes from both companies contain many US-made parts. Iranian parliaments Civil Commission, Sodeif Badri told Tasnim news agency that Boeing has not remained committed to its deal since the US move to leave the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The lawmaker said Boeing is not going to deliver any aircraft to the Islamic Republic. Washingtons decision to withdraw from the JCPOA and reinstate sanctions signals the collapse of about $38 billion in plane deals between Tehran and Western firms, with Airbus facing greater risks than its US rival Boeing, people involved in the deals say. IranAir, the national flag carrier, had ordered 200 passenger aircraft, with 100 from Airbus, 80 from Boeing (BA.N) and 20 from ATR. All the deals are dependent on US license because of the heavy use of American parts in the planes. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend: The Azerbaijan-Iran joint car plant Khazar, located in the Neftchala industrial zone, plans to produce about 2,000 cars until the end of this year, Emin Akhundov, chairman of the board of AzerMash, one of the plants co-owners, told reporters in Baku June 8. He said that in general the company plans to manufacture eight models of cars under the Khazar brand, as well as Peugeot and Renault, by the end of this year. The prices for cars will vary at 14,000-20,000 manats, he noted. In the long term, if we decide to establish production of car parts, the price may drop by 12-13 percent. It is also planned to produce models with automatic transmission. In general, the monthly production at the plant at the initial stage will be 160 cars. On Aug. 6, 2016, a major Iranian automaker, Iran Khodro, and Azerbaijani company Azeurocar (a subsidiary of AzerMash) signed an agreement to establish a joint automobile factory in the Neftchala industrial zone. The total cost of the project is estimated at 24 million manats. The Azerbaijani side has invested 75 percent in the factory, and the Iranian side has invested 25 percent. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev Armenias National Assembly is now in special session to discuss the Government program, presented by Pashinyan. While presenting the program, Pashinyan reassured there would be no privileges in Armenia, and everyone would be equal before the law, starting from himself, his relatives and his circle of friends. He recounted that his son was going to leave for military service soon, and he would follow up with officials sons to serve in the army, too, including those of ministers. Pashinyan announced that his government would eradicate corruption and would do it very easily. "When the leader of the country is not soaked in corruption, this is already an important precondition for the fight against corruption," said Pashinyan and assured that he would never be involved in any business or corruption deal and would demand the same from every member of the government and every official. The Prime Minister talked about his recent meeting with major businessmen, where he announced that no official could appropriate shares in others businesses. Pashinyan touched upon the topic of holding extraordinary parliamentary elections within a year. "The main goal of these elections is to restore the mechanism and opportunity of free, fair and transparent elections, said Pashinyan, adding that although holding it right away would be beneficial for his political team, who would win absolute majority, but they should improve electoral system first. . Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 By Anvar Mammadov - Trend: Work is underway in Azerbaijan to expand the geography of fruit and vegetable exports, Deputy Chairperson of Azerbaijans Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association Zhala Amirbayova told Trend June 8. She said that Russia and a number of other CIS countries are main export markets for today. This is while exports to Europe and the Arab countries are limited because of the difficulties with certification, she added. Certificates are very expensive - from 20,000 to 30,000 euros, and it is necessary to obtain them for each product separately, she said. Therefore, it is easier for us to enter the markets of Russia and other CIS countries. Great work is being done for standardizing certificates and bringing them in line with international requirements. After that, the export opportunity will expand significantly. The Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association was established in Azerbaijan in August 2016. The main goal of the association is to coordinate the activities of local entrepreneurs engaged in this field, increase production and export opportunities. Azerbaijan exported fruit and vegetable products worth about $503 million in 2017, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee. In January-April 2018, 104,310 tons of products worth $111.13 million were exported. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 Trend: Two undergraduates of Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) are recognized as the Students of the Year at 25th Anniversary International Caspian Oil&Gas Exhibition and Conference. This title was awarded to first-year Process Automation Engineering student Mahira Asadzada and second-year Process Automation Engineering student Abdulla Askerzada for obtaining high score at the entrance exams and excellent academic achievements. Both students received certificates and cash bonuses. They both earned 700 points at the entrance exams to higher educational institutions of Azerbaijan and became undergraduates of the Baku Higher Oil School. Soon after the academic year started, Abdulla Askerzada passed IELTS exams and earned 6.5 points. Having also demonstrated excellent knowledge of Information and Communications Technologies, he was admitted as second-year Process Automation Engineering student. Mahira Asadzada received publicity and great attention after she made a speech at the solemn ceremony on celebrating two billion tons of oil production in Azerbaijan, which was attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. EY was a sponsor of the 25th Oil and Gas Conference 2018, which was held on May 30-31 at Fairmont Baku Hotel. About 500 delegates gathered at this years leading regional energy industry event, including top managers of corporates, ministry officials, and international and Azerbaijani experts, to discuss key oil and gas projects in the Caspian region and how to ensure energy security. The conference addressed such issues as the global and economic outlook for the oil and gas industry, with a focus on the cost of oil and opportunities in a downturned environment; the last 25 years of Caspian oil and gas past, present and future; and a fresh impetus for the oil and gas industry of Azerbaijan. Moreover, the conference included high-quality technical reports, spirited debates and strong press coverage. The first day of the conference consisted of four plenary sessions. Omar Itcovici, EY CIS Oil & Gas Advisory Leader, participated as a speaker in a session entitled Operate efficiently. Technological innovations and best practice in oilfield development, which was moderated by Yashar Latifov, Vice-President for Field Development at SOCAR. Omars presentation was about field development and operations. During the presentation, he also shared information about quick turnaround solutions, challenges and value delivered. The second day of the conference included topics such as innovations, new opportunities in Caspian projects, development of gas trading, and the refinery and petrochemical outlook for Azerbaijan. About EY EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and economies around the world. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In doing so, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients, and for our communities. EY works together with companies across the CIS and assists them in realizing their business goals. 4,500 professionals work at 20 CIS offices (in Baku, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Togliatti, Vladivostok, Almaty, Astana, Bishkek, Kyiv, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Minsk, and other locations). EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com. EY in Azerbaijan EY made a major commitment to the development of Azerbaijan and the region by opening the office in Baku 24 years ago. Today, in addition to being the leading audit and consulting firm in Azerbaijan, we are the leading professional services firm in the region. As a result of our experience and competence, we have been able to assist both domestic and international companies as well as state-owned entities to develop and manage the challenges of the international economy. There are currently more than 200 people working in our Baku office that serve our clients in Azerbaijan. EYs strength in the Caspian Region and the firms commitment of resources are important to the entities operating in the region. It means that as we grow, EY will continue to demonstrate a tradition of hiring and training local professionals to be leaders in our practice. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Kyrgyzstan started exporting electricity to Uzbekistan, the press service of Electric Stations JSC announced June 8. According to the agreement between Electric Stations JSC and Uzbekenergo JSC, Kyrgyzstan started exporting electricity to Uzbekistan from June 8, 2018. Reportedly, the export will last until August 2018, resulting in 500 million kilowatt hour being exported at a price of 2 cents per kilowatt hour. The press service specified that the water volume of the Toktogul reservoir for 2018 allows the export of electricity. At the same time, the volume of export will be adjusted based on the technical capabilities of the parties. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Moscow, Russia, June 8 Trend: Opening of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) direct flights on the Moscow (Russia)-Lankaran (Azerbaijan)-Moscow route took place in Moscow at the Vnukovo International Airport on June 8. Director General of the Vnukovo International Airport Vasily Alexandrov, Sales Director of the Vnukovo International Airport Maksim Shishko, Deputy Executive Director of AZAL Jamil Manizade, and Adviser to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Azerbaijan to Russia Samir Sharifov took part in the press conference held on the occasion of the flight opening. During the press conference, it was noted that the Moscow-Lankaran-Moscow flight promotes the further development of tourism in both countries and the increase in the number of business trips. Vasily Alexandrov noted the significant role of AZAL in the development of the airport. He said that compared to last year, the passenger traffic of the Vnukovo International Airport grew 20 percent and will reach 20 million passengers by the end of the year, adding that AZAL played an important role in this. The flights will be operated every Friday on Airbus A320 aircraft. Touching upon the further increase in the number of flights, Jamil Manizade said that if passengers show high interest in this direction, this issue will be considered in the summer of 2019. The Moscow-Lankaran-Moscow flight will be operated according to the following schedule: planes will depart from the Vnukovo International Airport at 10:00 (GMT +3) and arrive at the Lankaran International Airport at 14:10 (GMT +4). Return flights from Lankaran will depart at 15:40 (GMT +4) and arrive in Moscow at 17:50 (GMT +3). Tickets can be booked and purchased at https://www.azal.az/en/ , at AZAL ticket offices and in the official agencies of the airline. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, June 8 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Chairman of the Mejlis (Parliament) of Turkmenistan Gulshat Mammadova received credentials of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Colombia Alfonso Lopez Caballero, the Turkmen government said in a statement June 8. The diplomat was informed about the main directions of state policy and legislative activity of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan. He noted Colombia's interest in enhancing cooperation with Turkmenistan both in bilateral format and within the framework of international organizations, the message said. The readiness to develop inter-parliamentary ties was expressed at the meeting. Alfonso Lopez Caballero was also received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. Congratulating the Ambassador on his appointment to this post, the Turkmen side noted the country's great attention to strengthening and further development of relations with Colombia, the message said. The possibilities of joint confrontation of the countries with the universal problems and threats of the present times were considered. In recent years, Turkmenistan has intensified cooperation with Latin American states. In 2009, President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez paid a visit to Ashgabat. As part of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development "RIO+20", which was held in June 2012 in Brazil, the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov met with the Chairman of the State Council and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba Raul Castro. The message noted that the Cuban leader "highly appreciated the peacekeeping policy of Turkmenistan based on the principles of positive neutrality, which has become an important factor of stability in the Central Asian region". Tehran, Iran, June 8 By Kamyar Eghbalnejad - Trend: Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said Tehran would use all its legal capacities and contractual obligations to protest against Boeings unilateral decision to cancel its deal with the Islamic Republic. The government will use its entire legal and contractual capacities to defend the Iranian nations rights, Abbas Akhoundi told ILNA news agency on June 8 after Boeing said it would not deliver aircraft to Iran due to the threat of the US sanctions. He called on the Iranian people not to get disappointed, saying, We have passed through more difficult days. Noting that the US cannot continue to exert its pressure on countries, Akhoundi urged the international community to stand up to Washingtons language of bully and threat. We should not get emotional, he stressed, adding that Iran can use its legal capacities under any circumstances to find solutions. On Friday, an Iranian lawmaker said Tehran will soon file a complaint with international tribunals against Boeing. It came after a Boeing spokesman on Wednesday said, "We have not delivered any aircraft to Iran, and given we no longer have a license to sell to Iran at this time, we will not be delivering any aircraft. "We did not factor the Iran orders into our order backlog either. Boeing in December 2016 announced an agreement to sell 80 aircraft valued at $16.6 billion to Iran Air. Boeing also announced a contract in April 2017 to sell Iran Aseman Airlines 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for $3 billion, with purchase rights for another 30 aircraft. In a speech from the White House on May 8, Trump accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and seeking nukes before announcing the US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany). Trump also said he would reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose "the highest level" of economic bans on the Islamic Republic. The new US sanctions will take six months to kick in, but a number of European companies have already halted their businesses in Iran despite verbal pledges by their governments to protect them against any fallout. Tehran, Iran, June 8 By Kamyar Eghbalnejad - Trend: Drilling in Kish Gas Field, the Persian Gulfs second largest gas field after South Pars, has made significant progress and is expected to be completed in nearly 7 months, deputy chief of the National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) said. "Impending (US) sanctions on the countrys oil industry and domestic inability to produce (some equipment) have delayed the project in Kish Gas Field," Mohammadreza Takaidi told YJC news agency on June 7. The government is now in talks with Canada and Singapore to buy the equipment, he added. Takaidi further said that the equipment will be delivered to Iran in the next two months and that it is estimated that drilling at wells at the offshore Kish field will be completed by the end of December or mid-January. Discovered in 1968, Kish gas field is located 30 kilometers east of Lavan Island off the Persian Gulf. The field holds an estimated 1.3 trillion cubic meters of natural gas in place and more than 500 million barrels of gas condensate, an ultra-light grade of oil. In 2017, Iran signed a basic agreement with Shell last December over studying the country's Kish gas field as well as South Azadegan and Yadavaran oil fields. Italian oil major Eni also signed an agreement with the Islamic Republic in June 2017 for feasibility studies to develop the gas field. The new US sanctions will take six months to kick in, but a number of European companies have already halted their businesses in Iran despite verbal pledges by their governments to protect them against any fallout. US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement, which was reached in 2015 between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany. Trump also said he would reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose "the highest level" of economic bans on the Islamic Republic. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: China, the United States, the European Union, and, of course, Russia, which all have geopolitical interests in Central Asia, clearly understand that without establishing good relations with both Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, there is nothing to do in Central Asia, international journalist, editor-in-chief of the Uzbek Vodiymedia.uz information outlet Dilmurod Jumaboev told Trend on June 8. He said the recently increased interest of China towards Uzbekistan should be considered within the framework of interest to Central Asia in general. "Uzbekistan is the fastest growing market in the region with great potential for attracting technology and innovation. China will not want to lose it to South Korea or the US. Uzbekistan not being against multimillion Chinese loans that are issued on condition of attracting Chinese labor and using Chinese equipment is an additional element that makes Uzbekistan attractive," Jumaboev said. The Uzbek expert said that China needs a strong Uzbekistan as never before. "There can be a situation when Central Asia, united around Uzbekistan, can hypothetically be better-off in allies with China, which always prefers a bird in the hand rather than two in the bush, than with the US or Russia. Nowadays, it is not only China who sees the potential that will unite the region in today's regional policy of Shavkat Mirziyoyev," Jumaboev added. He also noted that there is a great unrealized potential in economic relations of Uzbekistan and China primarily in the sphere of technology and innovations, as Uzbekistan is now actively engaged in development of various industries. "Uzbekistan is rich in resources and needs ideologically not aligned trade and financial partners. So, the country can substantially increase the level of cooperation with China, the world's industrial giant that requires a huge amount of energy resources and raw materials," the expert said. He reminded that China is one of the highest priority countries for Uzbekistan, considering investments, export and tourism as the main elements of its economic policy. With proper marketing, China can become the main market for Uzbek fruit and vegetable products. In addition, as international experience shows, regional tourism is the most widespread type of tourism activity due to tourists preferring to visit countries that are not very far away. Uzbekistans number one goal is creating a tourist flow from China, which sends 200 million tourists a year, Jumaboev said. Touching upon the US-China relationship and its influence on Uzbekistan, the expert reminded that official Tashkent, both during Islam Karimovs and now during Shavkat Mirziyoyevs office, is carrying out a neutral foreign policy, placing the country's interests above all, respecting and not ignoring the interests of partners at the same time. "Being in the center of the region and being the most populated country in Central Asia, where geopolitical and geo-economic interests of world powers have always been present, Uzbekistan skillfully maintains a balance in relations with all parties. One can say that this factor strengthens peace in the region," Jumaboev said. He added that both China and the United States are well aware that the partnership with Uzbekistan will always develop regardless of the relations between Washington and Beijing. Answering the question about the flow of Chinese goods to the Uzbek market, the expert noted that not only China, but no other country will be able to displace Uzbek goods from the domestic market. He reminded that Uzbekistan earlier during Karimov's presidency pursued a policy of supporting and creating domestic industry in many sectors. "Various methods of protecting local production had been used. The government hadnt been hurrying to lift import barriers. Nowadays, Uzbekistan announced its plans to join the WTO. The country is liberalizing the economy. The new government of the country is sure that the Uzbek industry, the market of goods and services are ready for international competition," Jumaboev added. He also reminded that the country has a cheap and highly skilled workforce. The expert noted that there are 17 million people under the age of 30 in Uzbekistan, and the country itself has modern enterprises operating on local raw materials, as well as small and medium-sized businesses, easily rearrangable according to demand. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Chiefs of general staffs of Russia and the United States will have a working meeting in Helsinki on Friday, defense officials from the two states said, Reuters reported. A Russian Defense Ministry official told reporters that Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, would meet with Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff, in the Finnish capital to "discuss situation in crisis-hit regions and possible steps to de-escalate tensions." Joint Staff Spokesperson Patrick Ryder said in a statement that "the two military leaders will discuss the deconfliction of Coalition and Russian operations in Syria, and exchange views of the state of US-Russia military relations and the current international security situation in Europe and other key regions." Dunford, who is now on a visit to Finland, met with Commander of the Finnish Defense Forces Gen. Jarmo Lindberg on Thursday. He is also expected to meet with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. Gerasimov is also expected to meet with Niinisto and Lindberg during his visit to Finland. On June 7, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Foreign Minister of Armenia, who is in Moscow on a working visit, met with Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia. Welcoming Minister Mnatsakanyan, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said: "I am glad for this chance to personally congratulate you upon assuming high office of Minister of Foreign Affairs and I hope that today, in continuation of the recently held high-level, meeting we will have an opportunity to discuss issues related to the development of our alliance and strategic partnership both in bilateral format, and within the framework of our involvement in various international structures." Minister Mnatsakanyan thanked for warm reception and stressed that this is his first foreign visit in his capacity as Foreign Minister and it is natural that he pays a visit to Moscow. "It is a pleasure for me to be here in this city, taking into account the warm feelings I personally have towards Russia and Moscow. Being a MGIMO alumni, I must say that those were among the most wonderful years of my life. I'm grateful for the professional education I received in that institution. Indeed, our relationship has a solid foundation. The commitment of the Government of Armenia to deepen and strengthen our allied cooperation, our mutual collaboration based on mutual understanding and mutual respect has been and remains the basis of our priorities. It is also expressed in the programme of our Government, which, by the way, is being presented for the Parliament's approval today. And I am visiting Moscow with that spirit, with that very mindset, the Foreign Minister of Armenia said. Ministers emphasized the willingness of both sides not only to ensure the consistency of allied relations, but also to conduct daily activities in different formats to give them new impetus. In that context, the sides touched upon the process of implementation of agreements reached during the meeting between Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, on May 14, as well as discussed the schedule of upcoming high-level visits. In the course of the meeting, Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Russia had a detailed discussion on a wide range of Armenian-Russian relations, particularly focusing on the intensification of trade and economic ties, implementation of joint programs in educational and cultural sphere, and military-technical cooperation. In this context Foreign Ministers underscored the importance of intergovernmental and inter-parliamentary commissions, as well as the effective functioning of the Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation. The interlocutors exchanged views on the issues of cooperation and coordination of activities within the framework of the UN, the OSCE, CIS, Council of Europe, BSEC and other multilateral platforms, in this regard highlighting the important role of the Foreign Ministries of two countries. A particular emphasis was made on the importance of close cooperation within the framework of the EAEU and CSTO. The agenda of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Russia also included a number of issues related to the citizens of Armenia working in Russia, as well as the ways of solving existing problems. Both sides highlighted the importance of uninterrupted communication between Armenia and Russia. During the meeting a number of international and regional issues were discussed, views were exchanged on the recent developments around Iran's nuclear program and the situation in Syria. The sides thoroughly discussed the process of peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the recent developments. Foreign Minister of Armenia attached importance to the joint efforts of Russia, being undertaken together with the other OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries - France and the United States, aimed at the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, emphasizing the importance of an environment conducive to peace for the success of the process. At the end of the meeting the Foreign Ministers of two countries had a joint press conference. Austrias right-wing government plans to shut down seven mosques and expel up to 40 imams in what it said was just the beginning of a push against Islamist ideology and foreign funding of religious groups, Reuters reports. The coalition government, an alliance of conservatives and the far right, came to power soon after Europes migration crisis on promises to prevent another influx and clamp down on benefits for new immigrants and refugees. In a previous job as minister in charge of integration, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz oversaw the passing of a tough law on Islam in 2015, which banned foreign funding of religious groups and created a duty for Muslim societies to have a positive fundamental view towards (Austrias) state and society. Political Islams parallel societies and radicalizing tendencies have no place in our country, Kurz told a news conference outlining the governments decisions, which were based on that law. Austria, a country of 8.8 million people, has roughly 600,000 Muslim inhabitants, most of whom are Turkish or have families of Turkish origin. One society that runs a mosque in Vienna and is influenced by the Grey Wolves would be shut down for operating illegally, the government said in a statement. An Arab Muslim group that runs at least six mosques would also be shut down, it added. This is just the beginning, far-right Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache told the news conference held by four cabinet members. France called on Friday for more ambition from Germany in reforming the euro zone, saying Europe faced a now or never moment with rising external threats from the United States and China, Reuters reports French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, speaking in German to a business conference in Berlin, offered the first official response from Paris to new European reform proposals from Chancellor Angela Merkel. He welcomed the blueprint laid out by Merkel in a newspaper interview last weekend, highlighting her support for French President Emmanuel Macrons idea for a euro zone budget. But we have a way to go in order to get to a common position that is ambitious and targeted, Le Maire said, noting that Europe needed the means to foster closer economic convergence and to react to crises. Our European future is at stake. We must act, it is now or never, Le Maire added. Macron has sketched out a far-reaching vision for Europe in a series of speeches over the past year. But until Sunday, Merkel had not offered a detailed response. While supporting the idea of an investment budget for the single currency bloc, she said this should be in the low double-digit billions of euros, far smaller than what Macron wants. She backed a strengthening of the euro zones ESM bailout mechanism, but her calls for it to take on economic surveillance responsibilities that currently housed in the European Commission are unlikely to be welcomed in Paris. France and Germany have promised to present a joint reform proposal at a European Union summit on June 27-28. Le Maire will meet with his German counterpart Olaf Scholz in Paris on Saturday in an attempt to narrow the differences. In his Berlin speech, Le Maire said Europe could not allow the fate of the world to be shaped by China and the United States. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte agrees with US President Donald Trumps idea to bring Russia back to the Group of Eight (G8), as he himself wrote on Twitter on Friday, TASS reports. "I agree with President Donald Trump. Russia should return to the G8, it is in everyones interest," the tweet reads. Trump said earlier on Friday that Russia should attend the G7 meeting. "We have a world to run and in the G7, which used to be the G8 they threw Russia out, they should let Russia come back in," he said upon arriving at the G7 meeting in Canadas La Malbaie. The Group of Seven comprises seven of the largest advanced economies in the world - Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and the United States. Russia joined the group in 1997, making it the G8. In 2014, the group was reformatted back into the G7 in light of events in Ukraine and a crisis in relations between Russia and the West. Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to organize a meeting with US President Donald Trump, Sputnik reported. "As my visit is coming to its end, I would like to sincerely thank Mr. President and Mr. Federal Chancellor for a really friendly, very open atmosphere that was created for our joint work today," Putin said during the opening ceremony of the "Old Masters From the Hermitage" exhibition organized by the Russian State Hermitage Museum and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has also asked Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to organize a meeting with US President Donald Trump, media reported. Putin asked that Kurz set up a meeting with Donald Trump in Vienna this summer, an offer the White House is considering, the Wall Street Journal reported citing a senior European official. Putin was on an official visit in the capital of Austria on Tuesday when he submitted the request, the report said. Kurz has agreed to accept the request and will work to bring Trump to Vienna, the report added. US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman was in Washington, DC last week and has been reportedly trying to set up a meeting between Trump and Putin. A White House National Security Council official confirmed to Sputnik that the Austrian government has expressed a willingness to play host to a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "The Austrians have conveyed their willingness to host a meeting between President Trump and President Putin," the official said on Thursday. "And, although the two leaders have previously discussed the possibility of arranging a meeting, we have nothing to announce at this time." Russia and China are determined to bolster cooperation in all areas, according to the joint Russian-Chinese statement signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping after the negotiations. "The sides express their intention to build up cooperation in all areas, and for this purpose they will be developing strategic trust-based dialogue at high and top levels and continue to develop mechanisms of bilateral intergovernmental, interparliamentary, interparty, interagency and interregional cooperation," the document says. According to the statement, Russia and China agreed to hold closer contacts on strategic security in the conditions of growing instability. "Amid growing instability and uncertainty in the world, the sides continue to develop contacts on strategic security, support intensive dialogue between the ministries of foreign affairs and step up bilateral coordination at the corresponding international venues," the statement says. Pursuant to the document, the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation Between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation as of July 16, 2001, remains the conceptual basis for bilateral relations currently and in the long run. "The sides highly value the benevolent and friendly atmosphere near the Russian-Chinese border which became an area of peace and comprehensive cooperation along its entire length, which allows to provide stable and gradual development of bilateral relations of equal trust-based partnership and strategic cooperation," the document says. According to the statement, the sides are ready to join their efforts to bring bilateral relations to a new, higher level. Russia and China noted positive results of the regular meetings of the government heads, as well as of the sessions of five intergovernmental commissions between deputy prime ministers and corresponding sub-commissions and working groups. They also highly value cooperation between the Russian presidential administration and the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Russia and China are also going to step up coordination between their armed forces: "Russia and China intend to further build up strategic contacts and coordination between their armed forces, improve the existing mechanisms of military cooperation, expand interaction in the field of practical military and military-technical cooperation and jointly resist challenges to global and regional security," the statement runs. According to the document, the two countries will use to the full extent the mechanisms of cooperation in the law enforcement and security, enhance interaction along these lines and jointly safeguard their security and stability. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 Trend: The state of emergency in Turkey can be canceled after the election on June 24, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Turkish media reported. "After the election, may be we will talk about whether to cancel the state of emergency," said Erdogan. The state of emergency in Turkey, which was introduced after the military coup attempt in 2016, was extended several times. On the night of July 16, 2016 in Turkey, a group of rebels attempted a military coup. The main fighting took place in Ankara and Istanbul. More than 250 Turkish citizens were killed, more than 2,000 people were injured, and finally the rebellion was suppressed. Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The introduction into service of the Russian surface-to-air missile systems (SAM) S-400 will strengthen the position of Turkey, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Turkey, Suleyman Soylu said, Turkish media reported June 8. Soylu noted that Turkey has the right to ensure its security, and for this purpose buys Russian surface-to-air missile systems. "The acquisition of Russian surface-to-air missile systems is conditioned by the needs of Turkey," Soylu said. In December 2017 in Ankara, Russian and Turkish representatives signed a loan agreement on the supply of surface-to-air missile systems S-400. Turkey will pay a part of cost of this transaction, and the other part will be paid with the Russian defense loan. According to the statement of the secretariat of the defense industry of Turkey, Ankara buys two batteries of the Russian SAM, which will be serviced by Turkish personnel. The parties agreed on technological cooperation in this area for the development of production of surface-to-air missile systems in Turkey. As Deputy Head of the Defense Industry Secretariat of Turkey Ismail Demir told reporters, the timing of supply of S-400 had been rescheduled for an earlier date than it was stipulated by the contract, and will begin in July 2019. Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, June 8 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: As part of the operation carried out by the Turkish air force against the PKK terrorist organization in Northern Iraq, the terrorist base was eliminated, the Turkish General staff said in a statement released June 8. The message notes that the operation to eliminate the terrorists was carried out in the Iraqi regions of Zap, Hakurk and Kandil. "The Turkish air force continues to strike at the positions of terrorists," the Turkish General staff said. The day before, the Turkish armed forces established control over the base of the PKK terrorist organization in the Avashin district in Northern Iraq. Earlier the Spokesman and the Deputy Chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Turkey Mahir Unal said that the Turkish armed forces are moving deep into Northern Iraq, and establishing control over the positions of the terrorist organization PKK. Unal noted that the Turkish authorities have repeatedly stated that military operations directed against the PKK militants may begin in Northern Iraq at any moment. Earlier it was reported that as part of the operation against the terrorist organization of the PKK in Northern Iraq, the Turkish military moved 73 kilometers deep into Iraqi territory. The Turkish armed forces have established full control over the territory of Northern Iraq to a depth of 28 kilometers. Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Turkey has 11 military bases in the North of Iraq, which greatly facilitates the fight against the PKK. The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demand the creation of an independent Kurdish state, lasts more than 25 years, and has claimed more than 40,000 lives. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by the UN and the EU. Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday after White House talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the two leaders were working together to improve trading relations and that Abe promised new Japanese investment in the United States, Reuters reported. At a joint news conference, Trump said Abe told him Japan was buying billions and billions of dollars of additional products of all kinds - military jets, airliners from Boeing, lots of farm products. Were working hard to reduce our trade imbalance which is very substantial, remove barriers to U.S. exports and to achieve a fair and mutually beneficial economic partnership, Trump said. Japan, a key American ally, is among a number of countries hit by metal tariffs Trump has imposed this year. The Trump administration has also threatened levies on imports of Japanese cars. Trump has made clear he prefers a bilateral deal to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with Japan, while Abes government says multilateral agreements would be best. The United States seeks a bilateral deal with Japan that is based on the principle of fairness and reciprocity, Trump said on Thursday. Abe said he had a detailed and candid exchange of views with Trump and the discussions focused on North Korea. Trump said his administration encouraged Japanese investment in new plants in the United States. The prime minister told me that will happen, he said. We want new auto plants going into Michigan and Pennsylvania and Ohio. US President Donald Trump plans to cut short his trip to the two-day G7 summit in Canada, leaving early on Saturday for a meeting with the North Korean leader, the White House said, Sputnik reported. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the president would depart Charlevoix in Quebec at 10:30 a.m. after a meeting on women's empowerment, skipping environment and climate sessions. "The President will travel directly to Singapore from Canada in anticipation of his upcoming meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un Tuesday," she told reporters. In the run-up to his visit to the G7 meeting of leaders of the worlds richest economies, the US president fired off a series of angry tweets, accusing EU nations and Canada of imposing "massive" trade tariffs on US imports. "Take down your tariffs and barriers or we will more than match you!" he warned after unveiling steep duties on EU, Mexican and Canadian metal imports and souring the mood ahead of the summit. In a sign of a deepening schism between the United States and its long-time allies in Europe, Trump reportedly declined a one-on-one meeting with UK Prime Minister Theresa May on the G7 margins. The UKs Telegraph newspaper said Trump had grown frustrated with Mays tone during their recent phone calls on tariffs and regarded the G7 summit as a distraction from the much-anticipated meeting in Singapore where he hopes to change Kim's mind about having nuclear weapons. Sergey Kopirkin, newly appointed Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Armenia, presented his credentials to Armenian President Armen Sarkissian. Sarkissian congratulated the ambassador on his new diplomatic appointment and wished him success in his office. The president expressed confidence that during his tenure, Ambassador Kopirkin will make efforts to further strengthen and develop the relations between two countries. The long-time critic of Russia, US Senator John McCain, has criticized US President Donald Trumps suggestion that Russia should be welcomed into the G8 format again, Reuters reports. McCain, a Republican representing Arizona who largely disappeared from the public milieu after being diagnosed with brain cancer last summer, emerged unexpectedly after Trump's recent remark on permitting the return of Russia to the Group of Eight (G8), which is presently the G7 in Russia's absence. "The president has inexplicably shown our adversaries the deference and esteem that should be reserved for our closest allies," the senator said in a statement Friday. "Those nations that share our values and have sacrificed alongside us for decades are being treated with contempt. This is the antithesis of so-called principled realism' and a sure path to diminishing America's leadership in the world," he added. Back in 2007, then-presidential candidate McCain vowed to exclude Russia from the Group of Eight, should he be elected president. With a track record like this, there is little wonder Trump's suggestion to bring Russia back was so rousing. Curiously, McCain was not the first senator to make a stink about Trump's suggestion: earlier today, Chuck Schumer, a Democratic senator from New York, wrote on Twitter: "We need the president to be able to distinguish between our allies and adversaries and to treat each accordingly." It is interesting to note how seemingly the only issue that enjoys bipartisan support in Washington nowadays is ensuring the US president doesn't try and turn enemies into friends. Apparently, the lawmakers think the US should never attempt to engage in diplomacy and change the status quo in any way. Trump remarked that "Russia should be in the meeting" while speaking to a group of reporters at the G7 summit in Quebec, Canada. Russia has been excluded since its 2014 annexation of Crimea, following that territory's referendum to leave Ukraine. "They should let Russia come back in because we should have Russia at the negotiating table," he said. KYODO NEWS - Jun 8, 2018 - 12:49 | All, World Japan's auto industry body said Friday it is "gravely concerned" about U.S. President Donald Trump's recent launch of a national security investigation into imports of automobiles, a move carmakers fear could result in new tariffs. "It is consumers themselves who would be penalized, through increased vehicle prices and reduced model options, in the event that trade-restrictive measures were to be implemented" as a result of the investigation, Akio Toyoda, chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, said in a comment. "Moreover, the business plans of automobile and auto parts manufacturers as well as imported vehicle dealers could be seriously disrupted, with potentially adverse impacts on the U.S. economy and jobs," said Toyoda, who is also president of Toyota Motor Corp. The United States launched an investigation last month into whether automobiles including trucks and automotive parts pose a threat to national security, stirring concerns among Japanese and other foreign automakers about their future business plans. The United States is the biggest market for Japanese carmakers. If Trump decides to restrict auto imports, Japanese manufacturers' shift of production to the United States could accelerate and hollow out the domestic industry, observers said. The industry body underscored that Japanese automakers are contributing to U.S. economic growth and job creation and that the imported vehicles do not represent a threat to U.S. national security. "JAMA member companies today operate 24 manufacturing plants and 44 research and development or design centers in 19 U.S. states, and in 2017 nearly 3.8 million vehicles were produced by American workers at those facilities," Toyoda said. "JAMA deems that free and fair trade and a competitive climate in line with global rules benefit consumers in the United States and strengthen the sustainable growth of the U.S. auto industry and its economy," he said. KYODO NEWS - Jun 8, 2018 - 19:40 | All, World Americans are more optimistic than the Japanese that an upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit will help to resolve the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula, a survey showed Friday. Of the American respondents, 21.8 percent said they expect "significant progress" toward the denuclearization of the peninsula in the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on Tuesday, compared with 6.2 percent among Japanese respondents. The joint survey by Japanese think tank Genron NPO and the University of Maryland also showed 34.3 percent of Americans believe Trump has agreed to meet Kim because he sees a chance for denuclearization, while 33.7 percent of Japanese said the president wants a foreign policy achievement. Asked why Kim had agreed to the summit, 37.5 percent of U.S. respondents said Trump's hard-line stance had worked, while in Japan 39.1 percent said it was because of international economic sanctions and Chinese pressure on North Korea. The survey covering 1,215 Americans and 1,000 Japanese was conducetd between mid-May and early June. KYODO NEWS - Jun 8, 2018 - 11:16 | All, World Japan and China launched a communication mechanism between their defense authorities on Friday to avert accidental clashes at sea and in the air, while sidestepping a territorial row over a group of small islands in the East China Sea. "The start (of the system) is an important step to enhance the mutual understanding and trust between Japan and China," Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said, noting that arrangements are under way to open a hotline between the countries' defense officials. The launch of the Maritime and Aerial Communication Mechanism was a long-pending issue, with the two countries initially having agreed to set up such a system in 2007. They finally reached an agreement in May amid a recent thaw in bilateral relations that have been marred by disputes over territory and history. Aside from the hotline, Japan and China will host in turn annual senior official and expert-level meetings to look into the operation of the system and technical problems that need to be addressed. The two countries have also confirmed under a memorandum that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the Chinese military will continue to abide by existing communications protocols between vessels and aircraft to prevent an escalation of tensions. "What we have is a contact mechanism at the level of people in the field to avoid unexpected occurrences. If the case is feared to become a major problem between the two countries, phone talks will be held swiftly between (defense) officials at an appropriate level," Onodera said at a press conference. (A Japan Coast Guard vessel, right, chases a China Coast Guard ship in waters near the Senkakus in September 2013) The two countries have refrained from specifying the geographical coverage of the mechanism, in an apparent attempt to avoid further complicating the dispute over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, which China claims and calls Diaoyu. The territorial row intensified after Japan decided to bring the Senkakus under state control in 2012. Chinese government vessels have since entered Japanese territorial waters near the islets on numerous occasions. After agreeing with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Tokyo to implement the mechanism, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in May he hopes the system will help to ease tension and build trust so "the East China Sea will become a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship." Written notification would be required if either country decides to suspend or terminate the system. KYODO NEWS - Jun 8, 2018 - 20:42 | World, All A delegation of South Korean government and company officials visited the North Korean border village of Kaesong on Friday to prepare for the opening of a joint liaison office there, South Korea's Unification Ministry said in a statement. During the daylong visit, the 14-member team, led by Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae Sung, inspected locations and facilities inside the complex appropriate for setting up the inter-Korean liaison office. They crossed over to the North in the morning via the western land border and returned to the South in the evening, becoming the first South Koreans to visit the factory zone since February 2016. "Most of the facilities seemed fine on the surface," the statement said, while adding that there were some areas in need of repair. Five North Koreans also joined the inspection, it said. The ministry vowed to have discussions with experts to decide whether to carry out an additional inspection before embarking on the opening of the office. (Chun Hae Sung, South Korea's vice unification minister) The delegation included officials from large conglomerates such as Hyundai Asan Corp. and KT Corp. In the Panmunjeom Declaration signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae In in their April 27 summit, they agreed to set up a joint liaison office with resident representatives in Kaesong for close consultation between the two countries and for exchanges between their peoples. The industrial zone was set by the two Koreas in 2004 as a symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation. Over 120 South Korean firms operated there, employing some 54,000 North Koreans, until it was shut down in February 2016 during the administration of former South Korean President Park Geun Hye. Three districts namely Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur reported over 1,000 cases on the day. The following was released by Armenia's Ministry of Defense A delegation headed by Defence Minister Davit Tonoyan left for Brussels on 8 June to participate in a defense ministerial meeting of countries providing forces for the NATO's Resolute Support mission. The ministers of the NATO member and partner countries are set to discuss current security environment and stability issues in Afghanistan, as well as to understand the visions of Afghanistan and NATO political and military leadership with regard to the management of the situation in the county. As a result of the meeting, it is expected that the countries providing forces to the Afghanistan mission will formulate a common position on overcoming the problems. During the visit, Minister Tonoyan is set to have separate meetings with NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller, Greek National Defence Minister Panayotis Kamenos, Deputy Secretary General of the EU External Action Service Pedro Serrano and other officials of partner countries. Hetq - Armenia now deploys 121 peacekeepers to the Mission, ranking it 11th out of the 39 countries that do so. Data on the number of peacekeepers from 39 countries participating in the Resolute Support Mission is provided in the NATO Secretary Generals Annual Report. The U.S. leads with 6,941, followed by Italy (1,037), Germany (980), Turkey (659) and Georgia (872). The Council of Bishops in Etchmiadzin released a statement condemning protests calling for the resignation of Catholicos of All Armenians as unacceptable and invalid. The statement decries the protests, organized by a movement calling itself New Armenia, New Pontiff, for making ultimatums directed against the Armenian Apostolic Church, arguing that the demands made in public venues go against church canon. A translated section of the statement reads: The ultimatum approach adopted, directed to the Catholicos of All Armenians, to raise concerns is unacceptable. The class of bishops, as the prime guarantor of the Armenian Churchs charter protocols and the inviolability of the Catholicos of All Armenians, stipulates that the demand for the Catholicos resignation, now being pushed forward through external and violent intervention, is anti-canonical and thus invalid. We understand our obligations regarding the future of the Church and the need to continue reforms in the life of the Church corresponding to modern-day life. The statement says that while the Council of Bishops respects rational concerns raised by the faithful, reforms must be made via the canonical bodies of the Armenian Church, the Supreme Spiritual Council, the Episcopal Assembly, the Church-Representation Assembly, the National Church Assembly. The statement was signed by the Primates of the Dioceses of Gugark, Vayots Dzor, Shirak, Tavoush, Aragatzotn, the Araratyan Pontifical Diocese, and several other high-ranking clergymen. In regions where malaria illness is widespread, it is common to find many individuals who are infected with malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum), but without symptoms. New research conducted by the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) shows that treating these silent malaria cases could help stop the spread of malaria to others. UMSOM researchers conducted a study of 114 participants in Malawi ranging from children to adults to better understand the role asymptomatic malaria infections have in the spread and occurrence of malaria illness. It is the first study to use prospective, longitudinal detection of asymptomatic malaria infection to examine subsequent risk of malaria illness among all ages. These asymptomatic infections may never develop into illness, but they are an important contributor to the spread of malaria and pose a public health challenge. "We know that in Malawi, like many parts of Africa, most of the malaria parasites are being carried by people who are not sick. They don't get treatment for their infections, because their infections a silent, but when they get bitten by mosquitoes, they can transmit malaria" said Miriam Laufer, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Director for Malaria Research in UMSOM's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD). Researchers examined the association between asymptomatic malaria infections and subsequent risk of malaria illness and demonstrated that carrying P. falciparum infection without symptoms was associated with a 50% decrease in the risk of malaria illness. Using a genotyping method to determine the molecular fingerprint of each parasite, they discovered when people who have asymptomatic malaria infection and get sick from malaria, it is because they acquire a new infection (from the bite of a mosquito) rather than having the asymptomatic infection develop into clinical disease. With new infections, adults and children with and without asymptomatic infection were equally likely to get sick. The researchers concluded that asymptomatic infection did not protect against new infections that made them sick. "We have always worried that if we give medicine to treat malaria to people with asymptomatic infection, they might get sicker the next time they get malaria. This has been a challenge to introducing new policies like mass drug administration or screening and treating campaigns to interrupt malaria transmission. Our results suggest that treating asymptomatic infection will not lead to increased risk of disease in the short term. Now we need to evaluate these new interventions to determine the long term impact both on the individual's health and also on malaria transmission" said Dr. Laufer. Researchers enrolled participants seeking treatment for uncomplicated malaria at the Mfera Health Centre in Chikhwawa district in Malawi between June 2014 and March 2015. Subjects were eligible if they had symptomatic P. falciparum infection, detected by malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and confirmed by microscopy, and were HIV-negative at time of screening. They were treated for their initial illness and then followed every month and evaluated every time they were ill. ### EC earmarks 100bn for Horizon Europe Press conference by Jyrki Katainen, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, and Commissioner Moedas on the 2012-2027 European Research and Innovation programmes. Audiovisual Service of the EC EU Commissioners Jyrki Katainen and Carlos Moedas proposed a budget increase of 25% for the next European Research and Innovation programme Horizon Europe (2021-27) vs Horizon 2020. However MEPs said that the new moonshot research section EIC is underfunded. Furthermore, the current funding quote of 11% was too low compared to other international excellence programmes. While the European Commission proposed Horizon Europe to have a budget of 97.6bn, a High Level Group report published last July recommended a budget of at least 120bn. However, as previous programmes had budgets of 50.5bn (FP7) and 74.9bn, respectively, the level appears appropriate on first sight. Christian Ehler and Dan Nica, the MEPs that will steer the programme, Horizon Europe through the European Parliament, however, said they want to convince the European Council to vote for the 120bn budget. Ehler said the budget proposed by the European Commission does not live up to the ambitions put forward by European leaders and research and innovation stakeholders, for Europe to meet global challenges. Horizon Europe is built on three thematic pillars and will be complemented by InvestEU, an 15.2bn investment support programme aimed at speeding up product development from R&D. The EC expects its elements to mobilise further investments of 650bn. The Open Science pillar earmarks 25.8bn for basic research - 16.6 bn for the European Research Council ERC, 6.8bn for Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions and 2.4bn for research infrastructures. The Global challenges pillar is designed to support research relating to societal challenges. Its five missions will get the biggest slice of the pie 52.7bn are earmarked to address global challenges and industrial competitiveness. The health mission will bag 7.7bn; inclusive and secure societies, 8bn; digital and industry, 10bn; climate, energy and mobility, 15bn; and food and natural resources, 10bn. The 13.5bn Open Innovation pillar aims to make Europe a front runner in market-creating innovation. The EC has earmarked 10.5bn for a new European Innovation Council (EIC), a one-stop shop for high potential and breakthrough technologies and innovative companies with potential for scaling up inspired from the successful example of DARPA, the US agency responsible for ground-breaking innovations such as the Internet, the GPS and stealth technology. The EIC will allocate its budget to high risk moonshot research. The new focus won't get on cost of the European Institute of Technology (EIT), which has a similar focus and will receive 3bn after 2.7bn in Horizon 2020. Researchers report that the 11% average funding rate within Horizon 2020 and the administrative burden, which is often outsourced to professional consultants, could deter research groups from applications. However, success rates have been higher across certain sections of the programme. Adiitionally, the Commissions JRC stands to get 2.2 bn through fellowships and exchanges as well as funding to projects driven by researchers themselves, through the European Research Council and the Marie-Skodowska-Curie actions. While the UK was FP7s biggest beneficiary with tax contributions of only 5.4bn but FP7 funding of 8.7bn it will be biggest looser in Horizon Europe because of the BREXIT. Observers said they expect the UK to get less support than other associated nations such das Israel or Ukraine. Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, responsible for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, said Investing in research and innovation is investing in Europe's future. EU funding has allowed teams across countries and scientific disciplines to work together and make unthinkable discoveries, making Europe a world-class leader in research and innovation. With Horizon Europe, we want to build on this success and continue to make a real difference in the lives of citizens and society as a whole. Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, added: "Horizon 2020 is one of Europe's biggest success stories. The new Horizon Europe programme aims even higher. As part of this, we want to increase funding for the European Research Council to strengthen the EU's global scientific leadership, and reengage citizens by setting ambitious new missions for EU research. We are also proposing a new European Innovation Council to modernise funding for ground-breaking innovation in Europe". Over the past 10 years Altria Group Inc (NYSE:MO) has grown its dividend payouts from $1.16 to $2.8. With a market cap of US$106.68B, Altria Group pays out 46.97% of its earnings, leading to a 4.94% yield. Let me elaborate on you why the stock stands out for income investors like myself. View our latest analysis for Altria Group What Is A Dividend Rock Star? It is a stock that pays a stable and consistent dividend, having done so reliably for the past decade with the expectation of this continuing into the future. More specifically: Its annual yield is among the top 25% of dividend payers It has paid dividend every year without dramatically reducing payout in the past Its dividend per share amount has increased over the past It can afford to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings It is able to continue to payout at the current rate in the future High Yield And Dependable The companys dividend yield stands at 4.94%, which is on the low-side for Tobacco stocks. But the real reason Altria Group stands out is because it has a high chance of being able to continue to pay dividend at this level for years to come, something that is quite desirable if you are looking to create a portfolio that generates a steady stream of income. NYSE:MO Historical Dividend Yield Jun 8th 18 If dividend is a key criteria in your investment consideration, then you need to make sure the dividend stock youre eyeing out is reliable in its payments. MO has increased its DPS from $1.16 to $2.8 in the past 10 years. It has also been paying out dividend consistently during this time, as youd expect for a company increasing its dividend levels. This is an impressive feat, which makes MO a true dividend rockstar. The company currently pays out 46.97% of its earnings as a dividend, according to its trailing twelve-month data, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. In the near future, analysts are predicting a higher payout ratio of 76.21%, leading to a dividend yield of 5.75%. However, EPS is forecasted to fall to $3.97 in the upcoming year. Therefore, although payout is expected to increase, the fall in earnings may not equate to higher dividend income. Story continues Next Steps: There arent many other stocks out there with the same track record as Altria Group, so I would certainly recommend further examining the stock if its dividend characteristics appeal to you. However, given this is purely a dividend analysis, I urge potential investors to try and get a good understanding of the underlying business and its fundamentals before deciding on an investment. Below, Ive compiled three key aspects you should look at: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for MOs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for MOs outlook. Valuation: What is MO worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, its not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether MO is currently mispriced by the market. Other Dividend Rockstars: Are there strong dividend payers with better fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here. To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. If you were a bit concerned about Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) and other bank stocks in recent days, you werent alone. But following Wednesdays performance BAC stock has been granted a technical pardon from bearish incarceration and one deserving of a well-placed, long call strategy today. Let me explain. Sometimes all you can say is, what a difference a day makes. And that appears to be the case here, in a good sort of way, for BAC and other financials. Headwinds of late, ranging from Italian debt concerns and 10-year yields to weak trading outlooks and other worries which had the Bank of America and other bank stocks looking defiantly bearish, were systematically swept under the carpet Wednesday. In fears place, a strong and overdue rotation allowed for financials to enjoy the role of technical leadership, outperforming a strong session in the broader market by more than 100 basis points. Within the rotation, BAC stock was a clear winner on the session in finishing up 3.2%. For its part the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLF) rallied by 1.8%, while the S&P 500 tacked on 0.8%. InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Wednesdays bullish price action begs the question of whether this is the start of a more meaningful rotation and friendly trend in BAC stock or a bull trap for investors jumping into a lagging sector as the broader market approaches a three-month high? Our vote is that Bank of America has been handed a technical-based get-out-of-jail-free card worthy of an eventual breakout. BAC Stock Weekly Chart Ive said it before and Ill say it again, as it bears repeating compared to most price charts these days, BAC stock looks reasonably attractive. The key difference today versus just over two months ago are shares have now put together a more durable-looking, high-level quadruple bottom versus a developing double-bottom pattern off BACs intermediate highs. Story continues Its anticipated that shares of Bank of America will eventually break out from the current basing formation to new intermediate highs. At the moment though, the expectation is for bullish follow-through within the pattern following Wednesdays reversal confirmation of the weekly pivot low and stochastics offering a fairly supportive set-up. BAC Stock Long Call Strategy Given our bullish outlook that BAC is in position to rally near-term, offers a nice-looking weekly base for a breakout in the weeks ahead and has reasonable call premiums, Im favoring a long call strategy in lieu of buying Bank of America shares. Specifically and with shares at $30.04, the Sep $33 call for 38 cents is attractive. This call is 10% out of the money, but additional downside exposure is eliminated and risk is contained to just over 1%. With more than three months of contract life the call allows for a doubling in the length of the current three month basing pattern if required. But with earnings in July a bullish reaction could provide significant returns for this strategy even sooner if shares challenge the base highs and breakout. As attractive as this all sounds, in practice its always good policy to be mindful of profitable or risk-reducing adjustments along the way if BAC stock does move higher as anticipated. Alternatively, Id be ready to set a 50% stop loss on the call contract if the quadruple bottom becomes something less desirable on the Bank of America price chart. Investment accounts under Christopher Tylers management do not currently own positions in any securities mentioned in this article. The information offered is based upon Christopher Tylers observations and strictly intended for educational purposes only; the use of which is the responsibility of the individual. For additional market insights and related musings, follow Chris on Twitter @Options_CAT and StockTwits. More From InvestorPlace Compare Brokers The post Banking Smarter for a Bank of America Corp Breakout appeared first on InvestorPlace. It's been a very different year so far for two big pharma stocks: One's hot and one's not. Things are going great for GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE: GSK) as its share price is up around 15% year to date. But for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), it's a different story. J&J stock is down more than 10% in 2018. Like the mutual fund disclosures say, though, past performance isn't indicative of future results. Which of these two stocks is the better pick for long-term investors? Here's how GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson compare. Three scientists in lab Image source: Getty Images Growth prospects Wall Street analysts think that GlaxoSmithKline could grow its earnings by an average annual rate of 8.8% over the next five years. That's higher than the consensus annual average earnings growth projection of 7.8% for Johnson & Johnson. GSK's current growth stems in large part from its vaccines business. Shingles vaccine Shingrix, which won Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in October 2017, is a major source of that growth. The company's respiratory drugs, particularly Nucala and the Ellipta portfolio, also are enjoying strong sales growth and should continue to do so. One current growth driver for GlaxoSmithKline could face some headwinds. The company's HIV drugs Tivicay and Triumeq have been big winners. GSK also has a new two-drug HIV combo on the market -- Juluca. However, Gilead Sciences also has Biktarvy, a new HIV drug on the market, which market research firm EvaluatePharma projects will be the biggest new drug launched in 2018. GSK could find itself in a tough battle for market share against Gilead's new drug. Johnson & Johnson is really three big businesses rolled into one. The company's consumer-healthcare segment has been the weakest of the three recently, but its revenue still increased by a respectable 5.3% in the first quarter. J&J's medical devices segment grew sales even more -- although acquisitions helped fuel much of that growth. Both businesses should provide steady, if not spectacular, growth in the future. Story continues The biggest source of growth for Johnson & Johnson, though, has been and should continue to be its pharmaceuticals segment. Autoimmune disease drug Stelara and prostate cancer drug Zytiga generated the greatest growth in Q1 in terms of dollars. The company saw even higher percentage growth for multiple myeloma drug Darzalex. J&J's 2017 acquisition of Actelion also has boosted its revenue considerably. While the year-over-year impact of the deal will fade later in 2018, the deal highlights that the company can -- and likely will -- use its ample financial resources in the future to make more deals that generate top- and bottom-line growth. The greatest downside for Johnson & Johnson is Remicade. Sales are declining for the autoimmune-disease drug as a result of biosimilar competition. The problem is that Remicade still is J&J's top-selling product. Valuation GlaxoSmithKline appears to be more attractively valued than Johnson & Johnson regardless of which valuation metric is used. GSK stock trades at less than 14 times expected earnings, while J&J's forward earnings multiple currently stands at 14.3. One of my favorite valuation metrics to use is enterprise value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA), which factors in balance sheet numbers like cash and debt. GSK's EV/EBITDA ratio is 9.8, well below J&J's 14.5. Dividends I think there's a quantity-versus-quality argument when comparing these two big pharma companies' dividends. GlaxoSmithKline claims a sky-high dividend yield of more than 6.5%. J&J's dividend yields a solid -- but much lower -- 2.6%. On the other hand, J&J's dividend appears to be on much firmer ground. The company is a Dividend Aristocrat, with 56 consecutive years of dividend increases. J&J uses less than half of its free cash flow to fund its dividend program, providing plenty of flexibility for future dividend hikes. GlaxoSmithKline uses nearly 87% of its free cash flow to pay dividends. Better buy GlaxoSmithKline looks like the better stock in pretty much every category. Wall Street thinks its growth prospects are better than J&J's. GSK stock claims a more attractive valuation and its dividend yield is much higher than Johnson & Johnson's. That would be the case even if GSK had to cut its dividend somewhat. But I still think Johnson & Johnson actually is the better stock for long-term investors. Why? For one thing, I question whether GSK's growth will be higher than J&J's over the long run. GSK depends heavily on its HIV franchise, and I suspect Gilead could put a bigger dent in GSK's HIV franchise growth than some expect. Johnson & Johnson also claims a stronger moat. Like the castles of long ago that had moats filled with water to protect them from enemies, J&J's exposure to multiple arenas within healthcare combined with its respected brand give it some competitive advantages that others don't have. GSK is winning so far in 2018, but I see Johnson & Johnson as similar to the tortoise in the fabled race between the tortoise and the hare. The hare was in the lead temporarily, but it was the tortoise that ultimately won the race. More From The Motley Fool Keith Speights owns shares of Gilead Sciences. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Gilead Sciences. The Motley Fool owns shares of Johnson & Johnson. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. After a very, very long wait, the big day is finally here. After 14 months of debate, speeches, and voting on various amendments, today, Thursday, June 7, Canada's Senate will be voting on whether or not to pass bill C-45, or as the bill is more commonly known, the Cannabis Act. While complex, the Cannabis Act has one purpose: to legalize recreational marijuana. Should the Cannabis Act be signed into law, it would allow Canada to become the first developed country in the world to have legalized adult-use marijuana. Uruguay is the only country to have previously legalized recreational weed. Of course, today's vote won't be a cut-and-dried event. Here's what you, the casual observer or perhaps pot-stock investor, can expect of today's vote and what's to follow. Cannabis buds next to a piece of paper that says yes, lying on dozens of miniature Canadian flags. Image source: Getty Images. Will bill C-45 pass? Though nothing is a certainty in the political world, I struggle to see how this bill won't pass the Senate after 14 months of arduous debate. In total, of the 105 seats in Canada's Senate, 13 are currently vacant, and 32 are held by Conservatives. This means the more progressive Independents (43 seats) and Liberals (11 seats) hold a clear majority. Conservatives, no matter how concerned they are about adolescent access to cannabis, or how legalization could affect driving under the influence laws, have no way of stopping this bill from passage without the assistance of Independents and/or the six non-affiliated senators. What happens if bill C-45 passes? Should the Cannabis Act receive a passing vote in the Senate, it would once again be ushered back to the House of Commons for vote. Just as in the United States, when changes are made to legislation, it has to be ratified by both houses of Congress prior to being sent to the president's desk. With the Canadian Senate adopting a number of changes, bill C-45 will be sent to the House of Commons for vote. It's possible the House of Commons is pleased with the current bill, passes it, and sends it to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's desk to be signed into law. It's also possible that the House of Commons makes adjustments of its own, which would once again mean sending the bill back to the Senate for another vote. Should this latter scenario occur, it has the potential to delay the launch of recreational weed sales. Story continues A person holding up a puzzle piece with a large question mark drawn on it. Image source: Getty Images. What happens if bill C-45 doesn't pass the Senate? Should my thesis prove all wet, and the Cannabis Act fails to garner enough votes today, the bill would essentially be dead, and debate would once again begin in the House of Commons. While such a scenario seems unlikely, it would probably create nothing short of a wipeout in marijuana stocks should bill C-45 be voted down. When would legal weed sales commence? Here's the tricky thing about today's Senate vote: There will likely be a considerable amount of time between the (expected) passage of this bill and the first legal sales of adult-use weed. Originally slated to go on sale by July 1, 2018, Canadian regulators have suggested that sales aren't likely to commence until eight to 12 weeks post-legalization. The delay is needed to allow time for growers to get their crop into retail dispensaries, as well as allow each of Canada's provinces ample time to get their regulatory infrastructure in place. A judge's gavel next to trimmed cannabis buds. Image source: Getty Images. Is legalization uniform throughout Canada? Actually, no, it isn't. Though there are certain laws established by the Cannabis Act, such as how many plants may be home grown in a residence, or how much cannabis an individual may possess, other aspects of regulation can be completely different depending on the province. For example, Alberta has set the legal age of consumption at 18 and over, whereas every other province went with 19 years of age and up. Certain provinces, such as Quebec and Ontario, won't allow private retailers to operate dispensaries. Meanwhile, the opposite can be found in Saskatchewan, with no government-operated stores in the province. In other words, legalization will be somewhat piecemeal, just as it is in U.S. states. What are the taxes on legal weed, assuming the Cannabis Act is passed? In October, lawmakers proposed taxing legal cannabis at $0.77 (1 Canadian dollar)-per-gram up to $7.70 (CA$10), and a flat 10% excise tax on more expensive strains. By December, the federal government had struck a two-year tax-sharing agreement with all provinces expect Manitoba. Under the agreement, provinces will receive 75% of collected tax revenue for the first two years, with the federal government netting the other 25%. Provinces are getting a larger piece of the pie since they're on the front lines of regulation, not the federal government. It's worth pointing out that this relatively low excise tax rate is going to be critical in regard to competing against the black market. A roughly 10% excise tax is nothing compared to the 50% to 80% tax Canadians typically pay on beer, wine, and liquor. The shadow of a large dollar sign being projected onto a pile of cannabis leaves. Image source: Getty Images. What does legal recreational marijuana mean for Canada's weed industry? Should Canada's Senate vote in favor of the Cannabis Act, the House of Commons also do so, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sign the bill into law, it's expected to add $5 billion to the legal Canadian cannabis industry a year, if not more. Since there is no precedent to legalizing adult-use weed, no one is entirely certain of what to expect. But the key point here is that sales growth and demand are expected to explode higher. Is it time to buy marijuana stocks? I'm still sticking with "no" for the time being. Most pot stocks have already been thrust into the stratosphere on the expectation of bill C-45 passing. However, the work is just beginning for these publicly traded companies. Many won't be significantly profitable for at least a few more years, and quite a few are crushing their shareholders under the effects of dilution via bought-deal offerings. These capital raises are something of a necessary evil for an industry with no traditional access to capital. In short, until the industry matures, it's probably best to remain on the sidelines. More From The Motley Fool The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. * Importers of Brazilian chicken to pay deposit from June 9 * China says Brazilian imports caused substantial damage * Brazil embassy source says move is "very disappointing" * Comes amid heightened tensions on global trade * BRF shares down 5.2 pct (Adds share reaction, comments from Brazilian industry group) By Dominique Patton BEIJING, June 8 (Reuters) - China will impose temporary anti-dumping measures on imports of Brazilian chicken meat, it said on Friday, at the same time as the United States pressures Beijing to reopen its market to American poultry products. Chinese importers of Brazilian chicken will be required to pay deposits ranging from 18.8 percent to 38.4 percent of the value of their shipments from June 9, the commerce ministry said in a statement. A preliminary ruling from the ministry found that Chinese producers had been "substantially damaged" by shipments from Brazil between 2013 and 2016, when the country supplied more than half of China's imports of chicken meat. The anti-dumping measures are another blow to Brazilian meatpackers, who are still recovering from a food safety scandal last year and a May truckers' protest that forced farms to cull some 70 million chickens due to a lack of feed. They also show how third-party countries like Brazil, the world's largest chicken exporter, could become collateral damage as the U.S. and China look for ways to head off a trade war. "We're very, very concerned with those negotiations because what we don't want to see is Brazilian exporters at a disadvantage vis-a-vis other competitors that may also be in a position to export to this country," said a source at the Brazilian embassy in Beijing, who declined to be identified. Shares of Brazil's BRF SA, the world's biggest chicken exporter, fell 5 percent in early Sao Paulo trading. Rival JBS SA, whose U.S. poultry unit Pilgrims Pride Corp is larger than its Brazilian division Seara, rose 3.4 percent. BRF and JBS declined to comment immediately on the matter. Story continues Brazilian protein industry group ABPA denied any causal link between the chicken shipments and any harm to Chinese producers, calling the anti-dumping measures a step backwards in the countries' strong bilateral trade relations. While the initial result of a probe that started last August had been expected this month, it also comes as the U.S. pushes to recover access to the Chinese poultry market amid ongoing trade talks. China has agreed to increase its imports of American farm goods in recent negotiations aimed at averting a trade war between the top two trading nations. About 9 percent of Brazil's chicken exports went to China last year, according to ABPA, which said the flows were likely to be maintained due to strong Chinese demand. A Brazilian industry source said the Chinese commerce ministry had proposed further negotiations with exporters, including the possibility of setting a floor price for exports to China. It is not yet clear if the industry would accept such a proposal, the source said. CHICKEN FEET Brazilian exporters should be able to absorb the impact of the deposits, particularly for chicken feet, which would otherwise have no value, said Pan Chenjun, senior analyst at Rabobank. "China is not the most important market (for Brazil), but in value it's quite important as it takes all the byproducts," Pan said, adding that importers are likely to negotiate with suppliers to share the deposit fees. Of the 29 Brazilian companies named by the ministry, deposit rates on products from JBS and Seara Comercio de Alimentos Ltda are 18.8 percent, BRF products have a deposit rate of 25.3 percent, and shipments from C.Vale - Cooperativa Agroindustrial will be charged at 38.4 percent. Imports from all other unspecified producers will also be hit with the highest rate. Li Jinghui, managing director of the China Poultry Association, declined to comment on the news. An official at the China Animal Agriculture Association also declined to comment. It is not clear what will happen to shipments already on the way to China. An anti-dumping deposit levied on sorghum from the United States in April caused chaos in the grains trade, with dozens of cargoes stranded as importers tried to resell to other markets to avoid paying the tariffs. Broiler chicken prices in China have recovered significantly since last year, when they fell to decade-lows after hundreds of people died from contracting the H7N9 bird flu virus (JCI-BRO-JINN). ($1 = 6.4015 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Dominique Patton; Additional reporting by Beijing Newsroom and Roberto Samora in Sao Paulo; Editing by Joseph Radford and Phil Berlowitz) mike novogratz bitcoin Mike Novogratz, a billionaire investor and former Goldman Sachs and Fortress trader, told Erik Schatzker at the Bloomberg Invest Summit in New York that the cryptocurrency market is moving to the $20 trillion region. January Bubble Wasnt Really a Bubble During the interview, which was focused on the economics of the cryptocurrency market, Novogratz was asked by Schatzker about the criticism from skeptics regarding the rapid movement of the valuation of the cryptocurrency market and the bubble-like trend of bitcoin in early 2018. In response, Novogratz stated that if the January bull rally of bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies is considered as a bubble, it can be described as the 1996 dot com bubble which occurred prior to the 1999 bubble that led the dot com bubble to reach a valuation of $6 trillion before it crashed to $1 trillion. Eventually, Novogratz stated that the cryptocurrency market will rebound from its major correction in mid-2018 and surpass previous all-time highs to reach a $20 trillion market valuation. At its peak, the cryptocurrency market was valued at around $900 billion. A $20 trillion valuation would require a 20-fold increase from its previous all-time high. [Cryptocurrency] is a global revolution. The internet bubble was only a US thing. It was rich US people participating. [Cryptocurrency] is global. There are kids in Bangladesh buying coins. It is monstrous in Tokyo, in South Korea, in China, in India, and in Russia. Weve got a global market and a global mania. This will feel like a bubble when were at $20 trillion, said Novogratz. $20 Trillion Will Not be Easy While Novogratz is often considered as an optimist and a bull investor in the cryptocurrency sector, he has offered evaluation of the cryptocurrency market based on real indicators, statistics, and realistic overview of the industry. Novogratz emphasized that despite the growing demand from institutional investors for cryptocurrencies, actual investments that have come in from institutional investors have virtually been non-existent, and the most recent bull rally was triggered by retail investors or individual traders. Story continues Many experts including Blocktower founder Ari Paul have noted in the past that the entrance of institutional investors would require stable and robust custodian solutions. Given that many cryptocurrency businesses including Coinbase and conglomerates in the traditional finance sector such as Susquehanna have already started to build custodian solutions, it is likely that institutional investors will enter the market in the mid-term. It wont go there ($20 trillion) right away. What is going to happen is, one of these intrepid pension funds, somebody who is a market leader, is going to say, you know what? Weve got custody, Goldman Sachs is involved, Bloomberg has an index I can track my performance against, and theyre going to buy. And all of the sudden, the second guy buys. The same FOMO that you saw in retail [will be demonstrated by institutional investors], explained Novogratz. Featured image from Youtube/Bloomberg. The post Cryptocurrency Will Become a $20 Trillion Market: Billionaire Bull Mike Novogratz appeared first on CCN. Is T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Value Fund (TRMCX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? Mutual Fund Report for TRMCX Per a Bloomberg article, Deutsche Bank DB is looking for a suitable buyer for its non-investment grade energy loans portfolio worth nearly $3 billion. Moreover, the energy segment is expected to be closed by end of this quarter Citing people with knowledge of the matter, Bloomberg reported that Deutsche Bank has already approached its North American and European peers with the offer. It expects to sell the portfolio at par value. In May 2018, the German lender, had announced plans to shut down its energy-focused Houston office and exit oil and gas advisory business as part of its strategy to trim U.S. operations, as it fails to compete with the well-established U.S. rivals. The new CEO, Christian Sewing, is working toward staging a turnaround for Deutsche Bank with support from impressive cost savings plans along with reducing dependence on its volatile source of revenues, Corporate & Investment Bank segment. As part of its strategic plans, the bank had conducted a review of its Equities Sales & Trading business, post which, it laid down a target of trimming headcount in the area by 25%. Bloomberg reported that Deutsche Bank is pulling back coverage of onshore sales and derivatives in individual markets across the Asia-Pacific. The impact on jobs from this move remains uncertain. However, the bank will remain focused on serving its large clients and electronic equities business in the area. Recently, at a conference, the banks CFO indicated that Deutsche Bank might report a fall in revenues for the June-ending quarter as it continues to restructure its operations and reduce workforce. He also noted that the investment banking segment would be the largest contributor of the banks 2 billion cost savings target. (Read more: Deutsche Targets Majority Cost Savings From Investment Bank) Despite Sewings various financial targets aimed at improving financial performance, Deutsche Banks profitability remains threatened by a stressed operating environment and sluggish growth of the European economy. Also, litigation issues related to past misconducts continue and legal costs might hamper bottom-line growth. Story continues In six months time, the stock has lost 40.3% on the NYSE compared with 5.4% decline recorded by the industry. Deutsche Bank currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). Some better-ranked stocks in the same space are Credicorp Ltd. BAP, Banco Santander Chile BSAC and The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited NTB. All these stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Credicorp has been raised nearly 1% for the current year, in the last 60 days. The companys share price has jumped more than 37% in the past year. Banco Santander Chile has witnessed stable earnings estimates for 2018, in the last 60 days. Its share price has risen more than 34% in the past year. Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Sons shares have gained more than 39% in a year. Its earnings estimates for 2018 have moved up 4.1% in the last 60 days. Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside? Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. See the pot trades we're targeting>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (DB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Banco Santander Chile (BSAC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Credicorp Ltd. (BAP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited (The) (NTB) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Diamondback Energy Inc.s FANG strong foothold in the prolific Permian Basin has been quite a boon to the companys performance for a while. Notably, the shares of this Texas-based upstream player have increased 30% over a year, outperforming the industrys growth of 13.5%. On the flip side, infrastructural bottlenecks in the shale play still remain a concern. That said, lets do a close introspection of the companys performance and see if it can add more laurels to its growth story. The Permian Advantage Diamondbacks strategic acreage position in the low-cost Permian Basin bodes well. The low operating cost stems from the region's extensive pipeline infrastructure, plentiful labor and supplies, and relatively warm winters that make year-round work possible. The Permian pure-play company holds around 207,000 net acres in the region, including 188,000 net acres in the Midland and Delaware Basins. Its activities are concentrated in the Wolfcamp, Spraberry, Clearfork, Bone Spring and Cline formations. Diamondback recently delivered its 12th consecutive earnings outperformance, driven by its phenomenal production growth. Owing to its significant resource potential and prime acreage holdings, the companys first-quarter output recorded a year-over-year and sequential increase of 66.5% and 10.5%, respectively. Driven by the robust results, the company raised the lower end of its 2018 production guidance from 108-116 Mboe/d to 110-116 Mboe/d. For 2018, it is now targeting an annual output growth of 40% within cash flow. Effective Growth Strategies A deep inventory of horizontal development opportunities in both the Midland and Delaware sides of the Permian Basin bodes well. The companys strategy of horizontal drilling and increased well density maximizes its productivity. Notably, the lateral length of its wells that was less than 4,000 feet in 2012 is likely to jump to around 9,300 feet by this year, owing to the technological advancements. Diamondback targets around 170-190 horizontal completions in 2018, which will boost its production prospects as the wells become operational. The company also plans to add two more rigs in 2018, increasing its operational rigs by 20% from the last year. Diamondback is also making continual efforts to convert its undeveloped reserves to developed ones, which is aiding its cash flows further. In 2017, the companys proved reserves increased around 63% to stand at 335,352 thousand barrels of oil-equivalent (MBoe). In fact, it achieved a remarkable 52% CAGR in its total reserves since 2013. The energy explorer also has an impressive record in purchasing leasehold position, which further spurs its organic growth and bolsters Permian foothold. The low-cost development strategy is another positive for the company. It has been gaining from the economies of scale and operational efficiencies, thereby maximizing its earnings growth. In the last reported quarter, its cash operating costs were down 10% on a year-over-year basis to stand at $8.42 per barrels of oil equivalent. Diamondback also improved its cost outlook by lowering the lease operating expenses guidance for 2018 by 13% to reflect increased efficiencies. Cash Flow Generation Bodes Well Diamondback Energys cost efficiencies, disciplined capital management and employing more equity financing than debt boosted the financials of the company. Notably, the company generated free cash flow of $21 million in the last reported quarter, while generating 13% annualized return on the capital employed. As a show of confidence in its cash flow generating ability, it also initiated its dividend payout program in the first quarter. Its return on equity for the trailing 12 months is 10.53%, higher than the industrys figure of 6.07%. Finally, Diamondbacks manageable debt-to-capital ratio of 22.9% is lower than most of its peers, providing it with enough financial flexibility to tap the strategic growth opportunities. Signs of Concern While production in the Permian is soaring, the takeaway capacity is not increasing in proportion. Due to pipeline capacity constraints, Diamondback Energy and other producers have to sell their products at a discounted rate. Though the company is entering into agreements to improve pricing exposure, the impact of the same is unlikely to be immediate. While Diamondback inked a deal to secure 50 thousand barrels per day of capacity for the Gray Oak pipeline, the project is not expected to become operational till late 2019, providing no immediate respite from the concerns. Also, while the companys financials are otherwise strong, there is one area of concern in the balance sheet with respect to its cash position. Notably, cash and cash equivalents of the company decreased 35.5% in the last reported quarter. As it is, Diamondbacks current ratio of 0.53 compares with 1.06 for its broader industry, which is low both in absolute and relative terms. This may lead to difficulties in meeting its current obligations. Bottom Line Despite the above-mentioned hurdles, we believe that the companys top-tier acreage in the Permian, cost-containment and growth initiatives, healthy cash flow generation, along with a rebounding energy landscape will enable Diamondback to counter the limitations. Zacks Rank and Key Picks Diamondback currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) Some better-ranked stocks in the oil and energy sector are Cheniere Energy, Inc. LNG, Occidental Petroleum Corporation OXY and Oasis Petroleum Inc., OAS each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Cheniere Energys 2018 earnings are anticipated to grow 224.03% year over year. Occidentals earnings for 2018 are expected to grow 360.67% year over year. Oasis Petroleum delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 74.88% in the trailing four quarters. Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside? Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. See the pot trades we're targeting>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Oasis Petroleum Inc. (OAS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Diamondback Energy, Inc. (FANG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Cheniere Energy, Inc. (LNG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research In May, Facebook teased a new feature called 3D photos, and it's just what it sounds like. However, beyond a short video and the name, little was said about it. But the company's computational photography team has just published the research behind how the feature works and, having tried it myself, I can attest that the results are really quite compelling. In case you missed the teaser, 3D photos will live in your news feed just like any other photos, except when you scroll by them, touch or click them, or tilt your phone, they respond as if the photo is actually a window into a tiny diorama, with corresponding changes in perspective. It will work for both ordinary pictures of people and dogs, but also landscapes and panoramas. It sounds a little hokey, and I'm about as skeptical as they come, but the effect won me over quite quickly. The illusion of depth is very convincing, and it does feel like a little magic window looking into a time and place rather than some 3D model which, of course, it is. Here's what it looks like in action: I talked about the method of creating these little experiences with Johannes Kopf, a research scientist at Facebook's Seattle office, where its Camera and computational photography departments are based. Kopf is co-author (with University College London's Peter Hedman) of the paper describing the methods by which the depth-enhanced imagery is created; they will present it at SIGGRAPH in August. Story continues Interestingly, the origin of 3D photos wasn't an idea for how to enhance snapshots, but rather how to democratize the creation of VR content. It's all synthetic, Kopf pointed out. And no casual Facebook user has the tools or inclination to build 3D models and populate a virtual space. One exception to that is panoramic and 360 imagery, which is usually wide enough that it can be effectively explored via VR. But the experience is little better than looking at the picture printed on butcher paper floating a few feet away. Not exactly transformative. What's lacking is any sense of depth so Kopf decided to add it. https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/themes/techcrunch-2017/features/shortcodes/vidible-callback-js.php?id=1 The first version I saw had users moving their ordinary cameras in a pattern capturing a whole scene; by careful analysis of parallax (essentially how objects at different distances shift different amounts when the camera moves) and phone motion, that scene could be reconstructed very nicely in 3D (complete with normal maps, if you know what those are). But inferring depth data from a single camera's rapid-fire images is a CPU-hungry process and, though effective in a way, also rather dated as a technique. Especially when many modern cameras actually have two cameras, like a tiny pair of eyes. And it is dual-camera phones that will be able to create 3D photos (though there are plans to bring the feature downmarket). By capturing images with both cameras at the same time, parallax differences can be observed even for objects in motion. And because the device is in the exact same position for both shots, the depth data is far less noisy, involving less number-crunching to get into usable shape. Here's how it works. The phone's two cameras take a pair of images, and immediately the device does its own work to calculate a "depth map" from them, an image encoding the calculated distance of everything in the frame. The result looks something like this: Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Google they all have their own methods for doing this baked into their phones, though so far it's mainly been used to create artificial background blur. The problem with that is that the depth map created doesn't have some kind of absolute scale for example, light yellow doesn't mean 10 feet, while dark red means 100 feet. An image taken a few feet to the left with a person in it might have yellow indicating 1 foot and red meaning 10. The scale is different for every photo, which means if you take more than one, let alone dozens or a hundred, there's little consistent indication of how far away a given object actually is, which makes stitching them together realistically a pain. That's the problem Kopf and Hedman and their colleagues took on. In their system, the user takes multiple images of their surroundings by moving their phone around; it captures an image (technically two images and a resulting depth map) every second and starts adding it to its collection. In the background, an algorithm looks at both the depth maps and the tiny movements of the camera captured by the phone's motion detection systems. Then the depth maps are essentially massaged into the correct shape to line up with their neighbors. This part is impossible for me to explain because it's the secret mathematical sauce that the researchers cooked up. If you're curious and like Greek, click here. Not only does this create a smooth and accurate depth map across multiple exposures, but it does so really quickly: about a second per image, which is why the tool they created shoots at that rate, and why they call the paper "Instant 3D Photography." Next, the actual images are stitched together, the way a panorama normally would be. But by utilizing the new and improved depth map, this process can be expedited and reduced in difficulty by, they claim, around an order of magnitude. Because different images captured depth differently, aligning them can be difficult, as the left and center examples show many parts will be excluded or produce incorrect depth data. The one on the right is Facebook's method. Then the depth maps are turned into 3D meshes (a sort of two-dimensional model or shell) think of it like a papier-mache version of the landscape. But then the mesh is examined for obvious edges, such as a railing in the foreground occluding the landscape in the background, and "torn" along these edges. This spaces out the various objects so they appear to be at their various depths, and move with changes in perspective as if they are. Although this effectively creates the diorama effect I described at first, you may have guessed that the foreground would appear to be little more than a paper cutout, since, if it were a person's face captured from straight on, there would be no information about the sides or back of their head. This is where the final step comes in of "hallucinating" the remainder of the image via a convolutional neural network. It's a bit like a content-aware fill, guessing on what goes where by what's nearby. If there's hair, well, that hair probably continues along. And if it's a skin tone, it probably continues too. So it convincingly recreates those textures along an estimation of how the object might be shaped, closing the gap so that when you change perspective slightly, it appears that you're really looking "around" the object. The end result is an image that responds realistically to changes in perspective, making it viewable in VR or as a diorama-type 3D photo in the news feed. In practice it doesn't require anyone to do anything different, like download a plug-in or learn a new gesture. Scrolling past these photos changes the perspective slightly, alerting people to their presence, and from there all the interactions feel natural. It isn't perfect there are artifacts and weirdness in the stitched images if you look closely, and of course mileage varies on the hallucinated content but it is fun and engaging, which is much more important. The plan is to roll out the feature mid-summer. For now, the creation of 3D photos will be limited to devices with two cameras that's a limitation of the technique but anyone will be able to view them. But the paper does also address the possibility of single-camera creation by way of another convolutional neural network. The results, only briefly touched on, are not as good as the dual-camera systems, but still respectable and better and faster than some other methods currently in use. So those of us still living in the dark age of single cameras have something to hope for. The venue for the Trump-Kim summit has been confirmed to be the Capella Singapore, a luxury resort on the island of Sentosa in Singapore. But with rates from $500 to $7,500 per night for a presidential manor, how is the heavily sanctioned North Korean regime going to pay for it? The short answer is that the Hermit Kingdom probably wont, especially if history is any guide. The Capella hotel has more than 100 rooms and its villas face the South China Sea. It was restored in part from 19th century British colonial buildings that used to house British officers belonging to the Royal Artillery and their families in the 1880s. (Photo: Capella Singapore via AP) Were not paying for their expenses So will the Trump administration foot the bill? The Washington Post recently reported that the United States is open to covering the costs but its mindful that Pyongyang may view a U.S. payment as insulting. Furthermore, there is the issue of U.S. sanctions. It is unlikely the United States will cover North Koreas expenses, former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore David Adelman said in an email interview with Yahoo Finance. Doing so likely would require a waiver of strict sanctions in place. Perhaps more importantly, to have the United States cover North Koreas expenses might be considered a loss of face, which North Korea would want to avoid. The U.S. State Department also dismissed the idea of the United States paying for North Koreas expenses. However, the State Department isnt making the decisions. Were not paying for their expenses, said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert. The White House has spoken to this as well. The State Department is not involved in every single technical detail of this meeting. This is largely being planned out of the White House, with State Department support. A promotional poster outside a Singapore eatery, Harmony Nasi Lemak, which offers a special Trump Kim-Chi dish on its menu on June 6, 2018. (Photo: Ore Huiying/Getty Images) Benefits of hosting the summit clearly outweigh the costs Story continues All things considered, its most likely that the host nation will handle most of the bill. It is a cost that were willing to bear to play a small part in this historic meeting, Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen told reporters last weekend. Singapores Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said that the country is happy to play [its] part for world peace. Adelman noted that it would be unsurprising for Singapore to cover North Koreas expenses and explained how the small country would benefit. Singapores role as host of the summit comes with significant expenses, including extensive security measures, Adelman said. For Singapore, the benefits of hosting the summit clearly outweigh the costs. Singapore understands the value of being a good global citizen. Hosting the summit further develops Singapores reputation as a place where East meets West. Ja Ian Chong, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, added that in the grand scheme of things, for the gains [made by hosting the summit], the financial amount is something that the Singapore state can easily absorb. Hotels and other hospitality services can earn back some of the costs. Singapore has maintained diplomatic relations with North Korea for a long time. The country had until recently been North Koreas sixth-largest trading partner. It also hosts a small North Korean Embassy. The city-states close relations to the North Korean government are among the reasons why it was chosen to be the venue of the peace talks. Related: Sundar Pichai Greg Sandoval/Sundar Pichai Google may be hit with a second major penalty from European regulators over antitrust. Google is accused of forcing smartphone makers to preinstall services such as Google Search on its Android operating system. The timing couldn't be worse for Google given the growing global appetite to break up big tech and the company may be forced to unbundle Android from its search business. This could be Google's Microsoft monopoly moment. Google is staring down the barrel of its own Microsoft moment. The search giant may be hit with another massive fine from the European Union, this time in an antitrust case involving its popular Android operating system. According to reports in the Financial Times and Politico, European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager will announce her decision on the case in July. The Financial Times reports that the finding will be negative, meaning Google faces paying a substantial fine. Politico reported that the fine could be larger than the 2.4 billion ($2.8 billion/2.1 billion) Google was ordered to cough up to the EU this time last year in a separate antitrust case. European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager Google Antitrust REUTERS/Francois Lenoir But the case could have bigger implications than a fine. European regulators have been investigating Google on suspicion of using Android to skew the market against competitors. They have cited tactics such as requiring smartphone manufacturers to preinstall Google Search and the Google Chrome browser as a condition for accessing the Google Play app store. The European Commission says these demands gave Google an advantage and hampered user choice. Android is the dominant mobile software globally. Google declined to comment but pointed to a company blog post from 2016, in which it argued that Android had actually created more competition. google android figure employee Mark Blinch/Reuters The case brings back memories of Microsoft's situation some 30 years ago. In 1998, Microsoft had the most popular operating system in the world with Windows. It was also bundling the Internet Explorer browser and its Media Player with the operating system. Story continues That, according to the EU and the US government, deprived users of choice, and the EU eventually forced Microsoft to release a version of Windows without Media Player. According to The New York Times, the US government's lawsuits against Microsoft helped a younger competitor rise up in search: Google. bill gates Afolabi Sotunde / Reuters Today, Google and its big technology peers Facebook, Amazon, and Apple have never faced a greater threat of breakup. Part of this is thanks to Europe's aggressive targeting of Silicon Valley, which may prompt US regulators to act too and target Google in the same way they broke up AT&T in the 1980s. There is a growing awareness of the ways in which big technology companies have grown horizontally and spread into multiple areas, redefining traditional thinking about what constitutes a monopoly. Should the EU win this fight, it may eventually result in Google having to unbundle Android from search. In the meantime, the search giant is vigorously defending itself to avoid such an outcome. It is still contesting last year's fine, which centers on the way it displays search results for shopping, and it is facing a third case, in which it is accused of using AdSense to block rivals in online advertising. NOW WATCH: Google's new AI can impersonate a human to schedule appointments and make reservations See Also: SEE ALSO: Google faces a second massive fine from the EU this time over Android Kinder Morgan's (NYSE: KMI) Trans Mountain pipeline has been long beleaguered by civilian and municipal government opposition. But last week, the Canadian government stepped in to ensure the pipeline would get made, and offered Kinder Morgan's subsidiary a tidy $3.5 billion to take the project off their hands. In this episode of Industry Focus: Energy, host Sarah Priestley and analyst Taylor Muckerman talk about what the deal will mean for Kinder Morgan and the Canadian government. Find out what Kinder Morgan might do with this cash, who the Canadian government might eventually sell these assets to, and more. Also, the two touch on recent developments in OPEC: the effects of the production cuts, President Trump's divisive plea for increased production, and the all-too-quickly forgotten cyclicality of the oil industry. A full transcript follows the video. More From The Motley Fool This video was recorded on June 7, 2018. Sarah Priestley: Welcome to Industry Focus, the show that dives into a different sector of the stock market every day. Today, we're talking Energy and Industrials. It's Thursday, the 7th of June, and we are discussing the Trans Mountain pipeline drama and a little bit about OPEC, too. I'm your host, Sarah Priestley, and joining me in the studio is Motley Fool Canada Premium analyst, Taylor Muckerman. Taylor, welcome back to the studio! It's been too long! Taylor Muckerman: I know! A few weeks have gone by since we last joined each other here. Priestley: You've been traveling, you've hiked, you've done all kinds of things. The Caps are in the playoffs. Story continues Muckerman: Yeah. It doesn't really matter to me, but I know Austin behind the glass is probably freaking out, not even remembering what happens until tomorrow evening. Priestley: [laughs] I have to tell you that we had our FoolFest last week, which is our annual festival for all of our members. A lady came up to me. I didn't ask her for her name, which was very rude, I should have asked. But, she did say that you have a lovely voice. So, there you go. Muckerman: That's interesting, because Dan Boyd has told me the exact opposite. [laughs] Priestley: So, you have an expert ... Muckerman: That's right. Priestley: So, big news from Canada. The pipeline company Kinder Morgan, on the planned expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which takes crude oil from Alberta's oil sands to Western British Columbia, the pipeline expansion had faced an awful lot of opposition. We talked about it on the show before. A lot of opposition from indigenous groups and municipal governments, namely those of Vancouver. A lot of federal challenges were mounted against the expansion project. This halted construction on multiple occasions, and it's just caused a huge amount of political upset in Canada. I won't pretend to know about the politics side of it, but Alberta's Premier earlier this year ordered a cease on future imports of wine from British Columbia, as they had imposed a sanction on increasing imports of oil from Alberta. So, you're kind of seeing this whole scenario worsening. Kinder Morgan, the pipeline owner and operator of the Trans Mountain pipeline, suspended all non-essential activity on April 8th of this year. The company stated it didn't want to put shareholders at risk on the remaining project spend. At the end of May, I think it was the 28th or 29th, the company announced that it's made a deal with the government in Canada to buy the project. The Canadian government will buy the existing Trans Mountain pipeline and the planned expansion project from Kinder Morgan's subsidiary, which is Kinder Morgan Canada Limited, for $4.5 billion Canadian dollars, $3.5 billion U.S. dollars. The cash deal should close later this year. So, huge news. Very shocking. Muckerman: It is. They've already invested $1.1 billion. They got that back and then some. A colleague from Motley Fool Pro Canada, Jim Gillies, called this Christmas come early for Kinder Morgan investors, basically removing this multi-year headache and reimbursing them for the money that they basically thought was a sunk cost if they didn't move forward with this project. There are still some question marks as to who buys this, will it eventually still go through. $7.4 billion was the associated cost that was expected for this entire project. That's why they backed out of it, because they'd only spent $1.1 billion, and the horizon was, like you said, very uncertain. They quoted unquantifiable risk based on the ongoing efforts of the British Columbian government to block this project that the rest of the country seems to believe is quite necessary. Priestley: Yes. Some background on the pipeline. It's the only pipeline system in North America that transports both crude oil and refined products to the West Coast, both in Canada and, I think, there's some in Washington state, too, a refinery in Washington state. Muckerman: Yeah, I believe you're right. Priestley: The expansion project has been going on for a long time. I was going to say in the pipeline, but that would just be too much. I think they initially filed the application for it in 2013 with the Canadian National Energy Board. 610 miles of pipe. It runs roughly parallel to the existing one. Then, in November of 2016, the federal government in Canada approved the expansion project. They said it was subject to 157 binding conditions that will address potential various impacts of the project, but it was approved. Then, Kinder Morgan proceeded with a lot of the start-up costs that are associated with getting a project of this magnitude off the ground, only to have repeated interruptions, essentially, for permitting issues and a lot of concerns raised with the federal government that actually halted them. So, as you said, definitely good for Kinder Morgan investors. Really smart move on Kinder Morgan's part. I have no idea how they managed to negotiate that. Muckerman: I think, as Trump would like to say in this situation, it was a matter of national security, almost, for Canada. Priestley: Yes. I know that two of Kinder Morgan's executive, I think the President and Vice President, are getting paid a $1.5 million bonus, paid over two years, for negotiating this. A lot of people were balking at that, but that's not that unusual for something of this scale. Muckerman: No, especially with the scale of this. Jim also did some math, because this has been a recommendation in Motley Fool Pro Canada almost since the beginning of the portfolio. He basically did some math and stripped out the estimated future revenue and earnings from this pipeline if it had been built, along with the $1.1 billion that they had already spent, and he came out to roughly around $800 million of excess capital outside of the discounted cash flows from this pipeline that would have been expected. So, a nice little windfall for this company. If you'd strip out the few million that they paid those executives for negotiating this, you're still left with darn near $800 million in excess compensation. Priestley: Yes. In terms of how this is going to affect Kinder Morgan going forward -- because a lot of people are looking at this and thinking, they had this backlog of about $12 billion in expansion projects, of which this was about $5 billion of that plan -- what's that going to do for their look at their annual revenue? Obviously, they invest a lot of money upfront in these high-cost, capital-intensive projects to get the very safe annual returns. And now, they're going to miss out on those annual returns. So, what's the plan for the company? Muckerman: I think, you look at this company, over the last few years, debt has been a big problem for them. I certainly could foresee some of this being used to pay down that debt, and maybe arrive at a more sustainable level to then start addressing, maybe, a higher dividend payment. This company, that was their longtime story, was the dividend yield that they were able to provide on a relatively stable basis. So, maybe they can accelerate that process. Or maybe, because this project has been a big headache for them, a big attention-grabber for management, so, maybe it frees them up a little bit mentally, and they can go find other areas of either Canada or North America that they can build a similar project or spend some of that cash that they just received on growth. But, they still do have growth opportunities, and I don't think paying down debt would be the worst use of this cash. Priestley: Absolutely. And you're exactly right. CEO Steve Kean, I was just looking at some of his comments, he said they will continue to find investment opportunities. In the past year, the company secured $2.1 billion of new projects. I think they're focused much more on these smaller, higher-return projects. Muckerman: Yes, and for good reason, as you look at an example like this, spending $1.1 billion and still having an uncertain future until the Canadian government essentially bails you out. Priestley: Yeah, absolutely. If we look at some of the ongoing expansion that they have, they still definitely have a lot of growth. The majority of their soft capital expenditure is on natural gas pipeline, which, we've talked about before, seems to be the direction of the industry. Their Elba Island liquid natural gas export facility near Savannah, Georgia, that's a $2 billion project which is partially financed with a joint venture from a private equity firm. That's coming online in the middle of this year, with long-term contracts with Royal Dutch Shell, and then we'll be fully up to speed by mid-next year. So, they're already going to start to get a return on that money. They're growing their oil business, investing $1.3 billion there, and investing in CO2 assets and terminals. Terminals are becoming increasingly important, especially as we talk about fracking, and as the U.S. becomes, for really the first time seriously, a major exporter. Muckerman: Yeah. You've seen the spread between West Texas Intermediate and Permian oil rapidly expand, because there's just so much oil being produced in the Permian, they can't get it out, so the oil, therefore, is being sold at cheaper rates. So, maybe there's some room for growth there. But, I'm sure they'll find a way to spend that money. If not, shareholders might get a special dividend check one of these days. Who knows? Priestley: One expansion project, just to highlight as for these higher returns goal, the Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, that they're doing an expansion project with in a joint venture with Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, which we've talked about a ton recently on the show -- Muckerman: Great company. Priestley: -- it's only a $300 million expansion project that could generate $90 million in incremental earnings per year, which is incredibly impressive. Muckerman: Yeah, quick payback period. Priestley: But, as you mentioned, it looks like it could be a lot of shareholder-friendly moves, potentially repurchases, buybacks. I've heard rumors about Enbridge's Canadian midstream assets being on the chopping block that they might be interested in. But, overall, as you said, for this company, it's just a really good shot in the arm, and their balance sheet is going to look a lot healthier. Muckerman: It should, yeah, if they utilize it properly. Priestley: So, we were talking before we started the show about how surprising this whole thing was, and the fact that the Canadian government, as you said, they still have to sell this to somebody. They're not planning on becoming pipeline operators. I have a question for you. Who do you think they would sell it to? Muckerman: That's a good question, one that's really hard to answer, but it would have to be a big company in order to drop that amount of cash. You would have to expect that, even though it's a government, they're probably reluctant to sell it at a loss. I wouldn't write that off entirely. But, I would say, you're looking at companies of the size of Enbridge or TransCanada, who have also both been burned in terms of pipeline expansions within the country. So, maybe, seeing the visibility of this one now, maybe that encourages them to take a closer look. Maybe partners with the government or a joint venture between some bigger companies. Or, a company along the lines of a Brookfield Infrastructure Partners. It would be outside of something that they've traditionally done, in terms of the size of this deal, but maybe they partner with somebody else in order to make this happen. They've been freeing up a lot of cash on their balance sheet lately. I think they have about $4.2 billion in liquidity. That almost gets them there. But it would surprise me if they took it on entirely themselves, if that was the way that this all shook out. Priestley: It would be a big hit, I'm sure. I mean, it's interesting, because it's quite compelling. If they can get over the risk, in terms of the delays, etc., that will be inevitable navigating the political waters for this. But, I know that it had 15-year contracts all sold out when they first announced it. BP was a big initial investor. The Finance Minister last week, going on what you said, they're not looking to make a profit. He said, "We're not seeking to make a profit, we're seeking to ensure the project gets done. But we will always try and make sure the project represents a fair situation for Canadians." So, yes, as you said. Incredibly interesting. The other point that I wanted to make and get your opinion on, as somebody that's been following the company for a long time, is that for me, Kinder Morgan is this interesting story situation where, a couple of years ago, they were in kind of a similar situation to GE in that they could do nothing right. They had to cut their dividend, they were faced with a seriously poorly weighted balance sheet, and a lot of those other considerations. They've really slimmed down. They're focused on those profitable assets. And now, in this climate, I feel like a decision like this is only going to be seen as a good move. But, it's just such an interesting story from where they have been. Muckerman: Yeah, they were down in the dumps. It was right around the same time that we initially recommended the company in Pro Canada. We've since doubled or tripled down on it and watched the stock price climb back, not entirely, but quite significantly. Definitely some similarities there to GE in terms of the balance sheet and disruption in the business units, especially with GE so heavily involved in oil and gas now, with Baker Hughes acquisition. Having an influx of cash like this, when it was just a huge question mark, and looking at it and saying, "This is going to just continue to drag us down," it has to be a pretty liberating feeling for everyone involved in Kinder Morgan. From the government's side, when they say they're not trying to profit, I believe, on the deal, no. But, it was important enough for them for tax revenue purposes and job purposes that they're definitely profiting in some form or fashion once this pipeline is done, maybe not in terms of a deal price, though. Priestley: Yeah, absolutely. I know Kinder Morgan, another similarity to GE is that the debt is structured in a complex way. I'm not going to pretend to be savvy on it, but I think it's going to be difficult for them to pay down a lot of their debt the way that it's structured, with the funds that they're getting from this, but there may be workarounds with share sales and things like that that they can fund it with. Muckerman: I'm sure they'll figure something out over there. The company emerged from the whole Enron debacle, so I'm sure they'll figure something out. One thing that might be a little different about this is that the founder is still very near and dear to the business. So, maybe a little bit more emotional than a GE situation, where everything is on the table, but maybe you don't know what to do. This was more of a survival of this gentleman's entire livelihood. Priestley: Yeah. Something we really like here at The Fool, founder-led businesses. Muckerman: Yeah, absolutely. Priestley: That finishes up our Kinder Morgan discussion. That really took us by surprise. The next thing I wanted to briefly touch on is that the U.S. government has asked Saudi Arabia and some other OPEC producers to increase production of oil by about one million barrels per day, which would be about a 1% global production increase. The reason for this, we've seen prices at the pump rise -- everybody, I'm sure, noticed this -- a lot, the highest rate for more than three years. President Trump took to Twitter to complain about this. Muckerman: [laughs] Go figure. Priestley: Yeah. OPEC, just in case anybody doesn't know -- we've actually done a show on a deep dive on OPEC before -- OPEC is the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. This includes 12 of the world's largest oil exporters. They, along with Russia, have been setting production restrictions to try and improve the price of oil. So, what did you make of this? Muckerman: It's interesting. In a roundabout way, it kind of makes sense. You don't often see a president pleading other countries to increase oil production unless it's going to necessarily benefit us, and this could be one of those situations. Just, not what you typically see, because generally, when we've been asking for higher oil production, it's because we've needed the oil. Now, it's not the case. I would be interested to see if this would have been mentioned if Rex Tillerson was still Secretary of State, given his connections to the oil and gas industry. And just, the way that President Trump really hammered home his approval and support for fossil fuels during his campaign ... Low oil prices are going to hurt the economy. Maybe not individual pocketbooks at the pump, but it's a huge job creator, and it has been ever since the financial crisis. Even considering the latest downturn in the oil and gas markets, you're still looking at incredible job creation. So, you don't want to drive oil prices down too terribly low too quickly, because you could lose out on a lot of that. And these are high-paying jobs. There are certain pockets of this country that are wondering and scratching their heads and questioning why they supported him in the first place, if he's going to come out and try and drive the price of oil down lower. A million barrels a day, that's a big output boost. Priestley: Yes. It's an interesting paradox. I think people have gotten used to such low prices after the 2014, 2015 depression that we saw. Muckerman: And that's representative of people's automotive purchases over the last few years, where light trucks have blown cars out of the water in terms of automotive sales. And it's very similar to what you saw before the financial crisis, before oil spiked. Trucks where the thing to buy, big SUVs, big trucks. And then, all the sudden, gas was $4 a gallon. We're kind of creeping up in that direction now. Don't buy a car based on the current price of gas, is what I'm trying to say. Priestley: My husband has, for the past 14 years, had a Toyota Tundra. [laughs] Muckerman: Well, at least Toyotas generally have a little bit better gas mileage. That's a good truck. Priestley: He loves his truck. Muckerman: It's a good truck. I like the Tacomas and the Tundras. Priestley: He will drive it until it falls apart, I'm sure. But, yes, I think some of the background for this is, the Iran sanctions on crude oil have cut their output by estimated one million, although it's not really known exactly how much -- Muckerman: And Venezuela has run into its own problems, in addition to expected cuts from OPEC. Priestley: Which, on reflection, could be more to do with the rising oil prices than maybe what we've seen from OPEC. OPEC has been very slow and steady, and the oil prices that we've seen could be more as a result of that. One really funny quote, somebody needs a speechwriter. The U.S. Treasury Secretary said, "Various conversations with various parties about different parties that would be willing to increase oil supply to offset the impact of U.S. sanctions on the Iranian oil output," is what he said. I just thought it was a funny quote. Muckerman: It sounds like he might not exactly know what's happening. Just kind of fumbling through an explanation. Priestley: Yeah, that's the impression -- that's probably what people think when they listen to me. [laughs] Muckerman: [laughs] Oh, come on. Priestley: "She's fumbling through this, she doesn't know what she's talking about." Muckerman: Come on, we've been bumbling for 20 minutes. We're good. Priestley: [laughs] So, investors will get more of a clear idea of this OPEC offset production policy for the second half of the year in Vienna. A meeting is on the 22nd and 23rd of this month. I would be surprised to see -- although, you are the expert here -- if they continue the production caps. Muckerman: Yeah. They probably deeply want oil more expensive than it is, so my guess is, there are going to have to be some concessions made on the U.S. side if, indeed, that's the outcome, higher oil output from OPEC. $75 is great, it's better than $30, but it's not $80 or $90 or $100. And that's generally what a lot of these countries need to balance their budgets. Priestley: Yes. And for the everyday consumer, it's such a headline-grabbing thing. "American Airlines will have to put up prices of plane tickets because of oil prices," and things like that. When you actually look at it, it's not a huge increase. Muckerman: Yeah, it's crazy how quickly people forget that these are cyclical industries. They're not going to stay low forever and they're not going to stay high forever. Priestley: The other thing to remember, too, is that the airlines have had it good because they haven't passed on a lot of those cost savings to consumers. Muckerman: Nope. Priestley: I'm kind of on the fence about that. Muckerman: It's good for some airlines, though. You look at Spirit or Southwest and the discount airlines, their main advantage was that they were discounted, but they didn't have any room to the downside to lower prices. These Deltas, the Uniteds, the Continentals of the world, they were milking those high prices. They did have room to lower once fuel costs did. That eroded the advantage of some of these discount airlines like JetBlue, as well. If those prices rise back up, and they can reestablish that advantage, maybe they're worth a look as an investor. Priestley: We started out talking about Kinder Morgan and ended up talking about discount airlines. [laughs] Muckerman: [laughs] That's right. Roundabout way. Priestley: That's what you get on Industry Focus: Energy. Well, that's it from us today. Do you have anything to add, Taylor? Muckerman: No, I think that's a great show. Thanks. Priestley: OK, perfect. If you would like to get in touch, please feel free to email us at industryfocus@fool.com, or tweet us on Twitter @MFIndustryFocus. Thank you to Austin Morgan for producing the show, wearing your Caps attire, is it? [laughs] Austin Morgan: Go Caps! Muckerman: Go Caps! Priestley: As always, people on the program may own companies discussed on the show, and The Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for or against stocks mentioned, so don't buy or sell anything based solely on what you hear. For Taylor, I'm Sarah Priestley. Thanks for listening and Fool on! Sarah Priestley owns shares of GE. Taylor Muckerman owns shares of ENB, GE, and TWTR. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Kinder Morgan and TWTR. The Motley Fool owns shares of ENB and SAVE. The Motley Fool recommends JBLU. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. WASHINGTON The Mars Curiosity rover has detected a bonanza of organic compounds on the surface of Mars and also seasonal fluctuations of atmospheric methane, in findings released on Thursday that mark some of the strongest evidence ever that Earth's neighbor may have harbored life. But NASA scientists emphasized there could be nonbiological explanations for both discoveries made by the Curiosity rover at a site called Gale crater, leaving the issue of Martian life a tantalizing but unanswered question. Three different types of organic molecules were discovered when the rover dug just 2 inches (5 cm) into roughly 3.5 billion-year-old mudstone, a fine-grained sedimentary rock, at Gale crater, apparently the site of a large lake when ancient Mars was warmer and wetter than the desolate planet it is today. "With this new data, we again cannot rule out microbial activity as a potential source." Curiosity also measured an unexpectedly large seasonal cycle in the low levels of atmospheric methane. About 95 percent of the methane in Earth's atmosphere is produced from biological activity, though the scientists said it is too soon to know if the Martian methane also is related to life. Organic molecules are the building blocks of life, though they can also be produced by chemical reactions unrelated to life. The scientists said it is premature to know whether the compounds were created in biological processes. Whether anywhere other than Earth has harbored life, perhaps even in microbial form, is one of the paramount questions in science. Story continues "There's three possible sources for the organic material," said astrobiologist Jennifer Eigenbrode of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. "The first one would be life, which we don't know about. The second would be meteorites. And the last one is geological processes, meaning the rock-forming processes themselves." The wheeled rover, which landed in 2012 after a 154 million-mile journey, is more capable of tackling Mars' terrain than any previous rover. It is capable of climbing over knee-high obstacles and traveling about 100 feet per hour. Its exploration of Gale crater has allowed scientists to explore whether Mars ever boasted conditions conducive to life, and in 2014 it made the first definitive detection of organic molecules, also in Gale crater rock formed from ancient lake sediment but it was a much more limited set of compounds. "What the organic detections in the rock do is to add to the story of habitability. It tells us that this ancient environment on Mars could have supported life," Eigenbrode said. "Everything that was needed to support life was there. But it doesn't tell us that life was there." Christopher Webster, an atmospheric science research fellow at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, said it is possible existing microbes are contributing to the Martian atmospheric methane. "With this new data, we again cannot rule out microbial activity as a potential source," Webster said. The amount of methane peaked at the end of summer in the northern hemisphere at about 2.7 times the level of the lowest seasonal amount. The scientists were surprised to find organic compounds, especially in the amounts detected, considering the harsh conditions, including bombardment of solar radiation on the Martian surface. After drilling, Curiosity heats the rock samples, releasing the compounds. Referring to the findings regarding organic compounds and methane, Webster said, "They hint at an earlier time on Mars when water was present and the existence of primitive life forms was possible." The scientists hope to find better preserved organic compounds with Curiosity or other rovers that would allow them to check for chemical signatures of life. The research was published in the journal Science. Reporting by Will Dunham Related Video: Oil was lower on Friday. Investing.com - Oil prices were lower on Friday amid increasing U.S. output and as Iran criticized the U.S. for asking Saudi Arabia to output more oil to cover Iranian exports. Crude oil futures decreased 0.86% to $65.38 a barrel as of 11:02 AM ET (15:02 GMT). Meanwhile Brent crude futures, the benchmark for oil prices outside the U.S., fell 1.46% to $76.19 U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of a nuclear accord deal with Iran last month and has unofficially asked Saudi Arabia and other Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countrie and Russia countries to increase supply. Tehran spoke out against the request on Friday, saying OPEC would not heed the appeal. Reuters reported May 25 that OPEC was considering raising supply by one million barrels per day as early as June, as the organization faces losses from Venezuela and Iran. The organization is set to meet in Vienna on June 22. OPEC has been cutting crude output by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) to prop up oil prices. The pact began in January 2017 and is set to expire at the end of 2018. Prices were also held back slightly by concern that the U.S. is increasing production. U.S. oil inventories rose by 2.1 million barrels in the week to June 1 to 436.5 million barrels, the Energy Information Administration said. Analysts had forecast a decline of 2.0 million barrels. Domestic oil production - driven by shale extraction hit a record of 10.8 million barrels per day (bpd), according to the EIA's weekly report. Only Russia currently produces more, at around 11 million bpd. Investors are looking ahead to the weekly Baker Hughes oil rig count at 1:00 PM ET (17:00 GMT), with expectations that the U.S. has not slowed production. In other energy trading, Gasoline RBOB Futures decreased 0.81% at $2.1023 a gallon, while heating oil fell 0.54% to $2.1681 a gallon. Natural gas futures was down 1.43% to $2.888 per million British thermal units. Related Articles Gold Prices Little Changed amid Trump G7 Trade Threats OPEC likely to reject Iran request for discussion of U.S. sanctions Exclusive: Iran slams U.S. for seeking Saudi oil output hike, says OPEC wont comply Friday's G-7 meeting in Quebec is likely to be overshadowed by President Donald Trump's decision to press ahead with tariffs on the U.S.' allies. The two-day summit will see Donald Trump meet with his counterparts from Canada, Japan, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and the wider European Union. There will likely be a chill in the air at Friday's G-7 meeting in Quebec following President Donald Trump's decision to press ahead with tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union, Mexico and Canada. The two-day summit will see Trump meet with his counterparts from Canada, Japan, the U.K., France, Germany and Italy. Given that last week the U.S. announced it would impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports from countries attending the G-7 summit, the meeting is unlikely to be pleasant. One strategist, Craig Nicol at Deutsche Bank, said in a note Tuesday that "all eyes appear to be on this Friday and Saturday's G-7 meeting in Quebec and whether or not it will be a united G-7 meeting or more a G-6+1." The countries affected by Trump's tariffs have already responded. The EU said it would retaliate, having already indicated in March what goods, ranging from cranberries and orange juice to Bourbon and motorbikes, it could target . It said its tariffs could take effect on July 1. Mexico announced Wednesday that it would impose a 20 percent tariff on U.S. pork imports . Canada, meanwhile, is looking to coordinate its response to the tariffs with the EU. China, too, said last weekend that it would scrap any deals aimed at mitigating trade tensions if Trump's threatened tariff hike on Chinese goods goes ahead. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron met Wednesday to discuss their next move and said in a statement Thursday that they both "support a strong, responsible, transparent multilateralism to face the global challenges." Story continues 'Liveliest' summit in decades Simon Derrick, chief currency strategist at BNY Mellon, said the summit was looking like it could be "one of the liveliest summit meetings in several decades." He said the crux of the matter was a different approach taken to trade negotiations by the U.S "I think the problem is that there are two very different approaches here. Within the U.S. it seems to have an approach of, 'Well, this is how we would negotiate in a business situation,' whereas the rest of the world is looking at this and saying, 'This is how we deal with situations like this on a diplomatic basis,' and they're two entirely different approaches," Derrick told CNBC's "Street Signs" on Thursday. "We don't know how it's going to work out, but you'd probably think that the diplomatic approach, which is the tried and tested one for several hundred years in these circumstances, is probably the right one." White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow tried to down play trade tensions Wednesday, noting that Trump will hold bilateral meetings with his French and Canadian counterparts during the summit. He described the trade disputes as "a family quarrel" but said Trump would not back down. U.S. economist Carl Weinberg, from High Frequency Economics, told CNBC on Thursday that the Trump administration had put itself "at angst with all our political and economic allies" and that Kudlow's comments were not reassuring. "Mr Kudlow suggests that if we're patient we'll see results, but maybe he knows something we don't, but I don't think the Chinese are afraid of U.S. tariffs. I think they have a lot less to lose in this game than the Americans do both politically and economically and I don't think this American strategy is going to succeed in doing anything except encouraging our allies to pivot away from their relationships with us and closer to relationships with China," he said. Breaking the status quo Despite criticism of Trump's breaking of the status quo regarding trade relationships, the data highlight persistent imbalances between the U.S. and the rest of the world. U.S. commerce department data from April showed that the U.S. trade deficit (the amount by which its imports outweighed its exports) dropped 2.1 percent to $46.2 billion, a seven-month low, thanks to a rise in exports. A protectionist stance over trade albeit to protect domestic industries and retaliatory measures by other countries could reverse the positive trend seen in export growth, however. Whether Trump will modify his course at the G-7 summit is unlikely, however. James Knightly, chief international economist at ING, said in a note Wednesday that Trump would not cut G-7 nations any slack given trade data and persistent deficits. "Year-to-date, the trade deficit shows little sign of narrowing," Knightly said in a research note. "The deficit with China over the first four months of 2018 is $119 billion up from $106.5 billion in the first four months of 2017. The deficit with the EU is up nearly $11 billion over the same period and the deficit with Mexico is up by $1.1 billion," he said, noting that only the deficits with Korea and Canada have narrowed. "As such, Trump is likely to keep the pressure on China and the EU at the forthcoming G-7 meeting on Friday." More From CNBC (Corrects fourth paragraph to show suicide is one of three leading causes of death on the rise. Error first occurred in UPDATE 3.) By Scott Malone June 8 (Reuters) - U.S. celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, host of CNN's food-and-travel-focused "Parts Unknown" television series, killed himself in a French hotel room, CNN said on Friday, in the second high-profile suicide of a U.S. celebrity this week. He was 61. Bourdain, whose career catapulted him from cooking at New York's top restaurants to dining in Vietnam with President Barack Obama, was found dead in a hotel room in Strasbourg, France, where he had been working on an upcoming episode of his program, CNN said in a statement. His death comes three days after American designer Kate Spade, who built a fashion empire on her signature handbags, was found dead in her New York apartment of suicide on Tuesday. Suicide rates rose in nearly every U.S. state from 1999 to 2016, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday. Nearly 45,000 people committed suicide in 2016, making it one of three leading causes of death that are on the rise, along with Alzheimer's disease and drug overdoses. Bourdain's profile began to soar in 1999, when the New Yorker magazine published his article "Don't Eat Before Reading This," which he developed into the 2000 book, "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly." He went on to host television programs, first on the Food Network and the Travel Channel, before joining CNN in 2013. "His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller," the network said in a statement. "His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much." Bourdain told the New Yorker in 2017 that his idea for "Parts Unknown," which was in its 11th season, was traveling, eating and doing whatever he wanted. The show featured meals in both out-of-the-way restaurants and the homes of locals, providing what the magazine called "communion with a foreign culture so unmitigated that it feels practically intravenous." Story continues Bourdain's celebrity was such that when Obama went to Hanoi, Vietnam in May 2016, he met him at a casual restaurant for a $6 meal of noodles and grilled pork. President Donald Trump told reporters as he left the White House that Bourdain's death was "very shocking." "I enjoyed his show, he was quite a character," Trump said. Suicide rates surged among people aged 45 to 64, according to the CDC report. The center recommended a broad approach to prevention, including boosting economic support by states, supporting family and friends after a suicide, and identifying and supporting those at risk. (Reporting by Scott Malone in Boston; Additional reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York and Bill Trott and James Oliphant in Washington; Editing by Bernadette Baum) By Warner Todd Huston - Chicagos most famous anti-gun Catholic priest was just hit with some embarrassing news when his bodyguard was arrested for illegally carrying a gun. Loudmouth priest Father Michael Pfleger found the unwelcome news late in May when his bodyguard, Henry Eugene Hale, 35, was arrested outside the Fathers church. Police found that Hale did not have an Illinois firearm card or a concealed carry license and was therefore carrying the gun illegally. A spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department told Chicago City Wire that officers confronted Hale at the church at 1200 W. 78th Place when they saw him holding a firearm. More HERE The planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will take place on June 12 in Singapore. Singapore was asked to be the host of the historic meeting because it's one of the few countries with diplomatic relations with both the United States and North Korea, a White House official told CNBC. If all goes to plan, U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in a tiny but wealthy corner of Southeast Asia. The White House explained why Singapore got the nod after experts floated a number of possible locations , including Switzerland , Mongolia and the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea . "Singapore was selected because they have been willing to hold it, and because they have diplomatic relations with both the United States and North Korea . They are one of very few countries that have relationships with both countries," a White House official told CNBC on Thursday. The city-state of 5.6 million people is an experienced host to major summits involving high-ranking officials from around the world. In 2015, it was the chosen site for a milestone meeting between China President Xi Jinping and former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou. "We did not put our hand up, but we were asked," the country's minister for foreign affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, told reporters on Tuesday during a working visit to Washington . "The Americans approached us first. The North Koreans subsequently came to us," he added, according to a transcript of the interview . "I think Singaporeans can be proud. Proud that we've been chosen because they know that we are neutral, reliable, trustworthy and secure." Restrictions on demonstrations Singapore has strict laws that limit public demonstrations. A police permit is needed to hold public assemblies in the country. A park area known as the Speakers' Corner in downtown Singapore is the only place where demonstrations can be held without a permit, but other restrictions apply: An approval must be sought and foreigners must not participate. Story continues Trump and Kim will meet on Sentosa, a smaller island off the coast of Singapore's main island. When CNBC asked whether limits on protests in Singapore played a role in its choice of Singapore, the White House official said Washington has "conveyed our views and believe in freedom of the press." "We're grateful to them for hosting. [Selecting Singapore] has to do with their willingness and graciousness in hosting and the fact that the North Koreans are willing to do it there," the official added. A Kim Jong Un impersonator from Australia who uses the name Howard X told Reuters on Friday that he was detained by Singaporean authorities upon arrival at the city's airport and asked about his "political views." Singaporean authorities did not have immediate comment on that matter, Reuters said. Singapore's security capabilities make it a logical choice for the event, Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in a Wednesday note . "The city-state's diplomatic corps and security and intelligence personnel are highly respected globally and shown repeatedly that they can host a major summit without allowing any significant security or intelligence slip-ups," he said. CNBC's Eamon Javers contributed reporting. More From CNBC Jihan Wu YouTube The world's largest producer of bitcoin mining chips, Bitmain Technologies, might be considering going public. Bitmain's founder, the cryptocurrency billionaire Jihan Wu, told Bloomberg that Bitmain was considering an initial public offering as it expands into producing hardware for artificial-intelligence computing. Bitmain Technologies, the world's largest producer of bitcoin mining chips, might be considering an initial public offering, Bloomberg reported Thursday. The company, run by the cryptocurrency billionaire Jihan Wu, has become a global force in the burgeoning cryptocurrency mining industry since it was founded five years ago. Bitmain told Bloomberg Businessweek last month that it made $2.5 billion in revenue in 2017 alone. Now the company's success might have Wu, 32, considering taking it public. Recently, Bitmain has been tinkering with another kind of hardware beyond mining chips. The company has expressed interest in developing custom chips to compute in the field of artificial intelligence, called application-specific integrated circuits. Wu suggested to Bloomberg that Bitmain's interest in expanding into AI hardware might eventually lead to an IPO. The listing, Wu said, would most likely occur overseas; Hong Kong was mentioned as a possible option. "Bitmain is trying very hard to maintain its advantage," Wu told Bloomberg. NOW WATCH: How to know which MacBook you should buy See Also: Asbury Automotive (ABG) shares have started gaining and might continue moving higher in the near term, as indicated by solid earnings estimate revisions. For Immediate Release Chicago, IL June 8, 2018 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. IIPR and GW Pharmaceuticals PLC GWPH. Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free. Here are highlights from Thursdays Analyst Blog: Canada to Legalize Marijuana: Will Cannabis Industry Bloom? The marijuana industry witnessed significant profits in the last few years after the recent trend of legalization supported the industry. In the United States, nine states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Moreover, 29 U.S. states have legalized medical marijuana, though at the federal level, marijuana use is still banned. The countrys northern neighbor, Canada, had legalized medical use of marijuana way back in 2001. Additionally, Canada has now geared up to legalize recreational marijuana this summer, which in turn has brought attention back to the cannabis industry. Moreover, several marijuana giants are now eyeing foreign markets like Africa to improve growth opportunities, which is also good news. Canada: First G7 Nation to Legalize Marijuana More than 17 years ago, Canada legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Moreover, the country recently introduced the Cannabis Act and is all set to legalize the recreational use of marijuana by the end of next month. Today, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Senate of Canada will be voting in favor of the C-45 bill that will help in legalizing marijuana use. According to several projections, the Canadian cannabis industry is expected to produce 800,000 kilograms of marijuana per year after the legalization. Further, Canadians are estimated to incur a total expenditure of $7.17 billion on marijuana products in 2019, with overall consumption increasing by 35%, per a Deloitte report. Story continues In fact, legal recreational marijuana sales are expected to be around $4.34 billion next year. Moreover, illegal sales and purchase of marijuana will be reduced significantly after the availability of legal cannabis. Along with, Canada, another profitable marijuana market is the United States. Marijuana Sales in U.S. to Jump 28% by 2021 After eight states, California is the latest to legalize the usage of marijuana for recreational purpose. Moreover, Washington D.C. (District of Columbia) has also legalized recreational marijuana usage. However, earlier this year, this optimism hit a roadblock when Attorney General Jeff Sessions said that it is necessary to "return to the rule of law" to repeal the Obama-era marijuana-friendly state laws. However, all is not as lost as legal marijuana sales in the United States increased significantly in 2017. According to a report by ArcView Market Research and BDS Analytics, sales of legal marijuana in North America increased 33% in 2017. Moreover, in the next four years, i.e. 2018-2021, legal marijuana sales are estimated to surge 28%, touching a new high of $25 billion. If the data came true, it will be significantly higher than 2017s performance. Africa Holds Prospects for Marijuana Canadian marijuana giants are clearly moving beyond their known terrain and now looking for new markets like Africa. One such major medical cannabis seller, Aphria Inc. is looking for more business in Africa. This is mainly because, in the African continent, marijuana of 10,000 tons or higher is being produced each year, per a UN survey. Additionally, African countries like Lesotho and then Zimbabwe have legalized the production of marijuana for medical and scientific purpose. Given this scenario, companies related to the marijuana industry like Terra Tech Corp., GrowGeneration Corp., Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. and GW Pharmaceuticals PLC are expected to gain. Both Innovative Industrial Properties and GW Pharmaceuticals have a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Summing Up Undoubtedly, the marijuana industry is booming at present, following the legalization of both medical and now recreational cannabis in Canada. Moreover, strong growth prospect in its two major markets, Canada and the United States is also a positive. Also, recent development in the African continent is expected to boost the marijuana industry further. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1 Stock of the Day pick for free. About Zacks Equity Research Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term. Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons. Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has nearly tripled the market from 1988 through 2015. Its average gain has been a stellar +26% per year. See these high-potential stocks free >>. 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Click to get this free report GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (GWPH) : Free Stock Analysis Report Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. (IIPR) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. New defense bill bans the U.S. government from using Huawei and ZTE tech U.S. government agencies will be forbidden from using certain components or After much negotiation with the Trump Administration, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross confirmed this morning that ZTE, the Chinese telecommunications giant, has agreed to a $1 billion fine. That penalty was assessed following an investigation showing that ZTE had violated U.S. sanctions by selling telecom technology to Iran and North Korea. Ross made the comments on CNBCs morning show Squawk Box. This was an incredible scare for ZTE . As part of the original settlement with the U.S. government last year, ZTE had agreed to accept a $1.19 billion fine and made personnel changes to satisfy U.S. regulators. The Trump administration then took that penalty even further, banning U.S. companies from selling components to ZTE for seven years, components critical to ZTEs entire product line. That decision was expected to kill the company, which employs roughly 75,000 workers and had been worth about $20 billion before the ban. While the ban seemed to be the end of the company, President Donald Trump seemed to offer it something of a reprieve on May 13, when he tweeted that he would instruct the Commerce Department to try to work out a deal that would offer a way to get back into business, fast. While the president is known for mercurial decision-making, the turnabout deeply surprised DC insiders, with many national security officials vociferously opposed to any deal to resuscitate the company. In addition to a $1 billion fine, the company has made several personnel changes, including rotating out the companys Communist Party leader. The company is also believed to have agreed to a $400 million escrow that would be used to pay for future penalties. An American monitoring team will join the company to ensure compliance with the law as well. Story continues Discussions about the future of ZTE have not been in a vacuum. The United States and China have been hurling barbs on trade back and forth over the past few months, over tariffs, market access, and the widening trade deficit between the two countries. The U.S. position has been that the fine against ZTE is a law enforcement action, which should not be included in the continuing discussions around trade. However, some sources who corresponded with me say that the Chinese government has purposely held up the acquisition of NXP Semiconductors by Qualcomm while it negotiates a more positive outcome for ZTE. China remains the only country that has not approved the deal worldwide, and it has repeatedly delayed the deal in recent weeks. That provided a valuable chip to negotiate trade deals with the U.S. more effectively. In addition, President Trump is expected to head to Singapore next week to open talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Chinas influence over North Korea is likely to prove pivotal for the success or failure of those talks, which gave Beijing even more leverage in its discussions with the Trump administration on ZTE. Whatever its hand, the Trump administration now faces a deeply hostile reaction from Congress, where there is bipartisan opposition to any deal that rehabilitates ZTE. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has said publicly that Both parties in Congress should come together to stop this deal in its tracks. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has floated a proposal for Congress to block this sort of deal. Now that the deal is final, we will see if these comments are just hot air, or whether there really is a supermajority ready in Congress to overrule the presidents decision here. This story has been updated with analysis and further information. Its developing, and we will add more information as we have it. A secret government inquiry has alleged that members of the Australian special forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan, local media said. The leaked document accuses members of the elite Special Air Service of "unsanctioned and illegal application of violence on operations," The Age newspaper reported on June 8. The report alleged some soldiers had shown a "disregard for human life and dignity" and actions were covered up by the military. The inquiry into military conduct in Afghanistan was commissioned in 2016 by defense officials and conducted by consultant sociologist Samantha Crompvoets, who interviewed dozens of soldiers, but her report has remained secret. Her findings prompted defense chiefs to order an investigation into specific war crime allegations that were not detailed in the Crompvoets report. The Defense Department said in a statement it took "all allegations about Australian forces seriously" and that it was "aware of allegations of significant issues involving the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan." Australia, a staunch U.S. ally, has had troops in Afghanistan for 17 years fighting against the Taliban. It currently has about 300 troops in Afghanistan. Based on reporting by The Age, dpa, and Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-18) voted last night for the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act, which rescinds over $15 billion in appropriated funds that have gone unused. This move was requested by President Trump, and is just one step being taken by Congress and the administration to rein in the out-of-control national debt. Our national debt currently stands at over 21 trillion dollars, and tonights vote makes it clear that we are serious about being good stewards of taxpayer dollars, said Rep. LaHood. This package will rescind over 15 billion dollars that have either not been used or are no longer able to be used for their intended purpose. This is just common-sense, and I applaud the President for putting this proposal forward to help rein in our out-of-control national debt. President Donald Trump requested the rescinding of these funds under authority from the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA). Rescissions are reductions of funding that were previously provided in a law, but since the President cannot rescind funding on his own, Congress must pass new legislation to eliminate this funding. The ICA provides special procedures for the President to propose rescissions and for Congress to quickly act on them. Since 1974, Presidents of both parties have used the ICA to propose nearly $76 billion in cuts to federal spending. Highlights of the funding proposed for rescission in this bill include: French English NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN UNITED STATES CALGARY, Alberta, June 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pieridae Energy Limited (TSXV:PEA) is pleased that the proposed regulations, announced by Minister of Natural Resources, Pierre Moreau, will allow for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in a large portion of the province of Quebec, particularly in the Gaspesie region. After a preliminary analysis of the elements contained in the Ministers press release and subject to a more detailed analysis of the regulatory texts to be pre-published, Pieridae anticipates that these proposals will impact its exploration projects in Gaspesie as follows. Haldimand The discovery of the Haldimand deposit dates back to 2005. The work completed to date by Sproule Associates estimates the resources in place at approximately 87 million barrels, of which 12.3 million barrels oil equivalent have been identified as possibly recoverable. If the draft by-law is adopted as announced by the Minister, the Haldimand resources may be negatively impacted by the new restrictions imposed as they are partly within the urban perimeter. As in the case of Anticosti, it is clear that the first goal of the corporation is to develop this prospect, but if a change is made that prohibits the development of a validly issued exploration licence, Pieridae will seek to negotiate a fair settlement for the expropriation of the right to develop the resource. Bourque The Bourque property, located 30 km east of the town of Murdochville on Crown lands, is a significant discovery. Pending a rigorous analysis of the regulatory texts to be published, it appears that if the proposed regulation is adopted as announced by the Minister, the Bourque project could go forward under the proposed new regulatory framework as it is not a shale resource nor near any of the restricted areas. Gaspesia Pieridae believes this announcement will allow the Quebec government to issue permits to complete the proposed seismic program on Gaspesia this year. About Pieridae Pieridae is a Canadian corporation based in Calgary, Alberta focused on the development of fully integrated energy activities, from upstream production to the sale of LNG. Pieridaes main project is the Goldboro LNG Project and, to supplement the resources it has acquired in New Brunswick and Quebec, Pieridae has embarked on a strategy to consolidate natural gas reserves in key natural gas basins to develop new international markets for Canadian and US natural gas. Pieridae will continue to seek to build a long term portfolio of natural gas to supply the Goldboro LNG Project. Pieridae is on the leading edge of the re-integration of the LNG value chain in North America. Pieridae has 50,547,159 shares issued and outstanding. James Joyce revolutionized the novel, the short story, and modern literature as we know it. He was born in Dublin, the first of 10 children in a Catholic family. His father was a civil servant whose poor financial judgment left the family impoverished for much of Joyces youth. Young James attended Dublins fine Jesuit schools, which gave him a firm grounding in theology and classical languagessubjects that appeared repeatedly in his later work. The story of his early life and his intellectual rebellion against Catholicism and Irish nationalism are told in the largely autobiographical novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. In 1902, at the age of 20, Joyce left Dublin to spend the rest of his life in Paris, Trieste, Rome, and Zurich, with only occasional visits back home. Despite this self-imposed exile, Dublin was the setting for most of his writings. Dubliners (1914), Joyces most accessible work, is a collection of short stories describing the paralyzing social mores of middle-class Catholic life. The Dead, the final story in the collection, is frequently listed as one of the finest short stories ever written. Joyces next book, Ulysses, took seven years to write; once he finished writing it, he almost couldnt find anyone to publish it. Upon the novels publication, both Ireland and the United States immediately banned it as obscene. Despite these obstacles, Ulysses has come to be generally recognized as the greatest twentieth-century novel written in English. The novel was revolutionary in many ways. The structure was unique: Joyce recreated one full day in the life of his protagonist, Leopold Bloom, and modeled the actions of the story on those of Ulysses in the Odyssey. In recounting Blooms day, Joyce mentions everything that happens to Bloomincluding thoughts, bodily functions, and sexual actsproviding a level of physical actuality that had never before been achieved in literature. To provide a psychological insight comparable to the physical detail, Joyce employed a then-revolutionary technique called stream of consciousness,in which the protagonists thoughts are laid bare to the reader. From 1922 until 1939, Joyce worked on a vast, experimental novel that eventually became known as Finnegans Wake. The novel, which recounts the history of the world through a familys dreams, employs its own night language of puns, foreign words, and literary allusions. It has no clear chronology or plot, and it begins and ends on incomplete sentences that flow into each other. Many of Joyces supporters thought he was wasting his time on the project, although the playwright Samuel Beckett, who later won the Nobel Prize for Literature, helped Joyce compile the final text when his eyesight was failing. Today, Finnegans Wake is viewed as Joyces most obscure and possibly most brilliant work. 1. Which of the following would make the most appropriate title for this passage? A. The Long Way Home: Ulysses and Finnegans Wake B. James Joyce, Ulysses, and the Battle against Censorship C. The Works of James Joyce, Irelands Literary Genius D. The Hidden Value of James Joyces Great Novels E. A Portrait of James Joyce as a Young Man 2. Based on the information in the passage, which of the following would be the mostaccurate statement about Dubliners and Finnegans Wake? A. Dubliners contains one of the greatest short stories in the English language, and Finnegans Wake is the greatest story in the English language. B. Many of the chief characters in Finnegans Wake were earlier introduced in Dubliners. C. The linguistic experimentation of Dubliners paved the way for the night language of Finnegans Wake. D. Dubliners is a longer book than Finnegans Wake. E. Dubliners is a more accessible book than Finnegans Wake. 3. Joyces works helped introduce all except which of the following literary elements into modern English literature? A. Narration through second-person address B. Novel structure based on real-time chronology C. Linguistic experimentation D. Literary realism concerning physical reality E. Stream of consciousness 4. According to the passage, in what year was Joyce born? A. 1880 B. 1882 C. 1885 D. 1902 E. 1914 5. The author most likely mentions James Joyces childhood, family, and education to serve what purpose? A. To suggest that he had to write in order to make a living B. To suggest that he became a writer because of his fathers influence C. To provide the background and cultural context for his literary work D. To provide evidence that his literary genius was present when he was a child E. To explain his opposition to Catholicism and socialism in his later life 6. Who is the most likely intended audience for this passage? A. Insurance professionals at a company seminar B. University professors of English literature at a symposium on twentieth-century Irish playwrights C. High school students in Ireland studying their nations traditional folklore D. College students studying twentieth-century English literature E. Elementary school students studying the Odyssey 7. Which of the following can be inferred about Joyces attitude toward Catholicism as practiced in Ireland at the end of the nineteenth century? A. He felt that it repressed intellectual freedom and individual expression. B. He viewed it as the central component of the Irish national psyche. C. He feared that it was impeding the Irish nationalist movement. D. He felt that it forced him to leave Dublin for Paris, Trieste, Rome, and Zurich. E. He believed that Dublins Jesuit schools provided the finest education in all of Ireland. A. The Long Way Home: Ulysses and Finnegans WakeB. James Joyce, Ulysses, and the Battle against CensorshipC. The Works of James Joyce, Irelands Literary GeniusD. The Hidden Value of James Joyces Great NovelsE. A Portrait of James Joyce as a Young ManA. Dubliners contains one of the greatest short stories in the English language, and Finnegans Wake is the greatest story in the English language.B. Many of the chief characters in Finnegans Wake were earlier introduced in Dubliners.C. The linguistic experimentation of Dubliners paved the way for the night language of Finnegans Wake.D. Dubliners is a longer book than Finnegans Wake.E. Dubliners is a more accessible book than Finnegans Wake.A. Narration through second-person addressB. Novel structure based on real-time chronologyC. Linguistic experimentationD. Literary realism concerning physical realityE. Stream of consciousnessA. 1880B. 1882C. 1885D. 1902E. 1914A. To suggest that he had to write in order to make a livingB. To suggest that he became a writer because of his fathers influenceC. To provide the background and cultural context for his literary workD. To provide evidence that his literary genius was present when he was a childE. To explain his opposition to Catholicism and socialism in his later lifeA. Insurance professionals at a company seminarB. University professors of English literature at a symposium on twentieth-century Irish playwrightsC. High school students in Ireland studying their nations traditional folkloreD. College students studying twentieth-century English literatureE. Elementary school students studying the OdysseyA. He felt that it repressed intellectual freedom and individual expression.B. He viewed it as the central component of the Irish national psyche.C. He feared that it was impeding the Irish nationalist movement.D. He felt that it forced him to leave Dublin for Paris, Trieste, Rome, and Zurich.E. He believed that Dublins Jesuit schools provided the finest education in all of Ireland. Bunuel wrote: The state with the greatest fraction of its population in urban areas, if the urban areas are considered to include the suburbs, is California. The West is highly urbanized, but California is exceptional even in that region: 91 percent of its population lives in urban areas. Geographically, however, California is rural: 96 percent of its land is outside urban areas. If all of the statements are true, which of the following is best supported on the basis of them? A. No state has a smaller fraction of its population in rural areas than California has. B. The current rate of population growth in Californias urban areas exceeds that current rate of population growth in Californias rural areas. C. In California 96 percent of the population lives on 9 percent of the land. D. No state has a smaller area devoted to urban settlement than California has. E. Californias population density is among the highest of all states in the United States. OFFICIAL EXPLANATION A is the correct answer. The passage states that of all the states, California has the greatest fraction of its population (91 out of 100) living in urban areas. That means only 9 out of every 100 California residents live in rural areas. The greatest fraction of any other states population living in urban areas, to be smaller than Californias fraction, must be 90 or fewer out of every 100. That means that, in every other state, 10 or more out of every 100 residents live in rural areas. Since 9 out of every 100 is smaller than 10 or more out of every 100, soB is incorrect. In order to decide whether this statement is true, it is necessary to know about rates of population growth. No such information is provided in the passage. The third answer choice is also incorrect. Since 96 percent of the land is outside urban areas, 4 percent is inside urban areas. Thus, 91 percent of the population lives on 4 percent of the land. The fourth answer choice is incorrect. The passage does not provide enough information to determine whether this statement is true or false. No comparison is made between the amount of land area in California devoted to urban settlement and the amount of land area in other states devoted to urban settlement. E is incorrect. The passage does not provide sufficient information to determine whether this statement is true or false. Information on the actual size of the population as compared to total land area of California and other states would be necessary to make a judgment about population density in these states._________________ jb32 wrote: A few schools are coming to make presentations in Houston, do I need to wear a suit or would long-sleeves and black pants be acceptable? Also, what to wear to the MBA Tour and is it even worth attending? What can I expect? I went to an info session in LA a few weeks ago. I would say 70% of the people were in business casual (slacks and dress shirt), 25% had suits or sport coats, and 5% showed up wearing t-shirts or other non-business attire (primarily college senior applicants and the creative types).I would assume this will be the norm. I stick with business casual for these but I may throw on a blazer here and there if I'm in the mood.I plan to skip the MBA Tour. It seems like every school under the sun attends that thing. I'm not sure if it would add much value. First Grassland shed 75 dairies in the Upper Midwest last year. Then Dean Foods cut loose 100-plus dairies in the Northeast and Mid-South. Now, Arla severed ties with 11 of its 35 patrons in northeast Wisconsin this May. While Arla gave its producers 60 days to find a new home for their milk, those farmers are still scrambling for a milk supplier amongst a steady river of flowing milk. In response to lost milk markets, a group of dairy farmers formed the Appalachian Dairy Farmers Cooperative. The new entity brings together previously independent dairy farmers from Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina, and it starts operations on June 1. It will work with Piedmont Milk Sales LLC of Blountville, Tenn., to sell its members milk. Many of its new members had been patrons of Dean Foods. That company officially cuts ties with those farmers on May 31, hence the June 1 start-up date. What the farmers who shipped to Arla do remains to be seen. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2018 May 14, 2018 Does a video being shared around on social media show a man on fire in a shopping center because his phone exploded in his pocket while connected to a power bank? No, that's not true. The man is really on fire but according to news reports he did it to himself with a flammable liquid and it happened in Agadir, Morocco. An example of the video being shared with a wrong caption is this post published on June 6, 2018 on a Facebook page "Catholics Online" (archived here) which had the video captioned as: Phone connected to Power bank inside the pocket exploded and this happens.... Please be careful. Share to save a life Here's an example of the video on YouTube (archived here): However, a site named Morocco World News claims it happened in Agadir and that it was self-inflicted: Would-be Shoplifter Sets Himself on Fire in Agadir Supermarket Rabat - The scene shocked Marjane shoppers in Agadir. According to local media outlets, a 30-year-old man set himself on fire at the main entrance of the supermarket Sunday, June 3, to the cries of others nearby. The 59-second footage of his act, taken by a customer, has circulated on social media, causing uproar among citizens. We analyzed the video and to us it seems clear that the size of the flames is much bigger than one would expect from a smoldering phone in a pocket. We also spotted two logo's in the video: something that looks like an "M" with a yellow circle and the word "Diamantine". We looked up "Diamantine" in Agadir on Google Maps and we found a branch was in the same building as a supermarked named "Marjane": Which happens to have a logo that consists of an "M" with a yellow circle: Accueil | Marjane : Plus grande offre promotion maroc dans la grande distribution Electromenager, TV, produits d'alimentation... decouvrez toutes les promotions de votre magasin Marjane. So it definitely looks like the "Agadir" version of the story is the correct one, also because Dubai police have put out notice it didn't happen over there: One product to protect all your devices, without slowing them down. Australia HR software provider PageUp is facing a class lawsuit after a major data breach that exposed users personal information. Australian law firm Centennial Lawyers just announced. Fearing their personal data may have been exposed, some users who applied for jobs through PageUp are taking legal action against the company because they feel they havent received enough details about the breach, as only a simple, general email was sent out without much explanation. If any personal data has been affected it could include information such as name and contact details. It could also include identification and authentication data e.g. usernames and passwords which are encrypted (hashed and salted), the company said in a statement. PageUp reported unusual activity on May 23, CEO and co-founder Karen Cariss wrote on the company website, and a forensic investigation immediately followed after malware was identified. Thousands of job applicants may have been affected by the breach and could fall victim to identity fraud. There is no evidence that there is still an active threat, and the jobs website can continue to be used, Cariss wrote. All client user and candidate passwords in our database are hashed using bcrypt and salted, however, out of an abundance of caution, we suggest users change their password. Some of Australias top companies including Wesfarmers: Coles, Target, Kmart, Officeworks, NAB, Telstra, Commonwealth Bank, Lindt, Aldi, Linfox, Reserve, Bank of Australia, Australia Post, Medibank, ABC, Australian Red Cross, University of Tasmania, AGL and Jetstar used the software provided by PageUp in their online recruitment process. PageUp claims to have some 2 million active users in 190 countries. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ The report focused on French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who warned that Khameneis rhetoric was taking the country close to a red line, past which Europe would no longer be able to pursue its efforts to keep the deal in effect despite American non-participation. In fact, more than just abandoning their current plans, the Europeans would respond by joining the US in imposing new sanctions if Iran took its nuclear activity to the next level, according to Le Drian. Such statements are broadly in line with the tone that France has struck in earlier conversations with and about the Islamic Republic of Iran. In the first place, French negotiators were credited with some of the strongest demands during the seven-party talks leading to the 2015 agreement. But afterward, France was among the first to explore new business deals with Iranian companies. And since then, France has largely continued its economic outreach while also urging international action on some of Irans worrying behaviors, including its ballistic missile development and involvement in the Syrian Civil War. In talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a point of focusing on these other issues, telling reporters later that he did not ask France to pull out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action this time. Netanyahu explained that he is confident the nuclear deal will collapse under the existing economic pressures, and the AFP report seems to mostly justify that confidence. It indicates that a number of multinationals, including some headquartered in France, have already pulled out of their dealings with France or signaled their intent to do so in the face of the threat from US sanctions. This will presumably diminish the incentive for the French government to preserve the agreement that made those dealings possible, especially if the Iranian regime is simultaneously threatening to cross what have been declared to be red lines. Nonetheless, other reports on Wednesday indicated that France, the United Kingdom, and Germany are all still engaged in efforts to protect themselves from US sanctions for the sake of retaining the framework of the JCPOA. Al Jazeera reports that the European Union has updated legislation that would bar member states from implementing US sanctions against companies that do business with Iran, and would establish a framework for recovering any damages incurred as a result of those sanctions. The legislation would also authorize the European Investment Bank to provide financing for projects in the Islamic Republic, although the ultimate decision about whether to do so in any particular case would remain up to the leadership of the EIB. The potential efficacy of the EU legislation was called strongly into question even before the update took place, and the latest reports only serve to reiterate and add to those doubts. The EIB indicated, for instance, that it simply cannot ignore US sanctions even in the presence of blocking legislation. This pushback underscores the fact that Europes best chance of maintaining the status quo established by the JCPOA will most likely not involve direct confrontation of US sanctions but rather an effort to secure exemptions from them. Toward that end, ministers from France, the UK, and Germany wrote a joint letter to the US Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury on Monday, making the case for exemptions that might keep the JCPOA alive while allowing the US to continue operating outside of it. Of course, it is doubtful that the Trump White House, which recently imposed trade tariffs on a number of its allies as part of its America first initiative, will prove receptive to such an appeal. The president has not even granted exemptions to the US-based Boeing Company, which entered into deals with Iranian entities in 2016 and 2017 that would have been worth nearly 20 billion dollars. On Wednesday, AFP reported that a spokesperson for the company announced that no deliveries would be made in line with those agreements, signaling that they are effectively dead. The White Houses lack of receptiveness to the economic appeals of its allies will presumably be paralleled by a lack of receptiveness to those allies arguments regarding global security. Reuters quoted the European ministers letter as saying, An Iranian withdrawal from the (nuclear agreement) would further unsettle a region where additional conflicts would be disastrous. But Trumps objections to the JCPOA were largely grounded in concerns about the sustained effect that Iran has reportedly had both before and after the signing of the deal on the proliferation of disastrous conflicts in the broader Middle East. The White House continues to underscore that point more than a month after pulling out of the JCPOA. As an example of this trend, the Center for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America points out that Sigal Mandelker, the Treasury Departments undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, spoke to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies on Tuesday and reported that the latest estimate of the amount of money paid by Tehran to the Hezbollah terrorist group puts that figure at approximately 700 million dollars, or three times the previous estimates. CAMERA notes that Hezbollah exerts de facto control over the Lebanese state, has attacked US allies in the region, and was responsible for more American deaths than any other terrorist group prior to the Al Qaeda attacks of September 11, 2001. The vigorous Iranian funding of that group is a key reason why Trump and other opponents of the JCPOA have remained nervous about the prospect of Iran gaining access to unfrozen assets and new revenue streams from Europe and other regions of the world. Many European policymakers share that concern even though the EU is still generally working to preserve the JCPOA. At the same time, those concerns may also be exerting an influence on some of Irans allies, putting strain on those relationships and lending more credence to Benjamin Netanyahus predication that the nuclear deal will collapse on its own in the near future. Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday that tensions were growing between Iran and Russia as the two states order contrasting military maneuvers in Syria, where both have been backing the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad. Russian troops were briefly positioned at the border between Syria and Lebanon before being replaced by Syrian Army troops. The move was widely interpreted as a show of opposition to the continued presence of other forces like Iranian proxies and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, especially in regions close to Israel, which is also an ally of Russia. The Al Jazeera report notes that this is not the first such signal to come out of Moscow, which has long maintained goals in Syria that are different from those being pursued by Tehran, although the two have fought side-by-side up to this point. Opponents of the Iranian regime have repeatedly suggested that these divergent goals could be leveraged to put more international pressure on Iran over its regional activities. This logic may apply even if the international community continues to disagree over the JCPOA, but if Supreme Leader Khameneis defiant tone continues to push the Islamic Republic to cross red lines regarding the nuclear deal, that disagreement may soon be a moot point. Many people in the international community support the Iranian people in their desire for regime change, but are concerned about where this leaves Iran. After all, there have been many cases of regime change in countries across the world that have succeeded in ousting one dictator only to be left with another or split by several warring factions. uckily, this is not a problem in Iran. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) is a coalition of pro-democracy dissident groups, which is ready and willing to serve as a transitional government for six months after the mullahs fall. Thats just enough time to institute a new constitution and prepare for the countrys first free and fair elections. The NCRI has support from the majority of Iranians, but it also enjoys a working relationship with many parliaments around the world currently serving as Irans parliament-in-exile. They are prepared to change Iran for the better. NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi has even laid out that vision in a ten-point plan for a Free Iran. Lets look at that now. 1. Elections: The NCRI believe that the only way for someone to gain political power in Iran should be through a free and fair election. Thats why they want Iran to have universal suffrage. 2. Pluralism: The NCRI believes in freedom. This means freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of political parties, freedom of the press, and unconditional access to the internet. 3. Death Penalty: The NCRI will abolish the death penalty in Iran. 4. Separation of religion and state: The NCRI believe that there should be a clear separation between religion and state. They would also ban any discrimination based on religion and denomination. 5. Gender Equality: The NCRI is committed to the equality of women in political, social, and economic arenas and would ban any discrimination based on gender. The NCRI would give women freedom in areas of family life, education, clothing, and employment. They are also committed to the equal participation of women in political leadership, which is why so many of their leaders are women. 6. Judicial System: The NCRI would set up a modern judicial system based on the rule of law, including the presumption of innocence, the right to defence, effective judicial protection and the right to be tried in a public court. They would ban Sharia law and make the judiciary independent from the executives. 7. Human Rights and Equality: The NCRI is committed to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all international covenant and conventions. They are committed to the equality of all nationalities and would seek an autonomous Iranian Kurdistan. 8. Market Economy: The NCRI believes that all Iranians should enjoy equal opportunity in employment and in business ventures. They also pledge to protect the environment. 9. Nuclear Policy: The NCRI wants a non-nuclear Iran, with no weapons of mass destruction. 10. Foreign Policy: The NCRIs foreign policy will be based on peaceful coexistence, cooperation, and respect for the United Nations Charter. Ever since Donald Trump pulled the US out of the international accord on May 8, citing security concerns, Europe has been struggling to save the deal and protect themselves from US sanctions on Iran. The ministers for Foreign Affairs and Finance from all three European countries who signed the nuclear accord Britan, France, and Germany have all written to their US counterparts to confirm that they are committed to the deal and urge the US Treasury not to impose fines on EU firms trading with Iran. Iranian officials have not been consistent about whether they believe the deal can be saved and have even threatened to walk away, so European leaders are concerned that if Iran withdraws from the deal it could unsettle the Middle East and that would be disastrous. Iranian MP Reza Najafi refused International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) requests to cooperate more, including snap inspections, while the standoff continues. He said: No one should expect Iran to go to implement more voluntary measures. Enrichment On Monday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei ordered Iranian scientists to begin preparations for increasing Irans enrichment of uranium, something needed to make atomic bombs, in case the agreement fell apart. Frances Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned that this move by Iran would be sailing close to a red line. The Regime also told the IAEA that it had tentative plans to produce the feedstock for centrifuges, which are needed to enrich uranium and told Europe that they only had a few weeks to save the deal before Iran would withdraw. On Wednesday, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Irans Atomic Energy Organisation, announced that they had already started work on a plant to build advanced centrifuges and that this would be fully operational by July. He said: After the supreme leaders order we prepared this centre within 48 hours. We hope the facility to be completed in a month. Salehi also noted that Iran is far beyond the point of halting all uranium enrichment, as proposed by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in his speech about conditions for a new deal with Iran. Will Iran scrap the deal? The question on everyones lips is: will Iran pull out of the deal? Simply, its very unlikely. The Iranian Regime is currently plagued by several crises from domestic unrest to US sanctions and if the mullahs want to remain in power they need international support. Thus, they cant afford to alienate Europe. The mullahs are only trying to appear tough in order to get a better deal and boost the morale of their repressive security forces, while still insisting that what they are doing is allowed under the framework of the nuclear deal. The Regime is vulnerable and Europe can easily get tough on them over human rights, terrorism, and any number of Irans malign activities without much blowback. Theyre even saying that Trumps decision to pull out of the nuclear deal in May, citing that it doesnt stop Iran accessing a nuclear weapon, is a precursor to all-out war and that the US will be solely responsible for Irans reaction to it. NIAC President Jamal Abdi writes the withdrawal was all part of Trumps big plan for war, which also includes the appointment of Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State and John Bolton for National Security Advisor to his Iran war cabinet. The trouble with this notion is that it tries to absolve the mullahs from any responsibility, likening them to animals who cannot resist provocation. There are many huge problems with the Iranian Regime, but they do have free will and they can choose not to start a war that they would lose. The reality is that the responsibility for a US-Iran war does not lie with Trump, but with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Why is the Iran lobby so reluctant to admit this? Well simply, its because if they admitted that the Regime was responsible by this, then they would have to admit that the mullahs were responsible for the atrocities that they have committed across the Middle East (i.e. Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Yemen), around the world, and in their own country against the Iranian people. And the Iran lobby wants to protect the Regime from that at all costs. The narrative of war is nothing more than a PR strategy to deflect attention away from the mullahs. The strangest thing is that no one in the administration has suggested war. Theyre still relying on diplomacy, as Pompeo pointed out in a speech last month. Economic sanctions mixed with the freefalling Iranian economy will put more pressure on the Regime, increase the domestic unrest, and could lead to regime change by the people of Iran. After all the Regime used the money gained from the nuclear deal to bolster their suppressive forces, prop up the Bashar Assad regime in Syria, arm terrorist groups across the Middle East, while leaving nothing to protect the Iranian people. The people are rising up against the mullahs and will be pushed over by the collapse of the nuclear deal. Thats why the Iran lobby is also focused on keeping the nuclear deal alive with the rest of the signatories (Britain, France, Germany, China, and Russia) theres no hope of reviving it in the US. The NIAC even finished a letter begging Europe to remain in the agreement, with warnings of war between the US and Iran. But, as you know now, only Iran is threatening war. **PGS Geophysical AS owns U.S. Patent No. 6,906,981, which describes and claims methods and systems for performing marine seismic surveying to determine the structure of earth formations below the seabed. WesternGeco, L.L.C., a competitor of PGSs, filed three petitions requesting inter partes reviews (IPRs) of claims 1 38 of the 981 patent. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), acting as the PTO Directors delegate, instituted three IPRs, but it specified for review only some of the claims WesternGeco challenged and only some of the grounds for WesternGecos challenges, not all claims or all grounds. In its final written decisions in the IPRs, the Board ruled partly for PGS and partly for WesternGeco on the reviewed claims and grounds. Both PGS and WesternGeco appealed, but WesternGeco then settled with PGS and withdrew, leaving only PGSs appeals as to certain claims of the 981 patent that the Board ruled unpatentable for obviousness. The Director intervened to defend the Boards decisions. 35 U.S.C. 143.We affirm. We first conclude that, although SAS Institute, Inc. v. Iancu, 138 S. Ct. 1348 (2018), now makes clear that the Board erred in limiting the scope of the IPRs it instituted and hence the scope of its final written decisions, we have jurisdiction to address the merits of the Boards final written decisions and that we need not, and will not, sua sponte revive the non-instituted claims and grounds.(...)We first consider whether we have jurisdiction to address PGSs appeals and whether, if so, we may and should decide those appeals and do so without sua sponte remanding for the Board to address the claims and grounds that WesternGeco included in its petitions butthat the Board excluded from the IPRs. Both PGS and the Director answer yes to those questions. So do we. The issue arises because of the Supreme Courts recent decision in SAS,We will treat claims and grounds the same in considering the SAS issues currently before us. In light of SAS, the PTO issued a Guidance declaring that the Board will now institute on all claims and all grounds included in a petition if it institutes at all. PTO, Guidance on the impact of SAS on AIA trial proceedings (Apr. 26, 2018).2 The cases currently in this court, which emerged from the Board under pre-SAS practice, raise certain transition issues. We will address those issues without distinguishing non-instituted claims from non-instituted grounds. Equal treatment of claims and grounds for institution purposes has pervasive support in SAS. Although 35 U.S.C. 318(a), the primary statutory ground of decision, speaks only of deciding all challenged and added claim[s], the Supreme Court spoke more broadly when considering other aspects of the statutory regime, and it did so repeatedly.(...)We read those and other similar portions of the SAS opinion as interpreting the statute to require a simple yes-or-no institution choice respecting a petition, embracing all challenges included in the petition, and we have seen no basis for a contrary understanding of the statute in light of SAS. We note that it is a distinct question (not presented here) whether, after instituting on the entire petition, the Board, in a final written decision, may decide the merits of certain challenges and then find others moot, the latter subject to revival if appellate review of the decided challenges renders the undecided ones no longer moot.(...)Finality is also seen by drawing on the analogy to civil litigation the Court invoked in SAS. What the Board did here is analogous to a situation in which a district court, upon receipt of a two-count complaint, incorrectly dismisses one count early in the case (without prejudice to refiling in that forum or elsewhere) and proceeds to a merits judgment on the second count. Once the second count is finally resolved, there would be a final judgment in that situation, with both counts subject to appeal. The early dismissal would be final as to that claim, see United States v. Wallace & Tiernan Co., 336 U.S. 793, 794 n.1 (1949) (involuntary dismissal without prejudice is reviewable final judgment if it stands alone); H.R. Techs., Inc. v. Astechnologies, Inc., 275 F.3d 1378, 1383 (Fed. Cir. 2002) (same); Cyprus Amax Coal Co. v. United States, 205 F.3d 1369, 1372 (Fed. Cir. 2000) (same), though not immediately reviewable. Under broadly recognized principles addressing review of partial dispositions once the rest of the case is resolved, see 15A Charles A. Wright & Arthur R. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure 3914.7, 3914.9 (2d ed. 2018), the early dismissal would become reviewable upon the entry of a judgment adjudicating all the claims, Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(b).(...)Having found jurisdiction, we readily conclude that we may decide PGSs appeals of the Board decisions and that we need not reopen the non-instituted claims and grounds. In this case, no party seeks SAS-based relief.We have uncovered no legal authority that requires us sua sponte to treat the Boards incorrect denial of institution as to some claims and grounds either as a basis for disturbing or declining to review the Boards rulings on the instituted claims and grounds or as a basis for reopening the IPRs to embrace the non-instituted claims and grounds. Even if the Board could be said to have acted ultra vires in refusing to institute reviews of some claims and groundsand then proceeding to merits decisions concerning the claims and grounds included in the instituted reviewsthe Boards error is waivable, not one we are required to notice and act on in the absence of an appropriate request for relief on that basis. See CBS Broad., Inc. v. EchoStar Commcns Corp., 450 F.3d 505, 520 n.27 (11th Cir. 2006) (finding challenge to FCC action as ultra vires waived). S**As to the obviousness issue-->As relevant here, [t]he obviousness inquiry entails consideration of whether a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the teachings of the prior art references to achieve the claimed invention, and . . . would have had a reasonable expectation of success in doing so. Insite Vision Inc. v. Sandoz, Inc., 783 F.3d 853, 859 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Such a motivation and reasonable expectation may be present where the claimed invention is the combination of familiar elements according to known methods that does no more than yield predictable results. KSR Intl Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 41516 (2007). Whether there would have been such a motivation on the relevant priority date is an issue of fact, and we review the Boards finding on the issue for substantial-evidence support. Skky, Inc. v. MindGeek, s.a.r.l., 859 F.3d 1014, 1021 (Fed. Cir. 2017), cert. denied, 2018 WL 1994802 (U.S. Apr. 30, 2018) (No. 17-349).(...)PGS contends that the Board did not really make the needed motivation finding. It cites decisions in which we have explained that the finder of fact in a case like this must go beyond the question of whether one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the references at issue (in the way claimed) to answer the question of whether such an artisan would have been motivated to do so. See, e.g., Personal Web Techs., LLC v. Apple, Inc., 848 F.3d 987, 99394 (Fed. Cir. 2017); InTouch Techs., Inc. v. VGO Commcns, Inc., 751 F.3d 1327, 1352 (Fed. Cir. 2014)., and its absence has sometimes justified a remand. E.g., Personal Web, 848 F.3d at 994. Nevertheless, while we may not supply a reasoned basis for the agencys action that the agency itself has not given, we will uphold a decision of less than ideal clarity if the agencys path may reasonably be discerned. Bowman Transp., Inc. v. Arkansas-Best Freight Sys., Inc., 419 U.S. 281, 286 (1974) (citing SEC v. Chenery Corp., 332 U.S. 194, 19697 (1947)); In re NuVasive, Inc., 842 F.3d 1376, 1383 (Fed. Cir. 2016). And in this case, we think that, in the end, the Board did not fail to address the motivation question. We understand the Board to have answered that question. Immediately after stating that PGS does not dispute Petitioners assertion that the combination of Beasley and Edington describes each element of independent claim 1, but merely asserts that an ordinarily skilled artisan would not have combined Beasley and Edington, it concluded: Accordingly, upon reviewing the record developed during trial, we are persuaded by Petitioners position regarding the relevant teachings of Beasley and Edington and address in detail only the disputed issues relating to the combinability of Beasley and Edington. 309 Final Decision, 2016 WL 3193820, at *11. The Board also affirmatively focused on the other types of encoding language of Beasley as an affirmative suggestion to look elsewhere, especially to a time-delay reference, in light of Beasleys contemplation of small time delays between firing seismic sources, as we have discussed.[T]he motivation to modify a reference can come from the knowledge of those skilled in the art, from the prior art reference itself, or from the nature of the problem to be solved. SIBIA Neurosciences, Inc. v. Cadus Pharm. Corp., 225 F.3d 1349, 1356 (Fed. Cir. 2000). We are left with no meaningful doubt about the Boards motivation finding and its basis.** Bentley Promotes New Book, The Hollywood Formula The stars came out on June 2, to support veteran producer Bentley Evans who shared insight about his new book, The Hollywood Formula. The Hollywood Formula details Bentleys story of his start in the industry through producing, directing and writing. It also covers how he quit and returned to the business. Evans has produced many hit shows and movies including Martin, The Jamie Foxx Show, Love That Girl, Family Time, and A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. More than 400 people attended the affair held at Harvest Studios in Los Angeles. Actor Michael Colyar served as emcee of the event, which also included a panel discussion on keys to succeeding in television and film. ADVERTISEMENT Among those attending were actor Darius McCrary, director Craig Ross and his actress wife, Caryn Ward Ross, actress Denise Boutte, Chrystee Pharris, casting director Phaedra Harris, actress Ashley Larae, writer Nile Evans of Wild n Out, and Bounce TV vice president Abby McDonald. Many of the actors joined Bentley Evans and Tangerine Talents Sueanne Edan on the Q & A panel as well. Black Teen Who Was Once Homeless Gets Full Ride to Harvard Philadelphia teen Richard Jenkins used to sleep in a homeless shelter and was nicknamed Harvard by bullies for being a bookworm. Now, he is going to the same Ivy League school on a full scholarship. Jenkins attends Girard College, a boarding school in north Philadelphia, and is this years valedictorian. The 18-year-old found out the good news while in Paris on a school trip. He said Wednesday that he was so excited he threw his cellphone in the middle of a call. ADVERTISEMENT Jenkins said he decided to focus on academics after lying to a friend about sleeping in a homeless shelter in the sixth grade. I was so embarrassed to say I lived in a shelter, he told WHYY. But thats when I realized Ive got to buckle in because I cant have my potential kids going through what Im going through now. Jenkins said he applied to Harvard after receiving a promotional email in his junior year. He said he was especially attracted to its program that pays tuition for students from households that earn less than $65,000 a year. While Jenkins wasnt so sure, he said his mom always knew he was going to get into Harvard. She confirmed that, telling the Philadelphia Inquirer I was not surprised. Jenkins said he plans on studying computer science in order to create a more intuitive virtual assistant. Ex-Dallas Officer Pleads Guilty To Shooting Unarmed Man A former Dallas police officer will serve more than a year of probation after pleading guilty in the 2013 shooting of an unarmed black man. WFAA-TV reports that Amy Wilburn pleaded guilty Tuesday to recklessly discharging a firearm at Kelvion Walker. Both Wilburn and Walker agreed to the plea deal. Wilburn was indicted on a felony aggravated assault by a public servant charge, which couldve carried a sentence of up to life in prison. Wilburn was pursuing a stolen vehicle in 2013 when she approached the car and shot Walker, who was unarmed in the passenger seat. Wilburn had alleged that Walker didnt put both of his hands up, but Walker and an independent witness said he did. ADVERTISEMENT Wilburns attorney declined to comment because of a pending multi-million dollar federal case. The trial is scheduled for August. Eye-Opening Documentary Chronicles Events Leading Up to Charlottesville The election of Donald Trump has ostensibly served to embolden Ku Klux Klansmen, neo-Nazis and the rest of the Alt-Right movement, and it also seems to have given these social outcasts hope of moving into the mainstream. In fact, the American Renaissance Conference, an annual gathering of White supremacists, was suddenly so popular that organizers had to shut down registration weeks before the event was staged last July. It was clear to the participants that the new president had sent out a signal that its perfectly fine to be a racist. And they showed up in droves, not bothering to hide their faces as they entered the venue, although theres footage of one snarling, Dont record me, [N-word!] at a Black counter-demonstrator with a camera. But from footage shot at that rally in Dickson, Tennessee, you could already see trouble was brewing. For, theres a chilling video clip of a neo-Nazi revving his engine as if he wanted to hit some protesters standing in the street. Youre not running anyone over! a female marcher yelled at him. This was just a month before the Charlottesville rally where Heather Heyer was struck and killed by a car driven by one of these hate-filled creeps. ADVERTISEMENT Directed by Adam Bhala Lough, Alt-Right: Age of Rage is an eye-opening documentary chronicling the recent rise of the White supremacist movement in the Age of Trump. This fascinating film features interviews with both neo-Nazis and the intrepid activists determined to expose them. Specifically, the director opted to focus most closely on Richard Spencer, the advocate of Black genocide who coined the term Alt-Right, and Daryle Lamont Jenkins, an African-American veteran of the U.S. military who fervently believes that evil flourishes when good people do nothing. For decades, Daryle has dedicated his life to monitoring people like Spencer, if only to inform their bosses and neighbors how they spend their free time. You might be thinking, Hey, why not just ignore these neo-Nazis, and maybe nobody will know about them in the absence of any media attention. That tactic might have worked prior to the Digital Age, when recruitment is rampant over the internet. The picture culminates with the confrontation in Charlottesville where all hell broke loose when the police inexplicably allowed armed White supremacists chanting Jews will not replace us! and other vile slogans to surround anti-Fascists in an area of Emancipation Park set aside for a counter-demonstration. Overall, a sobering expose proving the President wrong when he suggests that there are both good and bad Nazis. Excellent (4 stars) Unrated ADVERTISEMENT Running time: 104 minutes Production Studios: Company 3 To see a trailer for Alt-Right: Age of Rage, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V28WP8EnJkw Post-Racial Myth Perpetuates Racism and White Privilege Those who feel America is a post-racial society tend to be either die-hard conservatives, or so naive, they might believe there are snow-capped mountains in Florida. But by any measure, public education, the criminal injustice system, poverty, etc., White privilege and its cohort racism, remain the prime barriers to Blacks receiving actual justice and equality. Unfortunately, Blacks have never been among President Obamas top priorities. They have never received the support they need, and hoped for, from his administration. A case in point, in his second inaugural address, the president singled out poverty, LGBT, immigration reform and seniors for special consideration, but not Blacks. Apparently, they are not a part of the chosen ones. Todays column again cites alternative analyses and suggestions to meet the daunting challenges facing the Black community in the 21st century. ADVERTISEMENT White privilege and racism remain Americas pre-eminent realities even though white America still denies it. Sadly many Black people, albeit for vastly different reasons, join whites as partners in a dance of denial. Clearly, Whites downplay the primacy of race but maintain race-based power under the bogus guise of America a non-discriminating melting pot. (For many Blacks, downplaying race is a misguided attempt to assimilate.) On the color continuum, however, its still the closer to White, the better, rendering assimilation an exercise in futility. Race matters, and Black lives have always mattered. The late Derrick Bells penetrating analysis is a primer on the implications of the continuing significance of race. And his observations and conclusions shed light on seldom discussed aspects of an extremely complex issue. Bell argued that racism is so ingrained in American life that no matter what Blacks do to better their lives they will not succeed as long as the majority of Whites do not see their own well-being threatened by the status quo. He also reminded us that Blacks in bondage managed to retain their humanity and faith that pain and suffering were not the extent of their destiny. Professor Bell insisted that Americas veiled dogma of race-based progress fails those who have been marginalized: Blacks, the poor and others whom the myth ignores must call for national action that incorporates their life experience. He said Blacks must find inspiration in the lives of their oppressed ancestors who defied death as slaves and freed men, insisting on their own humanity despite societys consensus that they were an inferior people. He argued Blacks can only de-legitimatize racism by accurately pinpointing it as the center, not the periphery in their own lives, the lives of Whites and all others. Bell maintained Blacks must first acknowledge (at least to themselves) that their actions are not likely to lead to immediate or transcendent change.. Only then can that realization lead to public policy less likely to worsen their condition, and more likely to remind the nation that they are determined to constantly challenge its power. Professor Adolph Reed too raises provocative questions on the need for greater unity in combating racist policies, especially because of the developing state of the Black community. He argues that a cohesive Black collective is a myth, necessary after the Civil War to present a semblance of unity. He contends the leadership class defined specific Black interests, named themselves leaders and was assumed to be so by Whites- a phenomenon that unfortunately, still exists today.. According to Reed, egalitarianism appealed to both the civil rights movement and capitalism because it actually raised no questions about capitalism itself.. Rather, it stressed the immorality of racism and segregation and how they were obstacles to economic progress. But Black opposition was integrated into the system in a way that strengthened, not challenged it. Reeds suggestions for remedying the situation include breaking Black elites traditional control over ideas in the Black community, critiquing so-called Black agendas in order to transcend Black leaders serving their own interests exclusively and recognizing the diverse interests in Black communities. ADVERTISEMENT Dr. Cornel Wests Nihilism in Black America is a corollary to his seminal essay, Race Matters. In it, he points out Blacks initially struggled against racism in the enslaved circumstances of a new world and argues that the major enemy of Black survival in America is the loss of hope and absence of meaning, which is a by-product of racism. He maintains the genius of Blacks forbearers was to create powerful buffers to counter the demons of helplessness, meaningfulness and lovelessness, adding, Black people have always been in Americas wilderness, in search of a promised landbut many Blacks now reside in a jungle with a cut throat mentality devoid of any faith in deliverance or hope. All three scholars forcefully articulate the need for Blacks to debunk the internalized myths that White privilege and race are no longer significant factors in their lives. They also concur that the need for Black unity is at the heart of all efforts to internalize the positive core values and strengths of our forbearers. Despite pervasive denial, race matters and Blacks must shed the twin burdens of victimization and futile dependence on others. This requires renewed commitment and courageprerequisites for dealing with the magnitude of change necessary to make justice a reality and Black people increasingly proud to be Black. [email protected] Prince fans to celebrate musician with festival in Minnesota Prince fans will celebrate what would have been the music legends 60th birthday with a festival in the Minnesota community where the iconic movie Purple Rain was filmed. The Mankato Free Press reports that Henderson resident Joel King once worked with Prince and is helping organize the three-day tribute that begins June 7. Prince fans from Mankato, Maryland and New York are also helping organizing the event. The festival will include a bus tour of Purple Rain filming locations, a screening of the 1984 movie and live music. ADVERTISEMENT Fans from around the world have helped pay for a bench, street sign and mural that will be permanently installed downtown and dedicated during the celebration. All festival activities are free, but a donation to the Prince mural is requested. United Way of Greater Los Angeles EVERYONE IN and HOPICS Respond to Homeless Count Results Recently, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) released the results of the 2018 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, a countywide annual effort that engages thousands of local volunteers to estimate the number of Angelenos without safe, stable housing. This years count showed a total of 53,195 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County, including 8,317 people in the South L.A. area alone. The full Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count report can be found on the LAHSA website. EVERYONE INs analysis of the count, how it matches up with the solutions in place to end homelessness, along with progress to date and future milestones can be found at EveryoneInLA.org. EVERYONE IN released the following statements from United Way of Greater Los Angeles President & CEO Elise Buik and HOPICS, a local partner that has been hard at work every day connecting homeless individuals to the services, housing and prevention they need to stay off the streets for good: ADVERTISEMENT Our confidence is undeterred, as we have seen through the growing public will in polls and votes to end homelessness. We have a plan that focuses on prevention, local housing, accessible services, and neighbors standing up to be part of the solution. Its the right plan for the job, smart, comprehensive, and big enough to meet the challenges we face. But we need everyone in to make our vision a reality. Todays homeless count gives us 8,317 reasons to maintain the urgency our work demands in the South L.A. area.Elise Buik, President & CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles The homeless count data is important to help us understand the full scope of this issue and provides valuable sub regional and demographic information to inform resource allocation. I think it is critically important, though, that everyone remember that the data is not an indication that work isnt being done to address homelessness. In fact thousands of people experiencing homelessness are moved into quality permanent housing throughout the year; and there is an unprecedented heavy lift through public-private collaboration to significantly reduce the number of our homeless neighbors. The data reminds us that we truly need to have Everyone In to solve this problem.Veronica Lewis, Director, SSG/HOPICS For more information, visit HOPICS.org. For more information, visit UnitedWayLA.org. For additional information about EVERYONE IN, visit EveryoneInLA.org. Lawmakers in Britain continue to argue over terms of its planned withdrawal from the European Union (EU). The main issue is how Britain will deal with the rest of Europe after the move, known as Brexit. The EU is the countrys largest trading partner. British officials want to secure the best possible terms for trade and for the city of London, which is a major financial center. However, the Conservative Party has yet to decide on many issues related to Brexit, especially those related to rules and trade. Next week, Britains House of Commons, the lower house of parliament, will debate legislation for the withdrawal. Lawmakers also will vote on amendments passed by the House of Lords, parliaments upper house. If approved, those measures would increase British ties to the EU. Many Conservative lawmakers who support EU membership and opposition parties are expected to influence the upcoming votes. Distrust of negotiations among Brexiters Britain and the European Union opened negotiations soon after British voters decided to end their countrys membership. After the talks, the British side has been represented mainly by non-elected officials. Critics say these officials are seeking to keep Britains ties to the EU in place. Some people support a complete break with the rest of Europe. They are known as hard Brexiters. They warn that Britain could be required to obey EU requirements and follow rulings by the European Court of Justice. That could happen if Britain remains a member of Europes customs union or keeps its Single Market. They also say Britain could be blocked from negotiating individual trade deals with non-EU countries as EU members are. Supporters of hard Brexit are concerned Prime Minister Theresa May might be positioning Britain for such a backdoor membership in the EU. They note she has delayed publishing a report on the governments proposals for Brexit. And, some lawmakers are angry that May has not been open about negotiations on how the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland will be treated after Brexit. Ireland is an EU member. They say an open border policy could keep Britain closely tied to the EU. Mays Cabinet is sharply divided over Brexit. Her finance minister, Philip Hammond, wants to keep close ties with the EU in the same way that Norway does. His position includes keeping Britain in the EUs customs union and membership in the Single Market. On the other side is foreign minister Boris Johnson and environment secretary Michael Gove, who support a clean break. They are seeking what they call a global Britain, one which can negotiate freely and is not closely tied to the EU. The disagreements are so severe that negotiations have not made progress. There are concerns that conflicts within the cabinet could lead the Conservative government to break apart, forcing new elections. That could bring the opposition Labour Party to power. One Conservative official said of the difficult situation: It has become a shambles. Im Mario Ritter. Jamie Dettmer reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story customs union n. a general agreement on import and export taxes and policies that govern trade by a group of countries shambles n. a place or situation in which there is disorder global adj. of or relating to the whole world The skeleton of an extremely rare kind of dinosaur has sold for $2.3 million in Paris, France. The 150-million-year-old bones sold during an auction June 4 at the citys famous Eiffel Tower. The company holding the auction said the buyer was a French art collector. The seller was identified only as a British businessman. The skeleton is described as about 70 percent complete. It measures nine meters long and about two-and-a-half meters tall. The bones were discovered in 2013 in the western American state of Wyoming. Scientists recognized the skeleton as belonging to a large, meat-eating dinosaur. But it has not been identified as a specific kind. Some scientists have said they believe it could be a new species. The Aguttes auction house described the skeleton as being from the late Jurassic period. It has similarities to the Allosaurus meat-eating dinosaur group. Other Allosaurus skeletons have been discovered in the same area as the one sold in Paris. However, the auction company said that European paleontologists who examined the skeleton found major differences from known Allosaurus. Eric Mickeler, a fossil expert, works for the auction company. He said the discovery marked the high point of his career because he believes the skeleton holds great scientific promise. But the private sale of the fossil drew criticism from some scientific groups and individuals. Before the auction, the nonprofit Society of Vertebrate Paleonotology wrote a letter to the auction company expressing its concerns. The U.S.-based group says it represents more than 2,200 paleontologists around the world. The letter criticized Aguttes for claiming the skeleton provided evidence of new science and urged the company to cancel the auction. The organization said it recognized that the fossil was legally collected and exported to France. But it added that scientifically important vertebrate fossils are part of our collective natural heritage and deserve to be held in public trust. The society argued that major discoveries sold into private collection could become lost to science. That is because there is no guarantee that privately held pieces will be open to all scientists for research purposes, the organization said. Thomas Carr is a vertebrate paleontologist at Carthage College in the American state of Wisconsin. He told the website Live Science he thinks the auction house claims were just hype designed to get a higher price for the skeleton. "It looks no different from any Allosaurus that I've ever seen," he said of the fossil. Speaking to Reuters, auction official Claude Aguttes said the buyer had told him he considers the skeleton to be amazing and plans to present it to the public. Everyone will be able to see it, it will soon be lent to a museum, Aguttes said. It will be studied by scientists, everything is perfect. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse and other sources. was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story auction n. sale in which things are sold to the person who offers the most money species n. a group of plants or animals that share similar characteristics heritage n. the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation deserve v. used to say that someone or something should or should not have or be given something hype n. a lot of attention given to something - especially in media to make it seem more important or exciting than it really is The world will be watching when the leaders of the United States and North Korea meet in Singapore on June 12. People are wondering whether U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un can reach a nuclear agreement. Some experts have attempted to estimate the amount of time and money needed to take apart North Koreas nuclear weapons program. They estimate that the disarmament process could last up to 10 years and cost $20 billion. Trump has said he expects a very positive result from the Singapore summit. He said that the talks represent the beginning of a process that will take time. Arms experts are trying to imagine what that process will look like. Daryl Kimball is the head of the Arms Control Association in Washington. He said that much needs to be done by all the nations involved. It is going to take sustained energy on the part of the United States, South Korea, Japan, China and North Korea. Its going to be a multiyear-long process, he said. United Nations resolutions designed to punish the North for its nuclear activities remain in effect. Those sanctions have severely limited much of North Korea's economic activity. However, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said this week that sanctions would only be eased after North Korea takes verifiable and irreversible steps to denuclearization. The Norths government has suggested that it supports the idea of making concessions over time, with each side giving up something in answer to the others actions. But the North has opposed moving quickly to disarm before any concessions are offered. North Koreas nuclear program North Korea is thought to possess 20 to 80 nuclear weapons. It also has nuclear research centers; some are known to international experts, but others are secret. In addition, the country has thousands of long-distance missiles. A recent study found that the U.S. goal of completely ending North Koreas nuclear program could cost as much as $20 billion. Kwon Hyuk-chul, a professor of security strategy at Kookmin University in Seoul, helped carry out the study. Kwon based his estimate on earlier nuclear deals with the North. He also studied Ukraines experience when disarming its nuclear weapons after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Kwon said, in the case of Ukraine, All of the strategic nuclear warheads that Ukraine possessed were transferred to Russia and dismantled there. He noted that the U.S. government provided containers and technical support for the effort. The Kookmin University study estimated that dismantling North Koreas nuclear weapons and supporting centers would cost $5 billion. Another $5 billion, Kwon said, would be needed to act on a U.S. promise to build two nuclear reactors for electricity. The reactors were part of a 1994 nuclear agreement. The study found that another $10 billion in aid would be needed to help build the North Korean economy and to move up to 10,000 nuclear workers to peacetime activities. Trump has said he does not expect the U.S. government to provide aid to North Korea. But Trump said he would offer private American investment to the North if it gives up nuclear weapons. He added that North Korea should look to South Korea and China for any direct economic aid. A recent Stanford University report gave a time estimate for the nuclear disarmament process. It said it could take over 10 years for the North to permanently dismantle its nuclear weapons. Im Mario Ritter. Brian Padden reported this story for VOA News and Lee Yoon-jee contributed to it. Mario Ritter adapted their report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story positive adj. good, useful summit n. a meeting between two or more leaders or heads of state sustained adj. providing what is needed for something carry on strategic adj. related to a general plan created to reach a larger goal, usually over a long period of time verifiable adj. something that can be proven as true irreversible adj. something that cannot be changed concessions n things that are given to reach an agreement transferred adj. to move something from one place to anouther A group of students who survived the deadly shooting in Parkland, Florida, announced a bus tour to support new gun laws. About 24 of the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School made the announcement on Monday. The event came one day after several in the group graduated from high school. The tour is to begin June 15 in the Midwestern city of Chicago. The students say their goal is to register more young people to vote so they will support reforms to U.S. gun laws. Cameron Kasky is one of the high school students involved. He noted that four million young Americans will turn 18 years old in 2018. If every single one of those people votes, encourages their friends to vote, makes sure their family is getting to the polls, we can make real change in this country, he said. Eighteen is the minimum age for voting in the United States. The student organizers wore a message on T-shirts made for the event. The words Road to Change were printed on them. Parkland students and activists Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg also attended the event. The students said the tour will target districts where elected officials have received a lot of money from the National Rifle Association. The group, based in northern Virginia, represents gun owners and candidates who oppose restrictions on gun ownership. The tour is the most recent event in a youth movement against gun violence. The movement developed after student Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people with a gun at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County, Florida on February 14. In the months following the shooting, many students from the high school have taken part in demonstrations and gatherings. They have gone to Floridas capital, Tallahassee, and Washington, D.C. On its website, the group says it will visit 20 states on its tour. They also say they will visit every congressional district in Florida. The group says it is paying for its tour through donations. The related March for Our Lives campaign has received financial support from popular television and movie personalities such as Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney. Im Mario Ritter. Megan Duzor reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story tour n. a series of appearances involving events in different places graduate v. to receive a diploma from a school or college encourage v. to make someone more likely to do something minimum adj. the lowest amount or number that is possible This is Whats Trending Today. The search engine Google is honoring the life of an American doctor who developed a system for measuring a newborn babys health. Virginia Apgar is the subject of the Google home pages latest Doodle. Thursday would have been Apgars 109th birthday. As Google explains, Apgars presence can still be felt in delivery rooms across the globe. As a medical student, Apgar noted that a number of babies that had seemed healthy at birth were dying soon after leaving the hospital. This was because there was no commonly used method for measuring newborn health. In 1952, she created a life-saving test. This five-step test has doctors examine the appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration of newborns. The test is easy to remember. The first letter of each step spells Apgar: A-P-G-A-R. Doctors score each part score of zero to two, with the highest total score being 10. They examine the newborns one minute after birth and then again five minutes after birth. The scores help doctors identify whether a baby has health issues requiring extra care. The APGAR test soon spread in America and around the world. It is still widely used today. Apgars life included many other successes. In 1949, she became the first woman to be named a full professor at the medical school she attended, Columbia Universitys College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York City. Later, she led the birth defects department at the organization known today as the March of Dimes. Thursdays Google Doodle appeared for internet users in the United States, as well as Japan, India, Israel, Chile, Argentina, Australia and several European nations. Apgar was born on June 7, 1909. She died in 1974 at the age of 65. In 1995, she was admitted into the National Womens Hall of Fame. And thats Whats Trending Today. Im Caty Weaver. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story doodle - n. a drawing delivery - n. the act or process of giving birth globe- n. an object that is shaped like a large ball with a map of the world on it pulse - n. the regular movement of blood through your body that is caused by the beating of your heart and that can be felt by touching certain parts of your body grimace - n. a facial expression in which your mouth and face are twisted in a way that shows disgust, disapproval, or pain respiration - n. the act or process of breathing Eight American states held primary elections on Tuesday. Voters chose candidates who will represent political parties in the general elections. In November, voters will fill all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, and one third of the 100 seats in the Senate. Many Republican Party candidates plan to center their campaigns on an issue President Donald Trump considers important immigration. Last week, more than 5,000 supporters attended a political event in Nashville, Tennessee. Many shouted build the wall in support for Trumps plan for a wall between the United States and Mexico. Tennessee Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn said in a video: I believe in President Trumps immigration ban, and Ill fight with him every step of the way to build that wall. Blackburn is currently seeking a Senate seat. Across the country, immigration has been a subject in more than one third of television ads for Republicans seeking House seats. The newspaper USA Today says those candidates run immigration issue messages almost as much as pro-Trump ads. Dan Cox works for the Public Religion Research Institute, PRRI, a nonprofit group. He said many experts debate whether pro-Trump voters will turn out to support other Republican candidates. He added that many Republican candidates are trying to copy Trumps position and way of thinking on some issues. Energizing the base, while ignoring others He said, Midterm elections typically are about the base, and this issue really animates the Republican base. Earlier this year, Trumps reelection campaign released a video. The ad tells the story of Luis Bracamontes, an undocumented immigrant. It says he was tried and found guilty of killing two California sheriffs deputies. The announcer in the ad says: Democrats who stand in our way, will be complicit in every murder committed by illegal immigrants. The message appears similar to what Trump has said recently about illegal immigrants. Cox says the presidents statements relate to personal safety -- a message important to many white, working-class Americans. A 2017 opinion study found that 62 percent of working-class voters believe the growing number of immigrants threatens American culture. Among the same group, voters who supported calls to expel illegal immigrants were 3.3 times more likely to support Trump than those who did not. PRRI and The Atlantic magazine reported the findings. But choosing to direct attention on Trumps immigration policies comes with risks, says Diana Mutz, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Mutz researched electoral behavior in the 2016 elections. She said Trump operates on the idea that being anti-immigrant won him votes. But, she told VOA, that understanding is incorrect. Yes, things like trade did win him votes but things like immigration actually did not, Mutz said. They lost him votes because he was far too extreme. A Pew Research Center study found that 65 percent of Americans said immigrants strengthen the United States because of their hard work and talents. Another 26 percent consider them a problem because they take jobs, housing, and health care. Among Republicans, opinions are more evenly split 42 percent had a good opinion of immigrants, but 44 percent did not. Ramon Taylor reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted his report for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story animate v. to give life to; to move to action complicit v. to take part in a crime or so wrong in some way commit v. to carry out talent n. a special ability or skill American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. Anadarko Petroleum Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of oil and gas properties. It operates through three segments: Exploration and Production, WES Midstream, and Other Midstream. The company explores for and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). It is also involved in gathering, processing, treating, and transporting oil, natural-gas, and NGLs production, as well as the gathering and disposal of produced water. The company's oil and natural gas properties are located in the United States onshore and deepwater Gulf of Mexico; and Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Colombia, Peru, and other countries. As of December 31, 2018, it had approximately 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. Read More Wall Street analysts have given HighPoint Resources a "Sell" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but HighPoint Resources wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosario provided his understanding of the recognition of mutual driving license between mainland China and the MSAR. The Secretary voiced his opinion to the lawmakers during yesterdays Legislative Assemblys (AL) plenary meeting. As proposed by lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong, the AL had a debate on the recognition of mutual driving license yesterday. I hope lawmakers will not misunderstand [because] I dont mean to criticize [the lawmakers]. [On the recognition], it is [about recognizing] our own countrys driving license; our compatriots [driving license], said Raimundo. I even feel a bit embarrassed for having to debate it and for having to conduct a public consultation about it. This is about responding to our compatriots; it is not a benefit Macau is giving them [mainlanders]. We have already recognized driving licenses of 110 countries. The 111th country is our own, yet we require a public consultation and debate? I have no doubt regarding it [the recognition]. Raimundos comment triggered mixed responses from lawmakers. For instance, both Au Kam San and Mak Soi Kun expressed an opposing opinion to Rosarios comment. Au, while criticizing the Secretary, said according to your logic, they [mainlanders] should be able to come to Macau with their ID card, study here and live here. But how come they cant? It [China] is protecting Macau, Macau is under the states care. Chui Sai Peng, however, supported Rosario, commenting that the recognition will altogether demonstrate the states sovereignty. Some people will never understand [things], no matter how you explain it to them. They oppose for the sake of opposition, said Chui. Currently, the mentality of many Macau residents compels them to be strict to others but lenient to themselves. [] The Liberation Army already came out [to help] after Typhoon Hato. Besides, the mainlands police authority will come to Macau to take them [mainland drivers who cause traffic issues in Macau] back [to the mainland], said Chui, adding it [the recognition] is not worth discussing, as it is an outdated issue. Chief Executive-appointed lawmaker Chan Wa Keong remarked that if you [the government] propose to hand out cash every day, I think nobody will oppose. Taiwan is a province. Why is Taiwan province allowed to [Taiwan driving license can be used in Macau] while other provinces are not? Mak Soi Kun questioned. Several lawmakers voiced their support to the mutual recognition, although they still posed some questions to government representatives who attended yesterdays AL. These lawmakers included Ma Chi Seng, Iau Teng Pio, Chui Sai Peng and Angela Leong. These four lawmakers, together with several others, questioned the potential transportation pressure that might fall upon the citys roads once the recognition is implemented. In terms of safety issues, the lawmakers worry that mainland drivers are unaware of Macaus driving regulations; non-local employees will possibly be hired to operate vehicles in Macau when they have not been approved by the government to perform such tasks and that there might be more car rental companies. We understand that the public is concerned about the demand generated after mainland license holders come to the city. On average, mainlanders stay 1.5 days in Macau. How can they find a car [in that time]? We dont have car rental companies at the border gates. [] We dont think it [the recognition] will encourage them to drive cars, said Lam Hin San, director of the Transport Bureau (DSAT). Lam also noted that any party who wishes to open a car rental company in Macau must have a fleet comprising a minimum of 25 vehicles and be able to offer a minimum of 25 private parking spaces. Tourists, including mainland tourists, know how to use Macaus public transportation system, [] We reckon they will not have any special requirements [driving in Macau], said Lam. During the first three to four months of this year, accidents related to non-local workers decreased by 30 percent year-on- year. A representative from the Public Security Police Force (PSP) further reported that, in 2016, 230 non-local workers were found working beyond their own employment permit. The number has been continuously decreasing since 2016. Previously, as well as yesterday, the DSAT director noted that mainland driving license holders are already allowed to drive in Macau if they simply change their driving license in Hong Kong to a Hong Kong-based driving license. About 43,000 Macau residents already have mainland driving licenses, said Lam, according to whom, approximately 250,000 Macau residents have a Macau driving license, adding that the recognition is convenient [for residents] if they [the 250,000] need to drive in mainland China. In 2017, somewhere around 2,500 mainland residents obtained Macaus driving license, according to the PSP representative. In 2016, the PSP conducted 1,131 inspections in regard to illegal drivers. In 2017, the number of inspections went up to 1,243. According to Lam, in 2017, 30,000 mainland residents obtained their driving license in Hong Kong and approximately 500 traffic infractions were committed there. In addition, PSP statistics show that in 311 cases in 2017, drivers were found not qualified for operating vehicles in Macau. In the first four months of 2018, 81 similar cases were registered. Lawmaker Fong Ka Chio voiced that self-driving tourism in Macau will not become an economical problem since mainlanders motivation to drive in Macau is low due to Macaus driving environment. The demand for self-driving tourism in Macau is really low. We have 83 bus routes and we have free methods of transportation, said Lam, who also pointed out that non-local students will need to take a test in case they intend to drive in Macau. According to Lam, tourists who wish to drive in Macau are not required to register for driving if they will drive for less than 14 days. Any driving activities, which extend further than 14 days, will require tourists to go through administrative procedures. Chef Esdras Ochoa will present his modern take on traditional Mexican food at the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) today. Born in Mexico City, Ochoa grew up at the border between Mexico and the United States, in the twin cities of Mexicali and Calexico. Dubbed Los Angeles Taco King, the chef currently has a restaurant in Hong Kong called 11 Westside. He also owns two restaurants in the U.S., Mexicali Taco & Co. and Salazar, which were included in GQ Magazines list of Best New Restaurants in America. Ochoa told the Times that he is set to open another concept in Mumbai, India, this September. According to the chef, he will present dishes from the different regions of Mexico. Were going to do a little [presentation] of the north, south and the coast so that everybody gets a little [taste] of the general flavors of Mexico, he said. I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I do and to share with the world what Mexican food is about; and on some occasions, use local ingredients from different countries but still use the same Mexican techniques, the chef added. Also in attendance will be Mexican businessmen specializing in spirits, beer and traditional ingredients. Co-organized by the Consul General of Mexico in Hong Kong, the demonstration aims to utilize gastronomy to strengthen ties between the MSAR and Mexico. Consul General Damian Martinez Taguena explained that food and beverage representatives will also attend in hopes of sourcing ingredients from traditional producers in Mexico. He added that the consulate aims to bring chefs to both SARs to enhance cultural exchange and mutual understanding. We know the great love of food for people in Macau. The number of good restaurants per capita is impressive, [so] were happy to bring good [Mexican] food, he said. The future chefs of many restaurants in hotels are training in IFT now, so by teaching them a couple of simple but effective recipes, I think its a good step in the right direction that will have a long lasting effect, the official noted. The Consul General of Mexico in Hong Kong also organizes trips to Mexico to visit Tequila Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its production of the famous spirit. The official hoped that the consulate could also bring delegates from Macau. Subsidies for Macau residents who study in Guangdong are now extended to students who study in any city across the Guangdong province, according to a dispatch published in the government Official Gazette. The beneficiaries of this allowance are students enrolled in schools across the Guangdong province, including preschool, primary, and junior high-school educational institutions, in addition to full-time regular high school and full-time secondary vocational schools. Students enrolled in preschool education must have been three years old on December 31 of 2017 in order to receive the allowance. The amount for each students allowance is determined on the basis of tuition fees confirmed by the education administrations where the school is located. The maximum allowance is MOP8,000, MOP6,000, MOP6,000 and MOP6,000 for pre-school education, primary school education, junior school education and high school education respectively. The distribution of the allowance will be made after the parents or guardians of students or adult students submit applications to the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ). Only the applications submitted by students still attending school on March 31, 2018 will be accepted. In case the allowance is used to support training courses, it will only be granted to students who attend training courses organized by DSEJ with the intent of improving the students knowledge of Macaus political, economic and cultural aspects. The training courses should be conducted between June and August of 2018. Students attendance of a minimum of 20 hours is a requirement, and the student attendance rate must not be less than 80 percent. The CEO of Taiwans Foxconn, which assembles Apple iPhones and other products for tech companies, said yesterday that Washingtons dispute with China is over technology rather than trade. Terry Gous comments at an event celebrating the anniversary of Foxconns first investment in mainland China follow Beijings threat to scrap trade deals with Washington if President Trumps tariff hike on Chinese technology products goes ahead. This is not a trade conflict but rather a competition and comparison of technology, said Gou in a video shown in the event. Foxconn Technology Group, also known as Hon Hai President Industry Co., is the worlds biggest contract manufacturer of smartphones, computers and other technology products and is trying to develop its own brands. Gou said he planned to take part in a groundbreaking ceremony at the end of June for a USD10 billion factory that Foxconn is set to build in Wisconsin, but he and other executives said nothing else about the companys plans there or other initiatives outside China. In the video, Gou said the U.S. is significantly ahead of China in areas such as jet engines and semiconductors. If China is to catch up, allow me to speak frankly, it must be in the areas of manufacturing technology, design and manufacturing technology, he said. They are the real economy. Foxconn is trying to develop beyond its roots as a low-cost assembler of products and become an advanced manufacturer and bigger player in the global supply chain. The company says its Wisconsin factory will make liquid crystal display panels for use in computers, TVs and self-driving cars. AP After surpassing Hermes, Gucci has Louis Vuitton in its sights. The Italian fashion brand, owned by Kering SA of France, aims to lift revenue to 10 billion euros (USD12 billion) from last years 6.2 billion euros, according to an investor presentation yesterday. That would rival LVMHs Louis Vuitton, long the biggest and most profitable name in luxury. With a 45 percent increase in sales last year driven by designer Alessandro Micheles decadent creations crystal-coated sunglasses and painted handbags Gucci pulled ahead of Hermes International. Its also neck-and-neck with Chanel SA but growing faster than the privately held French brand, analysts estimate. Guccis ambition is to become a definitive 21st century statement of contemporary coolness, Michele said in the presentation. Kering shares, which have risen about 35 percent this year, were down 1.5 percent at 12:55 p.m. in Paris. Gucci and other luxury labels are riding a wave of demand led by China, where sales are surging after a multiyear slump caused by a crackdown on corruption. Gucci has been the industrys top performer since the appointment of Michele as creative director three years ago. The current upswing follows a boom-and-bust cycle for the Italian brand, whose fortunes had slumped after the departure of designer Tom Ford in 2004. While not giving a time frame, Gucci said it aims to widen its operating margin to at least 40 percent after reaching 34 percent last year. The new target would be nipping at the heels of Louis Vuitton, whose margin is estimated at being the highest in luxury. To achieve the new goals, Gucci plans to increase retail space about 3 percent a year and triple online sales, which reached 270 million euros last year. Its also concentrating more on its own store network as it aims to reduce its reliance on distributors. Wholesale revenue was 14 percent of the total in 2017, down from 16 percent the prior year. Bloomberg Tencent Holdings Ltd. is working with the Chinese government to create an electronic pass system that smooths travel between Hong Kong, Macau and the southern province of Guangdong. The unusual proposal would see multiple travel documents linked to Tencents WeChat app to streamline border crossings, the Shenzhen, Guangdong-based company said in a statement. With the E-card ID system, users some day might be able to check into hotels and set up bank accounts if regulators approve, the company said. Travelers between mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau are required to have special permits, similar to visas, even though they are part of the same country. Founder Ma Huateng has been a champion for developing Tencents home province and the former colonies into the so-called Greater Bay Area that could rival the region around San Francisco. The E-card program will use a feature of WeChat known as mini program to allow users to link their Chinese ID card to their travel permits. WeChat has more than 1 billion active users and Tencent also runs news portals, a Hollywood- like movie production and distribution network, online book stores and games including Clash of Clans. The proposal is a follow up on ideas Ma first put forward last year during an annual legislative meeting in Beijing. While details were vague, his suggestion was written into Chinas government work report, and broached the idea of twinning Hong Kongs capital and financial muscle with the manufacturing prowess of Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta region. Ma said that it could help the long-term stability and prosperity of Hong Kong and Macau. Mas plans for the region compete with at least 120 so-called tech zones now getting drawn up around the country as provinces and cities seek to forge Chinas equivalent of Silicon Valley. All are vying for talent and capital. Proposals to unify the Pearl River Delta elicited some concerns: critics say any plans for Hong Kong and mainland Chinese immigration and customs officials to share locations to speed border crossings violates the one-country two-systems framework. But the same ideas that provoke outrage in some has also aroused enthusiasm in others who say simplifying travel will increase the cities competitiveness. Bloomberg The Military Club this week opened a painting exhibition featuring a total of 30 works by Portuguese artists. The exposition includes works from three painters: Pedro Proenca, Maria Joao Franco, and Madalena Pequito. The exhibition presents a set of works, from each artist, which share visible thematic unity. Many will recognize the distinctive styles of Proenca and Franco, that characterize and differentiate the artworks. Proencas works are presented in two different series, both in the subject and the format. First, it is the preponderance of drawing as a form of representation. This aspect reveals or betrays the strong influence of the comic strips that marks the artist, organizers said in a statement. This is in addition to the bright and contrasting colors that give them an atmosphere of celebration, brightness, and fantasy. In a dissimilar tone is a series of works by Franco. They delve into one of her dominant themes, the human body. [Her depictions are] a body that often appears as no more than a suggestion, rather than as an objective representation, the statement noted. The exhibition is associated with the Day of Portugal and forms part of the official program supported by the Consulate General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong. It is also included in the clubs cycle of activities entitled Meeting Bridges which will feature two more exhibitions later this year: one dedicated to the art of Portuguese-speaking countries, to be held in October, and another, focused on local artists, which will take place at the end of the year. The Macau Pension Fund will not be able to cover its expenses by 2031, according to the Legislative Assemblys (AL) Follow- up Committee on Public Finance Affairs. The government has disclosed that it would invest in the retirement fund system in order to ensure the funds continued operation. As at the end of 2017, the fund included 9,416 working members and 3,533 retirees, with cumulative total expenditures including pensions and other subsidies estimated at MOP1.766 billion. Some 5,095 civil servants are expected to meet the retirement pension requirements by 2027, with their regular retirement pensions predicted to amount to up to MOP6.2 billion. At the end of last year, the total financial assets were MOP16.774 billion, of which approximately 77 percent were allocated to the international portfolio, with the remaining funds allocated to the deposit portfolio. The annual return is 9.65 percent, amounting to MOP14.93 billion. The fund owns a collection of 84 Japanese art pieces valued at MOP13.7 million. The collection, which includes pieces that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, features works by Japanese artists Katsushika Hokusai, Kitagawa Utamaro, Suzuki Harunobu, and Ando Hiroshige. According to the report, as well as information provided by the Fund, the art collection was acquired in the late 1980s by the Portuguese administration, and has since been kept in the safe of the Banco Nacional Ultramarino. A highlight of the collection is a set of 46 prints from Hokusai, including The Great Wave off Kanagawa, a world-famous woodblock print by the Japanese ukiyo-e art movement period artist. The fund also owns a real estate property in Lisbon valued at MOP9.6 million. The Hong Kong government has said that it would consider giving voting rights to half a million citizens living and working in mainland China. The proposal is part of the Greater Bay Area initiative and has triggered questions from the pro-democratic wing about whether such extensions should be implemented worldwide. The Times contacted the Government Spokesperson Office to ask if the Macau SAR will consider providing such rights to locals living outside Macaus borders, namely in mainland China, but did not receive a reply by press time. In Hong Kong, the proposal is a point of concern regarding the organization of the electoral process, as well as the coordination and supervision of work on polling stations, among others. During the weekly Legislative Council meeting on Tuesday, the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Patrick Nip, said that all arrangements for polling outside Hong Kong must be critically examined. [We must consider matters] such as how the polling and counting process could be effectively monitored, as well as transportation of ballot papers and boxes to and from polling stations outside Hong Kong, Nip was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post. He stated that all relevant electoral legislation, risks and unforeseen incidents have to be carefully reviewed and considered. In response to lawmaker Starry Lee, chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong the SARs largest pro-government party he added that, promoting the Greater Bay Area while denying voting rights to those who work there is contradictory. According to the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong, the number of Hong Kong permanent residents staying in Guangdong was estimated to be 531,000 last year, of which 42 percent are aged below 15 years old. The current law states that only Hong Kong permanent residents who ordinarily live in the city can vote, and must provide proof of a local residential address to register. Pro-democracy lawmaker Charles Mok said, Our youngsters do not only go to the Greater Bay Area for work, but also to Taiwan and all over the world. If you launch such a policy, it must apply worldwide. RM Wan Kuok Koi, one of the most infamous and feared triad leaders before Macaus handover, has announced plans to invest in Cambodia. On May 20, Wan appeared at the opening ceremony of the World Hongmen History and Culture Association Headquarters, in Cambodia. We will establish Hongmen schools in order to let foreigners and overseas Chinese study Chinese books, and to let foreigners read about [topics such as] loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and justice, said Wan in an interview with the Hong Kong press. [We] want to open elderly care homes and schools. All [these projects] need money. Rich people do not dare to support Hongmen [because they are] afraid Hongmen is [a] sensitive [group], he added. During the ceremony, HB (Hongmen cryptocurrency) was launched. According to Wan, he expects to issue one billion HB, each valued at one USD. Nowadays, blockchain is unstoppable. [] Therefore, we issued HB to have a financial value. Afterwards, I can work on the Chinese cultural city, said Wan. He added that Hongmen will cooperate with the states long-term plans. Wan, also known as Broken Tooth, also plans to invest in e-commerce and intends to launch Hongmen-related watches, tea, hotels and casinos. Domtar Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes communication papers, specialty and packaging papers, and absorbent hygiene products in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Pulp and Paper, and Personal Care. The company provides business papers, including copy and electronic imaging papers used in inkjet and laser printers, photocopiers, and plain-paper fax machines, as well as computer papers, preprinted forms, and digital papers for office and home use. It also offers commercial printing and publishing papers, such as offset papers and opaques used in sheet and roll fed offset presses; publishing papers, which include tradebook and lightweight uncoated papers for publishing textbooks, dictionaries, catalogs, magazines, hard cover novels, and financial documents; and converting papers for envelopes, tablets, business forms, and data processing/computer forms. In addition, the company provides papers for thermal printing, flexible packaging, food packaging, medical packaging, medical gowns and drapes, sandpaper backing, carbonless printing, labels and other coating, and laminating applications; and papers for industrial and specialty applications, such as carrier papers, treated papers, security papers, and specialized printing and converting applications. Further, it offers absorbent hygiene products, including absorbent briefs, protective underwear, underpads, pads, washcloths, and body patches under the Attends, Indasec, IndasSlip, and Reassure brands; and baby diapers, training and youth pants, and bed mats under the Comfees, Chelino, Nene, and Bambino brand names. The company serves merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters, and end-users. Domtar Corporation was founded in 1848 and is based in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Read More 2 hours ago Royal Caribbean Stock is Ready to Leave the Port Cruise ship operator Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) stock has been recovering since its pandemic lows powered by pent-up demand. The acceleration of COVID vaccinations is bolstering bookings for 2022. The cruise line reported that 92% of the people on board its ships in July are vaccinated, with the exception of Singapore. Read Article The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. 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Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc.. Associate Professor Tony Roscioli from NeuRA and UNSW Sydney. Credit: University of New South Wales Four genes have been identified which work together to cause cleft lip and palate, in an international research collaboration with researchers from UNSW Sydney and the University of Washington. The genes, associated for the first time with cleft lip and palate, encode proteins that work together in a network, providing important insights into the biological basis of one of the most common physical malformations. The NHMRC-funded project was led by Associate Professor Tony Roscioli from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), UNSW Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick; and Professor Timothy Cox, from Seattle Children's Research Institute and the University of Washington School of Medicine in the USA. Representing about 70 per cent of cleft lip and palate cases worldwide, non-syndromic cleft lip and palate typically occur in isolation without other physical abnormalities. This craniofacial malformation has long been considered to be caused by a combination of many common genetic variants and environmental factors, each contributing a small amount to the risk of a child being born with a cleft. Using next-generation sequencing, the research team identified variants in four new genes, each representing a primary cause of non-syndromic cleft lip and palate. These genes are known to encode proteins that work together in a network, providing important insight into the biological basis of the cleft lip and palate. Variants in these genes were found to account for 15 per cent of the families who took part in the study and in nearly 3 per cent of a second, larger group of smaller families and isolated cases. Published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, the study provides the first evidence that a significant number of non-syndromic clefts have a single gene basis and not a complex basis as previously thought. Associate Professor Tony Roscioli said cleft lip/palate is one of the most common human malformations, occurring in one in 800 children. "That equates to about 250 Australian children each year and one affected child born every three minutes worldwide," said Associate Professor Roscioli. "What we were seeking to identify in this study was whether single genes could cause a cleft lip or palate in families where there were multiple affected people. Credit: University of New South Wales "Knowing the genes and the way these impact lip and palate formation opens the door for further research to understand how these genes work and to develop treatments." Commenting on their breakthrough, Professor Timothy Cox said prior studies had focused on using large numbers of affected individuals without an obvious family history, searching for common genetic variants that are associated with an increased risk of a child being born with a cleft. "We reasoned that non-syndromic cleft lip and palate occurring in families is more likely to be caused by a single rare variant that we can pinpoint using available new sequencing technologies," said Professor Cox. "The genetic pathway that emerged from these data gathered through collaboration with clinical teams from around the world is arguably one of the most significant advances in cleft lip and palate genetics in the last 15 years." Cleft lip and cleft palates are repaired with corrective surgery. Future research will further investigate the biology and link the findings to future potential therapies. These discoveries will allow geneticists to provide more accurate information to families. "Importantly, we also showed that some affected individuals in this study had a gene variant which was inherited from neither parent that is, it likely arose spontaneously in the affected individual during early development and therefore the parents were able to be reassured of a very low chance of having another affected child," A/Prof Roscioli said. Associate Professor Tony Roscioli is a specialist in clinical genetics at the Sydney Children's Hospital and leads the Sydney Partnership for Health Education Research and Enterprise (SPHERE) GenomeConnect clinical academic stream. At NeuRA he leads the Centre for Research Excellence in Neurocognitive Disorders where he endeavours to transform the diagnosis and management of intellectual disability through genomics. Timothy Cox is a senior Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and a member of the Seattle Children's Research Institute's Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Seattle Children's Craniofacial Centre. His team seeks to understand how genes and maternal nutritional factors interact to control the formation of the unborn child's face and how these factors impact a child's risk of being born with cleft lip and palate. He hopes his research will lead to innovative approaches to reduce the severity or incidence of cleft lip and palate in newborns that carry a genetic predisposition to the birth defect. Explore further Primary care pediatrician vital for cleft lip/palate care Most people will experience feelings of deep loss and distress after a long-term relationship breakup. Credit: www.shutterstock.com Despite populist writings that love lasts forever, the divorce statistics across various countries tell us that anywhere between one in 25 to two in three marriages end. If these statistics were to take into account the number of nonmarital long-term relationships that end, then the statistics would be much higher. Most of us experience a relationship breakup at some point in our lives. For some of us, the experience may be most profound when we lose our first love. This is largely because our first loves are our first experience at learning what romantic love is, how to navigate the joys and challenges of love and what it's like to experience relationship loss. For some, the loss of a first love is also the first time the physical and psychological symptoms of grief and loss are experienced. A romantic relationship that has spanned a considerable time (decades in some cases) also provokes intense feelings of loss, even when people knew their relationship was problematic. They may have found their relationship dissatisfying and view their former partner as insensitive, selfish, argumentative even unlovingand still mourn the loss of it. Why do we experience feelings of loss after breakup? During the adult years, our romantic partners hold a special significance a significance that was once held by our parents or parent-like figures. Our romantic partners become the primary people we turn to for love, comfort, and security. Above anyone else, we turn to our partners for care and support in times of threat and distress. We also turn to them for validation and to share in our success during times of joy and achievement. The loss of the most significant person in our life causes us to experience distress, and in the early stages of relationship loss, this distress compounds. This is because our natural reaction when our partner isn't physically or psychologically present to meet our needs is to "up" the distress. This increase in distress occurs for two reasons: we feel more vulnerable when our partner is not there to meet our needs increasing our distress can alert our partner that we need their support This is why breaking up is so hard: the key person in life that helps you deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly, is not there to help you deal with this highly distressing loss. What are the typical emotions experienced? The so called "normative" emotional response to relationship loss depends on whether you are doing the breaking up, or, your partner is breaking up with you. Breaking up with a long-term romantic partner is not something a person undertakes lightly. We generally only consider relationship breakup as a viable option if: our partner is consistently not meeting our needs we experience a relationship betrayal to the point trust cannot be restored stressors, challenges, and social disapproval outside the relationship are so chronic and intense the relationship breaks down to the point it cannot be revived. The person doing the breaking up will often experience relief, mixed with feelings of guilt (because of the hurt they're inflicting on their partner), anxiety (over how the breakup will be received) and sadness (especially if they still have love and fondness for their partner). For the person whose partner is breaking up with them, the emotions experienced often relate to the three phases of loss people undergo. In the first phase, a person protests the breakup and tries to re-establish closeness with their partner. In this phase, the dominant emotion experienced is one of anger, but the threat of loss brings about distress emotions such as panic and anxiety. These feelings of "separation protest" can sometimes be so strong that a person works very hard to get back with their partner. But if the relationship is truly at an end, then engaging in this kind of behaviour only makes it harder (and longer) to recover from the relationship loss. These powerful feelings that sit behind separation protest are why, even in toxic relationships, a person may wish to reunite with their partner. In the second phase, a person comes to the realisation that getting back together is not possible, and so, feelings of sadness dominate alongside feelings of lethargy and hopelessness. In the third phase, a person comes to terms with, and accepts, the loss. Time and energy is then devoted to other life tasks and goals (which can include seeking out a new partner). A question often asked when it comes to relationship breakups is "how long should I feel like this?" The experience of relationship loss is a very individual experience, and there's great variability in how long it can take for people to recover from the loss. People's circumstances can also complicate recovery. A relationship that ended (on good or bad terms), but still involves seeing one's former partner (say, because they work at the same organisation or share custody of their children) can increase the process of recovery, and make it more challenging. This is because seeing one's partner may reactivate feelings of hurt, anger or sadness, especially if a person didn't want the relationship to end. We also know aspects of people's personality can impact on their ability to recover from loss. People who experience insecurity about themselves and their relationships find it harder to deal with and recover from feelings of anger and sadness than people who feel secure within themselves and their relationships. In general, people tend to work through the various stages of loss to reach the recovery phase from anywhere between one month to six months after the relationship has ended. Recovering from relationship loss People who recover from relationship loss tend not to defend against the emotions they are experiencing. That is, they try not to suppress or ignore their feelings, and in doing so, they give themselves the opportunity to process their emotions and to make sense of them. Some studies have suggested writing about the loss, much like journalling, can also help with recovery from relationship loss. On the other hand, brooding over these emotions, not accepting the relationship loss, and talking about the breakup with people who only increase your feelings of sadness and anger by reinforcing these negative feelings or further highlighting all you have lost, are not particularly constructive ways of dealing with the breakup. Seeking support from friends and family is important, but not only do people require emotional comfort, they also require encouragement that they can get through it, and reassurance that what they are experiencing is normal and will pass. If a person is truly having a hard time dealing with the loss they are in a constant state of sadness, feel chronically depressed, are unable to function on a daily basis then seeking professional help from a counsellor or psychologist is highly advisable. Some people might just need a bit of extra help in learning how to process their emotions to reach recovery. Relationship breakups are never easy, and most of us will experience the pain of loss at some point in life. While the experience is painful and challenging, it can be a time where we learn a lot about ourselves, experience profound personal growth, and gain a greater appreciation of the kind of relationship we truly want. Explore further A fear of getting dumped kills romance and commitment This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. The summer holidays are supposed to be a happy and carefree time for school children but the reality is they are often stressful for children from low income families. A new paper, "The Cost of School Holidays for Children from Low Income Families," published in the journal Childhood by researchers at the University of Glasgow, highlights the poor provision of appropriate childcare, limited access to enrichment activities and food insecurity, and the impact this can have on children's health and wellbeing and on their learning. "The long summer holidays can offer children the chance to have new experiences, opportunities to play, relax, create memories and develop essential social skills," said Nicolas Watson, Institute of Health of Wellbeing Professor, University of Glasgow. "While this is true for many children, for some the school holidays are a stressful and impoverished period of isolation, boredom and inactivity." Professor Watson added: "For low income families, summer holidays often entail increased financial pressures, food insecurity, poor health and exclusion from culturally enriching and healthful activities." The lack of educational and developmental opportunities enjoyed by more affluent children means that the long summer break may be one of the most fundamental contributors toward the attainment gap between richest and poorest children, accounting for almost two-thirds of the gap by the time children reach the age of 14. Professor Watson is calling for a system of social protection to be put in place to negate the impact of poverty during the summer holidays this could be in the form of centres where children can take part in enriching activities in a safe environment with good quality childcare, where they are also fed. "These children need help immediately," said Professor Watson. "First and foremost, steps must be taken to address the national problem of food insecurity to ensure that children do not go hungry or become malnourished during the school holidays. "Second, providing accessible, good quality childcare that meets the diverse needs of families is vital if children's learning and wellbeing is to be supported, while enabling parents to pursue better paid and more secure employment. "Third, although there is a substantial amount of evidence to support the claim that summer learning loss is a problem and a particular concern for low-income families there is a lack of research on the long term impact upon attainment and life outcomes, a gap that must be addressed through rigorous academic scrutiny." Professor Watson is calling for research into interventions that seek to tackle these inequalities. "We need to know what works and what does not to improve outcomes for children from low income families over the summer and how best we can reform and change the lives of these children. "Unless we take steps to tackle this problem, the evidence would suggest that attempts to rectify the attainment gaps in education, health and wellbeing that exist between the wealthiest and poorest school children will be unlikely to succeed." Child Poverty Action Group reported the number of children living in poverty in the UK is now four million and that in-work poverty is the most prevalent form of child poverty with 67 per cent of poor children living in low income households. Nursery places cost 77 per cent more than they did in 2003 while earnings have remained largely unchanged. Explore further Holiday clubs provide far more benefits beyond just providing food, study reveals More information: Hilary Stewart et al. The cost of school holidays for children from low income families, Childhood (2018). Hilary Stewart et al. The cost of school holidays for children from low income families,(2018). DOI: 10.1177/0907568218779130 Anette Larsson, Ph.D., Sahlgrenska Academy, and physical therapist. Credit: Stefan Svensson Fibromyalgia and resistance exercise have often been considered an impossible combination. But with proper support and individually adjusted exercises, female patients achieved considerable health improvements, according to research carried out at Sahlgrenska Academy, Sweden. "If the goal for these women is to improve their strength, then they shouldn't be afraid to exercise. But they need to exercise the right way. It has long been said that they will only experience more pain as a result of resistance exercise, that it doesn't work. But in fact, it does," says Anette Larsson, whose dissertation was in physical therapy and who is an active physical therapist. As part of her dissertation, she studied 130 women aged between 20 to 65 years with fibromyalgia, a disease in which nine of 10 cases are women. It is characterized by widespread muscle pain and increased pain sensitivity, often combined with fatigue, reduced physical capacity and limitation of activities in daily life. About half of the women in the study (67) were selected at random to undergo a program of person-centered, progressive resistance exercise led by a physical therapist. The other 63 women comprised the control group and underwent a more traditional therapy program with relaxation exercises. The training and exercises lasted for 15 weeks and were held twice a week. "The women who did resistance exercise began at very light weights, which were determined individually for each participant because they have highly varying levels of strength. We began at 40 percent of the max and then remained that level for three to four weeks before increasing to 60 percent," explains Anette Larsson. More than six of 10 women were able to reach a level of exercise at 80 percent of their maximum strength. One of the 10 was at 60 percent; the others were below that figure. Five individuals chose to stop the training due to increased pain. The group as a whole had 71 percent attendance at the exercise sessions. "On a group level, the improvements were significant for essentially everything we measured. The women felt better, gained muscle strength, had less pain, better pain tolerance, better health-related quality of life and less limitation of activities. Some of the women did not manage the exercise and became worse, which is also an important part of the findings," says Anette Larsson. In the control group, the improvements were not as significant, but even there, hand and arm strength improved. The relaxation exercises probably led to reduced muscle tension in the arms and shoulders, which in turn allowed the participants to develop more strength. The findings for the women in the resistance exercise group are affected by several factors, including the degree of pain and fear of movement before and during the exercise period. Progress for the group as a whole can largely be attributed to the person-centered approach, with individually adjusted exercises and loads and support of a physical therapist, according to Anette Larsson. "An interview study we conducted shows clearly that the women need support to be able to choose the right exercises and the right loads; they also need help when pain increases. This requires, quite simply, support from someone who knows their disease, preferably a physical therapist." Explore further Study highlights need for strength training in older women to ward off effects of aging With Immunoscore, a test devised by a team of researchers from Inserm and Universite Paris Descartes and doctors from the Paris AP-HP hospitals, disease progression in patients with colon cancer can now be defined more accurately. According to an international study conducted in more than 2,500 patients, Immunoscore has proved effective in predicting which patients are at high risk of tumor recurrence and, as such, would benefit from intensified treatment following surgery. These results have been published in The Lancet. The seriousness of colon cancer is essentially estimated according to the extent to which it has spread within the colon and the presence of metastasis. This estimation of the aggressiveness of the cancer and its risk of recurrence following treatment must, however, be improved. For decades, it has been thought that the immune reaction developed by the patient against his or her cancer has a beneficial influence. Researchers from Inserm and doctors from the Paris AP-HP hospitals have demonstrated in recent years that infiltration of the cancerous tumor by immune cells is a good indication of the way in which colorectal cancer might develop, thereby representing a potential prognostic tool. The immune cell populations that provide the most information on disease progression were identified and the method of evaluating these populations optimized. This method has led to the creation of an immunological test, applicable in clinical practice, called Immunoscore. It works by quantifying the density of two types of immune cells in the tumor and its invasive margin: total T-cells (CD3+) and killer T-cells (cytotoxic CD8+). The objective of this international study, published in The Lancet, was to evaluate the prognostic value of Immunoscore in patients with colon cancer on a very large scale. An international consortium of 14 immunology and pathology centers in 13 countries contributed to the study. A total of 2,681 patients from these centers were included in this analysis. The prognostic performance of Immunoscore, in which patients are classified into three groups (high, intermediate and low), was evaluated on the basis of recurrence risk (evaluated during the five years following the surgery) and survival. The statistical analyses were all performed by a group of external biostatisticians from the Mayo Clinic in the U.S. The results show that patients with a high Immunoscore present the lowest recurrence risk and prolonged survival. In the test group comprising 700 patients, only 8 percent of those with a high score presented a recurrence after 5 years. However, the recurrence rate increased significantly in patients with intermediate and low scores, reaching 19 percent and 32 percent, respectively. These findings were confirmed in the two other patient groups analyzed, representing 1,981 patients. Furthermore, Immunoscore had a stronger bearing on patient survival than the tumor criteria currently used to guide therapy. These findings show that Immunoscore provides an accurate and reliable estimation of recurrence risk in patients with colon cancer. The researchers consider that these results support the use of Immunoscore as a new component in the classification of cancer, in which recurrence risk is used to improve individual patient treatment strategies, particularly the modulation of chemotherapy. In view of the highly positive results of this test in colon cancer, researchers are currently evaluating Immunoscore in other types of cancer and are studying its ability to predict patient response to the immunotherapies currently revolutionizing the treatment of cancer. Explore further Specific immune cells predict bowel cancer outcomes More information: Franck Pages et al, International validation of the consensus Immunoscore for the classification of colon cancer: a prognostic and accuracy study, The Lancet (2018). Journal information: The Lancet Franck Pages et al, International validation of the consensus Immunoscore for the classification of colon cancer: a prognostic and accuracy study,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30789-X Credit: CC0 Public Domain White supremacist marches and xenophobic Twitter rants have brought overt racism to the center of public attention in recent months. Even still, subtle, structural, and systemic forms of racism continue to lurk in what is becoming an increasingly racially diverse United States. In a new collection of scholarly articles, psychological scientists describe research on the enduring and often hidden presence of racism at both the interpersonal and societal levels. The articles are published in a special issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Yale University professor Jennifer Richeson, who has earned multiple awards and honors for her research on intergroup relations, including a MacArthur Genius Award, is editor of the special issue. "Although a special issue is decidedly insufficient to cover all of the emerging research on the psychology of racism, the papers included here are poised to better position psychological science to inform and shape more thoughtful discourse regarding the nature of racism, how it affects individual cognition and health, and, importantly, how best to combat it," Richeson writes in her introduction to the issue. In one article, Richeson, with lead author Maureen Craig of New York University, and Julian Rucker of Yale University, highlight research showing the perceived threat that many White people feel when they anticipate increases in the of population of minorities. These perceptions can generate prejudice, discrimination, and anti-immigration sentiments. Future research should examine how resistance to demographic changes can be tempered (or worsened) by the rise in intergroup interactions that will occur as neighborhoods and communities grow more diverse, the authors say. Other articles in the issue review research examining how individuals and societies sustain racial disparities. Studies have shown that White people often cloak or deny their privileged position by, for example, underestimating their advantages in wealth and employment. Even the egalitarian "color-blind" ideology often embraced in schools and workplaces can reduce sensitivity to racism and the unique needs of minorities. Research suggests that learning about racial disparities, such as the disproportionate number of Black individuals in prison, can prompt people to associate Blackness with crime and, consequently, lead them to justify existing crime policies. Several articles in the issue address research on ethnic/racial identity and psychological health, cultural patterns and institutional realities that support racism, and the association between discrimination and physical health among African Americans. One theme throughout the articles is the power of positive interactions between majority and marginalized groups. The more that White individuals interact with people of other races and ethnicities, the less threatened they feel by changing demographics and the more invested they become in the well-being of those groups, research suggests. But, the continuing persistence of racial segregation in neighborhoods, schools, and the like limits the potential for such contact to take place. There is also evidence indicating that the endorsement of multiculturalismas opposed to color-blindnessis an effective way to lower prejudice (although some studies show negative effects such as heightened racial stereotyping). Some of the foremost scholars on racism and diversity contributed to the collection, including Stanford University professor Jennifer Eberhardt, whose work on racial disparities in criminal justice earned her a MacArthur Genius Award; Victoria Plaut, a University of California, Berkeley professor widely recognized for her research on multiculturalism and diversity; Fordham University professor Tiffany Yip, who studies ethnic identity and academic outcomes; and Linda Tropp, an Emory University professor who studies intergroup relations. The special issue is available free to the public at http://journals.sagepub.com/toc/cdp/current Explore further Systemic racism needs more examination related to health, says researcher "Strong progress" has been made in calming Congo's deadly Ebola outbreak in a city of 1.2 million and in the rural outpost where the epidemic was declared one month ago, the World Health Organization said Friday, but now the focus turns to "some of the most remote territory on Earth." Health officials expressed cautious optimism as the pace of new cases has slowed. Congo's health ministry late Thursday announced a new confirmed Ebola case, bringing the total to 38, including 13 deaths. The new case is in the remote Iboko health zone in Congo's northwest. Health workers also have been chasing contacts of those infected in Mbandaka city, a provincial capital on the heavily traveled Congo River, and in Bikoro town where the outbreak was declared. While Ebola's spread to a major city has complicated efforts to track all contacts of those infected, the presence of the virus in Iboko poses another world of problems. The forested terrain is so rough that even four-wheel-drive vehicles can't reach the area, which has no electricity, WHO's emergency response chief Peter Salama told reporters in Geneva. Motorcycles are only now arriving and health workers are sleeping 15 to 20 people to a tent. "This is a major logistical and boots-on-the-ground epidemiological endeavor now," Salama said, adding that work there will go on for weeks. WHO has vaccinated more than 1,000 people over the past two weeks in all areas of the outbreak, including health workers who are at high risk. The virus spreads via bodily fluids of infected people, including the dead. "There's been very strong progress in the outbreak response, particularly in relation to two of three sites," Salama said. "Phase one, to protect urban centers and towns, has gone well and we can be cautiously optimistic." He warned, however, that experts are not in a position to document all chains of transmission of the virus, so "there may still yet be unknown chains out there and there may still be surprises in this outbreak." This is Congo's ninth Ebola outbreak since 1976, when the hemorrhagic fever was first identified. WHO said it is supporting emergency response and preparedness efforts by nine neighboring countries. Republic of Congo and Central African Republic are closest to the outbreak and are highest priority, but Congo is also bordered by Angola, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. WHO says the Ebola response will cost more than $15.5 million over nine months. Explore further Congo says new confirmed Ebola case; outbreak marks 1 month 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. New research has shown that the rapid decline in insulin production that causes Type 1 diabetes continues to fall over seven years and then stabilises. A team at the University of Exeter Medical School found evidence that the amount of insulin produced declines by almost 50 percent each year for seven years. At that point, the insulin levels stabilise. The finding is a major step forward in understanding Type 1 diabetes and contradicts previous beliefs that the insulin produced by people with the condition drops relentlessly with time. It offers the hope that by understanding what changes after seven years, new strategies could be developed to preserve insulin secreting beta-cells in patients. The study, published in Diabetes Care, measured C-peptide, which is produced at the same time and in the same quantities as the insulin that regulates our blood sugar. By measuring C-peptide levels in blood or in urine, scientists can tell how much insulin a person is producing themselves, even if they are taking insulin injections as treatment. The team studied 1,549 people with Type 1 diabetes from Exeter, England and Tayside, Scotland in the UNITED study. Dr. Beverley Shields, at the University of Exeter Medical School, who led the research, said: "This finding is really exciting. It suggests that a person with Type 1 diabetes will keep any working beta-cells they still have seven years after diagnosis. We are not sure why this is; it may well be that there is a small group of "resilient" beta-cells resistant to immune attack and these are left after all the "susceptible" beta-cells are destroyed. Understanding what is special about these "resilient" beta-cells may open new pathways to treatment for Type 1 diabetes." Type 1 diabetes affects around 400,000 people in the UK. The disease commonly starts in childhood but can develop at any age, and causes the body's own immune system to attack and destroy the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leaving the patient dependent on life-long insulin injections. Professor Andrew Hattersley, a Consultant in Diabetes at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and Research Professor at the University of Exeter Medical School, looked forward. "Now we know there is a "seven year switch", the next question is why? Has the immune attack stopped or are we left with "super beta-cells" that can resist the immune onslaught. Any insights into halting the relentless destruction of the precious insulin-producing cells are valuable. We could not have made this progress without the help of over 1,500 patients. We owe it to them to try to find answers that might help patient care quickly." Karen Addington, UK Chief Executive of the type 1 diabetes charity JDRF, said: "These results provide further evidence that the immune system's assault on insulin-producing beta cells is not as complete as we once believedand may change over time. This further opens the door to identifying ways to preserve insulin production in people diagnosed with or living with type 1 diabetes." The full paper, 'C-peptide decline in type 1 diabetes has two phases: an initial exponential fall and a subsequent stable phase', is published in Diabetes Care. Explore further The relevance of GABA for diabetes highlighted in two new studies More information: Beverley M. Shields et al. C-Peptide Decline in Type 1 Diabetes Has Two Phases: An Initial Exponential Fall and a Subsequent Stable Phase, Diabetes Care (2018). Journal information: Diabetes Care Beverley M. Shields et al. C-Peptide Decline in Type 1 Diabetes Has Two Phases: An Initial Exponential Fall and a Subsequent Stable Phase,(2018). DOI: 10.2337/dc18-0465 Visited New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. Stayed in French Quarter. Spent a couple of day trips exploring the area of New Orleans hardest hit by Katrina floods - known as Lower 9th. It's taken a while to get my head around the geography, so I've put a few maps here to explain...New Orleans is the main city of the state of Louisiana. Flood and storm damage threats to New Orleans come from two directions. To the immediate north of New Orleans is Lake Ponchartrain - the storm surge from Katrina came from here. To the immediate south is the Mississippi River which is prone to flood. (While it's a big river, on average its annual flow is just 8% of the Amazon River). What is evident driving into New Orleans and through the surrounding region of Louisiana is how flat the topography is. In effect it's a river delta formed by sediments and alluvial material washed down there by the Mississippi. The New Orleans urban environment is amazingly flat.This map shows the main urban centre of New Orleans, and the various canal systems that have been built over time to direct water between the lake and the river, and for navigation. The canals are all bounded by levy wall/bank systems to keep the water and any flood out of the city. The lake edge and the river edge are also lined with banks and walls. Because the urban environment is so flat, stormwater drainage - when it rains hard - is also an issue. There's a lot of interesting history about how New Orleans even came to be built there, and became the chosen site of capital of Lousiana, mainly because of the efforts of a French Governor (Bienville) and a French engineer (Pauger). Bienville's men began clearing vegetation (remember this was mostly swamp and river delta) in March/April 1718 - 300 years ago (the tricentennial was celebrated this year). Apparently, the decisions about the location of the capital was based on a headcount. At the time New Orleans was a centre of the black slave trade. The slave population, combined with those who built and lived in the so-called "French Quarter", tipped the balance in favour of New Orleans. Anyway - I do digress. A key role of the slave population was the construction of flood barriers to stop the Mississippi course snaking in different courses when it flooded.This map (which is worth clicking) is one of many available in the aftermath of Katrina. One of the worst affected areas was the Lower Ninth Ward. This area was affected because the levy lining the adjacent canal failed. I talked to several residents about this - one of the stories that's live is that a barge had not been properly moored, and in the hurricane it moved across the canal, banged into the concrete levy wall, and broke it. There's picture of it sitting on top of houses after the flood waters pushed it over/through the levy wall and into the Lower Ninth Ward residential suburb. Interestingly, the land where that suburb is was not developed in the early centuries by the French or Spanish as it was swamp land. The land was subsequently drained and water pumped out. This caused the land level to drop as its organic soil base dried out and shrank. The upshot being that parts of the Lower Ninth Ward were/are 6 to 10 feet below sea level. When the levy broke that suburb became a "bowl" holding the floodwater, a bowl that had nowhere to drain to. It had to be pumped out. It was full of floodwater for weeks and months after Katrina. There's a lot of post-Katrina planning criticism of decisions to develop drained swamplands for residential housing....This picture shows the barge in the foreground, and the broken section of the levy. The water in the foreground is the "Industrial Canal" shown in the maps. The housing (that remains) is in the suburban area of Lower Ninth Ward.This map shows the French Quarter (bottom left) and Lower Ninth Ward. I took some video and photos at the viewpoints 1, 2 and 3. (Where "3" is pretty close to where the barge ended up after Katrina.)These two clips were recorded around "3". They show suburban blocks without houses (apart from a few brick built ones that were allowed to remain), empty streets, and generally rundown environment. (Note this is 12 years after Katrina). I learned about the ill-facted "make it right" campaign triggered by Brad Pitt and seeded by his money. Some residents were provided with zaney architectural houses which were designed to float next time it flooded. Problem was they were built of composite board, which, in the local damp conditions, have walls that have rotted through.These images show the memorial plaque erected near "3" on the map. It records that US Army Corp built levy structures failed, and that new regulations resulted for the future. Around this area a number of houses were being developed and constructed. These are shown below. You can see the attempts made to lift the structures above future envisaged flood levels.This video was shot at "2" in the map. It pans from the bridge/stormwater structure (blue), across the Industrial Canal, to the levy wall (now repaired of course), and shows some of houses behind (which are all on land 5 feet or so below normal sea level).And, the video clip below shows what happened in the street where my BnB was (in the middle of the FrenchQuarter) after a reasonably good thunderstorm.... WASHINGTON A former Senate Intelligence Committee aide was arrested on Thursday in an investigation of classified information leaks where prosecutors also secretly seized years worth of a New York Times reporters phone and email records. The former aide, James A. Wolfe, 57, was charged with lying repeatedly to investigators about his contacts with three reporters. According to the authorities, Mr. Wolfe made false statements to the F.B.I. about providing two of them with sensitive information related to the committees work. He denied to investigators that he ever gave classified material to journalists, the indictment said. Mr. Wolfe, the Intelligence Committees director of security, was slated to appear before a federal judge on Friday in Washington. Reached on Thursday evening before his arrest, Mr. Wolfe declined to comment. Mr. Wolfes case led to the first known instance of the Justice Department going after a reporters data under President Trump. The seizure was disclosed in a letter to the Times reporter, Ali Watkins, who had been in a three-year relationship with Mr. Wolfe. The seizure suggested that prosecutors under the Trump administration will continue the aggressive tactics employed under President Barack Obama. Unlike Apples iOS updates, new versions of Android are rolled out to multiple devices created by various manufacturers. This means manufacturers need to implement their versions of Android and engineer updates into their platform. As a result, updates for Android do not roll out to all Android devices at the same time with the first devices to receive new updates Googles Pixel smartphones. To find out how this affects the rollout of Android in South Africa, MyBroadband spoke to Google Director of Android Platform Partnerships for Google in Africa, Mahir Sahin. Operator-led market It is important to note that while Google releases platform and security updates to manufacturers, it is up to the manufacturers to implement those and send them to their devices. Sahin said South Africa is also an operator-led market, which means many smartphones are sold through mobile operators. The country is, however, one of the first to receive updates for Android, he said. South Africa is an operator-lead market, which gives a level of quality on the devices, said Sahin. From my point of view, the rollout of updates on operator devices is well-handled. I wouldnt say there is a notable delay between international updates and those in South Africa, he said. He added that South Africa is one of the regions which may receive new devices before other markets. South Africa is one of the first markets globally where new smartphones become available, said Sahin. For example, the Huawei Y3 2018 has not been launched in many other markets, but it has now launched in South Africa through Vodacom. Testing delays Sahin said a lot of testing at various levels is required to implement an Android update on devices like Samsung and Huawei flagship smartphones. There is testing on our side, then testing and configuration on the OEM side, and then if it is an operator device, there are customisations and testing happening at the operator level as well, he said. Each step in this process can delay the rollout of Android updates to devices, but are necessary to ensure that bugs in the software are eliminated. It is a good thing that the software is rigorously tested, and if it is delayed by a certain time the manufacturer or operator usually has its reasons, he said. With the launch of the Android One programme, though, users who own supported devices will receive major OS and security updates shortly after they are launched by Google. I expect that Android One devices will receive the Android P update shortly after it rolls out to the Pixel, said Sahin. I do not expect it to roll out at the same time as the Pixel, because all manufacturers need to work on their customisations, or if its an operator version of the device there are customisations the operator needs to implement. He added that the fact Android One devices run an almost-stock version of Android make updates easier and quicker for manufacturers to implement. I am not familiar with exactly how the scheduling will work, but I would say that they would be one of the first set of devices to follow the official update. Android One devices also ship with a guarantee from manufacturers that they will receive platform updates and security updates as they are released. It is a Google-led programme, with manufacturer guarantees that they will provide Android letter upgrades for up to two years. Multiple new Nokia and Xiaomi smartphones are currently part of the Android One programme. They talked of their love of their parents, friends and the city some will leave when they go off to college in the fall. The Calistoga High S Four San Mateo County beaches made the list of the most-polluted beaches in California, an annual report released Thursday by Heal the Bay, nonprofit environmental advocacy group. The most-polluted beaches have higher levels of bacteria in the water, according to the group. The Marina Lagoon in Lakeshore Park in San Mateo County was the states second most-polluted beach because of poor water circulation and high bacteria counts. Linda Mar Beach was right behind Marina Lagoon. Pollution at Linda Mar Beach is due to polluted runoff from San Pedro Creek, according to Heal the Bay officials. Roosevelt Beach was the fifth most-polluted beach in the state because of nearby storm drain runoff. Thats also the problem at Surfers Beach, the 10th most-polluted beach in The Golden State. Overall, summer water quality grades for Northern California beaches slumped 3 percent this year compared to a five-year summer average. According to the report, Northern California beaches are those in Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Alameda, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Things began looking desperate in early May for Antonio Villaraigosas campaign to become the next governor of California, as one poll after another showed Republican John Cox overtaking him for the second slot on the November ballot, to run against current Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. One of those surveys put his support as low as 9 percent, which would have classed him as a second-tier candidate, quite a blow to the ego of any former mayor Los Angeles. This was quite a change for Villaraigosa, who in a March interview displayed insouciant confidence that he would win the six-way race for a spot opposite Newsom, who led every public opinion poll in the primary race and easily won the most votes. At that time, Newsom led Villaraigosa in fundraising by more than $12 million, while Cox had just plunked 3 million of his own dollars into his campaign. Shortly after, Coxs advertising propelled him to a narrow edge over Villaraigosa. Yet, Villaraigosa was exuberant about his chances, several times repeating that I am ascendant! By then, he likely knew that several charter school backers were about to fund an independent expenditure committee backing him to the tune of about $15 million. As Seymour Hersh wrote in 1983, many of those involved in the transfer of power from Nixon to Ford "still assume that there was a deal of some kind." After Ford's death, other commentators expressed similar sentiments. "We must conclude that the pardon was Nixon's idea, not Ford's," declared Timothy Noah in Slate. It is true that Nixon's chief of staff, Al Haig, had asked Ford a week before the resignation to pardon Nixon. But Ford was noncommittal. Fearing that Haig might have taken this as tacit agreement, Ford called him in the presence of witnesses to say he had not committed, and would not commit, to pardoning Nixon. Two months later, in response to a House panel's question about a possible quid pro quo, Ford recounted the timeline and assured the panel that "there never was at any time any agreement whatsoever concerning a pardon to Mr. Nixon if he were to resign and I were to become president." If Ford, an honorable man by all accounts, flat-out lied to the House committee, there is no proof of it. Seventeen years later, Ted Kennedy presented Ford with a Profile in Courage award, not for cutting a sleazy deal but for making a brave decision that probably cost him the 1976 election. Tasting wine at Antica feels refreshingly authentic, like one has entered a longtime friends home and been asked to share a glass or two. The experience was so different from what Ive come to expect that I nearly lost my bearings. Wait, am I at a wine tasting or with some long-lost family friends somewhere in the hills of Tuscany? Most of the grapes are sold to other wineries, but for the wines made for the Antica brand they are estate in that they are grown and made on-site. I tasted the Chardonnay (4,000 cases made at $35 a bottle), a Rose made from Pinot Noir (100 cases made at $28 a bottle), the 2014 Townsend Cabernet Sauvignon (400 cases made at $110 a bottle) and the 2016 Sangiovese (100 cases made at $42 a bottle). Each wine displayed unique characteristics, often with distinct bright fruit flavors, complex aromatics that included stony earth and dried sweet herbs, and finishes that left a distinct impression of earthy elements such as stone, truffle or sandalwood. All the wines were what I refer to as value wines in that they over-delivered for the price. Artsakh State Minister: Only one of 6 soldiers wounded yesterday is in severe condition (PHOTOS) Ambassador: Russia is, in practice, the only country that stood by Armenia's side last year Lukashenko calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan not to turn CIS into platform for clarifying separate matters Armenia premier: Many not only do not believe in but also do not want peace, stability in region Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan fires at Yeraskh, resident's barn and haystacks burning Karabakh MFA: Azerbaijan policy is terrorism Armenia PM: Yerevan-Baku peace talks must resume under OSCE Minsk Group auspices Artsakh ombudsman: Recorded incident another proof that Azerbaijan theses on peaceful coexistence are false Russian Orthodox Church to establish diocese in Armenia Armenia PM: South Caucasus is on threshold of major transformations Armenia's Pashinyan: Russia and its president played a crucial role in stopping 44-day war in Karabakh Armenian and Belarusian FMs touch upon bilateral cooperation agenda in detail Putin: Russia peacekeepers are guarantors of ceasefire in Karabakh Armenia MFA highlights undertaking necessary steps through mediation of Russian peacekeepers Pashinyan: Armenia ready to start border delimitation, demarcation with Azerbaijan Karabakh prosecutor's office: Provocative actions from Azerbaijan outpost only 400m away had started Wednesday Azerbaijan uses drone yesterday, Artsakhs President spokesperson says Night passes calmly in Harav, Norshen villages of Karabakh after Azerbaijan shooting PAUL Armenia will be located at a historical building in Yerevan: details of the long-awaited project have been released Armenia ombudsman: There were Azerbaijan attacks also at Harav village, some other Artsakh civilian settlements 1,765 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Artsakh MOD: Azerbaijan armed forces opened fire on Defense Army sanitary vehicle Part of downtown Paris is named after Armenia PM: Armenia highly values development, deepening of friendly relations with Austria Monumentwatch.org: Azerbaijani roads, endangered Armenian cultural heritage Newspaper: Imprisoned Armenia community leaders will remain in prison even if re-elected Newspaper: Russia peacekeepers concerned about rate of emigration from Artsakh Karabakh state minister: Wounded soldiers surgeries went successfully FM: There will be no large-scale war as long as Russian peacekeepers are in Artsakh Karabakh defense army: Armenian side has no positional, territorial losses Artsakh State Minister: Situation has stabilized along entire line of contact (PHOTOS) Karabakh Defense Army: Situation along entire length of line of contact relatively stable at this moment Karabakh Ombudsman: Artsakh Defense Army has no casualties Head of Karabakh's Harav village: There were shootings at military posts, shootings have mainly stopped Karabakh Defense Army: Azerbaijani Armed Forces open fire at military base, 6 injured Azerbaijani Armed Forces use weapons of large caliber in direction of Karabakh's Nor Shen village Attorney: Armenian MP Artur Sargsyan to be released on bail for AMD 20,000,000 Armenian Unified Info Center: Karabakh Defense Army will provide official information soon Armenia Ombudsman: Azerbaijani army's attack leaves 6 Armenian soldiers injured, 2 of them in critical condition Eduard Sharmazanov: Republican Party of Armenia will hold its congress on Dec. 18 Armenia ex-defense minister Seyran Ohanyan: Azerbaijan can't be compared with Iran in terms of capabilities Karabakh Defense Army: Azerbaijan MOD's news that Azerbaijani soldier died from Armenian soldier's gunshot is false Armenia ex-defense minister assesses possibility of start of Iran-Azerbaijan war Armenia ex-defense minister: Military exercises held in Iran were great support for Yerevan Armenia court rules to release Goris deputy mayor on bail for AMD 30,000,000 Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of another 2 Armenian servicemen found in Hadrut region Armenia receives batch of 50,000 doses of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine Armenia defense minister holds consultation over preparation for the winter Azerbaijani FM 'on need for Armenia to transfer precise mine maps to Azerbaijan' Russia welcomes disposition of Azerbaijan and Armenia to normalize relations Karabakh Defense Army: Azerbaijan MOD's news about seizure of reconnaissance UAV is disinformation BREAKING: UN court hears Armenia case against Azerbaijan; Erdogan, Aliyev to open airport in Shushi Taliban's high-ranking delegation arrives in Turkey Mirzoyan, Lavrov and Bayramov meet, discuss issues related to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Latvia President tests positive for COVID-19 Sergey Melikov elected leader of Dagestan Armenia official: Zero vacant bed at coronavirus treatment hospitals Armenia ex-President Kocharyan meets with National Security Service reserve officers' union founders Azerbaijan plans to increase natural gas supplies to Turkey and Europe Dollar loses value in Armenia Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Sweden Ambassador Armenia PM attaches importance to formation of common electricity and natural gas markets within EEU Azerbaijan states readiness to normalize relations with Armenia, but on several conditions Rustaveli Avenue blocked in central Tbilisi Armenian, Russian FMs meet in Minsk Armenia representative asks UN court to end vicious cycle of violence perpetrated against Armenians by Azerbaijan PM: Air Arabia, Armenia government will invest $10m each, establish national air carrier Prison burning in Georgia's Rustavi, Mikheil Saakashvili in adjacent jailhouse Armenias Mirzoyan attends CIS foreign ministers' meeting in Belarus Armenia State Revenue Committee chief: YouTube, Google, Facebook and others agreed to fulfill tax obligations Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan FMs trilateral meeting expected in Minsk Armenia Parliament Speaker receives representatives of SEPPA program's partnering organizations Armenia Representative delivers speech at UN International Court of Justice CSTO says reached agreements contribute to creation of necessary conditions for political settlement of Karabakh crisis Pilgrims will be able to visit Dadivank Monastery again, says Artsakh minister Zakharova: Russia peacekeepers in Karabakh determining circumstances behind civilians death Artsakh official: Azerbaijan does not even value its own culture UN Court to hear Armenia's petition for interim measures against Azerbaijan Russia MFA: Armenian, Russian, Azerbaijani spiritual leaders meeting is important format for overcoming problems Zakharova: Russia favors unwavering implementation of all Karabakh provisions 34 new cases of coronavirus, including kids, reported in Artsakh Artsakh Investigative Committee starts investigating another criminal act motivated by national hatred PM: Armenia companies will get cheaper loans from abroad Belarus to host CIS FMs meeting Thursday 1,589 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Russia peacekeepers in Karabakh conduct comprehensive exercise at all observation posts Armenia government holding Cabinet meeting World oil prices on the rise Putin to run in Russia presidential election in 2024? India man sentenced to life in prison for killing wife with cobra, viper Newspaper: Armenia police enter medical institutions, 6 people detained Newspaper: Injections of unknown origin are made to Armenia state budget Armenia Parliament Speaker receives delegation led by Iran's Prosecutor General Group of Armenian police officers apprehend citizen by using brute force Armenian analyst: Negotiations over Karabakh issue to resume sooner or later, "3+3" format is unrealistic Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin expresses hope after Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani spiritual leaders' meeting Iran clarifies, says Azerbaijan released other prisoners, not detained Iranian truck drivers Saakashvili agrees to have doctors assess his health condition Putin: Events in Afghanistan may seriously impact situations in Central Asia and Transcaucasia Iran Armed Forces Staff chief, Pakistan PM discuss strengthening of border security US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would "certainly" invite North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to the United States if next week's nuclear summit in Singapore goes well, CNBC reported. A visit to the U.S. which Trump added could take place at the White House would be remarkable after decades of minimal contact between the U.S. and the communist dictatorship. At a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, the president said he wants to eventually establish normal relations with North Korea if the regime commits to denuclearization. "Normalizing relations is something that I would expect to do, I would hope to do," Trump said. While Trump said he sees the "potential to make a deal" with North Korea to get the isolated regime to abandon its nuclear ambitions, he stressed that he is "totally prepared to walk away" from the summit. Trump already canceled the meeting once before it was rescheduled, following a key North Korean official's trip to Washington. Yerevan has not taken any step that would serve relations with a country at the expense of another; we have never done that. Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, told the above-said to Kommersant newspaper of Russia. He noted this when asked whether Armenias cooperation with the United States in the security sector may anger Moscow. In his words, Armenian authorities have very clearly spoken about the level of Armenias cooperation with Russia. Our dialogue with the US, relations with the EU, each has its own place, Mnatsakanyan said, in particular. But we are partners with Russia, we are working toward the consolidation and development of our security systems; we have the deepest cooperation with Russia. And the firmer we stand on our feet, we are that much more trustworthy and reliable partners for all those with whom we have partnership relations. First and foremost, this refers to Russia. [But] we have our agenda with the US, which is naturaljust like Russia and any other country. YEREVAN. The UK-Armenia Business Forum was for the first time held in Armenia on June 7. Ten UK companies, led by the UK Prime Ministers Trade andInvestment Envoy (TIE) to Armenia and Georgia, Mark Pritchard MP, visited Armenia to identify bilateral trade and investment opportunities in renewable energy, infrastructure and urban modernization sectors. In an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am during the forum Mark Pritchard shared his impresssions about investment climate in Armenia and his expectations from the event. How do you assess the UK-Armenia business forum? What practical steps do you expect as a result of these meetings? This is the first UK-Armenia business forum, and it underscores the British embassy's commitment as well as UK government's Department of International Trade and Foreign and Commonwealth Office in ensuring the bilateral trade and investment between our two countries increases, and this is pre and post Brexit. So it is very good news, and I think the very positive summit had a very good turnout today. There have been a lot of business-to-business meetings, and of course, as a trade and investment envoy I met many business leaders today, both new and established. I think there are many positive outcomes today, and I am very pleased that the First Deputy Prime Minister, despite his busy schedule in parliament today, was able to come and gave a keynote speech that was very welcomed by all the attendees. I think it is an opportunity for Armenia to act as a hub to assist the British companies in operating on the markets in the region. However, that hub will only be sustainable by improved communications and infrastructure. That is why it is important that the North-South Road and both roads and railways improve over the coming years in order they have connectivity through the Black Sea and in other areas as well. Without roads, railway and that connectivity, the hub dream is going to be just a dream. Those roads and railways need to be improved, and that means not only cooperation across the parties here in Armenia, but it needs cross-border cooperation with neighbors, like Georgia. What are the main challenges that the UK companies face in Armenia? How do you see the ways of overcoming these problems? I think investment climate is good in Armenia, but as in all countries, including the UK, it can always improve.The UK companies want to come into a democracy that is stable, and that is open and transparent. They want to come into business environment that has low but fair taxes, both business and personal taxes. They also want to come into environment where there is commercial redress, and if there are disputes over contracts or payment, justice is done in an open transparent and fair way. Independent judiciary and commercial courts are very important. I think that the new governments commitment to bear down on corruption is also very welcome, and people need to know when they are investing here, they are investing in a climate which is ethical and which will allow people receive their profits from their investments that they deserve and perhaps their shareholders deserve. After his visit to Armenia last year UK Minister for Europe Alan Duncan said that the Good Governance Fund will allocate 4 million pounds for 2017 and 2018 to Armenia, which will help the country on its journey to better government. How will this support contribute to creation of a favorable business climate so that UK companies could enter the Armenian market easily? Minister of State, Sir Alain Duncan has visited twice within the last twelve months, and I think it again underscores the UK governments commitment to improving political, diplomatic and trade bilateral relations with Armenia. He first gave a keynote speech in the parliament where he spoke about the additional funding for the Good Governance Fund and, of course, attended the inauguration of the president. I think first of all the Good Governance Fund is there to assist and complement work that the Armenian government, NGOs , charities and businesses should be doing themselves and are doing themselves. I think it needs to be something that is done within Armenia as well as having external support for example through Good Governance Fund which the UK has provided. I think if the issues of transparency and openness and the commercial courts ensuring that the public private partnership arrangements are in place,this will give business confidence to come and invest both with the government and independent financial institutions, such as European Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank. You have identified specific areas of opportunity ahead of the event. These are the areas of financial services, renewable energy and infrastructure, as well as smart urban modernization. Are UK companies interested in investing in the area of renewable energy? Are there any examples of projects? We have Bechtel which is a very large engineering company which is very good at power projects, energy project, hydropower. We have some solar renewable companies in the delegation as well. I think there will be some real business out of this delegation, and it is really for each individual company to decide whether to come and invest orto work in joint ventures, or strategic partnership, or alliances here. It will depend on a project, on financing and on the individual companies how they operate. But, certainly, I think renewables and the energy more generally is a growth area for British business in Armenia. During one of your previous visits, you met with Yerevan Mayor and discussed urban modernization. What issues did you discuss? Have you offered any projects on urban modernization that can be implemented in the near future? Was the matter discussed during the recent forum? It has been discussed, and the new government I understand wants to devolve more power to the regions and to the municipalities. In our delegation we have such companies as Pilbrow and Partners, QIA Architects and other people that are very good at urban planning and design as well as environmentally friendly and sustainable design. I think that is an area that needs to be looked at. If tourism is going to grow, as it currently is in Armenia, any new construction, whether be roads, energy or urban planning, needs to be done in a sustainable way and in accordance with international standards. US President Donald Trump has called for Russia to be let back into the Group of Seven (G7) having been suspended over the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Independent reported. The group, which involves many of the richest economies in the world, were known as the G8 until Moscow was expelled. Upping the drama as he set off for the 47th meeting of the group in Canada, Mr Trump told reporters as he left the White House it would be better if Moscow was also at the annual summit. Why are we having a meeting without Russia in the meeting, he said. They should let Russia come back in because we should have Russia at the negotiating table. He added: I have been Russias worst nightmare, but they should have been invited. 9 to 5: The Musical kicks off McLeod Summer Playhouses mainstage season by Melissa Germain CARBONDALE, Ill. Tumble outta bed and stumble to 9 to 5: The Musical at Southern Illinois University Carbondales McLeod Theater. With performances June 15 through 24, 9 to 5: The Musical is based on the seminal 1980-hit movie starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton, the story follows three female coworkers as they get even with their sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigot of a boss. Tickets are available online at events.siu.edu or by calling 877/725-8547. Kicks off McLeod Summer Playhouses Season of Empowered Women 9 to 5, The Musical begins MSPs Season of Empowered Women, which is followed by Mamma Mia! and Once Upon A Mattress. 9 to 5 in particular explores themes that are relevant in the #MeToo and Times Up era. The musical is directed by MSPs Associate Artistic Director, Danae DeShazer. She felt an instant connection to the piece and is thrilled to make her professional directorial debut. Its incredible that a movie that premiered in 1980 still holds true today, DeShazer said. It explores sexism, the gender pay gap, sexual harassment, fragile masculinity, and so much more. Themes still relevant nearly four decades later The musical comedy features the well-known bubbly pop score by Dolly Parton, but DeShazer said there is much more to the upcoming performance. Layered beneath the fun and laughs are deep-rooted issues that our society is still grappling with today, she said. Its the perfect summer musical hit to make you laugh and make you think. Dolly Parton-themed drag show and pre-show lecture accompany production In conjunction with the production, there will be two special events held in the community. On Saturday, The Street Bar in Carbondale (213 E Main St.) will host a Dolly Parton-themed Drag Show at 10 p.m. On June 24, MSP will host a free pre-show lecture at 1:15 p.m.. Join special guest lecturer Judy Simpson as she leads a discussion on sexual harassment in the workplace. This will take place in the Christian H. Moe Lab Theatre in the Communications Building at SIU. Cast and production team The musical, sponsored by Glenn and Jo Poshard, features musical direction by Kevin Smith, scenic design by Mark Kent Varns, costume design by Casey Watkins and lighting design by Michael Frohling. The cast is comprised of professional actors from all over the country with Lyndsay Manson as Violet, Tara Feeley as Judy, Cassandra Donegan as Doralee, and Ralph Prentice Daniel as Franklin Hart, Jr. Tickets on sale now Performances of 9 to 5, The Musical, will occur at McLeod Theater: 7:30 p.m. on June 15, 16, 22 and 23 2 p.m. on June 17 and 24 General admission tickets are $30 adults, $14 for SIU students and children, 13-17, and $10 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available by phone, online, in person or by mail. Some fees apply: Online at siu.edu By phone at 877-SALUKIS (877-725-8547). In person at SIU Arena or McLeod Theater box office, Monday through Friday, noon-4:30 p.m. when the university is in session. By mail: SIU Ticket Office, Lingle Hall - Mail Code 6620, 1490 Douglas Drive, Carbondale, IL, 62901. Purchase tickets for individual events or take advantage of multiple subscription options. For more than 40 years, McLeod Summer Playhouse has been committed to presenting popular professional theater to the Southern Illinois region. Additionally, MSP particularly strives to provide professional opportunities for Illinois artists, professional level experience for SIU students, and the creative and interdisciplinary activity of SIU faculty. For interview and media requests, please contact Melissa Germain at melissa.germain@siu.edu or Danae DeShazer at mcleodsummerplayhouse@gmail.com. Southern Illinois University Carbondale computer science senior Ayush Kohli, seated, and Amiangshu Bosu, assistant professor of computer science, work in a computer lab. Kohli recently won third place at the Association of Computer Machinerys Student Research Competition world final, a prestigious, international event, featuring the work of 17 regional ACM student research competition champions. Kohlis research resulted in DecisionDroid, a supervised learning-based system that identifies pirated Android apps. Computer science student wins international award for DecisionDroid anti-pirate app by Tim Crosby CARBONDALE, Ill. You might say Southern Illinois University Carbondale student Ayush Kohli hunts modern day pirates, and his field of battle is cyberspace. In that arena, more than 85 percent of smartphone users have selected an Android operating system. The system gives them access to a multitude of applications almost 3 million different apps, as of June 2017 from the Google Play store alone. The platform also gives users the ability to customize their Android systems and install apps from unofficial, third-party marketplaces. Modern day pirates can wreak havoc on consumer phones But such a system provides opportunities for pirates to play havoc by modifying popular apps from the unofficial marketplaces or by injecting malicious code into apps they upload to such marketplaces, or even the Google Play store. The practice violates intellectual property laws, but also hurts consumers. And just like the pirates of old, this modern-day variety is a slippery lot, having mastered the ability to alter certain features of applications allowing them to evade detection. Award-winning app helps protect Android users from malicious software Its a global scourge of the digital age, but Kohli, a senior earning a degree in computer science, has come up with what might be one of best counter measures available: DecisionDroid, a supervised learning-based system that identifies pirated Android apps. His work recently garnered him a third-place award from the Association of Computer Machinerys Student Research Competition world final, a prestigious, international event. The competition featured the work of 17 ACM student research competition champions from different areas of computer science, who came from other top universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, Northwestern, Cambridge and the University of Southern California, among others. Kohli secured his place in this competition by winning the first place in the 2017 Student Research Competition in the Software Engineering area. Its considered the top student research competition in our field, said Amiangshu Bosu, assistant professor of computer science, who mentored Kohli. A tough competition During the competition, judges assessed each students knowledge, the caliber of contributions to the research and the overall quality of their oral and visual presentations. Students were required to present research posters and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, with finalists submitting a 4,000-word paper describing their work. A different set of judges then evaluated each finalists complete body of work to select the overall winners. DecisionDroid accurately identifies pirated apps 98.6 percent of the time Kohli trained artificial intelligence in DecisionDroid using by having it compare a manually verified and diverse dataset from more than 18,500 app pairs. DecisionDroid then works by combining a set of 13 different similarity scores between the two apps. Testing showed it can accurately identify a pirated app 98.6 percent of the time. The achievement will send Kohli and Bosu to ACMs award banquet this month in San Francisco, where Kohli will receive the award. Authority bans heavy vehicles on BP Highway Local administration on Friday started barring the operation of heavy vehicles on the BP Highway, five days after the Supreme Court (SC) issued an interim order to this effect. Cabinet to receive Integrity Policy within a week: PMO The Chief Secretary will present the National Integrity Policy- 2018 to the Cabinet for approval within one week, an official at the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) said on Thursday. Controversial NOC chief Khadka quits Managing Director of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) Gopal Bahadur Khadka resigned on Thursday, nine months after being transferred over a controversial land deal to the reserve pool of the Ministry of Supplies where he was only allowed to sign the attendance register daily. EC to RJP-N: Hold national convention within July 14 The Election Commission has directed the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) to hold its national convention and inform it within July 14. The EC has also told the RJP-N could use the date as its establishment day, confirming that the party was registered with it on July 14 last year. Five dead, eight hurt in separate road accidents Five persons died and eight others were injured in two separate road accidents in Okhaldhunga and Bajhang districts in the last 24 hours. The Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom award of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), has been awarded to Maria Ressa, Co-founder, CEO and Executive Editor of online news site, Rappler. 2018 Golden Pen of Freedom Awarded to Maria Ressa of the Philippines The Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom award of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), has been awarded to Maria Ressa, Co-founder, CEO and Executive Editor of online news site, Rappler. The award, made in Cascais, Portugal during the opening ceremony of the 70th World News Media Congress and 25th World Editors Forum, recognised Ms Ressas unwavering commitment to the values of a free press, as well as her determination to continue exposing stories of vital importance for democracy in the Philippines amidst intense pressure from the government and its supporters. You dont really know who you are until youre forced to fight to defend it,Ms Ressa said in her acceptance speech, delivered in front of over 700 publishers, CEOs and editors-in-chief from the global news industry. Then every battle you win or lose ... every compromise you choose to make or to walk away from all these struggles define the values you live by and, ultimately, who you are. We at Rappler decided that when we look back at this moment a decade from now, we will have done everything we could: we did not duck, we did not hide. Since the 2016 election of President Rodrigo Duterte, Rappler has fallen victim to a deliberate and highly targeted online campaign by supporters of the controversial head of state that seeks to discredit the media organisation and drown out criticism. In parallel, Ms Ressa has been the target of an increasingly hostile, gender-targeted hate campaign designed to undermine her credibility and the legitimacy of Rapplers reporting. Rather than retreating from the threats, she has become a vocal spokeswoman in denouncing online harassment and in warning of the negative effects for democracy of the increasing use of technology generally - and social media more specifically - to discredit professional journalism. Rappler is also currently facing a raft of judicial and legal cases, tax inspections and administrative investigations that have been brought by government agencies and officials who are actively pursuing the company in an attempt to close down its reporting. In the most high profile case, in January 2018 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked Rapplers license of incorporation a decision the company continues to fight. We honour a genuinely courageous journalist, a dedicated media pioneer, and a true believer in the power that the craft of journalism can have, said Dave Callaway, World Editors Forum president, editor and CEO of The Street in presenting the award. We stand in solidarity with Maria Ressa and her news organisation as together they face immense pressures, deeply personal attacks, and orchestrated attempts to undermine the professionalism and credibility of a news brand that has captured the public imagination, Mr Callaway continued. They have not backed away from publicly denouncing either the policies or the hate that has come as a result of their coverage, and Rappler has continued the reporting that was at the heart of the onslaught - for that we applaud them. Maria Ressa has been a journalist in Asia for over 30 years, with a career spanning various media. As the bureau chief for CNN in Manila and Jakarta for nearly two decades she was a senior investigative reporter on terrorism in Southeast Asia. In 2005, Ms Ressa headed up the News and Current Affairs division of Philippine media company ABS-CBN, where for six years she worked to redefine journalism by combining traditional and innovative media models. Her interest and talents in technology and new media were an impetus for her becoming one of the founders and eventually the CEO of Rappler, a social news network that aims to inspire community engagement and fuel social change. It became one of the first websites in the Philippines to use online multimedia such as video, text, audio and photos, incorporating social media sites for distribution. Since the website launched in 2012, it has not only successfully brought people together, but has also become the target of growing hostility and attacks from the government and its supporters for coverage of topics considered sensitive by President Rodrigo Dutertes administration; from questioning the governments handling of the drugs war and exposing police brutality, to human rights abuses and abuses of power. We hope the Golden Pen deters those who seek to undermine media independence and the profession of journalism by showing the solidarity that the award represents, said Mr Callaway. When all else fails, we should know that we have each other to rely upon if we are to continue making the kind of impact, breaking the sort of stories, and shining our light into those dark corners in a way our communities have come to expect. The way Rappler has been doing, and will keep on doing. For Maria Ressa's speech, visit: https://www.wan-ifra.org/node/190110/ For Dave Callaway's speech, visit: https://www.wan-ifra.org/node/190112/ In the video interview linked below, Callaway comments on the award. Stocks, such as Vita Group, trading at a market price below their true values are considered to be undervalued. Investors can benefit from buying these companies while they are discounted, because they gain when the market prices move towards the stocks true values. Below is a list of stocks Ive compiled that are deemed undervalued based on the latest financial data. Vita Group Limited (ASX:VTG) Vita Group Limited markets and sells communication and technology solutions in Australia. Formed in 1995, and currently run by Maxine Horne, the company now has 1,700 employees and with the companys market cap sitting at AUD A$154.78M, it falls under the small-cap category. VTGs shares are now floating at around -67% beneath its value of $2.95, at a price tag of AU$0.96, according to my discounted cash flow model. The mismatch signals a potential chance to invest in VTG at a discounted price. Whats even more appeal is that VTGs PE ratio is trading at 5.13x against its its Specialty Retail peer level of, 16.1x meaning that relative to other stocks in the industry, VTGs shares can be purchased for a lower price. VTG is also in good financial health, with current assets covering liabilities in the near term and over the long run. Finally, its debt relative to equity is 12.45%, which has been declining over time, signalling its capacity to pay down its debt. More on Vita Group here. ASX:VTG PE PEG Gauge Jun 6th 18 Energy One Limited (ASX:EOL) Energy One Limited supplies software products and services for wholesale energy, environmental, and carbon trading markets in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Philippines. Energy One is currently led by CEO Shaun Ankers. With the companys market capitalisation at AUD A$17.09M, we can put it in the small-cap group EOLs shares are now hovering at around -68% under its true value of $2.61, at the market price of AU$0.84, according to my discounted cash flow model. This mismatch indicates a chance to invest in EOL at a discounted price. Also, EOLs PE ratio stands at 21.39x against its its Software peer level of, 28.97x meaning that relative to its peers, EOLs shares can be purchased for a lower price. EOL is also a financially healthy company, with current assets covering liabilities in the near term and over the long run. Story continues Interested in Energy One? Find out more here. ASX:EOL PE PEG Gauge Jun 6th 18 Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ASX:ANZ) Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking and financial products and services to individual and business customers. Formed in 1835, and currently lead by Shayne Elliott, the company employs 39,540 people and with the companys market cap sitting at AUD A$76.21B, it falls under the large-cap group. ANZs stock is currently trading at -20% beneath its true level of $33.28, at the market price of AU$26.52, according to my discounted cash flow model. The difference between value and price signals a potential opportunity to buy ANZ shares at a discount. Also, ANZs PE ratio is currently around 10.44x compared to its Banks peer level of, 11.35x meaning that relative to its competitors, ANZ can be bought at a cheaper price right now. ANZ is also strong financially, with near-term assets able to cover upcoming and long-term liabilities. Dig deeper into Australia and New Zealand Banking Group here. ASX:ANZ PE PEG Gauge Jun 6th 18 For more financially sound, undervalued companies to add to your portfolio, explore this interactive list of undervalued stocks. To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. Vietnam cryptocurrency mining hardware Vietnams Ministry of Finance (MoF) has proposed a sweeping, albeit temporary, ban on the import of cryptocurrency mining equipment, according to local reports this week. The proposal for the blanket ban was first made by the finance ministry on Monday, with the government body claiming its difficult to regulate the new cryptocurrencies and forms of payments in tokens created by mining hardware. According to the Hanoi Times, the drastic curb is seemingly in reaction to a comprehensive $660 million crypto fraud that conned an estimated 32,000 investors. The fallout from the scam, which involved two allegedly fraudulent initial coin offerings (ICOs), saw the office of Vietnams prime minister issue a directive ordering government authorities including the central bank and several ministries to increase scrutiny into activities related to bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in April 2018. A roughly translated report from local publication Taichinh Vietnam added: Therefore, to prevent other [similar] possible events in the immediate future, the Ministry of Finance proposed to apply suspension measures toward importing the mining equipment. According to figures from Vietnam Customs, over 9,300 mining rigs were imported into Vietnam in 2017. As of April 2018, Vietnam had already imported 6,300 crypto mining rigs in comparison to last years overall total, according to VNExpress. Despite mid-2017 reports that Vietnam was preparing to legalize cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, the central bank did not include bitcoin among a list of recognized non-cash payment methods, outlawing cryptocurrencies in the process. [A]ccording to the provisions of the law, Bitcoin and other virtual currencies are not lawful means of payment in Vietnam, read an excerpt from the central banks statement in October 2017. The issuance, supply, use of bitcoin and other similar virtual currency as a means of payment is prohibited in Vietnam. The proposed law came into effect earlier this year with the added threat of criminally prosecuting adopters who use cryptocurrency for payment, facing fines up to $9,000. The post Vietnam Proposes Import Ban on Cryptocurrency Mining Hardware appeared first on CCN. Heavy vehicles defy top court, ply BP Highway Disregarding the Supreme Courts interim order, heavy vehicles continue to ply the BP Highway, and the authorities concerned have not taken any steps to enforce the directive. The Devils Rejects is such a nice movie. I loved the two hour documentary that comes with the hard case dvd. Its very interesting Reply Thread Link Some dialogue i cold have done without, but I am a sucker for 70's/80's horror and I feel like RZ did TDR right. It was the perfect throwback to 70's, I feel. I also love the twist, how you kinda go from wanting the sheriff to rip them a new asshole and kill them, to almost feeling sympathy for them, when he starts to torture them. Very strange feelings with that movie, but I definitely think it's a good one. Reply Parent Thread Link how you kinda go from wanting the sheriff to rip them a new asshole and kill them, to almost feeling sympathy for them, when he starts to torture them Not me lol Reply Parent Thread Link It was a really well shot movie..but i can't really watch it again, hah. I did buy the dvd when it came out tho, and yes, that 2 hour documentary is pretty damn sweet! Reply Parent Thread Link the punks in Don't Hang Up. they deserved everything that happened to them and more TBH Reply Thread Link lmfao from the trailer pls tell me we're not supposed to root for these guys. also the first bit before it was a prank call could be an interesting premise. having to stay on the line with a killer while they play mind games with you or something lol. Reply Parent Thread Link i almost quit watching/fast forwarded through this movie because they were aggravating me so much also lol @ at all of these grown ass men playing teen age boys, especially the guy with semper fi tattooed across his arm before he even made it through basic training... Reply Parent Thread Link the only 'don't hang up' anyone should acknowledge - Reply Parent Thread Link Lmao this movie was so dumb, my favorite kind of horror movies. And yeah they definitely had it coming Reply Parent Thread Link Terry in the first Final Destination. I laughed so hard when the bus hit her. Reply Thread Link that's an iconic scene tho that i forgot about that's since been copied 100 times. did you really laugh? i actually remember everyone being shocked by it. Reply Parent Thread Link I saw it on opening night (my 15th birthday lol) and I honestly cant remember but I was probably one of the freaked out ones. I remember leaving the theater and being scared the neon light fixture outside was going to crash down and kill me lmao. But on subsequent times, totally laughed. I am misrepresenting my teenage self here. Edited at 2018-06-08 01:50 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link also can we make this a general horror movie post lol. i just got home from work and feel like shit, think i'm gonna put on a movie. really want to watch Wolfcop, it cost a few bucks to rent. Is it worth it? I'm in the mood for something stupid-fun. Reply Thread Link i only saw it on my horror tumblrs but i am curious haha. i need to go to hereditary tonight to avoid the Friday crowd yikes. Reply Parent Thread Link i'm gonna see hereditary on sunday! i'm excited to watch it but i've been tryin to avoid all the talk about it. it's bein sooo hyped up, i really hope it wont be disappointing! i decided to put on The Day instead because it's free on Tubi and has something to do with cannibals lol Reply Parent Thread Link Late, but I found Wolfcop entertaining. I certainly remember laughing at one point, and hiding my eyes at another (I"m a chicken). It's definitely stupid, and I think it's fun! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link The Devils Rejects legit made me angry, I hated the entire cast Reply Thread Link Ive seen The Exorcist too many times to touch a Ouija Board. My mom got me one when I was like 12 or 13, but never played with it since I had seen The Exorcist the year prior (I was raised on horror movies and British television thanks to my mom). Reply Parent Thread Link yessss play with one~! but not alone! Reply Parent Thread Link I use to play with one all the time for fun when I was a teen (my friends and I were dumb, don't ask) and nothing really happened, but then something happened when I was playing with a friends mom, that really made me question if it was real. It's a pretty long story, but honestly, I still don't know what to make of it years later. *shrugs* Reply Parent Thread Link same. i don't believe in the supernatural and i'll check it out if i hear weird noises somewhere. my part in the movie would be the person who says "ghosts aren't real" and then i'm immediately melted by a ghost Reply Parent Thread Link i watched most likely to die in hopes to see p*rez hilton die a brutal death and i didnt get it. they all deserved to die honestly. Reply Thread Link Yes the fucking idiot in Pet Sematary. OMFG the Zelda scenes still scare the shit outta me Reply Thread Link god she terrified me as a child my name is Rachel so hearing her say it... NOOOOOOOOOO i had nightmares Reply Parent Thread Link Why? I can't believe it still gets to me as an adult Reply Parent Thread Link NO Reply Parent Thread Link yes, Zelda scared the fuck out of me. those scenes were like the beginning of my fears of disease and aging Reply Parent Thread Link Eh, I kind of disagree about Christine. First of all, total disproportionate retribution to curse somebody because they wont grant you an extension, especially when that somebody is merely a drone and not in a position of authority. Also, she just came in at the wrong moment right after Christine got reamed out for being too nice and soft-hearted. Not a horror movie, but WhatsHisAss in Cloverfield, insisting that they go find Beth instead of getting TF out of Dodge. I wish horror movies would step away from making so many characters unlikable while still expecting the audience to sympathize and be sad when they bite it. Make characters flawed, but decent, so you would feel something other than satisfaction when they die. Reply Thread Link pet semetary is so fucking good. his character in the book was even more stressful than the movie. i'm really excited for the remake tbh. the cast is looking good. Reply Thread Link ia to all of the above! i can't wait for more news on the remake. Reply Parent Thread Link same! it's on of my fave stories ever. a new audiobook with Michael c hall narrating was released a couple months ago, and I've already listened to it 3 times lol Reply Parent Thread Link omg i love your icon! ohhh i should listen to that audiobook!!!!! omg Reply Parent Thread Link Nicole from Dawn Of The Dead remake. I hated that she lived over CJ. She should have died. She was so stupid and pt everyone's life in danger. (I mean, I kinda understand because of the dog) but still, she should have died over Andy and CJ. Andre from Dawn Of The Dead remake, actually did deserve his death though. After what he did to Luda and Norma. Reply Thread Link yes ita Reply Parent Thread Link love dawn of the dead. tragic ending. loved that lead guy. but did this movie start the trend of likeable lead getting bitten by a zombie at the end/late reveal, followed by suicide? it just seems like all zombie movies end that way now like train to busan. i guess world war z didn't. Reply Parent Thread Link [ Spoiler (click to open) ] Cargo. i get taken out of it if i know the lead is already dead lol yea that is true especially with Reply Parent Thread Link I would put everyones life in danger over a dog too tbh Reply Parent Thread Expand Link And Unfriended was actually kind of an interesting movie. I liked the execution for the most part, the audience sitting in Blairs POV. But again, everybody was an asshole, so you dont feel bad when they die. Reply Thread Link i agree, i liked the movie quite a lot and the characters were definitely assholeswhich made me feel better about their deaths I liked the concept of basically watching the whole thing on a computer screen and I think they pulled it off well. I also thought the acting was good too, though I am bit biased bc I am a fan of Shelley Henning (blaire). Iirc she was also the one who suggested they do the whole movie in one take Edited at 2018-06-08 01:23 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link The core concept and execution was pretty good. And its a bit clever when the massive technology jump of the past 20 years have made modern horror movies more difficult to make believable (or at least suspend disbelief). Reply Parent Thread Expand Link The concept was interesting, but the characters were so stock and bland and some of the plot devices were way too frustrating/convenient. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link [ Spoiler (click to open) ] when the girl got scratched/infected feral was entertaining and all but i found myself rooting for the creepy dude instead of the main character loll. i am so over characters trying to save ppl past saving, andbut was praising her when she was the one got her in that situation. sideeyeing. Reply Thread Link Honestly most horror movies frustrate me so much I hope everyone dies. Everyone here seems to love The Descent, but I was done with them all after a small cave in made them be like WELP LETS EXPLORE HURDUR Reply Thread Link There's nobody like Nathan. Wish he was the new Ontario premier. Reply Parent Thread Link Lmfao Reply Parent Thread Link i didn't even realize he was canadian. what a nice thing to wake up to beside the election to end all elections Reply Parent Thread Link Demetri Martin is pretty deadpan. I highly recommend his Netflix special Reply Parent Thread Link Stephen Wright is the OG deadpan standup. Mitch was a great blend of deadpan and stoner. Reply Parent Thread Link i feel like kristen schaal is sort of like him as well, in that she's like real deadpan a lot of the time, has weird little bits she does and then obviously she's also very Louise Belcher, as well Reply Parent Thread Link Did.... Did you get my dad killed in space for the show?! Everything I do.... I DO FOR IRELAND! Reply Parent Thread Link Hmm this is out there but the Eric Andre Show? Two very out there shows that are a big f you to mainstream conceptions of talk show or show in general, but hilarious too. Reply Parent Thread Link Before there was Steven Wright there was Bob Newhart (+ all of his TV Shows) Todd Barry (no pranks but hes got a similar delivery) Sarah Millican (adorable, British and deadpan) Romesh Ranganathan (No pranks but his delivery is a nice take on deadpan comedy) Dan Mintz (tbh most of the Bobs burgers crew to some extend is pretty deadpan) Tig Notaro (also check out her show One Mississippi + look up her pranks) Jonathan Katz (also, check out his show from the 90s called Doctor Katz, Professional Therapist) Richard Aoyade (mostly a director now but his acting is very deadpan and very ridiculously funny) Edited at 2018-06-08 08:38 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Yep. There ought be an Oprah gif that scream you get hacked, we get hacked and everyone get hacked"!!!!!" Reply Thread Link i love nathan fielder so much. usually i cant handle cringe comedy but hes just so fearless and absurd that it kills me Reply Thread Link he's one of my celeb crushes he's amazing to me, like his show is one of the few ones that makes me laugh out loud for real and not in a typing it on the web/but I don't actually mean it way Reply Parent Thread Link lmao I just finished watching this. 4:20 - feminist king! lmaoooo Edited at 2018-06-08 05:43 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link Ill just be happy if Schitts Creek gets any nods. I caught up in 2 days. That show is the new Parks and Rec for me. I love all the characters and the relationships with everyone in the show. Reply Thread Link so I know this is a joke, but emmy wins in big categories can be v valuable (netflix and hulu are super thirsty)........ probably better to shift to using the codes that expire after 30 seconds (or whatever) instead of the fixed codes. lol security experts probably hate those too, but at least they're not as static. \_()_/ also, i mean, after seeing fandom shenanigans - I don't put any kind of bizarre "no one would do that!" action out of the realm of possibility. Reply Thread Link I love NFY soooo much. I really hope there'll be another season but I don't think it'll happen after what he's said :( Glad Comedy Central wants it though, so there's hope Reply Thread Link oh no what did he say? Reply Parent Thread Link Where can I watch this shooooow Reply Thread Link i love him SO much he's such an angel Reply Thread Link im convinced the only way the ihob situation makes sense is as an elaborate NFY stunt Reply Thread Link Friday, June 8, 2018 (Click to enlarge) (Click to enlarge) (Click to enlarge) (Click to enlarge) (Click to enlarge) (Click to enlarge) (Click to enlarge) Oil prices seesawed this week, dipping on expectations of more supply from OPEC+, but rebounding on news of deeper troubles in Venezuela. Trading will likely be choppy over the next two weeks until the market gets some clarity from the Vienna meeting. Trump isolated, to leave G7 early. President Trump has done severe damage to the U.S. relationship with its closest allies, and the other six countries attending the G7 Summit today in Quebec are prepared to issue a statement denouncing Washingtons policies. Trade tariffs, among other issues, have isolated President Trump, although he doesnt seem to mind. The White House said he would leave the G7 Summit early, before any official statements are issued. The fraying ties mean there is little sign of a solution to the trade fights on the horizon. Trump steel tariffs could hurt oil and gas. Trumps 25 percent steel tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union could drive up the cost of oil production in the U.S. shale patch if the industry is not granted exemptions. Also, oil and gas pipeline construction relies on specialty steel, about 75 percent of which comes from outside the United States. Steel makes up 10 to 20 percent of the cost of drilling a shale well, and half of the steel for drilling is imported. The tariffs are already having an impact U.S. steel prices are up 20 percent since February. U.S. request angers OPEC. The U.S. reportedly asked Saudi Arabia for higher oil production to offset Iranian outages, a request that was made before the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. The apparent sudden shift in the Saudi position shortly after the conversation has angered a lot of OPEC members. Its crazy and astonishing to see instruction coming from Washington to Saudi to act and replace a shortfall of Irans export due to their Illegal sanction on Iran and Venezuela, Irans OPEC governor, Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, told Reuters. OPEC will not accept such a humiliation. How arrogant and ignorant one could be (to) underestimate the history of 60 years cooperation among competitors, he said. The comments raise the possibility of a contentious meeting in Vienna. Venezuela wrote to OPEC members, issuing a call to denounce U.S. sanctions. Related: Iran: Oil Prices Could Jump To $140 On U.S. Sanctions Venezuela begins ship-to-ship loadings as bottlenecks curtail exports. Venezuelas decrepit oil ports dont have enough capacity to handle tanker traffic, which has become an immediate crisis because the seizure of PDVSAs Caribbean assets last month by ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) has disrupted operations at those ports. The problem is that some of Venezuelas terminals cant handle very large crude carriers (VLCCs), and so PDVSA has asked customers to accept ship-to-ship loadings, which analysts say adds about $1 per barrel to the purchase cost. PDVSA is even considering declaring force majeure on its oil contracts because it might not be able to fulfill obligated shipments. Reuters reports that dozens of tankers, waiting to load about 24 million barrels of oil, are sitting off of the Venezuelan coast. The delays helped push oil prices up this week. European refiners cut purchases of Iranian oil. European refiners are winding down oil purchases from Iran, according to Reuters, which suggests that the European Union might struggle to keep the nuclear deal alive. Companies are starting to cut business ties with Iran in the face of U.S. sanctions, and Iran, angered by the economic assault, has suggested it could restart its nuclear program. Total SA wants to drill in sensitive Amazon basin. Total SA (NYSE: TOT) said it still plans to move forward with exploration plans in Brazils Foz do Amazonas basin, but has seen applications rejected by Brazilian regulators. Greenpeace activists disrupted the French oil giants annual shareholder meeting last week to protest the plans for the Amazon. Brazils Foz do Amazonas basin could contain up to 14 billion barrels of oil, which would exceed the proven reserves in the Gulf of Mexico. Hedge fund sees $100 oil this year, $150 by 2020. Pierre Andurand of Andurand Commodities Fund told the WSJ that the oil market is in the middle of a multiyear bull run. He has been bullish on oil for a while, and paid dearly in the past few years as crude languished, but his hedge fund has bounced back with oil prices this year. He sees no reason to let up. We could see $100 oil this year$150-plus in 2020-2021People think $100 is high. But weve seen $100, weve seen $150 in a much weaker economic environment [2008] than today, and I think today is much more bullish, he told the WSJ. I dont think were close to the top at all. Related: Was This Just A Temporary Pullback In Oil? Exxon and Chevron undermining corruption efforts. The refusal of ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX) to disclose their U.S. tax payments is undercutting anticorruption efforts around the world, according to the chairman of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. The criticism comes after the Trump administration withdrew from the initiative last year. Equinor leads Brazils oil auction. Equinor (NYSE: EQNR), formerly Statoil, led the pack in Brazils latest offshore auction. The Norwegian oil company, in a consortium with ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) and Petroleos de Portugal, bid more than three times the minimum bid for the Uirapuru block in the Santos Basin. Offshore Brazil has been one of the most prized regions in the world for the oil majors, with investment pouring into the country over the past year. The latest results will be welcomed by a government under fire as the Brazilian economy teeters a plunging currency and widespread protests have rocked the country. By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: IFJ condemns threat to online journalists over news report The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the threats to, and harassment of, journalists of an online news portal in Kathmandu by student leaders. Oil market analysts are looking into the global supply and demand picture to guess where the price of oil is heading, and opinions and forecasts always vary widely. While oil bulls are focusing on the loss of supply from Venezuela and a potential reduction of Iranian exports to justify their view that prices will be heading higher, bears are figuring that OPEC will reverse some of the production cuts in place and bring back as much as 1 million bpd to the market to offset any supply disruptions. Traders look at the charts and apply technical analysis to guess where prices are going and where its best to enter or exit positions. One such analysis says that WTI oil prices are heading to $76 a barrel in the long term, and that the price retreat of the past two weeks is not a reversal of the upward trend, but just a temporary pullback. According to trader Daryl Guppy, the longer-term trading band for WTI Crude is close to $76 a barrel and possibly higher. Thats roughly $10 on top of the current WTI price. Guppys rationale for a continued uptrend in WTI lies in three features of the oil chart. The first is the strong support level at $43 and resistance level at $54 a barrela trading band of some $11. That trading bandand oil has a pattern of trading in bandsapplied to an upside projection gives a trading band at $65 that has been achieved and exceeded. Applying the same trade band projection methods gives a long-term target near $76, Guppy says. Related: Why LNG Prices Are Poised To Soar The second feature of the oil chart is the trajectory of the uptrend line that has successfully acted as a support level. The third feature is an indicator that Guppy has developed, the Guppy Multiple Moving Average indicator that captures the inferred behavior of traders and investors by using two groups of averagesa long-term group of averages and a short-term group of averages. The long-term group shows strong and consistent investor support for a rising trend, while the short-term group of averages shows that traders are buyers whenever the price falls. This tells us that traders are also confident that the uptrend will continue, Guppy says. In the coming days, WTI Crude faces resistance ahead of $67.20, according to Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank. WTI crude oils two-week long correction phase has seen it retrace more than half of the February to May rally. Resistance is likely to emerge ahead of $67.20/b while the downside risk will be determined by how much further funds want/need to reduce long exposure, Hansen wrote on Wednesday. Last week, hedge funds and other money managers cut their combined long position in Brent and WTI by 101,000 lots to 823,000 lotsthe biggest one-week reduction since last August and the lowest exposure since September, Hansen noted. Related: Venezuelas PDVSA Fails To Meet Oil Supply Obligations Hedge funds have been scaling back their bullish bets on oil for several weeks in a row now, after having amassed a record net long position earlier this year. The drop in the long positions and the rise in shorts could be more a sign of profit-taking after the record net long position, rather than a U-turn in the views of money managers on oil prices, some analysts and traders told the Financial Times. Regardless of whether money managers, traders, and market analysts will be driven by technicals or fundamentals, in the next two weeks they will all be watching closely OPEC and allies, Iran and Venezuela, and U.S. production and inventories for clues about the next trend in oil prices. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: FILE PHOTO: Former Department of Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre MANILA, Philippines Former Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II was pleased by the Supreme Courts (SC) decision to deny with finality Senator Leila De Limas motion for reconsideration on her arrest over drug charges filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ.) In his statement, Aguirre said the decision has vindicated the DOJ. All the efforts that our team at the DOJ have previously exerted in this case are now paying off. With the SC decision, we have proven that this case is one of rightful prosecution and not of political persecution as claimed by some, Aguirre said. The High Court initially based its decision on the charges of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading against De Lima and ordered the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court to proceed with the investigation. De Lima questioned the Muntinlupa Courts issuance of arrest order as she argued that it should be the Sandiganbayan who has jurisdiction over her person being a Senator. Aguirre added that this development should serve as a warning to all who deal in drugs and who profit from it because the Duterte Administration is serious as it is relentless. UNTV News & Rescue The post Aguirre: SC vindicates DOJ for affirming De Limas arrest appeared first on UNTV News. Filipino death-row prisoner Mary Jane Veloso MANILA, Philippines The Court of Appeals has affirmed its earlier ruling prohibiting the deposition or sworn out-of-court testimony of Mary Jane Veloso in Indonesia in connection with the criminal case against her alleged illegal recruiters. In a resolution, CAs former eleventh division denied Velosos motion for reconsideration filed by the Office of the Solicitor General The Appellate Court stressed it cannot grant governments plea because it would violate accused Maria Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilaos fundamental right to confront and cross-examine witnesses and accusers. The deposition was sought to form part of the prosecutions evidence in the qualified trafficking in persons and estafa case against Sergio and Lacanilao before a Nueva Ecija trial court. Veloso was sentenced to death in October 2010 for bringing over two kilograms of heroin at Yogyakarta Airport. She was given reprieve after the Philippines made representations with the Indonesian government. UNTV News & Rescue The post CA blocks Mary Jane Veloso from testifying against recruiters appeared first on UNTV News. Millions of Chinese high school students take the gruelling gaokao, the national university entrance exam each year. The most challenging paper of all may be Chinese essay writing, where candidates have an hour to write on a given prompt and most of them are notoriously elliptical. There are eight versions for different provinces and here are some examples from this years papers. Each generation has their own opportunities, mission and challenges. You are walking and growing alongside China in the New Era, chasing and fulfilling your dreams, one paper writes. Candidates are required to write an essay that will be kept in a time capsule, to be opened in 2035 by teenagers that turn 18 that year. It provides extra information that students can use as a guide 2020, moderately prosperous society is fully implemented; 2035, socialist modernisation is realised. Sichuan candidates have to write an essay according to three slogans. One of which is At Shenzhen in year 1981, time is money, efficiency is life. No information is provided on how the time and geographical context matters. Beijing candidates are luckier as they get to choose between one of two prompts, but neither is simple. The first option is to write an argumentative essay on New Era New Youth, growing up while the motherland is developing. The alternative is a narrative essay on lucid waters and lush mountains, describing a beautiful scene where men and nature coexist peacefully. Shanghai students came across a more philosophical conundrum they are asked to share their thoughts on being needed. In life, humans are not just concerned about their own needs, we also long to be needed, writes the prompt. While these are hardly easy topics, they are no match for some of the most whimsical exam questions in the past. In 2016, Beijing candidates chose between writing about a mysterious bookmark that is interactive and can help you attain your wishes (that sounds more like Aladdins lamp) or explain why old accent can be stunning. Story continues The year before that, Anhui candidates scratched their heads over an essay prompt that seemed to be testing their knowledge of science instead. The paper described students observing the wings of butterfly under a microscope and coming to the conclusion that butterfly wings are initially colourless, they only reflect different colours under the light because of their microscopic structure. Candidates are required to write an essay based on this story. But even more baffling is that fact that this description is not scientifically correct. While some butterflies have iridescent colours due to their scales, some are brown and yellow because of melanin. This article Chinas university entry exam, gaokao: elliptical, obscure and confusing first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. More from South China Morning Post: The issue at the top of US President Donald Trump's agenda for his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is also the most complicated -- denuclearisation. Pyongyang's decades-long pursuit of atomic weapons and the means to deliver them to the US have seen it subjected to multiple rounds of sanctions by the UN Security Council, US, EU and others, and tensions soared last year as the two men traded personal insults and threats of war. Now after a rapid diplomatic rapprochement they will hold an unprecedented meeting in Singapore. But despite the positive imagery of recent months -- and the global headlines the summit will generate -- the gap they will need to breach is a chasm. "It does strike me as very difficult for Kim to give up the only thing that makes him important and that is nuclear weapons," former US deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told reporters in Tokyo. "The distance from where we are now to where we need to be is measured in years." Washington is demanding the North give up its weapons in a complete, verifiable and irreversible way (CVID). Pyongyang, for its part, has repeatedly expressed a commitment to the denuclearisation of the peninsula, but the phrase is a diplomatic euphemism open to interpretation on both sides and the North has given no public indication of what concessions it might be offering. Instead Kim has -- according to Chinese state media reports of his discussion with President Xi Jinping -- called for Washington and Seoul to "remove security threats against the DPRK" and take "phased and synchronous" steps in response to its own moves. The comments are a clear indication that Pyongyang will seek concessions of its own. Early signals from the US suggested Washington expected the North to hand over its arsenal. National security advisor John Bolton's reference to a "Libya model" infuriated Pyongyang, given that leader Moamer Kadhafi was deposed and killed in a NATO-backed rebellion after abandoning his nuclear programme. More recently Trump has dialled down immediate expectations, saying the summit could be the first of several. "I think it's not a one meeting deal," he said Thursday, but insisted: "If they don't denuclearise, that will not be acceptable." - 'Treasured sword' - The impoverished North has devoted vast resources to its weapons programmes, making rapid progress under Kim. Last year it carried out by far its most powerful nuclear test to date -- with a yield commensurate with an H-bomb -- and launched intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the US mainland. Aside from its nuclear arsenal, the North is also believed to have 2,500 to 5,000 tonnes of chemical weapons developed since the 1980s, according to the South's military. It has yet to conclusively demonstrate that it has the capability to shrink a nuclear warhead to fit inside a missile, accurate targeting, or the re-entry technology needed for it to survive coming back into the Earth's atmosphere from space. But it says it has mastered all three, and Kim has declared the development of the country's "treasured sword" complete. Estimates of the North's nuclear capability vary. Seoul puts the North's plutonium stockpile at more than 50 kilogrammes, enough to produce around 10 weapons, adding Pyongyang also has "a significant amount" of highly-enriched uranium. "For the Trump administration, the essence of the talks is likely to boil down to ICBMs and nuclear warheads," Hong Min, analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP. - Bridging the gap - Siegfried Hecker, a noted US nuclear expert, said the immediate CVID of the North was "unimaginable" and "tantamount to a North Korean surrender scenario", and proposed a 10-year roadmap to "halt, roll back and eliminate" its weapons programmes. But speculation is mounting in Seoul that Trump -- who pledged at his inauguration to put "America first" -- could accept Pyongyang giving up its ICBMs and freezing its atomic programme at current levels in exchange for recognising it as a nuclear power. That would remove the threat against the US mainland, while leaving Washington's allies South Korea and Japan still within Pyongyang's reach -- a scenario likely to alarm Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in particular. The leader of South Korea's main Liberty Korea opposition party on Thursday urged Trump not to agree to "any deal" purely to guarantee the security of the US. He raised the spectre of the 1938 Munich Agreement, in which then British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain agreed Nazi Germany could seize part of Czechoslovakia. "It would be very unfortunate if the fate of the Republic of Korea is decided as a result of a battle for hegemony between the US and China," the North's traditional backer, he told reporters. If Pyongyang were tacitly recognised as a nuclear power, he said, "there will be only one option for South Korea and Japan". "We have to arm ourselves with nuclear weapons." bur-jhw-slb-sh/amu/hg With all eyes on the upcoming US-North Korea leaders meeting, the weekend summit of a China-led regional security bloc has gone largely under the international radar. But when the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit gets under way in the Chinese port city of Qingdao on Saturday, the leaders from the eight-member bloc are expected to address the big global issues, from the tensions on the Korean peninsula, to the Iran nuclear deal and US trade policies. Beijing will be looking to press a series of key cross-border matters, particularly the Belt and Road Initiative, and greater cooperation to combat the three evil forces of terrorism, extremism and separatism, according to state-run Xinhua. Drug trafficking and cybercrime are also on the agenda. The SCO was set up in 2001 with six member countries: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It expanded to eight last year with the admission of India and Pakistan. The bloc also has four observer states Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia and six dialogue partners, including Turkey, a member of Nato. The Qingdao gathering coincides with the G7 summit in Canada, a group of seven major advanced economies, six of which are Nato members. The SCOs role has also expanded over the years, from regional security to political and economic cooperation, prompting critics to characterise it as a post-cold war Eurasian counterbalance to Nato. Here are some of the big issues set to come up at the summit: The Iran factor The meeting will be the first overseas trip for Iranian President Hassan Rowhani since Trump decided in early May to pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, a withdrawal opposed by Moscow, Beijing and several major European powers. The deal eased economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear facilities and, as signatories, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are likely to use the summit to show symbolic support for the agreement. Story continues China, Russia set to show support for Iran nuclear deal at security bloc summit, observers say Artyom Lukin, an international politics expert at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, said the final declaration of the summit will probably mention that the [Iran deal] should continue to be adhered to by all the parties concerned. However, its unlikely that the SCO will put direct and overt diplomatic pressure on the US, Lukin said. He said Moscow and Beijing were more likely to pursue the matter through the P5+1 mechanism, which comprises the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, another signatory to the deal. Nevertheless, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China did not want Iran overshadowing the summit. We hope all parties focus on the theme of the summit, she said on Thursday. The Xi-Putin connection Beijing and Moscow have put aside their differences and edged closer as each country has hit turbulence in their relations with Washington. On Wednesday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired an interview with Putin, in which the Russian leader played up his personal relationship with Xi in a recollection of the two celebrating his birthday in 2013. But Lukin said Russias enthusiasm for this years summit was in response to the SCOs admission of India and Pakistan as full members. China has been far less enthusiastic about the enlargement, particularly with regard to the inclusion of India. There are concerns that an SCO with more members will become less effective and less capable, he said. Why Xi Jinpings the man for me: Vladimir Putin highlights birthday party with good friend from China as sign of growing closeness Thus Russia will seek to prove that the inclusion of India and Pakistan, potentially followed by other countries such as Iran, makes the SCO ever more relevant, effective and capable. For Moscow, the SCO ... should also serve as one of the major bulwarks against, and an alternative to, the US-led Western hegemony. At the same time, an expanded SCO should act as a multilateral hedge balancing possible Chinese attempts to dominate continental Eurasia, even though this particular purpose is kept implicit and tacit. India, Pakistan and China This weekend will be the second time in two months that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited China, reflecting efforts from both countries to improve relations strained last year by a protracted border dispute in the Himalayas. In his address to an Asian security forum in Singapore last weekend, Modi studiously avoided any mention of the Quad a grouping of US, Japan, India and Australia a gesture that won him points with Chinas foreign ministry. However, Beijing has yet to secure Delhis support for its vast belt and road infrastructure plan. India sees the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a centrepiece of the plan that runs through disputed Kashmir, as violating its territorial sovereignty. With India and Pakistan now aboard as SCO member states, academics specialising in Indian affairs expect some informal interaction between the nations leaders but no movement on belt and road projects. While there could be an attempt to inject fresh air to improve relations, India-Pakistan relations are very complex and it is very difficult to predict the exact dynamics, said Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedy, a visiting fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Indian leader Modi wants no part of China-US rivalry, but still manages to keep Beijing happy India would prefer to focus at the upcoming meeting on counterterrorism, cross-border energy, non-traditional security and development cooperation, according to Chaturvedy. Madhav Nalapat, a professor of geopolitics at Manipal University, said that unless issues are related to a part of the CPEC passing through territory that is Indian but under the illegal occupation of Pakistan, progressive discussions on the belt and road would not take place. Modi will meet Xi again on Saturday on the summits sidelines. Xinjiang and Central Asia Human rights groups and senior US officials have been vocal in their criticism of Beijings sweeping crackdown on religion and tightened security measures in its far western region of Xinjiang, home to one of the biggest Muslim groups in the country. Laura Stone, US acting deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said in Beijing in April that the United States was deeply concerned about Chinas detention of at least tens of thousands of ethnic Uygurs and other Muslims and could take action to censure China. In recent months, thousands of Uygurs deemed prone to extremist influence were reportedly detained in re-education camps in Xinjiang, with critics saying the area has become a massive police state. Alarmed by terror attacks in Europe and the spread of Islamic State militants from the Middle East to other parts of the world, China is watching anxiously for any sign of extremist influence among its population of 23 million Muslims mainly Hui and Uygurs. US considers sanctioning Chinese officials over crackdown that detained tens of thousands of Muslims in Xinjiang However, Beijings campaign against terrorism and Islamic extremism have raised eyebrows with some Central Asian SCO members bordering the region. Muslims from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have also reportedly been targeted in Xinjiang. In a meeting in Beijing in late May, Kazakhstans foreign ministry raised concerns about ethnic Kazakhs being detained in China, according to the ministrys website. But the issue is unlikely to come to the summit table, making way for broader regional concerns. The SCO is an institutional mechanism that allows the Central Asians to pursue multi-vector foreign policies, manoeuvring between the Eurasian great powers, China and Russia, and now also India, Lukin said. China-Mongolia relations Despite Mongolias status as an observer state, China will be watching the countrys new president, Khaltmaa Battulga, closely as he makes his first appearance at the SCO summit. Battulga won the presidency last year by running a populist campaign that was laced with anti-China rhetoric. China and Mongolia have a close but tense history. Mongolia, which was ruled as a Chinese territory until 1911, has always suspected that one day its southern neighbour will try to reclaim the land it lost. Meanwhile, Beijing exercised its economic and geographic strength to bring Mongolia to its knees in 2016 after it invited the Dalai Lama for a four-day visit. Mongolia then declared that it would not invite the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader for another visit. Mongolia, an SCO observer state since 2004, has shown little interest in becoming a full member of the bloc, despite China raising the possibility in 2014. This article What to look for when the leaders of China, Russia, Iran and India meet for this years Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. More from South China Morning Post: After months of tussling over trade and North Korea, China and the United States could see relations shaken further over a key flashpoint next week the opening of a new office in Taiwan. The ceremony for the unveiling of a US$240 million office compound for the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US embassy on the island in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, could light another match in already tense relations between the world powers. The scale of any fallout may partly depend on the rank of the US officials who attend the opening. Washington is expected to walk a fine line with its guest list for the dedication ceremony on June 12, the same day as the high-stakes summit between US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore to discuss scrapping Pyongyangs nuclear weapons programme. Sources with ties to the US and Chinese government told the South China Morning Post earlier this month that no cabinet level official from the Trump administration would attend the event to avoid further antagonising Beijing. The decision may also be a result of the opening ceremony clashing with the Singapore talks, but the US may still send a senior government official to the new compound in Taipeis Neihu district in September when it officially opens for business, analysts say. Taiwan event creates headaches for Trump amid North Korea talks There had been media speculation that Trumps National Security Adviser John Bolton, an advocate for closer US-Taiwan relations, may attend the opening ceremony for the Taiwan office to demonstrate US support for its ally, a move likely to incense Beijing. China-US ties have been strained in recent months over escalating trade tensions, with both sides threatening trade tariffs against the others exports. Beijing is also concerned about getting sidelined in talks over the future of the Korean peninsula. But for Beijing, its claims to sovereignty over the self-ruled island of Taiwan, are the most important, most sensitive core issue in China-US relations President Xi Jinping was quoted as telling Trump by Chinas foreign ministry. Story continues The US adheres to the one-China policy which acknowledges that Taiwan is part of China, but still maintains a robust unofficial relationship with the island selling its arms and pledging by treaty to aid its security. Xin Qiang, an expert in Sino-US and Taiwan issues at Fudan University in Shanghai, warned that Beijing would object to the joint celebrations to open the new Taiwan office even if cabinet-level US officials were not present as it would violate the one-China policy that Beijing alone was the legitimate government of China. The US is playing the Taiwan card right now and using the Taiwan problem to add pressure on China, which is very dangerous, he said. North Koreas nuclearisation, trade issues, the South China Sea none are comparable to the Taiwan issue. If the US does anything provocative, then not only will Sino-US relations be damaged, but it would push the two countries towards military conflict and even war. No other issue has this same level of risk. While the US did send the cabinet-level official Gina McCarthy of the Environmental Protection Agency to Taiwan in 2014, there are fears the White House will dispatch a more senior official to the opening of the American Institute in Taiwan, which would breach Beijings bottom line, he said. Trump has previously broken historic precedent by calling Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen before he took office. He has also surrounded himself with anti-China foreign policy hawks. The Pentagon has also said it is mulling sending US warship to the Taiwan Strait as US lawmakers call for closer military and security exchanges, including sending American troops to attend the islands Han Kuang military exercises. To avoid Beijings ire, Donald Trump wont send high-level officials to opening of de facto embassy in Taiwan Scott Kastner, an expert in Chinas foreign relations and the Taiwan Strait at the University of Maryland, said there has been an uptick in support for Taiwan in Washington, seen in the recent passing of the Taiwan Travel Act, which allows high-level US officials to visit the island and vice versa. The US has a real interest in Taiwan, most obviously that its a democracy and theres clear kind of strategic reasons for the US to want to maintain Taiwan, he said. Relations between Taiwan and mainland China have also been at a low point during Tsais administration, with the president refusing the acknowledge the 1992 consensus that there is only one China. Beijing says the consensus is the basis of any cross-strait dialogue and it has increased pressure on Taiwan as a result, including conducting increased numbers of military exercises around the island, poaching Taiwans diplomatic allies and pressuring foreign companies, including airlines to refer to the island as a part of mainland China. Its efforts most recently saw the Dominican Republic and Burkina Faso severing ties with Taiwan in favour of formal relations with Beijing, leaving Taiwan with only 18 allies, mainly smaller nations in Latin America and the Pacific. Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Washington-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said mainland Chinese pressure and coercion against Taiwan remains of grave concern to American officials as they seek ways to bolster the islands security and economy so it can continue to survive as a vibrant democracy in the region. We have to think of creative ways to strengthen Taiwan security, its autonomy to try to push back where possible against Chinese coercion, she said. Besides using the stick, Beijing has also used carrots to try and win over the hearts and minds of Taiwan, such as cultural, educational and economic cross-strait exchanges. I do think that the forms of coercion that [Beijing is] using against Taiwan are counterproductive and that the people of Taiwan end up blaming Beijing in large part in the steps theyre taking, Glaser said. They have, however, been successful in intimidating some members of the international community. We dont see too many countries that are willing to negotiate free trade agreements with Beijing, for example. the Chinese see that ultimately, time is on their side, so they are patient. Despite the provocative posturing from Beijing, analysts maintain that the likelihood of military conflict over Taiwan remains low, given the consequences not only to China-US relations but also regionally. Airlines switching to Taiwan, China despite White Houses rejection of Orwellian nonsense but US carriers hold out I dont think theyll do it because of the ramifications of those actions and the message that would send to all the neighbouring countries, said Alexander Tan, an expert in Taiwan politics at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Having an all-out, direct military conflict with Taiwan is definitely not cost free. But as the US and China continue to battle over other issues, Taiwan will become a prominent chip on the table to poke at Chinas underbelly, he said. I dont think the leaders, elite and citizens in Taiwan are actually naive about this, but who else [do they have as allies]? Tan said. In a way, Taiwan does not have a lot of options. And with Taiwan seeing frozen relations with mainland China, it is clear at even the opening of the new American Institute office could raise the temperature on the Taiwan issue, observers said. If things are not moving forward, then literally theyre moving backwards, said Tan. This article Why new de facto US embassy in Taiwan may further rock ties with China first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Scientists with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are developing ways to identify the sources of any potentially harmful bacteria found in the surface waters around Athens, Georgia. The research is presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, held from June 7th to June 11th in Atlanta, Georgia. The effort is part of an ongoing project to ensure the quality of the area's waterways, according to Jonathan Frye, an ARS microbiologist in Athens. Volunteers have been collecting water in the Upper Oconee Watershed for more than 20 years and the samples have been providing helpful data for years now to Frye and his colleagues. ARS researchers are now tapping into this data to assess levels of antimicrobial resistant (AR) bacteria in the water. The presence of AR bacteria in the environment is poorly understood and some public health experts have become concerned about the potential for surface waters to serve as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance. ARS scientists and their colleagues at the University of Georgia recently found 496 different types or strains of E. coli in 458 water samples collected from the watershed over 2 years. Among those, they found 34 E. coli isolates with resistance to some antimicrobial drugs. When the 34 isolates were further analyzed as part of a study, they showed the presence of a wide variety of strains of E. coli commonly found in surface waters. This included one sample with E. coli ST131, a pathogenic strain of bacteria that can cause urinary tract infections, is found worldwide and may sometimes carry genes associated with antimicrobial resistance to various pharmaceutical drugs. Frye emphasized that the presence of the pathogenic strain should not alarm anyone concerned about the quality of the area's drinking water. The chlorine and ultraviolet light used to disinfect drinking water will kill it along with any other harmful bacteria, he said. "We found something we didn't expect, which is interesting and we will follow up on it, but it's not a threat to public health," Frye said. The research was conducted by Sohyun Cho, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia, under Frye's supervision with help from Charlene Jackson, and technical assistance from Anh Nguyen and Lari Hiott. The study was funded by ARS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cho will present the work as a poster at the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Microbe 2018 conference in Atlanta, GA on June 8. Frye said he and other ARS scientists are now working with partners at the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration to develop ways to track the sources of E. coli and other pathogenic bacteria found in the Upper Oconee Watershed and other watersheds like it. "We want to do everything we can to ensure that our drinking water and our waterways are as safe as they can be," Frye said. Explore further Technique Detects More Than 700 Antimicrobial-Resistance Genes Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center have determined the metabolic pathway that Staphylococcus aureus use to survive in bones. Invasive S. aureus infections frequently occur in the bone and are notoriously resistant to antimicrobial therapy. The research is presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, held from June 7th to June 11th in Atlanta, Georgia. "We found that S. aureus needs to synthesize certain amino acids itself, rather than relying on the host nutrients," said Jim Cassat, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Director, Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, the lead study author. The researchers focused on how S. aureus procures essential cellular building blocks from the host. All forms of life need up to 13 essential metabolites that are used to fuel cellular proliferation and form macromolecules like protein, nucleic acids, and lipids. "Because these particular amino acid biosynthesis pathways are found only in microbes and plants, they might be particularly attractive targets for the development of new antimicrobial compounds," said Dr. Cassat. Collectively, this work sheds light on how bacterial pathogens obtain crucial nutrients from the host during invasive infection. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important human bacterial pathogens, in part due to the ability to infect nearly every organ and cause significant tissue destruction. This tissue destruction makes invasive staphylococcal infections particularly difficult to treat, as antibiotic penetration into the infection site is limited. One of the most frequently affected sites during invasive S. aureus infection is bone, which is paradoxical when considering the tissue properties of the skeleton. Specifically, bone has low oxygen concentrations and is constantly being destroyed and reformed by osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) and osteoclasts (bone-resorbing cells). Bone infection (osteomyelitis) is notoriously recalcitrant to antimicrobial therapy and causes substantial morbidity. "For this reason, many patients with bone infection require surgeries to remove infected or damaged bone," said Dr. Cassat, "Our lab studies osteomyelitis with the goal of defining how bacterial pathogens survive in such a dynamic environment, how bone cells sense and respond to bacterial pathogens, and how immune responses crosstalk with bone turnover." To test how S. aureus obtains these critical nutrients during osteomyelitis, the researchers used a large panel of bacterial mutants that are deficient in various metabolic pathways. They tested these mutants in a murine osteomyelitis model to determine which pathways contribute to survival in bone. To supplement these studies, the team developed an ex vivo assay in which Staph is forced to use bone as a sole nutrient source. These approaches revealed specific metabolic pathways that are absolutely necessary for bacterial survival in bone. In previous studies, Dr. Cassat and the researchers used a special technique called "transposon sequencing" or "TnSeq" to identify S. aureus genes that contribute to osteomyelitis. However, these experiments involve a large number of bacterial mutants that may compete with one another, or perhaps even share nutrients during infection. Therefore, it can be difficult to understand exactly which metabolic pathways are important for bone infection using only TnSeq. Explore further Vanderbilt studies outline new model for staph bone infections A 3D model of the nucleus made with SPRITE: DNA regions in the "inactive hub" on chromosomes 15 (orange) and chromosome 18 (green) coming together around a large nuclear body in the nucleus (blue) called the nucleolus (red). Credit: Courtesy of the Guttman laboratory Nestled deep in each of your cells is what seems like a magic trick: Six feet of DNA is packaged into a tiny space 50 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Like a long, thin string of genetic spaghetti, this DNA blueprint for your whole body is folded, twisted, and compacted to fit into the nucleus of each cell. Now, Caltech researchers have shown how cells organize the seemingly immense genome in a clever manner so that they can conveniently find and access important genes. Understanding the delicate three-dimensional organization of the genome is crucial, particularly because alterations in DNA structure have been linked to certain diseases such as cancer and early aging. Mapping and pinpointing alterations in nuclear structure may help in finding solutions to these diseases. The work was done in the laboratory of Mitchell Guttman, assistant professor of biology and Heritage Medical Research Institute investigator. A paper describing the research appears in the June 7 online issue of the journal Cell. Though the vast majority of cells in every human body contain identical genomes, different types of cells are able to have diverse functions because genes can be expressed at varying levelsin other words, they can be turned on or off. For example, when a stem cell is developing into a neuron, a flurry of activity happens in the nucleus to dial up and down levels of gene expression. These levels would be different, for example, if the stem cell was turning into a muscle cell or if the cell were making the decision to self-destruct. In addition to the genome, the nucleus also contains structures called nuclear bodies, which are like miniature factories in the nucleus that contain a high concentration of cellular machinery all working to accomplish similar tasks, such as turning on specific sets of genes or modifying RNA molecules to produce proteins in the cell. This cellular machinery needs to be able to efficiently search through six feet of DNAapproximately 20,000 total genes, in mammalsin order to precisely find and control its targets. This is made possible because DNA is organized into three-dimensional structures that make certain genes more or less accessible. In the new research, Guttman and his team describe a method to three-dimensionally map out how DNA is organized within the space of the nucleus and how regions of chromosomes interact with each other and with nuclear bodies. The technique, dubbed SPRITE (Split-Pool Recognition of Interactions by Tag Extension), allows researchers to examine clusters (or "complexes") of molecules within the nucleus to see which molecules are interacting with each other and where they are located. In the technique, each complex in the nucleus is given a different molecular barcode, with all of the molecules within a single complex receiving the same barcode. Then, the complexes can be broken open and the molecules analyzed. This way, scientists can determine if two or more molecules were interacting, depending on whether they had the same barcode. Led by graduate student Sofia Quinodoz, the team used SPRITE to discover that genes across different chromosomes (large folded structures of DNA) cluster together around specific nuclear bodies. Specifically, inactive genesthose that are turned offacross different chromosomes cluster together around a particular nuclear body called the nucleolus, which contains repressive proteins on DNA that keep genes turned off. Conversely, active genes grouped about another kind of nuclear body called the nuclear speckle, contain molecules that help turn the genes on and make them into proteins. "With SPRITE, we were able to see thousands of moleculesDNAs and RNAscoming together at various 'hubs' around the nucleus in single cells," says Quinodoz, the study's first author. "Previously, researchers theorized that each chromosome is kind of on its own, occupying its own 'territory' in the nucleus. But now we see that multiple genes on different chromosomes are clustering together around these bodies of cellular machinery. We think these 'hubs' may help the cell keep DNA that are all turned on or turned off neatly organized in different parts of the nucleus to allow cellular machinery to easily access specific genes within the nucleus." The paper is titled "Higher-Order Inter-chromosomal Hubs Shape 3-D Genome Organization in the Nucleus." Explore further Chromosome mechanics guide nuclear assembly More information: Sofia A. Quinodoz et al. Higher-Order Inter-chromosomal Hubs Shape 3D Genome Organization in the Nucleus, Cell (2018). Journal information: Cell Sofia A. Quinodoz et al. Higher-Order Inter-chromosomal Hubs Shape 3D Genome Organization in the Nucleus,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.05.024 Justice delayed is justice denied Delay in pursuance of transitional justice is violating victims right to effective remedy Credit: RHEFORM Hydrazine, one of the most widely used liquid propellants for space propulsion systems, is also extremely toxic. EU researchers have developed 3-D catalysts for igniting alternative propellants. Hydrazine is highly toxic, corrosive, and carcinogenic to living organisms. In 2011, the European Commission included hydrazine amongst the candidates for the list of substances of very high concern, which is regulated by the Registration of Evaluation Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) framework. Since then, universities, research institutes and industries all over Europe have been actively exploring and testing non-toxic propellants as a possible replacement for hydrazine-based propellants. One of the projects that have focused on alternative propellants for space propulsion systems was the Rheform project. Funded by the EU, researchers worked on improving propellants based on ammonium dinitramide (ADN). Replacing hydrazine with new propellants will make space propulsion more sustainable for future missions. Overcoming current challenges Although alternative propellants possess characteristics that make them highly desirable for use in launcher and spacecraft, these benefits come with constraints. The combustion temperature of LMP-103S a blend of ADN, water, methanol and ammonia is 1600 C, much higher than that of hydrazine, which is about 900 C. To withstand such temperatures, combustion chambers utilise special materials that comply with certain criteria of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) in the United States. Another big problem is that the catalyst used to decompose and ignite the alternative propellant needs to be heated before ignition. The catalyst is currently electrically pre-heated to a temperature of about 350C, which takes around 30 min before firing, to ensure decomposition of the propellant. Such long pre-ignition time is problematic in emergency situation, where a prompt ignition is required. "The Rheform team has therefore focused on synthesising catalysts that require lower temperatures for pre-heating and adapting the currently existing ADN-based propellants so that the materials used in the combustion chamber are compatible with existing materials available in Europe," points out Dr. Michele Negri. To achieve this goal, development activities were conducted both on catalyst development and catalytic ignition. Feasibility of lowering ignition temperature The researchers' goal was to build a decomposition chamber for the propellant that is capable of 'cold start'. Soon enough, after testing 40 different catalysts in a batch reactor, the team realised that the water content of the propellants had to be vaporised before coming into contact with the ignition source. The vaporisation was achieved by placing a heat bed at the entrance of the combustion chamber. Some of the catalysts had ignition temperatures just above 100C. As Dr. Negri states, "The plan of developing a catalytic system capable of a completely cold-start was not deemed feasible." Researchers have explored two different kinds of catalysts: catalyst pellets made from large grains and monolithic structures patterned with internal channels that allow the propellant to flow. Monolith structures are built from ceramic materials. The project team performed several simulations to properly understand the impact of material properties on the catalyst structure performance to ultimately build an efficient decomposition chamber. Amongst the several types of ceramics tested, researchers selected hexaaluminate structures for their excellent resistance to high temperatures and thermal shocks. Another novelty introduced by Rheform is 3-D printing of these ceramic structures. 3-D printing allowed them to produce monoliths with a very complex geometry. "This is the first time that 3-D-printed ceramics such as hexaaluminate structures are used for propellants," states Dr. Negri. The true potential of alternative propellants Both European and American space agencies have rated green propellants for propulsion systems as a high-priority technology. The main goal of Rheform was to improve performance, reduce costs and minimise exposure to harmful substances with new environmentally friendly liquid propellants. As Dr. Negri explains, "One of the big advantages of propellants alternative to hydrazine is that they are safer, while also decreasing the complexity and cost of testing, shipping, handling and launching." Altogether, 13 SkySat satellites were launched from 4 different locations which clearly demonstrates that such hydrazine-free propellants allow operational flexibility and permit the launch of spacecraft from different sites. Explore further NASA goes green: NASA selects green propellant technology demonstration mission Cobra, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, is trained to detect laurel wilt-diseased trees before the visible symptoms are seen. She and two other Dutch Shepherd canines detect asymptomatic, but infected trees. Once a diseased tree is identified, these "agri-dogs" will sit, indicating a positive alert. Credit: DeEtta Mills A study out of Florida International University evaluates the use of scent-discriminating canines for the detection of laurel wilt-affected wood from avocado trees. Julian Mendel, Kenneth G. Furton, and DeEtta Mills have ferreted out a possible solution to a serious issue in one corner of the horticultural industry, and then ascertained the extent to which this solution is effective. The results of this study are presented in their article "An Evaluation of Scent-discriminating Canines for Rapid Response to Agricultural Diseases" published in the latest issue of HortTechnology. Laurel wilt disease has resulted in the death of more than 300 million laurel trees in the United States alone. One affected plant is the commercially important avocado tree, the second-largest tree crop in Florida behind citrus. This disease has had a devastating effect on the industry in South Florida in past harvest seasons, and two larger avocado industries in Mexico and California are naturally worried that this disease, if it hits their crops, could spread fast enough to destroy their seasons. Once affected by laurel wilt disease, trees succumb soon after infection. Once external symptoms are evident, this disease is very difficult to control and contain as the pathogen can spread to adjacent trees via root grafting. Until now, there has been no viable, cost-effective method of early diagnosis and treatment. Laurel wilt is the consequence of an invasive speciesthe redbay ambrosia beetleoriginally from Asia, which was inadvertently introduced into the United States in untreated wooden packing material. But as with so many ailments, early detection can be instrumental in deterring a widespread infection. The use of scent-discriminating dogs has shown to offer the avocado industry legitimate signs of hope in their fight against the spread of such a profit-crusher throughout their groves. Three dogs were trained and studied for their ability to detect the early presence of laurel wilt by scent. At present, canines are extensively used in law enforcement and forensics in the location of missing persons, explosives, drugs, weapons, and ammunition. More directly applicable, dogs have demonstrated the ability to detect invasive species of spotted knapweed, brown tree snakes, desert tortoises, and various cancers. The highly sensitive canine olfactory system is capable of detecting odor concentrations at exceedingly minute 1 to 2 parts per trillion. The authors believe it likely, with properly directed training, that these dogs could use their natural talents to service the protective needs of the potentially ailing avocado industry. During the course of the study, 229 trials were performed, and only 12 of those yielded false alerts. It was observed that dogs are indeed capable of high levels of relevant performance, even in harsh weather conditions such as high heat and humidity. The study provided proof that dogs can detect agricultural diseases such as laurel wilt and can be a powerful management tool if the disease is caught in its earliest stages. About the valuable service provided by these dogs, Mills adds, "It is the best 'technology' so far that can detect a diseased tree before external symptoms are visible. The old saying that 'dogs are man's best friend' reaches far beyond a personal bond with their handler and trainer. It is depicted in their excitement every day as they deploy to the groves. Man's best friend may even help save an industry." Explore further Canines, drones battle deadly avocado fungus More information: Julian Mendel et al, An Evaluation of Scent-discriminating Canines for Rapid Response to Agricultural Diseases, HortTechnology (2018). Journal information: HortTechnology Julian Mendel et al, An Evaluation of Scent-discriminating Canines for Rapid Response to Agricultural Diseases,(2018). DOI: 10.21273/HORTTECH03794-17 Credit: Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias The Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) and the University of Oviedo present today the discovery of two new planetary systems, one of them hosting three planets the same size as the Earth. The information about these new exoplanets has been obtained from the data collected by the K2 mission of NASA's Kepler satellite, which started in November 2013. The work, which will be published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS), reveals the existence of two new planetary systems detected from the eclipses they produce in the stellar light of their respective stars. In the research team led jointly by Javier de Cos at the University of Oviedo, and Rafael Rebolo at the IAC, participate, along with researchers from these two centres, others from the University of Geneva and the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). The first exoplanetary system is located in the star K2-239, characterized as a red dwarf type M3V from observations made with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (Garafia, La Palma). It is located in the constellation of the Sextant at 50 parsecs from the sun (at about 160 light years). It has a compact system of at least three rocky planets of similar size to the Earth (1.1, 1.0 and 1.1 Earth radii) that orbit the star every 5.2, 7.8 and 10.1 days, respectively. The other red dwarf star, called K2-240, has two super-Earth-like planets about twice the size of our planet. The atmospheric temperature of red dwarf stars around which these planets revolve is 3,450 and 3,800 K respectively, almost half the temperature of the sun. These researchers estimate that all planets discovered will have temperatures tens of degrees higher than those of Earth due to the strong radiation they receive in these close orbits to their stars. Future observation campaigns with the new James Webb space telescope will characterize the composition of the atmospheres of the discovered planets. Spectroscopic observations with the ESPRESSO instrument, installed in the Very Large Telescope (VLT), of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), or with future spectrographs in the GTC or in new astronomical facilities, such as the ELT or the TMT, will be crucial to determine the masses, densities and physical properties of these planets. Explore further Astronomers find Earth-like planets capable of hosting water More information: Diez Alonso, J.I. et al. Two planetary systems with transiting Earth-size and super-Earth planets orbiting late-type dwarf stars, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. arxiv.org/abs/1806.01181 Journal information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Diez Alonso, J.I. et al. Two planetary systems with transiting Earth-size and super-Earth planets orbiting late-type dwarf stars, Credit: University of Aberdeen Farmers are risking personal safety due to financial pressures according to new research from the University of Aberdeen. The research, published in the Journal of Agromedicine, looked at the different types of risk that farmers deal with on a daily basis in an attempt to understand what drives risk taking and how it can be improved. Around 3 fatal farm-worker accidents are reported each month in the UK alone, a statistic that prompted Industrial Psychology researcher Dr. Amy Irwin to investigate farm safety and how farmers approach risk. "Farmers are a unique group of workers in that they often grow up, and learn how to manage tasks, on a farm. Farming is a high risk occupation that involves long hours, weather dependent tasks, a lot of lone working and management of multiple competing demands". "Fatal injuries in agriculture are steady at a rate of around 2 or 3 per month, a figure that hasn't dropped even with the changes in health and safety culture over the last 25 years. "So farmers have a reputation for being risk takersthere is an assumption that they engage in dangerous behaviours and people aren't sure why. I wanted to see whether one of the factors that might influence their behaviour is the characteristics of the risk itself. " Dr. Irwin recruited 148 farmers from across the UK to her study who were presented with different types of risky scenario and asked to indicate whether they would work on despite the risk. Examples included scenarios involving faulty machinery, human factors such as feeling tired and environmental hazards such as ditch erosion. The results showed that farmers were neither, generally risk taking or risk averse but that they reacted differently according to the characteristics of the risk. What was interesting was the farmers' explanations of why they would, or would not, take certain risks. For example, in the faulty equipment scenario such as an unexplained leak they would generally not go ahead, not because of reasons related to personal safety, but instead due to the risk of damaging expensive equipment. In comparison, in the scenario depicting a farmer suffering from stress, most of the participants would go ahead, reporting that stress was never a reason to stop work, but that you just have to get on with things. This suggests farmers do not consider stress a safety risk. In many scenarios reasons for going ahead included work pressure such as the need to complete certain tasks during dry weather, or the fact that in many cases if the farmer in question didn't do the task, there was no-one else to take over (lone working). Dr. Irwin explains: "These results are interesting as they indicate that farmers are not assessing each risk purely from a safety perspective they are also assessing it in terms of financial gains or losses, both machinery repair and issues linked to work pressure". "Going forward, it is important to consider the different risks that a famer has to deal with and that the messaging for these risks might need to be individualised. Specifically if you messaged a type of risk in terms of financial ramifications the farmer might be more likely to pay attention." NFU Scotland President Andrew McCornick said: "Unfortunately for those who work in the industry farming is a dangerous occupation. Whether it is working with unpredictable livestock or high powered machinery, farmers need to be constantly on the alert to different dangers. "So many accidents that happen on farms occur because a farmer is rushing, not wanting to waste money, or is just not putting their safety and wellbeing as a priority. "My advice to farmers when it comes to safety would be to stop, take a breath, and think about what the safest way to do a job is. It may not always be the quickest or the cheapest, but in the long run it will be the best." Explore further Different outdoor professions carry different risks for skin cancer More information: Amy Irwin et al. Investigation of UK Farmer Go/No-Go Decisions in Response to Tractor-Based Risk Scenarios, Journal of Agromedicine (2018). Amy Irwin et al. Investigation of UK Farmer Go/No-Go Decisions in Response to Tractor-Based Risk Scenarios,(2018). DOI: 10.1080/1059924X.2017.1423000 NASAs Curiosity Mars Rover snaps a self-portrait on Vera Rubin Ridge. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS NASA's Curiosity rover has found evidence of complex organic matter preserved in the topmost layers of the Martian surface, scientists report today in the journal Science. While the new results are far from a confirmation of life on Mars, scientists believe they support earlier hypotheses that the Red Planet was once clement and habitable for microbial life. However, whether such life ever existed on Mars remains the big unknown. Since Curiosity landed on Mars in 2012, the rover has been exploring Gale Crater, a massive impact crater roughly the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island, for geological and chemical evidence of the chemical elements and other conditions necessary to sustain life. Almost exactly a year ago, NASA reported the discovery of such evidence in the form of an ancient lake that would have been suitable for microbial life to not only survive but flourish. Now, scientists have found signs of complex, macromolecular organic matter in samples of the crater's 3-billion-year-old mudstoneslayers of mud and clay that are typically deposited on the floors of ancient lakes. Curiosity sampled mudstone in the top 5 centimeters from the Mojave and Confidence Hills localities within Gale Crater. The rover's onboard Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument analyzed the samples by heating then in an oven under a flow of helium. Gases released from the samples at temperatures over 500 degrees Celsius were carried by the helium flow directly into a mass spectrometer. Based on the masses of the detected gases, the scientists could determine that the complex organic matter consisted of aromatic and aliphatic components including sulfur-containing species such as thiophenes. MIT News checked in with SAM team member Roger Summons, the Schlumberger Professor of Geobiology at MIT, and a co-author on the Science paper, about what the team's findings might mean for the possibility of life on Mars. Q: What organic molecules did you find, and how do they compare with anything that is found or produced on Earth? A: The new Curiosity study is different from the previous reports that identified small molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine. Instead, SAM detected fragments of much larger molecules that had been broken up during the high-temperature heating experiment. Thus, SAM has detected "macromolecular organic matter" otherwise known as kerogen. Kerogen is a name given to organic material that is present in rocks and in carbonaceous meteorites. It is generally present as small particles that are chemically complex with no easily identified chemical entities. One analogy I use is that it is something like finding very finely powdered coal-like material distributed through a rock. Except that there were no trees on Mars, so it is not coal. Just coal-like. The problem with comparing it to anything on Earth is that Curiosity does not have the highly sophisticated tools we have in our labs that would allow a deeper evaluation of the chemical structure. All we can say from the data is that there is complex organic matter similar to what is found in many equivalent aged rocks on the Earth. Q: What could be the possible sources for these organic molecules, biological or otherwise? A: We cannot say anything about its origin. The significance of the finding, however, is that the results show organic matter can be preserved in Mars surface sediments. Previously, some scientists have said it would be destroyed by the oxidation processes that are active at Mars' surface. It is also significant because it validates plans to return samples from Mars to Earth for further study. Q: The Curiosity rover found the first definitive evidence of organic matter on Mars in 2014. Now with these new results, what does this all say about the possibility that there is, or was life on Mars? A: Yes, previously, Curiosity found small organic molecules containing carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine. Again, without having a Mars rock in a laboratory on Earth for more detailed study, we cannot say what processes formed these molecules and whether they formed on Mars or somewhere in the interstellar medium and were transported in the form of carbonaceous meteorites. Unfortunately, the new findings do not allow us to say anything about the presence or absence of life on Mars now or in the past. On the other hand, the finding that complex organic matter can be preserved there for more than 3 billion years is a very encouraging sign for future exploration. "Preservation" is the key word, here. It means that, one day, there is potential for more sophisticated instrumentation to detect a wider range of compounds in Mars samples, including the sorts of molecules made by living organisms, such as lipids, amino acids, sugars, or even nucleobases. Explore further NASA finds ancient organic material, mysterious methane on Mars An international team from the U.K., China, Japan and the U.S. has addressed the challenges of recovering, collating, digitizing and working with long-term instrumental weather observations in in the East Asian Region. Historic instrumental weather observations are critical in extending the knowledge of past weather and climate and for comparison with paleo-proxy data. The potential of such data is shown to best effect when assimilated into dynamical 4-D global reanalyses to reconstruct weather and climate patterns and fluctuations over 200+ years, creating a spatially and temporally complete database of global weather that is used for improving climate projections and contributing to climate change detection and attribution studies. For some regions of the world, however, a paucity of observational data requires a global, multidisciplinary effort to source and recover previously unknown repositories of instrumental weather observations. This is the premise behind the Atmospheric Circulation Reconstructions over the Earth (ACRE) project, a dedicated effort within the wider Climate Science for Service Partnership (CSSP) China project. In a recent article, Dr. Fiona Williamson of the National University of Singapore and her co-authors from the U.K., China, Japan and the U.S., discussed this project. The region covered by ACRE China covers the mainland of China, Hong Kong PRC, Macau, China, and the wider China seas region. The recovery of instrumental observations for the area entails different stages, sourcing, imaging and digitization of historical data, enabled by cooperation among cross-disciplinary investigators from around the globe. Sources of data include weather observations taken on board "stationary ships" in Hong Kong harbour and vessels patrolling Chinese seas, those made on ships during voyages of exploration or naval surveys in Chinese waters or in Southeast Asia, as well as observations made at terrestrial meteorological registering stations, by observatories, government bodies, and port authorities at sub-daily scales. The effort and collaboration expended by all partners globally, says Williamson, enables the researchers to contribute to the magnitude and accuracy of important regional and global weather and climate data bases. Explore further Current climate date rescue activities in Australia More information: Fiona Williamson et al, Collating Historic Weather Observations for the East Asian Region: Challenges, Solutions, and Reanalyses, Advances in Atmospheric Sciences (2018). Fiona Williamson et al, Collating Historic Weather Observations for the East Asian Region: Challenges, Solutions, and Reanalyses,(2018). DOI: 10.1007/s00376-017-7259-z Credit: Oregon State University New research shows that honeybees prioritize the nutritional status of larvae when selecting for a new emergency queen. The U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded study is published in the journal Scientific Reports and is the result of a research collaboration between entomologists at Oregon State University and North Carolina State University. This is the first study that has thoroughly investigated the role of nutritional state of larvae in their selection for queen rearing, said lead author Ramesh Sagili, associate professor of apiculture and honeybee Extension specialist in OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences. Honeybee colony fitness is dependent on queens, so their production is a vital task. If the current queen dies, emergency queens must be reared. Worker bees then select few larvae from the existing pool to raise new queens. The colony only has about six days after the last egg was laid to begin rearing new queens. "It's all about survival," Sagili said. "The bees have to pick the most fit individual to lead the colony. The queen is the most vital individual in the hive. There was some thought in the past that maybe it was 'kinship' or 'nepotism' selection, in which the workers recognize their close relatives [same father and mother] and rear those larvae preferentially to make queens." Poor queen quality has been one of the top concerns of the beekeeping industry in the United States for the past decade. Each year approximately 1.5 million honeybee queens are reared and sold to beekeepers in the United States. This study provides valuable insights pertaining to honeybee queen rearing that could benefit a beekeeping industry that is struggling, according to Sagili. Because previous research has shown that worker bees can differentiate hungry larvae from well-fed larvae, the researchers decided to test whether nutritional state was a factor in selecting which larvae to rear as emergency queens. They established observation hives in which they artificially deprived one group of larvae of brood food known as royal jelly while allowing the other group to be fed, and then measured nurse bee responses to those larvae. They also compared two queen-rearing methods grafting and natural. For each method, they created groups of deprived and non-deprived larvae, placed them in experimental colonies experiencing emergency queen-rearing conditions and then measured how many queens were reared to pupation from each treatment group. When experimental colonies were allowed to select deprived or non-deprived larvae for queen rearing under the natural emergency queen rearing method, a significantly higher number of queens were reared from the non-deprived treatment group than from the deprived treatment group. There was no significant difference in the percentage of larvae selected for queen rearing between larvae that were genetically related or not related to the nurses. "The bees were still selecting larvae for queen rearing mainly based on deprived and non-deprived nutritional states," said Sagili, who helped create the Oregon Master Beekeeper Program in 2010 and chaired the Governor's Task Force on Pollinator Health in 2014. Explore further Enhanced royal jelly produces jumbo queen bee larvae More information: Ramesh R. Sagili et al. Honey bees consider larval nutritional status rather than genetic relatedness when selecting larvae for emergency queen rearing, Scientific Reports (2018). Journal information: Scientific Reports Ramesh R. Sagili et al. Honey bees consider larval nutritional status rather than genetic relatedness when selecting larvae for emergency queen rearing,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25976-7 Credit: ESACesar Miquel Espana ESA microwave engineers took apart an entire Galileo satellite to reassemble its navigation payload on a laboratory test bench to run it as though it were in orbit available to investigate the lifetime performance of its component parts, recreate satellite anomalies, and test candidate technologies for Galileo's future evolution. Located in the cleanroom environment of the Galileo Payload Laboratory part of ESA's Microwave lab based at its ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands the new Galileo IOV Testbed Facility was inaugurated this week with a ceremony attended by Paul Verhoef, ESA Director of Navigation and Franco Ongaro, ESA Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality. Paul Verhoef congratulated the team and underlined the importance of ESA having these capabilities: "Such a navigation payload laboratory does not exist in industry. We foresee the testing and validation a number of very innovative ideas for the next series of Galileo satellites, before entering into discussions with industry in the context of the procurement of the Galileo Transition Satellites that has recently begun. This shows the added value of ESA as the design agent and system engineer of the Galileo system." "Our lab has always been very responsive to the testing needs of the Navigation Directorate," says microwave engineer Cesar Miquel Espana. "Now, this unique facility allows performance of end-to-end testing of a Galileo payload as representatively as possible, using actual Galileo hardware. We can also support investigations of any problems in orbit or plug in future payload hardware as needed. And because each item of equipment is separately temperature controlled we can see how environmental changes affect their performance." The Testbed began as an 'engineering model' of a first-generation Galileo In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellite, built by Thales Alenia Space in Italy for ground-based testing. It was delivered to ESTEC in August 2015, along with four truckloads of ground support equipment and other hardware. That began a long three-year odyssey to first take the satellite apart, then put it back together akin at times to space archaeology, since the satellite had been designed more than 15 years ago. "We found lots of documentation on how to integrate the satellite, but nothing on how to take it apart," adds technician Gearoid Loughnane. "We had to dismantle it very carefully over several weeks to remove the smaller items safely and take out the electrical harness, which ended up as a big spaghetti pile on the floor." The next step was to extricate the navigation payload from the satellite platform, and then begin to lay it out to connect it up again. A parallel effort tracked down supporting software from the companies involved, to be able to operate the payload once it was complete, as if it is orbiting in space. Valuable help came from Surrey Satellite Technology Limited in the UK, Dutch aerospace company Terma that developed Galileo software, and Rovsing in Denmark, supplying ground support equipment. "A big challenge was tailoring the spacecraft control and monitoring system to work only with the payload units while having to emulate the platform equipment," says technician Andrew Allstaff. Comprising equipment produced by companies in seven separate European companies, the testbed generates navigation signals using actually atomic clocks co-located in the lab, which are then upconverted, amplified and filtered as if for transmission down to Earth. The idea came from a GIOVE Payload Testbed already in the lab, which simulates the performance of a test satellite that prepared the way for Galileo. As a next step the team hopes they can one day produce a Galileo 'Full Operational Capability' Payload Testbed the current follow-on to the first-generation IOV satellites. Explore further Satellite pair arrive for Galileo's next rumble in the jungle These marbled crayfish were caught from the cooling canal od Narva power plant. Credit: Mari-Liis Koemets The dangerous invasive marbled crayfish has developed a significant population in Estonia in the cooling canal of the Narva power plant. The danger of the species is that males are not required for reproduction; all crayfish are female and capable of reproducing every few months. Scientist Fabio Ercoli, who discovered marbled crayfish last autumn in the cooling canal of the Narva power plant, was test-fishing in the same area on 31 May with researchers Katrin Kaldre and Margo Hurt from Chair of Aquaculture, and noted that unfortunately, the dangerous invasive species has settled well in the water body. In the near future, scientists are going to study whether the aggressive marble crayfish, being potentially dangerous to the Estonian European crayfish, only live in the canal with water temperatures higher than the natural background levels, or whether some specimens have reached Narva reservoir, as well. Ercoli is studying the invasive species of Finland and Estonia (mainly the Chinese sleeper and the black goby) and their impact on food chains in the context of climate change. He was looking for freshwater gobies in the cooling canal of Narva power plant, too. As he had no time to examine the samples taken at the end of last September, they were deep-frozen. Last Christmas, he had time to defrost the samples and discovered among the caught specimens six marble crayfish. This species has been discovered in the wild in a dozen European countries; however, this is the first confirmation in Estonia. Due to its characteristic appearance and resilience, marble crayfish is a highly valued aquarium fish in zoo shops. According to Ercoli, the reason for the escape of an alien species into nature could be humans. "One day, somebody probably bought a nice crayfish for their aquarium. But soon the aquarium was packed with crayfish, the owner got fed up with them, and instead of killing them, released them into the wild," he says. The tests taken by Katrin Kaldre, who is about to defend her doctoral thesis based on research results on invasive crayfish species, show that marble crayfish is an extremely adaptable species that can also live in cool waters. Thus, it cannot be entirely excluded that crayfish might also be found further from the warm water canal. All this must be thoroughly studied, and it is still too early for guesswork, Ercoli says. For the time being, the dynamics of the canal crayfish population are under examination. Climatic changes and invasive species are the two main changes in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, Ercoli explains. The rise in air and water temperature hasn't yet been enough to cause the death of traditional fauna and flora in the northern latitudes or the spread of invasive species, but scientists are keeping an eye on food webs based on organic matter and their energy sources. Explore further Crayfish study provides complicated web of interactions Provided by Estonian Research Council MOFs in powder and pellet form. Credit: Monash University On 7 April this year, a suspected chemical attack on the Syrian town of Douma was reported to have killed at least 40 people and injured up to 500, including women and children. Syria had made its chemical weapons capability known to the world six years earlier, with a public declaration of its intention to use them against any foreign assault. Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq waged chemical warfare against Iran and its own civilian Kurdish population, including the notorious 1988 attack on Halabja that killed 5000 Kurds. Not even a common gas mask would have spared these victims a ghastly death. Widely used by the military to protect against mustard gas attacks in World War I, the technology in the masks, astonishingly, hasn't been updated since. When Australian soldiers based in Mosul were exposed to a low-grade chemical attack by Islamic State in April 2017, the Department of Defence realised a 21st-century solution was needed. Searching for someone with the capability to develop an improved canister, it approached Associate Professor Matthew Hill, the incumbent of an 'experimental' joint appointment between Monash University's chemical engineering department and CSIRO. Hill an ARC Future Fellow, 2011 Victorian Young Tall Poppy of the Year, 2012 Eureka Prize winner and 2014 Prime Minister's Prize for Science winner works 50-50 between the two organisations, taking full advantage of the research capacity of the University's chemical engineering department and the industrial muscle of the nation's science and technology lab. "The current canisters in gas masks have been used by soldiers since World War I, and haven't been improved since," says Associate Professor Hill. "They offer virtually no protection from common chemicals like chlorine and ammonia, so we've been commissioned to make a new canister that can. We've already found an improvement up to a factor of 40 using metal-organic frameworks. CSIRO would never have delivered this technology without the involvement of Monash, so we know this relationship is working. ''Once they're on the market, they'll be useful to anyone needing a safer gas mask, including our soldiers, but also firefighters, miners and construction workers." In the right conditions, MOFs form by linking metal atoms with organic molecules. Their unprecedented structure offers many potential applications. Credit: Monash University Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is the research linchpin in this innovative relationship. Highly porous materials that make it possible to store, separate, release or protect gases or liquids, MOFs have the largest internal surface area of any known material, and offer a real-world impact as vital as filtering toxic chemicals through a protective mask. Associate Professor Hill is leveraging the know-how of engineers to make the science of MOFs applicable to useable products, and the 20-year-old MOFs technology is now being scaled up to produce up to 15kg of the material in pellet form a global first. "No one else around the world is doing this sort of fundamental science combined with process engineering at scale on MOFs," says Monash's head of chemical engineering, Professor Mark Banaszak Holl. "Applying engineering processes to the chemistry of MOFs while using the facilities of CSIRO, the Australian Synchrotron and the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, all located within a short walk of each other, is something not available anywhere else in the world. This joint appointment, in this specific location, allows Matthew the opportunity to uniquely pursue MOF applications, like the improved gas mask canister, very successfully." Too small to not coordinate The joint appointment allows for the pooling of resources within a limited local ecosystem. "Australia is such a small innovation system that we can't have organisations undercutting each other," says Associate Professor Hill. "Compared to who we're competing against globally, we're a very small country, and it's much better to simply combine our limited resources." "Matthew couldn't have done his incredible research on MOFs sitting isolated in a chemical engineering department somewhere," says Professor Banaszak Holl. "And it would also have been impossible to do it sitting purely in CSIRO, because of their industry focus. That's the power of this type of joint arrangement offered in this particular engineering faculty. It's very uniquely placed." From CSIRO's perspective, collaborating closely with Monash gives it direct access to high-quality Ph.D. and postdoctoral students, allowing it to better deliver commercial solutions. "For CSIRO, this partnership is ideal, as it allows both the in-depth study and commercial exploration of these exciting materials," says Dr. John Tsanaktsidis, the research director of CSIRO Manufacturing's Advanced Fibre and Chemical Industries (AFCI) program. Educating and creating future industry Another project with clear significance, capturing carbon dioxide out of the air using MOFs, is also working its way into the marketplace. Dr. Munir Sadiq, who's completing a Ph.D. project under the joint supervision of Associate Professor Hill and Professor Kiyonori Suzuki from Monash's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, combined magnetic nanoparticles with MOFs to demonstrate the capture and release of CO2 at half the current costs. He's now working in a team developing a prototype that's attracting plenty of interest. "I'm currently still using CSIRO's facilities to complete the lab experiments needed to prove the technology is 100 per cent commercially viable," says Dr. Sadiq. As an international student from Nigeria, he speaks highly of his experience within the collaborative and supportive network. "Without the joint appointment, it's highly unlikely these two research areas would have come together to allow a project like this," he says. Technological entrepreneurship Despite the progress, Associate Professor Hill believes Australia is still slowly building its capacity to foster this type of technological entrepreneurship. The country has the right people to make it happen, including Chief Scientist Alan Finkel (also a highly successful business innovator), CSIRO CEO Larry Marshall (described as a "serial entrepreneur"), even Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull, who spent many years as a technology entrepreneur before entering federal politics. In the research and development space, Associate Professor Hill has one key recommendation. "Universities are pushing for people to engage with industry. So I'd say to anyone who'd listen, don't do it in a way that undercuts CSIRO, because that's a zero-sum game for the country. We don't need two people knocking on the same door asking for the same thing. While it might help one organisation's bottom line temporarily, it takes it straight off the other one who's probably down the corridor in the same building anyway." Explore further Researchers discover efficient and sustainable way to filter salt and metal ions from water Migration no solution The happiness is missing in families although they might have become more affluent Modified cytisine molecules (fuchsia) bound to the brain's key nicotine receptor. Credit: Dr Sofia Oliveira, University of Bristol Seven million people die each year from smoking related diseases, according to the World Health Organisation, with the annual death toll expected to rise to eight million by 2030. Despite a WHO target to phase out tobacco usage by 2040, smoking remains one of the biggest global public health problems, with low to middle income countries accounting for around 80 per cent of the world's estimated 1.1 billion smokers. To address this major health threat, there is a challenge to find smoking cessation therapies that are both low cost (and so widely-accessible) and that support smokers effectively to manage and then conquer their addiction. Currently, there are two drugs which offer a related approach to smoking cessation. The first of these is cytisine, a natural product extracted from laburnum seeds and marketed as Tabex, that has been used for smoking cessation in central and eastern Europe for over 50 years. The other is varenicline (a chemical structure related to cytisine) that is available worldwide as Chantix or Champix. Both drugs work by selective stimulation of the brain's nicotine receptor in such a way that the smoker receives some but not all the reward of smoking so that, over time, they can manage withdrawal to eradicate their tobacco addiction. However, both varenicline and cytisine activate other receptors in the brain that may be linked to various side effects. As a result, identifying more selective drugs that offer smokers an improved therapy would encourage greater end-user compliance and lead to increased quit rates. Researchers from the University of Bristol, in partnership with colleagues from the universities of Bath, Oxford Brookes and Milan, have been examining the chemistry and pharmacology of one of these drugs, namely cytisine (Tabex). Specifically, the team of synthetic and computational chemists, and pharmacologists and neuroscientists have looked at robust ways to target and modify specific parts of cytisine's chemical structure. They do this starting with cytisine itself, which offers a number of significant advantages, and this has led to new molecules that show higher selectivity for those key nicotine-activated receptors while still providing the necessary partial stimulation (reward) required by smokers to cope with cravings. Using computational simulation methods developed with the aid of Bristol's high performance computing facilities, the researchers have also unpacked how the modified chemical structure determines the biological profiles of these new cytisine variants to provide the enhanced differentiation that they have observed. Longer term, and with further research, this work has the potential to produce a new smoking cessation therapy based on cytisine that, through better compliance, may lead to higher and more sustained quit rates. Tim Gallagher, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Bristol, said: "We had previously made some of these molecules by other routes but the poor efficiency of that chemistry seriously limited what we could do. We can now readily generate our molecules which offer more effective therapies, as well as biological probes that we and others will use to understand some of the fundamental questions associated with receptor activation." Adrian Mulholland, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Bristol, said: "This work shows how computational simulation and experiment working together can identify potential new smoking cessation aids and can make a real difference. This also opens new ways of tackling these receptors very specifically, and understanding how they function." Susan Wonnacott, Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Bath, added: "Manipulating the biological activity of ligands to give greater specificity for high affinity nicotine receptors is a key requirement for effective smoking cessation. Having the chemistry to achieve this, and the computational modelling to understand the mechanism, paves the way for the generation of novel therapeutics by rational drug design." This research had additional support from Achieve Life Sciences (ALS), a pharmaceutical company specialising in cytisine as a smoking cessation aid. "This is a first but very significant step towards targeted therapeutics and we have built a fantastic multidisciplinary team to pursue this problem," added Professor Gallagher. "We are now working on new and emerging aspects of this project, and that will include exploring, in partnership with ALS, the full potential of these ligands as therapeutic agents." Explore further Natural quit smoking remedy more effective than nicotine replacement More information: Hugo Rego Campello et al. Unlocking Nicotinic Selectivity via Direct CH Functionalization of ()-Cytisine, Chem (2018). Journal information: Chem Hugo Rego Campello et al. Unlocking Nicotinic Selectivity via Direct CH Functionalization of ()-Cytisine,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2018.05.007 The therocephalian Gorynychus masyutinae, top predator of the Kotelnich fossil assemblage, hunting a tree-dwelling herbivore (Suminia getmanovi). Credit: Matt Celeskey Fossils representing two new species of saber-toothed prehistoric predators have been described by researchers from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (Raleigh, USA) and the Vyatka Paleontological Museum (Kirov, Russia). These new species improve the scientists' understanding of an important interval in the early evolution of mammalsa time, between mass extinctions, when the roles of certain carnivores changed drastically. Living mammals are descended from a group of animals called therapsids, a diverse assemblage of "protomammals" that dominated terrestrial ecosystems in the Permian Period (~299-252 million years ago), millions of years before the earliest dinosaurs. These protomammals included tusked herbivores, burrowing insectivores, and saber-toothed predators. The vast majority of Permian therapsids have been found in the Karoo Basin of South Africa, and as a result, the South African record has played an outsized role influencing scientists' understanding of protomammal evolution. Because of this, therapsid fossils from outside of South Africa are extremely important, allowing scientists to discern whether observed events in the protomammal fossil record represent global or merely regional patterns. Recent expeditions by the Vyatka Paleontological Museum have collected a wealth of spectacularly-preserved Permian fossils near the town of Kotelnich along the Vyatka River in European Russia. These fossil discoveries include the remains of two previously unknown species of predatory protomammals, newly described in the journal PeerJ by Christian Kammerer of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and Vladimir Masyutin of the Vyatka Paleontological Museum. The first of the two new species, Gorynychus masyutinae, was a wolf-sized carnivore representing the largest predator in the Kotelnich fauna. The second new species, Nochnitsa geminidens, was a smaller, long-snouted carnivore with needle-like teeth. Gorynychus belongs to a subgroup of protomammals called therocephalians ("beast heads"), whereas Nochnitsa belongs to a different subgroup called gorgonopsians ("gorgon faces"). The skull of Nochnitsa geminidens, a new species of gorgonopsian discovered in the Permian of Russia. Credit: Christian Kammerer Both new species are named after legendary monsters from Russian folklore, befitting their menacing appearances. Gorynychus is named after Zmey Gorynych, a three-headed dragon, and Nochnitsa is named after a malevolent nocturnal spirit. (Based on their relatively large eye sockets, it is likely that Nochnitsa and its relatives were nocturnal.) Gorynychus and Nochnitsa improve scientists' understanding of ecosystem reorganization after the mid-Permian extinction (260 mya). Although not as well-known as the more devastating end-Permian mass extinction (252 mya, which nearly wiped out protomammals), the mid-Permian mass extinction also played a major role in shaping the course of protomammal evolution. In typical late Permian ecosystems, the top predators were giant (tiger-sized), saber-toothed gorgonopsians and therocephalians were generally small insectivores. In mid-Permian ecosystems, by contrast, these roles are reversed. At Kotelnich, the saber-toothed top predator Gorynychus is a therocephalian and the only gorgonopsians are much smaller animals. "In between these extinctions, there was a complete flip-flop in what roles these carnivores were playing in their ecosystemsas if bears suddenly became weasel-sized and weasels became bear-sized in their place," says Kammerer. The new species from Russia provide the first evidence that there was a worldwide turnover in predators after the mid-Permian extinction, and not just a localized turnover in South Africa. Kammerer adds, "Kotelnich is one of the most important localities worldwide for finding therapsid fossilsnot only because they are amazingly complete and well-preserved there, but also because they provide an all-too-rare window into mammal ancestry in the Northern Hemisphere during the Permian." Explore further Variation in the recovery of tetrapods More information: Christian F. Kammerer et al. A new therocephalian (Gorynychus masyutinae gen. et sp. nov.) from the Permian Kotelnich locality, Kirov Region, Russia, PeerJ (2018). Christian F. Kammerer et al. A new therocephalian (Gorynychus masyutinae gen. et sp. nov.) from the Permian Kotelnich locality, Kirov Region, Russia,(2018). DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4933 Christian F. Kammerer et al. Gorgonopsian therapsids (Nochnitsa gen. nov. and Viatkogorgon) from the Permian Kotelnich locality of Russia, PeerJ (2018). DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4954 Journal information: PeerJ Scientists led by Los Alamos National Laboratory and Rice University have created a general scaling law to help tune the electronic properties of 2D perovskite-based materials for optoelectronic devices. Credit: Jean-Christophe Blancon/Los Alamos National Laboratory Scientists led by Rice University and Los Alamos National Laboratory have discovered electronic properties in quantum-scale devices that are likely to impact the growing field of low-cost perovskite based optoelectronics. In an open-access Nature Communications paper, researchers led by Los Alamos scientists Aditya Mohite and Jean-Christophe Blancon, both of whom will join Rice this summer, studied the behavior of excitons trapped in quantum wells made of crystalline, halide-based perovskite compounds. As a result, they were able to create a scale by which labs can determine the binding energy of excitons, and thus the band gap structures, in perovskite quantum wells of any thickness. This could in turn aid in the fundamental design of next-generation semiconductor materials. Perovskite quantum well-based optoelectronic devices convert and control light at the quantum scale, reactions below 100 nanometers that follow different rules from those dictated by classical mechanics. Solar cells that turn light into electricity are optoelectronic devices. So are devices that turn electricity into light, including light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and the ubiquitous semiconductor lasers that power barcode readers, laser printers, disc players and other technologies. Any step toward maximizing their efficiency will have wide impact, according to the researchers. The excitons at the center of their research are electrically neutral quasiparticles that only exist when electrons and electron holes bind in an insulating or semiconducting solid, like quantum wells used to trap the particles for study. Quantum wells used in the study were synthesized by the Northwestern University lab of chemist Mercouri Kanatzidis and the Mohite Lab. They were based on perovskite compounds with a particular layered structure known as a Ruddlesden-Popper phase (RPP). This class of materials has unique electronic and magnetic properties and has found use in metal-air batteries. "Understanding the nature of excitons and generating a general scaling law for exciton binding energy is the first fundamental step required for the design of any optoelectronic device, such as solar cells, lasers or detectors," said Mohite, who will become an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Rice. Previously, researchers discovered they could tune the resonance of excitons and free carriers within RPP perovskite layers by changing their atomic thickness. That appeared to change the mass of the excitons, but scientists could not measure the phenomenon until now. "Varying the thickness of these semiconductors gave us a fundamental understanding of the quasi-dimensional, intermediate physics between monolayer 2-D materials and 3-D materials," said lead author Blancon, currently a research scientist at Los Alamos. "We achieved this for the first time in non-synthetic materials." Los Alamos research scientist Andreas Stier tested the wells under a 60-tesla magnetic field to directly probe the effective mass of the excitons, a characteristic that is key for both modeling of the excitons and understanding energy transport in the 2-D perovskite materials. Bringing the samples to Rice allowed the researchers to expose them simultaneously to ultra-low temperatures, high magnetic fields and polarized light, a capability offered only by a unique spectroscope, the Rice Advanced Magnet with Broadband Optics (RAMBO), overseen by co-author and physicist Junichiro Kono. Advanced optical spectroscopy carried out by Blancon at Los Alamos (a capability soon to be available at Rice in Mohite's lab) offered a direct probe of the optical transitions within the RPPs to derive the exciton binding energies, which is the basis of the breakthrough exciton scaling law with quantum well thickness described in the paper. Matching their results to the computational model designed by Jacky Even, a professor of physics at INSA Rennes, France, the researchers determined that the effective mass of the excitons in perovskite quantum wells up to five layers is about two times larger than in their 3-D bulk counterpart. As they approached five layers (3.1 nanometers), Blancon said, the binding energy between electrons and holes was significantly reduced but still larger than 100 milli-electron volts, making them robust enough to exploit at room temperature. For example, he said, that would allow for the design of efficient light-emitting devices with color tunability. The combined experimental and computer model data allowed them to create a scale that predicts exciton binding energy in 2-D or 3-D perovskites of any thickness. The researchers found that perovskite quantum wells above 20 atoms thick (about 12 nanometers) transitioned from quantum exciton to classical free-carrier rules normally seen in 3-D perovskites at room temperature. "This was a great opportunity for us to demonstrate the unique capabilities of RAMBO for use in high-impact materials research," Kono said. "With excellent optical access, this mini-coil-based pulsed magnet system allows us to perform various types of optical spectroscopy experiments in high magnetic fields up to 30 tesla." The researchers noted that though the experiments were carried out at ultra-cold temperatures, what they observed should apply to room temperature as well. "This work represents a fundamental and nonintuitive result where we determine a universal scaling behavior for exciton binding energies in Ruddlesden-Popper 2-D hybrid perovskites," Mohite said. "This is a fundamental measurement that has remained elusive for several decades, but its knowledge is critical before the design of any optoelectronic devices based on this class of materials and may have implication in the future for design of, for example, zero-threshold laser diodes and multifunctional hetero-material for optoelectronics." Explore further Perovskite edges can be tuned for optoelectronic performance More information: J.-C. Blancon et al. Scaling law for excitons in 2D perovskite quantum wells, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications J.-C. Blancon et al. Scaling law for excitons in 2D perovskite quantum wells,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04659-x Minister Magar seeks Italian govt mediation in Melamchi deadlock The government is exploring diplomatic channels to resolve the deadlock of Melamchi project that is running behind schedule because of the contractors slow work. NCP acquires EC registration The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Thursday acquired a party registration certificate from the Election Commission (EC). Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav presented the certificate to NCP General Secretary Bishnu Poudel. The EC has listed in 145th number of the party registration book. The Balkans Today: How Russia, Turkey, Extremism, And Social, Economic and Political Fragility Continue To Shape The Western Balkans RFE/RL invites you to a conversation with Arbana Vidishiqi, RFE/RL Balkan Service Director Wednesday, June 13, 9:30 am - 10:30 am EST / 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm CET RFE/RL - Washington 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, 4th Floor In addition to the poisonous legacies of war and inter-ethnic bitterness, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Kosovo also share the burdens of social and economic dislocations, corruption, and fragile institutions of democracy. Russia, Turkey, and the European Union are all competing for influence in the western Balkans, where Islamist extremism also seeks to build its presence. RFE/RL Balkan Service Director Arbana Vidishiqi will share her insights into these issues and their impact on the countries of the Western Balkan region. Vidishiqi is the director of RFE/RLs Balkan Service and head of the Kosovo Unit. She joined RFE/RL in 1999 as a Pristina-based political affairs correspondent. After being appointed Pristina bureau chief in September 2001, she led the ethnically diverse bureau during the volatile inter-ethnic tensions that followed the 1999 war in Kosovo. In June 2011, Vidishiqi was appointed head of the Kosovo unit; in 2016, she moved to Prague to take on the duties of Balkan Service director. A 1994 graduate of Hendon College, London with a degree in communications and technology, Vidishiqi is a native Albanian speaker and is fluent in English and south Slavic languages. Nepal expands diplomatic ties to 160 nations with Burundi pact Nepals diplomatic outreach in the community of the world reached 160 countries on Wednesday after the Himalayan nation set up diplomatic relations with Burundi. Nepal-India joint technical team to visit flood-prone sites Nepali and Indian officials are all set to conduct on-site inspection to assess the problem of flooding that occurs every year in Nepals Tarai region and find a sustainable solution to the crisis. NSU stages demonstration to protest petro price hike Nepal Students' Union (NSU), the student wing of main opposition Nepali Congress (NC), on Friday staged a demonstration to protest against the price hike in petroleum products in Kathmandu. Wall Street analysts have given Botswana Diamonds a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Botswana Diamonds wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Thanks for visiting ! The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Thank you for your support! PM directs ministers to bring concrete plans for development Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has stressed on the need to move ahead with long-term vision and urged the ministers to work with proper planning. Education Reporter Mathew Burciaga is a Santa Maria Times reporter who covers education, agriculture and public safety. Prior to joining the Times, Mathew ran a 114-year-old community newspaper in Wyoming. He owns more than 40 pairs of crazy socks from across the globe. By Manolo Serapio Jr and Muyu Xu MANILA/BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese steelmakers are seeking new export destinations in Africa and South America as shipments to their biggest overseas buyers in Southeast Asia fall by double digits, with new U.S. trade actions threatening to kill off some markets entirely. China, the world's largest maker, consumer and exporter of steel, is finding it has fewer export options. Washington last week imposed hefty tariffs on major steel exporters to the United States - Canada, Mexico and the European Union - prompting retaliatory measures. The global tariffs Washington kicked off in March were mainly aimed at curbing Chinese steel imports, which U.S. steelmakers also believe are being routed through other countries before landing in the United States. Last month, the U.S. Commerce Department slapped heavy import duties on steel products from Vietnam it says originated in China, hitting China's No. 2 export market after South Korea, and a major outlet for sales by Chinese mills that own warehouses in Vietnam. Vietnam said its steel companies would likely stop buying the metal from China to avoid having their shipments to the United States penalized. "It is increasingly apparent that export opportunities for Chinese producers are becoming increasingly limited, owing to existing trade legislation, lodged by many parts of the world," said Chris Jackson, analyst at UK-based steel consultancy MEPS International Ltd. While China's steel exports hit an eight-month high in April, shipments for the first four months of the year dropped by 20 percent, although falling only 2.5 percent in value. Shipments to China's top markets, including Vietnam and South Korea, have dropped by double digits since last year, reflecting stiffer competition from other suppliers like Russia. Anti-dumping duties imposed by Southeast Asian buyers like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia on Chinese steel exports have also slowed shipments from Beijing. Story continues 'CROWDED' OUT "The Southeast Asian market is getting crowded. More and more people are seeking to find new markets, especially in South American and African countries," said Steven Yue, sales manager at Hebei Huayang Pipeline Co, a Chinese exporter of steel pipes. "We plan to work harder to develop the South American and African market from the second half of this year." South America and Africa accounted for a combined 8 percent of China's steel exports last year, and shipments to some nations there have surged this year. Southeast Asia accounted for a quarter of China's exports last year, but were down 45 percent from the year before, and slipped by a third in the first quarter of 2018, according to data tracked by MEPS. Exports to Nigeria, Africa's biggest economy and the continent's top buyer of Chinese steel, rose 15 percent in the first quarter, and shipments to Algeria, the fourth-largest economy, nearly tripled. In South America, Chinese shipments to Brazil jumped 40 percent and climbed almost tenfold to Bolivia. Compared to Asia, there are fewer nations in Africa and South America with anti-dumping duties and safeguard measures against Chinese steel products, including Brazil, Colombia, Chile and South Africa, based on World Trade Organization data. As Chinese exporters venture deeper into the new markets, they could clash with home-grown suppliers, such as in Brazil, or with sellers from Russia and elsewhere. ArcelorMittal South Africa, which supplies nearly all of its steel output to African markets, said the increased competition in global steel markets has been driven primarily by capacity expansion in China. "The bigger threat for South African industry right now is the import of finished goods, made predominantly of steel, into African markets," the company said. "The risk that South Africa could revert to simply exporting raw materials, without local beneficiation, and importing Chinese-manufactured products is very real." Hebei Huayang's Yue believes most Chinese steel products are competitive in Africa and South America "because of a lack of domestic production capacity there." BIGGER POTENTIAL China's steel exports have fallen from a record 112.4 million tonnes in 2015 to 75.4 million tonnes last year, as a Beijing-led infrastructure drive boosted domestic demand. Still, the China Iron and Steel Association said the impact of the U.S.-China trade dispute on Chinese steel exports "should not be underestimated." "If steel exports went down again this year, then steel products would flow to the domestic market and that would worsen the situation of our own market," CISA said last month. China's direct steel exports to the United States account for less than 1 percent of total shipments, but Washington is making Chinese-produced steel more costly in America via steep import duties on steel from Vietnam that originated in China. To avoid the U.S. anti-dumping duties, most Vietnamese steel companies - which mainly buy hot-rolled coil steel (HRC) from China - will likely stop importing HRC from Beijing, said Chu Duc Khai, vice chairman of the Vietnam Steel Association. Vietnam exported 4.7 million tonnes of steel last year, with nearly 60 percent going to Southeast Asia and around 11 percent shipped to the United States. Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa Plastics Group's new steel plant in Vietnam also began producing HRC in June last year, said Khai, cutting Hanoi's need to buy from China. The growing steel capacity in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, will eventually pare demand for imports, said CRU analyst Alex Zhirui Ji. "Many friends of mine have turned to do business with African countries since they have bigger potential with bigger demand," said a steel trader and exporter based in China's top steelmaking city of Tangshan. "I feel business in Asia is getting difficult, so I am also searching for a new market. Probably I will join my friends in going to Africa." (Reporting by Manolo Serapio Jr. in MANILA and Muyu Xu in BEIJING; Additional reporting by Tanisha Heiberg in JOHANNESBURG, Khanh Vu in HANOI and Jane Chung in SEOUL; Editing by Tom Hogue) Province 2 to strive for energy independence Province 2 Governor Ratneshwar Lal Kayastha on Thursday announced the provincial governments plan of generating 50MW electricity through alternative sources this year. Blockchain Space launches in the Philippines to help the industry grow Blockchain Space aims to bring fintech companies across Southeast Asia together through a series of collaborative events A Blockchain Space facility in Jakarta, Indonesia Philippines-based workspace provider Acceler8 by UnionSPACE and fintech company SCI today announced the launch of the first Blockchain Space in the country. Blockchain Space was co-founded by Indonesian Blockchain Association Chairman Steven Suhadi and UnionSPACE CEO Albert Goh. Prior to the launch of their facility in the Philippines, the initiative has launched a coworking space in West Jakarta and is looking forward to launch more locations in the region. The initiative aims to bring fintech companies across Southeast Asia together through a series of collaborative events involving networking, seminars, workshops, and training sessions. It also provides a coworking space for companies in the industry. The location in Makati City will be the local chapter of the region-wide Blockchain Space initiative. We aim to spearhead initiatives in growing the industry by hosting modules from beginners to advanced levels. We will equip members of this community with tools to grow regionally in Southeast Asia through access to capital and network, as well as legal and technical advisory services, said Blockchain Space Philippines Lead Peter Ing. Also Read: GladAge leverages blockchain to bring transparency and efficiency into the aged-care space As a workspace chain, Acceler8 by UnionSPACE offers business solutions such as office spaces, virtual offices, meeting rooms, and event spaces. In addition to spaces, it also gives members access to partners, investors, and venture capital firms across Southeast Asia. UnionSPACE itself has presence in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, and already runs four Blockchain Spaces across the region. In a press statement, Acceler8 CEO Mikko Barranda dubbed the initiative as an exciting project. Founded in 2014, SCI helps users reduce costs of cross-border money transfer with its service Rebit.ph. Story continues Having secured a first-of-its-kind license from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the companys products now includes Buybitcoin.ph, Bitbit.cash, and the upcoming digital asset exchange Citadax.com. SCI co-founder and CEO John Bailon believes that the potential of the blockchain technology can only be maximised through continuous learning opportunities and promotions. The post Blockchain Space launches in the Philippines to help the industry grow appeared first on e27. China could send fighter jets to escort Kim Jong-un when North Koreas Air Force One travels through its airspace for a meeting in Singapore with US President Donald Trump, a South Korean military source said, as Beijing tries to boost its influence over the regime ahead of the summit. Escorting [a head of a state] with jets is one of the highest security protocols that the air force can provide, a source with the South Korean Air Force told the South China Morning Post. If China does provide the escort, it may be a message directed at the US-ROK alliance that China is strongly backing up the Kim regime, the source said, referring to South Koreas official name, the Republic of Korea. Kim is known for being paranoid about his personal security, and details of the route he will take to reach the Southeast Asian city state which is more than 4,000km from Pyongyang for Tuesdays meeting are not known. But people familiar with Kim family security matters said Pyongyang would take extra care to ensure the safety of the North Korean leader, who is believed to be about 34. The number of guards and Kims travel routes will be North Koreas biggest security concern in Singapore, said Lee Yun-keol, who worked in a North Korean Supreme Guard Command unit the personal bodyguard force tasked with protecting the Kim family before defecting to South Korea in 2005. Kim is also likely to fly to Singapore through Chinas airspace to ensure his security, so that he gets Chinas protection on his way to Singapore, Lee said. Preparations are continuing for the summit, with Singapores Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan travelling to Pyongyang on Thursday for a two-day visit as part of the diplomatic flurry. Trump-Kim summit venue: Singapore creates special event areas near Capella and Shangri-La Hotels Story continues Balakrishnan will meet his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho and Kim Yong-nam, president of the Supreme Peoples Assembly and the countrys ceremonial head of state, according to a Singaporean government statement. Specific security arrangements are likely to be discussed and finalised during Balakrishnans visit. The flight path to be taken by a state leader on an overseas trip is always carefully planned and not revealed, and it is not unusual for such flights to be escorted by air force fighter jets when they visit a country, according to Hong Kong-based military analyst Song Zhongping. But it was not common for jets to be sent to escort a foreign leaders plane when they were en route to a third country, Song said. Usually, a leaders plane will have a close escort by air force fighter jets before they arrive at the border, and usually the host country will send fighters to wait for them at the border its like a relay in the air, Song said. So theoretically it will be the duty of the Singaporean government to escort Kims plane when it enters Singaporean airspace, Song said. How the Kim-Trump summit could deliver a major payday for North Koreas military While it is unlikely Chinese fighter jets will escort Kims plane all the way into Singapore because of territorial airspace rules, they will be able to travel close to the city states border due to Beijings claims to most of the South China Sea, said Yue Gang, a retired Peoples Liberation Army colonel and Beijing-based military analyst. The fighter jets will be flying in Chinas airspace and they wont have any offensive capabilities so it will be unlikely to cause any disputes, Yue said. On what was believed to be his first overseas trip by plane as leader, Kim travelled to Chinese coastal city Dalian just 360km from Pyongyang in early May on the Chammae-1, referred to as North Koreas Air Force Un. With a range of about 10,000km, the four-engine, modified Soviet jet Ilyushin Il-62M will be able to make a non-stop journey from North Korea to Singapore. Making the surprise trip to Dalian by plane instead of by train, the Kim familys usual preference, prompted speculation that the North Korean leader could be preparing to meet Trump further afield before the location for the on-again, off-again meeting was announced. This article China may send fighter jet escort for Kim Jong-un when he flies to Singapore to meet Trump first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. More from South China Morning Post: The US State Department issued a health alert Friday for travel in China, following fears of another sonic attack, this time carried out at the US consulate in Guangzhou. A number of American diplomats have been evacuated from Guangzhou after complaining of symptoms similar to those suffered by American workers at the Havana embassy in Cuba in 2016. Symptoms include dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, fatigue, cognitive issues, visual problems, ear complaints and hearing loss, and difficulty sleeping. Americans are advised to move to another location and refrain from trying to locate and identify the source of the auditory sensation and to seek medical help if they experience similar symptoms. Find a list of numbers to call in China in case of assistance at https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/ha-05232018/. The only budget airline in Hong Kong has had a ban on expansion lifted, eight months after disrupting 2,000 customers travel plans ahead of a major Chinese public holiday. The Civil Aviation Department (CAD), which regulates air transport in the city, said on Thursday that after a six-month audit of Hong Kong Express (HK Express), it was satisfied the problems had been addressed. HK Express can continue to develop its business as usual, a CAD spokeswoman said. Authorities stopped the low-cost carrier from adding new destinations, expanding existing services or taking delivery of new planes from November 2017 to April this year. But it found ways to circumnavigate these restrictions. The airline axed flights to Kunming in Yunnan province and reduced daily flights to Hualien City in Taiwan to four a week. It added flights to Kumamoto, Japan which it had previously flown to for a short period in 2017, meaning under CAD rules it counted as an existing destination. Its fleet also increased by four, to a total of 24 Airbus A320 series aircraft. The delivery of new aircraft was permitted on the condition they only be used for existing destinations. The removal of the ban means HK Express can resume competing against its rivals, including Cathay Pacific Airways subsidiary Cathay Dragon and its own sister carrier, Hong Kong Airlines. HK Express cancelled 18 flights between Hong Kong and three cities in Japan and South Korea from October 1 to 8 last year, affecting thousands of passengers travelling during the Chinese National Day Golden Week holiday. In the aftermath of public and political scorn, the airlines previous leadership team was jettisoned. The furore prompted the Hong Kong aviation regulator to slap the ban on the carrier. In the intervening months, HK Express brought in a new management team, including a new CEO. According to the CAD, the airline: Hired more safety trainers to train the airlines workforce this action stemmed from there being not enough staff to train crews to ensure they could operate flights. Story continues Reduced the number of changes made to cabin crew flight schedules and boosted the number of standby crew available, to prevent last-minute flight cancellations. Handed contract cabin crew and office staff permanent employment, to reduce the fear of staff not having a stable job. Hong Kong Express said it would add new routes to Bangkok and Pattaya, both in Thailand, soon, while looking to further expand its fleet. Based at Hong Kong International Airport and backed by the financially troubled Chinese conglomerate HNA Group, Hong Kong Express flies to 28 destinations in Asia. On Friday the airline said it would add extra flights to Taichung in Taiwan, Da Nang in Vietnam and Osaka in Japan over the busy summer travel period. In the first five months of this year the airline flew 1.67 million passengers, a 15 per cent increase on the same period last year. It said it was on track to carry 4.5 million in the year as a whole. This article Hong Kong Express expansion ban lifted eight months after budget carrier cancelled flights before October Golden Week holiday first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Singapore will lose its one and only three Michelin-starred restaurant later this month, when Joel Robuchon Restaurant shutters its doors. Likewise, sister restaurant L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, holder of two Michelin stars, will also close at the same time, but may be resurrected in Orchard Road, reported The Business Times. It's yet another major shake-up of Singapore's fine dining scene that has the city's culinary elite buzzing. Earlier this year, another beloved eatery Restaurant Andre by chef Andre Chiang -- which holds two Michelin stars -- also shuttered its doors, leaving a void in the city's gastronomic landscape. Chiang returned to his native Taiwan. Both Robuchon restaurants will serve their last meals on June 30, adds The Times. Contract disputes with Resort World Sentosa, the luxury island destination where the restaurants are located, are cited as reasons for the closures. Incidentally, the resort island also attracted international headlines this week, after it was revealed that it would play host to the historic summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leaders Kim Jong-un June 12. Meanwhile, Michelin is expected to unveil the results of the newest restaurant guide for Singapore on July 25. Rauniyar wins 3rd prize in intl photo contest Ishwar Rauniyar from Nepal won the third prize in an international photo contest organised by the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO). KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's finance minister announced plans on Tuesday to report to the anti-graft agency upfront payments of billions of ringgit the previous administration made to a Chinese firm for two pipeline projects that have barely begun. Since taking office two weeks ago, Lim Guan Eng has been driving a campaign to expose financial scandals in the administration of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, unseated in a stunning election defeat last month. Lim said Najib's government had paid 8.25 billion ringgit ($2 billion) or 88 percent of the total value of two pipeline projects awarded to China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau (CCPB), although they are less than 15 percent complete. "We have discovered that the payment schedules for the above contracts are based almost entirely on timeline milestones, and not on progressive work completion milestones," Lim said in a statement. In November 2016, CCPB won the contracts to build a 600-km (373-mile) petroleum pipeline along the west coast of peninsular Malaysia, and the 662-km (411-mile) Trans-Sabah Gas Pipeline in eastern Sabah state. Lim said the contracts were negotiated directly by Najib's office, and the former prime minister had ignored red flags raised by the attorney-general's office on both deals. In March 2017, the finance ministry raised 85 percent of the project funding from China EXIM Bank through a wholly-owned subsidiary, Suria Strategic Energy Resources (SSER). The rest was raised by issuing sukuk, or sharia-compliant bonds. "Both the China EXIM Bank borrowings and the sukuk are secured with federal government guarantees," Lim added. In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Najib said the negotiations and execution of the two projects complied with the necessary procedures and laws. The ex-premier said he welcomed an inquiry into the projects, but cautioned Lim against making "serious, politically motivated public allegations" that could negatively affect Malaysia's foreign relations and international trade. Story continues Telephone calls from Reuters to CCPB's office numbers listed on its website were not answered. Lim said he had ordered a report filed with the anti-graft agency, and the ministry would consider seeking China's help to decide if moneylaundering figured in either deal. Najib and his family were dogged during the last three years of his near-decade-long rule by a scandal over billions of dollars allegedly siphoned from state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and it became a key reason for his May 9 election defeat. 1MDB is also the subject of money-laundering investigations in at least six countries, including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore. Najib has denied any wrongdoing. Last week, Lim said Malaysia would have to pay debts of about 50 billion ringgit racked up by 1MDB. ($1=3.9700 ringgit) (Reporting by Joseph Sipalan and Liz Lee; Editing by Clarence Fernandez/Mark Heinrich) By Joseph Sipalan KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia may revoke the death sentence on fugitive policeman Sirul Azhar Umar, who was convicted of the 2006 murder of a Mongolian model, to facilitate his extradition from Australia, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Friday. Sirul and another police officer, Azilah Hadri, were sentenced to death after being found guilty in the murder of 28-year-old Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was linked to a former associate of former prime minister Najib Razak. Sirul was arrested and has been held in an Australian immigration detention centre since January 2015, after fleeing Malaysia shortly before the verdict was handed down. "Sirul cannot return to Malaysia because Australia won't allow someone facing capital punishment to return home," Mahathir told reporters at a news conference. "We may revoke the death sentence, but replace it with a jail term," he said, adding that the government had not asked Australia officially to extradite Sirul. The Australian High Commission in Malaysia confirmed it had discussed Sirul's situation with Malaysia's government and that there had not been an extradition request for him. "Australia looks forward to continuing and strengthening our productive and longstanding enforcement cooperation with the government of Malaysia," the commission said in a statement on its website. A spokesman for the Australian attorney-general said in a statement the government would not comment publicly on extradition cases. However, Australian law would allow extradition in cases where there is an undertaking that the death penalty would not be imposed, the spokesman said. Civil society groups have alleged Shaariibuus murder was linked to her role as an interpreter and associate of Razak Baginda, a former associate of Najib, in Malaysias purchase of two Scorpene-class submarines from French shipbuilding giant DCNS in 2002. Sirul and Azilah were serving as members of Najib's personal security detail at the time of the murder, but the question of who ordered the killing has never been answered. Story continues Najib has denied allegations of links to Shaariibuu or corruption in the purchase. Sirul told a news portal last month he would cooperate with any new investigation into the murder if he was given a full pardon. Mahathir said his government was considering reopening investigations into the case. "We are being asked to look into it again and we are looking into it," he said. Najib is facing renewed scrutiny after he was ousted by Mahathir, his former mentor, in a shock election defeat in May. Mahathir has since barred Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, from leaving the country. The couple has also been questioned by anti-graft investigators looking into a multi-billion-dollar scandal at a state fund founded by Najib. Last month, Mongolia's president asked the new government to find justice for Shaariibuu. (Additional reporting by Tom Westbrook in SYDNEY; Writing by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel) By Joseph Sipalan KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia may revoke the death sentence on fugitive policeman Sirul Azhar Umar, who was convicted in the 2006 murder of a Mongolian model, to facilitate his extradition from Australia, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Friday. Sirul and another police officer Azilah Hadri were sentenced to death after being found guilty in the murder of 28-year-old Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was linked to a former associate of former prime minister Najib Razak. Sirul was arrested and has been held in an Australian immigration detention centre since January 2015, after fleeing Malaysia shortly before the verdict was handed down. "Sirul cannot return to Malaysia because Australia won't allow someone facing capital punishment to return home," Mahathir told reporters at a press conference. "We may revoke the death sentence, but replace it with a jail term," he said, adding that they have not yet asked Australia officially to extradite Sirul. A spokesman for the Australian Attorney-General said in a statement the government would not comment publicly on extradition cases. However, Australian law would allow extradition in cases where there is an undertaking that the death penalty will not be imposed, he said. Civil society groups have alleged Shaariibuus murder was linked to her role as an interpreter and associate of Razak Baginda, a former associate of Najib, in Malaysias purchase of two Scorpene-class submarines from French shipbuilding giant DCNS in 2002. Sirul and Azilah were serving as Najib's personal security detail at the time of the murder, but the question of who ordered the killing has yet to be answered. Najib has denied allegations of links to Shaariibuu or corruption in the purchase. Sirul told a news portal last month he would cooperate with any new probe into the murder if he was given a full pardon. Mahathir said the Malaysian government was considering reopening investigations into the case. Story continues "We are being asked to look into it again and we are looking into it," he said. Najib is facing renewed scrutiny after he was ousted by Mahathir, his former mentor, in a shock election defeat in May. Mahathir has since barred Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor from leaving the country. The couple have also been questioned by anti-graft investigators looking into a multi-billion-dollar scandal at a state fund founded by Najib. Last month, Mongolia's president requested the new government find justice for Shaariibuu. (Additional reporting by Tom Westbrook in SYDNEY; Writing by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Michael Perry) US generals and NATO officials hoping for a peace breakthrough with the Taliban after 16 years of war are touting a ceasefire announced by Kabul as potentially decisive and despite scepticism in Afghanistan. Attacks in Kabul -- the most heavily defended city in the country -- are multiplying and a recent US government watchdog report painted a grim picture of the security situation, saying there were "few signs of progress". But senior NATO and US military figures have warmly welcomed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's ceasefire announcement, even though it is not at all clear that the Taliban have any plans to respect it. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg hailed the announcement as a "positive step on the path to peace" and urged the Taliban to come to talks the government. General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO's supreme commander in Europe, gave an upbeat assessment of the struggle against the Taliban, ousted from power in a US led invasion in 2001. "I have dealt with this for quite a number of years and personally, I sense a different set of conditions today, and perhaps more potential," he told reporters at a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. "They are under greater pressure and you see some splinter in their leadership and their cohesion. "In the past, the Taliban has been cohesive and one voice about this. Now we are seeing indications that there a those who would like to talk." - 'Grassroots movement' - In February, Ghani unveiled a plan to open peace talks with the Taliban, including eventually recognising them as a political party. At the time he suggested a ceasefire would form part of the plan. The insurgents did not officially respond, but attacks have proliferated since then, especially in Kabul, targeting in particular security forces and police. On Thursday, Ghani announced the week-long ceasefire to coincide with Eid-al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Ghani's surprise ceasefire declaration came on the heels of a fatwa issued by Afghanistan's top clerics branding suicide attacks "haram", or forbidden, and after the Pentagon announced that senior Taliban officials had been negotiating with Afghan authorities on a possible ceasefire. "I have to tell you, for someone who has been either in Afghanistan or working on Afghanistan for some years now, I am seeing things now that I haven't seen before," one NATO official told reporters on condition of anonymity. Pressed for details, the official mentioned the ruling by the clerics and "social movements for peace", an apparent reference to a march by a small group of activists from Lashkar Gah in Helmand province to Kabul. The group, which numbers about eight but has been joined by more at times on the route, is demanding both the Taliban and the Afghan government lay down their arms. The modest size of the march did not stop General John Nicholson, commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, from calling it a "grassroots movement" and comparing the current situatoin in Afghanistan to the final stages of the conflicts in Northern Ireland and Colombia. "All wars end. And when you study how wars end, there is usually a period where you are fighting and talking at the same time. I think we are clearly in that period," he said. - 'No change on the ground' - But the optimism coming from NATO and the Pentagon has not reached observers in Afghanistan. Political analyst Haroon Mir, based in Kabul, said Ghani's government had lost the initiative since the offer in February and the ceasefire was a bid to win it back. "NATO and the US are trying to boost the government and trying to show that the government still has some initiative but this is not the reality unfortunately," Mir told AFP, pointing to the upcoming anniversary of US President Donald Trump's new South Asia strategy as a key milestone. "In August it will be one year and everybody will talk about the achievements of the US military in Afghanistan (but) unfortunately despite the bombing campaign and high casualties among the Taliban... there is no significant change on the ground," Mir said. Indeed the Pentagon's own Office of the Inspector General directly undercut claims the momentum of the war was shifting against the Taliban. In a report in May the watchdog said there had been "little positive change" in the first quarter of 2018, with just 65 percent of Afghans living in areas under government control or influence. sl-amj-st-pdw/bmm Nicaragua's Catholic bishops on Thursday met with President Daniel Ortega over reviving stalled talks to quell a political crisis rights groups say has left 134 people dead -- but emerged from the closed-door meeting without a formal plan to head back to the negotiating table. Ortega requested a "period of reflection" to consider a proposal from the Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference (CEN), which said the bishops had presented "the pain and anguish of people who have suffered in recent weeks" during the "frank and sincere meeting." The CEN did not elaborate on the details of its plan, but in a statement said it "reflects the feelings of many sectors of Nicaraguan society" and was awaiting a reaction from Ortega, whose leftist administration is linked to the bloody unrest. Silvio Jose Baez, the auxiliary bishop of Managua, said Ortega "asked us for a period of reflection to give us an answer, which we asked he give us in writing" -- after which they will consider the feasibility of renewed negotiations. Bishops had called off the talks last week after a crackdown on a protest led by victims' mothers left at least 16 people dead, and said they would not resume until the government ends the repression. The opposition had hoped Ortega would commit to ceasing violence and agree to resume dialogue on a democratization process for the country, former diplomat Carlos Tunnermann, who represents civil society in the broader talks, told AFP. Prior to Thursday's discussion, vice president and official government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo -- Ortega's wife -- said "we are going to that meeting to define the point, the agenda, the mechanisms, to work for peace." - 'Blatant disregard' of rights - The meeting came as the United States upped pressure on Ortega's government by imposing visa restrictions on police and other officials linked to repression. "The political violence by police and pro-government thugs against the people of Nicaragua, particularly university students, shows a blatant disregard for human rights and is unacceptable," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. Nauert did not name the individuals, but said they included national police and health officials, along with others at the local level -- "those directing or overseeing violence against others exercising their rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression." The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights said 134 people had been killed in the violence since protests started on April 18. "We have counted 134 deaths up until Thursday," the center's secretary Marlin Sierra told AFP. The dead included four young people killed late Wednesday in clashes between pro- and anti-government groups in the towns of Chinandega and Nueva Guinea. Press reports said an armed group of pro-government supporters had attacked students who were attempting to block traffic heading to the Honduran border. - Move up elections? - The Catholic Church has agreed to act as mediator to try to resolve a crisis that began with protests against social security reform, but later blossomed into widespread rejection of Ortega, who has been in power continuously since 2007. One of the key demands of Ortega's opponents is for 2021 elections to be brought forward to hasten his departure after 11 years in power. A related demand is the renewal of the electoral authority, which is currently in the hands of the ruling party. "We are confident that they can convince Ortega to have a much more open attitude," said a student protest leader at the National Autonomous University, which has been leading opposition to the leftist leader. On Tuesday, the general assembly of the Organization of American States approved a declaration "in support with the people of Nicaragua," which urged Ortega and Nicaraguans alike to engage in constructive dialogue to address the crisis and prevent further violence. Guards walk on the wreckage of a building destroyed by air strikes in Sanaa, Yemen June 6, 2018. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah GENEVA (Reuters) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday it had pulled 71 international staff out of Yemen because of security incidents and threats, moving them to Djibouti. The aid agency called on all the warring sides in Yemen's three-year conflict to provide security guarantees so it can keep running its surgical, water and food assistance programmes, which it said had been crippled by the partial evacuation. Some 450 ICRC employees remain in Yemen, including dozens of expatriate staff, spokeswoman Marie-Claire Feghali said. "Our current activities have been blocked, threatened and directly targeted in recent weeks, and we see a vigorous attempt to instrumentalize our organization as a pawn in the conflict," the ICRC said in a statement. An ICRC employee, a Lebanese national, was killed on April 21 by an unknown gunmen who opened fire on his car in the southwestern Yemeni city of Taiz as he was on his way to visit a prison, it said at the time. "While the Yemen delegation has received numerous threats in the past, we cannot now accept additional risk less than two months after a gunman killed a staff member. The security of our staff, who are being intimidated by parties to the conflict, is a non-negotiable prerequisite for our presence and work in Yemen and an absolute priority," the statement said. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Sunni Muslim allies entered the war in 2015 to try to drive back the Houthis, an Iran-allied Shiite movement that forced a Saudi-backed government into exile in 2014. The United Nations said there were no plans to evacuate staff. "We can confirm that UN international and national staff remain in place in Yemen, including in all five active field hubs (Aden, Hodeidah, Ibb, Saada and Sanaa)," said Jens Laerke of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Unidentified forces attacked a U.N. aid vessel off the main Yemeni port of Hodeidah at the weekend, port authorities have said. As forces of the Saudi-led military coalition close in on Hodeidah, aid agencies fear a major battle will shut down a vital lifeline for millions of hungry civilians. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; editing by Larry King) After months of unhappiness over a shortage of the HPV vaccine Gardasil 9 in Hong Kong, a group of women took their protests to the offices of the drugs maker in Causeway Bay on Friday. Wearing face masks and carrying two large banners, about 20 protesters, most of whom were from the mainland, arrived at the office of US drug company Merck, which is known as MSD outside America, to urge the firm to increase its supply of the human papillomavirus vaccine. However, MSD said it had warned the citys clinics about eight months ago that there was a supply issue, after a disruption in the production line. Gardasil 9 treatment can prevent cervical and other cancers. The makers said that despite a course of treatment requiring three injections, some clinics had not been stockpiling the drug, instead taking on extra patients and giving more women just one or two jabs. We have been urging local doctors to reserve enough shots for existing patients to finish their courses, a spokeswoman said. But we cannot control the business decision of the private clinics. The shortage in Hong Kong has been exacerbated by a large influx of women from mainland China seeking a drug that has been available in the city since 2016, but was only approved by national regulators in April. The MSD spokeswoman said the company had not stopped supplying the vaccine to Hong Kong, but the demand for it had been greater than anticipated. The shortage is believed to be most severe among a few major medical chains in the city. Small private clinics had typically saved enough doses for existing patients, and refrained from taking on new ones. Most of the women who took part in the protest complained they were only informed about the shortage by clinics after their initial injection. A woman from Yunnan province, surnamed Li, said she had paid HK$6,000 (US$760) for three doses at a clinic in Tsim Sha Tsui. She had expected to be given a second injection in May this year, after receiving her first in September. Story continues She said she took a flight to Hong Kong to receive the vaccine, as she believed it was safe to be treated in the city. However, she was informed there was no supply of the drug when she began making calls in April to make an appointment to have her second injection. The clinic told her it was not clear when the vaccines would be made available. Another protester, who was only identified as Luo, said she hoped to receive the second injection as soon as possible. Im worried that only having received the first dose, with the dragging of time, the effect would be gone, said Luo, who is from Fujian province. Gardasil 9 was first made available in Hainan province late last month, and mainland demand has been strong. Still, it is common to see internet chat rooms on mainland social media showing people how to get across the border to get the drug in Hong Kong. Last month, the Post reported that hundreds of mainland women had threatened legal action against a Hong Kong clinic in Mong Kok, because they had only obtained one or two injections after paying about HK$6,500 (US$830) for treatment. In April, the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong posted a notice saying it would stop providing HPV vaccines to non-Hong Kong residents because of limited resources. The Department of Health said it had received several queries from the public about the shortage of the vaccine. The Consumer Council received 444 complaints about vaccine delays last year and most involved HPV jabs. As of June 8 this year, it had received 1,449 similar complaints about delays to vaccine supplies. Fridays protest was organised by a company named CKL Consulting Limited, which claimed it was serving as a platform to help affected women reflect their concerns on the issue. A spokesman for the Department of Health said MSD had made known the local supply for Gardasil 9 would be tight this year because of the increase in global demand, and the company had issued letters to affected clients in mid-April and mid-May to explain the supply situation. The department also said MSD was actively importing the vaccine into Hong Kong, but the quantity was expected to fall short of the demand of the local private health care market. The department will continue to request that MSD increases the import quantity of the vaccine to meet the needs of the local private health care market, the spokesman said. This article Shortage of HPV anti-cancer drug Gardasil in Hong Kong prompts protest outside Merck offices in Causeway Bay first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Regulations on House of Representatives 2075 endorsed Regulations on House of Representatives 2075 have been endorsed on Friday. An Australian former terror suspect has been refused entry to Singapore due to his past activities, authorities said Thursday, days before a historic US-North Korea summit in the city-state. Zeky Mallah, 34, was barred entry when he arrived at Changi Airport on Wednesday from Sydney and placed on a flight home the next day, the Ministry of Home Affairs said. Singapore has been stepping up security ahead of Tuesday's historic meeting between US President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un. In 2003, Zeky was the first person to be charged under new terrorism laws in Australia for allegedly planning a suicide attack on the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the department of foreign affairs, said a ministry statement. He was acquitted of charges of preparing a terrorist act in 2005 but was jailed for two and a half years after he admitted threatening government officials. Zeky was also reported to have travelled to Syria and to have expressed support for Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist groups, the ministry said. He told Australia's Seven Network that he believed he had been barred due to the looming summit. Sweden's parliament passed a bill Thursday giving thousands of young asylum seekers a second chance to stay until they complete high school, after the overwhelmed migration agency failed to process their applications before they became adults. The decision will allow thousands of asylum seekers who were minors when they arrived in Sweden to re-apply for temporary residency. Asylum rules are more favourable for minors. Because asylum applications can take more than a year on average to process in Sweden, which has taken in more migrants per capita than any other country in Europe, some applicants turn 18 by the time their application is considered. "We need to take political responsibility. (Asylum seekers) should not be affected because the Swedish authorities haven't managed to process their application on time," Maria Ferm, a lawmaker for the Greens, told TT news agency. Passed with 166 votes against 134 with 48 abstentions, the bill was backed by the minority Social Democrats and Greens government and the Centre party while widely opposed by the conservative Moderates and the far-right Sweden Democrats. The move exposed a rift within the centre-right Alliance before the September 9 general election in which security and immigration are the two main themes. "The humane consequences of stopping the proposal would be far too grave," Annie Loof, leader of the opposition Centre Party, said in a Facebook post. The law will enter into force on July 1. To be considered for temporary residency, asylum seekers must re-apply by the end of September. And it is only valid for those who initially applied no later than November 24, 2015, when Sweden tightened its asylum rules to deter migrants from travelling to Sweden. In 2016, the Nordic nation announced it would only grant temporary three-year residence permits and limit the number of refugees who would be allowed to join family members already settled in the country. The move was heavily criticised by human rights campaigners. The Scandinavian country has registered 400,000 asylum applications since 2012 -- or one for every 25 inhabitants, a record in Europe -- with a peak of 162,000 applications in 2015. Video by Dhany Osman; Text and reporting by Wan Ting Koh With all eyes on Singapore ahead of next Tuesday's (12 June) historic meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Yahoo News Singapore went out to gather some reactions from the man on the street. On Singapore as summit host: "It seems to me an inevitable consequence that Singapore is going to host it because if you look at countries that could possibly host this event we are known internationally to be pretty neutral and we are one of the few countries that have a North Korean embassy and we are pretty close (by flight from North Korea)." Douglas Quah, 24, undergraduate "Its pretty goodwe have very very good security.we are just kind of like a middle ground which is pretty good. I think its something that all Singaporeans should look forward to and see what it brings." Jasline Fai, 29, digital marketing manager "I believe Singapore is not known to the whole world. It is good in the sense that it is more or less publicity (for the country) but the bad thing is that anything can happen if our security is not fit and tight. Unexpected things might happen." Chua Lian Huat, 63, freelancer "It speaks about the neutrality of the territory and we dont meddle with other peoples business. Its not too far for North Korea." Zach Wong, 38, advertising executive On Trump and Kim: "I think its quite terrible because we know Trump and quite a lot of people dont really like Trump as well Some people will think other terrorists will come over and we need to protect our country." Tracy Loke, 35, accountant "US is planning to have a good relationship with Singapore I think Trump is playing strategically." Deepshirkha, 27, Singapore Exchange associate We all know Trump and see what he has been doing. Same as North Korea (Kim). Its just kind of exciting to see what these two are going to come up with, whether or not there is going to be a peace treaty or not, well see. Jasline Fai, 29, digital marketing manager Related stories: Trump-Kim Summit: Americans in Singapore sceptical on prospects for peace Trump-Kim summit: South Koreans in Singapore excited and hopeful of positive outcome I like a challenge, says Singaporean co-founder of North Koreas first fast food joint (Outside the residence of the North Korean ambassador to Singapore at 60 Joo Chiat Lane on 8 June, 2018. PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore) Two South Korean journalists have been arrested for trespassing into the residence of the North Korean ambassador to Singapore at 60 Joo Chiat Lane, with another two men under investigation. In a statement on Friday (8 June), the Singapore Police Force said that they received a report of a case of criminal trespass at about 3.50pm on Thursday. The two men, aged 42 and 45, were representing Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) News. A 31-year-old South Korean man, also from KBS News, and a 29-year-old South Korean man, who was the guide and interpreter for the group, are also under investigation. Police said that the three men from KBS News are not accredited media personnel in Singapore. Anyone convicted of criminal trespass under Section 447 of the Penal Code, may be punished with jail of up to three months and/or a fine of up to $1,500. The Police would like to remind all foreigners visiting Singapore to abide by our laws. Those who break the law will be dealt with firmly, and this may include termination of visas and repatriation, said a police spokesman. The arrests come amid a high level of security arrangements being carried out in and around the Donald Trump-Kim Jong Un summit venues. Sentosa and the Southern Islands, and Tanglin have been designated as special event areas, with the police empowered to carry out extensive searches within the zones of the areas. The Capella in Sentosa will host the historic meeting between the US President and North Korean leader. According to media reports, Trump and Kim would be staying at the Shangri-La Hotel and The St. Regis, respectively both hotels are located within the Tanglin area. Yahoo News Singapore has reached out to the South Korean embassy and KBS News for comment. Related stories: Trump-Kim summit in Singapore draws mixed reactions from man on the street Trump-Kim summit: South Koreans in Singapore excited and hopeful of positive outcome Trump-Kim summit: Americans in Singapore sceptical on prospects for peace Ines Zorreguieta pictured here with her sister Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has sadly passed away aged 33 [Photo: Getty] Queen Maxima of the Netherlands younger sister, Ines Zorreguieta, has sadly passed away at the age of 33 in an apparent suicide. According to local Argentinian media outlets, she was found dead at her Buenos Aires home on Wednesday night and is believed to have been suffering from depression. A Dutch government spokesperson told Dutch NOS TV that her reason for death is most likely to be suicide. Ines worked as a civil servant for the Argentinian government in the Ministry of Social Development. She was also the godmother of Queen Maximas youngest daughter, Princess Ariane, and was the youngest child of the late Jorge Zorreguieta (who passed away last year) and Maria del Carmen Cerruti Carricart. Queen Maxima photographed with her husband King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands [Photo: Getty] Dutch newspaper, De Volkskrant, reports that Queen Maxima is shocked and devastated by the news of her sisters death. The Dutch Queen is expected to fly home to her native Argentina for the funeral, as she did for her fathers burial back in August 2017. As a consequence to the tragic news, the royal will no longer be joining her husband, King Willem-Alexander, on their upcoming tour of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia next week. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK. Read more from Yahoo Style UK: The rules Meghan Markle will have to follow that shes a fully-fledged royal Everything you need to know about Trooping the Colour Princess Eugenies wedding: Who shes marrying and all the latest news Diamond Footwears European Summer Skate Tour 2018 will be flying over next week, stopping off in France this weekend before hitting these shores on Saturday the 16th of June. Starting with a meet and greet at Slam City Skates before a skate down to Southbank, after a couple of days exploring then they will be heading to Manchester on Tuesday the 19th for a similar scenario at Note Skateshop and The Pumpcage respectively. With a crew in the van consisting of Jamie Foy, Torey Pudwill, Boo Johnson, Brandon Biebel and Nick Tucker, this one should see plenty of gnarliness go down head over to one of the dates to witness if possible! Scroll down for more details via the press release and flyers, including specific timings as well as French dates if you happen to be on the other side of the channel. This June, Diamond Footwears Pro Team will descend on Europe for their Summer Skate Tour with two weeks of skateboarding, demos, and meet & greets. The tour, featuring Thrasher Skater of the Year and newest Diamond Footwear recruit, Jamie Foy, along with heavyweights Torey Pudwill, Boo Johnson, Brandon Biebel and Nick Tucker, will take over some of France and the UKs premier skate spots to demo their skills and hang out with the local skate community. The action kicks off in in Lille on June 9th, followed by Paris, Lyon, and London, before wrapping up in Manchester on June 19th with an event in conjunction with Note Skate Shop. Catch the Diamond Footwear Team here: LILLE, FRANCE 15H00, SATURDAY 9TH JUNE More info at Zeropolis SkateShop 7 Rue des Ponts de Comines, 59000 or Phone: 03 28 36 08 26 PARIS, FRANCE 14H00, SUNDAY 10TH JUNE Meet at Gare de Lyon for a skate session through the city LYON, FRANCE 15h00, WEDNESDAY 13TH JUNE Wallstreet Skate Shop 6 Rue Neuve Meet & Greet followed by a demo and skate session through the city LONDON, UK 14h00, SATURDAY 16TH JUNE Slam City Skates 37 Endell St, WC2H 9EE Meet & Greet followed by a skate session and demo at Southbank MANCHESTER, UK 17h00, TUESDAY 19TH JUNE Note Skate Shop 61 Thomas St, Manchester M4 1NA Meet & Greet followed by a demo at the Pumpcage Skate Park -97 London Road The team will be giving away Diamond Supply Co gear at all session, so get in early to avoid missing out. For full dates and details on where and when the Diamond Footwear team will be around throughout their Summer Tour, check out diamondsupplyco.eu and follow @diamondsupplyco on Instagram. Shane ONeills Route One Interview Pt.1 Part one of Shane ONeills Route One Interview, captured during the controlled chaos of Street League, offers the opportunity for some insight into the Antipodean cyborg and what makes him tick. From enjoying the delights of Milton Keynes (something which has possibly never happened to a non skateboarder) to his feelings about Street League Skateboarding breaking out of its normal locales and from the Melbourne skate scene to his memories of skating with Lewis Marnell, this is one of the more in depth interviews weve heard/read with ONeill and worth checking out for an insight into undoubtedly one of the most talented people in the pro skateboarding spotlight today. Press play to hear what he has to say and then do yourself a favour and remind yourself of his welcome to Primitive Skateboards video part, which dropped a couple of years ago and cemented his place at the forefront of technical skateboarding progression. I wish they would build an outdoor park so it could stay, its kind of a bummer to see some sick park just gone. Aussie skate legend and Nike SB pro Shane sits down for the first half of his epic two part interview with us, discussing Street League, getting on Nike, memories of Lewis Marnell and so much more. Filmed in sunny Shoreditch prior to Mays SLS London event, the conversation ran so long we simply couldnt cram it all into one clip; meaning part two is coming your way at the same time next week! In case you missed out on Street League when it hit London a couple of weeks ago, check out our photo gallery from James Griffiths, full written recap and edit from Alex Winstanley, who also conducted this interview. Saipal collects Rs2m in fees from yarsa pickers Saipal Rural Municipality in Bajhang district has collected Rs 2 million in revenue by issuing permits to yarsagumba pickers. Around 4,500 people have assembled on the slopes of Mt Saipal in western Nepal to collect the fungus which is prized as an aphrodisiac. Sarki Tol residents install gabion boxes along Chudhar River Villagers of Sarki Tol in Bedkot Municipality-4, Kanchanpur, are donating their labour to construct an embankment along the Chudhar river. Shanghai meet to go ahead without Nepal The 18th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organizationarguably one of the biggest diplomatic jamborees in the regionwill be going ahead in Qingdao, China on Saturday without Nepal, a dialogue partner of the organisation. In a June 9 Sports, Ben Mathis-Lilley misstated that Brooklyn Nets forward Quincy Acys regular-season value over replacement player was higher than Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Loves playoff VORP. The two VORPS were identical. In a June 7 Future Tense, Henry Grabar misstated that Opendoor retains agents to sell houses; it actually pays commissions to agents retained by buyers. In a June 7 Books, Ismail Muhammad misstated that Oluale Kossola labored for five years before the Civil War broke out; in reality, he labored for five years before emancipation. Advertisement Due to an editing error, a June 7 Politics misidentified the Globe and Mail as the Global and Mail. Due to a photo provider error, the caption in a June 6 Movies misidentified Sarah Paulson and Cate Blanchett. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a June 6 Politics, Josh Voorhees misspelled the name of the pharmaceutical company that New Jersey GOP Senate nominee Bob Hugin previously led. It is Celgene Corp., not Celegene Corp. In a June 6 Slatest, Josh Voorhees misstated that Iowas 1st Congressional District is represented by Rep. David Young. It is represented by Rep. Rod Blum. In a June 5 Brow Beat, Carmen Russo misstated where an openly transgender woman was elected. It was in Virginia, not in Georgia. Due to an editing error, a June 4 Politics misstated that Hans Keirstead and Harley Rouda had spent millions on attack ads. Advertisement In a June 3 Jurisprudence, a reference to 67 senators to acquit during the presidential impeachment process should have said 67 senators to convict. In a June 1 Slatest, Ben Mathis-Lilley misstated that the Moscow Project is an explicitly partisan initiative. While it was founded by former Democratic staffers and is affiliated with the left-leaning Center for American Progress, it is not controlled by or affiliated with the Democratic Party. Slate strives to correct all errors of fact. If youve seen an error in our pages, let us know at corrections@slate.com. General comments should be posted in our Comments sections associated with each article. Anthony Bourdain very nearly ate his first meal in Japan at a Starbucks. As he recounts in Kitchen Confidential, the 2000 memoir that made him a celebrity, he had been dispatched in 1998 by the owners of Les Halles, the New York restaurant where he was executive chef, to open a Tokyo branch. Hungover and bleary-eyed at 5 a.m., the man who would one day preach the gospel of culinary adventurismbut at the time had almost no experience with international traveldidnt have the nerve to go into a noodle shop, being acutely aware of how freakish and un-Japanese I looked. He writes, The prospect of pushing aside the banner to one of these places, sliding back the door and stepping inside, then squeezing on to a stool at a packed counter and trying to figure out how and what to order was a little frightening. Thankfully for himand the rest of usfortified by a latte, he summoned the nerve to go out and slurp down some soba. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His persona was a refreshing alternative to the familiar archetypes of Americans abroad. Someone who looked and acted like Bourdain, who died at the age of 61 in an apparent suicide in France while working on an episode of his show, was never going to blend in anywheremaybe parts of New Yorkand that became even more the case as his fame grew. But the lesson of his shows, which Ive watched over the years on both the Travel Channel and later on CNN, was that blending in wasnt the point. This may sound like a grandiose claim for a guy best known for stuffing his face and making wisecracks, but Bourdain presented a model of how Americans could act in the world: open-minded, always curious, and unafraid to sometimes look ridiculous. Advertisement His persona was a refreshing alternative to the familiar archetypes of Americans abroadflak-jacketed war correspondent, selfless aid worker, pampered tourist, blissed-out enlightenment-seeking backpacker. Bourdain showed how you could be radically open to new experiences while still being basically yourself. While profoundly aware, particularly on his CNN show, of past U.S. misdeeds and how his country is perceived in the world, he was undeniably American too. Bourdain could serve up food porn with the best of them, but also deserves credit for smuggling in-depth features on countries that rarely rate for TV-news coverage, like Congo, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, onto prime-time television. According to a New Yorker feature last year, a number of staffers at the Obama White House had been unaware of the extent of the problem of unexploded U.S. ordnance in Laos until Bourdain featured it on his show. Obama pledged $90 million to help address the problem during a visit in 2016, the same swing through Southeast Asia during which he sat down at a plastic table for bun cha with Bourdain in Hanoi, Vietnam. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bourdain was not immune to clicheswhen he went to the Congo, you knew you were going to get a healthy dose of Joseph Conrad, likewise some Paul Bowles and William S. Burroughs in Morocco. And as he himself acknowledged in an interview with Slates Isaac Chotiner last year, his bad-boy affectations got a little tiresome after a while; the glorification of the sex, drugs, and rock n roll hijinks of his early days in the restaurant business contributed to a toxic atmosphere in that industry and was at odds with the cosmopolitanism of his later work. But at his best, his shows told American viewers, who often see some of the places he traveled to only in the context of war or crisis, that the world didnt have to be a scary place. The world of Parts Unknown was never kumbaya: Cultural differences were real and sometimes unbridgeable, crises didnt have easy solutions, but connection over food and conversation was possible. People are more welcoming than you might think. He was also sometimes at his best when turning his camera on his own country, making it clear that a provincial New Yorker can have his mind blown as easily by Houston or Queens as Borneo or Punjab. Advertisement Advertisement I never met Bourdain, though through his investment in the travel website Roads & Kingdoms, he helped support one of my reporting trips. But as a person whos not naturally outgoing, I also think I might not have had the courage to eat camel meat with my hands in Somaliland, or drink cloyingly sweet wine with a Stalin-loving cab driver in Abkhazia, had I not seen him do far more adventurous things on his shows and come out none the worse for wear with a story to tell. He was an example to anyone whos ever found themselves in an unfamiliar city where they dont speak the language and stick out like a sore thumb, and summoned the courage to venture out onto the streets, point at something that looks delicious, and dig in. Better Life Lab is a partnership of Slate and New America. Melissa Turner left her job as a document control administrator late last year after receiving a pudendal neuralgia diagnosis. Pudendal neuralgia, a little-known condition resulting from injury to the pelvic nerves, happens to women and men (most often from childbirth and bicycle injuries). The majority of people with this condition cannot sit or walk without encountering severe pain. Turners job required spending a significant amount of time walking in a large office building, gathering papers from multiple printers, and it was too painful for her to continue. My work was too stressful and exacerbated my PN. I do not think I will be able to return, she said. Advertisement Turner now seeks a position where she can do administrative work from home on a phone and laptop, preferably while reclining. Im trying to find something that fits the new me, she said. She is one of many people with disabilitiesin her case an invisible disability (one that cant be seen immediately on the body)struggling to find work that matches her skill set and abilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement America has a jobs mismatch problem. As official unemployment numbers fall, more businesses claim to have trouble filling the jobs theyve got open. Simultaneously, a large population of people categorized as disabled who are skilled and seeking work are unable to find employment. We have an incredible untapped workforce, millions of people with disabilities, many of whom need only minimal accommodations in order to perform well in an office or other workplaceaccommodations that should be easy to provide in the digital age, with the wide range of solutions available. Advertisement According to the U.S. Census Bureau, roughly 19 percent of the populationmore than 56 million peoplequalify as disabled. This can include hearing, vision, cognition, mobility, or other self-care limitations, such as difficulty dressing or bathing. Among Americans ages 18 to 34, 6 percent are disabled, and in those ages 35 to 64, 16 percent are disabled. Of those who are disabled, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17.5 percent of disabled people age 16 and above were employed as of 2015. Not all disabled people can or should be expected to work. But it is unclear what percentage of disabled people could work based on available data on types of disabilities, severity of those disabilities, and existing skill sets, if the right job and accommodations were available. Advertisement Advertisement A common refrain tends to be that hiring disabled people is a burden to companies, that it is too costly to pay for necessary adaptations. A CPRF study found that A discrepancy exists between employers willingness to hire persons with disabilities and actual hiring practices. That is, while most employers say they are willing to hire PWDs [people with disabilities], employment statistics suggest that their behavior is not consistent with their attitudes. Even as diversity and inclusion programs become more commonplace, most organizations have not made significant progress when it comes to providing opportunities for disabled individuals. Sometimes they claim accommodations are too costly, even though some accommodationslike working from homecan actually save companies significantly. According to the 2017 State of Telecommuting in the U.S. Employee Workforce study by Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs, if the telecommuting workforce expanded to include those who could and wanted to work from home, the potential employer savings could approach $690 million a year. Advertisement Advertisement How do we resolve this mismatch? According to EARN, the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion, The key is to ensure doors are openliterally and figurativelyto all qualified individuals, including people with disabilities. The truth is, opening the doors is easier than most people would imagine. Advertisement First, companies need to change their internal cultures, and though this can often sound like an enormous task, it begins with a few basic steps. The most criticalcultural change requires an attitude shiftaway from fear of potential costs or unknown burdens, toward opportunity and inclusion. Talented people can come from anywhere: A blind man hired to work on product design might discover new ways to improve products others would not, because of the different way he interacts with the world. When companies open their cultures to include disabled people, everybody can win. Advertisement As attitudes change, so should some standard processes that can unwittingly keep disabled workers out of the jobs theyre suited for. When screening potential interviewees, hiring managers can conduct phone-based and remote interviews to avoid letting physical presence become an advantage and make skills assessments a standard part of the process to reduce potential for bias. Managers and executives need to be able to look past their own unconscious biases, promote trainings to combat that problem systemically, and put in place policies to encourage and incentivize employees to come up with creative solutions to problems, rather than to work in the same old ways. Advertisement Companies can and should test different aspects of workplace flexibility and measure their results. Workplace flexibility can mean altered schedules, working from home, part-time work, or job sharing, all of which can be important not only to employees with disabilities but to all of their workers. Advertisement Beyond culture change, theres technology. There are a number of new and not so new technologies companies can integrate, for little money, that will go a long way to making their workplaces more accessible. Assistive technologies, also known as adaptive tech, are just that: any technologies that adapt the workplace for the workerautomatic powered sit-stand desks, Braille displays, text-to-speech software, voice recognition systems, screen magnification, and various mobile devices, for example. And by employing technologies like Skype and Slack for remote collaboration, we can easily bring teams closer together, regardless of their abilities or locations. Advertisement A U.K. Parliament report published in April by the Work and Pensions Committee concluded that assistive technology could have a transformative impact on the disability employment gap and is, in turn, a huge opportunity to boost productivity. Furthermore, they write, It has vast untapped potential. Advertisement The Arc San Francisco, an organization that supports individuals with developmental disabilities, emphasizes the importance of mobile devices for their work. Smartphones and tablets have been revolutionary for our working clients and the companies for whom they work. For example, if you are someone who is more of a visual learner, a long verbal list of your job tasks is going to be a problem. But keeping the list on your smartphone or company tablet where its always handy? That easy reference saves time and ensures an employee takes care of his/her responsibilities, says Meredith Manning, director of communications. Advertisement Advertisement In most workplaces, these kinds of solutions are only rarely considered, and for employees who have put in several years of work first, proving their value. People with disabilities who apply to jobs often arent even considered an option, and its all too easy to come up with reasons why their needs are not reasonable accommodations. And in the case of pregnant women or an employee with a long-term illness like cancer who qualifies for extended leave or a medical leave of absence, the expectation continues to be that when the employee comes back to work, it will be under the same circumstances as beforefull time, in-office, with long hours. But thats not always a reasonable expectation. Advertisement In most cases, the onus is on the disabled person to ask for an accommodation that is personal in nature. We need a system that removes the burden from the employees or potential employees, making them feel comfortable asking for what is needed, and not feeling like an accommodation request must come in lieu of an equitable salary, for example. Advertisement Virgin Media has recently taken on many of these problems, addressing culture and technology at the same time. Through Work With Me, a three-year initiative partnering with the U.K.-based organization Scope, Virgin is combining technology and outreach to challenge the attitudes and discrimination disabled people can face throughout the recruitment process by focusing on tackling the barriers disabled people face getting into, and staying in, work. Advertisement Advertisement According to a Virgin Media spokesman, their goal is to help a million disabled people get in and stay in work by the end of 2020. To do that, Virgin Media is providing resources for disabled people, reaching out to other U.K. businesses, and advocating for policy changes. Virgin Media and Scope are engaging with the U.K. government to ensure action is taken to close the disability employment gap (the difference between the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people) which is stuck at around 30 percentage points and has been for more than a decade. These changes wont happen overnight. In order to succeed, companies should open up the option for working from home to a larger group of employees. If working from home is the norm, not an exception, the stigma about it for disabled workers is no longer a barrier. And when employees see adapted workstations throughout their office, it becomes a regular part of everyones day. Modern technology has caught up with our population and its varied abilities. We no longer have the excuse that the workplace cant make reasonable accommodations for most people, if companies are willing to put a little time into testing the solutions. With minimal technology adjustments and leadership focused on changing our work culture, the problem can be solved, and our society can profit and thrive from it. Talks on Butwal-Gorakhpur power line project to be held The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) plans to hold talks with the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) of India this month to finalise the funding and implementation modality of the 400 kV New Butwal-Gorakhpur Cross-Border Transmission Line Project. Its hard to keep track of all the scandals swirling around EPA head Scott Pruitt, but the funniest one has to be the revelation this week that he attempted to secure a Chick-fil-A franchise for his wife soon after he arrived at the EPA. The Washington Post reported that Pruitt used a government employee to set up a later-canceled call with Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy about a potential business opportunity that turned out to be a franchise for his wife, Marlyn. Asked about the incident on Wednesday, Pruitt tried to explain himself. I love, she loves, we love Chick-fil-A as a franchise of faith, he told a reporter. We need more of them in Tulsa and we need more of them across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The phrase franchise of faith was immediately ridiculed online. Ive been washed clean in the blood of the chicken, Talking Points Memo founder Josh Marshall joked. But Pruitt wasnt pulling the concept out of thin air. Many conservative Christians embrace the chain for the same reason Pruitt does: They recognize the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich as a signifier of conservative Christianity. (Not incidentally, the chicken is also delicious.) For many liberals, Chick-fil-A first became a symbol of conservatism in 2012, when Cathy made a series of comments about his opposition to same-sex marriage. Were inviting Gods judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage, he told one interviewer, later doubling down by saying he supports the biblical definition of the family unit. Activists took note of the fact that the companys charitable organization had donated millions to conservative organizations like the Family Research Council and now-shuttered ex-gay ministry Exodus International. Boycotts were threatened, protests were held, and Chick-fil-As anti-gay reputation lingers to this day. In April, a writer for the New Yorker opined that the brands arrival in New York feels like an infiltration, in no small part because of its pervasive Christian traditionalism. Advertisement For many, the companys reputation as a Christian business goes far beyond its most public cultural controversy. The companys chicken sandwiches became a favorite choice among conservatives in Washington after the marriage controversy. In a 2015 article titled Why Republicans Cant Stop Eating Chick-Fil-A, National Journal reported that the scent of fried chicken practically permeates the walls of the Capitol. At the time, Chick-fil-A catered a monthly event for House conservatives hosted by the Heritage Foundation, whose office ordered in from the chain regularly. Reporter Sarah Mimms found the 2012 controversy was a turning point: House Republicans spent $345 in taxpayer funds on Chick-fil-A in the three years before the dust-up, and almost $13,000 in the two years afterward. [Chick-fil-A] kinda got abused, then-Sen. Jeff Sessions told Mimms, and I guess some would like to support em. Advertisement Advertisement Its clearly a mistake, though, to believe that the Christians who love Chick-fil-A are all doing so as a statement about same-sex marriage. For many, the Atlanta-based companys reputation as a Christian business goes far beyond its most public cultural controversy. Founder Truett Cathy, Dan Cathys father, infused his business with religious symbolism from the start. Every Chick-fil-A restaurant closes on Sundays, because Truett didnt believe in handling money on the Lords Day. The companys corporate purpose begins with the words To glorify God. And its leadership reflects its values: All six members of the companys executive committee list some kind of church involvement or Christian nonprofit in their bios. The company remains private in part to retain its Christian identity. And that character is expressed in countless subtler ways too. Dan Cathys bio describes him as a servant-leader, for example, a term drawn from the argot of evangelicalism. Advertisement Advertisement Chick-fil-As culture has presumably cost it some business over the years: To say the least, closing one day a weekend is a risk. But the average Chick-fil-A restaurant still earns four times more than the average KFC, and overall it out-earns many chains that have many more locations, including Arbys and Pizza Hut. It has also drawn enormous loyalty from people who share its values. Most evangelical Christians have no problem going out to eat on Sundays, but they still like the gesture of a company that avoids it. A 2017 survey found that 62 percent of evangelicals believed Chick-fil-A has a positive impact on their local community, compared with 48 percent of respondents overall. A recent parody video by Christian comedian Jaron Myers poked fond fun at the chains reputation, like its welcoming of local Bible study groups. Advertisement Advertisement As for Scott Pruitts alleged Chick-fil-Arelated ethical lapse, it didnt come to anything: Marlyn never finished filling out the application to become a franchisee. Perhaps thats because Chick-fil-As rather strict guidelines for potential franchisees make clear that the restaurant should not be considered a passive investment, and that franchisees are expected to work in their restaurants full time and be free of other business commitments. Chick-fil-A may be a franchise of faith, but it still drives a pretty hard bargain. Bernie Sanders has bestowed his personal endorsement on just six congressional candidates in contested primaries so far this election cycle, and most of those have lost. But Sanders isnt buying the idea that the lackluster record is any reflection on his clout. Thats a stupid argument, the Vermont senator told NPR Thursday. Winning primaries, he argued, is secondary to the goals of encouraging more people to participate in the political process and fighting for a progressive policy agenda. On those fronts, he says hes making significant progress. Advertisement I [could] be 100 percent in terms of my endorsements, he said. All youve got to do is endorse establishment candidates who have a whole lot of money, who are 40 points ahead in the poll. You know what, youll come and say, Bernie, you were 100-percent supportive of these candidates, they all won. Sanders said hes instead mostly thrown his support behind underdogs. The candidates that we support, by and large with few exceptions, are all candidates who are taking on the establishment, and are often outspent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats mostly accurate. The two Bernie-backed candidates who have prevailed in House primaries are proud progressives, but they are hardly status-quo-shaking outsiders. Rep. Nanette Barragan was the incumbent in her deep-blue district in California, and Jesus Chuy Garcia was handpicked by the retiring congressman to replace him in a similarly deep-blue district in Illinois. Sanders endorsees have also won a handful of statewide races, including Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams, who also had the backing of a number of national Democrats, and Pennsylvania lieutenant gubernatorial nominee John Fetterman. Advertisement Bernies latest primary defeat, meanwhile, came this past Tuesday in Iowa, where his former state campaign coordinator, Pete DAlessandro, finished a distant third in a three-way congressional primary despite Bernie stumping for him in person, on television, and via his email donor list. In that contest, DAlessandro ran slightly to the left of his two rivals, but the ultimate nominee nonetheless advocated for things like a public option, all-day kindergarten, and a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. Other notable losses include: Marie Newman, a progressive who was unable to defeat a Blue Dog Democrat incumbent in Illinois despite the backing of a wide swath of the liberal groups. Advertisement Sanders may be a victim of his own success, at least when it comes to endorsements. Greg Edwards and Rich Lazer, both of whom came up short in far more wide-open contests in their respective Pennsylvania districts last month, were the most progressive candidates in their races, but each lost to a candidate with progressive bona fides of their own, including support for things like expanded health coverage and a higher minimum wage. Those, of course, were a couple of Sanders hallmarks during his surprisingly successful primary campaign in 2016. Sanders appears to take the long view with his congressional picks too. I hope they win, he said of the candidates he endorses. Maybe they dont. But if you get 45 percent of the vote now, next time you may well win. At virtually every public talk I give about the rise of populism and its threat to liberal democracy, Im asked some version of the same question: Arent there some parts of the world in which the populists havent had any success? What about Canada? The one country in which I have never been asked that question is, you guessed it, Canada. After all, many Canadians vividly remember the embarrassing reign of Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto who claimed to speak for the people, fulminated against his political opponents, and was, um, caught on video smoking crack with drug dealers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Canadians also realized that the Ford moment could come back at any time. After all, Robs brother and closest political ally, Doug, continued to be active in the countrys politics and was cut from the same populist cloth. The fear that one brother could take over from the other has now been realized: Earlier this year, Doug Ford won a crowded primary to become leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in Ontario, Canadas most populous province. And at Thursdays election, he led the party to a stunning victory, winning nearly two-thirds of the seats in Ontarios Legislative Assembly. Advertisement The similarities between Doug Ford and Donald Trump are obvious: A rich entrepreneur, Ford has a long history of dubious business partners and revels in attacking political and cultural elites. When he was his brothers right-hand man on Torontos city council, he called critical journalists jihadists, told an advocate for autistic children to go to hell, explained why neither he nor his brother would attend Pride events by saying he didnt want to see buck-naked men, and complained that in his constituency, there were more libraries than Tim Hortons (think a Canadian version of Dunkin Donuts). Advertisement Fords run for premier has been no less populist. He has, of course, claimed that he alone stands for the people: [T]his victory is for the people, he said in typical fashion at his election night rally. He has also sought to delegitimize anybody who disagrees with him: Continually stressing the supposed corruption of Kathleen Wynne, then the incumbent Liberal Party premier, he promised to follow the money through an outside audit and implied that she may soon be going to jail. But it is the closing argument in one of the key debates that most clearly encapsulates his campaigns distinctly Trumpian spirit: Advertisement Advertisement After 15 years of mismanagement, scandals, and waste of your hard-earned tax dollars the liberal government is desperate to hold onto power to continue lining in the pockets of their friends and their liberal insiders. I want to make sure that we run a government that respects the taxpayers. You know me: Im for the little guy. Fords upset victory is yet another sign that all those political scientists and commentators who confidently dismissed fears of a worldwide populist surge as alarmist back in early 2017 have been proved depressingly wrong. But it offers four further lessons of particular relevance far beyond the land of milk and maple. 1. Populism is a chronic disease. It is tempting to think of populism as an acute illness: A charismatic candidate like Donald Trump comes along and seduces voters with outsize promises. Once they see that the gifts on which he campaigned dont materialize, and become fed up with his chaos and mismanagement, they slowly grow resistant to his charms. Things finally go back to normal. Advertisement Advertisement As Jordan Kyle and I argued after the last Italian election, this simply isnt what happens. On the contrary, populists are incredibly adept at surviving in office despite disappointments; at handing the reins of power over to political friends or blood relatives; and at infecting the political system with populist energy even if their own movement gradually fades. The election in Ontario is a perfect example of this broader trend: Rob Ford was disgraced as mayor of Toronto because he literally lit up a crack pipe on camera. He eventually died. But his brother has proved capable of taking his mantle and now rules over one-third of Canadas population. Even when things go wrong, populism, does not implode: It just hibernates. Advertisement Advertisement This should remind Americans that they will have to keep up the fight against Donald Trump, and all he represents, well beyond 2020. Even if he fails to win re-election, Ivanka Trump or Tom Cottonor an authoritarian populist of a different ideological stripe altogethercould well surge in 2024 or 2028. The fight against populism is a generational war, not a temporary battle. 2. Populists win when the opposition is divided. Populists claim that they alone speak for the whole people. As we know from Donald Trumps election, though, they often win large political victories without actually getting a majority of the vote. This was once again the case in Ontario: Though Ford won nearly two-thirds of the seats in Parliament, he only won a little more than 40 percent of the vote. The rest of the vote was split between the left-wing New Democratic Party, at 34 percent, the center-left Liberal Party, at 19 percent, and the far-left Green Party, at 5 percent. In other words, the far-right will rule in Ontario even though, cumulatively, the parties of the left had a much greater share of the vote. Advertisement Advertisement Many Canadians are blaming Fords victory on the first-past-the-post system: Like in elections for the U.K. House of Commons, or the House and Senate in the United States, each district is represented by the candidate who wins the most votes. When a number of different candidates are competing for the lefts support, this allows a right-wing candidate to win with a bare plurality of the vote. In truth, though, nearly every electoral system is vulnerable to similar vote splits. Poland, for example, has a system of proportional representation in which parties are allocated seats in parliament in proportion to their support in the general population. But to avoid an extreme splintering of the party system, Poland, like most other countries with proportional representation, also establishes a minimum threshold that smaller parties have to clear to gain parliamentary representation. Because the left was hopelessly split, this allowed the radical Law and Justice Party to take an absolute majority of seats in the Sejm in 2015 even though the party got 38 percent of the votesan even smaller proportion than Rob Ford got. Advertisement Advertisement While some institutional reform might help to alleviate these problemsLee Drutman, a senior fellow at New America, for example, makes an interesting case for the benefits of ranked-choice votingthe only real answer is for opponents of populism to unite when they face perilous elections. This is why it is so reassuring that the Democrats have, so far, avoided the civil war between the far-left and the center-left that so many had predicted for this springs primary season. But it is also why Democrats should not be too sanguine about victory in 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Trumps approval ratings hover at about 42 percent. That sounds like very good news for his opponents. But as Doug Ford has just reminded us, this level of support can, under the wrong circumstances, be more than enough for populists to win bigespecially if third-party candidates swoop in to divide the opposition. 3. Right-wing populism is possible without racism or xenophobia. It is tempting to think of right-wing populism as synonymous with racism or xenophobia. After all, from Donald Trump in the United States to Matteo Salvini in Italy and Viktor Orban in Hungary, most right-wing populists do spend a lot of their time fulminating against ethnic and religious minorities. Advertisement But when you look at lists of the controversial statements made by either Rob or Doug Ford, racist dog whistles are, for the most part, conspicuous in their absence. In a sense, this should not come as a surprise: Torontos racial makeup is now majority minority. And while Ontario as a whole remains much less diverse, it would have been difficult for Doug Ford to become premier of the province without making significant inroads among minority voters. In another sense, though, this goes completely against the prevailing narrative. Especially in the United States, the left continues to invest a lot of hope in the idea of the inevitable demographic majority. As I have argued before (and will do again), the moment when Americans who actually identify as being members of a minority group will be in the majority is much more distant than authors like Ruy Teixeira believe. Just as importantly, it is far from clear that minority voters could never vote for populist candidates: As Robs success in Toronto and Dougs success in Ontario demonstrates, populists can do very well among minorities by singing from the same old hymn book while tearing out its most racist pages. 4. Populists can rise very quickly. Theres a reason why all those people at my talks used Canada as an example of a country in which populists had not won major victories. The country is ruled by Justin Trudeau, one of the few remaining progressive leaders in the world. Until a few days ago, Liberals led Ontario for 15 years. Despite a few signs of turbulencelike the temporary surge of the Wildrose Party in Albertathe countrys politics were remarkably placid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What a difference a few months make. In Ontario, the Liberals have gone from dominating the political scene to being reduced to seven elected members in the provincial assembly. This is sure to give Trudeau nightmares: If he continues to be popular, he might well win re-election with a resounding victory in fall 2019. But if he stumbles, he could be felled by a resurgent rightand mutilated by his left competitors in the NDP. The same holds true for many other countries as well. Populists are likely to do well when Sweden, another country that has long been hailed as an exception to the populist rise, votes this fall. The German political establishment still counts on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to fade at the next federal elections in 2021. But there is just as much of a chance that the AfD will grow stronger, making the country increasingly difficult to govern. Finally, Frances Emmanuel Macron pulled off an incredible upset in 2017. But with his popularity sagging, the populists could celebrate just as stunning an upset when he is up for re-election in 2022. When Trump won in the United States, political elites in many countries put his success down to specifically American pathologies. But less than two years on, it is clearer than ever that America is not so unique after all: From Sweden to Canada, there isnt a country in the world in which populists might not succeed. Even at a time when the cohesion of Western liberal democracies is more imperiled than at any time in recent memory, the dangers they face are astoundingly similar. President Trump has been peddling tariffs as the nationalist economic elixir to make America something again and ahead of the G7 meeting in Canada Friday, Trump has sparred with longtime allies of the U.S. unilateralism on trade. Its not just China thats fallen into the crosshairs of Trumps economic nationalism (and fought back), historical economic and political allies in Europe, as well as Americas neighbors, Mexico and Canada, have responded by angrily unfurling their very own tariffs on wide array of American goods from steel to orange juice. This wasnt unexpected. The domino effect of reciprocal protectionism is long-understood to be the problem of just such a mercantilist worldview. Advertisement So whats Trumps endgame? You would hope the economic benefits would be sufficiently staggering such that there would be enough left over to help repair the bridges the U.S. is torching as it looks to penny pinch its way into an uncertain global future without any clear and coherent vision of a global economic system much different from the one that currently exists. That appears to have been too much to ask. Even the Trump White Houses own analysis of Trumps tariffs determined they will hurt American economic growth, the New York Times reported Thursday. The internal study conducted by the White House Council of Economic Advisers counters the administrations sunny projections and aligns more closely with what economists outside the White House have warned. In a March survey of an expert panel of academic economists assembled by the University of Chicagos Booth School of Business, no economist agreed with the statement, Imposing new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum will improve Americans welfare, the New York Times reports. This week, the World Bank said in its Global Economic Prospects Report that if tariff threats led to trade wars, the consequences could be devastating. It pointed to intensifying protectionism around the world as a risk to economic growth. The Trump administrations apparent policy of separating parents and children entering the U.S. without paperseven those seeking asylumhas drawn criticism, and rightly so: Its transparently cruel and essentially disconnected from any public safety or child welfare purpose. A district court judge has also said such a policy, if it did exist, would be a clear and brutal constitutional violation. Its also a breathtaking departure from the procedural norms that the U.S. legal system has developed over decades for removing children from their parentsa process that state courts treat with a constitutional seriousness akin to criminal cases. As a public defender in Connecticut, Ive represented parents and children in neglect and abuse cases for almost 10 years, and while the system is far from perfect, the prevailing understanding among all participantsjudges, parents and childrens lawyers, and the state child welfare agencyis that family separation is the last resort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aside from the few standout cases that make the news, we seldom hear about child-removal proceedings, which take place behind closed doors and affect almost exclusively the very poorest among us. But its worth looking at how the system works to understand just how extraordinary the governments current actions have been in these cases. As long ago as 1923, the Supreme Court recognized the right to have and raise children as a fundamental liberty. Since at least 1972, courts have recognized both parents and childrens rights to family integrity as constitutionalnot to be trampled absent a compelling government justification. Although the U.S. Supreme Court has held that parents are not entitled to a lawyer in all child-removal proceedings, every state but Mississippi provides free counsel to indigent parents. Appellate courts often note that termination of parental rights has been called the civil equivalent of the death penalty. Advertisement As a practical matter, courts presume that family separation should not occur, and child welfare agencies have the burden of proving that its absolutely necessary. In every state, the agency can remove a kid in an emergency but has to get a judge to sign off within a short time (in Connecticut, its four days), and the parents get a trial with a lawyer soon after (usually in less than a month). At that trial, the agency has to prove that the child is in immediate risk of serious physical harm. In the courts where I practice, its not uncommon for the agency to fail to meet this burden. Even when the burden is met, a parent can go back to court soon afterward and argue that the risk is no longer serious enough to warrant continued separation. Advertisement As a practical matter, courts presume that family separation should not occur. When children are removed, states are required in all but the most severe cases to work toward family reunification, and the resources they expend on this can be extensive: Parents get visits, mental health care, housing assistance, job training, transportation vouchers, and more. Although those of us who represent parents often have to fight for it, its not unheard of for state agencies to buy furniture for our parent clients, to help them with apartment security deposits, and to fly them from other states for visits. These efforts can go on for two years or more. Among parents Ive seen reunited with their kids were a father who broke his sons leg by throwing him down in anger, a mother who ran over someone on purpose with her kids in the car, and more people addicted to heroin than I can recall. The legal standard for parents in child-protection matters is minimally adequate. In other words, if a court has to choose between leaving a child in a comfortable, loving foster home or returning her to an impoverished, barely capable parent, the parent wins. Even a perfect grandparent is presumed less suitable than a deeply flawedbut not dangerousparent. Appellate courts around the country have ruled again and again that it is inappropriate even to make comparisons between parents and nonparents based on material resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These rules arent just judicially created mechanisms to discourage needless family separation, the way the suppression of evidence discourages illegal police searches. They rest on years of experience and research showing that parent-child relationshipseven those marked by neglect or abuseare hard to replace, and family separation is inherently traumatic. Foster care is, at best, a necessary evil that yields long-term outcomes no better than if kids stayed home. I have seldom represented a child beyond infancy who hasnt developed new behavioral problems when separated from her parents, and its common for teenagers to try to run away from foster care to reunite with their parents, no matter the circumstances that led to their removal in the first place. Advertisement In this context, the federal governments family-separation policy is astounding. It affords immigrant parents, most of whom arent accused of any child-rearing failure, less visitation and fewer procedural rights than parents accused of serious physical abuse, parents with chronic mental health and substance abuse problems, and parents facing serious criminal charges. It treats immigrant children as an afterthought. The system I work in is woefully imperfect, but it endeavors to be nonpunitive, to make childrens needs paramount, and to consider the fundamental rights of parents. The governments treatment of immigrant families seems designed to do the opposite. A suspected Russian operative who has worked for years with former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been indicted for witness tampering, Robert Muellers special counsel office announced today. The individual, Konstantin Kilimnik, is named in a new superseding indictment of Manafort which charges both of them with obstructing justice by contacting two public relations executives with whom they had worked on what prosecutors say was a 2012-era scheme to illegally disguise paid lobbying on the behalf of a Russia-backed regime in Ukraine. Prosecutors say Manafort and Kilimnik contacted the associates by phone and messaging apps this year and attempted to convey to them that they should disseminate the (allegedly false) narrative that the lobbying in question did not take place in the United States. (The PR executives are not, at this point, accused of any wrongdoing.) Those accusations were previewed in a Monday filing by the special counsels office that seeks to modify the conditions of Manaforts bail; a hearing on that subject will take place June 15 and could result in Manafort going to jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its been previously reported that Kilimnik, a colorful Ukraine-born figure who was trained as a translator by the Soviet military intelligence organization GRU, was an individual referred to in other special counsel filings as Person A. Muellers team has asserted that Person A has ties to a Russian intelligence service and had those ties in 2016, while a recent Atlantic story by Manafort expert Franklin Foer suggests that Kilimnik is currently living in Russia. (In any case, to be clear, he has not been arrested by agents of the U.S. Department of Justice. He has denied that he is a Russian spy.) Mueller is investigating Manaforts shady past work in Ukraine not just to gain legal leverage against him but to determine whether the Russian figures to whom he was connected there were used as a back channel to the Trump campaign in 2016. For now, despite Kilimniks indictment, that question remains unanswered. On Tuesday, CNN published Sen. Lindsey Grahams one-page letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. He concisely asked three questions that have cast a small shadow on the Robert Mueller investigation for more than a year: Do you consider yourself a potential witness in the Mueller investigation regarding the firing of Director [James] Comey by President Trump? If not, why not? If so, should you recuse yourself from further interactions with and oversight of the Mueller investigation? Over the past week, a series of events and reports have cast Rosensteins role under a bigger shadow, giving fodder to Trump allies to attack the legitimacy of the investigation. Many of those attacks are in bad faith. But the central question is valid: How can one supervise an investigation in which one is a central witness? For those who care about protecting the investigation from interference by bad-faith actors and about the investigation maintaining an appearance of propriety, there is a balanced solution: Rosenstein should recuse from the obstruction investigation but continue the Russia investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, my friend Norm Eisen, along with Virginia Canter and Conor Shawall legal ethics expertspublished an article in Politico explaining why ethics rules do not require Rosenstein to recuse, Spare the Rod. But wouldnt that then spoil the investigation? This is no regular DOJ case. It is an unprecedented situation facing unprecedented political scrutiny and partisan assault. Even if DOJ ethics advisers have told Rosenstein he has not technically violated any ethics rules, he should recognize that the politics, perceptions, and common sense lead to the compromise solution proposed above. The logistical complications of such a split are less challenging than the risks of ignoring these concernsor the risks of offering Trump a pretext to fire Rosenstein. Advertisement This is no regular DOJ case. It is an unprecedented situation facing unprecedented political scrutiny and partisan assault. On Monday, I suggested on Slates Trumpcast that Rosenstein needs to recuse from the obstruction case, but Im hardly the first person to identify this problem. In fact, from the beginning, legal commentators like Jack Goldsmith, Benjamin Wittes, and Daniel Hemelwho argued for recusal in Slate in May 2017suggested a strong case for recusal based on just the basic facts. To review: On May 8, 2017, Trump directed Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Rosenstein to produce memos to justify firing Comey. On May 9, Rosenstein sent his memo to Sessions with sharp criticism of Comey, concluding: The FBI is unlikely to regain public and congressional trust until it has a Director who understands the gravity of the mistakes and pledges never to repeat them. Having refused to admit his errors, the Director cannot be expected to implement the necessary corrective actions. On May 18, 2017, Rosenstein told senators that he knew Comey would be fired before he wrote his memo. Advertisement Advertisement Since then, further reporting has only made this situation more problematic. First, we learn that, before Trump asked Rosenstein to write the memo, Trump had drafted a letter described in the New York Times as an angry, meandering screed with a reference to Comey telling Trump he was not under investigation in the F.B.I.s continuing Russia inquiry. Trump never sent this letter to Comey, but Rosenstein was reportedly given a draft when asked for his own memo. Then last week, the New York Times reported that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe wrote a confidential memo describing a conversation with Rosenstein at the DOJ after Comeys dismissal: Advertisement Rosenstein said Trump had originally asked him to reference Russia in his memo. Rosenstein didnt elaborate on what Trump had wanted him to say. To McCabe, that seemed like evidence Comeys firing was related to the FBI investigation into Trump campaigns ties to Russia, and Rosenstein helped provide a cover story by writing about the Clinton investigation. Advertisement The story offered mixed reporting about what Trump actually may have said to Rosenstein: One person who was briefed on Mr. Rosensteins conversation with the president said Mr. Trump had simply wanted Mr. Rosenstein to mention that he was not personally under investigation in the Russia inquiry. The fact of the memo, though, raises further questions about Rosensteins role in the entire episode. Advertisement Moreover, the New York Times reported earlier this year that in the days before Comeys removal, Sessions asked officials to spread dirt about Comey. From the Times: The attorney general wanted one negative article a day in the news media about Mr. Comey, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting. (The Justice Department has denied this.) Advertisement This raises important questions. Was Rosenstein a witness to this alleged effort? The Times noted: Earlier that day, [Rosenstein] had pulled one of [White House Counsel Don] McGahns deputies aside after a meeting at the Justice Department. Mr. Rosenstein told the aide that top White House and Justice Department lawyers needed to discuss Mr. Comeys future. It is unclear whether this conversation was related to the effort to dig up dirt on Mr. Comey. Jack Goldsmith wrote in Lawfare at the time that it was unthinkable for Rosenstein not to have recused at this point: I cannot fathom how, in this light, he remains the supervisor in charge of that investigation, since a reasonable person would question his impartiality in the matter. Advertisement Advertisement These stories would be relevant to any obstruction case because the statute requires proof of corrupt intent, and Rosenstein may have witnessed acts that would illustrate such intent. It seems logical, then, that Rosenstein will inevitably be called as a witness at some stage of the case. In fact, the Trump team lawyers have focused on these events in the letter that they sent to Mueller in January. They cited Rosensteins memo at length in justifying Comeys firing, and added: Advertisement As you also know, far from merely signing off on a Presidential decision or taking a weak or indirect action indicating a tacit or pressured approval, Mr. Rosenstein actually helped to edit Mr. Comeys termination letter and actively advised the President accordingly. Advertisement They emphasize that Trump acted on the written recommendation and with the overt participation of his Deputy Attorney General, and that it is unthinkable that he could then be accused of obstruction for doing so. The lawyers message is clear: Rosenstein participated in this act that Mueller is investigating as felony obstruction, an investigation which Rosenstein is supervising. Their memo is embarrassingly wrong in many ways on both law and fact, but here, they have identified a valid concern. What does the law require? The rules for recusal are not clear, and we certainly have no precedents for a case like this. Citing many American Bar Association rules and government regulations, Eisen, Canter, and Shaw may be right that technically, Rosenstein isnt legally required to recuse. But they didnt address a key rule in the recusal regulations. That rule offers guidance in disqualification arising from a personal or political relationship with a subject. Advertisement Under the regulations narrow definition of a political relationship, these rules might not technically apply. Even if the regulation does not formally apply to Rosenstein, though, the principles in this regulation should inform this unprecedented case and its intense political scrutiny. As a witness to the obstruction, can Rosenstein be fully impartial, as this rule demands? Is there an appearance of a conflict of interest likely to affect the public perception of the integrity of the investigation or prosecution, as the rule says needs to be avoided? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rosenstein seems to have asked DOJ ethics advisers about this conflict, and apparently they have not told him he has to recuse. He has probably addressed these concerns with good explanations. That may have been enough to satisfy these advisers, but he will be called to give these same explanations as a witness. These ethics experts might be right that the regulations do not formally require recusal. But that doesnt address the more important question: Should he choose to recuse anyway? Advertisement Eisen, Canter, and Shaw are leading experts on the DOJ regulations and ABA guidelines, and Im definitely not. But Ive written about judicial independence and judicial recusal rules, and the overarching rule for judges is to avoid the appearance of bias and the appearance of impropriety. The same principles should apply here. Lets imagine how this might play out legally and politically. Mueller issues a report in the upcoming year on obstruction. It is up to Rosenstein whether to send the report to Congress, and he does. If the House is controlled by Democrats at that point, it would presumably hold hearings as consider the drafting of articles of impeachment. Either at these hearings, or at an eventual Senate impeachment trial, Rosenstein would then be called as a witness. Advertisement Advertisement Republicans would presumably point out the hypocrisy of these charges for an act that Rosenstein recommended and would use him to highlight the hypocrisy. They would ask Rosenstein if he knew Trump had Russia in mind when he asked Rosenstein to write the memos. Lets say Rosenstein answers yes. They would then ask whether that might indicate corrupt intent. If he says yes, they would then ask: 1. Then why did you participate and recommend firing? 2. Why didnt you report it? Why didnt you resign? 3. Did you participate in or know about the campaign to dig up dirt on Comey before he was fired? Was that obstruction? 4. If firing Comey is a criminal act for which Trump is getting impeached, why shouldnt you be investigated for conspiracy to obstruct justice or aiding and abetting? Is it because you were in charge of the investigation? 5. Finally: Did you push the investigation to focus on the wrongdoing of others in order to deflect attention away from your own conduct? Advertisement Advertisement What if Rosenstein says that he didnt think the Russia comments were signs of corrupt intent? Or what if he says he doesnt know? Wont there be valid questions about whether Rosenstein, or a potential impeachment prosecution, has been tempted to avoid such admissions in order to protect Rosenstein and their case? Last fall, I wrote that Vice President Mike Pence and McGahn could face obstruction charges for their role in Comeys firing. It would be hypocritical to pretend that Rosenstein doesnt face similar questions for the same sequence of events. Lets be honest: There are legitimate questions about Rosensteins role in Comeys firing. Observers who support the rule of law may be happy that Rosenstein then appointed Mueller and has appeared to be a stalwart supporter of the investigation since then, but Trumps defenders may see that support for Mueller as a deliberate overcorrection to avoid questions about his own aiding of obstruction. Advertisement Advertisement Heres another problem: Some have speculated that Rosenstein has not formally recused because the investigators might not be investigating obstruction. But its clear, based on the conversations between Trumps team and the special counsels office, that Mueller is. Some have speculated that Mueller might choose to not bring any obstruction charges because of the Rosenstein problem. The fact that this is even a question is a mess. Again, the simplest proposal is that Rosenstein recuse from the obstruction investigation, but keep the Russia investigation. Of course, the two investigations overlap significantly, but Rosenstein is not a witness and is not implicated in the Russia investigation. Some suggest that administration insiders have leaked strategically to undermine Rosenstein, and that may be true, but the underlying facts, regardless of these new leaks, were sufficient to raise these questionsand even make him vulnerable to these types of leaks in an actual trial or impeachment proceeding. Others suggest that recusal gives a perverse incentive for Trump to implicate the next prosecutors, make them witnesses and force their recusal, but the solution then would be similar to the one Im proposing here: They could retain their original investigation, and hand off the new facts of obstruction to a new supervising prosecutor. There would be some practical problems when Mueller wants to interview a witness who touches on both investigations, but Rosenstein can limit his approval to Russia matters, and the other acting attorney general would cover any witnesses or questions relating to obstruction. The obstruction case has progressed so far, with so much publicly available evidence, with so many public confessions by Trump, that even an unsympathetic acting attorney general could not do much to undermine the investigation itself. Unfortunately, the new acting attorney general could have the power to send the report to Congress or withhold itwhich both implicates the importance of ensuring Rosensteins impartiality and the trustworthiness of the next acting attorney general. And that may be one of the biggest problems with Rosensteins recusal: whos next in line? Its Solicitor General Noel Francisco. I and many other observers have serious concerns about him based on his conduct in the travel ban case and his heightened political background, compared to the career DOJ professionals. An ideal solution would be for Rosenstein to work out an agreement to partially recuse on the obstruction if Francisco agrees to recuse as well. There are other top DOJ lawyers who could supervise the obstruction case without raising questions about legitimacy from either side. Under this proposal, neither would be confessing bias, but only offering a vigilant defense against the appearances of bias. One core principle is that our justice system must avoid the appearance of bias or conflict of interest. Rosensteins recusal is both a matter of principle and a practical necessity given how the next steps will likely proceed. EPA director and incredibly prolific scandal generator Scott Pruitt is again back in the headlines, after having been out of them for about five minutes, for another alleged act of hilariously petty corruption: While EPA security agents are required to protect Pruitt at all timeswhile he is working and during his off hourstwo individuals said the administrator had asked members of the detail to perform tasks that go beyond their primary function. In one instance, they said, he directed agents to drive him to multiple locations in search of a particular lotion on offer at Ritz-Carlton hotels. Advertisement That passage (which I edited slightly for clarity) is from the Washington Post, which also says that Pruitt asked his security team to perform the much more conventional abuse-of-an-administrative-assistant task of picking up dry cleaning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amazingly, there have been no indications in published reports that Pruitt is in danger of getting fired for any of his many scandalsand though this White House does maintain a general air of unaccountability, other administration figures such as Michael Flynn, Tom Price, Rob Porter, and Anthony the Mooch Scaramucci have been pushed out after generating bad press. Why does Pruitt remain? Among the theories the Slate staff has generated : Trump is still ultimately planning to fire attorney general Jeff Sessions and replace him with Pruitt, who was the attorney general of Oklahoma and who Trump (presumably) sees as more loyal to him than Sessions. Trump has seized on deregulation as one of his administrations main accomplishments and sees Pruitts continued presence as a net positive. (Compare that with Price, the former Secretary of Health and Human Services, who was involved in the failed effort to repeal Obamacare). Trump approves of and relates to Pruitts (alleged) graft stylein which public business is mixed indiscriminately with family business and the pursuit of perks and luxurieson a personal level. Trump is not particularly personally implicated by Pruitts misbehavior (as he was by Flynns secret transition-period phone conversation about Russia sanctions). Another potential reason is that theres no Pruitt rival in Trumps camp trying to get him fired (like there was for Mooch and Porter)though, if there was, leaking a series of stories about things like inappropriate requests for high-end hand lotion would be a good way to do it. President Trump will hold his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this Tuesday, and all signs suggest hes done little to prepare for the occasion. Worse still, he thinks hes totally prepared; he doesnt know how much he doesnt know, and thats the most dangerous form of overconfidence. The clue came just before Trumps meeting on Thursday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who rushed to Washington for the second time in as many months to make sure the American president doesnt give away the store when he sits down with Kim on June 12 in Singapore. Advertisement When a reporter asked Trump if he was prepared for the summit with Kim, he replied, I think Im very well prepared. I dont think I have to prepare very much. Its about the attitude. Its about willingness to get things done. But I think Ive been preparing for the summit for a long time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each sentence in this remark reveals a man out of his depth. I think Im very well prepared. In fact, the National Security Council has held no Cabinet-level meetings on the summit. Every other president since World War II has regarded such meetingswhich take into account the views and interests of the Departments of Defense, State, Treasury, the intelligence agencies, and so forthas vital in hashing out an informed, coherent U.S. position on matters of high policy. A lengthy briefing had been planned for Trump during his stay at Camp David last weekend. The president called it off at the last minute. Advertisement I dont think I have to prepare very much. If Trump believes this, he isnt prepared at all. If he and Kim really are going to discuss the complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as he and his aides have said, there is a lot to prepare for, not least just what each of those wordscomplete, verifiable, and so forthmeans and what their implementation involves. A group of midlevel U.S. and North Korean diplomats have been discussing these issues for days now, and their progress has reportedly been glacial. If Trump and Kim are to break the impasse, as leaders tend to do in these circumstances, Trump has to know the issues. Kim certainly does. Advertisement If each one thinks he is coming to the talks in a position of strength, theyll have a hard time finding common ground. Its about the attitude No, it isnt. Attitude and willingness are the premises of a summit; there wouldnt be one otherwise. But to accomplish anything requires integrating intelligence, tactics, strategy, and policy. Theres no sign that Trump or anyone around him has done this. Its about willingness to get things done. No, it isnt. More important is having a clear sense of precisely what things he should want to get done, seeing how those things match up with what the North Koreans want, and whether he should or should not fudge the difference. Advertisement I think Ive been preparing for the summit for a long time. Here is yet another sign that Trump, the real estate tycoon turned president, believes there is fundamentally no difference between negotiating with an international leader and haggling with the New York Buildings Department. Negotiating with North Korea is a more rarefied matter still. Kims father and grandfather, Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung, the nations two previous leaders, developed a distinct bargaining style; while the latest Kim has his own quirks, he has inherited the same crew of negotiators. The style seems crazy by conventional measures, but there is a pattern to the swerves, switcheroos, and outright betrayals that animate a typical session with North Koreans. To deal with the patternto know when to sit calmly, insist sternly, or walk outyou have to recognize the pattern. Does Trump? Do the members of his team? This is a very different sort of chess match from the scenarios laid out in The Art of the Deal. Advertisement Advertisement None of this might matter much in a routine bout of diplomacy, but Tuesdays summit is something new under the sun. It marks the first time a North Korean leader has met with a sitting American president. It comes just months after North Korea declared itself to be a nuclear weapons state. Finally, it comes amid extraordinary turmoil in Americas relations with its allies, which a normal president would be consulting and soothingknowing that a unified effort will be needed in the summits aftermath, however it turns out. Yet Trump has been picking fights with our most stalwart friends in Europe and Asia, over trade, security, the environment, and the survival of democracy itself. He has lately had warmer words for Kim than for the freely elected leaders of Canada, Germany, Britain, or Francewho will be watching how Trump keeps his word to Asian allies as a clue of whether he cares a whit about U.S. commitments to them. (His hostile comments leading up to the G-7 summit this weekend in Quebec, which hell drop in on before heading on to Singapore, are cause for pessimism.) A lot rides on what happens in the coming days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So why is this summit happening? What do Trump and Kim hope to get from it? Trump believes Kim is coming to the table under the pressure of U.S. military threats and economic sanctions. Kim believes Trump is coming to the table because North Korea now has a nuclear arsenal. They both might be right to some degree, but if each one thinks he is coming to the talks in a position of strength, theyll have a hard time finding common ground. To put the matter more starkly: Trump wants North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons; Kim wants Trump and the rest of the world to accept North Korea as a nuclear power. Theres something else that Trump clearly wants from this: the spectacle of triumph. Several close observers of the summits preparation say Trump doesnt care about the details of what his underlings are negotiating, doesnt care that theyre having trouble coming to a common definition of denuclearization. He just wants a dealin part to get a deal for its own sake, in part to come off like a historic figure, and, through that refashioned image, to stave off political pressures back home. (He has tweeted on the irony of his flying off to make world peace with Kim while Democrats and the deep state continue their witch hunt for collusion.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has softened some of his positions going into the talks. He dropped the condition, advanced by national security adviser John Bolton, that North Korea must get rid of its nukes in one big swoop before the United States grants any economic aid or security guarantees. Trump has now said a few times that the accord, if there is one, will be a process and that hes fine with the North Koreans demand for phased and synchronous measures. With that shift, Trump adopted a more realistic, less rigid stance. Advertisement It might have been better if the idea of this summit had never come up. But it did. Its happening. However, Trump also said he would no longer use the term maximum pressure to describe U.S. sanctions policy against North Korea. And on Thursday, officials said he was ready to sign a peace treaty ending the Korean War. (Since 1953, all the combatants have been observing an armistice but are still technically at war.) Advertisement These are extraordinary concessions to make before the summit even gets underwayand before North Korea has done anything other than suspending (not necessarily ending) tests of missiles and nuclear weapons. The end of maximum pressurealong with the fact of the summit itselfhas already moved China and South Korea to relax their sanctions. A peace treaty, as North Koreans define it, would involve the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from South Korea and the end of joint U.S.South Korean military exercises. Why are Americans still here, the North will ask, if we are now at peace? If the summit does go in this direction, Trump and his overseers should be very careful with the joint declarations language. How Likely Is Success? It depends how success is defined. If the measure of success is that North Korea agrees to complete, verified, irreversible denuclearization, that would be stunningbut also extremely unlikely. Trump seems to think he can get Kim to disarm in exchange for promises of massive Western aid and investment, but its not clear that Kim wants the risks to his absolute rule that westernization would likely entail. Kim has allowed a certain measure of economic reform in recent years, but he can sustain that through re-energizing trade with China and South Korea. Advertisement Advertisement What Kim really wants is security guaranteeswhich is to say, he wants the U.S. military out of his neighborhood. At some point, a U.S. withdrawal might be appropriatebut not until North Korea gets rid of its nuclear weapons, demobilizes its conventional military forces, and dismantles its artillery rockets or at least moves them away from the border with South Korea. Even then, the withdrawal should be coordinated with U.S. allies in the region. Advertisement Japans leaders are worried that Trump, in his eagerness for a deal (any deal), will move to withdraw troops prematurely. Trump clearly has little understanding of what alliances are about, seeing them as extortion schemeshe has frequently hammered South Korea, Japan, and the Europeans for spending too little on defense and sucking us dry with unfair trade agreementsrather than as instruments of mutual benefit. Advertisement Its a delicate balance, coming up with a deal that takes down North Korean nukes without shattering the alliance that has maintained stability and U.S. interests in the region. It might have been better if the idea of this summit had never come up. But it did, its happening, and, among the more realistic scenarios, the best one is that not much comes of it. Advertisement Some U.S. and allied officials hope that Trump can be persuaded to settle for a modest standard of success. This might be a joint declaration of lofty, long-term goals (denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, normalized relations, the end of the war), accompanied by a few immediate tangible gestures (an outright ban of North Korean nuclear and missile tests, a prohibition of nuclear-capable U.S. aircraft in regional military exercises, the establishment of consulates in Washington and Pyongyang). Then the two sides can set up a forum where the diplomats can work out the details and discuss a variety of related issues. Advertisement This would be modest but substantive, truly historic, and, more to the point, achievable. The question is, would it be enough? Would it be enough for Trump, who craves something more monumental? (He has talked wistfully of winning the Nobel Peace Prize.) Would it be enough for allies, especially Japan, who want to crush Kims nuclear ambitions more decisively and keep his regime isolated? Advertisement Finally, whatever happens, political and bureaucratic skullduggery will continue to consume Washington. Bolton, who has publicly advocated a preventive first strike against Kims regime, tried to sabotage the summit from his first days in the White House; he will press unrealistic demands while in Singapore, and afterward, just steps away from the Oval Office, he will continue trying to block whatever commitments Trump signs on to making. At the same time, congressional leaders from both parties are demanding that Trump not lift any sanctionswhich were imposed by U.S. lawuntil North Korea gets rid of all its nuclear weapons. (In this sense, Bolton and Congress might serve as a brake to any impulse Trump might have to give away the store.) As Trump has learned to say, this is a process. It will go on for a long time. It would be best if North Korea could be put on the back burner. Its such a small, miserable country; Kim is such a horrid tyrant; and yes, he has a small nuclear arsenal, but we could annihilate the place in the extremely unlikely event that Kim dare attack the United States or its allies. But the Kim dynastys strategy has always been to kick up a fuss, be noticed, aspire to the status of a peer to global powers, and play its stronger, richer neighbors off one anotherall for the goal of survival. Trump has helped open the door for Kims maneuverings. The task, after the summit, will be to keep the peace while keeping the door from flying wide open. Can you believe that were talking about the ending of the Korean War? President Donald Trump said to reporters after a recent White House meeting with a representative of the North Korean government, teasing that a formal end to the 195053 conflict could happen at his upcoming summit with Kim Jong-un. Its quite possible that many in the room actually couldnt believe it, because one can be an informed American in 2018 and not even realize were still in the Korean War. Advertisement When the Korean War ended, the participants in the conflictNorth and South Korea, China, and U.N.-forces led by the United Statesonly signed an armistice, rather than a formal peace treaty, meaning that they are, in some sense, still at war. This fact is often mentioned in news coverage of tensions between these countries, though mostly as a historical curiosity. Despite the continuing presence of nearly 35,000 U.S. troops in South Korea and periodic scares and skirmishes over the past six decades, it hasnt felt much like the U.S. is at war with North Korea. (In North Korea, where schoolchildren are encouraged to bayonet effigies of U.S. soldiers, it may be a different matter.) Then again, it didnt feel like much of a war when the actual fighting was happening either. But in many ways, the Korean War set the template for the sorts of conflictsand the domestic debates surrounding those conflictsof the decades that would follow. America has been fighting the Korean War for the past 68 years, in more ways than one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, the Korean War was a little understood conflict, with inconclusive results, in a country few American knew much about. It didnt involve anything like the mass national mobilization of World War II a few years earlier, or the television coverage that would bring the war in Vietnam into American living rooms a few years later. Despite the deaths of more than 36,000 U.S. troops and the fact that it was the last time troops from two major world powersthe U.S. and Chinafought directly on the battlefield, it has become known as the forgotten war. Compared with other U.S. conflicts, there are few books about it. In debates about foreign policy and the use of force, politicians and experts constantly invoke the legacy of Munich, or the Vietnam syndrome, or the lessons of Iraqbut almost never Korea. Advertisement The Korean war was a preview of many of the mistakes made in wars to come, from Vietnam to Afghanistan to Iraq. The main thing that the Korean War demonstrated was that America would, in fact, continue to face major armed conflict. In the late 1940s, this was an open question: World War IIs devastation in Europe had left the United States as the worlds pre-eminent superpower and the Cold War was only just starting to heat up. Given that the U.S. was in possession of the atomic bomb, it was unclear why it still needed to maintain hundreds of thousands of men and women in uniform. Budgets and manpower were cut sharply, and there was active discussion about the extent to which the Navy and Marines would be required in the wars of the future at all. As a result, when North Korean troops shocked the world by crossing the 38th parallel into U.S.-backed South Korea in 1950, America had a military that, as thenChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Omar Bradley put it, could not fight its way out of a paper bag. U.S. forces were nearly run off the peninsula by the more numerous and battle-hardened North Koreans in the early months of the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Korea, things would be different: It became gospel that America would have to maintain not only permanent war readiness and an edge on spending and military technology over its communist adversary, but also the ability to dispatch troops into combat anywhere in the world. For many of us today, its sad to think that our current permanent war economy was not necessarily inevitable, but for the cold warriors, this shift was a godsend. Korea saved us, Secretary of State Dean Acheson said. From Korea on, American wars would be different. For one thing, the United States would never again declare war. The Korean War was authorized not by Congress but by the U.N. Security Council (a fluke made possible by the fact that the Soviet Union was boycotting at the time). President Harry Truman never actually used the infamous phrase police action to describe the warhe just agreed with a journalist who used itbut the euphemism continued to dog him as the war dragged on and the body count rose. It was in Korea that a blurring of the line between peacetime and wartime began, a blurring that continues in todays debates over the legal basis for the war on terrorism. Advertisement Advertisement Starting with Korea, Americas conflicts would be small wars in faraway places, where the immediate implications for U.S. national security would be ambiguous, and victory elusive. World War II left the American public primed to expect total triumph. But rather than only ending the Korean War if North and South were reunified and communism defeated, the Truman and, later, Eisenhower administrations opted to settle for restoring the border between North and South Korea where it remains today. Americans were understandably outraged that thousands of young men were being asked to die for a tie. As David Halberstam writes, the unpopularity of Trumans conduct of the war was born out of frustration with a conflict that was so unsatisfying and distant and gray and brought so little in the way of victories and seemed so strangely beyond the reach of our absolute weapons. That could describe any number of conflicts today. Advertisement Advertisement America would learn in Korea that in a nuclear age, the prospect of a full-on showdown between superpowersin this case, the U.S., Soviet Union, and Chinawas too terrifying to contemplate, and wars would be limited conflicts with limited goals and generally unsatisfying outcomes. Trump is right that when it comes to war, we dont win anymore. Theres a good reason for that. Advertisement Korea was also a preview of many of the mistakes made in wars to come, from Vietnam to Afghanistan to Iraq. A short list: The U.S. was counting on the legitimacy of the brutal and corrupt (but scrupulously anti-communist) South Korean dictator Syngman Rhee, a mistake the U.S. would later repeat with flawed leaders like South Vietnams Ngo Dinh Diem and Iraqs Nouri al-Maliki. Gen. Douglas MacArthur and his staff cherry-picked intelligence to both conceal from Washington how badly the war was going and downplay the risk that China would enter the conflict. The U.S. reliance on the one overwhelming military advantage it did have, air power, has led to decades of (somewhat justified, though heavily manipulated by the regime) anti-American anger from those who were under the waves of airstrikes. The U.S. military entered the conflict with little cultural understanding of Korea and racist notions about its North Korean and Chinese opponents that led it to downplay their capabilities. And as they would again and again in the decades to follow, leaders in Washington failed to understand that while they viewed themselves as leading a righteous crusade against communism, the people getting bombed saw them as just the latest in a long series of occupiers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Back at home, the politics of the conflict also foreshadowed conflicts to come. With the rise of McCarthyism and the national debate over how the U.S. had lost China to Mao Zedongs communists, the Democrats, under whose leadership the United States had vanquished both the Nazis and Imperial Japan just five years earlier, came to be seen as the party that was weaker on national securityan image the party has never really shaken. Korea was also the beginning of a process of separation between the U.S. military and society at large. Historian Max Hastings writes of one private who returned to his hometown in Connecticut after being discharged, only to be told so you finally got out of jail, by a woman he met on the street. After the draft was abolished later, and the proportion of Americans who served in the military continued to shrink, the divide between civilians and service members, and the degree to which civilians no longer felt they had much of a stake in Americas armed conflicts, would only grow. Advertisement Advertisement More than anything else, Korea was an introduction to the sort of wars America would fight going forwardwars in which the U.S. has had overwhelming superiority in technology and firepower but has been hampered by a lack of on-the-ground understanding, unclear aims, and the stark fact that the locals are often more willing to fight and die for what they want for their own country than we are for what we want for someone elses. Its an open question whether these are the sorts of wars America will continue to fight as its global influence recedes and its rivalsincluding its old Korean War foe, Chinarise to challenge its power. Advertisement With even Trump now acknowledging that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is unlikely to be achieved in the Singapore meeting, its starting to look like a peace agreement for a decades-old conflict might end up being the best hope for a deliverable from this highly anticipated encounter. What ending a war that no one is currently fighting would actually mean in practice is a little unclear. But with so many of the global power dynamics shifting, this does feel like a fitting time to wrap up this one piece of unfinished business from the beginning of the nuclear age. Three workers die in separate incidents Three workers were killed in separate incidents here in Bajhang district. Two labourers died after being struck by a bounder at a road construction site, and another one died while digging the ground for laying drinking water pipe. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump made a startling declaration. As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, the president tweeted. Its true that much of the discussion around the legality of self-interested presidential pardons has either implicitly assumedor outright assertedthat any limit on the presidents pardon power raises purely political questions to be decided by Congresspotentially via impeachmentrather than potential legal questions to be decided by the courts. Its somewhat ironic, then, that the 150-year-old case frequently quoted as the definitive authority for the presidents unfettered prerogative to pardon, Ex Parte Garland, shows that, at least in some circumstances, the limit of the pardon power can be a legal question. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court in Garland parted company 54 on the merits but was unanimous concerning its authority to interpret the scope of the pardon power. The specific question in the Reconstruction-era case was whether requiring a loyalty oath disclaiming past treasonous conduct as a condition for practicing law in federal court was inconsistent with the relief provided by a presidential pardon for that conduct. The court said yes. How might that relate to todays situation? Suppose that President Trump fires Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Special Counsel Robert Mueller, orders the Russia conspiracy investigation closed, and then pardons himself and anyone associated with his campaign from any potential criminal liability, including obstruction of justice. Suppose further that an indictment nonetheless occurred. For the purpose of this hypothetical, lets work around the fact that the Department of Justice has a not yet Constitutionally tested policy that a sitting president cant be indicted. Lets say, for example, that an indictment perfectly in compliance with that policy was issued under seal to be released the date that Trump is no longer in office. Or, lets go so far as to say that the second Trump departs from office, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan ignores the pardon and issues an indictment against Trump for conspiracy to commit bank fraud related to the Stormy Daniels payment, and the U.S. attorney in Washington issues a an indictment for obstruction of justice related to attempts to block the investigations of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trumpno longer presidentwould presumably move to dismiss the indictments on the ground that he couldnt be prosecuted for any crime for which he had already pardoned himself. Advertisement Again, the specifics of the Garland case may be instructive here. In this case, the Supreme Court would have to decide anewas it decided in Garlanda fundamental question about the scope of the pardon power. Here, that question would be whether immunity from prosecution for a scheme to obstruct justice using the pardon power as the instrument to obstruct is consistent with the relief given by the corrupt pardon itself. Again, at first blush, this seems like a paradigmatic political questionthats what we have impeachment for. And to be sure, nothing would stop the House of Representatives from impeaching the president for abusing the pardon power, the very remedy many framers anticipated should that particular abuse arise. But Garland makes clear that the scope of the pardon power can also present a legal question. It would then be up to the current Supreme Courtone that presumably adheres to the view that no one is above the lawto ultimately decide whether to allow the prosecutions to proceed, or to permit the president to have used the pardon power in a way that facilitates one or more crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Again, the specifics of the Garland case may be instructive here. Augustus Garland was an Arkansas lawyer initially admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court in 1860, when he was 28. Then, as now, the court imposed two qualifications, one of competence and one of character. An applicant showed competence by establishing a certain number of years as a member in good standing of the bar in his home state court. He showed character through the attestation of a Supreme Court bar member. Advertisement In March 1865, Congress imposed an additional qualificationattorneys wanting to practice before the federal courts had to take an oath not only that they would prospectively defend the Constitution, but also they had not in the past aided the enemies of the United States. A false oath was punishable as perjury. The Supreme Court changed its admissions rules to incorporate the loyalty oath. This was obviously meant to prevent supporters of the Confederacy from appearing before the court. Advertisement This was a problem for Garland, a citizen of Arkansas. In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the Union, and Garland joined the Confederate government, serving in the legislature. Enter President Andrew Johnson, who in 1865 gave Garland a full pardon for all offenses by him committed, arising from participation, direct or implied, in the Rebellion. There was no dispute that the pardon absolutely insulated Garland from being prosecuted for his past treason, but Garland wanted morehe wanted to be able to practice law in the federal courts. (And Garland really liked practicing in federal court. He is said to have died in 1899 shortly after suffering a stroke while delivering a Supreme Court argument.) The court held that by requiring the loyalty oath, Congress had improperly sought to restrict the presidents pardon power. Writing in sweeping language, the court characterized the pardon power as unlimited, excepting only cases of impeachment. The power extended to every offen[s]e known to law and was not subject to legislative control. By trying to exclude Garland from practicing law in federal court by reason of his prior treason, Congress (and through its rule, the court) had attempted to bar him from continuing in the enjoyment of a previously acquired right, and this in turn was to enforce a punishment for that offense notwithstanding the pardon. That Garland had actively sought to destroy the United States couldnt be allowed to cloud the courts view of his character in light of the sweeping power of the pardon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The four-justice dissent was unsparing. It belittled the majoritys conclusion that Garland had been punished at all. And since all a pardon could do was to relieve a party from criminal punishment, [i]f the oath required as a condition to practi[c]ing law is not a punishment, then the pardon of the President has no effect in releasing him from the requirement to take it. Garlands facts differ from the Trump hypothetical in two respects, but neither is material. Setting the qualifications to practice law is a quintessentially judicial function, and Garland arguably sought a benefitbeing able to practice. In contrast, President Trump and his fellow pardon recipients would be seeking relief from a burden (potential criminal liability), the very thing that pardons are supposed to accomplish. But the question in Garland was not framed as one of moral character or receipt of a potential benefit; it was framed as one of punishment. And the court was clear that it had the authority to determine whether an act of Congress (there, requiring a loyalty oath) was inconsistent with the pardon. Here, the question would be whether the president could be held criminally liable for violating generally applicable obstruction and bank fraud statutes by using a pardon. The Garland ruling teaches that the court should provide the answer. While the Garland courts description of the pardon power as absolute may bode well for the president, the current Supreme Court should at least have the chance to conclude that it is not an improper punishmentand therefore not an improper restriction on the pardon powerto preclude the president from using a pardon as a way of committing bank fraud or obstructing justice. Moments after calling himself Russias worst nightmare, President Trump switched gears dramatically on Friday to say that he wants to invite the country back to the G-7, the group of the worlds economic leaders that was known as the G-8 until Russia was ousted in 2014. Trump made the comments as he was speaking to reporters on the White House South Lawn, before leaving for a G-7 weekend summit in Canada. He continued: Russia should be in this meeting. Why are we having a meeting without Russia being in the meeting? And I would recommend and its up to them, but Russia should be in the meeting, it should be a part of it. You know, whether you like it or not, and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run and the G-7 which used to be the G-8, they threw Russia out. They should let Russia come back in because we should have Russia at the negotiating table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The G-7 meeting was already expected to be contentious given the Trump administrations recent decisions to impose steep tariffs on longtime U.S. allies and to leave the Iran nuclear deal. Russia, which joined the elite group in the 1990s, was expelled in 2014 as punishment for the seizure of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. Trumps comments today have already prompted pushback on the Hill, from both parties. This is weak, Senator Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) told The Hill. Putin is not our friend and he is not the presidents buddy. He is a thug using Soviet-style aggression to wage a shadow war against America, and our leaders should act like it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) tweeted in a thread, .@realDonaldTrump is turning our foreign policy into an international joke, doing lasting damage to our country, without any rhyme or reasonThe presidents support for inviting Russia back into the G-7, just after they meddled in election to support his campaign, will leave millions of Americans with serious questions and suspicions. Advertisement The comments have also raised eyebrows among world leaders, including European commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, who said, The common decision of the G7 was to exclude Russia from the G8 format. It can of course be discussed butwe have to respect the principles of the European Union, which is that European states like Russia have to respect international order and the international rule of law. Advertisement Trump has taken some action in response to Russian aggression in recent months, including authorizing two rounds of sanctions in March, as well as expelling 60 Russian diplomats and closing the Seattle consulate after a former Russian spy was poisoned in Britain. But even as tensions were rising, he also refused to authorize sanctions just a few weeks later to punish Russia for supporting the Bashar al-Assad regimes use of chemical weapons in Syria. And he has continued to express admiration for Vladimir Putin, calling to congratulate him in March on his re-election in spite of a note from his staff that said DO NOT CONGRATULATE. Given the scrutiny focused on his campaigns relationship with the Kremlin, its hardly politically advantageous for Trump to continue sticking up for Russia like this, but he seems not to be able to help himself. A company that makes stun guns and body cameras is teaming up with a company that makes drones to sell drones to police departments, and that might not even be the most worrisome part. The line of drones from Axon and DJI is called the Axon Air, and the devices will be linked to Axons cloud-based database for law enforcement, Evidence.com, which is used to process body-camera data too. And it could open a vast new frontier for police surveillance. Advertisement By working with a company that is already familiar with contracting with police departments, the Chinese-owned DJIthe worlds biggest consumer drone manufacturercould widen up a new, growing customer base: cops. Axon Air, which was announced Tuesday by Axon, is marketed as a way to help law enforcement with search-and-rescue operations, crowd monitoring, traffic-accident reconstruction, and evidence collection. It will make drone data the latest addition to Axons suite of tools for police, which include tasers, body cameras (of which Axon is the countrys biggest seller), and car cameras. Axon CEO Rick Smith recently said that his company is actively considering using facial recognition with its camera technology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company seems to be aware of the troubling societal implicationsor at least the ugly opticsof such a move, announcing in April that it was setting up an artificial intelligenceethics board to inform its use of A.I. in police surveillance tech. Nevertheless, that announcement sparked serious concerns, among civil rights and technology-privacy advocates including the NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union, that pairing Axons products with A.I. could further perpetuate racial profiling by police. For example, a mug-shot database that may be scanned to match footage from a police body camera is likely to have more photos of black faces than white ones. So if police pull over a black driver, the officer could be more likely to match his or her image with a mug shot and engage in further questioning, while a white person pulled over might be less likely to generate a match. Advertisement Axon is clearly hoping to create a central hub for police to cross-reference and access surveillance data. Despite Smiths statement, Axon told me it isnt currently working to deploy facial recognition in its cameras. While we do see the value in this future capability, we also appreciate the concerns around privacy rights and the risks associated with mis-identification of individuals, spokesman Steve Tuttle wrote in an email. But its not just surveillance that some advocates are wary of when it comes to the police-tech company getting into the drone game. Axon also makes tasers, so you could imagine drones being equipped with tasers or with tear gas, rubber bullets, and other weaponry, said Harlan Yu, the executive director of Upturn, a policy nonprofit that works on social justice and technology issues. This isnt necessarily hypothetical. In 2015, the North Dakota legislature passed a law that legalized the use of armed drones by law enforcement, Yu pointed out. Axon has already demonstrated how a stun gun can be added to a drone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Evidence.com, according to Axons press release, is currently used by more than 200,000 public-safety professionals. According to Axons Tuttle, all digital data including PDFs, crime scene photos, CCTV footage, in-car cameras, and now DJI drone video can be associated to a single case filemeaning its possible to look up a case involving a camera mounted in a police car and see if the same case also has drone footage associated with it. Tuttle said that law enforcement agencies own what they upload to Evidence.com, even though the repository itself is owned and maintained by the company. But that doesnt mean police departments cant share that data with other law enforcement agenciesmany already share their surveillance data, through various databasesnor does it mean Axon cant request to access to the data to, say, train artificial intelligence systems. Vigilant Solutions, a police-surveillance-technology company that specializes in storing license-plate-reader data used by law enforcement, allows police departments and federal agencies across the country to share their data with each other, including at times between police departments in sanctuary cities and agencies within Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement By combining drone, body-camera, police-car-camera, and closed-circuit-TV footage, Axon is clearly hoping to create a central hub for police to cross-reference and access surveillance dataa treasure chest of information that, according to Elizabeth Joh, a law professor at the University of CaliforniaDavis who studies civil liberties and police surveillance technology, police departments could find difficult to stop using once they start. Not only is there no real competition from other vendors, said Joh, but once a police department has bought into a certain contract with a company, its very hard to drop it and move on. Theres a lot of investment in training the agency and the officers how to use it. Which could raise a competition issue, with Axon positioning itself as a panoptical must-subscribe for law enforcement agencies. The question here is whether we want this kind of tech monopoly at a time when its clear that tech monopolies like Facebook havent really served the public interest that well, said Joh. Advertisement Advertisement The monopoly question with Axon isnt just about departments being locked into the companys service because of a lack of competition or switching costs. Its also about how the company could monetize its access to police data in the future. Axons dominance in the police-camera surveillance-data market could give the company an unbeatable leg up. Thats because the more data A.I. has to train itself on, the better it is, and so whatever company has the most data will likely have the best product. Axon did, after all, acquire two different artificial intelligence companies for analyzing video footage last year, which the company said in a press release will be combined to form a new division, Axon AI. Advertisement Advertisement A DJI spokesperson said that its partnership with Axon does not include any attachments with offensive capability, or any facial recognition technologybut once a drone is purchased and in the hands of law enforcement, its theirs to do what they want within the bounds of the law. That could mean surveilling a protest with a drone, which is something police have certainly explored doing in the past. In May, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel threw his support behind a bill that would permit police to fly drones over large events for surveillance. And Amazon has been marketing its facial recognition software, Rekognition, which can identify up to 100 people in a single photo, to law enforcement agencies for the past two years. Theres no reason to think that software couldnt be applied to drone footage, whether the capability is contained within the drone itself or is applied to footage sent to a computer on the ground in real time. Advertisement There are good uses of drones that we dont object to in limited situations where it makes sense to have a camera in the sky, whether its for construction or for finding a lost child in the woods, said Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst at the ACLU. He said he becomes concerned with the technology when it ends up being used to monitor a wide area, like by flying over a city broadly collecting data from the air. It could give police the ability to hit rewind on peoples lives and see anywhere theyve been, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not unusual for police departments to procure surveillance technologies without public discussion. But communities concerned about police use of surveillance drones arent without recourse. Oakland, California, passed a strong new ordinance regulating police use of surveillance technologies in May, requiring any surveillance technology that the city wants to be subject to review and approval by a local board of volunteer commissioners. In doing so, police must disclose and engage in conversation around new surveillance technologies they wish to deploy, meaning they couldnt buy surveillance drones without disclosing that information to the public. The California legislature is currently considering a statewide model for this kind of police surveillance privacy check. When municipalities are considering the adoption of drones, they need to be extremely careful, said Yu. They need to consult with communities before adopting these technologies to get their approval, and whether its drones and other police technologies, it should be a democratic decision. The idea behind screening asymptomatic patients for potentially serious medical conditions has obvious attractions. What if we could detect oncoming illnesses in patients before signs or symptoms develop? We could presumably then intervene in time to save lives, costs, and sufferingthis is the principle behind proactive screening, and it certainly sounds great. The trouble is, almost none of medicines efforts to achieve such a result have been effective in saving lives. Last week, the American Cancer Society changed its recommendations on colon cancer screening, lowering its recommended age for first screening from 50 to 45. The impetus for this change, which so far is not being adapted by other major expert bodies including the United States Preventive Services Task Force and the American College of Gastroenterology, is an increase in the rates of colorectal cancer, or CRC, in adults 45 to 50. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We tend to overestimate the benefits of things like screenings without recognizing or tracking the potential harms. The increase in CRC in adults aged 45 to 50 is simultaneously large and minuscule. The large way of looking at things is that it has risen almost 50 percent in the past two decades. That sounds and is impressive, but through an epidemiologic lens, the absolute risk remains small: The rates of CRC in this age group rose from around 1 in 6,000 up to 1 in 3,200. Thats still a fraction of the rates in older adults, and its also worth noting that its been mainly driven by increased incidence among whites. (The rates of CRC in blacks, while higher than whites, has remained steadyin fact, for the first time, the rates of CRC in whites and blacks younger than 50 appear to be the same. The American College of Gastroenterology recommends that black Americans get screened starting at age 45 already.) Advertisement Currently, we simply do not know whether screening asymptomatic patients in younger age groups will change mortality rates. We can theorize that lowering the age of screening has the potential to catch more cases earlier, but its critical to note that the decision to expand screening on a national scale to include adults 45 to 49 is based on zero direct clinical evidence. And the problem with that is that we tend to overestimate the benefits of medical interventions like screenings without recognizing or tracking the potential harms. Advertisement This is part of why experts are split on the expansion of recommendations. Some, like Harvards Sapna Syngal, a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Womens Hospital, think its warranted given what we know about screening in older age groups and the rising incidence. But others feel that given the unclear overall benefits of screening asymptomatic patients for a variety of conditions and the complete lack of evidence in this age group for CRC, this new strategy will merely expand an already shaky paradigm. In other words, the story of colon cancer screening is still being written, and how you feel about the new expansion likely depends on how you feel about screening more broadly. Advertisement Advertisement To most people, colon cancer screening is synonymous with colonoscopy. In reality, less invasive stool-based laboratory tests and special CT scans are almost as effective, far less burdensome and expensive, and unlike colonoscopy, they incite less fear in patients, meaning they have much higher participation rates. Thats why the Canadians and the Europeans have spurned colonoscopy as the mainstay of screening for CRC, instead opting for stool tests that check for the presence of microscopic blood or suspicious DNA, or for flexible sigmoidoscopy (a far less invasive visual test that assesses just the last part of the colon). So why did Americans get hooked on colonoscopy? The short answer is that colonoscopy is slightly more sensitive and, of course, far more expensive. Advertisement Advertisement From the late 1960s to the mid-1980s, colonoscopyin which a tube-shaped camera is inserted into the rectum allowing doctors to visualize the entire colon in search of cancerous polypswent from near science fiction to commonplace. Today, the major guidelines in the U.S. recommend the procedure for adults starting at age 50. In 2000, Katie Couric famously had her first colonoscopy performed live on the Today show, a stunt that was apparently sufficient to spark a short-lived increase in the number of screening colonoscopies performed in the United States. But none of these guidelines answer some important questions: Do we have high-quality evidence that colonoscopy actually saves lives? How effective are other less invasive and less expensive tests? Advertisement The short answers are that we do not have high-quality evidence that colonoscopy saves lives overall, though indeed some studies suggest it may, and that stool-based tests are both far less expensive and almost as effective. Syngal thinks that the reason colorectal cancer screening procedure differs so much between countries is that [colonoscopy] is cost effective, but it is still expensive. They cant afford it, but we can, Syngal told me. Advertisement If youre confused, youre not alone. How can something be both cost-effective and too expensive? Either colonoscopy reduces cancer-related medical costs downstream or it does not. But this is hard to assess, because its hard to know how, exactly, to value a human life. If, for example, it costs a medical system $1 billion worth of colonoscopies to save one life, it might not be worth going bankrupt over. But if it only costs the system $50,000 to save a life, it would be unethical not to perform these tests. It may be that the Canadians and Europeans simply draw the line at a different point than we dowe may be willing to spend $3 million to $7 million on testing to save one life (a rough estimate that reflects our general approach here), while other nations might draw the line at, say, $2 million. Advertisement Advertisement The trouble is that we do not know the true costs. In Britain, one study found that 1,250 patients needed to be screened for colon cancer to save one single life. At $3,000 per procedure, that means it would cost $3.75 million in colonoscopies per life saved. But in that study, the margin of error was gargantuan, and it might be that as few as 690 patients must be screened to save one life, or it might be as many as 9,090 must be screened. That means that using colonoscopy as the screen for colon cancer could cost anywhere from $2.07 million per life spared to $27.3 million. Cruel as it sounds, no system could tolerate the latter and stay solvent. The bottom line is whether additional cost of screening patients at an earlier age is warranted, says Andrew T. Chan, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and senior author on one of the most important studies of CRC screening that suggests a long-term survival benefit stemming from the procedure. Advertisement Advertisement Nevertheless, all screening is not created equal and John Ioannidis believes CRC to be one of the few success stories. Costs aside, though, there remain differing views on whether more asymptomatic people should be screened at all. Pushing more screening also has potential detrimental effects, such as more overdiagnosis, John Ioannidis, a professor of medicine, health policy, and statistics at Stanford University told me via email. False positives and overtreatment from screening for diseases like prostate and breast cancer are dangerous enoughand occur with such frequencythat any decreases in death due to those cancer screens are likely offset by these risks, risks that are vastly underreported in studies. Colonoscopies, for example, can cause major bleeding or life-threatening intestinal perforation, which can lead to sepsis and death. While rare, these risks must be weighed against the admittedly small number of patients who benefit from CRC screening, especially in younger cohorts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nevertheless, all screening is not created equal and Ioannidis believes CRC to be one of the few success stories. Still, he is skeptical about the new ACS guideline. The data for moving the start age to 45 instead of 50 are weak. It may not be wrong, but my interpretation is that the extra benefit is questionable and may not exist at all, he says. Even proponents of colonoscopy, including Andrew Chan, agree with this. We dont know the long-term benefits of screening in this age range and thats where we have a deficit and knowledge gap, Chan adds. Recognizing this, even the ACS describes its own new recommendation as qualified. And unlike its unabashed enthusiasm for colonoscopy in patients older than 50, the guideline suggests presenting younger patients with several options, including the stool-based tests favored elsewhere. Advertisement Meanwhile, randomized studies that compare colonoscopy to stool testing alone and even colonoscopy versus no screening at all are finally underway. These trials will bring us much closer to definitive answers on whether these regimens are effective and economically sustainable. In the meantime, the expansion of colon cancer screening is likely to continue. Advertisement The question is what should people in the 45 to 49 age range do right now? Bearing in mind that the new ACS guideline is based on no direct clinical evidence at all, and that other prominent expert societies have not adapted this expanded approach, it may be most prudent for younger patients without risk factors (such as a strong family history of CRC) to wait for new evidence to emerge before getting screened for CRC. Caution is especially warranted for younger patients considering colonoscopy as the means of testing. Despite the increased rate of CRC in people younger than 50, the absolute rate remains so minuscule that even rare complications from colonoscopy may turn out to harm more people than could ever have been helped. We simply dont know yet. Meanwhile, stool-based tests, and even CT scans, may be viable and safe alternatives. But considering the flimsy ground upon which the entire case for expanded CRC rests, for now at least, its reasonable to sit this one out. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views and opinions of Brigham and Womens Hospital. In 2007, the Rev. Joel Hunter formed a creation care team at his Northland evangelical megachurch in central Florida. Creation care describes a movement within the U.S. Christian community to better steward Gods creation, aka the Earthit is, in short, environmentalism for the faithful. Many embraced Hunters initiative. Many did not. What are you doing? Are you going liberal on us? Hunter remembers some of his congregants complaining. Ten years later, Hunter left Northland. His gentle push toward environmental responsibility wasnt the only factor in his departureHunter also urged his congregation to consider its views on racism, gun violence, and homophobia, especially in light of the Pulse nightclub shooting that killed 49 people not far from the churchs campus. But his environmentalist nudge certainly contributed to the overall perception that Hunter no longer held the same views as his congregants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They like him because they think hes like them: He puts people before the environment, just like God does. Environmentalism and American evangelicals are like oil and water. Joel Hunter was one of a small number of high-profile leaders who worked, over decades, to try to mix the two. The effort has yielded minimal results: Just 20 percent of committed Christians consider themselves active participants in the environmental movementa number that has barely moved for a quarter-century and represents less than half the proportion of environmentalists in the general population. The proportion of Christians who prioritize environmental concerns over energy production has dropped by about 20 percentage points in the last 25 years. And indications are that the more ardently Christian an American becomes, the less he or she cares about the environment. Evangelicals are the least environmentally inclined of committed U.S. Christians. Advertisement This is the biggest obstacle to the American environmental movement. About one-quarter of Americans are evangelical Christians. They also appear to turn out to vote at higher rates than other religious groups, so they wield considerable political power. Then there is the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency is currently headed by an evangelical, the now-infamous Scott Pruitt. His antics have turned him into a laughingstock for his self-dealing, science denial, and cartoonish lack of concern for environmental protection, the mission of the agency he runs. Hes unscrupulous, hypocritical, and dishonesta walking caricature of the Trump era. He spent $1,560 on fancy fountain pens. And then theres the bizarre hand lotion scandal. Advertisement But outside of the mainstream media and the coastal cities, Pruitt has supporters who like him so much that theyre willing to ignore his petty scandals and Napoleon complex. They like him because he thinks like them: He puts people before the environment, just like God does. Advertisement Pruitt has been polishing his evangelical bona fides for years, building a bulwark of unwavering Christian support. In 2003, as an Oklahoma state senator, he championed a bill to insert a disclaimer into school textbooks noting that evolution is just a theory. He has been photographed at religious gatherings making the face evangelicals make when theyre feeling the spirit of God wash over them. He attends Bible study with Ralph Drollinger, pastor to the Republican political elite. Pruitts evangelical firewall likely helps to keep him in office. And Pruitts evangelical faith almost certainly informs what he does with the office. Advertisement Before delving any further into the issue, I should acknowledge that Im completely secular. I wouldnt even call myself an atheist, because I dont spend enough time thinking about God to have an opinion. The evangelical mind is foreign to me, which may be part of why I find this so fascinating. To me, as an outsider, it seems natural that a person of faith would want to keep Gods creation as pristine as possible. And yet that does not seem to be the case. Advertisement Advertisement The conventional explanation is that this is simply due to an alignment of interests: American Protestants have cast their lot with the Republican Party, and since the business arm of the GOP opposes environmental regulation, Christians have gone along. This is Joel Hunters point of view. People are so politicized that they take what is meant to be a practical and spiritual principle of caring for the gift of creation, and they park it in some sort of leftist political agenda, Hunter laments. The politicization is clearly a large factor here, and Hunter isnt the only one to have been chased out of his church because of itRichard Cizik, the former vice president for governmental affairs at the National Association of Evangelicals, walked basically the same path as Hunter. He spoke up about a cocktail of leftist political issues, including environmentalism, and was abruptly forced out. Advertisement But theres something that bothers me about the simplicity and convenience of explaining this all by the transitive logic of evangelicals are Republicans, Republicans hate environmental regulation, so evangelicals hate environmental regulation. It suggests that Christians are willing to cast off their moral obligations for political convenience. Maybe thats true. Or maybe they dont feel a moral obligation to protect Earth in the first place. Advertisement Advertisement Its useful to look back to the dawn of the modern environmental movement, which began in the late 1960s, a time of terrible environmental degradation. American cities were choking in smog thick enough to obscure buildings on the same block, toxic waste flowed out of exposed drainpipes, and rivers were catching fire. The Republican Party of the 1960s wasnt ideologically opposed to environmental regulation. Richard Nixon helped create the Environmental Protection Agency. Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey co-chaired the first Earth Day. But even then, American Christians were leery of the environmental movement. Why? Advertisement Historian Lynn White Jr. offered a theory that remains explosive today: Christianity is inherently anti-environmental. He pointed out that many pre-Christian religions worshipped the natural world, and Christianity defined itself partially in opposition to that worldview. Writing in 1967 in Science, White argued, Christianity is the most anthropocentric religion the world has seen. By destroying pagan animism, Christianity made it possible to exploit nature in a mood of indifference to the feelings of natural objects. Whites bombshell has reverberated through the decades. Scholars still write entire books about it. And it came up in most of the interviews I conducted with academics and pastors. Advertisement Advertisement Christianity has been competing for market share against nature-venerating pagan groups from its inception, and that continues today, says Lucas Johnston, a Wake Forest University professor who studies evangelicals and the environmental movement. The Christians who rejected the environmental consciousness in the 1960s and 70s perceived a dangerous, nature-venerating, pagan-esque religious sentiment. Advertisement Although his theory has an off-putting whiff of anti-Christian bias, White was onto something. Browse the aggressive anti-environmentalist writing in Christianity today, and youll hear echoes of anti-animism. Read the Cornwall Declaration, for example, a statement signed in 2000 by a collection of Christian leaders opposed to what they perceived to be a runaway environmental crusade. Its sort of the Constitution of Christian anti-environmentalism. We deny that forests and trees, mountains and rocks, oceans and lakes and streams, and animals are persons, the declaration states. Without the context of Christianitys anti-animist past, that statement seems wholly unnecessary. Advertisement Its so hard to tease apart politics, theology, and simple indifference. Hunter, though, doesnt buy any of this. The animism idea means nothing to an average person, he says. Thats a theologically esoteric approach. No one I know thinks or talks about it. Advertisement I talked to a series of evangelical Christians, none of whom agreed to be named. Many are obviously uncomfortable with the leftness of environmentalismone of them told me that conservationists arent really our people. And while none of my evangelical on the street interviews revealed an explicit aversion to animism, there was an inchoate sense that aggressive environmentalism was somehow ungodly. Advertisement Whats animism? a New York evangelical asked when I probed him about Whites theory. After I told him it was the idea that animals and plants have spirits, he shrugged it off as an irrelevance. But he still added, People are more important than animals or trees. It was as if he had intuited Whites theory without knowing the fancy academic jargon. Advertisement Calvin Beisner, the primary author of the Cornwall Declaration, wrote to me in an email, Plenty of environmentalists have a pretty derogatory view of human beings. That results in phrases like people pollution, population bomb, or, as Rockefeller Foundation spokesman Merton Lambert put it in 1962, The world has a cancer, and that cancer is man. I think a little differently. People arent pollution, theyre the solution. Its so hard to tease apart the politics, the theology, and the simple indifference. Just as I spend very little time thinking about God, many Christians spend very little time thinking about the environmentso little time that maybe even they dont understand the sources of their instincts. It is just not something that is discussed too often in the average Evangelical church, says Hannah James, a Ph.D. candidate who studies these issues with Johnston. Its not vocally denounced, nor actively rejected, but its just not a concern or even on most churches theological radars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the challenge facing environmentalists. A large number of evangelicals, arguably the most powerful voting bloc in America, barely ever think about the environment. And when they do, the framework theyre working through suggests that they might be committing a venial sin by putting trees above people. Thirty-seven years ago, in a discussion of conservation, Interior Secretary James G. Watt mused to Congress, I do not know how many future generations we can count on before the Lord returns. You can draw a straight line backward from Scott Pruitts scripture-based support for oil exploration, through Watts wait-for-Jesus stewardship philosophy, to evangelical ambivalence for the environmental movement of the early 1970s. And if Lynn White Jr. is correct, you can keep drawing that line backward 2,000 years. In other words, Scott Pruitt isnt an anomaly. Hes carrying forth a tradition. On Thursday night, former Senate Intelligence Committee aide James A. Wolfe was arrested for allegedly lying to the FBI during a leak investigation. According to the indictment, Wolfe repeatedly denied providing classified information to four journalists regarding sensitive topics like the Russia investigation. The FBI alleges it found proof that Wolfe in fact used encrypted messaging apps to communicate with the reporters. (Ali Watkins, who covers national security for the New York Times, reportedly had years worth of email and phone records seized by the Justice Department.) Advertisement Journalists were dismayed to discover that prosecutors were actually able to quote the Signal messages in the indictment. Wolfe allegedly wrote to one reporter, Good job! and Im glad you got the scoop. The reporter messaged back, Thank you. [MALE-1] isnt pleased, but would deny that the subpoena was served. Signal is generally regarded as one of the most secure encrypted messaging apps available, and many reporters rely on its services to communicate with confidential sources. So does this indictment proof that Signal isnt as protected as we all thought? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As SlashGear and others have pointed out, Signal does offer robust end-to-end encryption, which ensures that only the people involved in a chat can see the messages. But it does not automatically delete messages from your devices. Its unclear how exactly investigators were able to retrieve the messages in this case, but they could have theoretically seized a phone belonging to Wolfe or one of the reporters and simply read the messages on the app. Advertisement The best way to safeguard against snoopers is to turn on Signals Disappearing Messages feature every time you start a new chat, which lets users determine how long messages will be retained in the app after theyve been sent or received. You can also manually delete all of your chat history. Its also important to make sure the person youre communicating with has this setting enabled and isnt taking pictures of your chats. This is the second time this week that weve learned of a Washington insider attempting to use an encrypted app, only to discover that investigators had found a workaround. On Monday, special counsel Robert Mueller filed court documents accusing former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of using Telegram and WhatsApp to engage in witness tampering. Investigators were able to read backups of the conversations on his iCloud. The people he was trying to securely contact also ended up just handing investigators the messages. For a few hours this week, the infinite screaming stopped. But this was no cause for rejoicingin fact, when the @infinite_scream Twitter account goes 10 minutes without AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH-ing, its a sign that somethings amiss. And on Wednesday afternoon, the account broke. if you're wondering why the screaming became finite, Twitter suspended Cheap Bots Done Quick, the platform that this bot and thousands of other art bots use https://t.co/ryONVPyaw8 Endless Screaming (@infinite_scream) June 7, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The endless screaming account was one of about 7,000 bots that were affected on Wednesday when Twitter temporarily suspended Cheap Bots, Done Quick, a third-party platform that powers so-called art bots on the social network. Art bots like @infinite_scream (which has 42,700 followers) and @tinycarebot (124,000 followers) use Twitter as a kind of experiment to test the creative limits of automation; they do things like tweet a scream every 10 minutes or the buzzing of bees every few hours, or they remind you periodically to drink some water. Cheap Bots, Done Quick was unsuspended not long after it went down. George Buckenham, who runs the platform, described their initial reaction to the suspension as a state of oh God, is this the end? anarchy. Twitter did not initially give Buckenham a reason for the action, but after complaining, they eventually learned the issue was hashtag spam, at which point they booted the offending accounts from the platform. Still, the suspension was a reminder that questions of spam vs. art arent always clear-cut: Theres actually a really blurry line between stuff thats artistic or creative or stuff that amuses people, or stuff thats just people messing around with it, playing with it, stuff that people are doing that ends up being kind of self-promotional, and stuff that ends up being actual spam, Buckenham said. Advertisement Advertisement Buckenham estimated that the bots on their platform were not functioning for about 11 hours. (Some of the delay was due to the fact that Buckenham, who runs the service as a hobby, is based in London and went to sleep for the night while waiting for it to be restored.) Twitter declined to comment on the record about what happened, but the suspension would seem to fit in with the social networks recent ambitions to clean up and crack down on bots and automation to stem misinformation and abuse. Understandably, then, the events had the art bot community worried that Twitter was throwing out their bot babies with the spam-and-propaganda bathwater. Once they saw that the bot platform wasnt working, owners and fans of art bot accounts started posting about the suspension to call attention to it and persuade Twitter to reverse its decision. Advertisement Advertisement save the art bots!!!!!!! jonny sun (@jonnysun) June 7, 2018 Advertisement ART EMERGENCY CheapBotsDoneQuick is *suspended*, pausing thousands of art bots. If you have contacts at Twitter, please get them to contact @v21 to fix this! This is a terrible loss for art and computational creativity! https://t.co/SEsgp6uSq6 Kate Compton (@GalaxyKate) June 6, 2018 Advertisement Buckenham said they thought getting the attention of Twitter higher-ups was helpful in figuring out what was going on. The suspension underscored to Buckenhamand other usersthat they do not fully control the thing they created. The whole time that Ive been running this service, Im aware that it is this kind of fragile and contingent thing, Buckenham said, adding that Twitter could end the service at any time. I now have an obligation because theres all these bots on there that I love and I want to keep going and theres a community around it. Advertisement Advertisement Theres definitely a part of me that doesnt like making something thats obviously a lot of work and thought and Ive built a community around that does exist parasitically off this large corporation, Buckehham said. On the other hand, its hard to make your own social network. You want to go where people are, where people live. Advertisement Still, the return of the art bots was met with some celebration on Twitterand also resulted in at least one interesting unintended consequence: While they were down, art bots @infinite_scream and @tinycarebot managed to get caught up in a never-ending loop of replies to each other. It might be yet another new form of Twitter art. Famous polyglot gets an adrenaline rush learning new languages Richard Simcott has studied over 50 languages so far and will learn Afrikaans and Zulu this year. While most five-year-olds were just learning to read and write in their native tongue, Englishman Richard Simcott was learning French, now one of five home languages he uses with his wife and daughter in Skopje, Macedonia. Simcotts fascination with languages only grew with time and now, hes regarded as one of the most famous polyglots in the world. A polyglot is described as someone who knows and can speak several languages but in Simcotts case, hyperpolyglot might be a better descriptor. Ive studied over 50 languages so far, and for travel, I use about 25 of them throughout the year, describes Simcott, who attended the Polyglot Gathering in Bratislava last week. Simcotts passion for languages has led him all over the world. He studied and worked in the Czech Republic, Sweden, and the Netherlands, where he used an average of eight languages a day working as a network engineer. For six years, he has hosted international polyglot gatherings and will host the next one in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He likes to spend the summers outside of Macedonia to escape the scorching temperatures, so this year he will travel to South Africa. For Simcott, this is the perfect excuse to add some new languages to his already impressive arsenal. Whenever Im going to a new place I like to learn the language so this year its going to be Afrikaans and then Ill do a little bit of Zulu and some Xhosa, too. Like the locals do Simcott does not learn every language on the same level. Hes fluent in languages like French, Italian, and Macedonian, which hes spoken for thirteen years, while other languages are spoken on a more basic, conversational level. It would be insane for me to say to you that Im going to learn to speak Afrikaans on a native-speaker level. Theres just no need for it. 8. Jun 2018 at 10:00 | Anna Fay Bratislava gathering for murdered Filipino expat moved to Friday The funeral will take place the day after. The commemorative gathering to pay tribute to murdered Filipino expat Henry Acorda, which had to be cancelled due to torrential rain, has been moved to June 8. It will start in Hodzovo Namestie square at 18:00. Read also: Read also: Slovak cities paid tribute to killed Filipino expat Read more Acordas funeral will take place a day later, on June 9, starting at 13:00 in St Ladislav Catholic Church on Spitalska Street in Bratislava. Acorda used to go there to attend English mass. The coffin will later be transported to his homeland, the TASR newswire reported. The community of Filipino Catholics is meanwhile meeting every day at 18:00 to pray at the place Acorda was beaten to death on May 26. Prosecutor made mistake Meanwhile, the General Prosecutors Office claims that the prosecutor of the Bratislava I district prosecutors office did not follow the law in the case of Acordas death, and called for him to face the consequences of his mistakes. General Prosecutor Jaromir Ciznar considers his supervision over the case insufficient and shallow. Otherwise he would have to claim there was a reason for taking the accused into custody at the time the order to release him was issued on May 27, said General Prosecutors Office spokesperson Andrea Predajnova, as quoted by the SITA newswire. Read also: Read also: Man who killed expat in Bratislava is behind bars Read more The regional prosecutors office has identified with the findings of the General Prosecutors Office and has promised that the prosecutor involved will face the consequences, Predajnova added for SITA. Ciznar also apologised to Acordas family for the mistakes of the prosecutor and expressed his sympathy. 7. Jun 2018 at 23:53 | Compiled by Spectator staff More Slovak expatriates interested in expat certificate The certificate brings several advantages for the holder. The Office for Slovaks Living Abroad (USZZ) in 2017 issued 2,025 certificates for Slovaks living abroad. There is an increase in the number of people applying for this document, with which Slovak legislation combines, in particular, the right to temporary residence in Slovakia and also the right to employment without further administrative permits. Read also: Read also: Number of Slovaks living abroad in decline Read more The largest number of such certificates was issued for Slovak expatriates living in Serbia (1,646), the Ukraine (355), the United States of America (6), Russia (5), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (4), reads the report on state policy in relation to Slovaks living abroad and provided with state support. The report, which also includes a draft state policy programme in relation to expatriates for 2019, was drafted by the Office for Slovaks Living Abroad and the cabinet approved it on June 6. 7. Jun 2018 at 23:40 | Compiled by Spectator staff Bratislava called for justice for Henry Acorda and an end to violence The organisers of the commemorative gathering expressed their sympathy for the family of the killed Filipino expat and called for an end to violence against women and foreigners in society. More than 1,000 people came to Hodzovo Namestie square in Bratislava on June 8 to pay tribute to Filipino expat Henry Acorda, who succumbed to his injuries following a brutal attack of Juraj Hossu in late May. They later marched through the city to the memorial raised at the end of Obchodna Street where the incident took place. The gathering started with a violin composition to commemorate the deceased. This tragedy is devastating not only for us, his family, and his friends, but all of humanity, Acordas sister wrote in a letter read at the gathering. As she stressed, Acorda came to Slovakia a year ago, ready to fulfil his dreams and experience life in a foreign country. He loved people and respected them and their diversity, which eventually cost him his life. Henry John Acorda did not deserve this tragedy, his sister continued. We will never forget this noble and heroic act of kindness and respect, especially for women. He was a hero in our hearts. Acordas sister thanked both the Slovak and Filipino government for their collaborative efforts in pursuing justice for my beloved brother. Violence should stop Apart from expressing sympathy for Acordas family, the organisers wanted to express their concern with the current state of society. They also called for just investigation of Acordas death. Acordas sister wrote in the letter that this tragedy could happen to any of us, and asked whether people want it to continue or want to stop it. Read also: Read also: Bratislava gathering for murdered Filipino expat moved to Friday Read more Other speakers also stressed the need to stop violence happening in Slovakia. The organisers said that at first, the respective authorities seemed indifferent to the case and hoped that nobody would notice the death of an expat, and started acting only after public pressure. We wont allow the state authorities to sweep the murder under the carpet as a mishap or an ordinary night conflict, one of the organisers said. They called on proper investigation of the incident and justice for the family, and stressed that it needs to be seen in a wider context, pointing to the current atmosphere in society that trivialises violence against women and harassment and is afraid of immigrants, which is also nurtured by politicians, police and even media. We have to understand Henrys legacy as a challenge not to be indifferent, defend ourselves and change society and us, one of the organisers added. Read also: Read also: AmCham: Attacks like the one on Henry Acorda have no place in civilised society Read more Zuzana Madarova of the non-governmental organisation Aspekt also called for an end to violence against women and children. We need a society that will not tolerate violence and will use all means possible to solve gender violence and prevent it, Madarova stressed. 8. Jun 2018 at 20:12 | Compiled by Spectator staff Westbourne Grove is a residential neighbourhood and shopping destination in West London, bordering Hyde Park, Notting Hill, and the iconic Portobello Road. Its an eclectic mix of cultures and architectural styles where elegant townhouses and budget hotels, souvenir shops, and Middle Eastern restaurants, organic food markets, and council estates live alongside each other. The coffee scene consists mostly of chains like Starbucks or Costa and a few independent cafesnone of which would merit a trip out to this part of town solely to drink a flat white. That all changed with the opening of Tab x Tab. Finally, there is a very good reason to stop over in Westbourne Grove. Tab x Tab was opened in July 2017 by husband and wife Mathew and Charmaine Tabatabai. Alongside speciality coffee from Ozone and Bocca, they serve premium teas from Lalani & Co., fresh pastries from Flour Station, and a la carte breakfast dishes prepared on site. Tab x Tab also has a retail corner with carefully curated homeware and lifestyle items, Linda Bloomfield tea ware and Kana London ceramic coffee mugs. The Tabatabais embarked on an 18-month coffee tasting journey through London and beyond before launching their shop. We started exploring the idea of opening a coffee shop by doing a lot of research and going to a new cafe every single day. After about one year, we had developed a strong idea of what we wanted our coffee shop to look like, Mathew Tabatabai says. The majority of cafes in London melted into the same kind of place. The decision to offer a new kind of coffee experience, rather than do a carbon copy of other shops, gave the couple enough confidence and motivation to pursue their idea. The approach at the heart of Tab x Tab can be summed up in three words: speciality, execution, and consistency. High quality standards were set for Tab x Tab: from the food and beverage offerings to appliances and in-store tech, from the Front of House service to the interior design. Mathew and Charmaine always knew they had to start with the coffee. They looked for the best and found it at Ozone Coffee Roasters in London and Bocca Coffee in Amsterdam. They carefully planned every element of the store, looking for excellence in functionality first and then for beautiful and understated design. We worked so hard to ensure the execution of everything was as high quality and consistent as possible, says Mathew. Everything is there to give customers a truly unique and tasteful experience and bring some peace to their day when they are with us. Their attention to detail can be seen in the large oak table that allows customers to gather around, and share the space as if they were in their own home. Its also seen in the 5.4-meter-long bar counter, custom built from a single piece of concrete (they had to remove the store doors to install it). Mathew and Charmaine also made a deliberate choice to install a stainless steel Mavama groundbreaking machine that sits beneath the counterinstead of a bulky bar-top espresso machine, to remove barriers between baristas and customers, but also to stand out among the rest of London coffee shops. The Mavam represents our entire approach to coffee. It is not a flashy espresso machine: it sits quietly without needing to be seen, but it does its job perfectly, says Mathew. It fits perfectly into our aesthetics. At the time, the Mavam machine was only one year old, there was only another one in the UKso we really took a chance with it, Mathew explains to me. Next to the Mavam, theres a Nuova Simonelli Mythos One and a Mahlkonig EK43 grinder, a FETCO coffee brewer, and a high tech cold press juicer. The milk is by the Estate Dairy (profiled here on Sprudge), a UK dairy brand founded by Shaun Young and loved by professional baristas. Customers have the choice of two coffees for espresso: a seasonal blend by Ozone Coffee called Brothers and a single origin coffee by Bocca, which the Tabatabais discovered on a trip to Amsterdam. They persuaded the Dutch roasters to supply their cafe (Tab x Tab is the only coffee shop in the UK to serve or sell their beans). At the time of my second visit in January, the single origin was a natural Brazilian coffee from Fatima Farm (Yellow Bourbon and Mundo Novo variety) with notes of vanilla, roasted nuts, and a medium body. Tab x Tab also offers a single origin of choice on batch brew. The batch brew may not be sexy, but it delivers consistency, which is what Tab x Tab always strives for. We let the quality of the coffee speak for itself. It was head barista Lucas Gorczyca who sold the idea of batch brew to Mathew. The batch brew delivers consistency. Our customers expect the coffee to taste exactly the same throughout the time we use a certain single origin. The variables with brewing coffee are crazy, the coffee never tastes the same every time, Gorczyca explains. Batch brew is also good for our customers because they know its a grab-and-go drink. Customers looking for the theatrics of a brewing experience will get it with tea, rather than coffee. Although Britain is considered a country of tea drinkers, the majority of tea consumed in the country comes from tea bags. Tab x Tab champions high quality, loose leaf tea, offering a selection of small batch teassurprisingly absent of English Breakfast or Earl Grey. Instead, you will find black tea, oolong, and matcha, all prepared with care and precision. Soon the cafe will expand its food offerings to include a modern take on the classic Afternoon Tea, as well as pop-up dinner events. Until then, I will continue to return to Westbourne Grove and stop by Tab x Tab for a great cup of coffee or tea and for their thoughtful and dedicated service. Giulia Mule is a Sprudge.com contributor based in London. Read more Giulia Mule on Sprudge. Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship. Talk about a spectacular joyride: an American soldier commandeered an armored personnel carrier and led police on a chase along a major highway for more than an hour. In scenes that drew comparisons with the anarchic Grand Theft Auto videogame series, the vehicle tore through streets, ignoring traffic signals -- and the screaming sirens in hot pursuit. Cops in the eastern state of Virginia were unable to deploy the stingers that might normally be laid out across the roads to burst a stolen car's tyres. Instead, they raced along behind the sand-coloured all-terrain vehicle, whose caterpillar tracks were carrying it at speeds of up to 40 miles (65 kilometres) per hour. "This is INSANE!" wrote Twitter-user @ParkerSlay89, posting a video of the chase. "Someone has hijacked a 'Tank-like' vehicle from Fort Pickett and just drove it by our apartment!" This is INSANE! Someone has hijacked a Tank-like vehicle from Fort Pickett and just drove it by our apartment! This is on Broad Street in the Fan. pic.twitter.com/EYfhFux1dk Parker Slaybaugh (@ParkerSlay89) June 6, 2018 Kayleigh, a bystander, told local TV network WWBT: "Honestly it kinda reminds me of the Grand Theft Auto games where the tanks drive just in the middle of the city, it's surreal." The wildly successful Grand Theft Auto series is an open-world video game in which players create mayhem across an urban landscape, stealing vehicles and committing crimes. Virginia State Police Sargent Keeli Hill told reporters the APC, which was not equipped with any weapons, had been boosted from a Virginia National Guard base and driven along a major road to the state capital, Richmond. During the pursuit, officers closed exit ramps on the highway, Hill said, adding the soldier eventually stopped the vehicle and surrendered. High-speed police chases are a regular feature of US news networks, many of which dispatch helicopters to give their audience a bird's-eye view of the action. Vietnam's second oil refinery Nghi Son, which is expected to be fully operational by early August, will export its first petrochemical products later this month, the plant's chief executive officer told Reuters on Thursday. The 200,000-barrel-a-day (bpd) facility, owned by Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical LLC, is already running at 55 percent capacity while it is undergoing a long start-up process, Chief Executive Turki Al-Ajmi told Reuters. Nghi Son is scheduled to export its first batches of petrochemical products later this month, including benzene and paraxylene, Al-Ajmi said. The facility, when fully operational, will deliver around 720,000 cubic meters (560,000 tonnes) of petroleum products and 150,000 tonnes of petrochemicals a month, making a significant impact on domestic and regional markets, he said. Nghi Son, which is expected to reduce the country's reliance on refined product imports, sold its first batches of gasoline and diesel last month. Vietnam's first refinery, the 130,000-bpd Dung Quat plant that started up production in 2009, and Nghi Son, when it is fully operational, will be able between them to meet about 70 percent of the country's demand for refined fuel products. Deputy Chief Executive Officer Dinh Van Ngoc told Reuters on Wednesday that the start-up process at Nghi Son is "going smoothly without any technical problems." The new refinery is designed to process mostly crude oil imported from Kuwait. The $9 billion Nghi Son refinery, 260 km (160 miles) south of Hanoi, is 35.1 percent owned by Japan's Idemitsu Kosan Co , 35.1 percent by Kuwait Petroleum , 25.1 percent by state-run PetroVietnam and 4.7 percent by Mitsui Chemicals Inc. Nghi Son will sell all of its gasoline, diesel products and liquefied petroleum gas on the local market, while other products, including petrochemicals, will be exported, Ngoc said. Vietnam imported 5.56 million tonnes of refined fuels in the first five months this year, up 11 percent from a year ago, according to the government's General Statistics Office. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A ninth grader in Ho Chi Minh City visited the Consulate General of Canada on Thursday to serve as the Canadian Consul General for a day, a prize she won for her entry in the CG for A Day essay contest. The contest was launched in April by the Consulate General of Canada, calling on students between grade eight and 11 in approximately 40 local and international middle and high schools in Ho Chi Minh City to share their thoughts on Why is Canadian education a popular choice in Vietnam and what can be done to make Canadian education more popular in Vietnam? Its aim was to promote youth leadership, engage with Vietnamese youth interested in global issues, and raise awareness of Canada. The highest award offered in the competition was the opportunity to lead the team at the Canadian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and participate in activities in the name of the Canadian Consul General for one day. With her essay, Pham Quynh Phuong from the Canadian International School beat out 24 other contestants to earn the honor. Ninth grader Pham Quynh Phuong talks to Canadian Consul General Kyle Nunas at the Consulate General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City on June 7, 2018. Photo: Dong Nguyen/Tuoi Tre News Phuongs essay suggested that students opt for studying in Canada because living in Canada and having a Canadian education provide a skill set that is valued globally, amongst several other reasons. According to the middle school student, to make Canadian education more popular in Vietnam, we must increase awareness through advertisements and interactive features. She also suggested that adding Vietnamese language options to websites could help as most of the time, people tend to be lazy when visiting a foreign website because they cannot understand the language or change it." During her visit to the Consulate General on Thursday, Phuong met with Canadian Consul General Kyle Nunas and discussed the Vietnamese community in Canada, environmental pollution, and empowering women. The young girl also discussed global trade with the consul general, suggesting that his country consider importing fruits like coconut from Vietnam. After explaining the duties of a consul general to Phuong and giving her gifts representing his country, including a gold-plated maple leaf, Consul General Nunas took her on a tour of his office to meet with staff and discuss several other topics, such as education. Phuong meets with staff at the Consulate General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City on June 7, 2018. Photo: Dong Nguyen/Tuoi Tre News Talking to media at the event, Phuong said she did not expect to win and only considered the competition as a way to apply her knowledge to writing an essay. Shes a very dynamic young lady with very good ideas, Consul General Nunas told Tuoi Tre News at the event. Its such a great pleasure having good ideas from someone in grade nine, it shows that young people are very curious about the world, they are knowledgeable and have a lot to contribute, he said. I hope to see many global leaders and companies coming out of Vietnam and hopefully they would be interested in working with us in Canada, he added. Consul General Nunas also explained that the organizers chose education to be the topic of this years contest because it is a significant connection between Vietnam and Canada and shared his hope that the event becomes an annual fixture. Canadian Consul General Kyle Nunas awards Phuong a backpack at the Consulate General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City on June 7, 2018. Photo: Dong Nguyen/Tuoi Tre News Nha cited the unofficial figure during a meeting of the countrys lawmaking National Assembly where he fielded questions from legislators regarding his scope of governance. As in other developing countries, families in Vietnam want to send their children to more developed nations where they can receive better education, the minister shared. Unofficial statistics show that Vietnamese people spend around $3.4 billion annually on overseas education, including tuition fees and other costs associated with living abroad, Nha said. Those are only estimates, but you can imagine how immense the number is. What we want to do is develop an education system at home thats just as good as those found abroad so that financially capable families can invest locally in their childrens education, he said in his address. There are around 150,000 Vietnamese enrolled in overseas education programs at different levels, 90 percent of whom are self-financed, the official Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reported in January. The U.S., Australia, the UK, Canada and Japan are among top destinations for Vietnamese students studying abroad, according to the same source. According to Minister Nha, 20 percent of Vietnams state budget is reserved for national education programs, a priority consistently topping the list for policy makers. The education minister said he welcomes the participation of the private sector in developing a quality education system in Vietnam. Participation from different economic sectors has been proven to be a model for success in many countries, including South Korea and China, he added. Nha said the state budget can only do so much to ensure fundamental education from all citizens and the import of top-flight education programs must be left in the trusted hands of private investors. Vietnam is expected to draft several policies in the near future aimed at encouraging the private sector to invest in education, he said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! SINGAPORE -- Two South Korean media staff have been arrested for trespassing at the home of the North Korean ambassador to Singapore, police said on Friday, just days before a high-stakes summit between the U.S. and North Korean leaders in the city-state. Police said the men arrested on Thursday were from the Korean Broadcasting System News, while a third man from the broadcaster and a fourth who was acting as a guide and interpreter were alsounder investigation. Two South Korean men, aged 42 and 45, who were representing the Korean Broadcasting System News, were arrested, police said in a Facebook post. Korean Broadcasting System News could not be immediately reached for comment. When asked about the arrests, a spokesman for South Koreas presidential Blue House said it would use utmost diplomatic effort to prevent such troubles and urged journalists to be cautious and prudent. International media are flocking to Singapore, which is playing host to the first ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president, Donald Trump, and a North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. The June 12 talks are expected to center on ending the Norths nuclear weapons programs in return for diplomatic and economic incentives. Korean Broadcasting System News could not be immediately reached for comment. When asked about the arrests, a spokesman for South Koreas presidential Blue House said it would use utmost diplomatic effort to prevent such troubles and urged journalists to be cautious and prudent. International media are flocking to Singapore, which is playing host to the first ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president, Donald Trump, and a North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. The June 12 talks are expected to center on ending the Norths nuclear weapons programs in return for diplomatic and economic incentives. Photos of a groom in a rural town who brought his bride home by bicycle in a two-wheeled wedding procession earlier this week are quickly becoming a viral sensation in Vietnam. Le Van Truong, donning a white dress shirt and red bowtie, arrived at Truong Thi Has house on Wednesday to escort her to their wedding ceremony, as is the custom in Vietnam. Truong, however, chose to break free from tradition by bringing his bride to their ceremony by bicycle, rather than by car a mode of transport typically preferred to show off material wealth. The 22-year-old groom was accompanied by friends and family also on bikes, of course as he pedaled down a dirt road in Vinh Phuc Province, just north of Hanoi. Marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime event. I wanted to bring my wife to my house in the most meaningful way, Truong said. She was amazed and very happy. We werent classmates but have lots of fun memories of riding a bicycle when we fell in love, he added. Le Van Truong (foreground) rides a bicycle to the brides house on his weeding day in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam, May 30, 2018, in this provided photo. Ha, 19, was not let down by his now-husbands grand gesture of love. We have loved each other for five years. Five years ago, we didnt have a motorcycle and instead rode a bicycle when we went out together, she said. Thanh Chuc, the grooms younger sister, said Truongs idea to use bicycles for the procession was kept a surprise from the entire grooms family. Everyone was surprised but excited about the bicycles. They were decorated beautifully, Chuc shared. Truong and Ha grew up only 500 meters from each other and grew their romance through countless hours spent chatting on the phone, according to Ha. Many people who saw their procession pictures on social media said the bride and groom seemed to be overflowing with excitement as they pedaled their way home. Here are several pictures from the event: Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! As Miss America announces that 2019 will be the competition's first year without a swimsuit round, Vietnams pageant organizers and industry insiders are arguing whether beauty contests in the Southeast Asian nation should follow suit. The decision to remove the bikini round, an iconic part of the competition where contestants pose in swimsuits, was made by author and Miss America chairwoman Gretchen Carlson on Good Morning America on Tuesday. Accordingly, there will be no swimsuits on the stage of Miss America starting from the 2019 pageant slated to be held on September 9, 2018 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Miss America will only assess women on their intelligence, talents, and ideas, Carlson said. The news has sparked mixed reaction in Vietnam, where several beauty contests are held each year. Whats left to see without the bikini? Le Xuan Son, a lead organizer of Miss Vietnam, is strongly against removing the swimsuit round from his competition. Son explained that Miss Vietnam, from its early days, has pursued a mission of looking at the appearance, intellect, and inner beauty of women. Miss Vietnam contestants model swimsuits in Ho Chi Minh City in 2016. Photo: Tuoi Tre The swimsuit round is the best way to help assess the attractiveness of the contestants, and bathing suits are normal garments that are accepted in public, on beaches, even on American lawns, Son said, underling that the swimsuit round is totally reasonable and necessary in a beauty contest." Miss America is not the first beauty pageant to put its bikinis in the closet. Miss World drowned its swimsuit round in 2015. Miss World chairwoman Julia Morley, at that time, told Elle magazine that the posing in swimsuits contributed nothing to the selection process. The contestants are already the most beautiful women in their countries. So, what the competition searches for is not physical beauty, but wisdom, kindness, and a strong spirit to serve voluntary works in during their reign, the chairwoman said. Even Miss Universe has begun to shift toward the search for intellectual beauty in its selection process, according to Thuy Nga, general director of Elite Vietnam, a model management agency. For Vietnam, however, Nga gave a resounding no on whether she feels the country should eliminate swimsuits from its pageants. We have to look at where we are. Our beauty contests are still amateur. They arent really professional competitions. Nga added that Vietnamese beauty queens are often not beautiful enough for a competition to be taken seriously. If we give up the swimsuit round, how will the judges select a winner when the interview round is considered a joke? "Between bad knowledge and not so bad physical appearance,' what do you think the judges should choose? Miss America contestants model swimsuits in Atlantic City in 1965. Photo: The New York Times Women are not a commodity Dr. Khuat Thu Hong, director of the Institute for Social Development Studies, a non-governmental, non-profit organization in Hanoi, represents the other side of the argument. No matter how highly people may speak about the swimsuit round, the essence of it is to look at women as a commodity, to show them in outfits that reveal their body to the public, Hong shared. Of the same mind, Miss Vietnam 2010 Ngoc Han agrees that eliminating the bikini round is a step forward for women. Its a good and humane approach. Its unnecessary to make the contestants walk on the stage in tiny bikinis, Han said. To evaluate their physical beauty, the judges can focus on body measurements from the physicians, the Han suggested. Le MinhTuan, deputy head of the Department of Performing Arts, said that the department will seek feedback on the issue at an upcoming conference scheduled on June 22 in Hue to discuss draft regulations governing the management of the performing arts. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Check out the news you should not miss today, June 8: Politics -- Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation left Hanoi on Thursday for Quebec to attend the expanded Group of Seven (G7) Summit, followed by a June 8 - 10 visit to Canada at the invitation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. -- Vietnam and the UK should fully tap their cooperation potential in order to boost the bilateral strategic partnership in a more comprehensive, pragmatic and effective way, Vietnamese State President Tran Dai Quang said at a reception for outgoing UK Ambassador Giles Lever in Hanoi on Thursday. Society -- An enterprise was caught red-handed illegally burying nearly 80 metric tons of solid industrial waste in the southern province of Binh Duong on Thursday. -- The management board of Bai Tu Long National Park in the northern province of Quang Ninh on Thursday joined local authorities in releasing a 20kg rare turtle to the ocean on Minh Chau Beach, one day after the animal was found stuck in local fishermens nets. -- Vietjet will cash back VND500,000 to the first 400 Shinhan Bank cardholders who spend at least VND5 million (US$ 218) buying its tickets with Shinhan/ANZ credit cards from June 8 to July 5, the budget carrier said on Thursday. Lifestyle -- South Korean heartthrob Jung Hae In, who has caused a stir among Asian audience with his role in the K-drama series Pretty noona who buys me food, will be in Vietnam next month for his first-ever fan meeting in Ho Chi Minh City. Education -- Ninth grader Pham Phuong from the Canadian International School on Thursday visited the Consulate General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City and became the Canadian Consul General for one day after she won a competition titled CG for a Day with her essay suggesting ideas to promote Canadian education in Vietnam. -- The Vietnam National Universitys Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi branches have recently been listed among the worlds top 1,000 best universities in the QS World University Rankings 2019. Environmental police in the southern province of Binh Duong said on Thursday they had found a local firm unlawfully burying a large quantity of industrial waste on a piece of abandoned land. Around 80 metric tons of untreated industrial waste was found on a 600-square-meter plot of deserted land, after Binh Duong police caught garbage-collecting vehicles in their act of dumping the waste in the area on Wednesday. The person behind the illicit disposal is Nguyen Thi Lien, owner of a scrap facility in Binh Duong, located immediately to the north of Ho Chi Minh City. An excavator is seen at the place where the industrial waste was illegally dumped in Binh Duong Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre Lien said she had usable items separated from the scrap purchased at local factories and companies, and asked her workers to get rid of the rest. The police booked the case and required Lien to have all the illegally buried waste retrieved. Investigation of the case is still underway. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnam has plans to create Phu Quoc, Van Don, and Bac Van Phong SAEZs, which will function as models for stimulating growth and attracting foreign investment. The Phu Quoc SAEZ will be created on a namesake island off the southern province of Kien Giang, whereas the Van Don and Bac Van Phong SAEZs will be located in the northern province of Quang Ninh and the south-central province of Khanh Hoa, respectively. The entire project is expected to cost a whopping VND1,570 trillion (US$69.16 billion) to develop. As their names suggest, these SAEZs will function outside the scope of certain laws and policies enforced elsewhere in Vietnam, with the ultimate aim of creating attractive destinations for foreign investment. Longer land lease terms, visa waiver policies for citizens from select countries, tax exemptions, and the legalization of activities outlawed elsewhere in the country are just a few of the conditions that would separate these zones from other Vietnamese localities. An aerial view of Phu Quoc Island, off the southern province of Kien Giang, where a special administrative and economic zone is planned to be developed. Photo: Tuoi Tre However, draft laws on SAEZs submitted to the lawmaking National Assembly last month sparked concerns over an article dictating that land in the three special zones could be leased by foreign investors for up to 99 years. Critics of the bills say allowing foreigners to own land for nearly a century could pose serious threats to the countrys national security. Questions surrounding the 99-year term heated the floor of Vietnams National Assembly as legislators assembled this week in Hanoi for a Q&A session. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the National Assembly meeting on Thursday, PM Phuc said the government would listen to feedback from the public and make suitable reductions to the land lease period before submitting a final draft of the bill to the legislature for approval. The 487-member National Assembly is set to vote on the law next week. Ships are seen at a transshipment port off the planned Van Phong special economic and administrative zone in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre The government has received enthusiastic feedback [on the draft law] and we welcome more, he told reporters outside the meeting hall. With such a display of patriotism, theres no reason to worry about losing our homeland [to foreigners]. According to the premiere, even if the law allows foreign investors to lease land for a maximum of 99 years, it would only apply to special situations involving massive development projects that require significant time frames to build and operate. An SAEZ chairman is permitted to approve land leases of up to 70 years.Investments requiring 71 91 year leases would require approval from the prime minister, according to the draft law. In comparison, current laws in Vietnam allow maximum land lease terms of up to 70 years, though 50 to 55 years are most common. He added that there would be a limit on how many investors from the same country would be able to lease land in SAEZs in order to prevent monopolies and mitigate security risks. There will be more specific regulations to monitor this process when we reach the actual development of these special zones, as laws only provide the basic legal grounds and framework, PM Phuc explained. Our national interest is paramount, he stressed. A worker is seen at the construction site of an airport at the planned Van Don special economic and administrative zone in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese health authorities have begun distributing thousands of saliva-based HIV tests throughout the country, delivering a more convenient alternative to those who may need to be tested. The Ministry of Health is in the process of providing nearly 80,000 saliva-based HIV tests in different areas of the country, according to Vu Hai Son, from the Vietnam Administration of HIV Control. The majority of the tests are being given in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, though many more are expected to be carried out in the northern province of Thai Nguyen, Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province near Ho Chi Minh City, Son said. Son underlined that this HIV diagnosis has 100 percent sensitivity and 99 percent specificity. In medical tests, sensitivity is the ability to identify those with the disease while specificity is the extent to which a test can identify those without the disease. In the case of the tests being given out by the government, all test results are positive when HIV is present, and 99 percent of test results are negative when the condition is absent. A disadvantage of the method, he said, is that it is prone to be inaccurate when performed on patients who have undergone antiretroviral therapy a treatment to maximally suppress the HIV virus and cease the development of HIV disease for many years. He advised that those who take the test consider also participating in a blood test in order to obtain conclusive results. HIV test kits can be purchased online for about US$20 before shipping, but the ministry has been able to purchase them at just one tenth that price following a deal with an American producer, Son said. The price is lower than that offered in the U.S. because they have been subsidized. Those who need to have a HIV test can now access newer and faster anonymous home testing before visiting the hospital, he added. There has been a decline in the number of children infected with HIV each year in Vietnam, from 500-600 several years ago to an average of 200. The ministry hopes to reduce that figure to 60 in the coming years. But the percentage of men contracting HIV from having sex with other men (MSM) is increasing in the Southeast Asian country, according to the Vietnam Administration of HIV Control. The current statistic, Son said, stands at 12 percent; and over 50 percent of HIV-infected people from MSM are under age 22. About 170,000 people in Vietnam belong to the MSM group, which accounts for 0.7 percent of the 15-49 demographic, Son said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnams railway sector is lagging due to obsolete trains and infrastructure as well as ineffective investment, according to experts. A regulation on the railway law, set to come into effect on July 1, caps the maximumlifespan for passenger cars and freight cars at 40 years and 45 years, respectively. The new policy would also mandate that outdated cars be removed from the railways system by 2021. A recent survey showed that out of more than 1,000 passenger train cars and nearly 5,000 freight carriages in the country, about 25.6 percent are over 40 years old and some 33.4 percent are between 30 and 40 years old. About 43.8 percent out of 294 locomotives are also between 30 and 40 years old, while the majority of them have low engine capacity, low speed, and consume too much fuel. A representative from the Vietnamese railway sector said that over VND4 trillion (US$176 million) will be needed to replace the obsolete locomotives and cars during the 2016-20 period. Only about VND1.44 trillion ($61.6 million), funded by two major subsidiaries of The Vietnam Railways (VNR), has so far been invested in the replacement of 135 cars. VNR currently manages Vietnams over 3,000 kilometer north-to-south railway network. The firm previously intended to channel another VND2.1 trillion ($92.4 million) into building 100 new locomotives, but the plan is still in its initial phases. Old train cars are being upgraded at a factory in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre The railway sector has also carried out many unsuccessful investments in the past, resulting in wastefulness to the already limited financial capacity, according to an official in the field. In 2014, VNR managed to mobilize approximately VND188 billion ($8.27 million) in investments for new lavatory equipment onboard 821 passenger cars. However, the new facilities quickly posed a series of problems, resulting in endless complaints from travelers and eventually forcing the firm to replace all of the new equipment. The railroad sector previously planned to add meals to its train journeys and purchased equipment to process and preserve food. They also provided free meals to passengers as part of a pilot program but did not receive positive feedback from the travelers. The plan was eventually ceased after many passengers refused to eat the free meals. In addition, the automatic ticket gates installed at major stations in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and the central city of Da Nang in late 2017 have malfunctioned on multiple occasions, resulting in difficulties for railway attendants. The Ministry of Transport recently submitted a proposal to the law-making National Assembly regarding the provision of VND7 trillion ($308 million) to invest in the development of the countrys railway sector. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Just one story is teased for tomorrows 60 Minutes, as Tara Brown looks into a 2011 Black Widow murder case and the fashion designer eventually cleared of her husbands death. 14MM Lena Kasparian didnt want her partner Marc Zartarian to die. She loved him. But one night at home they got into a fiery argument and he started physically attacking her. In desperation Lena reached for a knife on the kitchen bench. She wanted to scare Mark off and protect herself and her two young children. Defiantly though, he lunged at her and in the scuffle that followed the knife pierced his chest by a miniscule 14 millimetres. The cut was tiny but Mark was desperately unlucky it nicked his heart and six days later he died of his injuries. On 60 Minutes, Tara Brown investigates a family tragedy. For the first time the real events of that awful evening and its chaotic aftermath are explained: the frantic triple-0 emergency calls, and Lenas despair which is painfully laid bare in her police interviews recorded in the immediate hours following the incident. After years of unfairly being labelled a Black Widow, Lena Kasparian now wants Australia to know how the law tried to turn a victim into a perpetrator, and what she had to do to beat a murder charge. Reporter: Tara Brown Producer: Laura Sparkes 9:30pm Sunday on Nine. Nick Leys ABCs Media Manager, Corporate Affairs, has resigned after four years with the public broadcaster. He will take up a new role as general manager for Corporate Affairs with the Australian Energy Council. Leys was formerly a journalist with The Australian, working first under managing director Mark Scott and then Michelle Guthrie. In a statement to TV Tonight Leys said, Ive had almost five wonderful years at the ABC under Michelle Guthrie and before her Mark Scott. It has been an honour to call everyone at the ABC a colleague, and to play a role in helping them make the ABC the truly great national broadcaster it is. Despite budget cuts, politics, competitive pressures and culture wars, the ABC remains a treasured part of Australian life, and essential to our media and our society. Every Australian should demand it remains independent, well-funded and strong. In a note to staff Louise Higgins, Chief Financial and Strategy Officer, said, Nick has worked tirelessly for this corporation and he really does embody what the ABC values are and stand for. Nicks thoughtful and measured manner meant the ABC really had a strong broker, especially when dealing with challenging times. And the humility on this guy! We will miss him. And I think we can all agree that Nicks commitment and loyalty has been outstanding. Leys resignation follows the departure of Simon Francis from Seven and Neil Shoebridge from TEN, who remains a consultant. He departs on June 20 with ABC yet to announce his replacement. Part two of Four Corners special investigative series reveals the story of two key players central to the allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Im just a sacrificial lamb for people who are looking for a false story to tear down the Trump campaign. Carter Page, former Trump adviser under investigation Unfortunately, Carter Page fell right into the trap, he walked right into the lions den, dragging the rest of us with him. Former Trump campaign national security director Carter Page and George Papadopoulos both served as foreign policy advisers to Donald Trump during the Presidential campaign. Both have come under investigation by the FBI and the special prosecutor examining Russias interference in the election. Both were targets of Russian spies. Typically, when Russian intelligence is in contact with someone, they dont waste their time. They have a reason for doing it. Former CIA Moscow station chief In part two of Four Corners special investigative series, reporter Sarah Ferguson pieces together the events that have engulfed these men and the Trump camp. Honestly, not sure I can sort him out in my own mind whether he was doing something nefarious or was just naive. I dont know. But I do know that he was a matter of concern to the FBI. Former US Director of National Intelligence In a sometimes tense encounter, Sarah Ferguson questions Carter Page about his actions and his insistence that he has done nothing wrong. In every way its a witch hunt. There is zero basis for anything related to the controversy surrounding myself. Carter Page In Chicago, George Papadopoulos is awaiting sentencing on charges of lying to the FBI. His wife explains how the couple became caught up in the scandal. He decided to cooperate with the FBI and is putting his knowledge fully at the disposal of the governmenthes a piece of the puzzleHis contribution is going to make a difference. Wife of George Papadopoulos And the program examines how a casual drink in a London bar set off alarm bells for US intelligence services. The now far reaching investigation into whether Trump or his associates colluded with the Kremlin may have started here at the Kensington wine rooms with Australias former foreign minister. Sarah Ferguson Monday 11th June at 8.30pm on ABC. South Australian cuisine, wineries and food destinations are showcased next week on MasterChef Australia from Adelaide to the Barossa. Maggie Beer and former MasterChef graduates Callum Hann and Poh Lin Yeow also feature. The top 15 contestants will be inspired by all the state has to offer as they cook their way through a series of challenges in some of the most spectacular locations on offer. Sunday nights mystery box challenge sees the contestants explore the hustle and bustle of Adelaides CBD, as they discover there is no mystery box, but rather a team of local producers delivering some of the best ingredients to cook with. In a MasterChef world-first, Monday nights pressure test will find the contestants in the heart of McLaren Vale wine country where they will have three hours to recreate a dish using a 3D printer. Set atop of the stunning backdrop of the Adelaide Hills, Tuesday nights immunity challenge will see one contestant cook off against a professional chef, while making the toughest decision between two Aussie favourites: peanut butter or vegemite. Wednesday nights team challenge takes place in the picturesque Barossa Valley where contestants will be given two hours to prepare an entree, a main and a dessert for 30 diners. The week will also see contestants travel to Maggie Beers farm where everyones favourite chef sets an elimination challenge using one of the worlds most versatile ingredients chicken. We are joined by South Australian MasterChef alumni Callum Hann and Poh Lin Yeow, who round off the week by demonstrating two mouth-watering dishes in Thursday nights MasterClass set in the Adelaide markets. 7:30pm Sunday Thursday on TEN. Brisbane is to get a new $12M film and television production studio. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the news in Hollywood as part of her trade mission to the USA. The funding will allow for a fit-for-purpose studio for small film and television productions. Queenslands screen industry is thriving, and my Governments support for this new studio will bring a new wave of investment in the creative jobs of the future, Premier Palaszczuk said. Queensland is recognised as a production paradise and film-friendly state, and we are known internationally for our diverse and unrivalled natural locations, strong financial incentives, world-class facilities and award-winning talent and crew. The announcement follows an Advance Queensland Screen Industry 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan, consulting with Queensland screen practitioners. We have listened to that feedback and are proud to be able to help support a resilient and innovative Queensland screen industry with this investment, the Premier said. We are excited to be able to provide a space for both established and up-and-coming content producers to work and collaborate. The location of the new studio and initial tenants are expected to be announced in the new financial year. Q&A is in South Australia on Monday with a special episode featuring Bill Shorten. Labor is leading in the polls but Bill Shorten is lagging. Now the man who would be Prime Minister joins Q&A to answer your questions, live from the Shedley Theatre in Elizabeth, South Australia. 9:35pm Monday on ABC. Luke McGregor and Celia Pacquola will begin filming season three of Rosehaven shortly in Tasmania for ABC & SundanceTV. Filming will take place over seven weeks from June 18 in Oatlands, Geeveston, New Norfolk, Longley, Richmond, Seven Mile Beach, Mountain River, Brighton and Chigwell. Cast gathered with Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgeman this week as part of the shows Screen Tasmania funding. The third series sees full-time employment of 35 Tasmanian practitioners and additional full-time training roles on the crew. Head of ABC Comedy Rick Kalowski said: Being back in Tasmania making Rosehaven Series 3 for ABC, and Sundance thanks to our US partners, is a joy. Ive had few more thrilling days than when Celia and Luke first pitched it knowing immediately ABC had to make it, and that it had the potential to charm audiences worldwide. And so its proved to be. Reprising their 2018 Logie nominated roles for Most Popular Actor and Actress, series three finds best friends and workmates Daniel (Luke McGregor) and Emma (Celia Pacquola) now ensconced as bona fide Rosehaven real estate agents. Weathering a storm of recalcitrant landlords, anxiety inducing tenants and an overbearing boss (Daniels mum), series three sees them also faced with big changes in their personal lives and a real estate opportunity that threatens to divide the whole town. The ABCs investment in Tasmanian productions has more than doubled since 2014/15, exemplifying the ABCs unrivalled commitment to high-quality, distinctive Australian content across the country. Production Credits: A What Horse? / Guesswork Television production presented by Screen Tasmania, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and SundanceTV. Created and Written by Celia Pacquola and Luke McGregor. Directed by Shaun Wilson and Jonathan Brough. Produced by Andrew Walker. Co-Producer Fiona McConaghy. Executive Producer Kevin Whyte. ABC Executive Producers Rick Kalowski and Brett Sleigh. Southern Cross Television will drop the SCA logo and replace it with Seven branding in Tasmania, Darwin, Remote Central and Eastern Australia, Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill markets. In February SCA renewed its agreement with Seven for three years. Southern Cross will continue to broadcast a one hour bulletin in Tasmania to be renamed as Seven News Tasmania and 30 minute bulletins in Broken Hill & Spencer Gulf to be known as Seven Local News. The change takes effect from July 1st. Mrika Krasniqi is a very gifted writer and director, who is particularly good at mixing psychological dramas with "thought-provoking" scripts, as was mentioned by NY Elite Magazine. She has become one of the most respected filmmakers in the business, who is recognized for her works in short, feature and documentary films. Krasniqi was named Woman of the Year by Senator Charles Schumer, of the U.S.Congress, and she discussed that with London Prestige Mag in an interview this week. They also mentioned that she was named anAmbassador for Peace by the Universal Peace Federation. Recently, she had an interview with NY Elite Magazine who wrote that she told them "a little bit more about her beginnings in the Film Industry and projects she did in the past, but most importantly her plans for the future." I also had an opportunity to talk to her about her established career in the film industry. Beginnings in the film industry Sabina: Mrika, can you tell me about your entry into the film industry? Mrika: I studied my BA degree in Dramatic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Prishtina. And I earned two masters in Multimedia and Arts from the University of Prishtina and Public Administration from Dardania University in Kosovo. My first job was at the national broadcasting media in Kosovo, the Radio and Television ofKosovo (RTK). I worked as the editor in charge of the documentary program. Some of the documentaries I wrote and directed included "Grounds of Art in Kosovo," "The Art of Cotton," winner of Best Director, "Veli Gervalla," and "The Groove of Hope." Then I worked for a popular TV station, TV Klan where I wrote and directed "Do You Want a Cigar" (2001) and "Room 135" (2002). I founded my own film company Nil Production in 2002 in Kosovo, and in 2014 I opened the New York Branch, where I reside. I have been making films for over twenty years as a director, writer, and producer. Sabina: How has film industry changed your life? Mrika: I am very passionate about making films, organizing film festivals and creating a network/platform for all filmmakers. I organise two very successful projects every year: the international Filmmaker Festival of New York and the International Screenwriting Competition. Film has opened many doors for me that bring about positive change and make a difference in my community and around the world. I have been blessed to take on many humanitarian and non-profit causes that are very close to my heart, such as women rights, domestic violence, theJewish question, anti-trafficking of human beings and human rights. Sabina: Where do you think is the best place to be as a filmmaker and why? Mrika: I think Europe remains the top favourite place for non-commercial types of film, also known as Film Auteur, whereas the United States is known as the place for adventure and science fiction films. There are many talented filmmakers in the world today who cant choose one place or the other. But no matter where you live geographically, it is important to adapt to your creative vision. Best projects to date Sabina: What are your best projects to date? Mrika: As a filmmaker, I like to push myself and my creativity further with every project. I like to think of my best work as if it is still in the making. Some of my films that have won awards and received critical acclaim internationally include Proof (2018), Soldier (2014). The latter was the winner of Best Human Artist by the European Community of Jewish Artists EJCP, France, and the Certificate of Honor by the Producers Network at Cannes Film Festival in France. Four Chimneys (2013), was the winner of Production Award in Drita Festival in Kosovo. Goli Otok (2010), was the winner of Best Organizer in One World Fest in Kosovo. Worlds Noblemen (2009), won Best Documentary in New York. Then there was The Land of Kelmend (2008), winner of Best Social Documentary in the Los Angeles Film Festiva,l and winner of Best Audience in Zagreb Documentaries in Croatia. Art of Cotton (2004), was the winner of Best Director in Poland. Upcoming projects Sabina: Do you have any interesting Film or TV projects coming up? Mrika: Three months ago, I finished shooting my feature film Proof, which I wrote and directed. Now we are in post-production and editing. We are working very hard and hope to release it in November. "Proof" is a psychological drama, and it was shot in New York. This film is dedicated to the 10,000 children of Kosovo whose parents were killed during the 1999 war. My next feature film is called Nik, which we plan to start shooting in January 2019. I am the screenwriter of Nik, produced by Nil Production, in collaboration with Dardan Studio. Nik talks about a child born and raised in prison. At the age of five, he is sent to an orphanage, but Nik has a hard time adapting to the new reality FILE PHOTO: Andrea Enria, chairperson of the European Banking Authority, speaks at Reuters Summit interview in London, Britain, September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - The European Banking Authority has opened a formal investigation into "shortcomings" over how Malta's Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) enforced anti-money laundering rules at Pilatus bank. Malta's regulators imposed a freeze on the business of Pilatus Bank in March after its chairman, Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad, was accused in an indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan of involvement in a scheme to evade U.S. economic sanctions against Iran. EBA Chair Andrea Enria said in a letter to the European Union's executive European Commission dated June 6 that he has decided to open a formal "breach of union law" investigation in relation to FIAU, the Maltese anti-money laundering watchdog over its handling of Pilatus bank. The announcement follows a "preliminary inquiry" into FIAU and the Maltese markets regulator opened in November 2017. That in turn came after the EU Parliament asked for clarification on how Pilatus got its licence and the EU Commission requested a probe of "alleged incorrect or insufficient application of EU law pertaining to the prevention of money laundering" in Malta. Enria said his preliminary inquiry into the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) was continuing, and he has asked for more information by June 10. The MFSA said it was in close collaboration with the EBA to address the questions raised within the stipulated timeframe. The FIAU could not be immediately reached for comment. SHORTCOMINGS Enria said the preliminary assessment showed that how FIAU conducted its "investigation and planned its supervisory activities" regarding Pilatus does not appear to have met EU anti-money laundering requirements. "The FIAU appears to have failed to ensure that the institution put in place adequate and appropriate" anti-money laundering rules, Enria said in his letter made available to the media. "The FIAU neither imposed effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions nor any other supervisory measures to correct the shortcomings it had identified to ensure the institutions compliance" with the EU rules, Enria added. Story continues An EBA panel will now decide if there has been a breach of law and, if so, propose recommendations for the EU watchdog to adopt by mid-July. Enria said he wants more details about cooperation between MFSA and FIAU, the prudential supervision and interventions regarding authorisation, and internal controls and business model of Pilatus Bank. "The need for further action will be assessed on the basis of the reply of the MFSA," Enria said. (Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Keith Weir) By Francesco Guarascio BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union anti-fraud investigators suspect Greece and Hungary may have become the main EU centres of a multi-million-euro scam involving imports of Chinese clothing and footwear that uses the infrastructure of China's new "Silk Road". The large-scale fraud, which involves underdeclaring the value of imported goods to pay lower duties and sales taxes, was first uncovered in Britain, where it had gone on for years, prompting the European Commission this year to demand that London pay 2.7 billion euros (2.3 billion pounds) in lost customs duties to the EU budget. Officials at the EU anti-fraud agency OLAF said they now suspected the scam could have shifted to Hungary and to the port of Piraeus in Athens, which has been majority-owned by China's state-owned COSCO Shipping <601919.SS> since 2016. Hungarian and Greek customs data show a surge of undervalued clothing and footwear imports from China over the past two years, OLAF officials told Reuters. They stressed that this trend had coincided with a drop in undervalued Chinese imports into Britain. Customs duties in EU countries are a direct revenue for the bloc's budget. They are collected by national authorities before being sent to Brussels. "We are worried about this," OLAF's director for investigations Ernesto Bianchi told a news conference in Brussels on Wednesday, adding that monitoring of import flows would be enhanced. Reuters exclusively reported in April that Italian authorities were investigating suspected import fraud by Chinese criminal gangs at Piraeus port, the largest in Greece.. Asked about the suspected fraud in April, COSCO Shipping said: "The company has in its global operations consistently and strictly followed local and international laws, and persevered to operate legally and compliantly." Hungarian and Greek customs authorities were not immediately available for comment. Story continues China wants to transform the Greek port into its "gateway to Europe" as part of its $126 billion "Belt and Road" initiative, which envisions a new Silk Road of land and sea routes with trading partners. Under the plan, a fast rail and land route would connect Athens to the Hungarian capital, Budapest, across the Balkans. That same route could have been used by traffickers to move underpriced and undeclared Chinese goods to Hungary, investigators suspect. "It is maybe too soon to jump to conclusions, but it is worrying that fraudsters are now obviously looking at infrastructure investment as a business opportunity for them too," Bianchi said, urging EU authorities to make sure that the infrastructure built by the Chinese "is not exploited for illicit traffic". In the British scheme, Chinese criminal organisations used the German port of Hamburg as Europe's first arrival point for undervalued clothing and footwear cargos. But goods passed customs controls only after having been shipped to Britain's ports, under EU rules that spare checks on items in transit between the bloc's member states. The British ports of Dover and Felixstowe were still the EU's main hubs for undervalued Chinese imports in 2017, OLAF data showed, but that flow has nearly stopped this year because of stricter checks by British customs, EU officials said. Britain's decision to leave the EU's customs union might have also persuaded the criminal groups that oversee this business to find new routes to bring Chinese goods into Europe, the officials said. The British government is contesting that frauds occurred in UK ports. OLAF chief Nick Ilett said he expected the controversy with Britain would last "some time" and would probably need to be settled at the EU's court of justice. OLAF defines undervalued goods as those which fall far below the average price declared in all EU customs. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; additional reporting by Renee Maltezou in Athens; Editing by Gareth Jones and David Stamp) Roman Catholic Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes speaks during news conference after a meeting with Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega in Managua, Nicaragua June 7, 2018.REUTERS/Oswaldo Rivas Thomson Reuters MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Nicaraguan bishops met embattled president Daniel Ortega on Thursday, presenting a proposal for what they called "democratization" of the country after weeks of protests that have killed at least 127 people. The bishops, who called off talks they had brokered between Ortega's government and civilian groups last week after particularly brutal violence on Nicaragua's Mother's Day, said the president's reply to their proposal would determine whether they renewed the dialogue. They did not give further details. "The dialogue with the president took place in an atmosphere of calm, frankness and sincerity, in which we presented to the president the nation's pain and anguish amid the violence suffered in recent weeks," the bishops said at a news conference. The Central American country has been roiled for more than a month by violent protests against Ortega and his proposed changes to the social security system. The bishops have condemned the violence. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said this week 127 people have been killed since the demonstrations began in late April. (Reporting by Mexico City Newsroom; Editing by Paul Tait) See Also: A steel plant in Gent, Belgium that will be affected by US steel tariffs (Reuters) Mass layoffs of European steel workers are looming as a result of Donald Trumps protectionist trade policy, industry leaders have warned. The European Steel Association (Eurofer) issued the bleak message as its member gathered in Brussels for their annual conference amid a global crisis for the sector. Its president, Geert Van Poelvoorde, put the potential number of job losses in the tens of thousands and warned the industry could be slaughtered. European steel manufacturers did around 5bn worth of businesses with the US last year and the UKs 35 steel sites accounted for 300m of that. MORE: Trade war fears rise as countries hit by Trump steel tariffs retaliate Their exports to the US are set to be slashed by at least a third as a result of the 25 per cent tariff imposed on their goods by the US President last week. They will also be dealt a double blow as steel produced outside the EU that was set for the US is now diverted into the worlds second largest steel market Europe. Imports of steel to the EU have already surged by 8.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2018. And Eurofer expects there is worse to come as effects of the US tariffs take hold, warning imports into the EU could rise by as much as 30 per cent this year. US President Donald Trump signs off an order to raise tariffs on steel imports surrounded by workers from the industry (Getty) This will be detrimental for the European steel industry, for jobs and the plants, Van Poelvoorde said at a press conference. It is clear that if we do not stop this tsunami we will just be slaughtered. Addressing members later, he warned: If the US measures remain in place without modification from their present state, we could see job losses in the tens of thousands in the steel industry in Europe, as well as losses in the supply chains that service the sector. However, Van Poelvoorde pointed out that the EU would not suffer alone. MORE: From sunbeds to slippers stuff that could cost more in a trade war with Trump While the US steel industry may benefit from the tariffs, one study predicted there would 146,000 job losses in the rest of the economy as higher steel prices pushed up costs. Story continues There will also be a price to pay from the tariffs the EU has placed on a diverse range 182 US products popular in Europe, which range from jeans to bourbon whiskey and motorcycles. EU leaders have also pledged to safeguard European producers by stopping excess steel imports. Backing the EU measures, Van Poelvoorde said: The only thing we can do now is to defend ourselves and put the pressure back on the US to get them around the negotiating table. By Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday announced for the first time an unconditional ceasefire with the Taliban, coinciding with the end of the Muslim fasting month, but excluding other militant groups, such as Islamic State. The decision came after a meeting of Islamic clerics this week declared a fatwa, or ruling, against suicide bombings, one of which, claimed by Islamic State, killed 14 people at the entrance to the clerics' peace tent in Kabul, the capital. The clerics also recommended a ceasefire with the Taliban, who are seeking to reimpose strict Islamic law after their ouster in 2001, and Ghani endorsed the recommendation, announcing a laying down of arms until June 20. Ghani has urged ceasefires with the Taliban before, but this was the first unconditional offer since he was elected in 2014. "This ceasefire is an opportunity for Taliban to introspect (sic) that their violent campaign is not winning them hearts and minds," Ghani said in a message on social network Twitter after a televised address. There was no immediate reaction from the Taliban but an international political analyst based in Kabul was unimpressed. "It's a one-sided love story," he said. U.S. Forces-Afghanistan said they would honour the ceasefire. "We will adhere to the wishes of Afghanistan for the country to enjoy a peaceful end to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, and support the search for an end to the conflict," Gen. John Nicholson, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and the NATO-led Resolute Support commander, said in a statement. The ceasefire would not include U.S. counterterrorism efforts against Islamic State and al Qaeda, it said. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the announcement which he said "shows the seriousness of President Ghani and the Afghan government". Both he and the United Nations urged the Taliban to reciprocate. The United States and Russia also praised the decision. Story continues "The Afghan governments offer of a temporary ceasefire underscores its commitment to peace as both a national and religious responsibility," the State Department said in a statement. But former Afghan army general Atiqullah Amarkhel said the ceasefire would give the Taliban a chance to regroup. "From a military prospect, it is not a good move," he told Reuters. He also said he doubted the Taliban would lay down arms and deny themselves the opportunity of fighting during the holy month of Ramadan, in which attacks have intensified. The Eid al-Fitr holiday ending Ramadan falls at the end of next week. Ghani in February offered recognition of the Taliban as a legitimate political group in a proposed political process that he said could lead to talks to end more than 16 years of war. Ghani proposed a ceasefire and a release of prisoners among options including new elections involving the militants and a constitutional review in a pact with the Taliban to end a conflict that last year alone killed or wounded more than 10,000 civilians. In August, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a more hawkish military approach to Afghanistan, including a surge in air strikes, aimed at forcing the Taliban to the negotiating table. Afghan security forces say the impact has been significant, but the Taliban roam huge swaths of the country and, with foreign troop levels of about 15,600, down from 140,000 in 2014, there appears little hope of outright victory. (Additional reporting by Qadir Sediqi and Rupam Jain in Kabul, Polina Devitt in Moscow, Doina Chiacu in Washington and Idrees Ali and Robert Emmott in Brussels; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Robert Birsel) By Ruma Paul and Zeba Siddiqui DHAKA/MUMBAI (Reuters) - The death toll in a Bangladeshi "zero tolerance" crackdown on drugs has risen to 140, with about 18,000 people arrested, the government said on Thursday, as a group of activists urged the United Nations to step in to stop the bloodshed. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the anti-narcotics campaign in early May to tackle the spread of methamphetamines but the killings have raised fears among rights groups of a bloody Philippine-style campaign to wipe out drugs. "In a manner reminiscent of the Philippines drug war, Bangladeshi police justified these killings as supposedly happening during 'gunfights' with rival gangs or law enforcement officers acting in self-defence during anti-drug operations," the International Drug Policy Consortium said in a statement, urging U.N. agencies to act. "Evidence worldwide have shown that such a violent and abusive approach has not managed to curb the illicit drug market, but it can be used as a political tool to win political elections and target unwanted opposition," said the consortium of nearly 200 non-governmental organisations. Their call joins a chorus of international pressure on Bangladesh to stop the violence, which a home ministry official told Reuters had claimed 140 lives, with some 18,000 under arrest. The war on drugs in the Philippines has killed thousands since President Rodrigo Duterte took office two years ago. Duterte won a landslide victory after vowing to crack down on what he called the "drug menace". Hasina, who faces a general election later in 2018, has dismissed accusations of extra-judicial killings, and said the crackdown enjoys popular support. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein on Wednesday called for independent investigations into the killings and said there was a "high likelihood" that many people may have been arbitrarily detained. The consortium also asked the United Nations to advise Bangladesh against bringing in the death penalty for drug-related offences, which is under consideration in the South Asian nation. (Reporting by Ruma Paul in Dhaka and Zeba Siddiqui in Mumbai; Additional reporting by Andrew Marshal in Bangkok; Editing by Euan Rocha, Robert Birsel) Belgium and the Netherlands have agreed to buy 16 warships together at a cost of around four billion euros (3.5bn). Defence ministers from both countries signed the agreement at a NATO meeting in Brussels, the Belga news agency said. They set out plans to buy four frigates, to be built in the Netherlands, and 12 mine hunters, with the military ships split evenly between the two nations. A spokesman for the Belgian government said candidates to build the ships had already been chosen and "the goal is to make a decision by the end of the year". The new ships should be delivered at the start of 2023, the Belgian navy said. The Netherlands and neighbouring Belgium have collaborated for more than half a century and they cooperate closely in defence matters. Their military announcement comes two days after Britain's multi-million pound F-35 stealth fighter jets touched down on UK soil . Four of the supersonic warplanes, which had been based in the US Marine Corps, crossed the Atlantic to land at RAF Marham in Norfolk on Wednesday night. The cost of Carillion (Frankfurt: 924047 - news) 's collapse to the public purse has been estimated at 148m - and could come in much higher. That is according to a report examining the Government's handling of the stricken construction and outsourcing specialist, which found there was "surprise" at the scale of the company's first profit warning in July 2017. The National Audit Office (NAO) said that, nevertheless, public contracts that had already been agreed continued to be signed despite the Cabinet Office raising its risk rating on the company and contingency planning being stepped up. It said officials were reluctant to attach the highest risk rating to Carillion for fear of tipping the firm into financial collapse. The NAO described how the company went cap-in-hand to the Government in early January of 2018 - asking for 223m to help it through until April. The report continued: "Rather than provide this, the Cabinet Office decided it was better that Carillion enter into a trading liquidation, because it had serious concerns about Carillion's business plans, the legal implications, potential open-ended funding commitments, the precedent it would set, and the concern that Carillion would return with further requests." Carillion collapsed on 15 January with debts of 1.3bn, a pensions black hole of 2.6bn that will have to be compensated by the Pension Protection Fund and only 29m cash left on its balance sheet. It employed 20,000 people in the UK and held hundreds of public contracts - from HS2 construction to building schools and providing school dinners. Almost 12,000 workers have found new jobs but more than 2,300 have been made redundant and 3,000 are still employed on contracts. Carillion's demise prompted a series of investigations - by MPs (BSE: MPSLTD.BO - news) , who have been damning in their criticism of former bosses while regulators are examining their roles and also those of auditors. Amyas Morse, the head of the NAO, said: "When a company becomes a strategic supplier, dependencies are created beyond the scope of specific contracts. Story continues "Doing a thorough job of protecting the public interest means that government needs to understand the financial health and sustainability of its major suppliers, and avoid creating relationships with those which are already weakened. "Government has further to go in developing in this direction." A Cabinet Office spokesman responded: "Throughout this process, the Government has been clear that its priority is to ensure that public services continue to run smoothly and safely. "The plans we put in place have ensured this, and we continue to work hard to minimise the impacts of the insolvency, having safeguarded over 11,700 jobs to date. "We are grateful to the NAO for their report, and will consider their findings." Jon Trickett, shadow minister for the cabinet office, said: "The Government's dogmatic commitment to the failed outsourcing ideology blinded it to the large risks. "The Tories were more concerned about the commercial interests of big business than protecting taxpayers' money or public services." PER_CAR_Child Soldiers_02_RTRMADP Five years ago, when Hassan was 11, militiamen killed his father not far from his home in Kaga Bandoro, a small, cattle-trading town in the Central African Republic, he says. Full of sadness and anger, the boy, a member of the countrys disenfranchised Muslim minority, didnt believe the courts would deliver justice. The only thing he trusted, he says, was a Kalashnikov. So, not long after his fathers death, Hassan (identified with a pseudonym for security concerns) joined the Seleka alliance of rebels, a coalition of local and foreign fighters in the civil war, he says. The largely Muslim group seized large swaths of the country in 2013, triggering reprisals from mostly Christian militias called the anti-balaka. Trending: Drug Addicts, Prostitutes and Grave Robbers Are Reportedly Disturbing Miami's Historic Cemeteries His first job: working as a bodyguard for a commander whose armed group was terrorizing towns across this Texas-sized country, sandwiched between Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Three months later, Hassan says, he was promoted to lieutenant and put in charge of about 50 people, including 10 other children. At the beginning, I was scared, he says. But later, I lost this fear. I got used to holding a gun. The rebels also tasked him with recruiting more children, offering him sporadic and meager rewards. I liked my work, he says. On special holidays, I would be given cigarettes and money. But as the war raged on, supplies dwindled, and the death toll mounted on both sides. Most nights, he and his platoon slept in the bush. While on guard duty, he says, he shot civilians if they didnt listen to his commands and stop. I saw a lot of blood, he says. I would be happy after attacking a town. But this feeling went away, and I became scared when I realized that my enemy would come back. PER_CAR_Child Soldiers_03 Jack Losh Story continues Today, that bloodshed continues. After a tentative lull in early 2016, the civil war began raging again later that year. The rebel alliance has fragmented into rival factions that fight over mineral resources and trade routes across the Central African Republic. Militias are bolstering their ranks with more kids, as a United Nationsled task force struggles to help thousands of former child soldiers reintegrate into society. In March, the U.N. deputy chief of humanitarian affairs, Ursula Mueller, said that the recruitment and use of children by armed groups increased by 50 percent between 2016 and 2017, and the conflict continues to escalate. Several thousand boys and girls are now being used as combatants, cooks, messengers and porters, according to the U.N. Childrens Emergency Fund. They are often abused by older militants, ordered to commit atrocities and used as human shields. Most have experienced deep trauma. Children, says Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEFs regional director, are paying the highest price for this new surge of violence. Don't miss: 7 'Sex and the City' Locations in New York Made Famous by the HBO Series Since 2004, Western nations and international institutions like the European Commission, the U.N. and the World Bank have funded several disarmament programs in the Central African Republic in a bid to quell a string of rebellions, encourage armed groups to disband and help militants return to civilian society. These programs usually offer incentivessuch as educational support, vocational training and paid workto fighters, including child soldiers, to give up their weapons. Yet out of the approximately 12,500 children released from armed groups since 2014, U.N. figures show more than a third of themabout 4,500are still waiting for assistance. Key reasons include a lack of moneyUNICEFs operations in this area, for example, are almost 90 percent underfundedand an inability for aid workers to operate in some areas controlled by armed groups. If we dont do the job properly, children go back, says a senior aid worker who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Mediators try to convince commanders that releasing child soldiers will benefit their militias, freeing up crucial resources such as food and water for other fighters. Afterwards, the aid worker says, both parties sign an agreement. We will look after them, and you dont recruit them again. Disarmament programs have become a key component of the U.N.s peace-building efforts, but these initiatives are problematic. Aid workers tell Newsweek that, during negotiations, militia commanders attempt to wrest handouts for themselves from international nonprofits and list fake children or relatives as combatants in exchange for benefits. Louisa Lombard, a Central African Republic expert and Yale University assistant professor of anthropology, has described some disarmament initiatives as pits of corruption, in which officials have sold slots on programs and failed to track aid. For some critics, even successful disarmament campaigns end up, inadvertently, promoting the use of violence. According to Lombard, many in the country consider rebellion to be more fruitful than ever, as the resulting programs may appear to militants as their best avenue to a salary and other entitlements. PER_CAR_Child Soldiers_01_863402768 JOHN WESSELS/AFP/Getty Most popular: Kingkiller Chronicle Author Patrick Rothfuss Doesnt Believe in Writers Block Some officials have also seen militants turn in homemade guns used for hunting bushmeat, keeping more sophisticated weapons at home. When 7,500 combatants participated in one of the countrys biggest disarmament programs, between 2004 and 2007, researchers found that the fighters handed in only 417 guns, which proved impossible to store and trace properly due to shoddy databases. This program also defined the term weapon so loosely that officials tasked with disarming militants accepted innocuous pieces of uniformssuch as military capsin the place of guns. In an interview with Newsweek, Kenneth Gluck, the deputy head of the countrys U.N. peacekeeping mission, acknowledged there had been a lot of problematic practices in the past and insisted that future disarmament deals would not repeat these failures. Either way, reintegrating child soldiers isnt any easier than disarming them. All are traumatized, and many resist the offer of a fresh start. Substance abuse is common and can compound the problem. When I meet with children in armed groups, they dont want to look at me, says Marciel Mongbu, a child-protection worker in Kaga Bandoro, which lies in the countrys northern, rebel-held regions. They see a lot in the bush; their behavior becomes brutal and aggressive. But by working with these children, they see that whats happened to them is wrong. The next hurdle: returning home. When armed groups release child soldiers, local leaders and aid workers try to ease their transition to civilian life, both for them and their communities. The message is: Take them back, says Mongbu. But the stigma attached to their violent past means the community may reject them. As for Hassan, his future is uncertain. He was among 74 child soldiers released from armed factions last September. Five months later, on a dusty afternoon, dozens of them gathered on the outskirts of Kaga Bandoro to speak with a UNICEF worker about coping with the trauma each had experienced during the war. The children removed their shoes and sat cross-legged on blankets in the shade of a mango tree. Hassan was near the front, wearing a black tracksuit, his face impassive. He is broke and living off UNICEF ration kitsmostly cassava and tinned sardines. Hes also far from his remaining family members, some of whom live in refugee camps. Yet he is determined to rise above the conflict. He hopes to learn new skills, to become a tailor or a mechanic. As he puts it, I am ready to start a new life. Reporting for this story was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek The governor of Colorado signed off on a bill allowing school nurses in the state to treat students with nonsmokable marijuana. On June 4, Governor John Hickenlooper signed House Bill 1286, which will give parents the right to bring medical marijuana to a school nurse's office for any student who has a medical marijuana card, The Denver Post reported. There is already a Colorado law that allows parents to give medical marijuana to their children at school. The new legislation will now allow school nurses to administer medical marijuana to students if given permission by the parent. Trending: Bernie Sanders Says Bill Clintons Affair With Monica Lewinsky Has Haunted That Family Forever 825591680 Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images In evaluating this bill, we spoke with parents whose children are medical marijuana patients. We find their reasoning and advocacy very compelling a letter from the governor states. The new law also orders that medical marijuana in schools should be locked in storage containers that only a parent and a school principal can access in a written agreement. It also requires that parents must issue a doctors note to the school nurse with the right dosage and when the student should take the medicine. Don't miss: Macron Says G-7 Doesnt Need U.S., We Dont Mind Being 6 While we sign this bill today, we do so with continued caution that the State must remain attuned to the need to ensure that recreational marijuana doesnt end up in the hands of our children, Hickenlooper wrote in a statement. Colorado legalized recreational use of marijuana in 2012. Only eight other states and Washington, D.C., have legalized the recreational use of weed. Twenty additional states only allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Story continues A recent study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology found that nearly 70 percent of 400 marijuana dispensaries in Colorado have advised a woman who said she was pregnant to treat her morning sickness with marijuana. Only 35 percent of dispensaries were licensed for both retail and medical sale, 37 percent were licensed for medical sale and 28 percent were licensed for retail only. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek By Mustafa Mahmoud KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - At least one woman was killed and 14 people including women and children were wounded late on Friday when a bomb exploded in the ethnically-mixed Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk, the military said. The improvised explosive device went off near a mosque in a crowded market area in the evening, a peak shopping time in the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. A second explosive device went off near a coffee shop, injuring one man, the military said. A missile was also fired at a school but there were no casualties, a military statement said. Tensions are high in Kirkuk, where the results of a parliamentary election in May are being disputed by the Turkmen and Arab communities after a Kurdish party appeared to have won. In October, Iraqi forces backed by Shi'ite militias dislodged Kurdish Peshmerga fighters who had taken control of Kirkuk city in 2014. The Kurdish Peshmerga move had prevented the city's capture by Islamic State militants who had overrun Iraqi army positions in northern and western Iraq. The central government recaptured the city and its oilfields along with other areas in northern Iraq claimed by both Baghdad and the Kurds following an offensive launched in retaliation for a Kurdish independence referendum. The return of the Iraqi army to Kirkuk was greeted with relief by the Arab and Turkmen populations there but the city's Kurds accuse Iraqi government forces and Shi'ite militias of violations. Islamic State militants have also carried out attacks in the city as well as other parts of Iraq in recent weeks and months. Iraq declared victory over Islamic State in December. But security officials have said the hardline militant group is likely to wage an insurgency in Iraq after its self-proclaimed caliphate collapsed and the militants were dislodged from all the territory they held in the country. (Reporting by Mustafa Mahmoud; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by William Maclean) German whisky brand Glen Buchenbach is questioned by EU court over branding German whisky brand Glen Buchenbach may be infringing Scotland's rights on its national drink, the EU's top court has ruled. "Scotch Whisky" can only be sold in the European Union if it is actually made in Scotland - for which it is the biggest international export earner. The distiller Michael Klotz clearly stated his Swabian Single Malt Whisky is produced in Stuttgart, Germany. But the Scottish Whisky Association (SWA) took the Waldhorn Distillery in Swabia to a Hamburg court over the branding. It claimed it misled users into thinking it was scotch over the use of the Gaelic term "glen" - which means valley. The European Court of Justice took no final view on the case on Thursday. It referred a complaint from the SWA back to German judges to make a ruling. It offered guidance to assess whether the German distiller's similar branding overstepped EU law on protected regional labels in answering the Hamburg court's query. The German court must decide whether the "average European consumer" would confuse the German whisky with scotch, the EU Court of Justice said. :: Scotland becomes first country to introduce minimum unit alcohol price to cut deaths It was not enough for the word "glen" to evoke some kind of association with Scotland - it must actually bring to mind scotch whisky - the court stressed. But it added that it did not matter, and that the label said the product was made in Germany. Scottish distillers are vigilant of their branding since whisky accounts for 20% of British food and drink exports and approximately 40,000 jobs. Scotch whisky must be made in a manner specified by law and aged in oak barrels for at least three years. New York As Kim Kardashian West put it to her 60 million-plus followers on Twitter, the call she made to Alice Marie Johnson "will forever be one of my best memories." It was the reality star and makeup mogul who brought the 63-year-old Johnson first word of her freedom after more than two decades in federal prison on 1996 drug convictions related to a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking operation. Johnson wasn't eligible for parole, but the TV star met with the former reality TV boss, President Donald Trump, in the Oval Office after learning of Johnson's plight online. Soon after, Trump commuted her sentence and the tears flowed. "Telling her for the first time and hearing her screams while crying together is a moment I will never forget," said Kim, long a social media influencer with a legion of dedicated supporters. The phone call I just had with Alice will forever be one of my best memories. Telling her for the first time and hearing her screams while crying together is a moment I will never forget. Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 6, 2018 Alice Johnson has a special message for @KimKardashian who pled to get her out of prison: "Thank you for never giving up. You did it. You never gave up on me and you fought until I was free ... I'd just like to thank her and hug her." https://t.co/ae4nFzzbDA pic.twitter.com/WTLw9qiuj4 CBS News (@CBSNews) June 7, 2018 Kim has expanded her reach in ways some might have thought unlikely. Johnson's release on Wednesday came two days after Kim accepted an influencer award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America before a star-studded crowd, joking she considered the honour ironic "since I'm naked most of the time." Story continues With the help of her attorney, Shawn Holley, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, Kim has been hailed as a hero for pushing hard in Johnson's case. There seems to be no downside, for herself or the president, observers said. Kim, they said, could have easily done nothing. "I think that it's great she's using her influence in this way," said Ashley Edwards, senior news and politics editor at the millennial-focused lifestyle site Refinery29. "I'm not sure if there's anything she can't do with the amount of clout she has." In a way, Edwards noted, the 37-year-old's move to action in Johnson's case could be seen as a natural follow up to troubles in her own life. "She said after her robbery (in a Paris hotel) she realised that material things don't mean as much to her as they used to. She can go to the store and spend $40 000 on a necklace or a shirt and it doesn't really fulfill her in the same way that it used to. And I think now that she's the mother of three, she's older now and realises there's more to life than material things and she is using her celebrity for a bigger purpose." A RISKY ALLIANCE For Kardashian West and Trump, was the alliance a risk? "She's looking at the bigger picture. She had to work with the administration even if she doesn't agree with everything he stands for," Edwards said. "It is a risk for her on one level since a lot of her fans are liberal, a lot of people do not like Donald Trump, but I think a lot of those people now realise we can't just say that on issues like this." In an interview with CNN's Van Jones, Kim reiterates that she was there to see Trump strictly for business and that worrying about how meeting Trump would make her look didn't even cross her mind, it was more about changing someone's life. "I'm focused and I could separate my feelings about certain policies. To me it wasn't about policies it was about, 'I can change someone's life.'" "I'm here because I really want to know why did you kick Khloe off 'The Apprentice'" - @KimKardashian reveals a joke she used to lighten the Oval Office mood with Donald Trump before they "got into business" and discussed freeing Alice Johnson from prison https://t.co/QxRtgqjrMS pic.twitter.com/2WXP54XFXH CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) June 8, 2018 Holley has known Kardashian West since she was a child; the star's late father, Robert Kardashian, was a lawyer who was on O.J. Simpson's successful defense team in his double murder case, as was Holley. Holley said the Johnson release is just the beginning for her famous client, who paid to retain lawyers in the effort. The two spent about 20 minutes with Trump last week before he took action to free Johnson, but they had put wheels in motion months ago, back in October. "There were stops and starts," Holley said of the lead up to her and Kim's sit down with the president. "There were times we didn't want to get too pushy but didn't want to go off the radar. I have no illusions about the fact that we would not have been there without her star power. She has always been interested in criminal justice. She and I have talked many times over the years about her interest in criminal justice as a whole." Kim "definitely" will continue to work on criminal justice issues, Holley said. Speaking about how she initially arranged her meeting with Trump, Kim said in the CNN interview that she first made contact with Ivanka, Trump's daughter, and several months later was able to meet with POTUS. "When I initially called Ivanka, I said 'I would love a meeting with your dad.'" - @KimKardashian sits down with @VanJones68 to explain how she ended up visiting with Donald Trump at the White House, admitting "I was starstruck over the Oval Office." https://t.co/XwzSUaV3jo pic.twitter.com/N9lH2gbupg CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) June 8, 2018 NOT THE ONLY CELEB WITH INFLUENTIAL POWER People magazine's deputy editor, DJ Heyman, said Kim's success marked a shining "singular achievement" and the best use of her influence in the face of massive prison reform challenges in the United States, but she's certainly not the first celebrity to lend their name, money and clout. "Look, I think it is amazing and laudable that she was able to achieve this in this case and I think it says a lot about power of celebrity at this moment in time that she, a reality star, an influencer, obviously appeals to a reality star president who obviously felt great about meeting with her and acted, it would seem to be, in a very positive way," he said. "I applaud her efforts," Heyman said. "(But) there are other celebrities like John Legend, who are really intensely, on an almost cellular level, working on criminal justice reform and prosecutorial reform in this country and who take it very seriously. Since they're friendly, I hope that she works with him and others to really address what I think is a much bigger issue." Heyman acknowledged that every influencer has limitations, even the force that is Kim Kardashian West. "I don't necessarily think that if she were to come to the president next week with another case that she would necessarily get the same hearing. Maybe she would. And also, good for all those people who are less famous working on these issues." Among the less famous: Vanessa Potkin, director of post-conviction relief for the Innocence Project, a nonprofit dedicated to exonerating the wrongly convicted. "It was so great to hear, but it shouldn't have to take Kim Kardashian getting involved to get justice in this country," she said. "The fact that it took the involvement of Kim Kardashian to obtain (Johnson's) release demonstrates the extent of the problem and how, especially after one is convicted it takes Herculean efforts to obtain justice." If Kim continues this work, "it could only be a benefit," Potkin said. "We have the largest prison population in the world. It comes at a time when criminal justice reform is so pivotal in this country. Something has definitely gone awry, so the more voices that can bring attention to this issue the better." NOT A POLITICAL PAWN When asked what she thinks about comments made about Trump using her to endorse himself and as a "political pawn", Kim says she completely doesn't feel that way. "I don't think I would be used and, I mean, at the end of the day he heard me out, we got the job done." FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee receives aid from UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Batroun, northern Lebanon FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee receives aid from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Batroun, northern Lebanon January 13, 2015. REUTERS/Omar Ibrahim/File Photo BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil has ordered a freeze on residency applications submitted by staff of the United Nations' refugee agency, accusing it of hindering the return of Syrian refugees by "spreading fear", his office said on Friday. The agency, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said it did not discourage refugees from returning to Syria if they wanted to or spreading fear about conditions. Lebanon hosts more than a million Syrian refugees who constitute more than a quarter of its population and says their presence has strained public services and suppressed economic growth. As Syrian forces and their allies retake more territory, Lebanon's president and other top politicians have increasingly called for refugees to return to "secure areas". In an emailed statement, Bassil said he would consider taking further measures against the agency. On Thursday the mayor of Arsal, a Lebanese border town hosting tens of thousands of refugees, said around 3,000 of them were expected to go back to Syria in the coming week. Bassil said UNHCR had discouraged refugees in Arsal from returning by asking them questions about conditions they might face in Syria, including the possibility of military conscription, security problems and poor accommodation. UNHCR officials said Lebanon's government had not yet formally notified it of the step. "UNHCR does not try to discourage the refugees from returning back to Syria at all. We respect people's decisions, the individual decisions for people to return," said Rula Amin, spokeswoman for the agency in the Middle East. "We have huge programmes to assist refugees here in Lebanon... part of that is to talk to the refugees and to listen, listen to their concerns, listen to their needs," she added. Lebanon's government is operating on a caretaker basis because prime minister designate Saad al-Hariri has not yet formed a government since parliamentary elections on May 6. (Reporting By Dahlia Nehme and Angus McDowall; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) Europe may now have its own Justin Trudeau. When the Canadian Prime Minister was asked why he chose to appoint a cabinet that was exactly 50 percent female, the young and dashing new leader famously quipped, Because its 2015. Pundits have debated ever since whether this was a staged PR statement or a spontaneous expression of Trudeaus firm belief in gender equality. Regardless, Spains new socialist government appears poised to outdo Canada just three years later. On Thursday, Spains King Felipe VI swore in a new government led by the 46-year-old new socialist leader Pedro Sanchez, and the women in the cabinet outnumber men by a long shot. Of seventeen cabinet posts in Spains new government, eleven are occupied by women. It is the highest number of women in government in the countrys history. Trending: New Jersey Police Trooper Pulls Over Retired Officer Who Helped Deliver Him 27 Years Ago In a Trudeau-like statement, Sanchez, who calls himself a feminist, said his government "shared the same vision of a progressive society that was both modernizing and pro-European. All are highly qualified and bring a vocation for public service and reflect the best of Spain, Sanchez told reporters about his new cabinet members. [The new government] is pro-gender equality, cross-generational, open to the world but anchored in the European Union. Don't miss: Two Black Boxes Recovered From Cuban Airline Crash Being Investigated by NTSB Women now occupy some of the most important positions in Spains new government. Dolores Delgado, a former prosecutor who specializes in terrorism cases, has been named minister of justice. A member of Spains Union of Progressive Attorneys, Delgado has been known during her 28-year career for defending the right to due process of terrorism suspects and for promoting universal justice. In 2011, She worked in The Hague investigating the crimes of Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi. Margarita Robles, a close ally of Sanchez, will take over the Ministry of Defense. The 56-year-old Robles has been involved in politics since 1993, when she became the secretary of state for the justice department and later for the ministry of interior. In the 1990s, she was responsible for cutting funding to the GAL, a paramilitary death squad the Spanish government sponsored to wage what was known as a decades-long dirty war against the Basque terrorist group ETA. Story continues 969068914 J.J. Guillen/AFP/Getty Images Most popular: Most Active Volcanoes: Guatemala's Fuego, Hawaii's Kilauea Just Two of Many Women will also take over the cabinet positions for economy, finance, education, environment and science, among others. This government stands in stark contrast to the previously male-dominated government of former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who was ousted last week in the first successful vote of no confidence in Spains history. The new socialist government, however, only has 84 seats out of the 350 in Spains parliament, meaning that it will need to cooperate with smaller parties in order to pass legislation. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek An impending monsoon season in Bangladesh is putting thousands of refugees from Rakhine state in Myanmar at risk, according to the Red Cross and Norwegian Refugee Council. The predominantly Rohingya refugees fled a military offensive by Myanmar security forces and local militia that was described by the UN as a textbook case of ethnic cleansing. Most now live in bamboo shelters near the Bangladeshi city of Coxs Bazar. June, July and August will be difficult because of the monsoon, says the ICRCs Jamshedul Karim. You can see people have built houses on these hills, but most of the hills dont have enough trees left to hold down the soil. During the monsoon, with heavy rain, many people will be at risk. Credit: ICRC via Storyful FILE PHOTO: Social Democratic Party leader Liviu Dragnea gestures during an interview with Reuters, in Bucharest, Romania, May 23, 2018. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via REUTERS/File Photo By Radu-Sorin Marinas BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's top court postponed on Friday a verdict in the trial in which the leader of the ruling Social Democrats stands accused of inciting other public servants to commit abuse of office, saying it needed more time to process details. A fresh criminal conviction for Liviu Dragnea, who is already barred from becoming prime minister because of a previous conviction for vote-rigging, could weaken his grip on the country's biggest party and the five-month old government. Dragnea is accused of keeping two women on the payroll of a state agency in 2006-2013 even though they were employed by his party. He was a county council chief at the time. Dragnea denies the charges. The court said on Friday it will make a preliminary ruling on June 21. A final verdict may take months, analysts say. Arguments about how to fight corruption in one of Europe's most graft-prone states have dominated Romania's politics since it joined the European Union just over a decade ago. Adrian Basaraba, a political science professor at the University of Timisoara, said a second criminal conviction for Dragnea could prompt Social Democrat rivals to move against him. "We may see some internal wars in the party ... a fresh conviction would be a wonderful opportunity for some to say the current PSD leader has eroded his legitimacy too much to govern the biggest party," he added. Dragnea is also under investigation in Brazil on suspicion of money laundering, and in a separate case in Romania on suspicion of forming a "criminal group" to siphon off cash from state projects, some of them funded by the European Union. But the former regional development minister, who created a funding programme for local infrastructure projects that has disbursed billions of euros since 2013 with limited government oversight, has the support of powerful provincial leaders. At the start of 2017, attempts by Dragnea's coalition government to weaken anti-corruption legislation triggered the country's biggest protests in decades. Romania has been dogged by political instability since shedding Communist rule in 1989, but investors have largely shrugged off the corruption cases so far. (Editing by Catherine Evans) At least 18 people were killed and 80 injured in airstrikes that targeted the residential neighborhood of Zardana in Idlibs northeast on June 6. In the first video, the Syrian Civil Defense (SCD) are seen rescuing a victim trapped under rubble, they reported they worked for more than two hours to rescue the trapped woman. The second video shows an injured child, the SCD said they found him on a rooftop and transported him to hospital. The SCD reported they were still conducting search and rescue operations. The SCD, also known as the White Helmets, reported one of their members was killed and three others injured in the airstrikes. Al Jazeera reported there was a double-tap airstrike, and rescue workers treating victims from the first strike were killed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimated 18 were killed in the attacks while SCD put the death toll at 35. Credit: Syrian Civil Defense Idlib via Storyful By John Geddie SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Two South Korean media staff have been arrested for trespassing at the home of the North Korean ambassador to Singapore, police said on Friday, just days before a high-stakes summit between the U.S. and North Korean leaders in the city-state. Police said the men arrested on Thursday were from the Korean Broadcasting System News (KBS News), while a third man from the broadcaster and a fourth who was acting as a guide and interpreter were also under investigation. "Two South Korean men, aged 42 and 45, who were representing the Korean Broadcasting System News (KBS), were arrested," police said in a Facebook post. KBS said in an emailed statement it was ready to take any action Singapore authorities deemed necessary. "We do not know exactly what the situation is or whether it is illegal. We will respect the results of the investigation by the local police and will take necessary measures as soon as the results come out," KBS said. KBS is the national public broadcaster of South Korea and operates radio, television and onlines services. When asked about the arrests, a spokesman for South Korea's presidential Blue House said it would use "utmost diplomatic effort to prevent such troubles" and urged journalists to be cautious and prudent. International media are flocking to Singapore, which is playing host to the first ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president, Donald Trump, and a North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. The June 12 talks are expected to centre on ending the North's nuclear weapons programmes in return for diplomatic and economic incentives. More than 3,000 foreign journalists are expected to fly in to cover the summit. Under Singapore law, criminal trespass may be punished with imprisonment of up to three months, or a fine of up to S$1,500. (Reporting by John Geddie in SINGAPORE; Additional reporting by Haejin Choi in SEOUL; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel and Neil Fullick) FILE PHOTO: A double rainbow is seen behind Taiwanese flag during the National Day celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, October 10, 2017. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu Thomson Reuters TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan hopes countries around the world can show courage in the face of pressure from China on their companies to list the self-ruled island as part of China on their websites, Taiwan's foreign ministry said on Thursday. China has demanded that foreign firms, and airlines in particular, begin referring to Taiwan as Chinese territory on their websites, along with Hong Kong and Macau, a move described by White House as "Orwellian nonsense". Taiwan is claimed by China as its own, and is China's most sensitive territorial issue and a potential military flashpoint. Hong Kong and Macau are former European colonies that are part of China but run largely autonomously. Carriers such as Air Canada, Lufthansa and British Airways have already made changes to their websites, and Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd said this week it would also comply with China's request. Taiwan has repeatedly complained about the moves. "We hope that governments around the world show moral courage and carry out the principles of fairness and justice, and not give any country the opportunity to use such bullying on their firms," Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrew Lee told reporters. "Because this sends the wrong message to international companies, and sets a very bad example," he added. "I think this is like China intervening in and disturbing the normal operations of international firms with political force, damaging normal business operations. This is really unacceptable." China says it is doing nothing wrong, as most countries around the world accept that Taiwan is Chinese territory. In a separate statement, the Taiwan ministry said it had lodged a complaint with Qantas about its decision and to ask them to rescind it. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Tuesday criticized China for pressuring Qantas, adding to already tense relations between Beijing and Canberra. Story continues China's hostility to the democratic island has increased since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016. China fears she wishes to push for the island's formal independence, a red line for Beijing. Tsai says she wants to maintain the status quo, but will defend the island's security and way of life. China has in recent months been upping its policing of how foreign firms describe Taiwan in particular. Japanese retailer Muji was fined after being found to be using packaging that listed Taiwan as a country while U.S. retailer Gap Inc issued an apology for selling a T-shirt which it said had an incorrect map of China. (Reporting by Judy Peng and Jess Macy Yu; Writing by Ben Blanchard) See Also: FILE PHOTO: Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is seen on arrival for the ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria December 16, 2017. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde/File Photo BAMAKO (Reuters) - Thousands of Malians marched through the capital Bamako on Friday against President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who will seek re-election next month. A similar protest last Saturday was broken up by riot police firing teargas but this time the demonstrators, blowing horns and waving Malian flags, marched without incident from Place de la Liberte toward Place de l'Independence about 1.5 km (1 mile) away. "The people have come out to say no to five years of incompetence, of bad management, of carelessness, five years of predation of resources," said opposition leader Tiebile Drame, who is managing former finance minister Soumaila Cisse's campaign. "The people want change." Keita won a landslide victory over Cisse in a 2013 election, the first after a 2012 coup d'etat and a temporary takeover of northern Mali by Tuareg militia and al Qaeda-linked militants. Rising violence across Mali, including jihadist attacks and tit-for-tat ethnic killing in the north and centre, has raised doubts about the feasibility of holding the July 29 vote in some parts of the country. Keita's opponents fear the government will use security concerns as a pretext to close polling stations in opposition strongholds, something the government denies. "It's our right for all of us to ensure that the elections are transparent," said Mohamed Bathily, one of more than two dozen presidential candidates in the race. "(Keita's party) put into the (electoral) law the conditions for fraud." According to a U.N. report this week, armed groups carried out 44 attacks between March 20 and May 30, killing dozens of civilians, Malian troops and U.N. peacekeepers. The violence has spawned a humanitarian emergency with 4.3 million people expected to be food insecure between now and October and almost 1 million in need of emergency food assistance. (This version of the story corrects name of presidential candidate quoted in paragraph seven) (Reporting By Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) (Reuters) - TransCanada Corp said it has isolated the section of Columbia Gas Transmission pipe that exploded early Thursday in Moundsville, West Virginia. There were no employees at the site at the time of the blast around 4:15 a.m. EDT (0815 GMT) and no homes were in danger, officials from the Roberts Ridge Volunteer Fire Department told local news media. The company said in a statement that its first priority was to protect the public and the environment. Moundsville is located in Marshall County on the West Virginia panhandle on the Ohio-West Virginia border in the heart of the giant Marcellus and Utica natural gas shale formations. TransCanada said the incident could impact about 1.3 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of gas service, according to a notice to customers using the pipeline. One billion cubic feet is enough gas for about five million U.S. homes. The company did not say when it expected the pipe to return to service, but said it was declaring a force majeure. It was too soon for pipeline flow data to show any impact on the movement of gas through the area. The latest data from Thomson Reuters analysts showed West Virginia was producing about 4.8 bcfd of gas, about the same as earlier in the week. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said it was investigating the explosion. The 12,000-mile (19,312-kilometer) Columbia pipeline system, which TransCanada acquired in 2016, serves millions of customers from New York to the Gulf of Mexico. (Reporting by Arpan Varghese in Bengaluru and Scott DiSavino in New York; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Marguerita Choy) See Also: The two black boxes that were found at the scene of the Cuba airplane crash last month are being investigated and analyzed in Washington, D.C., by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Miami Herald reported Thursday. Flight 0972 crashed on May 18 and killed 112 people en route to Holguin in Cuba after taking off from Havana's Jose Marti International Airport. Twenty of the people on the flight were said to be religious leaders. "On that plane were 10 couples of pastors. Twenty people. All of the Nazarene Church in the eastern region," confirmed Maite Quesada, a member of the Cuban Council of Churches, to the Associated Press. Trending: Bilderberg 2018: Welcome to the Super Bowl of Corporate Lobbying | Opinion 959962790 Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images There is only one survivor left, 19-year-old Mailen Diaz Almaguer. It could take months to figure out what exactly caused the crash. One of the black boxes was the planes flight data recorder, which was discovered a week after the crash, the Miami Herald reported. The second black box, which was recovered right after the plane crash, reportedly recorded voices from the cockpit and is in good condition. Don't miss: The Least Peaceful Countries in the World Vice President of Cubas Civil Aeronautics Institute (IACC) Carlos Radames Perez Andino, along with two Cuban investigators, took the two black boxes to the NTSB lab to download the information. "All information about the investigation will be released by IACC, who leads the accident investigation," the NTSB said in a statement to the Miami Herald. The nearly 40-year-old aircraft was leased to Cuba by Aerolineas Damoh, a Mexican airline. The same plane was stopped from being used in Guyana after authorities found the crew kept overloading luggage onto flights in Cuba, Captain Egbert Field previously told the Associated Press. Story continues Marco Aurelio Hernandez, a pilot who used to work for Damoh, told Mexican newspaper Milenio that he had complained to the airline about the inadequate maintenance of the aircraft. "I experienced several incidents at this company, like engine failure or the electrical system went when we took off from Mexico on one occasion," Hernandez told the publication. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Biomaterials and medical device intellectual property company AorTech International released the results of its open offer on Friday, after the offer closed for applications at 1100 BST on Thursday. The AIM-traded firm said the offer, initially announced on 21 May, was heavily oversubscribed. It said it received valid acceptances from qualifying shareholders in respect of 1,050,543 open offer shares, including applications for 1,605,925 shares under the excess application facility. That represented approximately 159% of the maximum number of 1,667,309 open offer shares available. Qualifying Shareholders who had validly applied for open offer shares would receive their full entitlement, the board confirmed. Applications for new ordinary shares under the excess application facility would be scaled back pro rata to the number of excess shares applied for by qualifying shareholders under the facility, it explained. AorTech said it had therefore raised gross proceeds of around 0.5m through the offer, which was in addition to approximately 2.1m before expenses raised pursuant to its placing and subscription. We are delighted with the level of support demonstrated by shareholders in the heavily oversubscribed open offer, said chairman Bill Brown. The strength of demand for new shares from shareholders is a pleasing endorsement of our future strategy to maximise value from the company's existing IP and the development of new products. Sheffield-based aquaculture health, nutrition and genetics business Benchmark has raised 19m to fund its new Chilean joint- venture with Empresas Aquachile , the world's sixth largest salmonid producer. Benchmark acquired a 49% interest in the breeding and genetics joint-venture for $16.25m when it signed an agreement with Empresas AquaChile. Benchmark anticipates the project will raise EBITDA by 1.81m in the four months to 30 September and roughly 2.4m for the full year. The firm raised 19m through a placing with existing and new investors to fund the total cash consideration and a $5.4m loan. Malcolm Pye, chief executive of Benchmark, said, "We are very pleased to announce our Chilean joint venture, which will help us accelerate and de-risk our growth strategy in Chile, the world's second-largest salmon market, where we are underrepresented. Furthermore, the JV is expected to deliver attractive returns and be immediately earnings accretive. "Combining AquaChile's existing high-quality land-based production and locally adapted genetics, with Benchmark's breeding and genetics capabilities and IP, we believe, will create a world-class operation. The flexibility to use our facilities in Iceland to support the JV gives us a strong competitive advantage in the market," he added. As of 1650 BST, Benchmark shares had dipped 0.92% to 59.55p. Stocks on the Continent are trading slightly lower, with traders going into a defensive crouch as the rhetoric between US and European leaders heats up going into the G7 Quebec summit at the weekend. Following a meeting with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau, on Thursday afternoon, French President Emmanuel Macron said: "No one is forever. Maybe the American president doesn't care being isolated today, but we don't care being six either, if needs be." That drew a response from Donald Trump who took to social media to chastise his allies for what he said were their unfair trade practices and the impact they had on US agriculture. In reaction, by 1230 BST the pan-European Stoxx 600 was trading lower by 0.17% or 0.65 points at 385.29, alongside a fall of 0.55% or 70.63 points to 12,739.88, while the FTSE Mibtel was down by 1.53% or 334.46 points at 21,433.14. Markets were also watching government debt markets, with Mohammed El-Erian writing on Bloomberg: "And while the Fed has shown that a beautiful normalization is indeed possible, it remains to be seen whether all three central banks can deliver this simultaneously." Indeed, longer-term Italian 10-year bonds were under selling pressure on Friday, but not so similarly-dated Spanish debt. Against that backdrop, the currencies of the weakest emerging market economies were again under pressure too. The US dollar was 1.46% higher against the Brazilian real to 3.9071, up by 0.86% to 4.5228 against the Turkish lira and advancing 0.33% versus the Argentine peso to 24.9850. South Africa's rand was also in retreat, with the Greenback adding 1.53% to trade at 13.1739. Economic data out at the end of the week was not very supportive either, with the latest industrial production figures out of Germany leading economists at Barclays Research to cut their forecasts for German GDP growth in the second quarter from 0.6% quarter-on-quarter to 0.4%. German industrial production fell by 1.0% month-on-month in April (consensus: 0.4%), according to the country's Ministry of Finance, albeit partially offset by an upwards revision to the prior month's reading of 0.7 percentage points to show a rise of 1.7% on the month. In parallel, on a seasonally adjusted basis the country's trade surplus shrank from 21.6bn for march to 19.4bn in April, as imports jumped by 2.2% on the month. During the same month one year ago the trade surplus was at 19.5bn. Tensions between US President Donald Trump and other leaders of the G7 heightened on Friday ahead of the Canadian summit as French President Emmanuel Macron urged the other six leaders to stand up to American "hegemony". Trump has angered world leaders with his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from US allies. Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau both attacked Trump over the steel issue after a joint meeting ahead of the summit in Quebec. Trudeau claimed the tariffs were "unilateral and illegal" and added that Trump's actions could end up harming US citizens. "It is American jobs that are going to be lost because of the actions of this administration," he said. Macron said on Thursday that if the US did not respect its allies and behaved as if it wanted to be excluded, the rest of the members of the G7 didnt mind being six, if needs be. We are all engaged in conflicts in Syria, in Iraq, in the Sahel, in different places in the world. We are allies. Our soldiers stand shoulder to shoulder to defend liberty and our values. You cant, among allies in this international context, start a trade war. For me its a question of principle," said Macron. Macron called on the other G7 members to resist what he warned was a potential US drift towards further isolationism and crude hegemony. The six other countries of the G7 represent a market which is bigger than the American market, he said. I believe in cooperation and multilateralism because I will resist hegemony with all my strength. Hegemony is might makes right. Hegemony is the end of the rule of law. Trump responded to both in typical bellicose style, claiming Canada and the EU were harming US industry. Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the U.S. massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers. The EU trade surplus with the U.S. is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out. Look forward to seeing them tomorrow, responded Trump via Twitter on Thursday. The White House said in a briefing on Wednesday that Trump would hold talks with both leaders at the summit. However, unnamed "allies" of Trump and a "senior diplomat" quoted in the Telegraph said he would snub May, adding that he was annoyed at her "frequent demands" and taking advantage of the UK-US relationship. One said Trump found May to be "too politically correct" and behaves like a "school mistress". When asked about Trump's view of her before the summit in Quebec, May said: "I just get on and make sure that I'm delivering. That's the job of any politician". Congolese-American businessman and convicted fraudster Charles Brown has resurrected a lawsuit against mining giant Glencore , claiming he was owed $1bn in compensation for a 19% stake he previously held in Mutanda Mining, the world's biggest cobalt miner. Brown's suit, the third court challenge against FTSE 100-listed Glencore for control of its Congolese mines this year, marks another pain for the firm as it also battles the African nation's government over a new mining code. The Mutanda founder claims his shares had been fraudulently sold to Glencore in two transactions, in 2007 and 2012, and has demanded Glencore pay him in excess of $1bn for compensation and damages, although Brown told Bloomberg that his end goal was to take back control of his shares. Glencore, which owns 100% of Mutanda, produced 24,000 metric tons of cobalt at the site, more than any other mine in the world, and 192,000 tons of copper. In January 2018, the DRC's Commercial Court authorised Brown to seize $843m of Mutanda assets, and later rejected a bid by the firm to reverse the decision. Two months later, Glencore chief executive Ivan Glasenberg and head of copper trading Aristotelis Mistakidis were ordered by the court to appear at a public hearing on 2 July, claiming they had used "violence and threats" to get Brown to sign an agreement giving up his claim back in May 2012. Glencore said Brown's claims were "vexatious and baseless". "Mr Brown's allegations have been rejected on numerous occasions by various courts in the DRC," the company said. "Glencore will vigorously defend itself in the current legal proceedings." Analysts at Shore Capital, said, "Apparently, the difference this time around is that Brown's legal team now includes politically connected lawyers... these include a former Kabila adviser and a serving lawmaker from the ruling coalition." Kaz Minerals said on Friday that Non Ferrous China has agreed to invest $70m into its Koksay project, giving it a 19.4% stake. Koksay is a potential open pit copper mine development project in Kazakhstan, located around 230 kilometres from Almaty. The deposit has a mineral resource of 736 Mt at an average copper grade of 0.42%, with contained copper of 3.1 Mt. The investment by NFC, which is subject to certain conditions including regulatory approvals in Kazakhstan and China, will be ring-fenced for the development of Koksay, including a feasibility study which will determine the detailed design for mining and processing operations and the associated capital budget. Kaz said the board will review the results of the feasibility study to assess how and when to proceed with the project. Chair Oleg Novachuk: "We are pleased to welcome NFC as a partner in the Koksay project. We worked successfully with NFC in the construction of Bozshakol and Aktogay and we are looking forward to developing our relationship further as we assess this opportunity in Kazakhstan." Peel Hunt said the investment means Koksay can progress faster than otherwise would have been the case. "Given the expectations for copper supply deficits this makes sense. It also brings in a partner to share the project risk and capex spend." Standard Chartered bank's compliance chief Neil Barry is set to leave the firm with immediate effect following an internal investigation into his behaviour. Standard's investigation concluded that Barry's "managerial style, behaviour and language towards some of his colleagues was inappropriate", but noted that it "fell short of warranting his dismissal." Barry has expressed regret for his actions, according to a memo seen by Reuters; however, he was not immediately available for comment. The memo read, "Neil has expressed his regret if any of his interactions with his colleagues caused upset or offence that was never his intention. He has also acknowledged that as a senior leader he must role-model the highest standards of behaviour." "Neil and the bank have agreed that, in the circumstances, he will move on and pursue other opportunities. He will, therefore, leave the bank with immediate effect," it added. The compliance head's temporary exit, announced on 16 March, came just three years after the American relocated to London from the bank's Singapore office. As of 1200 BST, Standard shares had lost 1.72% to 731.13p. Gold miner Petropavlovsk has raised doubts over the true identity of a shareholder that is trying to oust its board. Earlier in the week, 4.6% shareholder CABS Platform Ltd revealed that its legal registered shareholder was Cyprus-registered holding company Patia Trading Ltd, whose sole owner was said to be Olena Dorati, with no further information given on the identity given. Petropavlovsk, who said that it understood Patia holds the shares in CABS on trust for ultimate unrelated beneficiaries, on Friday said it received a letter from CABS explaining that the ownership Patia was divided into 20% interests, held by Evgeny Khata, Viktoriya Grynova, Erika Gordisheva, Yulia Mangusheva and Mikhail Volkov. The company said on Friday that it "does not believe these individuals are the ultimate owners behind CABS", that the letter "seems to be yet another veil of secrecy" and that the board "continues to be mystified by the extraordinary lengths at which the requisitioners are going to conceal the true source of control behind these offshore shell vehicles that invested only three months ago". This followed a letter apparently issued on Tuesday by a group of 59 senior managers at POGs operations in Russia calling for the companys board to resign. According to press reports, the letter said that for almost a year now the Petropavlovsk Group has been operating without strategic management, that POG has been losing key personnel, and that the situation is becoming critical. Ahead of an annual shareholder meeting on 29 June, Petropavlovsk, known by its POG ticker code, intends to continue investigating the identity of the true beneficial owners. Yuen Low, analyst at Shore Capital, was intrigued by what he has characterised as a Russia-set Game of Thrones saga: "Interestingly, Ms Grynova and a Mr Nikolai Lioustiger have limited powers of attorney to represent CABS but not to make decisions on its behalf without prior approval. Apparently, the letter did not make clear who would be able to give any required approvals." Joining up with another shareholder Slevin Ltd, owned by Redland Capital as the legal and beneficial ownership of the shares of Liechtenstein-registered Lacetti Foundation, to form a block with a 9.1% voting stake CABS in May issued a requisition notice to remove all POG directors and replace them with former company directors Pavel Maslovskiy, Roderic Lyne and Robert Jenkins. Petropavlovsk on Tuesday highlighted the "extraordinary lengths" taken to hide the identity of beneficial owners from other shareholders and said it assumes there are "material" reasons for doing so. In response to the letter from senior managers POGs board defended CEO Roman Deniskin, who having been appointed to the post on April 16th, 2018, has had barely six weeks to deliver any results. The board filled the CEO vacancy following an "extensive search process" caused by the abrupt resignation of co-founder Maslovskiy in July last year and this appointment was apparently made after discussions with largest shareholder, Kenges Rakishev, who owns 22.4% of POG and earlier this year publicly backed a return for Maslovskiy. As of 1035 BST, Petropavlovsk PLCs shares were up 7.32% at 7.62p. Stewart Weldon, the man accused of multiple counts of kidnapping and sexual assault, could have been arrested as early as February 2018. On February 21, police in Springfield, Massachusetts visited the home that Weldon shared with his mother at 1333 Page Boulevard. At the time, Weldon was under house confinement after he had been charged with assaulting police officers following a car chase in October 2017. However, according to MassLive.com, police later found the GPS ankle bracelet that the court ordered Weldon to wear in a garbage bag outside of the Springfield courthouse. Nine days later, Springfield officers attempted to serve Weldon with a warrant, but the suspect failed to comply. "Mr. Weldon would not unlock the door for officers, when Mr. Weldon's girlfriend unlocked the door Mr. Weldon escaped through the back door," said Springfield police spokesman Ryan Walsh in a prepared statement. Months later, the same 1333 Page Boulevard address would become a major crime scene, with Springfield officers finding the bodies of 47-year-old Ernestine Ryans, 34-year-old America Lyden, and 27-year-old Kayla Escalante. According to WWLP.com, police continue to search the home at 1333 Page Boulevard, as well as another residence at 112 Main Street in Springfield. Troubled past Weldon, 40, was born in the Jamaica section of Queens, New York. He has been a resident of Springfield since 2005. In February of this year, MassLive.com reported that Weldon was being held on a $2,500 bail stemming from his earlier altercation with officers. The website also noted that when Weldon appeared in court on November 21, 2017, he petitioned Judge David Ricciardone for a reduction in his bail. Discuss this news on Eunomia Weldon and his lawyer pleaded poverty. At that time, the suspect lived off of disability payments totaling $750 a month. Attorney Timothy Noonan said that his client cannot hold down regular employment due to ADHD and dyslexia. Noonan tried and failed to get Weldon's bail reduced to $150 back in November. Investigation continues According to the Springfield Republican, which cited unnamed sources close to the investigation, the bodies of the three missing women were found in the garage and basement of the 1333 Page Boulevard residence. The suspected serial killer is currently being held on a $1 million bail. He has so far pleaded not guilty to several charges of sexual assault and kidnapping. Police have yet to charge him in connection with the three bodies found at his residence. Anthony Bourdain is dead at 61. The CNN award-winning star's death was a shock to most people on Friday morning when the network released the news. His popular show "Parts Unknown" took Bourdain to all corners of the Earth exploring the culinary delights from people of different cultures all over the globe. Earlier reports did not indicate how Bourdain died, but it was revealed later in the morning that he committed suicide by hanging, according to the Business Insider. Suicide was the first report by CNN When his death was first reported it was known that he died by his own hand, as CNN did reveal his death was a suicide. According to CNN, Bourdain's close friend, who is the French chef, Eric Ripert, found Bourdain in his hotel room unresponsive early on Friday morning. "Fox & Friends" today, Friday morning has been covering the suicide death of Bourdain throughout their live broadcast today. He leaves a young daughter behind, according to Fox. It was never really about food. - Anthony Bourdain on #PartsUnknown https://t.co/BH3RUNvJm4 The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) June 8, 2018 Bourdain offered unique perspectives Bourdain had many skills that made his show a television destination for many at home. CNN describes the star as someone who "explored the human condition" and while doing so, he offered a unique outlook on food, travel, and people in general. Along with traveling the globe to find those delectable delights, Bourdain advocated for the "marginalized populations" as well as being a champion for safe working conditions for the restaurant staff he happened upon worldwide. Bourdain's season 11 The industry has awarded Bourdain just about every award they offer, including the Peabody Award, which he received back in 2013 for his work on "Parts Unknown." His mix of curiosity, blunt honesty and humor worked well together, making him a popular TV host. Discuss this news on Eunomia Bourdain's show aired the start of its eleventh season last month on CNN. This is the second celebrity death from a suicide making headlines this week with the shocking news of Kate Spade, 55, the world-known fashion designer taking her own life in New York City. Kate allegedly hung herself with a scarf from a doorknob in her home, reports CNN. People Magazine has reported that a Strasbourg police spokesperson has confirmed Bourdain's suicide death. Later in the morning, it was reported that Anthony Bourdain committed suicide by hanging in his hotel room, according to the Business Insider. . @CNN 's Anthony Bordain died at age 61 by hanging in his hotel room, reports @brianstelter -- such a loss for this world and CNN AnneClaire Stapleton (@AnneClaireCNN) June 8, 2018 Anthony Bourdain dead at 61: Remembrances pour in for celebrity chef and CNN host https://t.co/9fQmWnB35b by @stableford pic.twitter.com/hpoz4N8aCB Yahoo News (@YahooNews) June 8, 2018 Second celebrity suicide this week According to the Chicago Tribune today, Kate Spade's suicide started a conversation about suicide this week. The warning signs are often seen in hindsight. Kate's longtime friend, Elyuce Arons, said that she discussed celebrity suicides with Kate in the past along with Kate's own depression. Arons said Kate had commented in the past that she would never do that and Arons truly believed her friend. Arons said, "But I believe we are all just a few life events away from considering it. So for me, were all on that continuum. What made Kate change her view after vowing to never take her own life when talking about her own depression is not known, which sadly is often the case when it comes to many who take their own life. As Aron's suggested, it may just be a few life events piling up that brings that person, who no one thought would ever take their own life, to the point of doing so. Suicide is on the rise in the nation. In the two decades ending in 2016, suicide rates are up by 25 percent in this country, with 25 states seeing a rise of 30 percent in the same time frame. There is help for anyone contemplating taking their own life. Authorities urge anyone considering taking their own life to call to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 where help is waiting. Chandler Vaughan grew up in Keysville, Virginia, where the cows outnumber the local human population. He remembers feeding the family cows on cold winter days and bonding with his dad as they planted pumpkin patches on their third-generation farm. But this summer, Vaughan will spend his days away from the cattle and the produce he knows so well to pursue a new experience one that involves a city and high-ranking state officials. Vaughan, a rising senior majoring in agribusiness in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will work under the Virginia secretary of agriculture and forestry through the Governors Fellows Program a program established in 1982 to offer Virginia state college students a chance to learn about and serve in state government. Vaughan was the only Virginia Tech student to receive this honor from the Northam administration this year and is one of 23 students from around the state to be selected into the program. Its exciting, said Vaughan. I think its where I can have the biggest impact right now. To Vaughan, an only child from agricultural Southside Virginia, making an impact for agriculture and economic development hits close to home. I didn't realize until around my junior year of high school that farmers are essential to the rest of the world and provide the fuel, food, and fiber that allows the rest of the world to operate. When I realized that, I knew I wanted to play a direct or supporting role in agriculture, which is hopefully what I will accomplish this summer. Throughout middle and high school, Vaughan was active in Future Farmers of America (FFA), participating in competitions and designing projects that were later implemented on his familys farm, a predominantly Angus operation. At age 16, as part of an FFA project, he purchased and raised 10 Holstein steers, becoming their primary caretaker. Growing up, Vaughan looked up to state FFA officers as people who could spark enthusiasm and action for agriculture through their leadership, public speaking, and networking abilities. So, after graduating high school, he decided to become a part of what made them so awesome. Vaughan spent a year facilitating leadership and agricultural advocacy around the commonwealth as a state FFA officer before coming to Virginia Tech. And since that experience, he has not stopped chasing opportunities to serve, lead, and grow. Chandler is a born leader, said Katie White, his undergraduate advisor. Hes always coming up with ideas that gain traction and organizing people behind causes he believes in. Last fall, Vaughan led a campus-wide initiative to raise awareness about agriculture by decorating hay bales strategically placed in the heart of campus the Drillfield. The associated Facebook post was shared more than 1,500 times. Drillfield pedestrians who passed the bales could learn facts about domestic and global agriculture. Agricultural advocacy comes naturally to Vaughan, and its something hes passionate about. Its what Ive always done, said Vaughan. Ever since I was a little kid, from talking to farmers in the local co-op or the livestock store, or traveling across Virginia as an FFA state officer talking to agricultural industry representatives, Ive developed a talent for agricultural advocacy that can really be used in my position this summer. Vaughans first goal this summer is to build relationships with officials in the state legislature as a foundation for future partnerships. He is also interested in facilitating and reviewing economic development grants, as well as exploring Virginias international trade relations. But Vaughans dreams go beyond just this summer. He plans to graduate in December with a bachelors degree from the Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics and then pursue a masters degree in public administration, with the goal of creating more opportunities for Virginia agriculture. - Written by Jillian Broadwell Ian Volner in Curbed: Every two years, a few dozen nations deputize a small circle of curators and thinkers to represent them at the show; many of the participating countries are regulars, with permanent pavilions of their own, often dating back to the early 20th century, and located in the leafy Giardini della Biennale near Venices easternmost tip. But each edition of the exhibition also brings a batch of wildcards, never-before-seen entrants whose homelands have decided, for whatever reason, to throw their hats into the ring. This year, first-timers included Guatemala, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon. And social media (full disclosure: mine included) took a special shine to the premier outing from the Vatican, a brace of inventive freestanding chapels by architects both well- and lesser-known. There was one rookie nation, however, whose appearance at the Biennale was especially poignant, both for the character of its installation and for the mere fact of its being in Venice at all: Pakistan. This is a very political statement, says Salman Jawed, a member of Coalesce Design Studio, the collaborative, multidisciplinary firm that helped bring the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Venice for the first time. The politics hes speaking about are not, at least at first, overtly evident: Situated in a small public park not far from the Giardini, the Pakistani installation, titled The Fold, is a roughly four-yard-square cage of irregularly-spaced steel bars towering some twenty feet in the air. Slipping into this rather forbidding envelope via a narrow passage, the visitor discovers a playground-like atmosphere within, a trio of wooden swings dangling from overhead beams, and a pair of wooden benches on curved, brushed-steel rockers. The contrast between stern exterior and playful interior gives a pleasant jolt. But understanding its polemical intent requires a little more digging. As Coalesce partner Zeba Asad explains, in Karachi, all the urban spaces are in the street. The Pakistani capital is home to over 21 million people, most of them jammed into a relatively small wedge of the metropolis, with little room for parks, plazas, or other urban amenities. Seen from one perspective, The Fold is an attempt to address this condition: The placement of the swings at odd angles means that users are constantly at risk of colliding with their fellow swingers, just as the children of Karachi must hazard cars, pedestrians, and one another as they play in the citys crowded streets. More here. (Thanks to Batool Raza) En espanol | Depression in older adults is more severe, lasts longer and has lower remission rates than in younger people, according to a recent study of adults ages 18 to 88 in the Netherlands. Researchers there over the course of two years studied 1,042 adults diagnosed with major depression. They followed whether each study participant was still depressed after the two years, the severity of the depressive symptoms, the likelihood of experiencing remission and the degree of improvement in depression severity. The team found the outcomes for all four indicators worsened with age, especially for people age 70 and older. There appears to be little connection to known risk factors for major depression such as social isolation and chronic disease. In this study, age by itself appears to be the key risk factor with the most impact. With no clear reason as to why older adults suffer more, researchers concluded that more investigation of the underlying causes including the effect of cognitive impairment is needed. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, depression affects more than 6.5 million of the 35 million Americans age 65 and older. Older women in particular are at greater risk of getting the disease. Women accounted for 66 percent of this study. Lead author Roxanne Schaakxs, a researcher at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, told the New York Times, I think its important to note that depression is not the same across a lifetime. Its important to note the context in which it is happening. Old age really matters in the course of depression, and it really has to be investigated in more detail. Aberdeen Workforce Recruitment Program aims to hire non-SD residents The Aberdeen Workforce Program was alloted $95,000 by the Governor's Office of Economic Development. Since they started the Currents New Media Festival in 2010, co-founders Frank Ragano and Mariannah Amster have always envisioned establishing community-wide partnerships over the month of June to showcase arts, science and technology. And this year, springing from its new relationship with the Santa Fe Institute and the first-ever InterPlanetary Festival, Currents has spearheaded a new series of events with the hopes of making the city known as a new/digital media art center for the U.S. Futurition, a series of art exhibitions, installations, talks and other happenings under umbrella themes of digital and new media art, technology and of course the future, started Thursday with the opening day of the InterPlanetary fest in the Railyard. It ends June 24, the last day of Currents. Other Futurition partners include the Thoma Foundations Art House, Axle Contemporarys rolling exhibit space, form & concept gallery, Meow Wolf and the Railyard. Last fall, shortly after SFI President David Krakauer established a partnership with Currents, the two groups applied for and received a $30,000 Collaborative Arts Marketing grant from the city. With the funding, which paid for a marketing firm to promote the series, Ragano and Amster rounded up other local partners. The mini-festival, as Ragano calls it, is meant to appeal to both locals and tourists, and is part of an effort to make June Santa Fes Emerging Media Month, an idea pushed by the new Emerging Media Alliance, itself an offshoot of Santa Fes Film and Digital Media Commission. The point behind this is to update the profile of Santa Fe, Ragano said, adding he wants people to see Santa Fe is an emerging center for new kinds of art linked to science and technology, in addition to the traditional arts for which the city is revered. In addition to Currents, the alliance includes Meow Wolf, SFI, the Thoma Foundation, Descartes Labs and other organizations. Its not your Indian or Spanish market, said Frank Rose, gallery director of form & concept gallery, said of Futurition. Its this new event that speaks to a contemporary time. Form & concepts multimedia exhibition, Inner Orbit, features artists who Rose says use the concept of outer space as a lens to create personal artwork or delve into the Earths own issues. The show opened May 25 and will stay up until July 21. Both Rose and Ragano were careful to not knock the citys traditional arts scene. According to Ragano, he simply wants to showcase that Santa Fe has both the old and the new. The most important thing is that its not about replacing the incredible culture thats already here, said Ragano. Its additive, saying, Wait a minute, weve got the whole thing here. Amster said she and Ragano hope to continue receiving city grant money annually. She described this years first Futirition series as an experiment, adding they arent sure how people who visit Currents during its weekslong run last year it was about 8,000 will spread out among all the various parts of series. Ragano noted that most of the organizations involved, with the exception of the new InterPlanetary Festival, have partnered with the Currents festival in some way in the past. But they would often get subsumed under the larger event, he said, making it difficult for other groups to stand apart. Nobody is Futurition, everybody is Futurition, he added. It gives people a separateness and individuality. Sharing the goal of bringing more attention to the digital art realm is Kelani Nichole, Brooklyn-based curator for Art Houses Futurition show Transfer Download: Simulations in Hyperspace. The exhibit, which has been shown in various formats across the world since 2016 and opens in Santa Fe June 15, showcases 15 international artists whose works are all projected onto a three-channel screen that covers the entire exhibition room. The visitor decides which piece he or she wants to see by selecting from an iPad. Choices vary from algorithmic, internet-based artwork to the video creation of a New York artist featuring a landscape and human figures made up only of emojis. Were really consuming them in that virtual space, Nichole said of the show. And its really opening up a new way of seeing. Its so impactful. Its so simple, but so impactful. As part of Currents opening weekend, she will also be giving a talk at SITE Santa Fe about practices associated with the new media art movement, which she says still is not fully understood or accepted by the contemporary art world or its collectors. We dont talk about sculpture art or painting art, its just contemporary art, but we talk about digital art for some reason, she said. And Ive been very keen on fighting against that label because I feel its putting it in a little bit of a box and putting it aside. Futurition is free. A full list of the events and locations is available at santafefuturition.com. A recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer describes the discovery of Indigenous human remains in the collection of a small library in Philadelphia. The remains, unearthed in the 1830s, were discovered in the library by a professor. A photograph, displayed prominently at the top of the story, clearly shows a skull on display in a glass case. Its just wrong, Louellyn White, the professor, told the Inquirers Jeff Gammage. This is really an ancestor here whos been stuck on this shelf next to animal skulls. White is of Mohawk descent and a professor of First Peoples Studies at Concordia University in Montreal. The inclusion of that photo in the paper prompted the Association on American Indian Affairs to reach out to the editors to provide perspective from local tribes. The organization, which aids institutions or individuals seeking to repatriate items or remains in their collections, hoped to explain why using such a photo is disrespectful of Indigenous peoples. The inclusion of the photo was heartbreaking to some elders who didnt want their ancestors bones on display for anyone with an internet connection to see, Shannon Keller OLoughlin, executive director of the association, told me this week. Gammage did not return messages seeking comment. In a statement, the Delaware Tribe of Indians said it was dismayed by the use of the photo, but in the end, the library said it would return the remains to the tribe. Swift and respectful repatriations such as these help to ensure that all people are treated equally, both in life and in death, the tribe wrote. An inter-tribal reburial has been scheduled. Such missteps, in the media and at museums and other cultural institutions, are avoidable. It simply requires consulting with tribes, OLoughlin noted. However, that too rarely happens, either through embarrassment or ignorance. The consequences are damaging, beyond the obvious disrespect. Possession and display of remains are a reminder of a painful history. Thats because exploitation of remains played an integral role in the justification for the slaughter and pillaging of Manifest Destiny. In the 1830s and 1840s, the man known as the father of American physical anthropology, Samuel Morton, used Indigenous remains gathered from collectors to evaluate cranium capacity and make suppositions about intelligence. In his 1839 book, Crania Americana, Morton concluded that Native Americans were adverse to cultivation, and slow in acquiring knowledge, and were thus inferior to Europeans. For white settlers living in the West, this was exactly what they wanted to hear, the University of Cambridge reported. Crania Americana was published just as the remaining Shawnee peoples of Ohio were forcibly relocated west of the Mississippi River. Not long after, in 1867, a Surgeon General order directed Army personnel to find and collect skulls and other body parts of Native Americans for the Army Medical Museum. The intent was to essentially copy Mortons method and make similar anthropological conclusions. These theories provided scientific support for the Manifest Destiny policies followed by the United States during the 19th century policies that led to the relocation of Indian tribes and taking of tribal lands, and the aggressive policies that decimated tribal populations and suppressed tribal cultures and religions. Jack Trope, the former director of the Association on American Indian Affairs, wrote in a book on the subject. As Trope points out, tribes have been battling to stop the theft and collection of Native American remains and artifacts for generations. He notes the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois, brought a legal case in 1896 against a U.S. official who purchased stolen wampum belts, which the tribe used as a form of written language to pass down laws, history and tradition. The tribe lost the case and it wasnt until 1986 (90 years later) that the belts were returned. And that was only when the museum in possession of them finally consulted the tribe. We certainly rely on the kindness of strangers, so to speak, to retain those items and put them where they belong, OLoughlin told me. OLoughlin said the law meant to prevent such cases, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, signed in 1990, has been productive in many ways. However, historic and cultural preservation laws remain a patchwork of varying enforcement across the U.S. While a museum or federal agency may be required to repatriate remains under NAGPRA or other laws, she said, no federal laws apply to private individuals who hold remains. The U.S. has allowed its cultural protection laws to remain inconsistent since their creation, she said, whereas other countries, such as Mali, Nicaragua and Guatemala, have blanket laws that protect artifacts no matter what the circumstance. The Association on American Indian Affairs is now asking Congress to review and amend NAGPRA and the Acoma Pueblo Tribe is hoping to push through more legislation, the Safeguarding Tribal Objects of Patrimony, or the STOP, Act, aimed at halting the export of cultural items out of the country. The lack of such laws can lead to instances such as the sale of sacred and historical Hopi and Acoma Pueblo artifacts, for hundreds of thousands of dollars, at a French auction house in 2016. The whole world condemns the destruction of Palmyra by Isis, Kurt Riley, governor of Acoma Pueblo, told reporters ahead of the sale. The National Geographics cover story this month is about tomb raiders looting the worlds ancient treasures. These things are happening while they are also happening in the United States with regard to the plundering of native cultures. When it comes to the Indigenous remains and artifacts found in museums, private collections and government institutions across the U.S., we often dont treat them like the gravesites they are. Its kind of odd how American culture has just taken over all things that it thinks best for inferior Indian people, OLoughlin said. We will call it, we will label it, we will name it, were going to own it and possess it, and put it in boxes and take pictures of it. Its something different than how we would treat our own items that are sacred or our own burial remains. In any culture, death demands reverence. This is no different. It should have been in the ground, OLoughlin said of the skull in the Philadelphia library. It should have went on its journey. Wado. Graham Lee Brewer is a contributing editor at High Country News and a member of the Cherokee Nation. This story was originally published at High Country News (hcn.org) on June 1. A defense attorney maintains that the Santa Fe District Attorneys Office is unjustly delaying the murder trial of a man whos been in jail for more than 19 months. Prosecutors say the reasons for the delays in the high-profile case including staff turnover, inadequate state funding for the District Attorneys Office, high fees for a medical witness and a witness who still needs to be located are out of their control. In April, public defender Jennifer Burrill filed a motion in District Court to have second-degree murder and other charges dropped for 59-year-old Robert Mondrian-Powell. Burrill argues that Mondrian-Powells constitutional rights to a speedy trial and due process are being violated. Mondrian-Powell is accused of fatally shooting Elvira Segura in the neck in the fall of 2016 at Seguras Nambe home. State Police believe he may have been living with the corpse for several weeks, because Seguras body was significantly decomposed when she was found on Sept. 27, 2016. Mondrian-Powell held a yard sale at the house for a few days in mid-September 2016, and police believe that Seguras body was inside at the time. Mondrian-Powell was arrested in Las Cruces in October 2016 and told police that he shot Segura in the bathroom while the two were in a violent altercation. He has been in the Santa Fe County jail since then, with bail set at $500,000, cash only, on charges of murder, tampering with evidence, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. Burrill says in her motion that prosecutors have continually failed to provide witness information to the defense and have caused delays that have unjustly postponed Mondrian-Powells trial. A jury is scheduled to be selected in August, about 22 months after Mondrian-Powells arrest. Burrill says Mondrian-Powell has health problems, including cardiac arrhythmia, due to the stress of the pending charges and oppressive pretrial incarceration. The States blatant refusal to comply with basic discovery rules coupled with the extreme anxiety suffered by the defendant due to the delay in these proceedings continues to prejudice the defense and as such this matter should be dismissed on both due process and speedy trial grounds, the motion says. Deputy District Attorney Martin Maxwell, who is now the third lead prosecutor on the case, said in his response that there was a large amount of evidence to collect and review for the case, and that his office has no control over other factors that led to delays, including a lack of financial resources and turnover at the DAs Office. He also said part of the delay is due to the courts taking 41 days before a holding an arraignment and a first court appearance before a judge for Mondrian-Powell. In the present case, there has (sic) only been justifiable delays which are reasonable due to the copious amount of evidence that was collected, the considerable number of witnesses that had to be interviewed and the legal issues that defense raised that required pre-trial litigation, Maxwell wrote. The response says it would be a miscarriage of justice for a judge to dismiss the case now. Maxwell says the complexity of the case should allow prosecutors to have more time. Approximately twenty-one months of time for a second-degree murder trial with complex issues is not a violation of the Sixth Amendment, Maxwell wrote. The prosecution had trouble getting a former Office of the Medical Investigator doctor who conducted Seguras autopsy, Laurie Edelman, to do a pretrial interview. She was finally interviewed on May 18 after Santa Fe District Judge T. Glenn Ellington ordered her to grant the interview. District Attorney Marco Serna said Tuesday that Edelman, who now lives in Texas, was requesting payment before being interviewed. I was disappointed that the doctor was so unwilling to testify unless we paid an hourly rate ($400) that was substantial, Serna said. Its difficult to pay that much for an OMI doctor thats out of state. Maxwell cited a lack of funding as one of the reasons Edelman wasnt able to be interviewed sooner. Our Governor and legislatures are cognizant of the fact that the criminal justice system is short of resources, Maxwell wrote in his response. Although Edelman was finally interviewed last month via Skype, Burrill says in her motion to dismiss that Edelman said in the interview that she was not the one who identified Seguras body. As of May 29, Burrill said the state still has not listed a witness who identified the body, meaning the case might be further delayed so both sides can find and interview that witness. Prosecutor Maxwell has made a claim that the State will not seek another trial continuance, however, if the State amends the witness list again it is likely that those interviews of newly listed witnesses will not be concluded before the August 2018 jury trial setting, Burrill wrote. Serna said Tuesday that he believes there will be no further delay and that he is confident Judge Ellington wont drop the charges when he hears arguments at a June 22 hearing. Burrills motion also cites prosecutor turnover as a reason for delays. Former prosecutor Natalie Perry left the District Attorneys Office last year, and her successor on the case, Kevin Nault, left the office in April. Maxwell, who is now the lead prosecutor, said turnover should not be held against the state. Counsel leaving the District Attorneys Office was not an administrative delay, but delays that were unforeseeable, prosecutor Maxwell wrote. Burrill also argues that Mondrian-Powells rights were violated in a lower court. Records show that Santa Fe Magistrate Court Judge George Anaya granted two extensions so the state could review and gather evidence before the case moved up to District Court, the standard progression for felony charges. The State failing to be prepared is not an exceptional circumstance and the extensions by Judge Anaya violated the defendants due process rights, Burrill wrote. Maxwell argues that the prosecutors had no control over the 41-day delay between when the case was filed in District Court and the date Mondrian-Powell first saw a judge. According to court records, the criminal information was filed in District Court on Dec. 2, 2016, but Mondrian-Powell didnt make his first appearance in front of Ellington until Jan. 11, 2017. The State did not have any control over the Courts calender, therefore this delay should not be counted against the State, Maxwell wrote. Not In My Backyard takes on a whole new meaning when the fear is that a new housing development could create drainage and erosion issues for neighbors, and what ends up in their backyards and maybe even their homes is a lot of mud and water. Thats a concern for neighbors of the proposed Estancias del Norte development near Santa Fes downtown that was approved by the citys Planning Commission in March or not. The decision to approve a preliminary subdivision plat to make way for 49 upscale homes on 41 acres of prime real estate east of Bishops Lodge Road and north of Artist Road is being appealed to the City Council in part because a homeowners association says the meeting was not properly advertised. The New Mexico Open Meetings Act states that any decisions made during a meeting thats not properly noticed dont count. At that same disputed meeting, the commission approved a request for variances to allow the developer to exceed the 10 percent maximum grade for a small road and to change zoning for a portion of the property from commercial to residential. Each request for variance was recommended for approval by city Land Use Department staff. The neighborhood association is also appealing the Planning Commissions decisions because they think the project could potentially cause damage to homes downhill from the site and the developer wouldnt be liable. And they say that theyve won this battle before. Over the years, proposals for a different, smaller development were rejected five times by either the Planning Commission or City Council. The matter wound up in district court and the citys decisions to deny the applications were upheld. This battle has already been fought, said Jennifer Johnson, vice president of the Greater Callecito Neighborhood Association. Now theyre making us fight it all over again. Development history That battle was fought more than 20 years ago, long before Ernie Romero, of local Phase One Realty, bought the 41 acres now proposed for development, plus 28 adjacent acres that he eventually sold to Cody North in 2015. North recently earned approval from the city to develop eight lots for residential use. Originally, the properties were part of the 1981 master plan for Estancia Primera, a 151-dwelling unit project that was approved by the city, according to city documents. The first phase of that project was completed south of Artist and Hyde Park roads, but the other two phases, which were planned for the property Romero bought, were never developed. The piece of Estancia Primera subdivision that was built out should serve as a cautionary tale for Estancias del Norte today, neighbors say. The development caused not only water, but also sewage to flood downhill properties, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage paid for by the city, not counting additional costs to prevent more flooding. Then came the Los Vecinos development, a proposal for a 36-unit residential development on the same 41 acres where the Estancias del Norte development now is planned. Thats the one that the city denied over and over again, and ended up in court and cost neighbors money to fight it. That happened long before Romero bought the site. He said Estancias del Norte is a different project that has been modified to address the concerns of the neighbors. We have complied with everything thats required of us in the city code and regulations, he said in a phone interview Wednesday. He said neighbors just dont want to see the project completed because of NIMBYism. The neighbors have always seen it as vacant land and they want it to stay that way, Romero said, adding that he thinks opponents are being disingenuous. The bottom line is they dont want to see anything happen there. Liability issues Neighbor John Forsdale, who lives on Valley Drive and is not a member of the Greater Callecito Neighborhood Association, doesnt want to see what happened with Estancia Primera happen all over again. Hes raised his concerns about the proposal at Planning Commission meetings. Its not a plausible situation, said Forsdale, who has a lot of unanswered questions. How do you defend yourself against this kind of erosion? Wheres the enforcement going to come from? Who do you go to on something like this? What can the city do to get the developer to make changes? One final question from Forsdale was, How do you pay for a lawyer? They may need one. If the developer isnt liable for any damage that could result, then who is? Forsdale thinks the liability falls on a future homeowners association for the Estancias del Norte development, which, lacking both homes and owners, currently doesnt exist. The citys public information officer did not respond to email and phone messages this week. District 1 city councilors Signe Lindell and Renee Villarreal, in whose district the property is located, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Romero said hes playing by the rules. He doesnt understand the argument about liability. I dont know what they mean by that. People buy and sell property all the time. Its governed by a whole set of laws set by the state and city. I follow the laws, he said. When the Planning Commission approved the changes in March, it did so with 22 conditions. About half those conditions were suggested by Design/Enginuity LLC, a Santa Fe engineering firm. It is my professional opinion that the plans will improve the current conditions of the site and reduce the existing active erosion conditions, wrote Design/Enginuitys Oralynn Guerrerortiz. I think the project is actually going to help with the drainage and the erosion, Romero said. Its a good project. Its an infill project with very low density and it doesnt disturb areas protected under city code. But neighbors say that the engineering firms work was paid for by Romero, not the city, so was not an independent assessment. Forsdale said it seemed to him the whole process was biased. Its frustrating, he said. The developer gets all the time they want to speak about their plans, but neighbors get two minutes apiece. He hopes the city doesnt see it as an infill project that will help put a dent in Santa Fes housing shortage. Forsdale said he thinks the houses that would be built on the site, not far from the Plaza, would likely be marketed as second homes for people from out of state. Old dams in place On Wednesday, Forsdale led a Journal reporter and photographer on a hike up Arroyo de las Piedras, which runs behind his home and abuts his backyard. He pointed out numerous check control dams likely built in the 1930s and 1940s as a WPA project. So theyve been working on this for 80 years, he said. The dams have held up pretty well, he said, but some of them have crumbled. Its not plausible, or at least practical, for anyone to get into the narrow channels with a backhoe or bobcat to fix them, or build new ones, if thats the solution. Forsdale pointed out other areas where rain runoff has eroded the hillside. Erosion is dramatic once it gets started, he said. He eventually diverted the tour uphill from the arroyo, where a sewer line was recently installed. It skirts the backside of El Matador condominiums. About three years ago, he said, a major rainstorm resulted in a flash flood. Sediment quickly accumulated and allowed the water to breach a block wall and flood some of the homes. Wattles, tubular structures filled with straw as a temporary sediment control measure, have been placed on the hillside, but it was easy to spot where what little rain water theres been this year has carved tiny channels underneath them. What happens when the monsoons come? Forsdale says that same storm that breached El Matador filled the arroyo behind his home with about 7 feet of water and nearly reached the 500-year flood line. This is a delicate, steep hillside, he said. Erosion is inevitable. The question is how fast, and what can we do to minimize it? Its unclear when the homeowners association appeal of the Planning Commissions decisions in favor of Estancias del Norte will come before the City Council. I guess what needs to happen now is I need to go door to door and talk to people about this, he said, adding that only about 80 homeowners are even aware of the situation. Are (the developers) going to make the situation worse? And is there anybody watching over it? The state Court of Appeals this week found that the former city hearing officer who sued KRQE-TV over a Larry Barker story is a public official, which will make her defamation claim harder to prove. The decision means that Anita Reina must prove that Barker acted with actual malice when he broadcast a 2012 story that she says was defamatory. KRQE attorney Marty Esquivel said the decision also offers a road map to judges tasked with determining who is and is not a public official. I think its a very important victory for journalists in New Mexico, Esquivel said. Esquivel wrote in court documents that the actual malice standard substantially decreases the likelihood of recovery for defamation. And it means the plaintiff must show proof of actual injury to reputation. Its very difficult because youve got to prove that you knew it was a lie when you published it and you did it intentionally, Reinas attorney Stephen Lawless said. While a private citizen is only required to prove that a person acted negligently in publishing a defamatory story, a public official has to show that a defendant acted with actual malice or with a reckless disregard of the truth and with knowledge of falsity, the Court of Appeals wrote. Judges wrote that courts considering whether a person is a public official should ask if he or she has substantial responsibility for or control over the conduct of governmental affairs. Barkers story looked into Reinas simultaneous work as a city hearing officer and a tribal court judge, an arrangement that she says had been approved by her supervisor. According to a transcript of his story attached to a motion in the case, Barker reported that his investigation showed Reina had been quietly bilking the city of Albuquerque out of thousands of dollars by failing to take leave from her Albuquerque job to work at San Felipe Pueblo. Reina said in her lawsuit that the allegations were false. According to the Court of Appeals, Barkers reporting triggered a formal city investigation, which found that Reina possibly defrauded the city by working at times as a tribal judge during the work day. In a September order, District Court Judge Denise Barela Shepherd found that Reina was not a public official, but she said there was substantial ground or difference of opinion and agreed that an immediate appeal was appropriate. The Court of Appeals decision was a disappointment to Lawless, who said he and his client are still considering whether they will ask the state Supreme Court to review the decision. He said the ruling impacts the many people employed as hearing officers. Esquivel said he expects the case will be dismissed because the plaintiff has not so far offered any evidence of malice. Disposal of radioactive waste at southeast New Mexicos Waste Isolation Pilot Plant resumed on Saturday after a May 24 incident involving a misaligned waste container prompted an evacuation and suspension of some underground operations. Our employees did a great job of safely working the recovery plan to get us back into operations, said Todd Shrader, the Department of Energys Carlsbad Field Office Manager, in a Wednesday news release. Everyone involved, from the individuals who identified the misaligned drum to those developing and executing the recovery plan, should be commended. The container in question was bundled with six other waste-laden drums when it was observed by workers to be tilted out of place, leading to the evacuation of the underground and activation of the facilitys Emergency Operations Center, which was deactivated later that night. No radioactive releases or injuries occurred, officials said. The recovery plan approved May 29 involved disassembling then repackaging the seven-pack of drums together. They were then emplaced in an underground room late last week. Additional transportation containers are being processed today and waste packages will be downloaded this evening, the news release read. ONiells Heights wants to give the LGBTQ community another venue option to celebrate Albuquerque Pride Day. Pride has pretty much been an up-and-down Central event, said Jeff Trent, ONiells Heights chef and general manager. But we have quite a few people in the LGBT community up in the Heights as well, and they were just saying they werent going down for the crowd they were kind of lamenting that nothing was going on up here, so we decided to have kind of like a little soiree for our LGBT brothers and sisters up here in the Heights. Trent wrangled some special beers for the event, and special cocktails will be offered for Pride Day on Saturday, June 9. We ended up talking with the people from Delawares Dogfish Head (Brewery) and they had an awesome beer called Dragons & YumYums, and then they hooked me up with an infuser, and basically, we are going to infuse it with pear and edible glitter to be fabulous, Trent said. And then I also brought in some luster dust, which is another form of edible glitter, to try to make really cool patio-friendly really vibrant cocktails for all of our patrons. Colorados Ska Brewing Co. is sending a freshly brewed Pink Vapor Stew, a sour that features Citra and Belma hops combined with beets, carrots, ginger and apples. The cocktails are Cherry Bomb, created with cherry vodka, grenadine, lime and sprite; the Purple Unicorn, made with vodka, Blue Curacao, grapefruit and pineapple; Pride Punch, concocted with Midori, Blue Curacao and Malibu rum; the Rainbow Kilt, made with Bullet Rye, lemon and tonic water; and the Yaasssss Cocktail, which features Captain Morgan spiced rum, Malibu rum and pineapple. A Rainbow Banh-Mi food special also will be available. There will be a 20 percent food discount for patrons dressed in their most fabulous Pride attire, according to Trent. Swag and giveaways will be part of the event. ONiells in Nob Hill has always been like a waypoint for the Pride parade, but weve been kind of on an island up here, Trent said. Some of the guests (have been) lamenting if they dont want to fight the crowds for the parade they would still like to feel some love up in the Heights, so I just took it upon myself to make sure that we can do that. Pride Day WHEN: Noon-1 a.m. Saturday, June 9 WHERE: ONiells Heights, 3301 Juan Tabo NE HOW MUCH: Free admission. Information, call 293-1122 or visit oniells.com/location/heights For centuries, flamenco dance has evolved with the changing times. Elements have been modified or added, yet one thing remains the same the passion for the art. For 31 years, Eva Encinias Sandoval and the National Institute of Flamenco have cultivated the growth of the dance in Albuquerque. With the start of the Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque on Saturday, June 9, coming up, Encinias Sandoval is looking forward to another year. When we started 31 years ago, there were two performances and three workshop, Encinias Sandoval says. Looking back at the time, weve been able to expand the festival and really bring in world-class artists that represent the art form in different ways. Thats important to the education of flamenco. Festival Flamenco is one of the biggest flamenco events in the United States. This years lineup includes flamenco giants Alfonso Losa, Vanesa Coloma, Guadalupe Torres, La Familia de Los Reyes, Pedro Cordoba featuring Javier Latorre & Gema Moneo, Isabel Bayon and Sara Calero. While Encinias Sandoval is the founder and executive director of NIF, she gets help from her daughter, Marisol Encinias, who keeps tabs on which performers to bring to the festival. Marisol Encinias is also a principal dancer with NIF. We have seven companies and 38 workshops this year, Encinias says. Were also bringing in a classical Spanish dancer who is considered a ballerina in Spanish classical. She will be doing a show on June 12. Another highlight of the festival is La Familia de Los Reyes, a gypsy family from Seville, Spain. They come from a long line of artists, and they are a conceptual flamenco show, Encinias says. There is also Isabel Bayon. In the world of dance, theres a big push to do dance theater. Its more dramatic, and her conceptual idea is about voodoo and superstition. Theres a lot of flamenco dance in there; its just presented in a different way. With nearly 50 dancers coming to perform in Albuquerque, Encinias says, there are plenty of opportunities to see a show. Each company will perform solo shows throughout the week. Then the final two days of the festival, there will be a gala performance at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. This is where each featured performer will present one piece of dance. The gala events are fun because its like a greatest hits, Encinias says. And there are the nightly tablaos at Hotel Albuquerque that will feature many of the dancers. Most of these dancers dont dance in such a small, intimate setting, Encinias says. The entire atmosphere is organic, and you never know what to expect. Encinias Sandoval is surprised often when people dont realize Albuquerque has a great flamenco scene. Weve been doing the festival for 31 years now, and people are still finding out about it, she says. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal One of the few remaining Battling Bastards of Bataan, who survived a grueling 65-mile forced march through the jungles of the Philippines and endured years of malnutrition and torture at the hands of the Japanese as prisoners during World War II, has died. Ralph Rodriguez Jr., who served as a medic with the 515th Coast Artillery Medical Detachment, was 100 when he died Saturday. Only seven New Mexican Bataan Death March survivors from the 200th and 515th coast artilleries remain, according to the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services. His daughter, Mona Lisa Rodriguez, arrived in Albuquerque from her home in Dallas on Thursday and spoke with the Journal at the 80-year-old adobe home she grew up in and her father lived in until the last of his days. Im so proud of him, she said, her voice halting and tears welling up in her eyes. She sat on a sofa in her fathers living room, the walls of which are adorned with countless medals, plaques and memorabilia honoring his sacrifices during the war. These items tell the story of a man born in El Paso in 1917, one of 10 children, to Mexican immigrants. He was drafted into service while the war raged in Europe and was sent to train in the Philippines, along with 1,800 other New Mexicans. Only half of those men would survive. On Dec. 8, 1941, about 10 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the training men, who fought on for months until they were ordered to surrender on April 9, 1942. Rodriguez and the 75,000 exhausted American and Philippine troops were then forced to walk 65 miles to prison camps. It was just the beginning of inhumane treatment, or, as my father used to say, subhuman treatment, his daughter said. Many of those who fell behind were either left to die or were bayoneted. Rodriguez ended up at Camp ODonnell before being transferred to Cabanatuan, where he spent the rest of the war until he was liberated in January 1945. As a medic, his daughter said, he took it upon himself to tend to the mistreated and ill the best he could without any medical supplies. He also kept handwritten records of fallen comrades, who died of starvation, regular beatings and tropical diseases. He read a Bible he found and planted a papaya tree. Those activities could be done when he wasnt eating rancid rice and fish heads or being forced into manual labor. Hes carrying sacks of rice on his back that weigh 100 pounds, and he weighs less than that, Mona Lisa said. They were completely emaciated. After nearly three years as a prisoner of war, he was liberated and returned to New Mexico in 1945. When he returned, he met and married Elizabeth Gabaldon and had three children: Mona Lisa, Ralph III and Charles. He worked for New Mexico Timber Co. in Bernalillo and other lumber businesses. His daughter described him as a kind, caring and compassionate father. But the memory of the Bataan Death March, and his imprisonment was never forgotten. He was a National Commander of the Bataan Veterans Organization and of the American Ex-Prisoners of War. I think he was just trying to keep everyone remembering, Mona Lisa said. Rodriguez will be buried alongside his wife at Santa Fe National Cemetery today after Mass in Albuquerque. For me, he was always my hero, Mona Lisa said. As I got older, I realized my dad was a hero to other people, too. WASHINGTON A former employee of the Senate intelligence committee has been arrested on charges of lying to the FBI about contacts he had with multiple reporters, federal prosecutors said Thursday. James A. Wolfe, the longtime director of security for the committee one of multiple congressional panels investigating potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign was indicted on three false statement counts after prosecutors say he misled agents about his relationships with reporters. Though Wolfe is not charged with disclosing classified information, prosecutors say he was in regular contact with multiple journalists who covered the committee, including meeting them at restaurants, in bars, private residences and in a Senate office building. He also maintained a yearslong personal relationship with one reporter, which prosecutors say he lied about until being confronted with a photograph of him and the journalist. Wolfe, 58, of Ellicott City, Maryland, is due in court Friday. It wasnt immediately clear if he had a lawyer. Each false statement count is punishable by up to five years in prison, though if convicted, Wolfe would almost certainly face only a fraction of that time. The criminal case arises from a December 2017 FBI interview with Wolfe in which he denied having relationships with journalists or discussing committee business with them. At one point, he was presented with a news article containing classified information and was asked, in a written questionnaire, if he had had contact with any of the pieces three authors. He checked no even though records obtained by the government show that he had been in communication with one of them. In a separate instance, after one journalist published a story about a witness whod been subpoenaed to appear before the committee, Wolfe wrote to say, Good job! and Im glad you got the scoop The indictment was announced soon after The New York Times revealed that the Justice Department had secretly seized the phone records and emails of one of its journalists, Ali Watkins, as part of the same leak investigation involving Wolfe. The newspaper said Watkins was approached by the FBI about a three-year relationship she had had with Wolfe when she worked at other publications. The newspaper also said that Watkins said that Wolfe was not a source of classified information for her during their relationship. In a statement Thursday night, Watkins attorney, Mark MacDougall, said: Its always disconcerting when a journalists telephone records are obtained by the Justice Department through a grand jury subpoena or other legal process. Whether it was really necessary here will depend on the nature of the investigation and the scope of any charges. The prosecution comes amid a Trump administration crackdown on leaks of classified information. President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have decried such disclosures, with Sessions saying in August that the number of leak of criminal leak probes had more than tripled in the early months of the Trump administration. The Attorney General has stated that investigations and prosecutions of unauthorized disclosure of controlled information are a priority of the Department of Justice. The allegations in this indictment are doubly troubling as the false statements concern the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive and confidential information, Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the Justice Departments top national security official, said in a statement. The Obama administration had its own repeated tangles with journalists, including secretly subpoenaing phone records of Associated Press reporters and editors during a 2012 leak investigation into a story about a bomb plot. The Justice Department amended its media guidelines in 2015 to make it more difficult for prosecutors to subpoena journalists for their sources, though officials in the last year have said they are reviewing those policies. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr and the top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Mark Warner, said in a joint statement that they were troubled by the charges. Wolfe had worked for the committee for roughly 30 years, and his position as security director meant that he had access to classified information provided to the panel by the executive branch. While the charges do not appear to include anything related to the mishandling of classified information, the committee takes this matter extremely seriously, the senators said. We were made aware of the investigation late last year, and have fully cooperated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice since then. ____ Associated Press writers Chad Day and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. SANTA FE New Mexico lawmakers have repeatedly debated whether to pull more money out of the states largest permanent fund to help pay for early childhood education programs. But in a legislative meeting Thursday, the state investment officer suggested a different approach. Why not, he asked, leave the 5 percent distribution alone, but instead earmark a portion of the annual revenue growth that happens anyway? In other words, New Mexicos two main permanent funds are already generating more money for the state each year because the size of the funds themselves is growing a result of investment returns, revenue from oil and gas leases, and other factors that allow the funds to grow like an endowment over time. That growth in revenue generated by the funds happens even without changing the distribution rates, which are 5 percent for one fund and 4.7 percent for the other. Investment Officer Steve Moise suggested that instead of just sending the bulk of the new money into the states general fund where it helps pay for public schools the Legislature could earmark some of the new revenue for a particular purpose, such as early childhood education. In the coming fiscal year, for example, the Land Grant and Severance Tax permanent funds are expected to distribute about $968 million. But thats about $69 million more than the previous year annual growth that occurs without increasing the percentage thats distributed, according to Moises presentation. Under the current system, the extra $69 million flows into the general fund where it supports public education or to other beneficiaries identified by law, such as universities. It isnt clear whether legislators are interested in Moises idea. But Rep. Tomas Salazar, a Las Vegas Democrat and chairman of the Investments and Pensions Oversight Committee, said the concept deserves more study. It probably warrants a decent look, he said in an interview. The committee, which meets between regular legislative sessions, is just now starting its work for the summer and fall. How to maximize the benefit of New Mexicos $24 billion in permanent funds has been debated at the Legislature for years. One proposal passed by the state House before dying in the Senate would amend the state Constitution and increase annual distributions from the Land Grant Permanent Fund by 1 percentage point, from 5 percent to 6 percent. The legislation would generate about $150 million a year that would go to school districts and tribes to provide services to children before they reach kindergarten. Another $26 million would go to other beneficiaries of the permanent fund. U.S. military officials plan to release an American citizen accused of supporting the Islamic State under safe conditions, and with $4,210 and a new cellphone near the Syrian town where he was first captured in September, according to a new filing Thursday in the unusual case. The intended release would be done over the objections of the man, who has been held without charges in U.S. military custody in Iraq. The American Civil Liberties Union, which has been representing the man, asked a federal judge in Washington Thursday night to block the action, which it had condemned as disgraceful and a de facto death warrant. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan scheduled a hearing on the government plan for Friday morning. The cash is the same amount the man was carrying when he was taken into custody, the government said. The details of the governments plans for the man, identified in filings as John Doe, came in an affidavit from a Defense Department official, who described the release as traditional military practice that is employed in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility and consistent with the militarys obligations under the law of war. The release plan sounds crazy at first blush, but you have to keep in mind that Doe voluntarily went to Syria to begin with, said Bobby Chesney, an expert in national security law at the University of Texas School of Law. Its common in war detention settings, he said, to return someone to the point of capture at least if its safe to do so, and thats one of the questions for the court. The expected legal battle over the mans release is the latest twist in the case that has tested whether U.S. citizens captured on a battlefield as suspected enemy combatants have the right to challenge their detentions. Nine months ago, the man was turned over to U.S. forces after he was captured at a rebel Syrian Democratic Forces checkpoint in Syria and declared his American citizenship. He grew up in Saudi Arabia and also has Saudi citizenship. The man was questioned for U.S. intelligence purposes, but American officials said they lacked admissible evidence to charge him with a crime. Instead, the government announced plans in April to transfer the man, against his will, to a third country that was not publicly identified. Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld an earlier ruling from Chutkan that prevented the government from forcibly and irrevocably transferring the man without allowing him to challenge his detention. In a sign of the novel, significant questions raised by the case, the appeals court said in its ruling, We know of no instance in the history of the United States in which the government has forcibly transferred an American citizen from one foreign country to another. The Pentagon said in its filing Thursday that it intends to release the man with the money and clothing he had when first detained, plus food and water to last several days and the new phone. DOD has taken all necessary and feasible precautions to ensure the safe release of the petitioner, according to the affidavit from Defense Department official Mark E. Mitchell. ACLU attorney Jonathan Hafetz said the governments meager offer to return his money and give him a cellphone does not remotely provide any protection from the violence and danger that exists throughout Syria. In asking for a temporary restraining order to block the release, the ACLU said in court papers that the man does not oppose his release from U.S. custody. To the contrary, he is urgently seeking the restoration of his liberty. What he opposes is release into an area of certain danger and possible death. The ACLU, noting the mans citizenship, said in its in Thursday night filing that the government has not given him any identification or indication of why the United States has placed him in this dangerous territory after nearly nine months of detention as an alleged enemy combatant.' The government has said in court filings that the man was born in the United States but raised in Saudi Arabia. He attended college and studied electrical engineering in Louisiana, is married and has a 3-year-old daughter whom he tried to register as an American citizen on two trips to the United States in 2014, according to court filings. Government filings show the man told the FBI that he worked for the Islamic State guarding a gas field and monitoring civilians. He claimed that he was a freelance journalist who was arrested and agreed to work for ISIS to try to gain release, according to court records. The FBI said it could find no evidence of articles he wrote. The ACLU said it is seeking the mans release in a safe place, not a war zone, and not having him handed over as a prisoner to another government. U.S. officials also plan to notify the allied Syrian Democratic Forces that the man will likely be traveling through checkpoints and that the United States does not seek his detention, said Mitchell, a principal deputy assistant secretary. The filing includes assurances from the government that the group has committed to respect human rights and the rule of law and has acted consistently with those commitments. In a statement Wednesday, the ACLUs Hafetz noted that the State Department has issued do not travel warnings for Syria, advising U.S. citizens who ignore them to leave DNA samples and draft a will. The Washington Posts Spencer S. Hsu contributed to this report. The owner of an Espanola gun store pleaded guilty Thursday to numerous violations of federal firearms laws, including selling firearms to felons and minors and falsification of firearm transfer records at gun shows. Robert Real, 56, owner of Shooters Outpost, faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. He also pleaded guilty in Albuquerque federal court to falsifying firearm transfer records and making false statements to federal agents. Rael was charged in October along with his wife Linda Real, 65, and stepdaughter Crystal Johnson. In entering the guilty plea, Real admitted he had attended gun shows around New Mexico and had sold firearms and instructed his wife and stepdaughter to sell guns without required background checks; falsified records of sale to say the gun sales had taken place after a three-day standard delay period; sold firearms to convicted felons; and transferred firearms other than shotguns or rifles to persons under 21. Linda Real and Johnson have both entered not guilty pleas GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Israeli troops fired live rounds and tear gas as thousands of Palestinians protested near the Gaza border fence Friday, and at least four demonstrators were killed, including a teenage boy, with over 600 wounded, Gaza health officials said. More than 100 of the wounded, including a photographer for the French news agency Agence Press France, were hit by live fire, the officials added, as the demonstrators burned tires, threw stones and flew flaming kites in the latest in a series of mass protests to call attention to a decade-old blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt. Israel says Gazas Hamas leaders are using the protests as cover to carry out attacks. Late Friday, Israel said Gaza militants opened fire and struck an Israeli military post. No injuries were reported. The march coincided with the annual Jerusalem Day, instituted by Iran to protest Israeli rule of the holy city. Israel and Iran have been archenemies since Tehrans 1979 Islamic Revolution. In the capitals of Iran and Iraq, thousands of Shiite Muslims marked Jerusalem Day with protests, with some chanting Death to Israel or burning Israeli flags and effigies of President Donald Trump. Since the near-weekly protests began on March 30, more than 120 Palestinians have been killed and over 3,800 wounded by Israeli army fire. The overwhelming majority of the dead and wounded have been unarmed, according to Gaza health officials. Among the dead Friday was 15-year-old Haitham al-Jamal. His family said he was taking part in a protest in Rafah, in southern Gaza, when he was shot. A total of 12 children under age 16 have been killed in the protests. French news agency Agence France Press said one of its photographers, Mohammed Abed al-Baba, was wounded at a mass rally after Israeli forces opened fire. AFP said al-Baba was wearing a press vest and helmet about 200 meters (yards) from the border when hurt. It said he was wounded below the knee while trying to take a photo of a wounded protester after Israeli troops opened fire. The photographers injury was not life-threatening, but he was to undergo surgery. Israels military had no comment on the incident. After Muslim prayers at noon Friday, thousands of Gaza residents streamed toward five protest tent camps that were erected more than two months ago, each several hundred meters (yards) from the fence. From there, smaller groups walked closer to it. In a camp east of Gaza City, activists burned tires, releasing black smoke. Others threw stones or flew kites with burning rags attached, aiming to send them over the border and set Israeli fields on fire. Israeli troops fired volleys of tear gas, including from drones, that sent protesters running for cover. One man with a bullhorn shouted, America is the biggest evil. At one point, seven activists in black-and-white striped shirts meant to resemble concentration camp uniforms from World War II approached the fence. We want to remind the world that the Israeli occupation is committing the same massacres that the Nazis committed, said activist Ahmed Abu Artima. The attempt to draw a parallel between Gazas suffering and the Holocaust was bound to draw angry reactions. Israel was established in the wake of the Holocaust, marks an annual remembrance day for the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis and is home to the worlds largest population of Holocaust survivors. In a statement, the Israeli military said protesters had launched dozens of kites and balloons with explosives toward Israel. It also said a number of explosive devices and a grenade were hurled during the protests and later said the military post had been struck by gunfire. At the expense of the people of Gaza, the Hamas terrorist organization continues using terror in order to damage security infrastructure and harm security forces, it said, adding that troops had been reinforced along the border. The military escorted journalists to a sniper position along the fence along Gazas northeast border. Crowds of several dozen Palestinians could be seen approaching the fence constantly, as soldiers fired tear gas to scatter them. Some Palestinians launched kites rigged with incendiary devices, which were intercepted by small military drones. Snipers, perched about 50 meters (yards) from the fence and protected by sandbags and concrete barriers, frequently fired warning shots into the air. The mass protests have been aimed at a border blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt in 2007, after the Islamic militant group Hamas overran the territory. The marchers have also pressed demands for a right of return for descendants of Palestinian refugees to ancestral homes in what is now Israel. More than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled in the 1948 Mideast war over Israels creation. Two-thirds of Gazas 2 million residents are descendants of refugees. Protester Fadi Saleh said the frequent marches have helped revive sympathies in the Arab world for the Palestinians, but that more could be done. We need real Arab support and solidarity with our cause, said Saleh, a student of Arabic literature who wore a medical mask against the tear gas. Israels use of potentially lethal force against the protesters has drawn international criticism. Rights groups have said Israels open-fire rules are unlawful. Israel has accused Hamas of trying to carry out attacks and damage the fence under the guise of the protests, and that it only targets instigators. Hamas leaders have threatened possible mass border breaches, raising concern in Israel that communities near Gaza might be at risk. The protests have largely been organized by Hamas and to some extent by the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group. Both have received political and financial support from Iran, but they also pursue their own agendas. Growing despair in Gaza over blockade-linked hardships, including daily power cuts and rising poverty, have driven turnout. Israel and Egypt argue that they must maintain the blockade to contain Hamas and other militant groups, which have built up arsenals over the years, including short-range rockets. Israel and Hamas, which seeks Israels destruction, have fought three cross-border wars since 2008. The Jerusalem Day protests are being held each year on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The day is known in Arabic as Al Quds Day, a reference to the citys historic Arabic name. Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it to its capital, a move not recognized by most of the international community. Israels current government has said it will not accept a partition of the city as part of a peace deal with the Palestinians. Tensions were further heightened last month after the U.S. moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in a step seen by both Israel and the Palestinians as siding with Israel on the most sensitive issue in the conflict. East Jerusalem houses major shrines revered by Muslims, Christians and Jews. The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in east Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam, is built on the spot where tradition says the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. The compound sits on the ruins of biblical temples and is revered by Jews as the holiest site of their religion. In Irans capital of Tehran, thousands joined a Jerusalem Day march, chanting Death to Israel and burning a Trump effigy. In Iraq, thousands of Iran-backed Shiite militiamen in uniform marched through the streets of the capital of Baghdad, burning an Israeli flag and carrying posters of the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. ___ Associated Press writers Ian Deitch in Jerusalem, Ariel Schalit in Kibbutz Nahal Oz and Amir Vahdat in Tehran contributed. WASHINGTON A former employee of the Senate intelligence committee has been arrested on charges of lying to the FBI about contacts with multiple reporters and was expected in federal court Friday in Baltimore. James A. Wolfe, the longtime director of security for the committee one of multiple congressional panels investigating potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign was indicted on three false statement counts Thursday evening after prosecutors say he misled agents about his relationships with reporters. Though Wolfe is not charged with disclosing classified information, prosecutors say he was in regular contact with multiple journalists who covered the committee, including meeting them at restaurants, in bars, private residences and in a Senate office building. He is also accused of maintaining a yearslong personal relationship with one reporter, which prosecutors say he lied about until being confronted with a photograph of him and the journalist. On Friday morning, President Donald Trump said the Justice Department had caught a very important leaker and said it could be a terrific thing. He said he was still getting details on the case. Im a big, big believer in freedom of the press, Trump told reporters before departing for a trip to Canada. But Im also a believer in classified information. Has to remain classified. Wolfes indictment was announced soon after The New York Times revealed that the Justice Department had secretly seized the phone records and emails of one of its journalists, Ali Watkins, as part of the leak investigation involving Wolfe. The newspaper said Watkins was approached by the FBI about a three-year relationship she had had with Wolfe when she worked at other publications. The newspaper also said that Watkins said Wolfe was not a source of classified information for her during their relationship. In a statement Thursday night, Watkins attorney, Mark MacDougall, said: Its always disconcerting when a journalists telephone records are obtained by the Justice Department through a grand jury subpoena or other legal process. Whether it was really necessary here will depend on the nature of the investigation and the scope of any charges. Wolfe, 57, of Ellicott City, Maryland, was expected to appear in U.S. District Court Friday afternoon in Marylands Northern Division in Baltimore. It wasnt immediately clear whether he had a lawyer. Each false statement count is punishable by up to five years in prison, though if convicted, Wolfe would almost certainly face only a fraction of that time. The criminal case arises from a December 2017 FBI interview with Wolfe in which he denied having relationships with journalists or discussing committee business with them. At one point, he was presented with a news article containing classified information and was asked, in a written questionnaire, if he had had contact with any of the pieces three authors. He checked no even though records obtained by the government show that he had been in communication with one of them. He also said that though he saw journalists every day as part of his job, he never spoke to them about anything related to the committee. In a separate instance, Wolfe used the encrypted messaging app Signal to inform a female journalist he had served a person with a subpoena in the Russia investigation, the government says. After the journalist published a story about the subpoena, Wolfe is said to have texted back to say, Good job! and Im glad you got the scoop. Wolfe informed the journalist that the witness would appear privately before the committee that week, prompting the witness to complain to the committee that details of his appearance had been leaked, according to the indictment. Neither the reporter nor the person who was subpoenaed is named in the indictment. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr and the top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Mark Warner, said in a joint statement that they were troubled by the charges. Wolfe had worked for the committee for roughly 30 years, and his position as security director meant that he had access to classified information provided to the panel by the executive branch. While the charges do not appear to include anything related to the mishandling of classified information, the committee takes this matter extremely seriously, the senators said. We were made aware of the investigation late last year, and have fully cooperated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice since then. The prosecution comes amid a Trump administration crackdown on leaks of classified information. Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have decried such disclosures, with Sessions saying in August that the number of leaks of criminal leak probes had more than tripled in the early months of the Trump administration. The Obama administration had its own repeated tangles with journalists, including secretly subpoenaing phone records of Associated Press reporters and editors during a 2012 leak investigation into a story about a bomb plot. The Justice Department amended its media guidelines in 2015 to make it more onerous for prosecutors to subpoena journalists for their sources, though officials in the past year have said they are reviewing those policies. Lauren Easton, director of media relations for the AP, said Friday, The Associated Press opposes any government overreach that jeopardizes the ability of journalists to freely and safely do their jobs and undermines the vital distinction between the government and the press. ___ Associated Press writers Chad Day, Mary Clare Jalonick and Jill Colvin contributed to this report. The New Mexico Association of Commerce and Industry on Friday announced it had hired a veteran economic development and public policy expert as its new president and CEO. Rob Black, a native of Lovington, will officially take over the position on Aug. 1, according to a news release from the organization. He most recently was director of community relations for Pacific Gas and Electric in California. ACI bills itself as a statewide business advocate and chamber of commerce. Black has a bachelors degree from the University of New Mexico and a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and has held positions at the Golden Gate Restaurant Association and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, according to the news release. Robs expertise will help us navigate our geographically unique opportunities to expand our advocacy efforts to support business throughout New Mexico, ACI Board Chair Danny Jarrett said in a prepared statement. His strong track record in working with diverse stakeholder groups, his background in non-profit management and his understanding of the economic drivers in New Mexico made him the right choice to lead ACI. We look forward to Rob bringing his distinct experiences back home to New Mexico. He succeeds Jason Espinoza, who left the position in March to lead the New Mexico Health Care Association. At a World Health Organization event, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India launched a national media campaign to encourage smoking cessation. Entitled What Damage Will This Cigarette/Bidi Do, the public service announcement (PSA) prompts smokers to think about each cigarette or bidi as the path to one of many potential harmful events: heart attacks, cancer, lung disease, and more. By highlighting tobaccos links to stroke and heart disease, the leading cause of death among tobacco users globally, the campaign amplifies the theme of this years World No Tobacco Day, which is Tobacco Breaks Hearts. Vital Strategies provided technical support for the development and implementation of this campaign. Dr. Nandita Murukutla, Vice President, Global Policy and Research, Vital Strategies, said, We congratulate the Ministry of Health on this powerful campaign. According to the latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey, more than 90 percent of current adult smokers are aware that smoking and exposure to second hand smoke causes serious illness. This campaign graphically shows the specific, proven harms of tobacco smoke, prompting smokers to think about making the healthy choice to quit. Vital Strategies is pleased to partner with the Ministry of Health in delivering this campaign. What Damage Will This Cigarette/Bidi Do shows that smoking causes stroke, lung and mouth cancer, heart disease and emphysema, among other diseases. It encourages smokers to quit tobacco use and ends with the national quit line number (1800-11-2356) and a missed call number (011-22901701) for smokers who want advice on quitting. The campaign will achieve pan-India reach by being broadcast in 17 languages on all major national government and private TV and radio channels. In addition, the campaign will be supported by a comprehensive social media campaign and will run on major digital platforms including Youtube, Facebook, Hotstar and Voot. According to The Tobacco Atlas, more than 9 lakh Indians die due to tobacco-related diseases every year. Research suggests that implementing strong tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use could avert 25 percent of cases of heart attack and stroke in India. Strong tobacco control would also help to reduce the incidence of cancer in India: nearly 45% of all cancers among males, 17% among females and more than 80% of oral cancers are directly attributable to tobacco use.1 What Damage Will This Cigarette/Bidi Do was rigorously pretested with a sample of the target audience who found that it was easy to understand, believable, made respondents stop and think, and made respondents feel more concerned about smoking and diseases related to it. Overall, respondents understood the main message of the PSA and it resonated well with them. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster says he spoke directly with President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry about the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility during a recent White House visit. McMaster was at the White House at the end of May for a private dinner event. He was photographed at the same table as Trump and Perry that night, and McMaster later tweeted out a photo of himself and the president standing together. When asked Thursday if he addressed MOX during his visit, McMaster said, "Yes, I did at that time." "I've spoken to the president about it, I've spoken to Secretary Perry about it, I've spoken to the deputy secretary, (Dan) Brouillette, I've been to Washington, I've conferred with our senators, our congressmen, and we're fighting," McMaster said. Hundreds could initially be laid off from MOX project, official's email says An email sent by Bobby Wilson, president of CB&I Project Services Group, to Robert Raines, the National Nuclear Security Administration's According to the governor, the conversation consisted of Perry discussing "what has happened since then" and Trump and his staff observing. "The president listened and so did his staff," McMaster said, "but it's Rick Perry that's making the announcement." Inquiries made to the U.S. Department of Energy were not immediately returned. MOX, an approximately 70 percent complete facility at the Savannah River Site, is designed to turn weapons-grade plutonium into commercial reactor fuel. The facility has been under construction for more than a decade now. On May 10, Perry executed a waiver to terminate MOX. Perry's waiver certified the DOE had a better plutonium disposition option, dilute-and-dispose, and could remove plutonium from South Carolina in a timely manner. McMaster along with a majority of the state's congressional delegation has repeatedly questioned the merits of dilute-and-dispose, a method that involves mixing plutonium with inert material for storage at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. On Thursday, McMaster said dilute-and-dispose simply "will not be successful." S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson, who was in Aiken on Wednesday, sued to prevent the shuttering of MOX two weeks ago. On Thursday night, a federal judge approved Wilson's request, ultimately enjoining Perry's waiver and negating a partial stop work order issued May 14. During a May 8 interview with the Aiken Standard, McMaster said he wanted to go straight to the top and personally speak with Trump about the in-flux facility. Savannah River Remediation's newly minted contract extension is valued at approximately $450 million, according to a company announcement. The extension, which was first publicized May 31, will keep SRR in charge of the Savannah River Site's liquid waste mission for another 10 months: June 1 through March 31, 2019 at the maximum term. SRR's contract was otherwise set to expire May 31. The contract add-on the second of its kind for SRR accounts for ongoing bidding and procurement currently being handled by the U.S. Department of Energy. DOE reviewing refreshed SRS liquid waste bids The U.S. Department of Energy is currently reviewing revised bids for the Savannah River Site's liquid waste mission. A March 21 post to Federal Business Opportunities, a government contract job board of sorts, stated SRR was the only team that could keep the liquid waste mission going as other options competitors are being assessed. SRR is an AECOM-led venture that includes Bechtel National, BWXT and CH2M. The incumbent crew has led the liquid waste mission processing and removing millions of gallons of radioactive waste at SRS, sealing underground storage tanks and operating massive onsite facilities since 2008. The president of AECOMs Management Services group, John Vollmer, said he was pleased with the overall agreement. "AECOM has a long history of supporting the DOE at the Savannah River Site and extensive experience in liquid waste disposition," Vollmer said in a prepared statement. "We are committed to safely managing the radioactive waste system at the site while reducing the state of South Carolinas critical environmental risk. BAGHDAD A group of Christians from Baghdad who visited the ruins of the Church of Kokheh, located 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of the Iraqi capital, were spontaneously invited by the local Muslim community for lunch after their tour. The historical Church of Kokheh is one of the early points of departure of Christianity in the Middle East, Father Mansour al-Makhlissi, founder and head of the Center for Eastern Studies at the Roman Catholic Church in Baghdad, told the visitors as he took them around the site of the church on May 25. It was the patriarchal residence of the Eastern Church for centuries, he said, adding that 24 patriarchs were buried in the church built by Saint Mari in the first century. Over the past 20 years, Christians could not visit the remnants of the church due to safety concerns, most recently due to the attacks by the Islamic State. With the area now more secure, the Center for Eastern Studies organized the visit to the Church of Kokheh. The current al-Mada'in district was called Ctesiphon or Taysafun in ancient times, and served as the winter capital of the Parthian Empire and later of the Sasanian Empire. The area was discovered and partially excavated by the German Oriental Society in 1929. Makhlissi also took the visitors to Sur Salik, another historical site whose Arabic name means "Walls of Selucia," on the other side of the Tigris River. Sur Salik is now surrounded by the Iraqi armys military checkpoints that aim to control the violence in the area. He pointed out the church in Tal Qasr Bint al-Qadi, another site excavated by the German team in the late 1920s. Deeper underground, the ruins of another smaller church built in the same style are barely visible, he said. This was the highest spiritual seat of the Eastern Church. This is where the Christian expansion to Asia started and reached China and India. Following the tour, Sheikh Saad Thabit al-Jubouri, a prominent local tribal leader in al-Madain, offered the group a lunch of masgouf (traditional Iraqi grilled fish), even though most of the Muslims were fasting for Ramadan. During the meal, the local Muslim community and the visiting Christians talked about the restoration of the Church of Kokheh. They agreed to work on a plan together to reconstruct the site with the support of the government and organizing tours to the church for Christians in and outside Iraq. This cooperation unites Muslims and Christians after having been divided by the atrocities and violence of [IS] over the past few years, Father Maissar, the minister of St. George Chaldean Church, told Al-Monitor. Reviving this church is perhaps a new starting point in the process of uniting Muslims and Christians during the holy month of Ramadan. Maissar organized an iftar on May 27 at St. George Church to encourage unity and coexistence between Muslims and Christians. Jubouri told Al-Monitor that the Muslims in the region support opening up the church to visitors to show that the area is safe once again. It proves that it is possible to rebuild what terrorism destroyed whether on the construction level or in the social relationship between the different Iraqi religions, he added. Jubouri warned against attributing the work of a few terrorists to a whole community or religion. The local residents can't be held accountable for what a minority of terrorists have done. The holy month of Ramadan will be a new point of departure for all Muslims and Christians to achieve common goals such as reviving this historical church, he said. In the 1980s, there were calls to revive the church and make it a place of pilgrimage. Iraqi Christian theologians such as Father Yussef Hubi and Father Albert Abouna have written about the historical importance of the Church of Kokheh in their works on the Eastern Church. But the calls have yet to lead to a solid plan by the Iraqi government to authorize further excavations and restore this important heritage site. The joint calls of Christians and Muslims to revive visits to the church were welcomed by Iraqi archaeological circles. Abdulamir al-Hamdani, an Iraqi archaeologist and head of the Antiquities Directorate in Dhi Qar from 2003 until 2010, told Al-Monitor, This initiative is important and deserves support in the name of reviving and restoring the church and its paraphernalia, especially since its foundations are still there. A civil initiative to create awareness of this church would be a symbol of unity and peaceful coexistence between the different religions and communities within Iraqi society. He added, This work would reinforce a sense of national Mesopotamian identity that would include all. We cannot talk about [restoring Iraq's multicultural community] without preserving our cultural heritage and clearly expressing respect for cultural elements. Hani Kasto, director of the president's office at the Endowment of the Christian, Ezidian [Yazidi] and Sabian Mandaean Religions Divan, said he agreed with Hamdani. According to him, as Christian endowment centers have no direct responsibilities in this area, they would cooperate with the Ministry of Culture to reconstruct the site of the church. The divan and the Ministry of Culture have started cooperating in developing plans for the area that would benefit its residents and the countrys economy as well, he told Al-Monitor, indicating that tourism could revive the area. A group of journalists had gathered at the site of a bomb blast in the center of Kabul, the Afghan capital, on the morning of April 30. Suddenly, a suicide bomber carrying a press card slipped past police and approached the journalists. As the bomb he was carrying went off, seven media workers died on the spot. Two more later died of their injuries, bringing the death toll of the two blasts to 26. The Islamic State's (IS) Afghanistan branch, known as Wilayat Khorasan, claimed responsibility for the attacks and released an image, dated April 29, of the two suicide bombers standing next to each other with their faces covered. One of them was identified by IS as Qaqa al-Kurdi. IS did not reveal where Kurdi came from, but for decades, both Iranian and Iraqi Kurds have been known to travel in large numbers to Afghanistan in pursuit of jihad. They have swelled the ranks of a number of groups over the years, and most recently IS. Mukhtar Hooshmand, an expert on tracking the movement of Kurdish jihadis from Iran and Iraq, told Al-Monitor that he has identified Qaqa al-Kurdi as a 29-year-old man from Iran's western Kermanshah province. The province has gained notoriety in recent years, as hundreds of young Kurds hailing from there and other Kurdish areas have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join IS and the jihadi group previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra (now called Jabhat Fatah al-Sham). Indeed, all of the IS suicide bombers who struck the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran last summer hailed from Kermanshah province. Following the IS attack in Tehran, Iran appears to have woken up to the jihadi threat and has arrested hundreds of Iranian Kurdish extremists. But as the IS project in Iraq and Syria is falling apart, Iranian Kurdish jihadis have changed direction and are now heading eastward instead to join Wilayat Khorasan, sources familiar with Sunni extremism in Iran's Kurdish areas told Al-Monitor. Iran sees western Afghanistan as a vulnerable spot that could be exploited by IS and hostile countries. As such, the Islamic Republic appears to have tried to fortify its defenses by allegedly propping up the Taliban to fight IS as well as NATO and Afghan forces stationed there. With over 500 miles of land border with Afghanistan, and the existence of a number of local Iranian Sunni armed groups in border areas, Tehran appears to be worried about its side of the frontier, including Sistan and Baluchestan, which is one of the poorest provinces in Iran. In May, Iran's ambassador to Kabul, Mohammad Reza Bahrami, described the existence of IS in Afghanistan as a mutual concern for Tehran and Kabul. As President Donald Trump's anti-Iran rhetoric intensifies, there are now fears that the United States and other governments hostile toward the Islamic Republic may use Iraqi Kurdistan and neighboring countries particularly Afghanistan to destabilize Iran. In response, Iran appears to have brought the Iraqi Kurds under its umbrella, warning them in recent talks in Tehran to avoid being used by hostile forces. Meanwhile, Tasnim News Agency, an outlet closely affiliated with Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, highlighted in a recent report the threats that Iran faces in Afghanistan's Farah province. Tasnim's list includes the presence of a large NATO base in the province, IS and the increasing activities of Persian Gulf kingdoms such as Saudi Arabia. "Farah, as a province bordering Iran, is of special importance for Washington," Tasnim reported on May 19. "If Trump, who since the beginning of his presidency has always beaten the drums of war with Iran and [promoted] fearmongering of Iran, genuinely wants to do something against the Islamic Republic, the [NATO] military base in this province and the airport of Farah province would be a strategic location." But while the existence of NATO and US forces in Afghanistan poses a challenge to Iran, the internal threat from disenfranchised Iranian Sunnis including Kurds who join extremist groups poses a far more serious challenge to Iranian authorities. Since the US attacks on al-Qaeda hideouts in Afghanistan and the US destruction of Saddam Husseins command centers in northern Iraq in the early 2000s, Salafist jihadi ideology appears to have grown among Sunnis in Iran and particularly among the Kurds. Indeed, a large number of Salafist jihadis from Iraq crossed into Iran after the US attack on Kurdish jihadis in northern Iraq, where they were allowed to stay and gradually spread their extremist ideology. As such, thousands of Kurds in Iran have embraced Salafist jihadi outlook since the beginning of this millennium, with hundreds of young men joining various terrorist groups in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. Some of these recruits have eventually returned to Iran, which they had left in the mid-2000s to fight alongside al-Qaeda-linked groups in Iraq, such as that of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Some Kurdish jihadis inside Iran even set up a group named after Zarqawi's Tawhid wal-Jihad and engaged in violent clashes within the country. "There were three waves of Kurds going to Afghanistan," Hooshmand told Al-Monitor. "The first wave, which were mainly Iraqi Kurds, was in the 1980s to fight alongside the mujahedeen against the Soviets. Another [wave], including both Iraqi and Iranian Kurds, occurred after 2002, to fight NATO forces." The third wave, according to Hooshmand, started with the emergence of Wilayat Khorasan in early 2015. "The number of Kurds going there is steadily growing," he said. Two other sources familiar with the jihadi groups in western Iran confirmed this trend. "It is a well-known fact that before the emergence of Daesh [IS] and [Jabhat al-] Nusra, the extremist Kurds were going to Afghanistan," one of the sources told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. "Then they went to Iraq and Syria, but now they are going to Afghanistan again." The second source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity over concerns for his safety, concurred. "They travel to Zahedan [in Iran] and then use Saravan area [near Pakistan] to cross. They either cross into Pakistan or directly go to Afghanistan." Iran has long sought to shift battlefields away from its borders by using proxy forces to do its bidding. As such, its recent alleged support for the Taliban is yet another example of this tendency. While Iran arguably has managed to contain the jihadi threat within its borders so far, the growing number of young Kurds who go to Afghanistan to join IS presents a new challenge. In this vein, it may only be a matter of time before Iran will have to fight a renewed jihadi threat to its east, too. Just hours after Iraq's parliament called June 6 for a partial recount of votes from the May election where the bloc of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr won a plurality a massive explosion rocked the section of Baghdad that bears his family's name, Sadr City. At least 18 people were reported killed and dozens were wounded. Some initial reports said the explosion was the result of a truck bomb, but Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi later said a weapons cache stored in a mosque by "unauthorized parties" had detonated. The cause is still being investigated. The Iraqi parliament, in the presence of 172 out of 329 members, had passed an amendment to the country's election law that allows for a manual recount across the country and authorizes a committee to investigate possible election fraud. Parliament also suspended the work of the electoral commission leaders. A panel of nine judges will supervise the commission's work until the parliamentary election results are ratified. The Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council on June 7 approved implementation of the amendment. The council will hold a meeting June 10 to name the judges who will be assigned to carry out the recount and assess the alleged fraud. Supreme Judicial Council spokesman Abdul-Sattar Bayrakdar stressed that the judiciary will perform its mission honestly and impartially. The election commission said it will appeal parliament's amendment to the election law, on the grounds it is unconstitutional. But Abadi on June 5 had already banned travel by election commission officers holding ranks of adjutant general and above unless approved by the Cabinet. He criticized what he said were grave breaches in the election. At a press conference, Abadi said arrest warrants might be issued for several people from the commission whom he accused of manipulating election results. He did not mention any specific names. There have been media reports that electoral commission chairman Maan al-Hitawi tried to leave the country, but he denied those claims, denouncing them as rumors meant to harm the commission's image. The judges have their task cut out for them. At least 5% of the votes cast in all polling stations must be recounted in the presence of the political parties representatives. Officials will nullify votes from abroad and the ballots of the displaced. They will also cancel votes from Iraqi Kurdistan, where opposition parties (primarily the Movement for Change, and the Alliance for Democracy and Justice) claim the two main parties the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) carried out large-scale fraud in a special vote for the security and military staff. Minorities in Iraqi Kurdistan also claim there was widespread election fraud against them. Parliamentarian Haji Kendour al-Sheikh, who represents Yazidis, accused the KDP of stealing Yazidi votes and objected to the cancellation of 84,000 Yazidi votes in 192 polling stations. The recent parliamentary elections have seen fraud and clear thefts of the votes of Yazidis, especially in the refugee camps, Sheikh said. Not surprisingly, the blocs that did the best in the election aren't comfortable with the recount decision, which could reduce the number of the seats they won. Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Fatah Alliance, which won the second-largest number of parliament seats, stressed that the judiciary is the only competent authority to settle the problem of the elections. This means implicitly it is not the prerogative of the Cabinet or parliament to make such decisions. The coalition of Kurdish blocs, which included the two main parties in the region, also expressed regret over parliaments decision, considering it an attempt by the losing parties to turn the tables on their rivals. In a nutshell, Iraqi political parties are divided into two main camps. The blocs that did the best, including Sadr's Sairoun bloc, Fatah and the Kurdistan Alliance, support the election results and object to any scrutiny of the votes. In contrast, Nour al-Malikis State of Law coalition, the National Alliance of Iyad Alawi and other Sunni blocs favor the recount in hopes of gaining more seats in parliament. It is unclear how the recount will affect the distribution of parliament seats. Ali al-Fariji, a leader of the State of Law coalition, said, According to our available data, about 12 to 21 candidates could vacate their [pending] parliamentary seats. But it could be that there will be no significant change. It is hard to say that the situation was unexpected. The number of clashes in the West Bank increased in the beginning of June, as young Palestinians faced off against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) amid spontaneous outpourings of rage over events along the border with Gaza. In Nabi Saleh in southern Mount Hebron, 21-year-old Izz ad-Din Tamimi was killed by IDF fire on June 6. According to the IDF, Tamimi was shot dead after throwing rocks at an IDF force operating in the region. In the Jalazoon refugee camp near Ramallah, violent clashes with the IDF take place on an almost daily basis with the throwing of stones and Molotov cocktails. The same is happening in other refugee camps across the West Bank near Bethlehem, Nablus and Jenin. The possibility of West Bank Palestinians clashing with the IDF in sympathy with the border fence protests has been discussed by the security forces ever since the Gaza protests began. Fear of a violent outburst in the West Bank increased as the number of Palestinians killed and wounded in the Gaza Strip increased, as the photos of the victims flooded Arab broadcasting and social media networks. Unlike Gaza, which is hermetically sealed from every direction, the topographical situation in the West Bank is much more complex despite the incomplete separation wall. Friction between West Bank Palestinians, the settler population and the IDF is high, and any violence between them could be lethal. It could ignite the entire West Bank. The West Bank and Gaza Strip are two distinct entities, separated by some distance. Ever since the Hamas takeover of Gaza over a decade ago, the two Palestinian territories have diverged mentally as well. The alienation between Gaza and the West Bank has grown over the years, and each territory can be said to have its own distinct national character. Indeed, many Fatah supporters in the West Bank consider Hamas responsible for Gazas slow death and identify with the suffering of Gazas residents throughout all the years of the closure. When Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas imposed sanctions on Hamas that were harmful to the people of Gaza, protests against him in the West Bank were widespread and scathing. Nevertheless, the young people of the West Bank have been focused for years on their own miserable economic situation and the state of the Palestinian Authority (PA). All they know about Gaza's suffering and travails is what they have seen on television or heard from friends and family who live there. Over the years, the rage and protests of young people in the West Bank over what is happening in Gaza has translated into local clashes during Israeli military operations in Gaza. It is as though they must be reminded that they are part of the same people and must, therefore, protest for and even avenge their fellow Palestinians. During the IDFs three operations in Gaza Cast Lead (2008-2009), Pillar of Defense (2012) and Protective Edge (2014) Palestinian security forces forcibly quashed all protests out of fear that they would devolve into chaos that would have a negative impact on the PA. They were concerned that a mass protest would lead to clashes with the IDF in the West Bank that could spin out of control, putting the existence of the PA at risk. Abbas' situation today is different from what it was in the past. For someone who is constantly being humiliated by the United States and Israel to order his security forces to fight against the outbursts of rage in the refugee camps could be seen as collaborating with the enemy. Abbas was once capable of dealing with the attacks against him and showed a statesmanlike political courage and wisdom in facing the wave of individual terrorism that broke out in October 2015. This time, however, it doesnt look like he is willing or able to do so. Abbas has not ordered that these incidents be stopped even though he considers Hamas (who threw Abbas people out of the Strip in 2007) to be the group most responsible for the current situation in Gaza. The security cooperation with Israel that Abbas once described as sacred continues, but in keeping with his orders, the highest ranking members of his security forces are prevented from cooperating openly with the IDF and Shin Bet. All coordination with the Israelis is very low key. The problem is not just that Abbas is furious about Israels policy toward him. It is also that the IDF refuses to respect the restrictions placed on its activities in Area A by the Oslo Accord. According to Palestinian sources, IDF special forces makes arrests in territories under the security control of the Palestinians on an almost daily basis. Morale among the upper ranks of the Palestinian security forces is at a low reminiscent of the second intifada. They simply do not want to do all the work for what they call the ungrateful Israelis. There is another parameter that should be added to all this. The leaders of Hamas want to expand the popular border fence protests to the West Bank, and they are working openly toward that end without any fear of consequences. They were active in West Bank mosques during the entire month of Ramadan without anyone intervening. The West Banks Preventive Security forces used to arrest Hamas activists for activities it deemed to run counter to Palestinian interests. Now it is ignoring what is happening in the mosques, as well as Hamas' calls to young Palestinians to stand alongside their heroic brothers in Gaza and act. The message is clear: Identifying with the plight of Gaza cannot be relegated to the heart. It must also be expressed in actions. Based on the shifting mood in the territories over the last week, young Palestinians got the message and are responding accordingly. As far as the Israeli security forces is concerned, as long as the Palestinian protests don't spread all across the West Bank and remain limited to demonstrations and local clashes, the IDF can contain them even without the Palestinian security forces. On the other hand, the longer the border fence protests in Gaza continue and the casualties mount, Hamas will continue to recruit young people in the West Bank unhindered and local protests in the refugee camps will expand and become more vociferous. While Israel fails to treat Abbas like a partner, it will have to deal with two raging fronts that will not calm down on their own. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz recently spearheaded efforts in Congress to advance US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Unlike the decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem which was significant for Israel even if it came at a price this is just a meaningless gesture that will be of no significance when Israel holds peace talks with the Syrians. On the other hand, the potential damage posed by such a move would be immediate. There would be boycotts, condemnation in the Arab world and a very discernible attempt by the West to prove that it rejects the US initiative. It would make more sense for Benjamin Netanyahu's government to attempt to achieve a more dramatic decision from the current administration, which is already very supportive of the Israeli right. This could be a defense treaty with Israel, for instance, instead of the misguided support that the United States is giving Israel now. The Golan Heights returned to the headlines after the Syrian front heated up again, with Iranian forces firing rockets at Israel at the beginning of May. This is attributed to the presence of the Syrian army, Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and various Iranian militias, along with the very temporary apparently presence of the US military and the ongoing involvement of Hezbollah in fighting in the region. Actually, the Golan Heights has been on the decision-makers table ever since Israel first seized the territory from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. As an Israeli who fought in the war over the Golan Heights, I feel an attachment to it, but nevertheless am ready to withdraw in order to enable full normalization of ties with the Arab world, based on the 2002 Arab Peace initiative. The ministers who met on June 19, 1967, just one week after the Six-Day War, determined that Israel would attempt to reach an agreement with Syria on the basis of their pre-war boundary and Israels security needs. The decision of the Arab League, made in Khartoum, Sudan, on Sept. 1 of that year, and which became known as the Three Nos No recognition of Israel; No negotiations with Israel; and No peace treaties with Israel caused the Eshkol government to step back from its original intent. Nevertheless, when Israel negotiated with Egypt in 1978-79 and with Syria in the 1990s and early 2000s, Israel was prepared to reach a peace agreement with both nations based on the exact same principles. Then, in 1975, with talks over the disengagement of forces with Egypt in the background, US President Gerald Ford sent a secret letter to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, saying that when the United States decides on its position regarding the border between Israel and Syria, it will give serious weight to the Israeli position that any peace agreement with Syria must be based on Israel remaining in the Golan Heights. Although this letter was later made public, it is quite obvious that it did not have the same importance as another commitment by Ford, that there would be no negotiations with the PLO as long as it refused to recognize Israel. Anything can be put down on paper, including this bizarre commitment to take the Israeli position at the time into serious consideration. In December 1981, then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin attempted to take advantage of the window of opportunity between the signing of a peace agreement with Egypt in March of that year and the completion of its gradual implementation in stages, by passing a law imposing Israeli law over the Golan Heights. The law made it through the Knesset in record speed, but no nation recognized it. At the same time, Israel would not deny that the Golan Heights were previously under full Syrian sovereignty. Its official representatives said as much in a Knesset debate over the proposed legislation no less claiming that this legislation would not inhibit Israel from negotiating with Syria over the fate of the Golan Heights at some point in the future. The Madrid Conference of October 1991 led to direct talks between the Syrians and the Israelis, but there was no real progress until Rabin, elected prime minister in June 1992, decided to give them new life. The Clinton administration made it clear to Rabin that it was aware of the difficulties to make historic compromises on both the Syrian and the Palestinian fronts. It also made clear that in view of these difficulties, and because of the geo-strategic implications of peace with Syria, the preferable channel for the Clinton administration is the Syrian one. It looked like the Syrian channel was, in fact, progressing rapidly. At some point, Rabin made a promise to US Secretary of State Warren Christopher, who relayed this to Syrias President Hafez Assad, that if Syria meets Israels security requirements, Israel would leave the Golan Heights. This promise was not made in any official government forum. Shimon Peres, who took over as prime minister after Rabins assassination in 1995, first heard about it from US President Bill Clinton, when he arrived in Israel to attend Rabins funeral. Peres promised to adopt Rabins commitment, but while talks with the Syrians were relaunched, they did not lead to any agreements. Netanyahu also preferred the northern channel (Syria, instead of the Palestinians) and tried to reach an arrangement with the Syrians through his friend, American businessman Ronald Lauder. After several meetings with Assad in 1998, he presented him with an agreement in principle to withdraw from the Golan Heights, but this move was thwarted when Netanyahu told then-Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon about it. One year later, the new prime minister, Ehud Barak, attempted to reach an agreement with the Assad regime on the basis of Rabins promise. This time, it happened during direct talks between Clinton, Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa, which took place in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in January 1999. While the talks led to no results, further rounds were considered. However, these did not take place before Assads death in 2000. An attempt by former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to reach an agreement with his son Bashar al-Assad through Turkey also led nowhere. No piece of American legislation will stand in the way if some Israeli prime minister from the right or the left ever wants to reach a peace agreement with Syria and fulfill the 2002 Arab Leagues initiative, which promised normalization with the entire Arab world on condition that Israel makes peace with the Palestinians and the Syrians. And if such negotiations do not happen, no piece of American legislation will legitimize Israels control over the Golan Heights among not only the Arab nations but the rest of the world too. It is just a meaningless gesture, which could result in unnecessary damage. It would, therefore, be better to recommend that the initiative is nipped in the bud. The weeklong protests in Jordan against an income tax bill have captured the attention of many around the world because of its organizers discipline and civilized approach to the Jordanian police. Palestinians of all walks of life expressed their support and admiration of the success of Jordanian youths who stopped a fuel price hike, brought down a prime minister and influenced the king to appoint a new prime minister who is favorable to their demands. But amid the support and admiration expressed over social media and in private talks, there has also been concern over the effects of the protests on the Jordanian state. Kayed Miari, the founder of the Nablus-based Witness Center for Citizen's Rights and Social Development, told Al-Monitor that while the young Jordanians made important gains in such a short time, not everyone is celebrating. While many are overwhelmed with what they have seen by following the protests on television, many are also genuinely worried about how these protests will end and how they will affect the stability of Jordan. Nahed Abo Tueima, a lecturer in gender studies at Birzeit University, told A-Monitor that the bigger worry is a revisit of the Arab Spring. What no one wants is another disastrous Arab Spring in our neighboring Jordan. We are worried about the safety and security of Jordan and we dont want them to experience what Syria, Libya and Egypt have experienced. Sliman Mansour, a Palestinian artist famous for his iconic painting of a porter carrying Jerusalem on his head, told Al-Monitor that no one in Palestine wants to see any harm to Jordan. Things are bad in Palestine, especially in Gaza, and people dont want to see our neighbors in Jordan having to go through economic problems. A major concern for Palestinians following the protests in Jordan has been the relationship between the protests and the ultimate deal Washington is planning to declare as an answer to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Naser Laham, the editor-in-chief of the independent news agency Maan, wrote June 7 that the United States, Israel and some Gulf states contributed to the crisis in Jordan. They know how powerful Jordan is for Palestinians and they helped create this crisis to influence Palestinian decision-making, especially in terms of Jerusalem. Laham pointed out, You cant talk about this crisis without recognizing the importance of Jordans steadfast position in rejecting the anticipated US plan and its rejection of the US Embassy move to Jerusalem. King Abdullah II and the Jordanian government have consistently and publicly opposed the US move. Concern over the protests in Jordan has led to calls for greater coordination and mutual support between the Palestinian leadership and Jordan. Palestinian lawyer Ali Abu Hableh commented in an op-ed on the popular Gaza-based Donia al-Watan news site June 4 that the events in Jordan require the highest level of meetings and coordination between Jordan and Palestine. In order to challenge the existing coalitions and to defeat the 'ultimate deal,' it is important to help support Jordan, which is the eastern gateway to Arab security and the entry point for Palestinian liberation. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas initiated a phone call to Abdullah June 5 expressing support to Jordan. The two exchanged information about the latest developments regarding the Palestinian situation within the context of high coordination between the two leaders, according to the royal website. The Fatah movement also chimed in June 6, expressing support for Jordans king and people who have always been supportive of the Palestinian people and have led the defense of Jerusalems holy sites with valor. Osama Qawasmi, a Fatah spokesman and a member of its Revolutionary Council, stated, Palestine and Jordan are Siamese twins that cant be separated and therefore whatever happens in Jordan is felt in Palestine. Qawasmi said that Jordans security and stability is of the highest national interest for Palestinians. Jordan is the main connection between the West Bank and the rest of the world. It is also home to over 2 million Palestinian refugees, who play a major role in Jordans business and public life. Palestinians in the West Bank, which was part of Jordan until 1988, have strong ties to the Hashemite Kingdom and take comfort in its strong and stable government. Their friend and neighbor's potential loss of this stability worries Palestinians. That the Amman-based demonstrators are of a socio-economic background similar to that of many Palestinians is a source of even stronger affinity. They are rooting for the success of both the Jordanian protesters and their government. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Israel will compensate farmers and townspeople bordering the Gaza Strip that sustained damage as a result of flaming kites sent over the Gaza border, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the head of Israel's National Security Council to withhold the money from funds intended for the Palestinian government. The June 3 announcement on Twitter sparked anger among Palestinians. The Palestinian government described the move June 5 as piracy and burglary of Palestinian public funds. That statement affirmed that the Palestinian leadership will ask international institutions to not only respond to Israels piracy of the funds of the Palestinian people but to claim compensation for all they have suffered as a result of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories. In the course of the March of Return that kicked off March 30, some protesters have found a novel way to respond to the Israeli army's repression of the protests at the border, during which 123 Palestinians have been killed and 13,672 injured. Protesters are flying kites rigged with incendiary devices that fall on nearby agricultural fields and settlements, causing major fires. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman noted June 4 that 600 such kites have appeared since the start of the protests on March 30. The Israeli army intercepted some 400 while the remaining 200 kites fell on Israeli territory, burning 9,000 dunums of agricultural land. On the same day, the Israeli Finance Ministry announced it will compensate farmers for up to half of the losses they sustained from balloon and kite attacks. PLO Executive Committee member Wasel Abu Yousef described the Israeli decision as extortion by the Israeli government of the Palestinian people and institutions. He told Al-Monitor, Israels government is violating the agreements signed between the two sides regarding the Palestinian taxes and clearance of funds. Netanyahu's decision to withhold Palestinian tax revenues threatens to deepen the Palestinian government's fiscal deficit even further. Abu-Yousef explained that the Palestinians are not bound by the Paris Protocol as long as Israel keeps violating it, saying, The suspension of this protocol and other agreements will be discussed at the meeting of the PLO Executive Committee expected to be held before the end of this month. On May 7, the Knesset approved the first reading of a bill submitted by Liberman allowing the Israeli Finance Ministry to withhold $300 million on an annual basis from the Palestinian tax revenues. This deduction is equal to the money paid by the PA to compensate families of those captured, injured or killed in resistance activities. One kite maker told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that he and a group of other young men manufacture between three and five kites a day, some of which cross the Israeli borders; others fall in the Palestinian territories. He called the kites a "tool of peaceful resistance" used to confront the Israeli army and its live bullets. He added that not all of the kites are fitted with incendiary devices. On May 4, the Israeli press reported that the army was mulling measures to combat the kites such as deploying drones to intercept them before they cross into Israel. The first days of June saw a significant increase in fires started by kites and helium-filled balloons carrying firebombs. Muin Rajab, a professor of economics at al-Azhar University in Gaza, called on the PA not to remain silent. Palestinians have several options to deal with those decisions, he told Al-Monitor. These options include threatening to end security coordination, the most important link between the PA and Israel. Israel reaps great benefits from this coordination, specifically in the West Bank. Akram Atallah, a political analyst and writer for the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam, told Al-Monitor that Israel has very carefully drafted bilateral agreements with the PA making it very difficult for Palestinians to disengage from these agreements, particularly in economic aspects. Palestinians have no alternatives to the Israeli port of Ashdod for importing goods and merchandise, he said. Atallah argued that the only solution is to dissolve the PA to break free from the agreements with Israel. The PAs failure to dissolve itself forces it to comply with Israeli decisions against Palestinians, despite its rejection of these Israeli decisions. Meanwhile, Gazans keep flying burning kites into the nearby Israeli settlements, disregarding the June 5 call by Israels Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan for the Israeli army to treat the kite-flyers as terrorists and shoot them. ALEPPO, Syria Thousands of Syrians living in Turkey have been entering the countryside of Aleppo since May 18 for Eid al-Fitr, a holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. They are traveling through the Bab al-Salamah crossing north of the city of Azaz, as well as through the Jarablus crossing, north of that city on the Syrian-Turkish border. Over the past few days, the number of people wishing to cross into Syria after the academic year in Turkey ended has significantly increased, reaching 2,500-3,000 people daily. Hassan Alito, a media official at the Bab al-Salamah crossing, told Al-Monitor that 24,000 people had entered the area coming from Turkey and the number is expected to reach 50,000 in the coming days. The Bab al-Salamah crossing opened May 18, will remain open until June 13 and will be reopened for Syrians to return to Turkey from June 26 to July 6. According to Alito, entering Syria is now very easy since the immigration department in Kilis in southern Turkey launched a website May 15 allowing Syrians who wish to spend Eid al-Fitr in Syria to register, and the website notifies them of the date on which they can pass through the crossing. The booking method at the Jarablus crossing is similar. The Gaziantep immigration department also launched a website May 22 allowing Syrians residing in Turkey to book the date on which they can pass through. Muhammad Abu Sharfou, general supervisor of the Jarablus crossing, told Al-Monitor, Syrians started entering through the crossing on May 23 and will continue to do so until June 13. They can return to Turkey between June 26 and Sept. 14. Entry is permitted only to holders of the Temporary Protection Card [Kemalak] granted by the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey. He added, Turkey will not allow those with [just] a tourist or a work permit, or those naturalized, to pass through either the crossings at Jarablus or Bab al-Salamah. He estimated that about 8,000 Syrians in Turkey have crossed at Jarablus, and their number is expected to reach 20,000. Measures have been taken at the Bab al-Salamah crossing to organize the process. Buses that seat 50 passengers each take people from the Turkish side to the Syrian side, where their names are registered and their documents stamped. The buses, owned by the Bab al-Salamah crossing and operated by its employees, then transport the travelers to stops near Azaz, where they can find vehicles to reach their destinations. Ghayath al-Najjar, who works as a tailor in Turkey, had just arrived at the immigration department at the Bab al-Salamah crossing, accompanied by his wife and three children. He told Al-Monitor, We waited for over two hours at the Turkish side of the crossing until we were able to get through, but one could say the process is going smoothly and we haven't faced any problems. We hope to have a great Eid vacation after being away for three years. Qasim al-Qasim, the crossing's director, expects a large increase in the number of Syrians wishing to spend the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Syria. He told Al-Monitor that perhaps the improved security situation in the Euphrates Shield area now controlled by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) will encourage families to come back and stay. Crossing authorities are interested to see how many families actually return to Turkey after Eid. Qasim explained that the Bab al-Salamah crossing administration put all its cadres on standby to help Syrians pass through and provided 20 buses to transport them to stops. The crossing administration, in coordination with the Turkish side, will do its best to avoid congestion when Syrians return to Turkey after Eid, he noted. Hassam Hafez and his family of five were passing through the crossing when he told Al-Monitor, This will be a permanent vacation. I am never going back to Turkey. I am from Marea in Aleppos northern countryside, and it is a safe, FSA-controlled area now. The past couple of years were hard for me and my family; we suffered with the high cost of living in Turkey, and there were not many job opportunities. There are three crossings with Turkey in northern Syria open to Syrians wishing to spend Eid al-Fitr in Syria. In addition to Jarablus and Bab al-Salamah in the northern countryside of Aleppo, the Bab al-Hawa crossing in Idlib governorate has already welcomed thousands of Syrians crossing from Turkey for the holiday, and their numbers are expected to reach 25,000. The more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, who constitute a major realm of social problems for the country, have become a topic of election campaigns ahead of the June 24 presidential and parliamentary polls. Opposition leaders call for the Syrians to go home as soon as the conditions in Syria allow, while the government maintains its welcoming attitude and even advocates Turkish citizenship for the refugees. In a TV interview last month, Muharrem Ince, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP), slammed a government decision to allow more than 70,000 Syrians to go home for the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr and then return to Turkey, arguing that holiday trips to Syria meant the refugees could go home for good. If you are able to go there, stay 10 days and return, then you could stay there permanently. Why are you coming back? Is this [country] a soup kitchen? My country is full of jobless people, he said. Though Ince maintained that he favored a festive send-off for the refugees after a political settlement in Syria, his harsh remarks earned him criticism from various quarters but also applause from ordinary Turks on social media. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, meanwhile, said, Our fate preaches help for people in need. Some cannot tolerate even people who run from death. In February 2016, the government made it possible for refugees to work legally, with some conditions attached. More recently, it has given the green light for naturalization as well. In early May, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan argued that naturalizing the Syrians would help them provide for themselves and relieve Ankaras burden. Recounting a visit to the historic Spice Bazaar in Istanbul, he said, I saw Syrians working in almost every shop. They were not yet citizens, but almost all of them spoke intelligible Turkish. Without citizenship, they work illegally. There are doctors, engineers, lawyers and nurses among them. Should they become citizens, they will earn their bread, working with social security. They will become self-providers. In border provinces such as Gaziantep and Sanliurfa, which are home to large refugee communities, the authorities are already accepting citizenship applications. Metin Corabatir, the head of the Research Center on Asylum and Migration, told Al-Monitor that about 30,000 Syrians had applied for citizenship and more than 10,000 of them had been naturalized so far. No official figures are available, as the government remains tight-lipped on an issue that is prone to political polemic and popular backlash. The Interior Ministry offers various statistics on the refugees on its website, but no figures on naturalized Syrians. How many Syrians have become eligible to vote in the June 24 elections is also unclear. The only official statement so far has come from former Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak, who said in February 2017 that 80,000 Syrians would receive citizenship after the constitutional referendum in April that year. Erdogans latest remarks suggest that the figure will increase. CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu has also voiced harsh objections to naturalization. Referring to Turkeys military campaign in northern Syria, he grumbled in a May interview that young Turks were falling martyrs for Syria in al-Bab, while Syrian youths pace the streets with jaunty swagger in Turkey. Is this something that reason can accept? I am not an adversary of Syrians, but I am against the naturalization of Syrians while 6.5 million people are jobless in this country, he said. The civil war in Syria should come to an end as soon as possible, and our Syrian brothers should return home. Meral Aksener, the chairwoman and presidential candidate of the Good Party, also wants the Syrians to go. The homeland is the place where people are happy. We will certainly send our Syrian brothers home after fixing our ties with Syria, she told a May 31 rally in northwestern Turkey. In sum, the opposition argues for progress toward peace in Syria to encourage the refugees to return, while the government is trying to make them self-sustaining through work permits and citizenship. CHP lawmaker Omer Fethi Gurer, who made an unsuccessful attempt for a parliamentary inquiry into the refugee issue earlier this year, told Al-Monitor he sought the inquiry because the real number of the Syrians, the number of those who have obtained citizenship, the amount of money that was spent on the refugees and how that money was spent remain unclear. Gurer stressed the CHP was not advocating an immediate return for the refugees amid the ongoing conflict. First, peace should be secured under the leadership of the international community, and then the infrastructure for return should be prepared, he said. By infrastructure, he said, he meant the rebuilding of homes and incentives for the revival of agriculture. In that case, they themselves will want to go home because they are not happy here. They are living in very tough conditions, working as seasonal labor or begging in the streets, he added. For Corabatir, the conditions for a safe return remain a distant prospect. Still, he believes that a great majority of the refugees will return if an international settlement is reached in Syria and if they can rebuild their homes and cultivate their fields. According to Corabatir, the refugees holiday visits to Syria speak of their intention to return. Those who go to Syria for the holidays do so to check on their homes and find out about the latest situation. The fact that they make those checks indicates that they will go back when the country returns to normal, he said. Corabatir argued, however, that many citizens are likely to stay in Turkey, stressing that the longer the conflict in Syria drags on, the more the refugees integration in Turkey will advance, eroding their desire to return home. In the past seven years, many Syrian children were born and grew up in Turkey, while others enrolled in universities or set up businesses, Corabatir said, adding that such bonds were weakening the refugees bonds with their own country. He recalled also a new property law in Syria, which has raised the specter of the state confiscating the properties of displaced people and leaving many without a home in which to return. Ordinary Turks are also active in the debate on whether the Syrians should go or stay, as social media suggests. The topic even appeared on an online forum for young women discussing mostly beauty tips and relationships. They should go; compassion has limits, one member wrote, while on another forum a participant suggested, If a referendum were to be held today, 95% would vote that they should go. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been active in politics since the early 1990s, when he first campaigned for election as Istanbuls mayor. Friends and foes alike agree he is a skilled orator. Erdogan thrives on public speaking and rallies. For 25 years, cheering crowds have mirrored his passion and dedication. Yet the 2018 election campaign is different. The AKP is confident of its base, but signs are emerging that the spell might be broken. Erdogan and other senior AKP members have been finding it difficult to connect with the average voter. To add insult to injury, the opposition more united than ever before is having a field day both over social media and in public rallies, ridiculing angry government officials. In a way, this election has become a battle between bitterness and laughter as opposition members creatively satirize Erdogan and the rest of the AKP's comments. The latest interviews indicate Erdogan is eager to reach the end of this distressing election process. Here are a few recent examples: The Turkish Constitution lists a college degree as a prerequisite for the presidency, so Erdogans lack of one has been a major concern. Muharrem Ince, the candidate of the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP), launched his political campaign by distributing copies of his degree along with comments by his classmates and professors. He then demanded to see Erdogans diploma. To counter these claims, a pro-government journalist went on television and claimed that followers of the exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen stole and destroyed Erdogans diploma. Sharp-tongued Ince brought up the issue again at his rally in Sanliurfa June 6, joking, Well, Gulen members replied to that: We were going to destroy it all right, but we could not find it. Another unusual issue on the campaign trail is the shrinking audiences for Erdogan and his party. The first sign was at a joint rally for the AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party, which formed an alliance to endorse Erdogan for president. The May 18 rally in the Yenikapi district of Istanbul was held to oppose the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem. The event was widely publicized and free transportation was made available from all around Istanbul and neighboring cities. Despite those efforts, the field was not full. Since then, footage of several other scantily attended rallies has been shared over social media amid reports that government employees have been compelled to attend AKP rallies. Although this information cannot be independently verified, there are recordings of scores of people leaving the rallies as the speeches continue and pictures of rather bare fields even in staunchly pro-AKP cities. Erdogan has refused to participate in a presidential debate, so each candidate appears on TV alone. A few independent media outlets reported on May 31 that Inces ratings have surpassed Erdogan's, but the next day pro-government dailies denied this claim. On June 6, independent newspapers claimed support for Ince has passed Erdogan's on social media for the first time. Erdogan has also suffered some serious publicity mishaps. At a Diyarbakir rally, he paused for an awkwardly long time. The opposition was convinced he stopped because of technical issues with his teleprompter and until it was solved, Erdogan was left tongue-tied. The jailed leader of the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party, Selahattin Demirtas, referred to Erdogan as prompter veteran while Ince renewed his challenge to come with your teleprompter to debate with me live on TV, joking that the teleprompter is his most important rival. Erdogan and his team tried to repair the damage by claiming the pause was intentional. But an image of Erdogan as absentminded, defensive and lacking control is emerging amid the jokes. For instance, on June 8 Erdogan claimed he had had to study in a classroom of 75 students during elementary school because Inces party was in power at the time. But the CHP government had ended long before Erdogans birth in 1954, making Erdogans claim impossible. There have been several such statements throughout the campaign, with Erdogan claiming to have established colleges or built airports that were completed long before Erdogans time. Al-Monitor consulted scholars from communications and medical fields about why the AKP and Erdogan are struggling despite their experience and lavish resources. Their answers ranged from the difficulty of getting people to rallies during the month of Ramadan and that Erdogan has lost his best campaign managers and speechwriters in the last two years. Yet the most emphasized reason was that Erdogan is exhausted and no longer has a narrative to excite the crowds. Unsal Unlu, a seasoned journalist whose daily reporting rivals that of most mainstream television networks, agrees that for the first time, the rallies are not going well for the AKP. Looking at the challenges Erdogan is facing in public, Kemal Can, a scholar and columnist for Cumhuriyet, wrote that either Erdogan has serious teleprompter problems or he has lost touch with reality. Another important factor is the lack of youth participation. Bekir Agirdir, director of the KONDA polling agency, reported that out of 57 million voters in Turkey, about 19 million are younger than 32. In that group, half of them are politically unaffiliated. They represent about 10 million young people who may have lost interest in politics. Erdogans campaign ads also reveal that there is not much to brag about on the AKPs list of achievements. The ads focus on either Ottoman-era glory or nostalgia for the late 1980s and 1990s. Still, Erdogan has not given up and is trying to connect with the population with some basic facts. At a June 5 rally in Sakarya, Erdogan dismissed claims about economic difficulties, arguing that the refrigerator sales paint a prettier economic picture. Ince and hundreds of others on social media refuted this claim, saying the fridges are empty and ridiculing the suggestion that ownership of the gadget is a measure of development in this day and age. Erdogan then announced that he had big news to share. On June 7 at Hatay province, he revealed one of his big surprises: free popular coffee shops that will be open 24 hours. He said young people will be able to go there and read books while sipping tea and coffee and eating cake. In a country with high youth unemployment, Erdogan promised to keep the young fed with cake and tea instead of creating job opportunities. Ince demanded in response that factories, not free coffee houses, should be a priority. Ince, who holds a degree in physics, has been announcing high-tech projects that he claims will be cost-efficient and mocks Erdogans groundbreaking plans. On June 8, Erdogan was quoted as saying, God willing, customers of city hospitals will increase, and suggesting prior to the AKP government that dogs were pulling ambulances. None of this rhetoric sat well with sober audiences, and another round of social media ridicule started about how primitive Turkey was before Erdogan. For the first time ever, Erdogan and his party are stumbling on the campaign trail. Yet election results still depend on the electoral institutions, so despite all his setbacks, Erdogan still remains the top contender. There's not much time left before what could become Turkey's most consequential elections. On June 24, about 60 million people are expected to vote in what could lead to a regime change. All candidates, notably President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have stepped up their campaigns. But the three different "hats" Erdogan wears in his campaign have made Turkeys civilian-military relations already strained by the 2016 attempted coup more fragile. As Erdogan campaigns across the country, he is representing the commander in chief of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) on behalf of the Turkish parliament. He is the president of Turkey, but also a political party leader stumping for re-election. In cities he visits, he is accorded presidential protocol. That being the case, generals serving in those locations are required to attend his campaign events. On June 2, Erdogan as the leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spoke at a dinner at Malatya and targeted Muharrem Ince, the presidential candidate for the Republican Peoples Party. Erdogan said, You can entrust your shop to an apprentice. You cannot entrust Turkey to political apprentices. We can never entrust the country to those who have had no success, no experience in politics. My brothers, there is nothing that those who have lost every contest they entered can give to themselves and to this country." Among those gleefully applauding Erdogan for his words about apprentices was Lt. Gen. Ismail Metin Temel, the commander of the Second Army, in his full uniform. Photos of the event show Temel making no effort to conceal his grin when applauding Erdogans sarcasm about Ince. Temel, labeled the "warrior general" in the TSK, is known for his stern anti-US/anti-West views. He most recently commanded Operation Olive Branch (January-March 2018), which the TSK carried out with the Free Syrian Army. That explains his popularity with the conservative and nationalist segments of the AKP voter base. Ince reacted sharply to the photos of Temel smiling at Erdogans remarks. For the first time in the republics history, a general is applauding Erdogan [when he] wasnt talking about the country, our flag and our nation. Instead, he is applauding Erdogan who was criticizing me, Ince said at a news conference as he campaigned in Yalova. He will be the first general I will retire, and [I will] remove his epaulets on Aug. 30," which is the traditional date for TSK promotions, retirements and assignments. "Are you a general of the Turkish army or a provincial leader of the AKP?" Ince asked. "All must know their limits, comply with rules, with laws and the constitution. A general cannot do this. I wont let him do it; you will see." In subsequent speeches, Ince ratcheted up his declarations of how he will retire Temel. This is how Temels smile as he applauded Erdogan became one of the most prominent topics of the campaign. Actually, the militarys interference in politics started long before the general's applause. In April, when it was widely predicted that former President Abdullah Gul might run for the presidency this year, he was visited by Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar, a childhood friend of Guls, and Erdogans chief adviser, Ibrahim Kalin, in an effort to dissuade him. This nighttime visit via a military helicopter that landed in the backyard of Guls Istanbul residence shows how obscure the line demarcating politics and military bureaucracy has become in post-putsch Turkey. According to the Internal Service Act widely considered the TSK gospel members of the armed forces are forbidden to join political parties or associations, participate in political demonstrations and meetings, give political speeches, make statements or write articles. Even worse, doing any of these things while in uniform is a serious disciplinary offense punishable by one to five years in prison, according to the Military Penal Code. Since the beginning of the 1900s, Turkish political history has been full of examples of how costly it's been for the army and the state when the army becomes politicized. Despite the TSK's occasional involvement in coup attempts, it's still possible to assert that the TSK maintains robust principles of staying away from daily political polemics and not becoming a subject of such drama. Now, everybody's arguing about whether Temels applause of Erdogan was a political gesture: Should we condone Temels applause because Erdogan is commander in chief and the current president, or condemn it because Erdogan was speaking as a leader of a political party running for president? Pro-AKP journalists and academics emphasize that Temel, who has commanded operations against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and most recently led Operation Olive Branch, is a national hero, that his applause was perfectly normal and that there are no problems in civilian-military relations. Pro-AKP media constantly note that Temel is now commander of Turkish military operations in Iraq. The same media are now on a quest to introduce Temel as the officer who will command the pending anti-PKK operation in Iraq's Qandil Mountains. They criticize the opposition's presidential candidate, Ince, for demanding Temels dishonorable discharge. Columnist Taha Akyol of the daily Hurriyet (which was recently bought by a pro-AKP media baron) wrote that Temel must show more care in the future. The opposition stresses that the military cannot work to ensure a political partys success and insists that Erdogans speech was election propaganda and not about national defense or any related military subject. Opposition leaders also ask what would have happened if another general had attended, in uniform, a dinner honoring Ince. What's obvious is that in the time left before the elections, civilian-military relations will be a key polemical issue in the countrys increasingly heated politics. These debates will drag soldiers into political quarrels and weaken the relations, despite efforts to repair them since the 2016 failed military uprising. Do these developments indicate the TSK has become the army of Erdogan? It might be too early to say, but the June 24 elections may well provide the answer. The seven-year war in Syria has dealt a heavy economic blow to Turkish border provinces, but, as wars often do, it has created its own economy and traders. Since 2013, when rebel groups seized control of border crossings on the Syrian side, Turkish exports have perked up, benefiting also from Turkey's military intervention in northern Syria. After the eruption of the war, bilateral trade hit its lowest point in 2012, when Turkey's exports plunged to $501 million and its imports from Syria went down to $67 million. In 2010, when the ties still flourished, Turkey's exports had stood at some $1.85 billion, while its imports were worth $663 million. Last year, Turkish exports to Syria reached nearly $1.4 billion, while imports from Syria, which are subject to official permission, amounted to only $71 million. The export average of the past three years $1.3 billion points to a notable revival in Turkish sales to Syria, though without a corresponding increase in imports, whose average remains at no more than $70 million. The main products flowing to Syria are cooking oil, flour and flour products, cement, iron and steel, hygiene and cleaning products, poultry and automobiles. Despite the modest level of trade, Turkey remains Syria's main supplier, and, together with China, accounts for more than a half of Syria's imports. Turkey is also the fourth-biggest buyer of Syrian products, importing mostly cotton, fruits and vegetables, olive oil and cooper and aluminum products. Representatives of industry and trade chambers in Gaziantep and Kilis, two of the Turkish provinces bordering Syria, told Al-Monitor that the Turkish goods go mostly to regions that came under Turkish control with Operation Euphrates Shield and their environs, including Azaz, al-Bab, Jarablus, Tell Abyad, Manbij and the Aleppo countryside. Turkish goods are often available in Aleppo city as well. Among the 13 border crossings with Syria, the trade goes through the Cilvegozu crossing in Hatay province, the Oncupinar crossing in Kilis and the Karkamis and Cobanbey crossings in Gaziantep. Though official ties remain severed, some Turkish goods are occasionally shipped also from the Tasucu port in Mersin to Syria's port of Tartus. Meanwhile, the border crossings at Cizre, Girmeli (Nusaybin), Senyurt, Ceylanpinar, Akcakale, Mursitpinar, Islahiye, Karbeyaz and Yayladagi remain closed, controlled either by Kurdish groups or the regime on the Syrian side. In the absence of diplomatic ties and with rebel groups controlling the active border crossings in Syria, Turkish-Syrian trade is conducted through some unconventional means. While official customs procedures continue on the Turkish side, "officers" appointed by rebel groups implement their own procedures on the Syrian one. The goods change hands in the buffer zones at the crossings. That is, the Turkish trucks unload their cargo in the buffer zones and head back, and the Syrian traders who receive the deliveries transport the goods to their regions on Syrian vehicles. And because bank transfers are not possible, the payments are made in cash, either in advance or upon delivery in the buffer zones. An increasing number of Syrian traders based in Turkey have become involved in the trade, accounting for an estimated 20-30% of the exports to Syria. As of May, 1,854 Syrian-owned businesses were officially registered in Gaziantep. They included 1,425 businesses registered with the chamber of commerce, 355 with the chamber of traders and artisans and 74 with the industry chamber. In the Kilis Chamber of Trade and Industry, Syrian companies and entrepreneurs represent 140 out of 1,400 members. About 30% of Syrian companies are set up in the field of exportation and importation. In Gaziantep alone, the number of work permits issued to Syrians stood at some 3,000 in 2017, up from about 700 in 2015, and reached 1,227 in the first five months of this year. The figures indicate that Syrians have been rather successful in integrating into business life in Turkey. To facilitate the process, the Gaziantep Chamber of Industry has launched professional training centers. Yet Syrians continue to face hardships with banks and other financial institutions, as their transactions generate tougher scrutiny, especially when they make transfers to pay for imported goods. Also, work-permit applications take a long time to process. Yet given the unconventional aspects of the current trade, Turkey-based Syrian traders have their own advantages in the export of goods to Syria. Thanks to their existing networks in Syria, they are able to deliver goods to relatives or other trusted people in buffer zones, which eases the problem of money transfers in what are often open-account transactions. Other difficulties include the official permissions that Turkish authorities require for imports from Syria. Also, Kilis where Syrian refugees outnumber the local population is without a customs authority, which means that traders exporting goods to Syria have to take their shipments to neighboring Gaziantep first and then return to the border crossing in their province. Can the trade expand further under the current circumstances? Kenan Mortan, a senior Turkish economist who closely follows the economic situation in border regions, believes that a further increase is unlikely as long as the war in Syria continues. "Wealthy Syrian migrants brought in capital and made investments [in Turkey]. I have to say that the business knack of the Gaziantep people, which dates back to the 15th century, was also very effective. But one should not expect the figures to rise further," Mortan told Al-Monitor. "Going beyond the current level can become possible only with the return of peace. And this means not only an end to the fighting, but also the normalization of Turkish-Syrian ties," he said. A further expansion of trade would require the resolution of banking hitches, the restoration of ties between central banks and the empowerment of local courts in the settlement of legal issues in bilateral commerce, he added. No doubt, business people in border regions feel a great nostalgia for the period from 2007 to 2011, when Turkish-Syrian ties were put on track and began to flourish. Yearning a bygone era are also the many locals who used to earn their bread by smuggling goods across the border, where security walls have now been erected. An official from the Kilis Chamber of Trade and Industry told Al-Monitor that smuggling was now next to zero. Meanwhile, border crossings controlled by the Kurds on the Syrian side remain closed, preventing further revival in trade. The Turkish government sealed off the crossings to avoid any implication of legitimizing the Kurdish-led "democratic autonomy" in northern Syria and, in a way, to punish the Kurds. Yet, by doing so, it also has been weakening the economies of its own border provinces, where poverty was already rife. An end to the Syrian war and normalization of ties would certainly come as a huge boost to trade. Turkey's businesspeople as well as government officials are looking forward to the reconstruction process in Syria, which would inevitably create a boom in demand. Yet, for all those expectations to materialize, Turkey needs to radically change its Syria policy and open a new page in bilateral ties. Airbus will take a majority stake in Bombardier's C Series jetliner program, and will close the deal July 1, the companies announced this morning. With that, Mobile will get a second Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Alabama. The move could add another 200 employees to the 400 already employed, executives said back in February. Kristi Tucker, a local spokeswoman for Airbus, said, "All of us at Airbus are excited to welcome the employees of the CSALP into the extended Airbus team, and to welcome the C Series aircraft to Airbus' product offerings beginning July 1. It will also be exciting to see us grow further in Mobile." It's a big win for the Mobile area, as local economic development officials have been working to consummate the deal for about a year. "Additional capacity has always been a goal of our economic development team," David Rodgers, vice president of economic development for the Mobile Area Chamber, said. "Since the initial Airbus FAL opened in 2015, more than 20 aerospace companies have located to Mobile. We're looking forward to continuing to see additional investment here, as we work to grow our aerospace cluster." The transaction, which was initially announced back in October, involves Airbus acquiring a majority stake in the C Series Aircraft Limited Partnership (CSALP). The C Series is a new family of passenger jets somewhat similar to the A320 family that Airbus already assembles in Mobile: A single-aisle, twin-engine plane designed for medium-range routes. Airbus says the C Series will give it a better position in the market for aircraft with 100 to 150 seats, smaller than the A320s and A321s it currently builds in Mobile. Depending on configuration, the A320 can hold about 180 passengers, with the A321 seating up to about 240. By comparison, the CS100 and CS300 range from about 108 seats to about 160. "Airbus will work with its partners Bombardier and IQ to fully unlock the C Series' potential and create significant new value for customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders and the communities in which the partnership operates," the company said in a statement. According to the deal, Bombardier will fund the cash shortfalls of CSALP, if required, during the second half of this year, up to a maximum of $225 million and in larger sums over the next two years. Further financial information on the transaction will be provided later this year. The C Series program delivered 17 aircraft in 2017 and looks to double its deliveries in 2018. An estimated 6,000 aircraft are needed in this market segment over the next 20 years, the company said, with the C series poised to meet that demand. "The strength of the entire Airbus organization will be behind the C Series," Airbus CEO Tom Enders said. "Not only will that enable this outstanding aircraft to fulfill its market potential, but we are convinced the addition of the C Series to our overall aircraft product offering brings significant value to Airbus, our customers and shareholders." Alain Bellemare, Bombardier president and CEO, called the partnership "a very exciting new chapter." "The C Series is widely recognized as the most advanced and efficient aircraft in its class and this partnership will ensure its commercial success," Bellemare said. "Together, we will create tremendous new value and opportunities for airlines, suppliers, shareholders and employees." A national report card of manufacturing and logistics says Alabama experienced a slight decline over the last two years. And while the Ball State Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) gives Alabama high marks for its manufacturing health, worker benefits, global reach and diversification, the state gets low marks for human capital and productivity and innovation. The 2018 Manufacturing and Logistics Report Card released today by CBER and Conexus Indiana rates all 50 states on nine different sets of criteria. Alabama's "decline," according to the report, came due to falling grades in human capital and global reach. Alabama improved slightly from D- to D in its productivity and innovation grade, but the state declined from A to B+ in global position and D- to F in human capital. Alabama maintained the grade of A in benefits costs, B in manufacturing and diversification, and C in logistics, tax climate and liability gap. The grades are calculated according to different criteria specific to certain areas of data. For example, the productivity and innovation grade is compiled by a mix of manufacturing productivity growth, industry research and development expenditures on a per capita basis, and the per capita number of patents issued annually in the state. The failing grade in human capital came from census and educational statistics. It adds rankings of educational attainment at the high school and collegiate level, the first-year retention rate of adults in community and technical colleges, the number of associates degrees awarded annually on a per capita basis and the share of adults enrolled in adult basic education. Alabama's A came from looking at health care premiums and long-term health care costs, workers' compensation costs per worker and fringe benefits of all kinds as a share of worker costs. Overall, it's a good time in America for those who make things. "U.S. manufacturing and logistics are in a remarkable period of expansion," said CBER Director Michael Hicks, the George and Frances Ball distinguished professor of economics and business research. Another banner year for economic development in Alabama means another Silver Shovel Award from national publication Area Development. Alabama has won one of the awards every year since 2006, when it won a Gold Shovel. It won another Gold in 2012 and Silver awards in other years, including last year. "It was a good year for manufacturing in Silver Shovel recipient Alabama, with major investments in a diverse collection of projects, most of them brand-new. Additional jobs are driving in by way of logistics and distribution," Area Development stated. Among the big projects cited by the publication were: Autocar's $120 million Birmingham truck manufacturing plant, creating more than 700 jobs. Two huge projects for Bibb County involving Mercedes-Benz - a new Global Logistics Center and an after-sales North American hub in Bibb County. The projects create more than 500 jobs. Aerospace manufacturer Blue Origin's $200 million Huntsville project, creating 342 jobs. It also included big-ticket rural projects, such as the $110 million John Soule Food project in Valley. "More manufacturing projects reflect growth in the food and poultry, aluminum, paper, and fiber cement industries, and Walmart has promised delivery of 550 distribution jobs," the article continued. Area Development's Gold and Silver Shovel Awards recognize state economic development efforts for their level of success. "The business world has discovered that Alabama is one of the most attractive locations in the U.S. to make new investments, and this Silver Shovel award confirms that," Governor Kay Ivey said, in a statement. "I will continue to work to position Alabama for economic growth that creates jobs and opportunities for our hard-working citizens." Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the win is "another affirmation that our team is consistently executing our strategy and achieving positive results." "The mission of Alabama's economic development team is to facilitate the creation of high-caliber jobs in strategic industry sectors that will flourish in the future," he said. The head of Toyota Motor Co. says there will be "potentially adverse impacts on the U.S. economy and jobs" if the Trump Administration were to impose tariffs on imported cars. Akio Toyoda, serving as chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), said today that tariffs "will create uncertainty among automobile users in the U.S. and people involved in the motor vehicle industry." Last week, Trump requested the Commerce Department investigate imported automobiles, trucks and auto parts as a national security threat. Sen. Doug Jones yesterday said those tariffs could jeopardize the health of Alabama's auto industry. Toyoda, who visited Alabama in January for the announcement of the $1.6 billion Mazda-Toyota plant to be built in Huntsville, said the JAMA is gravely concerned about the tariffs. "Automobiles are sold to consumers on the basis of their own choices, and it is consumers themselves who would be penalized, through increased vehicle prices and reduced model options, in the event that trade-restrictive measures were to be implemented as a result of this initiative," Toyoda said. Japanese motor companies operate 24 manufacturing plants and 44 R&D/design centers in 19 U.S. states. Last year, almost 3.8 million vehicles were produced by American workers at the plants. Overall, Japanese companies have invested $48.3 billion in the U.S., according to JAMA. "We do not believe that imported vehicles represent a threat to U.S. national security, but rather that they increase the options for users' diversified needs with respect to vehicle supply," Toyoda said. American TV celebrity and food writer Anthony Bourdain has been found dead in his hotel room in France while working on his CNN series on culinary traditions around the world. He was 61. CNN confirmed the death, saying in a statement that Bourdain was found unresponsive Friday morning by friend and chef Eric Ripert, and calling his death a suicide. Bourdain's achieved celebrity status after the publication in 2000 of his best-selling book "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly." It combined frank details of his life and career with behind-the-scenes observations on the culinary industry. CNN said Bourdain was in Strasbourg filming an upcoming segment in his series "Parts Unknown." The CNN statement said: "His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much." Strasbourg police, emergency services and regional authorities did not immediately have information about the death. Bourdain's assistant Laurie Woolever would not comment on what happened. The CNN statement expressed condolences to his daughter and family but provided no information about memorial ceremonies. Bourdain's death drew new attention to celebrity suicides. It came three days after fashion designer Kate Spade died of apparent suicide in her Park Avenue apartment in New York. Spade's husband and business partner said the 55-year-old business mogul had suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. In the preface to the latest edition "Kitchen Confidential," Bourdain wrote of his shock at the success off his book, which he wrote by getting up at 5 a.m. in the morning to steal a couple of hours at the computer before appearing at the saute station for lunch. He said he never intended to write an expose or to "rip the lid off the restaurant business." He said he liked the restaurant business the way it was. "What I set out to do was write a book that my fellow cooks would find entertaining and true. I wanted it to sound like me talking at say ... ten o'clock on a Saturday night, after a busy dinner rush, me and a few cooks hanging around in the kitchen, knocking back a few beers and talking shit." Bourdain said he really had no idea that anyone outside the world of chefs would even pay attention to his comments. It seemed to startle him, that a book intended for professional cooks would have such mass appeal. "The new celebrity chef culture is a remarkable and admittedly annoying phenomenon. While it's been nothing but good for business -- and for me personally -- many of us in the life can't help snickering about it," he wrote. "Of all the professions, after all, few people are less suited to be suddenly thrown into the public eye than chefs." A Birmingham lawyer has been confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as a district court judge for the Northern District of Alabama. Annemarie Axon, an attorney for Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt, LLC was confirmed Wednesday, officials said. Axon lives in Mountain Brook. "We are extremely proud of Annemarie and congratulate her on her confirmation. Selfishly we hate to lose Annemarie as a valuable and integral member of our firm, but we know her temperament and sound judgment will make her a great federal judge," Jay Clark, managing member at Wallace Jordan said in a statement. Wallace Jordan officials said Axon's practice with Wallace Jordan has been entirely devoted to litigation with a concentration in fiduciary and probate legislation. Axon is a member of both the Alabama and Rhode Island State Bars. During the Senate confirmation proceedings, both Republicans and Democrats were unified in confirming Axon, said Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law who monitors the judiciary, told AL.com. "Since she had a strong vote, feel she would be a competent judge," Tobias said. President Trump nominated Axon in July 2017. Axon is the first of five Alabama judicial nominees that have been awaiting confirmation since being nominated by President Trump in 2017, according to a statement from the office of Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama). "Annemarie Axon is exceptionally qualified to be a U.S. district judge," Shelby said. "Her strong, respectful temperament and commitment to impartiality make her well-suited for this esteemed position. Alabama's district judges must be confirmed as swiftly as possible to ensure the efficiency of our judicial system. These judges serve as the backbone of the United States Judicial Branch, and I am honored to have played a part in Axon's confirmation (Wednesday)." In addition to her experience in the courtroom, Axon serves as the President of the YWCA Junior Board, as well as the Girls on the Run Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation Board and a member of the American Cancer Society, according to the statement from Shelby's office. A Memphis man is charged with capital murder and felony murder in the May deaths of two men in an exchange of gunfire at a Hoover apartment complex. Hoover police have charged 28-year-old Oscar Lee Woods III in connection with the May 11 deaths of Tavarius Jamal Bryant of Hoover and Christopher Bryant of Memphis. The two victims were not related to each other. "We basically have two young men who are dead because of horrible lifestyle choices,'' said Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector. "Earlier in the morning and just prior to the shooting, Oscar Woods and Christopher Bryant were patrons at the same strip club as Tavarius Bryant." "At some point a plan was devised to rob Tavarius Bryant,'' Rector said. "Apparently Woods and Chris Bryant didn't expect Tavarius to also be armed with a handgun." The shooting happened shortly after 3:30 a.m. that Friday at The Cliffs at Rocky Ridge. Once on the scene, officers found 22-year-old Tavarius Bryant lying on a sidewalk between the parking lot and the apartment's breezeway. Authorities said the shooting happened at 3:38 a.m., and Tavarius Bryant was pronounced dead at 3:48 a.m. Multiple shots had been fired and two vehicles belonging to residents in the complex were hit by the bullets. Hoover police said evidence at the scene showed that Tavarius Bryant was shot there and able to return shots toward his attackers before he died. Less than two hours later, Hoover and Birmingham police were notified that another gunshot victim had been dropped off at Princeton Baptist Medical Center and pronounced dead on arrival. That victim was identified as 25-year-old Christopher Bryant. He was identified through fingerprints on file with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The investigation showed that Christopher Bryant and another man were robbing Tavarius Bryant when gunfire was exchanged. The robbery suspects fled the scene and went to a home in Bessemer. After waiting about 90 minutes, two females drove Christopher Bryant to Princeton Baptist Medical Center. They fled the hospital without providing any information. "It's even more tragic that Christopher Bryant survived multiple gunshot wounds but was not taken immediately to a hospital,'' Rector said. A witness was able to provide a tag number for the vehicle they were driving, and detectives were able to link that vehicle and evidence left at the Hoover crime scene to the second suspect-now identified as Woods. On May 23, Hoover detectives obtained the warrants against Oscar Lee Woods. He is charged with capital murder in the death of Tavarius Bryant because the killing happened during the commission of a robbery, and felony murder in the death of his friend, Christopher Bryant. Under Alabama's felony murder law, a person can be charged with murder if they are participating in a felony crime that results in death, whether or not that person actually pulled the trigger. Hoover police turned the warrant over to the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force which arrested Woods at 7:05 p.m. Thursday in Vaiden, Mississippi. Woods is currently being held in the Carroll Montgomery Regional Correctional Facility in Carroll County Mississippi awaiting extradition to the Jefferson County Jail. He has a $100,000 bond on the felony murder charge and no bond on the capital murder charge. Hoover police thanked the Birmingham Police Department, the Memphis, Tennessee Police Department, the Birmingham and Memphis field offices of the F.B.I., the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Carroll County Mississippi Sheriff's office for their assistance with the case. "Robbing and drug dealing rarely ends well,'' Rector said, "and this case is sadly more proof of that." Ivan Senabulya. Arua Municipality Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Abiriga has this evening been shot dead near his home in Matugga, Wakiso District. According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Abiriga was gunned at around 6:30PM adding that investigations have since commenced to find out his killers. Abiriga was at the time of his death travelling in his famous yellow Volkswagen car with his bodyguard and a third person who has not yet been identified. Abiriga will be remembered for putting on his yellow attire. He was also famous urinating in public near the Ministry of Finance head offices in Kampala where he was later fined Shs40, 000 by Buganda Road court for being a public nuisance. Formal charges have been filed against a Birmingham woman who investigators say used the promise of sexual favors in a botched Jefferson County bank robbery. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office on Thursday formally charged Rachel Camille Calhoun, 24, with first-degree attempted extortion and first-degree attempted theft. The holdup attempt happened just before 10 a.m. Wednesday at Regions Bank in the 1300 block of Tomahawk Road in Forestdale. Chief Deputy Randy Christian said deputies responded to a report that a black female had entered the bank and handed the manager a note demanding money. Deputies arrived on scene quickly and found the suspect still inside the bank. She was taken into custody. Christian said information from the scene is that the would-be robber passed a note to the manager demanding $6,000 from the vault. The note read that, if the manager complied, he would be rewarded with a sexual favor. If he refused, she would claim that he had sexually assaulted her. "I don't think I have ever heard of an attempt to rob a bank quite like this,'' Christian said. "Our deputies were on the scene very quickly and saved this employee from something. I'm not sure exactly what but we saved him from something." Calhoun remains in the Jefferson County jail with bond set at $10,000. Update: The Bibb County Sheriff's Department said the missing woman was found safe at 12:43 a.m. Friday. "Thank you everyone for your help and prayers!," the department posted on its Facebook page. Original story continues below. The Bibb County Sheriff's Office is searching for a missing 86-year-old woman. Officials said Nettie Stacy was last seen leaving the Tuscaloosa/Coaling area around 3 p.m. She was driving a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis with Alabama tag number THN526. Stacy is a white female with white hair and brown eyes. Officials said she could have been driving toward Highway 82. Anyone who sees Stacy should call 911. Biologists from the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division removed a total of 24 feral hogs from a site in Dallas County Sunday, as part of the department's ongoing efforts to tamp down on wild pig populations on state lands. When the state-managed lands are not being used for hunting due to closed seasons, WFF employees employ traps to attempt to catch entire groups of hogs, called sounders, according to Marianne Hudson, spokesman for the Wildlife Division. The operation was conducted by WFF biologist Justin Gilchrist and laborer Jacob Armstrong. A photo from the hunt was posted on the division's Facebook page, with the caption declaring "We GO WHOLE HOG in our efforts to remove feral swine from management lands." Hudson said the Division undertakes many maintenance projects this time of year, including road work, plantings and wildlife management. "This time of year is busier than hunting season for us," Hudson said. "Trapping feral swine is an important endeavor this time of year." Feral swine are one of Alabama's most destructive invasive species, causing millions of dollars in property and wildlife damage every year just in Alabama, and an estimated $1.5 billion nationwide. Hogs are notorious for digging out farmers' crops, or people's back yards. They also trample stream beds, leading to increased erosion issues, and spread e. Coli bacteria into streams and creeks. The hogs in the photo -- 10 boars and 14 sows -- were caught in a trap and dispatched with a firearm , but that's hardly the most extreme method used to try to combat these worrisome invaders. Wildlife officials and property owners have used techniques ranging from trapping to aerial hunts in helicopters to using radio transmitters to track "Judas" hogs back to their sounder groups. Still, it appears these high-tech and time-intensive techniques can only slow the expansion of the wild pig population. According to Mark Smith, an associate professor of forestry at Auburn University who specializes in wild pig damage management for the Alabama Cooperative Extension, it's estimated that pigs can reproduce so quickly that in any given territory, managers would have to kill 80 percent of the existing population in a year just to keep the overall pig numbers from growing. Sows can birth dozens of piglets in a year, and the offspring, male and female, reach sexual maturity in less than a year. Most feral hogs encountered in Alabama are a genetic mix between escaped pigs from agricultural operations and wild hogs that have roamed the woods since Spanish explorers set them loose in the Southeast back in the 1500s. This sounder of wild hogs -- 14 sows and 10 boars -- was trapped and dispatched by the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division in Dallas County on June 3, 2018. The hogs are an invasive species that causes significant damage to property and native wildlife. Much of the meat from the swine trapped on state land is donated to local families, Hudson said. It is typically illegal to sell feral hog meat on the market because food safety standards require a pig be inspected alive and again after slaughter before being commercially sold. The meat can still be utilized as long it is not sold. Transporting a live pig is also illegal, as human transport has been a key factor in helping the hogs -- who typically don't wander far from home -- spread to new areas sometimes hundreds of miles away. "We're pretty darn sure that pigs cannot fly," Smith said. "They're kind of homebodies." In 2016, state game officers arrested 16 people for illegally transporting hogs in Alabama. There is no closed season and no bag limit for hog hunting in Alabama, but some local restrictions apply. For example, Alabama's Wildlife Management Areas prohibit hog hunting during the closed seasons for other animals to allow WFF personnel to conduct coordinated trapping operations which are believed to be more effective at controlling hog populations than sporadic hunting by the public. Landowners can hunt hogs on their property during daylight hours only, Hudson said. If a landowner believes a hog problem necessitates hunting after dark, they must contact their WFF District Office and obtain a permit for night hunting. In Alabama, campaign funds can be used to pay for childcare when a candidate is out shaking hands. That's according to a new opinion issued by the Alabama Ethics Commission this week. It's narrowly defined, but the ruling clarifies something that candidates have already been doing, said Tom Albritton, executive director of the Ethics Commission. "The opinion makes it clear that the expense is allowed if tied to a specific campaign event, and that is the only scenario to which the opinion applies," said Albritton in a statement. "It is not a general allowance for child care payments at any time." The commission made the ruling after Jennifer Gray, a candidate for the Alabama House of Representatives, requested a formal opinion. "We want people of all different stripes to be able to run for office," she told the commission before it voted. Being unable to use campaign funds for childcare expenses "keeps a class of people, primarily women and single parents, from being able to serve their state, which is all that I'm asking for," she said. During the summer, Gray cares full-time for her child during the day and works at night. Her husband also works, and they don't have nearby relatives who could watch her child during campaign events, phone banking and other activities. Gray said she decided to petition the Ethics Commission for a ruling because the Federal Elections Commission made a unanimous ruling in May that candidates running for federal offices could use campaign funds to pay for childcare. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill opposed the ruling. "My staff and I have serious concerns about the ramifications and unintended consequences created if this proposed opinion is approved in its current form," said Merrill in a letter that was read during the meeting, prior to the vote. Merrill's office requested the opinion be removed from the agenda and held until a later date so his office could discuss potential problems with the Commission. A Commission member at the meeting said the opinion could not wait because candidates like Gray needed an answer before incurring child care costs to campaign this summer. The Alabama Ethics Commission voted 3-1 to issue the opinion approving Gray's request. The dissenting vote was cast by Commission member Charles Price, a retired circuit judge. "First of all, she doesn't have to run for office," said Price during the hearing. "And if she does, (she has) a child and she understands that, and you have to consider all those things." Price pointed out that candidates could ask that other expenses, such as gas for driving to and from campaign events, be covered by campaign funds. Another commission member pointed out that those kinds of expenses are already allowed. Albritton later explained that the Ethics Commission established a list of some acceptable uses of excess campaign funds in 2016, including certain car expenses, hotels and meals, and even legal expenses, when those expenses were directly connected with campaign activity. "For my commissioners, the need for child care in limited circumstances was at least equally important with these other uses which no one really argues about," Albritton said. Commission chair Jerry Fielding said he remembered running for circuit judge in the 1980s, and having to pay for childcare so that he and his wife could attend campaign events together. "It looks like a very logical request," Fielding said. "If we let people pay for automobile expenses and other things like that, we ought to be able to pay for childcare." The ruling means that child care payments will have to be identified and disclosed on a candidate's campaign reports, meaning donors would have a better idea of how campaign money was being spent, said Albritton. "The opinion should encourage good candidates who are parents, both male and female, to run for office - a principle that the Ethics Act requires the Commission to protect," he said. Now, said Albritton, parents "don't have to worry about whether they have to make the choice between caring for their children or attending a campaign event." An Alabama volunteer firefighter, who was arrested as part of a sex offender sting in Florida Thursday evening, has been suspended by Fairhope Volunteer Fire Department pending the outcome of felony charges. Aaron Greene, 21, of Daphne, was charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony and using a two-way communication device in the commission of a felony, according to a statement from the Walton County Sheriff's Office. Fire Chief Chris Ellis said in a prepared statement Friday morning that Greene was entitled to his "day in court" and would be fired should he be convicted of the accusations. Greene has been a member of the department for approximately three years and has been called out on duty a few times in the last couple of months, according to Ellis. The chief said that during his time with Greene he had observed him to be a "good person" who had satisfactorily completed his training and was reliable. But the chief added that the behavior described in the charges "would not be tolerated" by the department. Law enforcement said Greene entered a group chat on a cellphone app on Wednesday while he was in Panama City working as a maintenance technician for emergency vehicles. While he was in the group chat, an undercover investigator from the sheriff's office was monitoring these chats. Green the sent a message to the investigator, who was disguised as a 14-year-old girl. The conversation between Greene and the investigator continued Thursday, officials said. Greene told the investigator, who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, he would travel to meet her and perform sexual acts. Thursday evening, Green traveled to DeFuniak Springs where he was met by Walton County Sheriff's Deputies. Greene was being held in the Walton County Jail Thursday night. A volunteer firefighter from Fairhope was jailed on child sex charges in Florida after he was part of an operation to uncover sex offenders in Northwest Florida. Aaron Greene, 21, of Daphne, was charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony and using a two-way communication device in the commission of a felony, according to a statement from the Walton County Sheriff's Office. Lawmen said Greene entered a group chat on a cellphone app on Wednesday while he was in Panama City working as a maintenance technician for emergency vehicles. Greene also is a volunteer firefighter in Fairhope. While he was in the group chat, an undercover investigator from the sheriff's office was monitoring these chats. Green sent a message to the investigator, who was disguised as a 14-year-old girl. The conversation between Greene and the investigator continued Thursday, officials said. Greene told the investigator, who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, he would travel to meet and perform sexual acts. Thursday evening, Green traveled to DeFuniak Springs where he was met by Walton County Sheriff's Deputies. Greene was being held in the Walton County Jail Thursday night. Update: USA Today has since updated its original story to clarify that the "No Gays" sign was originally put up in 2015 and not in connection to the recent Supreme Court ruling. The story was picked up by numerous media sources this week. The "No Gays Allowed" signs are still up at the store, according to photos on Amyx's website. Earlier: A Tennessee hardware store is drawing national attention for putting its "No Gays Allowed" sign. Jeff Amyx, owner of Amyx Hardware & Roofing Supplies in Grainger County, Tenn. first put the sign up in 2015 after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. He later removed it after intense backlash, Syracuse.com reported. Undated photos on the store's website show Amyx posing next to the sign. "Christianity is under attack," said Amyx, who is also a Baptist minister. "This is a great win, don't get me wrong, but this is not the end, this is just the beginning. Right now, we're seeing a ray of sunshine. This is 'happy days' for Christians all over America, but dark days will come." Earlier this week, a 2015 about the sign began circulating in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling regarding a baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex couple. Amyx first drew national attention for the sign three years ago. He eventually replaced it with one that said "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone who would violate our rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion." Funeral services are planned today for an Alabama native and Korean War veteran whose remains were discovered in North Korea in 2004. A casket carrying Army Sgt. Julius Ellis McKinney arrived at the Memphis Airport Wednesday. McKinney, a native of Brilliant, Alabama who lived much of his life in Arkansas, was 23-years old when he was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950 during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. McKinney's nephew, Bill Huff, said the family had been informed on March 14 that DNA testing and other evidence confirmed bones found in 2004 in North Korea were those of McKinney. The soldier will be buried today at Corinth National Cemetery with full military honors. According to the Department of Defense, there are currently 7,702 American soldiers who served in the Korean War who remain unaccounted for. Suicide rates rose in all but one state between 1999 and 2016, with increases seen across age, gender, race and ethnicity, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In more than half of all deaths in 27 states, the individuals had no known mental health condition when they took their own life. In North Dakota, the rate jumped more than 57 percent. In the most recent period studied (2014-2016), the rate was highest in Montana at 29.2 per 100,000 residents, compared with the national average of 13.4 per 100,000. Alabama's suicide rate grew by 21.9 percent between 1999 and 2016. Only Nevada saw a decline - of 1 percent - for the overall period, though its rate remained higher than the national average. Increasingly, suicide is being seen not just as a mental health problem, but a public health one. Nearly 45,000 suicides occurred in the United States in 2016 - more than twice the number of homicides - making it the 10th leading cause of death. Among people ages 15 to 34, suicide is the second leading cause of death. Overall, the most common method used was firearms. "The data are disturbing," said Anne Schuchat, CDC principal deputy director. "The widespread nature of the increase, in every state but one, really suggests that this is a national problem hitting most communities." It is hitting many places especially hard. In half of the states, suicide among people 10 years and older increased more than 30 percent. "At what point is it a crisis?" asked Nadine Kaslow, a past president of the American Psychological Association. "Suicide is a public health crisis when you look at the numbers, and they keep going up. It's up everywhere. And we know that the rates are actually higher than what's reported. But homicides still get more attention." High suicide numbers in the United States are not a new phenomenon. In 1999, then U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher issued a report on the state of mental health in America and called suicide "a significant public health problem." The latest data at that time showed about 30,000 suicides a year. Kaslow is particularly concerned about what's emerged with suicide among women. "Historically, men had higher death rates than women," she noted. "That's equalizing not because men are [taking their lives] less, but women are doing it more. That is very, very troublesome." Among the stark numbers in the CDC report was the one signaling a high number of suicides among people without a known mental health condition. In the 27 states that use the National Violent Death Reporting System, 54 percent of suicides were by individuals without a known mental illness. But Joshua Gordon, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said that statistic must be viewed in context. "When you do a psychological autopsy and go and look carefully at medical records and talk to family members of the victims," he said, "90 percent will have evidence of a mental health condition." That indicates a large portion weren't diagnosed, "which suggests to me that they're not getting the help they need," he said. Cultural attitudes may play a part. Those without a known mental health condition, according to the report, were more likely to be male and belong to a racial or ethnic minority "The data supports what we know about that notion," Gordon said. "Men and Hispanics especially are less likely to seek help." The problems most frequently associated with suicide, according to the study, are strained relationships; life stressors, often involving work or finances; and recent or impending crises. The most important takeaway, mental health professionals say, is that suicide is not only an issue for the mentally ill but for anyone struggling with serious lifestyle issues. "I think this gets back to what do we need to be teaching people - how to manage breakups, job stresses," said Christine Moutier, medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. "What are we doing as a nation to help people to manage these things? Because anybody can experience those stresses. Anybody." The rates of suicide for all states and the District of Columbia were calculated using data from the National Vital Statistics System. Information about contributing circumstances for those who died by suicide was obtained via the National Violent Death Reporting System, which is relatively new and in place in only 27 states. "If you think of [suicide] as other leading causes of death, like AIDS and cancer, with the public health approach mortality rates decline," Moutier said. "We know that same approach can work with suicide." Democratic gubernatorial nominee and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox previewed a general election campaign strategy Thursday of hitting Gov. Kay Ivey hard on Montgomery corruption and the "crisis" in the state's infrastructure, health care system, prisons and schools. "She has sat there and not addressed any of these issues specifically," Maddox said of Ivey and corruption in the capital. Speaking in his first campaign speech since winning the nomination to Democratic lawmakers and activists, Maddox noted that another state lawmaker was indicted this week in a federal pill mill case in Montgomery. "All we have heard over the last two years while corruption has shown its face in Montgomery is silence," Maddox told a conference of Democratic leaders and organizers in Florence. "That is not leadership. That is not leadership. Alabama deserves better." Democratic candidates have been talking issues, Maddox said. "The other party was talking about mountain oysters and Confederate monuments, dividing the state, using empty rhetoric. That is not leadership. That is not leadership." Maddox said his priorities start with preparing the state's workforce for future jobs at plants such as Mercedes Benz in his city. The company is investing $1 billion to build electric cars, he said. "Are we preparing ourselves? I will tell you the answer is no." "It's always about winning the press conference," he said. "It's never about developing the jobs going forward." By "winnng press conference" about a new industry, Maddox said he means, "It's easy to fly in and take credit for someone else's work and then fly back out." Maddox said Alabama in the last 20 years has "recruited Mercedes, Airbus, Austal, Honda, Hyundai, you name the defense industry, yet during that same time period we have remained 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th and 50th in everything that matters." He would "leverage" the state's colleges and universities to train workers for the future, Maddox said, including its historically black colleges and universities. And he promised "to tear down the obstacles to the ballot box" adding, "You can't call yourself a patriot if you're afraid of democracy." "We're going to act with urgency by finally addressing the opioid crisis," he said, "and we're going to make our schools safer without arming administrators inside the building." Maddox promised to expand Medicaid for 331,000 Alabamians lacking health care and to work with small towns losing their hospitals. He focused on Haleyville, which he said has been urged to raise local taxes to keep its hospital open. "For a party that disavows any sort of revenue measure, they talk about in Montgomery, 'We're going to cut government and keep taxes low, but you people in Haleyville go ahead and raise your taxes to keep your hospital open,'" he said. "That kind of hypocrisy we're going to call out day after day after day for the next 150 days." Maddox also talked about his experience leading Tuscaloosa's recovery from the tornadoes of April 27, 2011. "I saw tragedy up close and personal, felt the intense grief and the endless exhaustion, but also experienced something that will remain with me forever," he said."To see the people of Alabama come together to help rebuild our city, we reflected the image of God in those moments." "We can find common ground because we have the same values," he said. By Benjamin Jumbe. The Prime Minister of Ethiopia Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali is expected in the country today for a 2 day state visit. The presidents senior press secretary Don Wanyama says the visiting premier will arrive this morning at Entebbe international airport and will be received by the state minister for regional cooperation Henry Okello Oryem. He says he will then be led to state house where he will have a closed door meeting with his host president Museveni before the two leaders jointly address the media as he elaborates The Prime minister will be awarded a pearl of Africa grand master medal during Saturdays heros day celebrations in Kakumiro district in honor of his contribution in developing Africa. Tom Butler and Chad Fincher both served in the Alabama legislature from different sides of the aisle. From 1982 to 2010, Butler represented Madison as a Democrat. Fincher ran as a Republican in 2006 and 2010, winning both times before he launched an unsuccessful campaign for Congress. In a twist that has provoked some head-scratching, Butler was the only one of the pair allowed onto the Republican primary ballot this year. Butler and Fincher are not alone. Three former Democrats who ran as members of that party within the last decade are running on the Republican ticket this year. Meanwhile, Republican officials blocked four long-time members of the GOP from running for elected positions on the executive committee because they publicly supported Democratic candidates in recent elections. So which candidates are Republican enough? And how does the party decide? Brandon Shoupe, a Houston County Commissioner and member of the Republican Executive Committee, filed a challenge against Bobby Bright, a former Democrat running to unseat U.S. Rep. Martha Roby. After some consideration, he withdrew the challenge, but still believes the party needs to standardize a process for switching parties. "It's really subjective and I wish the rules would be more formalized," Shoupe said. "If you have been a Democrat and you want to become a Republican, there should be a full process to do that." Along with Butler and Bright, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall also campaigned as a Democrat in recent years. Butler tried to run as a Republican in 2012, but was blocked by the Madison County GOP candidate committee. This year, he faced no objections to his run for state senate, according to an official with the county party. Butler won the June 5 primary for state senate and will face Democrat Amy Wasyluka in November. Republican candidates usually have the advantage in conservative Alabama, and Shoupe worries that edge might attract politicians who don't really share the party ideology. He said he understands that positions and parties change over time, and that some people switch for all the right reasons, but he worries others might be taking advantage of the GOP's popularity in Alabama. "We've had a problem within the state party where we have a lot of party switching," Shoupe said. "People recognize they can't be elected as Democrats." Fincher and three other Republicans, including Gina Dearborn, Cole Manders and Lee Garrison sought seats on the Alabama State Executive Committee, but were disqualified because they recently supported Democratic candidates. All of them have been active in Republican circles for years. Dearborn's husband served in the Trump White House and she runs a lobbying company in Montgomery. Cole Manders was described as a "rising star" by the Alabama GOP in 2013 and has since come out as gay. Lee Garrison served in non-partisan offices in Tuscaloosa since the late 1990s and has hosted fundraisers for several Republican candidates. All four violated a party bylaw that prohibits Republican officials from openly supporting Democratic candidates. Dearborn, Manders and Fincher said they would support Doug Jones in his race against Roy Moore. Garrison said he would back Walt Maddox in the campaign for governor. Fincher said he wasn't aware of loyalty rules that allow party officials to disqualify candidates who "publicly participated in the primary election of another political party or publicly supported a nominee of another political party." "I have proven myself to be a Republican based on my service of eight years in the legislature," Fincher said. "I was really surprised the decision to disqualify me was made based on one Facebook post." Angi Horn Stalnaker, a Republican consultant, said the party rarely disqualifies candidates from the ballot. About 600 people ran for seats on the State Executive Committee and only a handful were disqualified, she said. Party officials hold committee members to different standards than candidates for public office, Stalnaker said. GOP officials prefer to allow voters to make decisions on candidates for elected office, she said, but have higher loyalty requirements for those who want to steer the Republican Party. "It's very clear," she said. "You can't openly support a Democrat against a Republican." Garrison said the loyalty requirements may disqualify moderate Republicans who worry they don't have a place in today's GOP. In Facebook posts, he urged Republicans in Tuscaloosa to vote for him, even if the votes don't count. "The Alabama Republican Party of today is headed in the wrong direction," Garrison wrote. "I am talking about the Party, not particular candidates of the Party. Not too long ago the Republican Party was nonexistent in Alabama. With the way it is headed now, I fear it is on a path of exclusion instead of inclusion which could lead to its ultimate demise." Stalnaker said the party's decisions have been inconsistent in the past. Legislator Harri Anne Smith was the most famous Republican in Alabama barred from running as a member of the party - ironically, after she supported then-Democrat Bobby Bright in his 2008 bid for Congress. Smith has served as an independent ever since. "Hari Anne Smith was removed from the ballot for far less than Bobby Bright and Steve Marshall have done," Stalnaker said. As for Shoupe, he believes the loyalty rule that blocked the candidates for executive committee is straightforward and clear. Guidelines for party-switching would benefit from the same kind of clarity, he said. "It's our responsibility on the state executive committee to really take care of the state Republican party," he said. "It's not a perfect system, but we do have rules." Updated at 8:37 a.m. to show that Tom Butler will run against Democrat Amy Wasyluka A woman is facing a felony charge for hitting and kicking a Limestone County deputy in the face during an arrest Thursday evening, authorities said. Heather Reece faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of assaulting a sheriff's deputy. Heather Nicole Reece is charged with felony aggravated assault of a police officer and misdemeanor resisting arrest, according to Limestone County Jail records. She was released early this morning on $6,000 bail. Deputies were dispatched to New Cut Road to investigate a suspicious person walking in the middle of the road, said sheriff' spokesman Stephen Young. The deputies found Reece near Tillman Mill Road, asked if she wanted a ride and checked to see if she needed medical treatment, Young said. Reece didn't want a ride, but the deputies checked her ID and found out she was wanted on a warrant in Athens. When they tried to arrest her, Reece became combative, authorities said. Young said Reece kicked one deputy in the side of the face. The deputy wasn't seriously injured. If convicted of the felony, Reece faces up to 10 years in prison. The four commissioners of Alabama's fastest-growing county have tackled an array of issues in the past decade that are unseen in most government chambers statewide. And these are weighty issues: Schools crowded by soaring enrollment, roads congested by tourists pouring in, and residential and commercial development erupting in communities already grappling with relentless boom. Baldwin County voters showed Tuesday that they want some changes in how these issues are being addressed, and in who's calling the shots. Of the four current commissioners in this strongly Republican county, only one is guaranteed another four years on the job. "There are a lot of things going on with changes in the county's atmosphere with new people and more people moving in here and you have different views in the way they see things," said Charles "Skip" Gruber, who has served on the Baldwin County Commission since 2006, and was the only incumbent to walk away from Tuesday's primary with a win. He faces no Democratic opponent in November. "The older people are set with what they want, but the younger people moving in see things a bit different," Gruber said. "And a lot of people don't understand what the commission does, either." Large and growing Gruber defeated Orange Beach City Councilman Jerry Johnson during the GOP primary in one of four contested commission races. It was a relatively close win - a 721 vote differential and a 51-49 percent split. Each race was determined by voters county-wide, although each commissioner represents a particular district. Gruber's District 4 spreads over the county's south end. "We don't just serve the people in our district, we serve the whole county," said Gruber. "That's the way our commission works. The people can all call the four of us and talk to them. We're all talking to different people in different areas throughout the county." Indeed, Baldwin County sprawls from the rural areas north of Bay Minette and Stockton, to the burgeoning growth areas of Daphne, Spanish Fort and Fairhope, to Foley and the throbbing beaches. It is the largest of Alabama's county's by area - the 12th biggest county east of the Mississippi River - and is larger than the state of Rhode Island. And it's added more than 30,000 residents since the 2010 U.S. Census, a 17 percent jump. Alabama, overall, has seen only a 2 percent growth. Toppling longevity Commission incumbents and candidates traveled long miles through the large county in their campaigns. Among them was James "Jeb" Ball of Bay Minette, who drove his pick-up truck to events and met with voters for months as he attempted to unseat a 30-year incumbent. Ball's work paid off: He defeated Frank Burt Jr., who was first elected to the commission in 1988, by a 52-48 percent margin. Ball credited his "work ethic" to the victory in the commission's District 1 race. That district covers mostly rural north Baldwin. "I think people wanted change," said Ball. "It's the No. 1 thing I've heard in traveling around the county and that was the citizens of Baldwin County were ready for that change, not only in my race but in every aspect in the people who were running for office." Ball said that he kept things positive. He said he wasn't trying to defeat Burt as much as he was simply "running for the position." "I cannot say a negative thing about Mr. Burt," said Ball. Said Burt, "Thirty years of public service and I have no regrets. I ran and ran hard and I lost, and my opponent worked hard and won." Uncertain fates The fate of another incumbent, Tucker Dorsey, remains uncertain for now. Dorsey, the District 3 representative since 2010, finished second Tuesday to challenger Billie Jo Underwood of Summerdale. Underwood placed first, 2,673 votes ahead of Dorsey, with 48 percent. Dorsey received 39 percent, and the two will square off in a July 17 runoff. Will McDaniel, a third candidate in that race, finished third with 13 percent. The district takes in much of east-central Baldwin, extending toward Florida. "I am very thankful and honored for all the support I have received from the citizens of Baldwin County," said Underwood, who fell 2 percentage points shy of avoiding a runoff. "It would have been nice to finish with a win, and, at times, I was very hopeful. I have run an open and honest grassroots campaign that has been citizen-focused, and I will continue to work hard and earn the votes needed to win the runoff." Dorsey said that the runoff represents a "new day and a new race" and one that will include a "new strategy and plan" to engage voters. But Dorsey said he doesn't believe the primary results are indicative of a voting base demanding change. He noted that two challengers - Johnson in District 3 and former Daphne City Councilman John Lake in District 2 - both lost, and both were running as change candidates. "Why would anyone want to change what is happening in Baldwin County?" Dorsey said. "We are nationally recognized as one of the best places to live, vacation, eat and raise a family. We are expanding our schools, increasing capacity on our roads and the county has its best financial condition ever." Recognizable challenger In District 2, Joe Davis defeated Lake by 52-48 percent. Davis is a member of the Daphne City Council, and while not an outsider to government like Bell or Underwood, could bring a new face to the county commission. District 2 ranges over much of the county's Eastern Shore region. The seat opened after Chris Elliott decided to run as a Republican for the soon-to-be-vacant state Senate District 32 seat. Reflecting on the difficulties of incumbents Tuesday, Davis said, "Whatever is going on, you get the credit for the good stuff and the blame for things that were not done well enough. All of us put ourselves out there and explained what we represented and what we can bring to the table." Davis, who gathered support from mayors leading up to the primary, said that relationships between cities and the county government will be important going forward in dealing with schools, roads and all the rest. But Davis - like Underwood or Dorsey in District 3 - is not done. The District 2 and 3 races will ultimately be determined on Nov. 6. That's because two Democrats are on the ballot. Democratic hopes Amber Smith of Daphne and Heather Brown of Summerdale are planning to team up and campaign together with the hopes of pulling upsets. Smith, who faces Davis in November, noted that Democratic turnout surged on Tuesday compared to the 2014 primaries - a 711 percent jump from a paltry 569 voters four years ago to 4,617. Overall, turnout in Baldwin County was 24 percent and was slightly below the state's average. Bad weather, especially during Tuesday morning, was blamed by some of the candidates for the soft showing. Republicans still ruled Baldwin County: Of the 36,703 votes cast, 31,456 were Republican or 87 percent. Democratic primary voters were only 13 percent, but that's still an improvement from 2014 when the primary turnout margin was 98-2 percent. "After the Doug Jones election, a lot of people are becoming active voters," said Smith. "We are seeing better turnout." Said Brown, who faces the winner of the Underwood-Dorsey runoff: "I think that is triggered by the growth here in the county. We've got more people coming in from other parts of the state and other states moving in and that sort of changes the dynamic here." Smith said that despite the numbers disadvantages heading into November, she likes her chances. "We want people to know we're not just focused on the beaches and the Eastern Shore, but the rural areas of the county as well and to make sure people all over Baldwin County are able to get a piece of the pie. We are talking about growth and bringing in more economic development to those areas," Smith said. London, England Marah Natshe was six years old when she was held at gunpoint by Israeli soldiers inspecting her house in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. Seven years later, at 13, she joined the newly formed Palestinian Circus School (PCS), which aimed to offer young people a way of expressing the struggle of occupation through art. Now 24, she is the first female circus trainer in Palestine and the leading female performer in Sarab or mirage PCS show with a difference. The act features juggling and acrobatics but instead of fun and games, the group highlights the plight of refugees from the Middle East, including Palestinians, revealing how their dreams of finding sanctuary remains a mirage. As the refugee crisis unfolded, PCS, which was founded in 2006, taught circus skills to those fleeing war and persecution in Turkey, Jordan and Germany and listened to their stories. At a recent show in Londons Jacksons Lane, as part of PCS European tour, bright stage lights glared as the scene opened. We all hope someday to get back to the safe life. All refugees still have some hope inside of them that they can go back one day. This is the only thing we have, hope. Marah Natshe, performer A group of Palestinians amuse each other with magic tricks, but its not long before it turns dark and the piercing sound of deadly Israeli drones pervades the theatre. The spotlight turns to a survivor, who sweeps up fragments of thousands of children killed at the hands of Israelis in the occupied territories. In another scene, later, a man wipes sweat from his forehead as he carries a heavy block of wood. Natshe said the block could symbolise the heavy memories displaced communities hold on to. [Another] huge weight on our shoulders is that of having to take everything that is going on and being shut [off] and moving on, she told Al Jazeera, adding that Sarab is more effective than other media because it makes the public feel as well as hear and see the message. You have to go and make them feel. Make their hearts feel the emotional things happening in front of their eyes, she said. It is only then the audience connects and thinks, now im living with them. The Palestinian Circus School (PCS) aims to offer young people a way of expressing the struggle of occupation through art [Aivin Hans/Al Jazeera] Natshe said she hopes the performance prompts audiences to research the ongoing Palestinian crisis and act. We all hope someday to get back to the safe life, she said. All refugees still have some hope inside of them that they can go back one day. This is the only thing we have, hope. As for what PCS offers young Palestinians, the group is a safe place to explore their anger through their bodies and minds, said the performer. [That] is really more powerful for children than roaming the streets and doing things that might be very dangerous to their lives. I feel that when I enter this place I somehow find freedom. Since I first started, I felt like this place is home. As the refugee crisis unfolded, PCS, which was founded in 2006, taught circus skills to those fleeing war and persecution in Turkey, Jordan and Germany and listened to their stories [Aivin Hans/Al Jazeera] PSC performed in London in April on three consecutive dates all of which were sold out as part of the 2018 CircusFest, hosted by the Roundhouse, with seven performers making creative use of a Chinese pole, wooden cubicles and a suitcase to reflect the multiple stories being told. Spectator Tammy Walkers said the experience was really moving. It gave you a real feeling of the stress situation people live in, Walkers told Al Jazeera. A scene of a man carrying his life around on his back was really harrowing, she continued, but its what life in a refugee camp is like. According to UNRWA, descendants of Palestinian refugees are considered refugees. Today, there are more than 5.5 million overall. The act features juggling and acrobatics but instead of fun and games, the group highlights the plight of refugees from the Middle East [Aivin Hans/Al Jazeera] Another veteran performer, 21-year-old Hazar Azzeh from Ramallah, told Al Jazeera refugees go through such living hell that some wish they could go back to a war zone. In the East, we have this image of Europe, the US and UK, being like a heaven where people can be who they want, but when it comes to us [refugees], its honestly not. The PCS, she added, is a powerful tool of resistance. Its so much more convincing and exciting through art than lecturing and the media. In society, people dont know they are the start button for change and that they can do a lot, so this is like a teasing tool for people to start and react to change something. We are not saying that they will free Palestine or bring all refugees back to their homelands, but they can push their governments and whatever their countries are doing against these people to stop doing it. But the circus teaches us how to fight in a different way - with our performance, act and bodies - but in a good way. Ala'a Abo Alrob, performer Palestinians account for one third of the worldwide population of refugees. Under the suffocating occupation of Israeli forces, life for Palestinian children is not only bleak but also dangerous. Performer Alaa Abo Alrob, 24, said that before joining the circus all he thought about was violence. But the circus teaches us how to fight in a different way with our performance, act and bodies but in a good way, he said. Dangerous flows of lava and toxic gases poured down several canyons below the crater of Guatemalas Fuego volcano on Friday, prompting a new round of evacuations of rescue workers and nearby villages. The death toll from Fuegos most violent eruption in four decades has been rising and now stands at 109. The eruptions began with a massive blast on Sunday and since then have showered ash over a vast area. The (flows) carry hot vapor, including fine particles similar to cement, two- to three-meter diameter rocks and tree trunks dragged out by the current, Guatemalas volcanic institute said. Search and rescue efforts were formally suspended on Thursday due to hazardous conditions, though authorities said they could resume if the situation improves. Firefighters said the chance of finding anyone alive amid the still-steaming terrain was practically nonexistent 72 hours after the volcanic explosion. Nobody is going to be able to get them out or say how many are buried here, Efrain Suarez said, standing amid the smoking holes dotting what used to be the village of San Miguel Los Lotes on the flanks of the mountain. The bodies are already charred, the 59-year-old truck driver said. And if heavy machinery comes in they will be torn apart. The United States announced on Thursday it was sending emergency aid, including financial resources, to help meet food, water and sanitation needs. Mexico said it was sending a team of burn specialists, while Chile said it would send equipment to provide an early warning of volcanic eruptions. A team of Cuban doctors resident in Guatemala were providing support in shelters for the displaced. Once a verdant stretch of canyons, hillsides and farms, the land is now a barren moonscape. While Africa should resist foreign political machinations, it should still stand up to despotic African leaders. On January 28, Egypts President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was elected to head the African Unions (AU) 31st session that is due to start in January 2019. This was a massive diplomatic coup for a leader that human rights groups hold responsible for the deaths of at least 817 peaceful protesters in Cairo in a single day five years ago. If everything goes according to plan and Sisi indeed succeeds Rwandas President Paul Kagame as AU president, for one year he will serve as the chairperson of an organisation that claims to work towards modernising governments, accelerating economic growth, reducing poverty and improving access to healthcare and social services throughout Africa. While African leaders decision to hand over the presidency of the AUs 31st session to a controversial figure like Sisi (whose ousting of Egypts first democratically elected president in 2013 prompted the organisation to suspend Egypts membership for nearly a year) is undoubtedly problematic, it is not at all surprising for anyone who is familiar with the organisations history of protecting and even promoting Africas strongmen. The AU boasts leaders within its ranks who have profoundly patriarchal and conservative values, questionable legitimacy and blood-spattered pasts. In many ways, the 55-member organisation is a fine example to how a collective determination to establish and maintain democratic principles can go terribly wrong. {articleGUID} The Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the forerunner to the AU, was established on May 25, 1963 in Ethiopias capital Addis Ababa to safeguard African interests especially in respect of lingering colonialism. The OAU was disbanded and replaced by the more inclusive AU in 2002. Since its conception, the organisation adopted a number of important new documents establishing norms at continental level, including the 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. However, the continental body has struggled to act upon the noble vision for democratic change envisioned in this charter. In the last decade, the AU has proved to be highly efficient in publishing decisions, declarations and press releases, but it has repeatedly failed to take constructive disciplinary action against tyrannical administrations. Today, the scarcity of viable, all-inclusive multiparty democracies, especially in central and North Africa, suggest the organisation has failed to achieve most of its goals and instead transformed into an exclusive club of brutish despots who exhibit weak, corrupt, undistinguished and divisive leadership. AU failures in Burundi and DRC This year alone several political low points have exposed how toothless and exceedingly protective of African strongmen the AU is. On April 2, Sisi won the presidential elections in Egypt with an extraordinary and highly questionable 97 percent of the votes, securing another four-year term. The election process was not free, fair or transparent. This sham election should have drawn strong and unequivocal denunciation from the AU leadership and lead to the brisk suspension or even outright expulsion of Egypt from the union. Or, at the very least, Sisis orchestrated win should have been a wake up call for the AU to launch an urgent and comprehensive examination of democracy within its ranks. Of course, none of this has happened. And even before this preposterous win ridiculed the AUs founding desire to promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance, the Sisi administration had been violating basic universal freedoms by cracking down on human rights organisations, muzzling independent voices and incarcerating journalists and bloggers like Wael Abbas with unwarranted zeal, grotesque brutality and amazing consistency. Yet the AU has been disconcertingly silent on the sustained annihilation of democratic spaces and persecution of democracy advocates and alternative voices in Egypt almost to the extent of appearing to be implicitly condoning Sisis unprecedented crackdown on free expression. The Sisi administrations dreadful actions impugned the value of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and demonstrated how the AUs mollycoddling of so-called liberators like Sisi threaten African aspirations of social and economic freedom. The elections in Egypt was not the only one that caused embarrassment for the AU in recent years. In 2015, Burundis President Pierre Nkurunziza won a third term in office following an electoral boycott by opposition leaders, a coup attempt, and widespread violence that resulted in nearly 1,200 deaths, more than 100,000 being internally displaced and a further 300,000 fleeing the central African nation. After the election, the confrontation settled into low-intensity warfare characterised by targeted assassinations, disappearances and torture. During all this, the AU not only failed to halt the exacerbation of the crisis, but also missed an obvious opportunity to take a united stand against anti-democratic actions of an African leader. Last month, voters in Burundi approved constitutional amendments that could potentially allow President Nkurunziza to stay in office until 2034 as well as boost his powers. But this was not a straight-forward political victory for Nkurunziza. The win violated the 2000 Arusha peace accords, which bars elected leaders from serving for more than 10 years. And a report from Human Rights Watch claimed that five people opposing the referendum had been killed, while six others were raped, eight abducted and scores were injured in violent attacks on perceived opponents of the National Council for the Defence of Democracy-Forces (CNDD-FDD), the countrys ruling party. Prior to the controversial referendum, Nkurunziza also banned the BBC and Voice of America from working in Burundi. Following all this, the AU once again failed to take constructive and decisive action. The latest electoral shenanigans in Burundi rivaled the murderous drama Joseph Kabila has manufactured through a steadfast refusal to hold elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although Kabila has broken every rule in the AU electoral book, the AU has shown no inclination to expel the DRC from the organisation. The AU appears unmoved by the consistent discovery of mass graves in Eastern DRC, innumerable deadly clampdowns on peaceful protests in Kinshasa or the alarming humanitarian crisis, poverty and the plunder of natural resources currently taking place throughout the central African nation. ICC shenanigans All the while, Africa is on a collective drive to abandon the International Criminal Court (ICC). Egypt has neither signed nor ratified the Rome Statute and Burundi, South Africa and the Gambia (temporarily) withdrew from the ICC in 2017 amid calls for all African countries to ditch the treaty. The current AU chair, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, recently claimed, The ICC was supposed to address the whole world, but it ended up covering only Africa. Despite the contrived disappointment displayed over the courts perceived inclination to prosecute African leaders only and an AU call for mass withdrawal of member states, the Hague-based court remains the most practical legal option for many victims of crimes against humanity who live in Africa. The African Court on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) which in theory should serve the peoples of Africa in a similar way to the ICC appears blind to countless injustices that have been perpetrated on innocent and defenceless African citizens throughout the continent. {articleGUID} Perhaps the ACHPR hasnt heard about how thousands of poor and unarmed villagers died at the hands of the Fifth Brigade in the Gukurahundi massacres in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe from 1982 to 1987? Nobody has yet been held responsible for the said murders, in which, some human right campaigners allege, former President Robert Mugabe, Agriculture Minister Perence Shiri and current President Emmerson Mnangagwa played a role. Maybe the AU, bound determinedly by deep distrust for Western meddling in African politics, hasnt heard about the 2015 disappearance of Itai Dzamara, a pro-democracy activist who was abducted by five suspected security agents from a hair salon in Glen Norah, Harare only to be never seen again. Maybe the ACHPR hasnt looked into prosecuting the armed men responsible for the awfully depressing plight of thousands of child soldiers and distraught women who are victims of mass rapes in the never-ending South Sudan war? Or has the ACHPR deliberately disregarded how hundreds of defenceless activists have been victims of enforced disappearances and brutal torture in Egypt? Although serious allegations of crimes against humanity hound the sitting presidents of Sudan, South Sudan, the DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Egypt and Zimbabwe, as well as vicious bullies like the Gambias former President Yahya Jammeh or Ethiopias former dictator Col Mengistu Haile Mariam, AU leaders, including measured and democratic types like Kagame, believe everyone should buy into their self-serving anti-ICC dogma. While Africans appreciate the need to strongly resist the geopolitical and economic machinations of the US, France, Russia, Britain and China in Africa, such an African nationalist imperative should not hinder the regular and indiscriminate execution of lawful procedures against former or current despotic leaders. We couldnt (and shouldnt) care less about whether tyrants like Charles Taylor, Laurent Gbagbo, Nkurunziza, Kabila and Sisi are tried and jailed by the ICC or the ACHR: we want justice, law, order and democracy to prevail throughout Africa. We want Africa to fulfil its immense economic potential and achieve enviable social objectives because all Africans deserve better than our present crop of corrupt leaders. We want justice for Solo Sandeng and thousands of dead activists and pacifists like him. And we want to see the new Africa rising. Suffice it to say that, with or without the help of the AU, Africa will rise. Editors note: This article has been updated with the correct location of the ICC. It is in The Hague, not Geneva. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Decisions the ICC will have to take regarding the Rohingya case could have international implications. Over half a million Rohingya have been forced from their homes in Myanmar since 2016, with most crossing the border into Bangladesh. At a time when the number of refugees and internally displaced are the highest in decades globally, addressing root causes and ensuring accountability are important. Representatives of the UN Security Council recently concluded a fact-finding visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh. The possibility of Myanmar investigating and pursuing accountability for the atrocities that have been committed was raised. This has been met with much scepticism, given denial on the part of the Myanmar government regarding any responsibility for the mass exodus of the Rohingya. There are also growing calls for the UNSC to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Recent developments are now refocusing attention on the forced movement of individuals across borders, viewed through the lens of international accountability. Deportation as a crime against humanity In an unprecedented move, the prosecutor of the ICC is seeking to assert the jurisdiction of the court for the deportation of Rohingya from Myanmar to Bangladesh. This is based on Article 7 of the Rome Statute which includes deportation or forcible transfer of population as a crime against humanity. In her motion of 9 April 2018, the prosecutor argues that deportation requires the crossing of an international border and hence, the court has jurisdiction due to the fact that Bangladesh is a party to the Rome Statute, even though Myanmar is not. Judges of the ICC have been asked to determine whether the prosecutor can proceed in this case. {articleGUID} As a crime against humanity, deportation has been included in the statutes of international and hybrid tribunals for the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Cambodia. However, typically there has been a greater emphasis on crimes considered of greater gravity, often occurring in conjunction with, or the reason for the forced movement of the population. Also, due to the type of conflicts, displacement within borders has been the focus mainly. While open to interpretation, the distinction drawn by the prosecutor is that deportation requires crossing an international border, whereas forcible transfer relates to displacement within state borders. Hence, the argument asserting jurisdiction of the court hinges upon an essential element completion of the crime of deportation in Bangladeshi territory. Legal and humanitarian concerns The focus on deportation in the legal submission excludes a wide array of potential crimes identified by UN experts, including gross human rights violations such as killings, enforced disappearances, torture, sexual violence, and potentially, genocide. While the charges filed by the prosecutor are limited, this may not preclude additional charges subsequently, including by virtue of a potential UNSC referral. Fulfilling evidentiary requirements to establish deportation as a crime against humanity will be a challenge, should the case move forward. While the completion of the crime requires the crossing of an international border and access to Bangladesh, the other elements of the crime, such as establishing a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population will require access to evidence in, or from, Myanmar. There have also been concerns pertaining to the process followed thus far. While the Bangladesh government has been asked to present its views to the pre-trial chamber on the prosecutors motion, the government of Myanmar has not been invited to do so. Further, on the basis of confidential information, a closed session of the chamber and the prosecutor has been scheduled. Such ex parte and closed proceedings have raised legitimate concerns as to the transparency of the proceedings. The focus on deportation also serves to highlight the plight of those individuals by various accounts numbering 5,000 who are in no mans land, stuck between the borders of both countries. For those who have made it to Bangladesh, dire living conditions in the camps are expected to be exacerbated by the oncoming monsoon. A repatriation agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar which has not been made public is yet to be implemented. As Human Rights Watch indicated to the Myanmar government, the terms of the agreement are highly problematic pertaining to essential elements including security of returnees, voluntariness of return, access to land and livelihood, and full citizenship rights. The implementation of the accord has been delayed for a variety of reasons including ongoing violence. The developments at the ICC may put additional pressure on Myanmar and Bangladesh for the modification and implementation of the repatriation agreement, or indeed, may backfire, with no improvement. Spotlight on forced movement of populations Mass scale refugee flows, as well as internal displacement, are on the rise. Displacement or deportation are central to most humanitarian crises, with a detrimental impact on the affected populace as well consequences for a host state. The ICC prosecutor, in paragraph 5 of her submission, indicates that enforced migration is of acute international concern at the present time. {articleGUID} The developments at the ICC are a positive step in terms of international accountability a test case on the substantive legal question, but also perhaps more crucially, on the issue of jurisdiction. The impact of a positive ruling of jurisdiction by the court may have cross-border implications globally. It might lead to the prosecutor deciding to take this approach towards asserting jurisdiction when a state party borders a non-state party. It is not inconceivable that the prosecutor might resort to such action for mass scale refugee movements across state borders or even mass deportations, depending on the factual context. While the innovative approach to asserting jurisdiction may be a positive development, particularly given the inaction of the UNSC, many states will no doubt raise objections. While global effort should focus on alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh, it should also hold accountable those who are responsible for the plight of the Rohingya. In this sense, the ICC proceedings are a step in the right direction. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. UN raises the spectre of mass casualties in the port city of Hudaida as fresh fighting erupts in Yemens Marib province. The United Nations has warned that a military attack or siege by pro-Yemeni government forces supported by a Saudi-led coalition on the port city of Hudaida will impact hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. Lise Grande, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, said on Friday that humanitarian agencies fear, in a prolonged worst case, that as many as 250,000 people may lose everything even their lives. As many as 600,000 civilians are currently living in and around the rebel-held city, a vital lifeline through which most of Yemens population gets food and medicine, according to estimates by the UN and its partners. The UN warned that the likely catastrophic humanitarian impact would be worsened due to Hudaidas key role as the point of entry for some 70 percent of Yemens imports. Cutting off imports through Hudaida for any length of time will put Yemens population at extreme, unjustifiable risk, Grande said. Saudi Arabia, together with several other Arab nations, launched a military campaign in 2015 in support of Yemens internationally recognised government, aiming to roll back advances made by Houthi rebels after they overran much of the country in 2014. Most countries have since withdrawn their forces from the US-backed coalition, with only Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates conducting attacks in Yemen. Fierce fighting Meanwhile, heavy fighting in Yemens Marib province left at least 20 Houthi rebels dead and several wounded, Yemens military announced on Friday. Fierce fighting erupted Thursday after a group of rebels attempted to infiltrate army positions in southern Serwah, the statement quoted an unnamed military source as saying. {articleGUID} The military artillery had targeted Houthi sites and concentrations throughout southern Serwah, leading to heavy casualties and material losses among the ranks of the rebel group, it added. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis regarding the armys claims. The Houthis have controlled the centre of the Serwah Directorate since April 2015, and the area remains the scene of frequent clashes between the two sides. Impoverished Yemen has been wracked by violence since 2014 when the Houthis overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa. The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its allies, who accuse the Houthis of serving as Iranian proxies, launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains. The following year, UN-sponsored peace talks held in Kuwait failed to produce any tangible breakthroughs. Since then, more than 10,000 people have been killed, most of them civilians. The ongoing violence has also devastated Yemens infrastructure, including water and sanitation systems, prompting the UN to describe the situation as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern times. On Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross pulled 71 of its international staff out of Yemen, citing rising security threats. Some 450 ICRC employees remain in Yemen, including dozens of expatriate staff, spokeswoman Marie-Claire Feghali said. Government action is part of its crackdown on political Islam a move Turkey called anti-Islam and racist. Austria is closing seven mosques and could expel dozens of imams from the country, the government has announced. At a press conference on Friday, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said the government is shutting down a Turkish mosque and dissolving a group called the Arab Religious Community, which runs six mosques. The Austrian governments actions stem from a 2015 law, which bans foreign funding of religious groups and required Muslim societies to have a positive fundamental view towards [Austrias] state and society. Parallel societies, political Islam and tendencies toward radicalisation have no place in our country, Kurz said. Austria is home to an estimated 600,000 Muslims, mostly of Turkish origin. 1/Austrias decision to close seven mosques and expel imams is a reflection of the Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory wave in this country. It is an attempt to target Muslim communities for the sake of scoring cheap political points. Ibrahim Kalin (@ikalin1) June 8, 2018 Culture Minister Gernot Blumel said the Turkish mosque was shut down because of suspected right-wing extremism and because the Austrian Islamic Faith Community had not licensed it. The Arab mosques were accused of preaching Salafi positions and would, therefore, be shuttered, Blumel said. Salafism is a school of theology based on a strict and literal interpretation of Islam. Anti-Islam move Interior Minister Herbert Kickl said the residence permits of about 40 imams are under review. The scholars are all employed by ATIB, a Turkish organisation overseeing mosques which the government said had circumvented the ban on foreign funding. Two permits have already been revoked, and five imams were denied first-time permits, Kickl, a member of the far-right Freedom Party, said. Turkey lashed out at Austria for the policies, calling the moves anti-Islam and racist. Austrias decision to close down seven mosques and deport imams with a lame excuse is a reflection of the anti-Islam, racist and discriminatory populist wave in this country, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter. Anti-immigrant coalition Kurz, 31, became chancellor of Austria in December after his conservative Peoples Party entered a coalition with the far-right Freedom party. Both parties campaigned for strengthening border controls, speedy deportations of asylum seekers whose requests are denied and a crackdown on what they call radical Islam. In April the government announced it would seek to ban the hijab for girls in kindergarten and primary schools. In July, Kurz will assume the EUs presidency. He has said he will aim to shift the focus of the blocs immigration policy from redistributing refugees and migrants towards securing external borders. Bemba ICC case: Judges due to deliver appeal verdict Judges from the International Criminal Court are due to give their verdict on Jean-Pierre Bembas appeal against his conviction for war crimes and crimes against humanity. By Ritah Kemigisa. The Chinese government has confirmed that it will officially open the Kampala-Entebbe express highway for public use this June. Addressing journalists at the Uganda Media center ahead a of friendly visit of a high level Chinese delegation, the Chinese ambassador to Uganda Zheng Zhaqiangsaid the visit will be marred by political consultations and how to strengthen the China- Uganda relationship. Zhaqiang says the delegation which will be headed by the chairman of the Chinese Peoples political consultative conference H.E Wang Yang was invited by Ugandas Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. He says the delegation which will be in Uganda between the 13th and 16th of June will also exchange views with President Yoweri Museveni on the fields of Infrastructure construction and industrial parks. The 51.4 km highway that connects Kampala city to Entebbe International Airport will be the first toll road in the country where Ugandans will pay a fee to use it. Iraqis blame their government over water shortages, and Turkey decides to delay filling upstream Ilisu Dam. Turkey has decided to postpone filling a massive upstream dam amid rising concerns in neighbouring Iraq that declining water levels in the Tigris River may pose an immediate threat to the countrys water flow. At least 70 percent of Iraqs water comes from rivers and marshes shared with its neighbours, especially the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers both of which run through Turkey. Ankara started filling the Ilisu Dam one of 22 dams and 19 power plants being built as part of the Southeastern Anatolian Project on June 1, but on Thursday it announced that it was halting operations. As of this moment, the water of the Tigris River will flow into Iraq without a single drop touching the gates of the Ilisu Dam which weve now opened, said Fatih Yildiz, Turkeys ambassador to Iraq. Speaking at a press conference, Yildiz said: stability played an important role in our decision to postpone filling the dam. He added: Turkey will continue to show the cooperation and sacrifice needed to help our Iraqi brothers overcome the water crisis. Breaks my heart Experts say the amount of water flowing through Iraqs rivers has fallen by at least 40 percent in recent decades. On June 3, the Iraqi parliament called an emergency session to discuss the countrys low water levels. I can cut across the Tigris River on foot. It breaks my heart to see it like this, Fatih al-Salaam, a 25-year-old student in the capital, Baghdad, told Al Jazeera. These rivers [the Tigris and Euphrates] shape our identity. It is after them that Iraq was called the land between the two rivers, added al-Salaam. A prolonged reduction of water levels in the rivers flowing through Iraq will reduce electricity generation from hydroelectric dams and affect the water supply for agriculture, forcing the country to import more food. The shortages could also affect Iraqs southern marshes, which were declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2016. These rivers shape our identity. It is after them that Iraq was called the land between the two rivers Fatih al-Salaam Anger at Iraqi government While some have pointed fingers at Turkey for the water shortages in Iraq, including social media activists calling for a boycott of Turkish products, many citizens and politicians have held Baghdad responsible. Why are we putting the blame on Turkey? Why didnt Iraq build a dam of its own? Malik Rashid, a 30-year-old resident of Nasiriya in southern Iraq, told Al Jazeera. We blame our own government for not properly managing and using our water resources. Omar Hashim, 38, from Baghdad, agreed: More responsibility falls on shoulders of the Iraqi government. We can only blame it [Baghdad], not Turkey, for not knowing how to plan our water security. Capitalising on popular sentiment, Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia leader of the Sairoon bloc that emerged victorious in last months parliamentary elections, gave the government a deadline to begin solving the water crisis. If our [electoral] victory is the beginning of revenge for the citizens of Iraq, then I will not allow that to happen, al-Sadr said in a statement on Sunday, adding that his party will work to restore the rights of the public. Meanwhile, Iraqs Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has gone to great lengths to show his outgoing government did everything it could to tackle the issue. There are plans to secure our water resources on both the domestic and foreign fronts. Yes, there is a water shortage this year, but it is not a crisis, he said at a news conference on Tuesday. Al-Abadi has said there are plans to secure the countrys water resources [Khalid al-Mousily/Reuters] Farming impact? Local media has reported that al-Abadis government was taken by surprise at the depleting water levels, but officials told Al Jazeera that Baghdad and Ankara have been in continuous contact over the issue. We havent taken a single step without consulting the Iraqis, Yildiz, the Turkish ambassador, told Al Jazeera, adding that Ankara had already postponed a planned March start for the project. [The] low water levels are not the result of the dam, said Yildiz, adding that the two countries will monitor and evaluate the effects of the dam on Iraqs water supply. {articleGUID} Zafer Abdullah, an adviser at the Iraqi ministry of water resources, said climate change and irregular rainfall was to blame for the reduced water flow. The storage of water in Ilisu [last week] surely hasnt had the chance to impact water levels so quickly, he said. It would in the long run, but we are seeing these effects because of climatic conditions and the lack of rainfall. Despite agreeing to the construction of the dam, Baghdad fears that the volume of water being withheld will impact farming. Drinking water will not be affected by the dam, but when it comes to agricultural needs, we are worried, Ahmed Mahjoub, spokesman for the Iraqi foreign ministry, told Al Jazeera. Turkey promised its dam will not harm Iraq [and its] agricultural needs in central and southern provinces, but we think the volume of water released should increase. We are trying to negotiate a better deal, added Mahjoub. Rivers from Iran Although public attention has focused on Turkeys Ilisu dam, residents in Sulaimaniyah in Iraqs Kurdish region have reportedly been struggling to access water for several days after Iran cut off the flow of water in one of the major tributaries of the Tigris River. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said in a statement this week that Iran cut the water flow of a cross-border river of Little Zab, resulting in a shortage of drinking water for the residents of Qaladze. The situation is very bad, Akram Ahmed, general manager of dams in the KRGs Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources told Al Jazeera. Thousands of people cant access water for more than half an hour a day. It is an environmental and humanitarian disaster. A committee from the Sulaimaniyah provincial council and Irans consulate in Sulaimaniyah visited the area near Little Zab River on Tuesday to discuss the matter. The meeting was not very successful, said Ahmed. Mohamed Ansari Fard, an adviser at the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture, denied that Tehran had cut water flow. The shortages [in Sulaimaniya] are a result of drought and climate change. Water shortages are a regional issue we are addressing in Iran too, said Fard, adding that Iranian farmers had also been protesting against water shortages recently. Mahjoub, of the Iraqi foreign ministry, said Iran had cut off or diverted 42 rivers and tributaries shared with Iraq, but added that dealing with the Ilisu Dam is more urgent. Iranian and Turkish water storage projects are harming water levels in Iraq, but it [shallow waters in the Tigris] has had a huge physical and psychological impact on Iraqis, said Mahjoub. Presiding judge says former DRC vice president cannot be held responsible for atrocities in neighbouring CAR. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has overturned the war crimes conviction of Jean-Pierre Bemba, a former vice president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on appeal. Presiding judge Christine Van den Wijngaert said on Friday that Bemba could not be held responsible for atrocities carried out by troops under his control in the neighbouring Central African Republic, and that trial judges had failed to consider the efforts he made to stop crimes once he became aware of them. Bemba was sentenced to 18 years in prison in June 2016 for alleged crimes, including murder and rape, in what was described as a landmark ruling after a five-year trial. Judges in the earlier trial said Bemba had failed to stop a series of sadistic and cruel rapes and murders by his militia, known as the MLC. He later got an extra year and a fine for attempting to interfere with witnesses in his trial. Mr Bemba cannot be held criminally responsible for the crimes committed by MLC troops during the Central African Republic operation, Van den Wijngaert said, reading the ruling of a 5-judge appeal panel. Van den Wijngaert said Bembas efforts to stop the crimes extinguished his responsibility in full. Lambert Mende, a spokesperson for the DRCs government, said Bemba has the right to return home once he is released. Theres not even any question over it, Mende told Reuters news agency. Do you know of any other country where a Congolese citizen is supposed to live? All Congolese are free to live in DRC. Bembas acquittal is a huge blow for prosecutors, as his conviction was one of the few they had won since the courts establishment in 2002. Bemba was the highest-ranking politician convicted by the permanent war crimes court, and his case had been seen as establishing a precedent that political and military officials may be held liable for the actions of troops under their command. Leaders across Africa have long accused the ICC of unfairly targeting the continent. In 2016, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni described the international tribunal as useless as he applauded South Africa and Burundis efforts to withdraw from the court. Earlier in April, Rwandan President Paul Kagame reprimanded the ICC for its bias against Africa, saying it has failed to mete out justice in any other part of the world. From the time of its inception, I said there was a fraud basis on which it was set up and how it was going to be used. I told people that this would be a court to try Africans, not people from across the world, Kagame said. The permanent court in The Hague, the Netherlands, was established by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court treaty in 1998 in order to prosecute and punish individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. The visa restrictions on Nicaraguan officials imposed amid protests in which at least 127 people have been killed. The United States has imposed visa restrictions on Nicaraguan officials following weeks of protests in which at least 127 people were killed. In a statement issued on Thursday, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said the visa restrictions applied to individuals responsible for human rights abuses or undermining democracy in Nicaragua. Nauert did not identify which officials were targeted, but said they include national police officials, municipal government officials and a ministry of health official. The political violence by police and pro-government thugs against the people of Nicaragua, particularly university students, shows a blatant disregard for human rights and is unacceptable, she said. We are sending a clear message that human rights abusers and those who undermine democracy are not welcome in the United States. Reviving talks Bishops in Nicaragua met President Daniel Ortega on Thursday to present a proposal with the aim of reviving talks to end the political crisis. Auxiliary bishop of Managua Silvio Jose Baez said Ortega had requested a period of reflection to consider the proposal. In a statement, the bishops said the plan reflects the feelings of many sectors of Nicaraguan society. Nicaraguas Catholic Church called off talks on May 31, because they said Nicaraguan people continue to be repressed and murdered. Anti-government protests erupted in mid-April over a pension reform bill, that has since been scrapped. The protests have broadened to voice frustration over corruption, the autocratic style of Ortega and Murillo, limited options to change the countrys politics in elections, and the presidents control over the congress, the courts, the military and the electoral board. Protesters have taken to the streets, demanding Ortega to stand down. Authorities and paramilitary forces loyal to Ortega have been accused of using lethal force to crack down on the protests. Late on Wednesday, four young people were reportedly killed when pro- and anti-government groups clashed in Chinandega and Nueva Guinea. Ortega, a former Sandinista rebel who first ruled between 1979 and 1990 before returning as president 11 years ago, has kept power by maintaining leftist rhetoric while ensuring an accommodation with powerful private industry and keeping up trade with the US. Lebanon has ordered a freeze on residency applications submitted by staff of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), accusing it of discouraging Syrian refugees from returning to their war-torn country. Caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said on Friday the agency hindered the return of refugees by spreading fear, adding that he would consider taking further measures against the body. According to a statement by the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNHCR staff were discouraging Syrians return home by asking specific questions that frighten them related to the security situation in Syria and their repatriation without international oversight. The UNHCR was telling them specifically do not return which is not their mandate, Ghadi al-Khoury, an official at the foreign ministry, told Al Jazeera. The mandate of the UNHCR is at least what they say is that we want to make sure people know what they are doing but what is actually happening is much more than that, he added. The agency denied the accusations, saying it is carrying out its global mandate of providing support to refugees and help them re-establish their lives in line with international standards. The UNHCR is not deterring returns, spokesperson Lisa Abu Khaled told Al Jazeera. The UNHCR has expressed many times that it respects the Lebanese governments decision that local integration is not an option. Lebanese divided While Turkey hosts the highest number of Syrian refugees, estimated by the UNHCR at 3.5 million, Lebanon has the highest proportion of refugees in the world more than 1.5 million, which constitutes about a quarter of the countrys population. Authorities in Lebanon have long complained about the burden the country carries, with officials saying it costs the country about $8bn a year. Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from Lebanons capital, Beirut, said Bassil might be acting in a caretaker capacity but he belongs to the ruling alliance which means that his decision could be a reflection of the states future policy. Some officials are using the refugee file for political capital. They play on fears about the impact of the prolonged presence of refugees in the country, Khodr said. Those officials belong to the Syrian government camp. They want refugee returns to be coordinated with the authorities in Damascus as a first step toward restoring relations with the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Khodr said large scale returns give legitimacy to the Syrian government which wants the international community to provide badly-needed funds for reconstruction in the war-torn country. The UN, in turn, says it neither encourages nor does it discourage returns but that it will not organise returns while discussions with Damascus continue on safeguards that still need to be put in place. Although there is a consensus among all the Lebanese that the Syrian refugee crisis is a huge burden on the Lebanese economy and demographics, still the Lebanese are divided on how this should be dealt with, Sami Nader, of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, told Al Jazeera from Beirut. Some in the government want to directly coordinate with the Syrian regime which might be perceived as de facto normalisation. The data was collected through drilling into the lowest point of the red planets gale crater. A NASA robot has found more building blocks for life on Mars, the most complex organic matter yet from 3.5 billion-year-old rocks on the surface of the red planet, the US space agency said on Thursday. The unmanned Curiosity rover has also found increasing evidence for seasonal variations of methane on Mars, indicating the source of the gas is likely the planet itself, or possibly its subsurface water. The data, collected through drilling into the lowest point of the red planets Gale crater, is part of the US space agencys newly widened search for organic molecules that could indicate past life on the surface of Mars. This is a significant breakthrough because it means there are organic materials preserved in some of the harshest environments on Mars Jennifer Eigenbrode, an astrobiologist at NASA Additional data from the robotic probe confirms the detection of seasonal patterns in methane levels, NASA geophysicist Ashwin Vasvada said in the live-streamed announcement. NASA scientist Chris Webster confirmed that water has been found on the martian surface and has been present for a very long time, which points strongly toward a habitable environment. The detection of a repeatable identifiable methane cycle could be a sign of active biological processes, Webster said. While not direct evidence of life, the compounds drilled from Mars gale crater are the most diverse array ever taken from the surface of the planet since the robotic vehicle landed in 2012, experts say. This is a significant breakthrough because it means there are organic materials preserved in some of the harshest environments on Mars, Jennifer Eigenbrode, an astrobiologist at NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center, told AFP news agency. And maybe we can find something better preserved than that, that has signatures of life in it, she said. NASA to launch a new rover NASAs first announcement of the presence of organic compounds on Mars came in 2014 when small levels of chlorinated methane compounds were detected. This is the first really trusted detection, Sanjeev Gupta, a professor of Earth science at Imperial College London, said. What this new study is showing in some detail is the discovery of complex and diverse organic compounds in the sediments. That doesnt mean life, but organic compounds are the building blocks of life. This is the first time we have detected such a diverse array of these sorts of things, he added. NASA is planning to launch a new rover as early as July 2020 with a mission to comprehensively determine whether life ever arose on Mars, while characterising the climate and geology of the red planet and preparing for human exploration. The European and Russian rover, ExoMars, is scheduled to land in 2021. It will drill even deeper than any prior instrument, up to two yards (meters) deep, and set them aside for a possible future pickup and return to Earth. President Putin holds his annual direct line appearance Russian President Vladimir Putin has held his annual direct line TV appearance. People from across the country call, write or send videos asking a myriad of different questions which he then answers. Moscow denies its role in the overnight bombing of Zardana village that killed 44 people, including six children. Air attacks believed to have been carried out by Russia on a village in Syrias rebel-held Idlib province killed at least 44 people overnight, inflicting the highest death toll in a single attack on the region this year, a monitoring group said on Friday. Warplanes, which are likely Russian, targeted the village of Zardana in northern rural Idlib overnight and caused the highest death toll in a single attack on the region including 11 women and six children, Rami Abdulrahman, the director of the group, said. Russias defence ministry, however, denied that it carried out the deadly air strikes, according to Russian news agencies. More than 60 people were also injured in the attacks that took place in the village of Zardana, said the Britain-based watchdog adding that the attack occurred after Muslims broke their Ramadan fast after sunset. The death toll is expected to increase as some of those injured in the attacks were in a critical condition, Abdulrahman said. The White Helmets rescue group said the air raids had targeted a market near a mosque in Zardana, according to the Reuters news agency. Rescue workers were still searching under the rubble for survivors. Such air attacks have been relatively uncommon in recent months in the rebel-held province, which is part of a de-escalation zone agreed on last year by Russia, Turkey and Iran. In recent years, tens of thousands of fighters and civilians have taken refuge in Idlib after fleeing from other parts of the country under evacuation deals with the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Tensions between Lebanon and UNHCR over Syrian refugees Lebanon has long complained of the burden it carries; officials say the refugee crisis has cost the country more than $20bn. The 61-year-old took viewers around the world, including the Middle East, with his popular TV series. Tributes are flowing for Anthony Bourdain, a celebrated US chef, writer and TV presenter, who took his own life at the age of 61. Throughout his career, Bourdain took viewers around the world with his popular television series, Parts Unknown. The show launched in 2013 after he joined CNN in a move that many viewed as risky for both the network and Bourdain. He was found dead in a hotel room in Frances Strasbourg, where he had been working on an upcoming episode of his programme, CNN said in a statement on Friday. Last year, Bourdain boiled down the main idea behind Parts Unknown for the New Yorker magazine: I travel around the world, eat a lot of s***, and basically do whatever the f*** I want. The show featured meals in both out-of-the-way restaurants and the homes of locals, providing what the New Yorker called a communion with a foreign culture so unmitigated that it feels practically intravenous. Bourdain visited the occupied West Bank and Gaza in 2013, showcasing local food and highlighting life under the occupation. The Palestinians of Gaza have lost a good friend in Anthony Bourdain, whose integrity and basic human decency made his Parts Unknown episode on Gaza easily the best thing CNN has ever done on Palestine https://t.co/mdjHFTyDgP Tony Karon (@TonyKaron) June 8, 2018 I will miss him. Watch this speech where he talks about #Palestine . #Anthony_Bourdain 's acceptance speech at the MPAC Media Awards https://t.co/xxQGRcYWWa Sinan Antoon (@sinanantoon) June 8, 2018 Anthony Bourdain is dead. A true loss. One of the few voices in #US media that gave nuanced, interesting views on #Lebanon & #Gaza. A personal hero of mine with his book(s), who inspired me to cook better as well. Nabih (@nabihbulos) June 8, 2018 He also went to Libya where he looked at life after long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi. He concluded the episode by saying: This is a place thats filled with a lot of extraordinary people who have done an extraordinary thing on very short notice, under very difficult circumstances, and at a very difficult time who are continuing to do the best they can, and I wish them well. He visited Oman and Lebanon in 2015. It wasnt his first time in Lebanon, where he had gone to shoot an episode of the show No Reservations in 2006. The show was interrupted by the outbreak of war between Hezbollah and Israel, but Bourdains love for Lebanon was cemented. Theres no place else even remotely like it. Everything great and all the worlds ills all in one glorious, messed up, magical, maddening, magnificent city. Beirut. Its good to be back, he said. Also in 2015, CNN aired Bourdains show on Iran. I am so confused. It wasnt supposed to be like this. Of all of the places, of all the countries, all the years of traveling, its here in Iran that I am greeted most warmly by total strangers, he said. "Of all the places, of all the countries, all the years of traveling, it's here in Iran, that I am greeted most warmly by strangers." #RIP #AnthonyBourdain Dr. Nina Ansary (@drninaansary) June 8, 2018 Bourdains profile began to soar in 1999 when the New Yorker published his article Dont Eat Before Reading This, which he developed into the 2000 book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. He went on to host television programmes, first on the Food Network and the Travel Channel, before joining CNN. His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller, CNN said in its statement. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Here are some social media reactions to Bourdains death: RIP Anthony Bourdain. He did right by Africans in his TV programs. Like this https://t.co/MZFGQYmXwo Africa Is a Country (@africasacountry) June 8, 2018 Bourdain on Palestine: Its a measure I guess of how twisted and shallow our depiction of a people is that these images come as a shock to so many. The world has visited many terrible things on the Palestinian people, none more shameful than robbing them of their basic humanity. Diana Buttu (@dianabuttu) June 8, 2018 Black folks loved this man because he didn't appropriate, when it came to us all he could do was celebrate. He told the world we were the center of Southern&Brazilian food and he let us speak for ourselves. #AnthonyBourdain was the John Brown of food media. Michael W. Twitty (@KosherSoul) June 8, 2018 #AnthonyBourdain covered the crises in Puerto Rico with respect- a reminder of what honest media can do- he gave a platform to food sovereignty work in PR & let all know US policies are starving our ppl to serve US corporate interests- his passing is a real loss -may he RIP Elizabeth Yeampierre (@yeampierre) June 8, 2018 US president also says it was possible he and North Korean leader could sign a deal to end the 1950-53 Korean War. US President Donald Trump has said he is open to inviting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the White House if he deemed next weeks summit a success, while also signalling he was willing to walk away if he thought talks did not go well. Certainly if it goes well. I think it would be well received, Trump said on Thursday during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. I think he would look at it very favourably so I think that could happen. On Thursday, Trump repeated what he said last week that it was possible he and Kim could sign an agreement to end the 1950-53 Korean War, which was concluded only with a truce, not a peace treaty. We could sign an agreement, as you know that would be a first step Were looking at it, were talking about it with a lot of other people, Trump told reporters. Thats probably the easy part. The hard part remains after that. Trump added that he hoped someday US relations with Kims secretive Pyongyang government could be normalised. The main issue for the June 12 summit in Singapore is the US demand for North Korea to abandon a nuclear weapons programme that now threatens the United States. North Korea has rejected giving up its arsenal unilaterally, and defends its nuclear and missile programmes as a deterrent against what it sees as US aggression. The US stations 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the Korean War. Complete, verifiable denuclearisation US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday reemphasised Washingtons stance going into the talks. Pompeo said Trump will reject anything short of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. President Trump is hopeful. But hes also going into the summit with his eyes wide open, Pompeo said at a White House briefing after the Trump-Abe news conference. Pompeo, however, added that the US would work to guarantee North Koreas security should it denuclearise. Trump is prepared to ensure a DPRK free of its weapons of mass destruction is also a secure North Korea, Pompeo said. Pompeo plans to stay in the region following the summit to meet officials from Japan and South Korea and to travel to China, an important North Korean ally, to discuss the next steps involving Pyongyang. Bold steps Trump told reporters on Thursday he would quit the talks if he felt he must, and would ramp up US sanctions pressure on North Korea if the talks did not go well. I am totally prepared to walk away, he said. Meanwhile, Pompeo, who has twice met Kim in Pyongyang, said he believes the North Korean leader is prepared to take bold steps to alter the course of his nation. He has indicated to me personally that he is prepared to denuclearise, Pompeo said. That he understands that the current model doesnt work, that hes prepared to denuclearise and that two, he understands that we cant do it the way weve done it before. That it has to be big and bold and we have to agree to making major changes. Asked whether the two sides had narrowed their differences on how they defined denuclearisation, Pompeo said they had, but he declined to give details. By Ssebuliba Samuel. Analysts have downplayed President Pierre Nkurunziza promised to step down by 2020. This year Nkurunzizza won a referendum that allowed him to rule until 2034, but in a tern of event yesterday he announced his plans to leave power in 2020. Speaking to kfm Amb. Herold Acheme an international relations analyst said that African leaders are unreliable and thus until he steps down, no one must believe him. He said East African leaders have shifted goal posts when it comes to retiring and thus Burundi cannot be exceptional. The 54-year-old leader ran for a controversial third term in 2015, a move which set off a wave of violence and an attempted coup that was foiled by government forces. Turkey snap election: Europe-based Turks begin voting Eligible Turkish voters living across Europe have begun to cast their ballots in Turkeys general election. US-North Korea Summit: Japan pushing for demands to be met Donald Trump may invite North Koreas leader to the White House if Tuesdays summit in Singapore goes well. China and the Clash of Civilizations To recap briefly, after the collapse of most communist states in 1990, the world appeared to have entered a period of permanent peace. Stanford University-based political scientist Francis Fukuyama called it "the end of history," in which democracy and free-market capitalism would become the final form of human government. In response to Fukuyama's 1992 book, Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington penned an article entitled "The Clash of Civilizations?," which he expanded into a 1996 book entitled The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Huntington argued that now that the age of ideological conflict between communism and capitalism had ended, civilizational conflict, the normal state of affairs in the world, would reassert itself. His book concentrated on the "bloody borders" between Islamic and non-Islamic communities. Huntington recognized nine civilizations, and as per his prediction, two of those civilizations are trying to impose themselves on the rest of the world. Islamic civilization got off to an early start with the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, following that attack up with demolition of the structure in 2001. But the Islamic effort will pale into insignificance compared to what China has in store. Countries that don't want to be dominated by China are at last organizing in response to that threat. Using Huntington's cultural divisions as a template, the world can be divided into three camps: the anti-China camp, the indifferent, and China. This graphic shows each group relative to the size of their economies: The coming war with China will mark the end of globalism. In preparation for that war, the anti-China forces will attempt to shrink the Chinese economy using trade restrictions, starting with the Trump administration's effort to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with China. The front-line states in East Asia of Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan realize the necessity of this. The traditional European naval powers of the U.K. and France also realize that China must be contained. Both countries have announced that they will be conducting freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea. If China attacks these patrols, there is a high probability that the E.U. will retaliate by restricting China's access to the E.U. market. What is motivating the Europeans in this instance is that if China is successful in seizing the South China Sea, then every other body of water on the planet will be fair game, starting with parts of the Mediterranean. Like the Muslims, the Europeans have been attempting some Kulturkampf on the rest of the planet, even as the E.U. is disintegrating at the margins. Global warming is the state religion of the E.U., and its principals have threatened trade imposts on countries that don't toe the line. The Europeans are also realizing that they have been played by China. European companies came in to build factories and establish themselves in that once booming economy. Now that those efforts are successful, China is effectively expropriating ownership. For example, the Danish shipping company Maersk has 25% of its assets in China and at its peak had 1,100 expatriates in China to run the operation. The Chinese government hasn't renewed visas for almost all of them. There are now only two Maersk expatriates in China, and the company has lost control of 25% of its asset base. Other European companies have been fined for being too successful against their Chinese competitors. China is also hobbling its own economy with the move back to state-owned enterprises, which have one third of the productivity of privately owned companies. China continues to attempt to chew away at India's territory in the Himalayas. In response, India is attempting to help stiffen the resolve of front-line states Vietnam and Indonesia for the coming conflict. The indifferent grouping is like China in that its members are mostly dictatorships with plenty of corruption and not much in the way of rule of law. The latter two factors hobble productivity. For example, the mystery of why Russia's economy is not much larger than Australia's is answered in corruption causing costs to be three times higher than they should be. Being amoral, these countries will happily continue to trade with China, no matter how many deaths the Chinese cause. At the same time, Chinese behavior has not won the Middle Kingdom any friends. Once it is clear that China is losing the war that it will start, there will be a strong temptation to throw their lot in with the Allied side and declare war on China because it will be the excuse to expropriate Chinese-owned assets. What of China itself? We won't be fighting all 1,300 million of them, just the 330 million or so in the coastal provinces that have had the economic growth of the last 20 years. We don't have to have a land war with them Vietnam is down for that role. All we have to do is sink all their ships and seize their artificial islands in the South China Sea. And then wait them out. The world will find that it can get along without China quite happily. In the meantime, it has become apparent that the crackdown on corruption Xi Jinping started early in his reign was aimed at purging the party hierarchy of officials coming from ordinary families. Almost no "princeling" was liquidated only the exception of Bo Xilai. The Bos, husband and wife, committed a murder, and the local police chief refused to cover it up. This was a godsend for Xi. Among top "princelings," Xi and Bo were the only ones who had the potential to be the Big Brother. The Chinese political system has morphed into a gigantic, hereditary feudal system come open-air prison. David Archibald is the author of American Gripen: The Solution to the F-35 Nightmare. Last week, Irish voters cast their ballots to repeal one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world, passing their measure by a two-to-one margin. This is perhaps not all that surprising, since in the past three years, Ireland installed a gay prime minister and voted to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples. "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" is an Irish tribute song written in the 1940s. Its opening line goes, "There's a tear in your eye, and I'm wondering why, for it never should be there at all." Are any tears being shed in Ireland these days? If so, why? Progressive eyes are smiling in Ireland, grinning ear to ear, as they become San Francisco or Seattle. The unborn, however, now face a suction tube or a curette. Four-D ultrasound technology shows unborn babies smiling as early as 26 weeks, blissfully unaware of the perils now awaiting some of them in Ireland. Irish citizens too might be blissfully unaware of the perils that await their country in the generations ahead, given the hard laws of demographics. Demographics teaches that in order to sustain a population, the birth rate must exceed the death rate, leading to a net gain in population. Since not all children reach adulthood and not all adults reproduce, a society or country needs each adult couple to produce slightly more than two children two to replace the adults and a fraction to replace those who cannot or do not reproduce for whatever reason. This replacement rate number is 2.1 each couple needs to have, on average, 2.1 children to create a stable population. A higher rate leads to a growing population, while a lower number indicates a shrinking population. Many other countries are also in decline, with a fertility rate below the replacement rate Italy, Germany, and Spain around 1.3. Ireland's recent referendum works against the laws of demographics. Same-sex couples cannot reproduce based on biology. Sure, they can adopt or hire surrogates, but every same-sex couple takes two opposite-sex couples out of the pool for potential reproduction. Similarly, abortion eliminates the product of reproduction at an early stage, killing babies who will never grow into adults, potentially having children of their own. Ireland currently has a fertility, or replacement, rate of 1.9, less than the population-sustaining level, meaning a population in slow decline. That's the native Irish population. What about immigrants to Ireland? Who, specifically? In neighboring England, a chap named Tommy Robinson was arrested over his "anti-Muslim" activities, specifically for standing outside a court building filming and reporting on trials of radical Muslims involved in gang rape and grooming young girls for sexual assault. It's his reporting on the latter trial that violated a previous probation order, landing him in a British jail. This has nothing to do with the Irish ballot referendum, except to point out that much of Europe is experiencing a wave of immigration of people from religions and cultural backgrounds that differ from the native populations of the countries they are immigrating to. According to the Pew Research Center, Ireland is 1.4 percent Muslim, a smaller percentage than the U.K. at 6.3 percent. The Muslim fertility rate is 2.6, higher than Ireland and a full point higher than the E.U. average at 1.6. In addition, Islamic law doesn't permit abortion or diverge from the longstanding definition of marriage. Islamic abortion law is quite restrictive. In cases of danger to the life of the mother, abortion is allowed, but only "[b]efore the time when the soul has been infused into the body." The soul is believed to be in the body when "[t]he fetus starts to move inside the womb," called quickening, which can occur between 13 and 25 weeks into pregnancy. While Ireland currently has a small Muslim population, conditions are ripe for this population to grow. The native Irish population, already reproducing below the replacement rate, has legalized two activities that will further reduce population growth: abortion and the redefinition of marriage. An immigrant population, already reproducing at a rate guaranteeing a rapidly growing population, has no such constraints, as its laws and culture forbid abortion and restrict marriage to its natural bounds. Dublin mosque. Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (Wikipedia). Despite one's political view on social issues, demographics doesn't care about diversity, tolerance, or virtue-signaling just as a wind turbine, producing green sustainable energy, cares not a whit about animal rights, PETA, and the birds it chops up with its spinning propeller. The trend is apparent in other neighboring countries Belgium, for example. While Belgium's Muslim population is just over 6 percent, it is a breeding ground for jihad. Liberal ideas seem full of virtue and compassion, and in the short term, they sound noble. Long-term, however, they lead to despair and destruction. Whether raising the minimum wage or providing "free" health care, such programs always end up damaging those they are designed to help just as the wind farms destroy an important component of the same ecosystem they are trying to protect. Ireland may be the next country on the list to face a demographic reckoning of its own creation, and one its people won't like. Then Irish eyes won't be smiling. Brian C Joondeph, M.D., MPS is a Denver-based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The summit between Donald Trump and Kim Kong-un is scheduled to take place June 12. Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz said in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley that his long awaited report on the way that DoJ and the FBI handled the Clinton email investigation would be released on June 14. Horowitz agreed to testify on the report before Grassley's committee on June 18. Coincidence? CNBC: The DOJ's Office of the Inspector General first announced its investigation of matters related to Clinton's use of a private email server in January 2017, days before President Donald Trump's inauguration. The watchdog is specifically investigating former FBI Director James Comey's disclosure of public information about the email probe before the November 2016 election, and "whether certain underlying investigative decisions were based on improper considerations." The full report will be nearly 500 pages long, sources familiar with the matter told The Washington Post. Comey's public comments such as when he said "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring a case against Clinton for handling classified information on a private server are expected to be the subject of harsh criticism in the report, according to the Post. The report is already past due in the eyes of some Republicans. In a letter sent on April 13 to Grassley, Horowitz said he expected "that we will issue our report in May, absent any additional new developments." Grassley responded accordingly, scheduling a hearing for Horowitz to testify about the report before the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 5. But May came and went without Horowitz's report seeing the light of day, and Grassley rescheduled the meeting for June 11 which has now been pushed back again, apparently for the last time. For a year and a half, Horowitz has played this one close to his vest. There have been a few leaks - most recently, that former FBI Director Comey will come in for some harsh criticism - but otherwise, no one knows what's in the report regarding the actions of several principals. No doubt Horowitz has been passing the report around to make sure no sensitive information is published. But by holding on to it for so long, Horowitz has to know that questions are being raised about whether there has been selective scrubbing going on. And how about the timing of the report's release? The media will be full of news about the summit (if it goes off as planned), raising further questions about whether Horowitz is trying to bury it. Republicans should demand access to the unsanitized version that Horowitz was apparently ready to release a month ago. At least, the GOP could determine if the changes made were for valid security reasons or whether someone is trying to cover their ass. A progressive summer storm has blown across the Illinois prairie and settled over the St. Louis suburb of O'Fallon, Illinois, full of sound and fury and, well, not exactly signifying nothing, but rather seeking the pound of flesh that the progressive jihadists need to satisfy their bloodlust. The current recipient of the One Minute Hate is a mild school board member who committed the mortal sin of challenging liberal stupidity and thus must be destroyed. The man in question one Steve Springer of the O'Fallon School District 90 challenged several left-wing orthodoxies and is now facing the leftists' wrath. According to the Belleville News Democrat, Mr. Springer has displayed bigotry and racism for the following offenses: 1. He objected to a library book reading that was billed as a "social justice for kids" event and was aimed at children as young as five years of age. Springer thought it wrong that young children be indoctrinated into leftist political grievance policy. 2. Mr. Springer objected to a girl who said she is a boy being given special privileges to use faculty restrooms. He said in an email: It seems you have decided to change the God-given biological makeup of this student without input from a court, the BOE or God. The child is a girl. She needs to be referred to as a girl. I am sad she is having such problems and is confused[.] Now, the American Psychiatric Association says gender dysphoria is a mental illness. The World Health Organization agreed until just a short time ago. Whether it is or not, the fact remains that special treatment simply points out the problem rather than alleviates it. What will happen if a child says he doesn't think he should have legs (body dysmorphia)? Will the school provide a wheelchair for such a child? What if a kid thinks he is still an infant (infantilism)? Will playpens and diapers be provided? This is indeed a denial of reality, and these oh, so tolerant parents are demanding that their children be educated to believe that reality doesn't exist. 3. He made a comparison to special treatment for others, such as Muslims: Next up?? Yes, next will be a place for Mohamed to wash his little feet and face Mecca three times during the school day[.] To rub salt in the progressive wound, Mr. Springer is a member of the Pachyderm Club, a Republican organization in the metro east area. Oh, and his wife is a former president of this radical institution. This has led to angry school board meetings and protests by people who are identified by the media as parents. The ringleader is one Ray Roskos, who just so happens to be field director for the Illinois Federation of Teachers. Roskos used Freedom of Information requests to obtain Springer's private emails and thus launch the jihad. The Council of American Islamic Relations has moved in, demanding Springer's resignation over "Islamophobic comments made about Muslim children." Faizan Syed, CAIR-Missouri executive director, had this to say: Anyone who targets children with this type of derogatory language is unfit to serve on any school board. Mr. Springer should resign immediately[.] Strange; Islamophobia would be fear of Islam, and yet, if we are to accuse Mr. Springer of anything, it would be quite the opposite. He was speaking in opposition to special privileges for Muslim children, which evinces little fear. CAIR's complaint is that Springer is not showing what it feels is the proper deference to Muslims, a common complaint from a people who are imbued with a sense of Muslim privilege. Maddeningly, every report on this story describes CAIR as a civil rights organization and fails to mention its connections to terrorism. CAIR has ties to Hamas and was declared a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates. Oh, and Islam is a religion, not a race. One chooses it. There are all manner of people who are Muslim blond-haired, blue-eyed people from the Balkans, black people from sub-Saharan Africa (think Barack Obama's family), people from Bangladesh, from Indonesia, from the Philippines. You cannot accuse someone of racism for statements about Islam. But racism has become the ad hominem attack by the left, and anyone who disagrees with leftists over anything is surely a racist. This is the Alinskyite tactic of "pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." Springer, an older American whose speech may be a bit antiquated, had the misfortune of falling afoul of postmodern leftist sensibilities. I wonder: would CAIR be upset if Mr. Springer had substituted, say, Catholics for Muslims? Had he said, "What's next supplying rosary beads and giving out Communion?," would they or any of these sensitive offendees have become upset? It was Springer's choice of Muslims that wound these people up. And it's interesting to note that CAIR, an Islamic organization, remains strangely silent on Springer's other "sins" here. The organization berates him for "Islamophobia" but does not mention its own homophobia, which is inherent in Islam. When ISIS threw gay men off the tops of buildings, it was following Koranic law, and CAIR knows it. That is because Muhammad said gay people "should be thrown from tremendous height then stoned." The Taliban used to bury homosexuals in a pit and topple a stone wall on them. Flogging and even execution were common in places like Saudi Arabia. I direct you to the Koranic verses 15:73; 7:80-82; 26:165-175; 27:55-58; 29:28-29. Also, there is a haditha, Sahih Al-Bukhari, from Sunni ahadeeth, in which Muhammad condemns transgenderism: Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet ... cursed effeminate men (those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners of women) and those women who assume the manners of men, and he said, "Turn them out of your houses." The Prophet ... turned out such-and-such man, and 'Umar turned out such-and-such woman. So by Islamic standards, Mr. Springer is a defender of Islam, not an enemy. The good Muslim would stone, or at least cast out, the girl who thinks she's a boy who started this whole progressive Jihad. And what of the "bigoted" objections by Mr. Springer to a forum promoting social justice warfare to young children? I hope CAIR has an answer to that, as it is a huge fan of censoring free speech and is always demanding silence from critics of Islam. Apparently, free speech cuts only one way. Clearly, the progressives think so. They demand silence from Springer and those who agree with him, but at the same time, they attack him over free speech "rights." This is much like the Islamic approach: Fight against those who do not obey Allah and do not believe in Allah or the Last Day and do not forbid what has been forbidden by Allah and His messenger even if they are of the People of the Book until they pay the Jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued. (9:29) That is exactly why progressives launch these vicious attacks: to wear out the opposition, to make us feel "subdued." That is why a man who makes a few harmless remarks can be so maligned by the left. This is civilizational jihad all around. Read more from Tim and friends at The Aviary: www.tbirdnow.mee.nu. Everywhere we look, the principle of merit is compromised or regarded as the worst form of unfairness. Sanctioned mediocrity is now the order of the day. Standards of achievement are diluted, hard work goes unacknowledged, and the desire to excel in one's field or to accept responsibility for one's actions and even for one's failures is in abeyance. Individual talent, intelligence, entrepreneurial success, and personal discipline are dismissed as unjust advantages deriving from the exploitation of the dispossessed. "You didn't build that," as Obama notoriously proclaimed . The inevitable result is the devitalizing of political, intellectual, and professional life to the point where a society finds itself in a state of "progressive" deterioration. The American (and Canadian) university system is in precipitous freefall, filled with students largely incapable of scholarly ability and civil decorum, professors who do not or cannot teach, gender studies mavens who pollute the curriculum with feminist groupthink, administrators infected by political correctness who propagate "hate speech" laws and shut down controversial debate, and so-called "diversity officers" inimical to diversity of ideas. In effect, the university has opened its doors, in the name of affirmative action, student empowerment, and equity hiring, to a cohort of self-righteous incompetents and mischief-makers. The consequence is predictable. The weak and the undeserving profit at the expense of the shrinking cadre of the committed and the qualified, and society is the worse for it. Journalism, once a respected profession, has lost its reason for existence, having scrapped its mandate to report on events and to act as public watchdog. Instead, it devotes itself to dishing up propaganda, fake news, and outright lies. Media outlets hire not journalists in the established sense, but journolists, partisan peons poorly trained in linguistic proficiency and utterly devoid of ethical standards. Those who depend on the media for information are thus systematically deceived, leading to a further coarsening of public cognition. Similarly, our various welfare organizations and government departments, originally conceived as a social safety net, have violated their founding impetus and have come instead to celebrate failure and ineptitude. The ambulance network in drug-infested Vancouver, for example, is too busy responding to its constituency of addicts to provide prompt service to tax-paying citizens. Municipal authorities are dedicated to saving those mired in the throes of self-abuse while ignoring the rightful claimants to paid for social services. Our Human Rights Tribunals, a para-judicial and unaccountable arm of Canada's chartered courts, cater to the social stratum of the so-called marginal and oppressed at prohibitive cost to decent working people, who almost invariably lose the frequent suits lodged against them. The same is true of our tenancy boards, which favor non-paying and unreliable tenants while penalizing landlords who have invested in and labor to maintain their property and who may be prosecuted and fined for refusing to rent to unsavory applicants. One recalls, too, the subprime mortgage fiasco, which devastated the global economy for years. Union workers cannot be fired for laziness or inadequate performance, both of which are ubiquitous. What is misnamed as "social justice" prevails across the board, yielding a declining culture in which merit, ability, responsibility, and the fruits of honest labor are denounced as forms of "privilege." The surrender, as Jordan Peterson has famously argued, to the clamor for unearned and often chimerical "rights" is near total. Further, multitudes of unskilled immigrants and refugees from third-world countries and overtly hostile cultures contribute ever more critically to the accelerating decline of Western societies. The welfare rolls and medical facilities overflow, the fiscal weight is ultimately unsustainable (the German commissioner for immigration, refugees, and integration forecasts that only a quarter to a third of refugees will enter the labor market over the next five years, and "for many others we will need up to 10." He is probably being optimistic), civil disorder is on the rise, and the academy is choked with degree candidates who cannot meet the conventions of accredited success. The hallowed doctrine of multiculturalism is a surefire recipe for cultural stupefaction and eventual collapse. Affirmative action is a prime instance of the social and cultural convulsions in which merit, integrity, and criteria of genuine accomplishment what Daniel Webster defined as "the ligament that binds civilized beings and civilized nations together" are replaced by officially valorized mediocrity and accepted malpractice. This is nothing more than a form of social dereliction pursued under the rubrics of gender equality and minority reparation, irrespective of native ability and certified competence. The trouble here is that quittance in the present for the wrongs of the distant past perceived or actual will often lead not to gratitude or, more importantly, to the emergence of excellence and self-reliance on the part of its beneficiaries. Rather, it tends to generate continual grievance, parasitism, and pervasive decline in capacity and performance. The policy of historical indemnification, predicated on white liberal guilt, on a naive belief in the power of anachronistic restitution or on a cynical electoral calculus to control a captive voting bloc, tends to vacate a nation's human and economic resources and to put its citizens in harm's way. A symptomatic case, which stands in microcosm for society in general, is provided by former FAA air traffic controller Willie Shields, who reports that affirmative action hiring protocols have placed commercial passengers in grave danger. He himself will no longer fly. The FAA, he reveals, has "started conspiring ... with leftist groups like the Black and Hispanic Controller's Coalition. Gay and lesbian organizations started demanding hiring and promotion slots for their members as if one's preference for a particular style of recreational sexual behavior is an indispensable predictor of air traffic control ability." The entire hiring exercise "is designed to identify applicants who are white males for the purpose of eliminating them from consideration." As one commentator remarks, "from the control tower to the operating theater affirmative action threatens." Everyone is at risk when the meritocracy principle submits to the social justice compulsion and feel-good dynamics. Planes drop from the sky. Bridges collapse. Universities increasingly hire crackpots and graduate misfits. Algebra perpetuates white privilege, and math is racist. Shakespeare is just a dead white male whose place in the canon must yield to feminist poetaster Audre Lord. Art, as Sohrab Ahmari has painstakingly shown in The New Philistines, devolves into indoctrination and self-indulgence. The English language itself is a colonial scandal. The influential postmodernist school insists that truth is an instrument of power except, of course, for its own categorical truth. Thus, unexamined belief takes precedence over analytical thought. Why, then, should we be surprised that congressmen can fancy that the island of Guam will capsize if too many American Marines are deployed there? Political illiterates and historical amnesiacs beatify a charlatan like Karl Marx. In civil law, especially in trials dealing with allegations of sexual assault, preponderance of evidence gradually begins to substitute for due process and "beyond a reasonable doubt." The evidential merit of a case is irrelevant. And so it goes. The four cardinal virtues prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice, to which we can add intelligence are dismissed as a Judeo-Christian conspiracy against other races and civilizations, a canard that produces the decadence we are presently witnessing. The wholesale derogation of all things Western science, art, technics, common law, civil institutions, the material abundance furnished by capitalist enterprise, the concept of the "individual" has blinded generations to the gifts and uniqueness of a meritocratic civilization, now being disassembled from within and supplanted by a species of pharisaic tribalism. In my own country of Canada, there is practically no hope for recovery or substantive change. The culture is too heavily socialized. Moreover, a Conservative government, should it ever be elected, lacks the will to buck the trend or to reverse whatever Liberal and socialist policies are already in place. We have no political figures possessing the gumption and combativeness of Donald Trump. Even in America, if Andrew Breitbart was right in his conviction that politics is downstream of culture, Trump may prove ineffectual in his efforts to redress the balance. Absent a constitutional revolution, as I have contended elsewhere, I see no solution to the predicament in which we are embroiled but to await the coming collapse and hope restoration may arise from the rubble. Meanwhile, like Yossarian in Joseph Heller's Catch-22, we must do what we can to survive. Stay out of debt. Acquire a financial reserve, and monitor it carefully. Read books. Make sure we are armed. And don't fly. Tommy Robinson 'Disappears': Free Speech in England Is Dead The arrest of British free speech activist Tommy Robinson has sent shockwaves across the Anglosphere. The United Kingdom, once dedicated to the values of freedom, has taken a path toward authoritarian government and away from freedom. The once great nation, which created the Magna Carta and once commanded an empire, is now the land of tyranny. Unless the British people love their freedom enough and fight this injustice in fierce fashion, it will remain a land silenced by intimidation and fear. The authoritarian socialist government of the United Kingdom has been out to get Robinson for years on anything it can. It has harassed, intimidated, arrested, and incarcerated Robinson, as it did last May, since it is now apparently a "crime" to report on the decades-long systematic rape of hundreds of non-Muslim children by gangs of Muslim men, who are now apparently a protected class of people. Lizzie Dearden of the Independent reported that Robinson was arrested for "breaching the peace," no doubt an absurd pretense by the British authorities in light of the documented film footage of his actions. Robinson, a former member of the English Defense League whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is being unfairly persecuted by the U.K. government. Robinson's "crime" was that he yelled questions outside Leeds Crown Court and named the alleged defendants, like any other reporter. So what? The state broadcaster, the BBC, and the mainstream media had already named them. Why was he arrested, and why were they not arrested? If gangs of white men had spent decades torturing and raping little Muslim girls and a justly outraged Muslim reporter were covering the case, in a similar manner as Robinson, would he be arrested? We all know that the answer is "no," and we know why. The U.K. is so invested in its politically correct multiculturalism diversity project that it has applied a different treatment of Muslims under the law, which accepts the diversity of legal systems and places the country on a path toward ruin. Diversity of treatment under the law fragments societies. Diversity in this sense cannot ever work unless moral values remain constant. If freedom of speech is a value and a virtue, can any free nation really tolerate the intolerant and those who violently oppose freedom of speech? Americans should be highly concerned over this case, because the same type of "hate speech laws" used against British citizens are currently being advocated in the U.S. Senate, by Marco Rubio (R), Kamala Harris (D), Susan Collins (R), and Dianne Feinstein (D) and a long list of others. Hillary Clinton pushed the same laws in 2012 and 2015 and 2017. Three similar unconstitutional laws aimed at our First Amendment rights were advanced in our Congress, after being drafted by Emgage USA and the Muslim Public Affairs Council, two Islamic organizations and defenders of designated terrorist organizations and their supporters, according to the Investigative Project on Terrorism. The passage of any such anti-freedom of speech bill would place our country on Britain's same ruinous path. In only a matter of hours, not only was Robinson illegitimately arrested, but he was taken before a judge without access to his own lawyer, with no trial or due process of law, and he was sentenced to thirteen months in prison. Afterward, he was promptly transported to Hull Prison, where an imminent threat of death awaits him among a prison population that holds a large number of Muslims. Remember, Kevin Crehan, a British citizen, was imprisoned for a year for leaving a bacon sandwich near a mosque. He was found murdered in his cell on December 27, 2016. The same threat hangs over Robinson. As we all know, there has been no press conference or detailed explanation of Robinson's arrest from the British government, which further illuminates the illegitimacy of this action. Instead of transparency, the government banned any reports on the trial of the Muslim pedophiles and the arrest and incarceration of Tommy Robinson. Not only were reporters' questions going unanswered, but the reporters were forbidden from even reporting the bare facts of Robinson's incarceration. On May 26, Gerald Batten, a UKIP member of the European Parliament, tweeted: "I am trying to recall of a case where someone was convicted of a 'crime' which cannot be reported on. Where he can be cast into prison without it being possible to report his name, offense, or place of imprisonment for fear of contempt of court. Can anyone remember such a case?" This only infuriated journalists across the Atlantic. Judi McLeod, editor of the Canada Free Press, opened her article by asking, "Where is Tommy Robinson? A question whose answer should be demanded rather than merely asked[.] ... Modern day Merry England has become far more nightmare than fairytale, as it steadily works its way toward ugly police state status." What's next, England people getting "disappeared"? Free speech is dead in the United Kingdom. The imprisonment of Tommy Robinson and the arbitrary silencing of the press prove it. In a land that once could proudly state, "The sun never sets on the British Empire," the torch of freedom has been extinguished. It's a land divided by diversity that has now descended into the darkness of tyranny. If the globalists in both American parties and the U.S. State Department have their way, America will be next. Tommy Robinson represents a large segment of Britain's people, with over 500,000 signatures on a petition already to "Free Tommy." The people sent a clear message on Saturday, May 26, 2018, that they have had enough, as thousands of British people stopped traffic, chanted, and pressed the gates of 10 Downing Street and threw bottles at machine gun-toting policemen. Their anger hung thick in the air, because they want Robinson, at the very least, to be released from prison and allowed to get back to his life and enjoy the same protection and human rights and dignity as Anjem Choudary, the terrorist-supporter, was afforded by the authorities. Short of this, the summer in Britain will turn out to be a season of riots and civil strife, awaiting the spark that moves the good and decent Brits of a long ancestry dating to 1066 and William the Conqueror to fight furiously to make their land free once more. The Department of Justice announced that it would not defend certain key provisions of the Affordable Care Act in a lawsuit brought by several states against the constitutionality of the law. While the GOP Congress has failed repeatedly to fully repeal Obamacare, the courts may do most of the work for it. DoJ says several parts of the act, including the individual mandate, are unconstitutional and won't defend them in court. CNN: The filing came in a lawsuit brought by the state of Texas and a coalition of other Republican-led states who have filed suit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas challenging the constitutionally of the Affordable Care Act. The states argue that after Congress eliminated the penalty for the individual mandate last year, effective in 2019, it destabilized other sections of the law. "In its filing the DOJ said that it agrees with Texas that the individual mandate is now unconstitutional and therefore it will not defend key provisions of the law in the suit," said Timothy Jost, of Washington and Lee University School of Law. In selling Obamacare, the administration and Democrats swore that premiums would go down significantly, as would health care costs. Neither has proved to be true, and the American people healthy and sick find themselves paying a lot more for insurance. The saga of the individual mandate is well known: declared a "tax" by John Roberts despite the fact that President Obama himself denied that it was a tax, the mandate has been useless in holding down premiums. The theory was that if everyone was forced to buy insurance, the healthy would be able to subsidize the sick. As it turns out, there were so many carve-outs and exceptions to the mandate that far more sick people signed up for insurance than healthy people could subsidize. The results were as so many predicted: a death spiral for Obamacare. There were always other solutions to getting coverage for sick people who were denied by insurance companies. There are also free-market solutions to bringing down the cost of premiums and health care. But Obama and the Democrats were not interested, hence the disaster that is Obamacare. With the administration refusing to defend these provisions, it is likely that the federal courts will strike them, thus ensuring the death of Obamacare. It is a system that almost guarantees that the majority of illegals caught at the border end up escaping into various illegal alien communities across the country, rarely to be heard from again. Each month, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) detains around 50,000 illegal immigrants caught at our border or swept up in raids and other enforcement actions. Many are held in detention centers until they are processed and given their release with the promise that they will eventually appear before an immigration judge to decide their fate. Now, ICE will use the federal prison system to house at least some of the illegals, guaranteeing that they show up for their deportation hearing. Reuters: Under former President Barack Obama, many immigrants without serious criminal records were allowed to await their court dates while living in the United States. Others were housed in immigration detention facilities or local jails. ICE has used federal prisons in the past but not on this scale, sources said. The new policy drew criticism from immigration advocates and former officials. Kevin Landy, a former ICE assistant director responsible for the Office of Detention Policy and Planning under the Obama administration, said the move to house so many detainees at once in federal prisons was highly unusual and raises oversight concerns. A large percent of ICE detainees have no criminal record and are more vulnerable in a prison setting security staff and administrators at BOP facilities have spent their careers dealing with hardened criminals serving long sentences for serious felonies, and the procedures and staff training reflect that, he said. This sudden mass transfer could result in some serious problems. They may not have criminal records but they picked one up when they crossed the border illegally. ICE spokeswoman Dani Bennett said ICE is working to meet the demand for additional immigration detention space due to a surge in illegal border crossings and a U.S. Department of Justice zero-tolerance policy. To meet this need, ICE is collaborating with the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), private detention facility operators and local government agencies, she said in a statement to Reuters. In April 2018, nearly 51,000 people were apprehended at or near the southern border, up from about 16,000 in the same month a year earlier. A new agreement between ICE and the Justice Department makes about 1,600 prison beds available and is expected to last 120 days, giving ICE time to secure more space for detainees. It comes amid a crackdown by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on both illegal border crossings and people seeking asylum. Recently, Sessions said the Justice Department planned to prosecute every person who crosses the border illegally and to separate migrant children from their parents. It always amazes me that people whine about enforcing the laws of the United States. If you hate the fact that we have a legal immigration system - no matter how imperfect - and believe that anyone who shows up at our border should be welcomed with open arms, then change the damn law, don't try and make political hay by appealing to the compassion of the American people to take pity on the poor, destitute illegals. Putting illegals in prison is not a long term solution by any means, but it beats the "catch and release" policies of the Obama administration. The key is to increase enforcement efforts and hire thousands more immigration judges to speedily handle the deportation cases for illegals. The Justice Department is in the process of hiring those extra immigration judges and ICE is authorized to hire 10,000 more officers. It took decades to screw up immigration enforcement to where it is now and will probably take many years to fix it. Caputo called for an "investigation of the investigators" and said he wanted to know who was "coordinating this attack on President Donald Trump." Michael Caputo, the former Trump campaign staffer whose finances were almost ruined by Robert Mueller's investigators into the phony Russiagate issue and who said "God d--- you to Hell" to the Senate Intelligence Committee, must be feeling vindicated this morning. With the arrest of a veteran staffer , the same committee's director of security, Caputo's heartfelt cry to the committee is finally bearing fruit: "Forget about all the death threats against my family. I want to know who cost us so much money, who crushed our kids, who forced us out of our home, all because you lost an election," Caputo said. "I want to know because God d--- you to hell." As President Trump tweeted: Whos going to give back the young and beautiful lives (and others) that have been devastated and destroyed by the phony Russia Collusion Witch Hunt? They journeyed down to Washington, D.C., with stars in their eyes and wanting to help our nation...They went back home in tatters! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2018 Questions: What did various senators know, and when did they know it? Were the national security leaks a sin of omission or commission on the part of any individual senators? What other Senate staff knew about this alleged felony behavior? What other news organizations feasted over nasty leaks designed to destroy innocent American's lives? Who is now liable for any civil lawsuits from the "young and beautiful lives ... devastated and destroyed," like Mike Caputo, with the leaked invasion of their privacy being reported in the NYT? Since it has been reported that the two parties named had a "personal" relationship, did the editors at the New York Times and the other publications that employed the reporter encourage and support such unethical reporting methods? How far does this investigative thread go both up and out in the past administration on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, Executive Department and Legislative Branch? Dr. Evelyn Farkas, former Obama deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia and Ukraine, has said: I was urging my former colleagues (she left in 2015) and frankly speaking the people on the Hill it was more actually aimed at telling the Hill people get as much information as you can, get as much intelligence as you can before President Obama leaves the administration. Just the beginning and the great USMC saying about "payback being a (nasty word)" is now coming true. Past time for Andy McCabe to hit the road It turns out that Andrew McCabe interrogated Gen. Mike Flynn, after which Flynn was ousted as national security adviser to the president. But Flynn had been a hostile witness against McCabe in a sexual harassment case, meaning McCabe had a conflict of interest and should never have been involved in any Flynn interrogation. No way was McCabe unaware of the conflict. This ain't beanbag. He hid it in his reports of the interrogation, actually changing the 302 forms that constitute the report (and changing which is illegal in itself). This is no penny-ante procedural crime that you get guys on when you got nothing else; this is major stuff. Yet this little weasel had the gall to come out with an article in the WaPo just a few weeks ago about how shocking it all was his fall from grace, how he never imagined his glittering career ending so fast and so grimly, how unfair it all felt, all those years courageously battling for truth, justice, and yada yada yada. Liberal brazenness knows no bounds. McCabe needs to just crawl into a sewer pipe to China one so narrow that it rubs raw his elbows and kneecaps and he keeps banging his head on the top. The man appears to have no concept of what's meant by rules, following the law, fair play, justice, any of that. He just did whatever struck him at the moment. He could always paper over whatever he had to. Apparently, with James Comey at the helm and his direct supervisor, McCabe's judgment of the situation was about right. He got away with it for a long time and would have gotten away clean but for Anthony Weiner's computer. That bleepin' computer! We'd almost forgotten Lil Antnee. McCabe's real life in the FBI could be the basis for all manner of spy thrillers where the good guys turn out to be bad guys just when you were starting to trust them. Good cop/bad cop sans good cop. Think of it: bad cop/worse cop. Awful cop/horrible cop. Hey, why play fair when you can really put it to the other guys? Constitutions, laws, procedures, rules old-fashioned and outta date. It's no fun when you can't gloat. This guy would have enjoyed himself at Abu Ghraib. Sewer pipe. China. Long and winding route. The meeting was the first with an American government guest since taking office for Diaz-Canel, who remains subordinate to the country's leader, dictator Raul Castro. We have learned that Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona visited Cuba. According to news reports , he was there with a businessman: Joining Flake in Havana was the chief executive of Google, Eric Schmidt, who encouraged Communist Party leaders to allow internet companies to seek greater profits on the island. During a brief press engagement with Schmidt, Flake praised Diaz-Canel and stated he had a "good meeting" with him. "We are hopeful for the future if we can have more connectivity, more travel, more meetings with Cubans and vice versa," he told reporters. "It was certainly a friendly meeting with the president, he very much ... he's an engineer and was certainly, talking about this subject, was very fluent in what is needed in Cuba and the benefits that come from greater connectivity," Flake said. Well, that's nice. We are so thrilled to hear that Cuba's "engineer turned president" is fluent with the internet and the benefits of greater connectivity. Of course, the problem is that everyone in Cuba knows the benefits of connectivity. It means freedom. It means that more Cubans will have a chance to "chat" with their families in the U.S. or with each other in Cuba. It means that government dissidents at point A can communicate with others at point B. It means that free online newspapers can compete with the state media. So everyone knows about the benefits. The problem is that the Cuban government understands the risks of letting people communicate. Senator Flake should call for freedom in Cuba rather than give legitimacy to a man who was never elected and represents a one-party state. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Does it sound as though these two are contributing to our economic growth, or does it sound as though they are using us? They didn't have a pediatrician, and they couldn't afford to wait six weeks for documentation. Does anyone think they had insurance? My son and his wife went to a Boston hospital last weekend to induce labor. They were joined in a room by five other couples going through the same process. My son said one couple was Asian, where the man spoke English and the woman did not. A nurse asked the man for the name of their pediatrician, and he said they didn't have one and didn't need one if the baby was healthy. The nurse said they needed one before they left the hospital. My son said the man did not seem very interested in the mother or the baby. Instead, he was very interested in getting the birth certificate and Social Security card. He said it was absolutely unacceptable that it would take six weeks to get those items. We use the term "anchor babies" to describe babies who are born here to parents who are not citizens. The open-borders lobby objects to the term as dehumanizing. But make no mistake: I've seen instances where the baby is just a pawn for the parents to get an anchor in the United States so they don't have to go through the normal legal naturalization process. There are only around thirty other countries that allow birthright citizenship (anchor babies) and, under the IMF definition, only two developed countries: the United States and Canada. We always hear that Europe is so forward-thinking, but no matter how oppressed people from Syria, Asia, Africa, Mexico, and South America are, a child born to illegals in Europe is not a citizen. Why don't we hear Germans and the French referred to as xenophobes for their limiting policies? The United States is joined by Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, along with nearly every country in Central and South America. The United States and Canada are the only two "developed" countries, as defined by the International Monetary Fund, that still have unrestricted birthright citizenship laws. A closer look at the list shows an interesting trend: Countries that offer birthright citizenship are located almost exclusively in the Western Hemisphere. No country in Europe or East Asia, for example, has a similar citizenship policy. We hear that the Constitution of the United States and a judge's ruling on the Fourteenth Amendment requires anchor babies to receive citizenship. But look what the language of the 1898 judge's ruling actually says: ... that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees citizenship for nearly all individuals born in the United States, provided that their parents are foreign citizens, have permanent domicile status in the United States, and are engaging in business in the United States except performing in a diplomatic or official capacity of a foreign power. I believe that few of the illegal aliens who come across our borders to give birth could meet those requirements of having permanent domicile status and being engaged in business. The Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution indicates that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." The Supreme Court of the United States affirmed in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649 (1898), that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees citizenship for nearly all individuals born in the United States, provided that their parents are foreign citizens, have permanent domicile status in the United States, and are engaging in business in the United States except performing in a diplomatic or official capacity of a foreign power. Statistics show that a significant, and rising, number of illegal aliens are having children in the United States, but there is mixed evidence that acquiring citizenship for the parents is their goal. I do not believe there is any evidence that our founding fathers envisioned illegal immigrants crossing our borders at will. (Yes, there were always borders. We had to buy Manhattan Island and make the Louisiana Purchase.) They also created our Constitution to be a nation of laws, and they would not have envisioned a president and politicians from throughout the United States flagrantly ignoring their oath and laws by having sanctuary cities and states. We hear all sorts of supposedly well meaning people saying we shouldn't break up families. I agree. People should not break our laws by coming across the borders illegally. Kids should stay with their parents where they are legally allowed to reside. People should not be rewarded for breaking our laws. Whenever I moved, my children moved. It is an easy concept. On a personal note: The older I get, the more amazed I am with all aspects of nature and life on Earth. I am especially impressed with conception, pregnancy, and the miracle of childbirth. Think of how that sperm and egg got together, and in a few short months, we see fully developed human beings with over two hundred bones, DNA, and all the organs working together to make everything work so well. To think that my three beautiful children and three beautiful granddaughters were generously given to us is astonishing. Their human life and development obviously scientifically began at conception, not three or six months after conception, and certainly not when they are just ever so efficiently born. There are only seven countries that allow abortions after twenty weeks, including the U.S., China, and North Korea. The Democrats call themselves the progressive party, but there certainly is nothing progressive about abortion itself and especially abortion after twenty weeks. Yet Democrats do everything they can to block any limitations on what is clearly the taking of a human life. The lawless, porn-respecting , MS-13-loving, humorless American left How does one explain how the party of FDR and JFK now supports all manner of law-breaking by illegal immigrants? These people defend aliens' illegal entry into the United States and give them sanctuary even after they have committed violent crimes that have taken the lives of innocent American citizens. They also love Stormy Daniels and celebrate her ridiculous, attention-seeking, money-grubbing stalking of President Trump. After Rudy Giuliani dared to say he did not have the same level of respect for her as he would a "woman of substance," the denizens of CNN, NBC, and MSNBC went ballistic. Apparently she is very much a woman of substance. The women of The View, including Meghan McCain, defended her "work" (performing a variety of sex acts on film for money with numerous partners). To hear them sing Stormy's praises, one would think each of them would be proud if her own daughter chose such a profession. But, as Mark Steyn observed, at the same time, the Miss America Pageant will no longer have a swimsuit or evening gown segment because these are demeaning to women. Stormy is a woman to be admired for her work ethic, but the bathing suit portion of the Miss America contest is degrading. The Democrats have boxed themselves into a corner so fraught with hypocrisy that it is stupefying. As for Nancy Pelosi's defense of the "spark of divinity" within the members of MS-13, those drug-dealing, sex-trafficking, machete-wielding murderers, she was not alone among her tribe of Democrats. There is no miscreant, no matter how vile and murderous, whom they will decline to vindicate, to endorse. They encourage them to come here and welcome them when they get here. They are much more protective of them than they are the native-born and legal immigrants on whom they prey. They plan to see to it that they all vote for Democrats, of course. For their votes, they will be provided health care, food stamps, welfare...full subsidization on the American taxpayer's dime in sanctuary cities, where they are free to deal their drugs and terrorize their fellow immigrants who are scared to death of them. That pretty much sums up the Democratic Party today. The Democrats' latest campaign is the allegedly cruel separation of parents from their children when they enter the country illegally. As Rich Lowry wrote, "their outrage obscures more than it illuminates." Donald Trump has changed nothing regarding this policy. It is implemented when the border agents do not believe that the child belongs to the adults claiming him or that said adults are a threat to the child. According to Lowry, the Flores Consent Decree of 1997 says that "unaccompanied children can be held only 20 days." A ruling by the Ninth Circuit extended this 20-day limit to children who come as part of family units. So even if we want to hold a family unit together, we are forbidden from doing so. This is yet another phony scandal with no basis in truth. But facts, and laws made long before Trump became president, matter not to the desperate left, whose members are still convinced they can bring Trump down and then take him out by deluding a stupid and deplorable voting public. No one can be surprised that most members of the Democratic Party and its media farceurs have lost any semblance of a sense of humor. Eric Swalwell, a Calif. congressman, actually said Trump's obvious joke at a campaign rally that perhaps Russia could find Hillary's missing emails was "code" to Putin! Trump and Putin were colluding to steal the presidency from Hillary! They all thought Sean Hannity's evident sarcasm regarding the double standards with which the DOJ and FBI have addressed Ms. Clinton's missing emails and private, unprotected server, along with her destruction of so many government documents and devices, was actually advice to those called before Mueller to do the same. The left-media went wild with calls for Hannity to be charged with obstructing justice. The late-night comics are no longer funny. They are just mean and profane. Comics can no longer entertain at college campuses because university students have been so coddled that they cannot hear a dissenting word without melting. As the brilliant Salena Zito wrote during the campaign, the left takes Trump literally but not seriously. His supporters take him seriously but not literally. Guess who is the smarter group! This observation was the most astute of the entire campaign and election. But the lefties never learn. They still believe in their coming blue wave. Pelosi says the low unemployment is meaningless, the tax cuts are "crumbs," and that consumer confidence is low despite it being at an 18-year high. They see, hear, think, and propagate what they want to be true, not what is true. Even California voters made a tiny dent in the left's socialist grasp on the state. No one expected Republican John Cox to come in second. All Californians should be horrified by what has become of their once golden state. Thanks to the polices of Gov. Brown, ex-senator Boxer, Feinstein, Kamala Harris, A.G. Becerra, etc. (it is a one-party Marxist state), California is a disaster of incalculable proportions, drowning in the homeless, the illegal migrants, traffic, and the highest gas prices in the country. It is so bad that a Republican may just have a chance. One thing is certain. The American left has moved so far to the deranged radical left that even former liberals, like Alan Dershowitz, Mark Penn, and Doug Schoen, are frightened. So irrationally revolted by Trump's election win, the Democrats have lost all sense of reason and reality. They are now motivated only by pure hate. They relentlessly accuse Trump of what they do as a rule: lie, cheat, and propagandize. Throughout all his years in the public eye, no one had ever accused Donald Trump of being a racist until he ran for president. Fifty years in business, and not once was he so accused. Not once was he ever charged with being homophobic. Does he love beautiful women? Yes, like most men who have escaped the trope of "toxic masculinity." Did he ever treat any woman as Harvey Weinstein, Eric Schneiderman, Bill Clinton, Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, and the host of other leftist men did who have for decades claimed to be champions of women's rights while serially abusing the women in their lives? No, he did not. Our left cannot abide the fact that the character traits they have assigned to Trump are false. They are in fact the left's own habits of mind projection and dissemblance, day in and day out. Let us all pray that enough voters wake up to the fact of what the left has become by the 2018 midterm election. These crazy, humorless, gang-loving, porn star-adoring people must not be in charge of anything or anyone, least of all the greatest country on the planet. The latest developer preview of Android P that started rolling out to a number of Google-made and third-party smartphones earlier this week contains references to a Google-made wireless charger and better native support for such technologies, with the implication being that the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL may be capable of being recharged without being plugged in. First discovered by XDA Developers, a range of code snippets mined from the new firmware references something called the dreamliner whose package isnt related to any publicly available app, is labeled as coming directly from Google, and presently appears to be undergoing internal testing at the Mountain View, California-based firm. A decompiled version of the SystemUI APK also contains empty dreamliner information forms with fields for manufacturers, indicating that the codename may pertain to a new product category or a single product that wont necessarily be produced by Google but designed and labeled as being made by the firm, similar to the Pixel smartphones. The deeper wireless charging integration Android P is set to debut later this year will come in the form of a new device class in the Connected Devices menu which will specifically manage wireless chargers. The stock version of Android was capable of recognizing such devices since Android 4.2 Jelly Bean hit the stable channel in late 2012 but its abilities in the space remain rather limited. The last device from Google to support wireless charging was the Motorola-produced Nexus 6 which was released in late 2014 after the company was already sold to Lenovo, with the Nexus 6P and 5X both lacking that feature the following years. Handsets from the Nexus program also arent considered to be entirely made by Google as the Pixel lineup is now being advertised even though Alphabets subsidiary itself still isnt handling any large-scale manufacturing, nor is it expected to start doing so in the near future. While the first two generations of the Pixel handsets didnt support wireless charging, the upcoming one is said to feature an entirely glass back, so coupled with the code outlined above, many industry watchers are now speculating the feature will be making its way to the Pixel 3 product family. The new devices are expected to be announced in early fall, with the previous two iterations of the series both launching on October 4. The unannounced Motorola One Power is up for another round of leaks, this time in the form of a spec sheet detailing the handsets alleged hardware specifications, some of which corroborate older reports on the matter. The spec sheet is also accompanied by a render depicting the smartphones exterior design and as expected, the same display notch is present as before. Unsurprisingly, the device should fit in the mid-range segment, as suggested not only by the leaked hardware information but also by the fact that the unit should hit the market as a certified Android One smartphone, as indicated by its moniker. According to the spec sheet at hand, the Motorola One Power will feature a 6.2-inch display with an elongated image format and a resolution of 2,280 by 1,080 pixels. The display notch at the top should accommodate an 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture, while the back panel is expected to feature a dual camera setup comprising a primary 12-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 lens and a secondary 5-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 glass module. Inside, the Motorola One Power is said to conceal the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset boasting a total of eight Kryo 260 CPU cores split into two quad-core clusters, and an Adreno 509 graphics processor. The silicon was launched in late 2017 and so far it powers smartphones including the Nokia X6, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, as well as Motorolas own Moto Z3 Play which only debuted earlier this week. In the case of the Motorola One Power, the chipset should be paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Finally, the device will reportedly rely on a 3,780mAh battery and will run an unmodified version of Android 8.1 Oreo which is guaranteed to be supported with timely security updates for at least two years, hence the Android One label. At the moment theres no official word on when the OEM will officially unveil the device, especially since it missed the recent June 6 unveiling of the aforementioned Moto Z3 Play. But since the unit is already gathering certificates from regulatory agencies including Chinas telecom watchdogs, chances are that it could hit the shelves before the end of the summer. AT&T has announced that it will increase the price of its grandfathered unlimited data plans by $5 per month, bringing their price to $45. The change will take effect starting next month, and affected subscribers should receive a notification about the rate increase soon. According to the network operator, the rate increase is necessary so that the carrier can continue providing the best service to its subscribers in the face of increasing data consumption among consumers. This is not the first time that an American carrier increased the fees it charges to subscribers with grandfathered unlimited data plans. AT&T has already increased the price of its grandfathered plans at least twice in the past two years. The carrier added $5 to the cost of grandfathered plans back in February of 2016, and it again increased the rates by another $5 in March of 2017. On the other hand, back in 2015, Verizon raised the cost of its counterpart offerings by as much as $20, and like AT&T, the carrier justified the move as necessary to ensure the best possible performance of the carriers network for the benefit of its subscribers. The carrier assured its subscribers that the price increase will not impact the data speeds that they experience on its network, although it should be noted that the network operator is implementing deprioritization as well, meaning subscribers who already consumed more than 22GB of data in a billing cycle will see reduced speeds once the network experiences congestion. However, the data speeds experienced by subscribers should return to normal when the data traffic on their network has decreased. AT&T is also informing affected subscribers that they have the choice of switching to another data plan. However, once consumers do so, they are no longer allowed to switch back to their grandfathered unlimited data plan. Meanwhile, AT&T is reminding subscribers that if they choose to cancel their subscription, they may have to pay for the remaining installment balance for devices or accessories that are tied to the plan. The remaining balance is due immediately after the cancellation of service. Samsungs first Bixby-enabled smart speaker will have a screen and be capable of making phone calls, in addition to supporting a wide variety of other functionalities, SamMobile reports, citing unidentified sources. The gadget is said to be code-named Lux and allow for gesture-based navigation through its touchscreen, with traditional scrolling and double-tap-to-zoom shortcuts both being explicitly mentioned by the latest report. Bixby itself will work just like it does on all supported Android handsets from the South Korean company, with users being able to activate it by saying Hi Bixby. From there, the artificial intelligence assistant can be asked questions or issued commands, with Samsung reportedly working on voice authentication that would allow one to lock the digital helper to their own voice. Both Google and Amazon are still understood to be struggling to deliver an accurate voice authentication solution to their own smart devices and assistants so it remains to be seen whether Samsung manages to beat them to the market with such a functionality, especially given how the Seoul-based firm is still widely considered to be behind the two technology juggernauts in the AI field. The speakers ability to make phone calls will be tied to its Bluetooth connectivity option, allowing it to be paired with ones smartphone and relay audio, effectively serving as a hands-free handset accessory. Its presently unclear whether that particular feature will work with non-Galaxy devices as Samsung has so far been reluctant to include third-party products and services into its growing AI ecosystem. Samsungs SmartThings app will be used for remotely controlling the Bixby speaker and setting it up, with multi-room audio reportedly being part of the package from day one. Once set up, the speaker will ask their new owner about their music service of choice, with Spotify supposedly being one of the supported platforms. The OEM is understood to be working on a feature that would allow users to change the direction of the sound relayed by the speaker, with that rumor being indicative of a cylindrical design. Besides serving as a smart home automation hub, the gadget will reportedly be capable of detecting when its owner enters or leaves the room and use that information as a trigger for performing one or more actions such as starting and stopping music playback. The speaker that Samsung is developing in collaboration with its subsidiary Harman Kardon is expected to launch in the companys home country in the second half of the year, though its presently unclear if and when is the device meant to be available globally. Verizon has announced today via press release, that Hans Vestberg will succeed Lowell McAdam as the companys chief executive officer, effective August 1. Vestberg has only been with Verizon for a year, after having been at Ericsson for six years as its CEO. At Verizon, Vestberg had been the chief technology officer, and has done really well. Well enough for McAdam to want Vestberg to succeed him as CEO. McAdam had been the CEO of Verizon since 2011, and he became executive chairman in 2012. Following McAdam departure as CEO on August 1, he will remain as the executive chairman of Verizon through 2018. McAdam is retiring this year, and once he does retire, he will transition into the non-executive chairman of the company. Vestberg, as mentioned already, joined Verizon in April 2017, after having served as President and CEO of Ericsson for six years. That was a pretty smooth transition for Vestberg, seeing as Verizon is using Ericsson for its network, and he was in charge of Verizons network for the past year. Before becoming CEO of Ericsson in 2009, he also served as the companys chief financial officer from 2007 to 2009. Vestberg was also the founding member of the International Telecommunications Union Broadband Commission for Digital Development. In that role, Vestberg led climate-change and digital-health initiatives. Outgoing CEO, Lowell McAdam has been with the company for nearly two decades, and has been one of the architects behind todays global wireless industry. McAdam has built wireless businesses on three continents since the 1980s, and during his time with Verizon, he was able to position Verizon for the next-generation of growth. Under his leadership, Verizon has spent more than $120 billion in capital investments, as well as AWS, Straight Path and other spectrum purchases, to help keep Verizons network at the top. McAdam had announced he planned to retire this year, a few months ago, and since then, the company has been looking for a new CEO to succeed McAdam and make sure that the company was in good hands. McAdam and the rest of the board at Verizon believes that the wireless carrier will be in great hands with Vestberg in charge. Waymo is planning to introduce its self-driving ride-hailing service to the European market in partnership with another company, the companys Chief Executive Officer John Krafcik confirmed during the Automotive News Europe Congress in Turin, Italy. Krafcik, however, did not reveal specific details about the timeframe of Waymos plan. He said the Alphabet company sees an opportunity to test its service in Europe with different market strategies, adding that the approach might vary from its business methods in the United States. Last October, Krafcik said the self-driving vehicle is close to commercialization with hopes that the obstacles that stand its way will be overcome in the near future. In Arizona, Waymo gained approval last January from the states Department of Transportation to begin transporting humans using driverless cars and operate as a Transportation Network Company in the region, where it will initially deploy its fleet of autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivans to ferry paying passengers around the region. The autonomous car development company started offering free rides to local customers in Phoenix using self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans, as part of its Early Rider program. Waymo is set to launch its first commercial autonomous ride-sharing service later this year, though it is expected to be limited by the companys current inventory of Chrysler Pacifica minivans. Waymo continues to expand its inventory of self-driving vehicles by ordering more units from existing partners such as Fiat Chrysler and Jaguar Land Rover. Last week, the company ordered 62,000 more self-driving Chrysler Pacifica units to augment its existing fleet, which currently consists of 600 Pacifica minivans. It is understood that the new additions to its vehicle portfolio wont be delivered to the company at once, which means its fleet of autonomous vehicles is set to grow in a gradual manner over the course of this year. Last March, Waymo and Jaguar Land Rover partnered to develop a fully autonomous electric vehicle with the goal of producing 20,000 self-driving cars in the next few years and serving around a million trips every day. Its not clear whether Waymo will also form a partnership with either Fiat Chrysler or Jaguar Land Rover to build its self-driving fleet in Europe. Krafcik hinted at the possibility that the Waymo brand may not be used in the Old Continent, having observed that its name wont be as robust as the other brands in the region. Recently, Chinas State Administration of Taxation (the SAT) released an announcement, setting out the effectiveness of the new China-Cambodian Double Taxation Treaty (DTT) and the associated protocol. The new DTT signed on October 13, 2016 entered into force on January 26, 2018, and will be applicable to income received on or after January 1, 2019. The treaty aims to create a clear legal framework built on increased fiscal transparency that will improve the tax collection mechanism between the two countries and increase cross-border trade and investment. It is important to note that the DTT does not apply to Hong Kong or Macau, as these regions have a separate tax system and do not fall under the taxation laws of the Peoples Republic of China. Some of the key highlights of the DTT include the following. Permanent establishment The DTT specifies that a Chinese company is deemed to have a permanent establishment (PE) in Cambodia or, in other words, have a taxable presence in Cambodia if it has a place of management, office, branch, construction, assembly, or an installation project, or provides associated supervisory activities that last for at least nine months. A Chinese company may also be deemed to be a PE if it conducts activities for the exploration or exploitation of natural resources for more than 90 days in any 12-month period. It must be noted that Cambodia imposes a 20 percent income tax on the income earned from the carrying on of a business through a PE. Reduced withholding tax rate. Previously, Cambodia levied a 14 percent withholding tax on payments of dividends, interest, and royalties paid to Chinese residents. Under the signed DTT, these rates have been slashed to 10 percent. Only, the interest payments made by a Cambodian company to a Chinese financial institution that has the government of China as the majority shareholding partner enjoy full exemption from withholding tax. This provision allows Cambodian companies, involved in large-scale infrastructure projects in the country, to benefit tremendously from tax-free interest payments on loans granted by Chinese state banks. Fees for technical services The reduced withholding tax rate also applies to fees for technical services unless the services are rendered through a PE in Cambodia. In case of latter, the income, net of allowable expenses, is taxed at 20 percent. DTT defines technical services to include any managerial, technical or consultancy services, including the provision of services of technical or other personnel. The definition does not include independent personal services. Difference between Cambodias DTAs with Singapore and China One of the key differences between Cambodias double taxation agreements with Singapore and China is that the DTT with China does not include a provision for the creation of a service PE. Cambodias DTT with Singapore, on the other hand, provides for the creation of service PE if a Singaporean companys employees are physically present or engaged in Cambodia for a period exceeding 183 days in any 12-month period. Further, there is a difference in the time period required for the Chinese and Singapore companies to establish a PE in Cambodia. Where the tax treaty with China provides a nine-month threshold for determining a PE, the threshold for Singapore based companies is six months. Significance of the DTT with China In the last five years, from 2013 to 2017, China has been the leading source of foreign investment in Cambodia. According to the Cambodia Investment Board, the total investment capital from China reached US$5.3 billion in the five year period, which is about US$1 billion annually. This agreement will encourage Chinese investors to inject more capital into Cambodia by eliminating the risk of double taxation. As the agreement comes into effect, the investors will enjoy tax credits on both inbound and outbound capital, and will no longer need to worry about an excessive tax burden derived on income earned in either Cambodia or China. Thailands Board of Investment (BOI) offers a range of tax and non-tax incentives to foreign companies making investments that are deemed highly beneficial to the Thai economy. In 2015, the BOI announced a new seven-year investment promotion strategy (2015-2021) that offers special privileges to foreign investors. Under the strategy, tax-based incentives are granted according to the group classification (A or B) for the activities and the merit of the project (if any), whereas non-tax benefits are available to all projects regardless of the type of activity or conditions. Activity-based incentives These business activities are classified into groups based on the level of importance. While group A activities receive tax as well as non-tax benefits, group B activities receive mainly non-tax benefits and certain import duty benefits, if applicable. Activities falling under each group classification and the incentives granted for each group are immediately below. A1: Knowledge-based activities, focusing on R&D and design to enhance the countrys competitiveness. A2: Activities in infrastructure for the countrys development, activities using advanced technology to create value-added, with none or very few existing investments in Thailand. A3: High technology activities which are important to the countrys development, with a few investments already existing in Thailand. A4: Activities with lower technology than A1-A3 but add value to domestic resources and strengthen supply chain. B1-B2: Supporting industries that do not use high technology but are still important to value chain. The following tax incentives are granted for certain eligible activities under B1 or B2 category: 50 percent corporate income tax (CIT) reduction for a maximum of ten years; Deduction from net profit for ten years of up to 70 percent of the investment amount in addition to the normal depreciation deductions. Additionally, tax incentives are granted to the following new categories of activities. Merit-based incentives These incentives are granted to encourage investment or expenditure in certain types of projects involving enhancement of competitiveness (as shown in the table below), decentralization, or industrial area development. Merit-based incentives on decentralization Projects located in twenty provinces having the lowest per capita income will receive: Three additional years of CIT exemption; An additional 50 percent reduction in CIT for five years; Double deductions from the transportation, electricity and water supply costs for 10 years; and Additional 25 percent reduction of the installation cost. Merit-Based incentives on Industrial Area Development Projects situated in the industrial estates or promoted industrial zones will get one additional year of CIT exemption. These areas include: Nakhon Phanom, Bueng Kan, Sakhon Nakhon, Phrae, Chaiyaphum, Roi Et, Kalasin, Nan, Buri Ram, Yasothon, Maha Sarakham, Ubon Ratchathani, Hong Son, Mukdahan, Mae, Nong Bua Lamphu, Si Sa Ket, Sa Kaew, Surin, Sukhothai and Amnatcharoen. Other incentives There are several other incentives available to businesses operating in the following regions. Industrial estates/promoted industrial zones; Science and technology parks; Provinces of Southern Thailand or four districts in Songkhla; Special Economic Zones (10 in number); or Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Apart from these, the BOI and Revenue department also offers various incentives under the International Headquarters and International Trading Center scheme. Some of the incentives offered by the BOI under the scheme include: Permission to bring in skilled personnel and expert into Thailand to work in investment promoted activities; Permission to own land; and Exemption of import duty on machinery and imported raw materials. Additionally, there are reductions available in CIT, personal income tax, and final tax. The University of Melbourne has made it back into the top 10 universities in the world for law and legal studies. The uni was last in the top 10 in 2016 but last year was outranked and slipped to 11th. This years return to number 8 comes as the university also climbs to 39th in the overall Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings. This is a great result for the University, which we wouldnt have been able achieve without the hard work and commitment of our researchers and professional staff, said Vice-Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis. Its encouraging to see that the University is now placed in the top 40 globally across the three major ranking bodies. The first two of four are the NSX and TLX A-Spec , with the supercar to compete in the Time Attack 1 Class following last years record-setting hybrid run. The compact executive luxury sedan with a thumpin turbocharger and 500 horsepower on tap will do its thing in the Open Class as a follow-up to the 2017 Exhibition win.The third Acura entered at this years edition of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the TLX GT, which will be piloted by Peter Cunningham in the Opel Class, expanding on the previous years class record and overall podium finish. And thus, we get to the 2019 Acura RDX . For some reason or other, Acura thought that it would be interesting to drop a larger turbo and supercharger in the engine bay.But on the other hand, pitting a compact luxury crossover on one of the worlds most challenging hillclimbs is more of a me-too marketing stunt rather than an exhibit of what the RDX can pull off in the hands of a talented racing driver. Nevertheless, the 350-horsepower RDX-based racing car promises to put on a great show.Rookie Jordan Guitar, who happens to work at Acura s R&D North American Chassis Development Group, will make his debut at the challenging Pikes Peak hillclimb in the modified RDX. Jordan, who knows a thing or two about rally racing in addition to his 9-to-5 job at the automaker, holds the title of B-Spec National Champion (2016) and has graduated to the Civic Sport Turbo Rally car for 2018.In addition to engine mods, roll cage, and cool livery, the RDX features a 48-volt micro-hybrid system designed to power the electric supercharger. To maximize performance, the interior has been stripped to the bare minimum, and the suspension has been enhanced with race-tuned parts. 19-inch HRE race-spec forged wheels, Pirelli racing tires, and Brembo brake calipers and racing pads complete the picture.The all-new RDX went on sale in the United States on June 1st, priced at $37,300 ($38,295 including destination). Acuras newcomer is assembled in East Liberty, Ohio AMG SUV While the GLE is assembled in Alabama, most of the testing was carried out in Germany, Spain, and Northern Sweden. We've been watching the W167 generation for what feels like two years now. But it looks 100% ready.In fact, based on what we've seen during the C-Class Coupe and SLC-Class launches, this spy video is showing some of the models that will be offered for review.Only a few powertrains will be announced at first, such as a six-cylinder gasoline motor for the American market and two inline-6 turbodiesels in Europe. After that, Mercedes-will roll out the GLE 53 and GLE 63.The 2019 GLE is only the secondto wear this name. However, Mercedes has occupied this segment for a really long time. To put things into perspective, the M-Class that was being chased by dinosaurs in Jurassic Park was a 1997 ML 320.The design has changed a lot since those days, as has construction technology. Even though it's not going to be lighter than two tons, the GLE-Class is bigger yet a couple of hundred kilos less cumbersome than the classic ML. Also, the panel gaps are nice and tight on this prototype.Seeing it straight from the back, we're immediately drawn to the roof rails, which are coming closer together towards the end of the car, like on most wagons. This narrowing body reminds us of hypermiling vehicles, such as the VW XL1 and first-gen Honda Insight.The taillights are narrow, connected by a chrome strip in the middle, just like on an E-Class. As for the front, well you're just going to have to check out our previous posts to see it. The announcement was made by Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi at the NOAH Conference in Berlin and is, no doubt, meant to highlight the companys focus on greener technology. Uber Jump will help to fight traffic congestion and air pollution, and thus represent the companys pledge to be an actor of change.Should the Berlin pilot be a success, Uber Jump will expand to other cities across Europe, The Verge informs. It is already available in Washington D.C., San Francisco and other California cities, with riders having to pay $2 for a 30-minute ride. Prices for the European market have yet to be announced.This is potentially a replacement for Uber trips so that we can be bigger than just cars, Khosrowshahi says. When you get onto these bikes and you pedal, you feel like Superman. Uber stands ready to help address some of the biggest challenges facing German cities: tackling air pollution, reducing congestion and increasing access to cleaner transportation solutions.Though the move seems laudable, Uber is already facing criticism for it. Most European cities already have several bike-sharing services and theyre dealing with a crowding issue. Most riders cause clutter when they leave their bikes unattended or they abandon them in parks. In this sense, Uber Jump wouldnt be a solution to a problem: it would only add to it.Then, theres the bad rap that Uber has in certain European countries, which the company is probably trying to distract from with this new, eco-friendly program. Uber is in danger of losing its license in London after the transport authority has deemed it unfit to run a taxi service. Anti-Uber protests are still happening across Europe, with one taking place just outside the NOAH conference.As of now, Uber remains undeterred. Uber Jump will be followed by Uber Green, the companys first electric car service. Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier "(It will) serve a need ... for kids in general and kids in trouble," said Commissioner Richard Clark. Image: CAF This week, AVwebs weekly news roundup found reports of pre-Oshkosh warbird displays, leadership changes at Sun n Fun, new avionics update technology for business pilots and a fresh Boeing 777 for an aviation holding company. For anyone travelling to Oshkosh this year, the Commemorative Air Force will be returning to the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport for Janesville Warbird Weekend 2018 in Janesville, Wisconsin, the weekend before AirVenture. Running July 21-22, the event will feature a variety of warbirds on display, ground tours, WWII re-enactors and airplane rides. Admission for a single-day ground tour ticket is $10 per person or $20 for families with children under 18. In other airshow news, Sun n Fun is making some changes to its board of directors. After six and a half years, Bob Knight has stepped down as the chairman of the organization. Dr. Harley Richards has been elected to fill the position. On the commercial aviation side of things, Jeppesen, in partnership with Bad Elf, introduced its wireless flight data transfer system for business aviation pilots. According to the company, multiple business aviation avionics platforms are now supported by Jeppesen Distribution Manager flight data update software and Bad Elf Turbine edition hardware. Finally, Boeing announced that it has delivered a Boeing 777-300ER to AviaAM Financial Leasing China, an aviation holding company that acquires, leases and sells commercial aircraft. The aircraft was delivered to AviaAM on June 1 at Boeings Seattle facility. Trump said he doesn't believe he has to prepare much for his upcoming meeting with Kim Jong-un next week. "I think Im very well prepared," he told reporters as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived at the White House. Why it matters: Trump is going into the high-stakes meeting having bypassed the normal preparations the U.S. typically undergoes before such a high-level meeting, but White House officials have been preparing for all possibilities. Although North Korea hasn't yet committed to ridding their nuclear arsenal, this summit will likely be a starting point for future negotiations to get to the U.S.' goal of a full, verifiable, and permanent denuclearization. President Trump will soon sit across the table from a man who, as of three months ago, was an enigma even to the CIA. He hadnt left his country as leader, and his most high-profile summit was with Dennis Rodman. Not long ago we debated whether he was crazy now theres concern he might be too shrewd. Between the lines: Kims emergence onto the world stage has been swift and, thus far, remarkably successful. Once a pariah, hes now being courted by foreign leaders. Commitment to maximum pressure is dwindling around the world, and even in Washington. Trump is looking for a breakthrough in Singapore. Kim has already had one. I asked Jung Pak, a former CIA analyst now at the Brookings Institution, what a successful summit on Tuesday (Monday night EST) looks like for Kim: "A vague statement, big smiles, big banquet, his wife is there charming, lovely, young talking to Trump, and he walks away. Maybe there's another summit, maybe there's follow-up meetings, maybe there's a declaration for peace, but in any case I think it's up to Kim if he's gonna start doing nasty things again or if he's just gonna stay quiet for seven years." Sue Mi Terry of CSIS, also a former CIA analyst, told Mike Morell on the latest Intelligence Matters podcast that Kim doesn't need to get anything concrete from the summit to consider it a win. That doesn't mean a larger deal isn't achievable, though: "I actually think the North Koreans see this as an opportunity. I think they see because Trump is so unique and different that if there ever were to be a deal made it could be made with President Trump," Terry said. Pak concurs: "He sees a South Korean president who's willing to look away from the nuclear and conventional threats. He sees a U.S. president who is really eager to meet with him and wants to prove his international standing as a peacemaker, and who is also very much interested in potentially withdrawing U.S. troops in the Korean Peninsula." But with Mike Pompeo reiterating the U.S. position today that nothing short of "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization" will do, can Kim really get there? "I think he's willing to sit down and negotiate. Will he, at this moment, be thinking in his head that he's going to absolutely give up his nuclear weapons program? I don't think so. That doesn't mean he won't ever... but at this moment, what he wants is just a negotiation." Sue Mi Terry Michael O'Hanlon of Brookings lays out one alternative to full denuclearization the U.S. might be able to live with: North Korea becomes "Vietnam with nuclear weapons." "If he's gonna be in charge of North Korea for the next fifty years reform from within, gradually connect to the world, build up the economy, but he keeps those nuclear weapons as long into the process as he can. ... We could live with that as long as we keep our expectations in check." Privacy Policy Welcome! AXS Group LLC ("AXS", us, our, or we) takes your privacy seriously and know you do too. We are committed to respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy is here to help you understand how we collect, use, disclose, and process your Personal Data (defined below). We also describe your choices and rights with respect to how we process your Personal Data. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. Key Points AXS is a leader in providing ticketing and marketing services for live sports and entertainment events. How we use your Personal Data depends on how you interact with us. If you purchase a ticket through our website, we use Personal Data to deliver purchased tickets to you, personalize your experience across your interactions with us, and to help you discover the best in entertainment. If you are browsing our website, we use cookies and Personal Data to personalize your experience. Whether delivering purchased tickets and services to you, or as part of our efforts to personalize your experience with us, we may share information with event providers and promoters, as well as third party partners associated with the service provided (for example, personalized ad placement or an additional purchased service, like ticket insurance). You have rights and choices with respect to how we collect and use your Personal Data. Learn More about User Rights and Choices and California Privacy Rights. You can contact us at any time if you have questions. Navigation Who We Are & How To Contact Us This is the Privacy Policy of AXS Group LLC a Delaware limited liability company with offices at 425 W. 11th St, Los Angeles, California, 90015. If you have questions or comments about this Privacy Policy or our privacy and data practices, please contact AXS privacy team at: AXS Group LLC 425 W. 11th St., Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90015 Attn: Legal Department General Inquiries or Data Updates: [email protected] Data Rights Inquiries: AXS Data Rights Options or [email protected] Opt-out of Data Sales: AXS Data Rights Options We will update this Privacy Policy as we provide additional contact methods to reach us. Applicability & Agreement This Privacy Policy applies to our Services, which include: AXS.com and any other websites that link to/post this Privacy Policy (including any subdomains or mobile versions, the Site(s)); our mobile applications (the Mobile App(s)); and ticket kiosks and other web-enabled technology. Third Parties This Privacy Policy is incorporated into the Terms of Use governing your use of any of our Services and our Purchase Agreement governing transactions you make through our Services. Any capitalized terms not defined in this Privacy Policy will have the definitions provided in our Terms of Use and Purchase Agreement . Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand how we handle your Personal Data. Following notice to you or your acknowledgement of this Privacy Policy (including any updates), your continued use of any of our Services indicates your consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected by third parties, for example, when you visit a third party website or interact with online advertisements, unless and until we receive your information from those parties. Please review these third-parties privacy policies before disclosing information to them. Collection and Use of Personal Data Personal Data We Collect We may collect and process information that relates to identified or identifiable individuals (Personal Data). We collect and process the following categories of Personal Data (note, specific Personal Data elements listed in each category are only examples and may change): Device/Network Data Personal Data relating to your device, browser, or application e.g. IP addresses, MAC addresses, application ID/AdID/IDFA, identifiers from cookies, session navigation history and similar browsing metadata, and other data generated through applications and browsers, including cookies and similar technologies. Identity Data Personal Data about you and your identity, such as your name, AXS account number, username, and other Personal Data you may provide on registration or purchase forms or as part of an account profile (e.g. biographical information). Transaction Data Personal Data we collect in connection with a transaction or purchase, such as the right of entry (ticket) you purchased, the price, what was delivered to you, the delivery location, zip code, and other similar information. Contact Data Personal Data used to contact an individual, e.g. email address(es), physical address(es), phone number(s), or social media or communications platform usernames/handles, as well as a name or other salutation. Financial Data Personal Data relating to financial accounts or services, e.g. a credit card or other financial account number, and other relevant information you provide in connection with a financial transaction. Preferences Data Personal Data relating to your preferences, interests, personal demographics (e.g. location of residence, age group, gender, etc.), and likes generated through your browsing behavior on our website and identified through various marketing tools. Location Data Personal Data relating to your precise location, such as information collected from your devices GPS, or through your interactions with a Bluetooth location beacon, RFID-enabled hardware/wearables, or other localization product. Inference Data Inferences drawn from Personal Data, including Preference Data, to create a profile about a consumer reflecting the consumers preferences, characteristics, predispositions, behavior, and attitudes. User Content Unstructured/free-form data that may include any category of Personal Data, e.g. data that you give us in free text fields such as comment boxes, answers you provide when you participate in sweepstakes, contests, votes and surveys, including any other Personal Data which you may provide through or in connection with our Services. Biographical Data Data relating to professional and employment history, qualifications, and similar biographic information (for example, when applying to a posted job). Special Category Data Personal Data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data, or health information. Health Data Information about your health (for example when you are buying tickets for accessibility seating, when you request a sign language interpreter, or when we are responding to an accident which may have happened at an event for which we provided ticket services). Audio/Visual Data Audio files and records, such as voice mails, call recordings, and the like (for example, when handling customer service inquiries). Use of Personal Data Account Registration Data You may register and create an account for our Services. If you register, we will process Identity Data, Preferences Data and certain Contact Data . We may also process certain Financial Data if you choose, for example, to store payment information for future purchases. Uses We use Identity Data and Contact Data as necessary to create, maintain, and provide you with important information about your account. Financial Data will be used only as necessary to process transactions at your request. Subject to Your Rights and Choices , we may also use Identity Data and Preferences Data as part of our efforts to improve our services and to create a personalized user experience , or to facilitate a resale transaction at your request, and we may process Identity Data, Preferences Data and Contact Data to contact you about relevant products or services, and in connection with marketing communications and behavioral advertising . Purchases Data We process Transaction Data, Identity Data, Financial Data, Preferences Data and certain Contact Data when you complete a purchase on our Services, or for products/services available through our Services. Note, we often process purchases for products and services provided by third parties, and we may process your Personal Data on behalf of these third parties. We may process Health Data if, for example, you request a handicap or wheelchair accessible seat. Uses We use Transaction Data, Identity Data and Contact Data as necessary to complete and provide you with important information regarding your transaction. Financial Data is used only as necessary to process your transaction, and we do not permanently store your Financial Data, except at your request. We keep records of Transaction Data as required to ensure Services delivered. Subject to Your Rights and Choices , we may process Transaction Data, Identity Data and Preferences Data as part of our efforts to improve our Services and to create a personalized user experience , to facilitate a resale transaction at your request, to contact you about relevant products or services, and in connection with marketing communications and behavioral advertising . Marketing Communications Data We may process Device/Network Data, Contact Data, Identity Data, Inference Data and Preferences Data when you are enrolled to receive, and when you open or interact with, our electronic marketing communications. Note, you may be enrolled with your consent or, where allowed, in connection with account registration or a purchase. Uses Subject to Your Rights and Choices , we may process Contact Data, Inference Data, and Preferences Data to contact you about relevant products or services, and Contact Data, Device/Network Data, Identity Data, Inference Data, Preferences Data and Contact Data as part of our efforts to improve our Services and to create a personalized user experience , including in connection with marketing communications and behavioral advertising . Mobile Apps Data If you use our Mobile Apps, we may process Device/Network Data, Inference Data, Preferences Data and, with your consent, Location Data . Note, you may also be able to complete purchases, register for an account, or enroll in marketing communications through our Mobile App. Uses We process Device Data so that we can optimize the display and functionality of the Mobile App on your device. Location Data is generally used in order to deliver location-specific content and information through the App. Subject to Your Rights and Choices , we may use Device/Network Data, Inferences Data, Preferences Data and Location Data to improve our Services and to create a personalized user experience and we may process Device/Network Data and Location Data in connection with marketing communications and behavioral advertising . Special Programs and Offers Data We may process Identity Data, Inference Data, Preferences Data and certain Contact Data if you choose to register for special promotions and offers such as discounts, sweepstakes or contests. Note, some special programs and offers are operated/controlled by us, and others are operated/controlled by our third party partners. We may receive this data from third parties to the extent allowed by the applicable partner; otherwise, this Privacy Policy will not apply. Uses We use Identity Data and Contact Data as necessary to carry out the special programs and related transactions. Subject to Your Rights and Choices, we may also use Identity Data and Preferences Data to improve our Services and to create a personalized user experience, and we may process this Identity Data and Contact Data to contact you about relevant products or services, and in connection with marketing communications and behavioral advertising. Note If you win a special promotion (e.g., a sweepstakes), your acceptance of a prize may allow us to make certain Personal Information public, e.g. posting your name on a winners page. See the special program agreement(s) for additional details and terms. Staffing Data Data We may process Identity Data and Contact Data as well as certain Biographical Data, Inference Data, User Content, Health Data and Financial Data in connection with your application to be a vendor, volunteer, employee, or otherwise join or support our team. We refer to data used in connection with your application to be a vendor, volunteer, employee or part of our team collectively as Staffing Data. Uses Staffing Data processed under this Privacy Policy is used primarily in connection with the assessment and creation of the staffing relationship. Subject to Your Rights and Choices, we may also use Contact Data as necessary to process your application, contact you regarding this or other future application/vendor/work opportunities, or similar matters. The assessment of your application may involve the creation and processing of Inference Data based on your Identity Data, Contact Data, Biographical Data, and User Content in order to evaluate your prospective engagement, assess skills alignment, qualifications, and similar matters. Inference Data does not include Special Category Data or Health Data. To the extent permitted under applicable law, the processing of your Personal Data in connection with application evaluation may involve the use of automated decision-making that may extract relevant information and rate applications based on their conformity with requirements. In some cases, automated processing may reject or place a low rating on applications that are found to not meet requirements of a given engagement. Please Note: Once you are engaged or employed by us, your Personal Data may be subject to our internal privacy policy. Please review that policy for additional information, where applicable. User Content & Social Media Data We process Identity Data, Inference Data, Contact Data and any other data in or relating to your User Content if you choose to submit User Content (e.g. comments, forum and social media posts, etc.) through our Services. If you use a social media service to post User Content that references our official accounts, your comment or content may appear on our Services. We may receive that data from a third party if and to the extent provided to us by a third party (e.g. social media platform). Uses We use Identity Data and Contact Data as necessary to carry out the special programs and related transactions. Subject to Your Rights and Choices , we may also use Identity Data and Preferences Data as part of our efforts to improve our services and to create a personalized user experience and we may process Identity Data and Contact Data to contact you about relevant products or services, and in connection with marketing communications and behavioral advertising . Note Any content you provide may be made public as soon as you post it on our Services. We do not screen comments or other postings for personal or inappropriate content. Cookies & Similar Technologies Data We, and certain third parties , may process Identity Data, Device/Network Data, Contact Data, Inference Data, Location Data , and certain User Content when you interact with cookies and similar technologies. This data may be collected from you automatically when you use our Digital Services. We may also receive this data from third parties to the extent allowed by the applicable partner; otherwise, this Privacy Policy will not apply. Uses We use Device/Network Data and Identity Data to enable you to register with and/or use certain features of these technologies. Subject to Your Rights and Choices , we may use Identity Data, Location Data, Device/Network Data, User Content and Contact Data as part of our efforts to improve our services and to create a personalized user experience and we may use Identity Data, Location Data, Device/Network Data, and Contact Data to contact you about relevant products or services, and in connection with marketing communications and behavioral advertising . Note Some of these technologies can be used by us and/or our third party partners to identify you across platforms, devices, sites, and services. Third parties may engage in behavioral advertising using this data. Specific Processing Purposes Personalization In order to offer you the best experience of our Services, may personalize our Services. To do so, we may link together and analyze the Personal Data that we hold about you. Personal Data processed for personalization purposes, whether or not linked, may be augmented with Preferences Data. We may create Preferences Data, or obtain it from third parties, using Personal Data we hold about you. We process Preferences Data so that our communications and Services are more relevant to you. For example, we may greet you by name, provide better recommendations to you, tailor communications to your interests, and use the information to guide overall improvements to our products and Services. We may also use Preferences Information in connection with behavioral advertising. See Your Rights and Choices for information about how you can limit or opt out of this processing. Direct Marketing We (or if appropriate, our third party partners) may send you marketing and promotional communications if you sign up for such communications or purchase products or Services from us. Where allowed, we may also send you these communications if you register on our Services or for a promotion, or in connection with your communications with, or submission of User Content to, us. These communications may be personalized. See Your Rights and Choices for information about how you can limit or opt out of this processing. Behavioral Advertising We, and certain third parties operating on or through our Services, may engage in online behavioral advertising. This form of advertising uses Preferences Data, Device Data, Identity Data, and at times, Contact Data in order to deliver more relevant advertising to you. The parties that control the processing of Personal Data for behavioral advertising purposes may build a profile of you containing this information, and may be able to identify you across sites, devices, and over time. See Your Rights and Choices for information about how you can limit or opt out of this processing. Additional Processing If we process Personal Data in connection with our Services in a way not described in this Privacy Policy, this Privacy Policy will still apply generally (e.g. with respect to Your Rights and Choices ) unless otherwise stated when you provide it. Note that we may, without your consent, also process your Personal Data on certain public interest grounds. For example, we may process information as necessary to fulfill our legal obligations, to protect the vital interests of any individuals, or otherwise in the public interest. Please see the Data Sharing for more information about how we disclose Personal Data in extraordinary circumstances. Data Sharing Information we collect may be shared with certain partners and vendors, depending upon the purpose for and context in which that information was provided. We generally share Personal Data with the following categories of third party recipients and/or for the following reasons: Affiliates In order to streamline certain business operations, improve personalization, and develop products and services that better meet the interests and needs of our customers, we may share your Personal Data with any of our current or future affiliated entities, subsidiaries, and parent companies. Business Partners We may share your Personal Data with our business partners, including event producers, promoters, venues, and sports teams who have engaged us to provide Services on their behalf, in connection with the events that are provided or promoted by that third party. These parties may engage in direct marketing or behavioral advertising or other purposes as specified in that partys privacy policy. Corporate Transactions: Your Personal Data may be processed in the event that we go through a business transition, such as a merger, acquisition, liquidation, or sale of all or a portion of our assets. For example, Personal Data may be part of the assets transferred, or may be disclosed (subject to confidentiality restrictions) during the due diligence process for a potential transaction. Legal Disclosures In limited circumstances, we may, without notice or your consent, access and disclose your Personal Data, any communications sent or received by you, and any other information that we may have about you to the extent we believe such disclosure is legally required, to prevent or respond to a crime, to investigate violations of our Terms of Use, or in the vital interests of us or any person. Marketers In order to improve personalization, deliver more relevant advertisements, and develop better products and services, we may share certain Personal Data with trusted third parties for marketing, advertising, or other commercial purposes, and we may occasionally allow third parties to operate on our Services and process data for behavioral advertising. Service Providers In connection with our business, operations, product/service improvements, we may share your Personal Data with service providers who provide certain services or process Personal Data on our behalf, including, for example, vendors that help us manage our IT infrastructure. Social Media If you use any social media plugin, API, or other similar feature, use an event hashtag or similar link, or otherwise interact with us or our Services via social media, we may make your post available on our Services or to the general public. We may share, rebroadcast, or redisplay Personal Data or other information in the post the extent permitted by the relevant social media service. Your Rights & Choices Your Rights You may have certain rights and choices regarding Personal Data we process, depending on where you live and our obligations under applicable law. You may exercise your rights by clicking here. You may be asked for additional Personal Data to confirm your identity. Additional information about individual rights and choices in California are available here. Access You may receive a list of your Personal Data that we process to the extent required and permitted by law. Data Export To the extent required by applicable law, we will send you a copy of your Personal Data in a common portable format of our choice. Deletion To the extent required by applicable law, you may request that we delete your Personal Data from our systems. Direct Marketing You may request a list of Personal Data we have disclosed about you to third parties for direct marketing purposes during the preceding calendar year. This request must be emailed to us at [email protected] and may be subject to confirmation of identity. Rectification You may correct any Personal Data that we hold about you to the extent required and permitted by law. For Registration Data, you may be able to make changes via your account settings menu. Regulator Contact You have the right to contact or file a complaint with regulators about our processing of Personal Data. In the U.S., you can contact the Federal Trade Commission. In the EU and elsewhere, please contact your local data protection or consumer protection authority. Your Choices It is possible for you to use some of our Services without providing any Personal Data, but you may not be able to access certain features or view certain content. You have the following choices regarding the Personal Data we process: Behavioral Advertising You may opt out or withdraw your consent to behavioral advertising. You must opt out of third party services directly via the third party. For example, to opt out of Googles use of cookies, visit Googles Ads Settings, here. To learn more about how to opt out of DoubleClicks use of cookies, visit the Double click opt-out page, here. To opt out from Facebook Custom Audience Pixel, visit their customer support page here. To learn more about how to opt out of Twitters use of audience pixels, visit the Twitter help page here. If you wish to take steps to opt-out of tracking by certain online advertisers, you can visit the Digital Advertising Alliances opt-out page at http://www.aboutads.info/choices or the Network Advertising Initiative at www.networkadvertising.org/optout_nonppii.asp. Consent If you consent to processing, you may withdraw your consent at any time, to the extent required by law. Cookies & Similar Tech If you do not want information collected through the use of cookies, you can manage/deny cookies (and certain technologies) using your browsers settings menu. You must opt out of third party services directly via the third party. For example, to opt-out of Googles analytic and marketing services, visit Google Analytics Terms of Use, the Google Privacy Policy, or Google Analytics Opt-out. Our Site does not respond to your browsers do-not-track request. Direct Marketing You have the choice to opt-out of or withdraw your consent to processing related to direct marketing communications. You may have a legal right not to receive such messages in certain circumstances, in which case, you will only receive direct marketing communications if you consent. You may exercise your choice via the links in our communications or by contacting us re: direct marketing. Location Data You may control or limit Location Data that we collect using our Services by changing your preferences in your devices location services preferences menu, or through your choices regarding the use of Bluetooth, WiFi, and other network interfaces you may use to interact with our Services. However, please note that use of RFID technologies may be necessary for the functioning of hardware you must use. Personalization You may opt out of the creation or other processing of Preferences Data by automated means, and object to processing for personalization purposes, to the extent applicable law gives you the right to do so. To exercise this right, please contact us. Note that we may not be required to cease processing based solely on an objection. Other Processing When we process Personal Data without your consent, and in a manner that is not necessary in context, (e.g. to carry out a transaction, meet a legal requirement, to protect a persons or our vital interests), you may have the right under applicable law to object to our processing of your Personal Data. You may do so by contacting us. Note that we may not be required to cease processing based solely on an objection. Security We follow and implement reasonable security measures to safeguard the Personal Data you provide us. We do not have control over third parties security processes, but we use commercially reasonable measures to ensure third parties we may share information with adequately protect Personal Data. Please note, we do not warrant perfect security and we do not provide any guarantee that your Personal Data or any other information you provide us will remain secure. When we process information, we may pseudonymize data (i.e. store or use Personal Data using only a non-identifying number) or anonymize data (i.e. store data in a form that is not linked to or reasonably able to identify you personally) in order to protect your Personal Data during processing. Data Retention We retain information for so long as it, in our discretion, remains relevant to its purpose, and in any event, for so long as is required by law. We will review retention periods periodically, and may pseudonymize or anonymize data held for longer periods, if appropriate. Minors Our Services are neither directed at nor intended for use by minors under age 16. Further, we do not knowingly collect Personal Data from minors. If we learn that we have inadvertently done so, we will promptly delete it. Do not access or use the Services if you are 16 years old or younger unless you have the consent of your parent or guardian. EU-U.S. Privacy Shield AXS Group, LLC (including its subsidiary AXS Digital, LLC) complies with the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Frameworks set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of Personal Data from European Union member countries, the UK, and Switzerland. AXS has certified on behalf of itself and its subsidiary AXS Digital, LLC that we adhere to the Privacy Shield Principles of Notice, Choice, Accountability for Onward Transfer, Security, Data Integrity and Purpose Limitation, Access, and Recourse, Enforcement and Liability. Furthermore, we require third party recipients of EU/Swiss/UK residents Personal Data to agree to respect these principles, and we accept liability for third parties processing of EU/Swiss/UK residents data to the extent required by law. If there is any conflict between the policies in this Privacy Policy and the Privacy Shield Principles, the Privacy Shield Principles shall govern. To learn more about the Privacy Shield program, and to view the certification page, please visit https://www.privacyshield.gov. You may view the list of Privacy Shield companies at https://www.privacyshield.gov/list. We encourage users to contact us if you have any concerns about our compliance with this Privacy Policy and the Privacy Shield Framework. In compliance with the EU-U.S./Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Principles, we commit to resolving complaints about your privacy and our collection or use of your Personal Data. EU/Swiss/UK residents with inquiries or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy should first contact us at the address below. We will respond to complaints from EU/Swiss/UK residents within 45 days. If you are in the EU or UK and you have an unresolved privacy or data use concern that we have not addressed satisfactorily, please contact our U.S.-based third party dispute resolution provider (free of charge) at https://feedback-form.truste.com/watchdog/request. We will work with the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) with regard to unresolved Privacy Shield complaints concerning data transferred from Switzerland. If required by law, we will work with a panel of DPAs in the EU to resolve disputes. Under certain circumstances, more fully described on the Privacy Shield website, you may invoke binding arbitration when other dispute resolution procedures have been exhausted. As a U.S. company, we are also subject to the investigatory and enforcement power of the FTC regarding our compliance with the Privacy Shield Framework and this Privacy Policy, and users may direct complaints to the FTC in the event the dispute resolution processes described above is unsatisfactory. Changes to Our Privacy Policy We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with the effective date, and we will notify of any material changes. Please visit this page regularly so that you are aware of our latest updates. Your use of the Services following notice of any changes indicates acceptance of any changes. Additional Rights and Disclosures: California Your California Privacy Rights Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other California laws, California residents may have the following rights in addition to those set forth in the Rights & Choices section above, subject to your submission of an appropriately verified request (see below for verification requirements): Right to Know You may request any of following, for the 12 month period preceding your request: (1) the categories of Personal Data we have collected about you, or that we have sold, or disclosed for a commercial purpose; (2) the categories of sources from which your Personal Data was collected; (3) the business or commercial purpose for which we collected or sold your Personal Data; (4) the categories of third parties to whom we have sold your Personal Data, or disclosed it for a business purpose; and (5) the specific pieces of Personal Data we have collected about you. Right to Delete You have the right to delete certain Personal Data that we hold about you, subject to exceptions under applicable law. Right to Non-Discrimination You have the right to not to receive discriminatory treatment as a result of your exercise of rights conferred by the CCPA. Direct Marketing You may request a list of Personal Data we have disclosed about you to third parties for direct marketing purposes during the 12 month period preceding your request. Opt-Out of Sale If we engage in sales of data (as defined by applicable law), you may direct us to stop selling or disclosing Personal Data to third parties for commercial purposes. Minors To the extent we have actual knowledge that we collect or maintain personal information of a minor under age 16, those minors between the age of 13 and 16 must opt in to any sales of personal information (as defined under CCPA), and minors under the age of 13 must have a parent consent to sales of personal information (as defined under CCPA). All minors have the right to opt-out later at any time. Minors under age 13 may have other rights under the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Minors User Content Individuals under the age of 18 in California can delete or remove posts using the same deletion or removal procedures described above, or otherwise made available through the Services. If you have questions about how to remove your posts or if you would like additional assistance with deletion you can contact us. We will work to delete your information, but we cannot guarantee comprehensive removal of that content or information posted through the Services. Submission of Requests You may submit requests, as follows (see below for summary of required verification information): Opt-Out Please Click Here to exercise your opt-out of sale or sharing options. Right to Know Please Click Here to submit a request to know what data fields we retain for you. Right to Delete Please Click Here to submit a request to have your data deleted. Direct Marketing You may request a list of any relevant direct marketing disclosures via email to our privacy team at [email protected] . Verification of Requests All rights requests must be verified to ensure that the individual making the request is authorized to make that request, to reduce fraud, and to ensure the security of your Personal Data. We may require that you provide the email address we have on file for you (and verify that you can access that email account) as well as an address, phone number, or other data we have on file, in order to verify your identity. If an agent is submitting the request on your behalf, we reserve the right to validate the agents authority to act on your behalf. Data Processing Samantha Power, a former special adviser to President Barack Obama, on Friday expressed regret at his failure to ensure an official U.S. recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey during his tenure. Speaking to RFE/RLs Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) in Yerevan, Power said Obama did not honor a key election campaign pledge because he did not want to jeopardize a rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey and feared that Ankara could obstruct U.S. efforts to defeat the Islamic State extremist group. Power, who advised Obama on foreign policy and human rights before serving as U.S. ambassador to the United States from 2013-2017, also blamed the very volatile personality of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Obama referred to the Armenian genocide as a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence when he ran for president in 2008. He said that if elected he will officially recognize the World War One-era slaughter of some 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. During that presidential race, Power famously recorded a five-minute video that urged Americans of Armenian descent to vote for Obama because of his stance on the genocide issue. I have great regret that we did not manage to go all the way to full recognition in the way that we had promised, Power told RFE/RL during her first-ever visit to Armenia. I really believed going into the White House that we would. But in 2009, which was really the year that we would have done it right at the beginning, President Obama made clear that his view of the facts had not changed and everybody knew his view, she said. But he felt that the Armenian-Turkish normalization was at a very important and very fragile stage. Then, I think, at the hundred anniversary [of the genocide in 2015,] when it would have been another opportune time to recognize, we had just been granted access to Turkish bases to fight ISIS (Islamic State). Turkey is a very powerful and large country thats a NATO ally and has a lot of weight, added the former U.S. official. President Erdogan of course is a very volatile personality. So that also meant that some of the threats that he made were deemed more credible frankly. Power made clear that she thinks none of these factors justified Obamas decisions. There is really no excuse because, as I wrote before I became a U.S. government official, there really is never a good time to do it, she said. There is always going to be some set of issues and equities on the other side of the argument. Obama reportedly came very close to recognizing the genocide in an April 2015. While avoiding the politically sensitive word, he implicitly praised Pope Francis for calling the 1915 mass killings the first genocide of the 20th century. He also paid tribute to Henry Morgenthau, Americas World War One-era ambassador in Constantinople who tried to stop what he saw as a campaign of race extermination. Obamas 2015 statement followed a reportedly heated debate within his administration. The Associated Press reported at the time that an explicit recognition of the Armenian genocide was advocated by administration officials who deal more directly with human rights issues. Power was said to be among them. Power said on Friday that the current and future U.S. administrations should follow the example of two dozen other nations and defy the bullying that genocide deniers have done. Asked whether she thinks President Donald Trump may do so, she said: Trump is so volatile. Maybe we wake up one morning and therell be the tweet that weve all been waiting for: recognizing the genocide. In any case, the former Obama administration official went on, Armenians should keep fighting for greater international recognition of the genocide. They have already made major progress in that endeavor, she said, arguing that there is almost nobody in any doubt around the world about the events of 1915. Power was visiting Armenia as a new member of an international committee that will select this weekend the latest winner of an annual humanitarian award created in memory of the Armenian genocide victims. The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity award was established in 2015 by three prominent Diaspora Armenians: philanthropists Ruben Vardanyan and Noubar Afeyan, and Vartan Gregorian, the president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. It is designed to honor individuals around the world who risk their lives to help others. By Sara Israfilbayova Azerbaijan and Greece have the potential to expand cooperation in the tourism industry. Greek Ambassador to Azerbaijan Nicolaos Kanellos made the remarks during the meeting with Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev. The Greek Ambassador stressed the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor project in terms of ensuring energy security and noted the expansion of ties, along with the energy sector, in other areas. Canellos underlined the significance of conducting research on promising areas and developing cooperation in these areas. Shahin Mustafayev, in turn, noted the importance of investing and expanding trade ties and, in this connection, stressed the importance of developing cooperation between business circles and holding business forums. He went on to say that cooperation in the spheres of agriculture, food industry, tourism, transport, with the industrial zones created in Azerbaijan and on the territory of the Baku International Sea Trade Port by the Free Trade Zone, is also expedient. The minister touched upon existing economic ties and prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Greece and noted that 11 Greek companies are registered in the country. The minister also mentioned the successful cooperation in the energy sector, adding that cooperation on the TAP project was continuing successfully. The Southern Gas Corridor, worth $41.5 billion, is considered as one of the priority energy projects for the EU, which strives for diversification of gas supplies. The project envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey. At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage. As part of Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and Trans Adriatic Pipeline. The first gas within the Shah Deniz-2 project will be delivered to Turkey in 2018, and to Europe in 2019. The Hellenic Republic recognized independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 31 December 1991. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on 2 April 1992. Both countries are full members of Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). Greece was the first European Union member country that wanted directly import gas from Azerbaijan. Both countries enjoyed recently developed close relations in trade, culture and economy. --- Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov As many as 40 orders were placed for Khazar cars manufactured at the joint Azerbaijani-Iranian plant in the Neftchala industrial zone, Emin Akhundov, chairman of the Board of AzerMash, told journalists on June 8. He said that the first customers are government structures Ministries of Economy, Energy and Taxes. To date, the plant has manufactured about 100 Khazar cars. Akhundov added that the sales of cars will begin already early next week. At the initial stage there will be two models Khazar SD and Khazar LD. They will be sold in three sales centers in Baku. The base price for Khazar SD will be 16,000 manats ($9,384), and for Khazar LD 18,000 manats ($10,557). Akhundov noted that it will also be possible to lease the cars with an initial payment of 20 percent or through a loan with an initial payment of 50 percent. The annual payment will be 18 percent. It is noteworthy that all cars produced at the plant meet the Euro-5 standards. Akhundov also said that the joint Azerbaijani-Iranian car plant plans to produce about 2,000 cars until the end of this year. In general, the plant plans to manufacture eight models of Khazar cars as well as Peugeot and Renault. The prices for cars manufactured will vary at 14,000-20,000 manats ($8,211-11,730). In the future, if we decide to establish production of car parts, the price may drop by 12-13 percent, he mentioned. It is also planned to produce models with automatic transmission. In general, the monthly production at the plant at the initial stage will be 160 cars, Akhundov noted. Iran Khodro and subsidiary of AzerMash AzEuroCar LLC signed an agreement on August 6, 2016, on the establishment of a joint automobile plant in the Neftchala Industrial Park. The total cost of the project is estimated at $14.08 million. Azerbaijan invested 75 percent of the funds, while Iran invested 25 percent. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan is a country of ancient and rich folklore traditions, the origins of which go back to the centuries. And, probably, the most important place is taken by folk music, cultural monument that synthesizes past and present. But, what do we know about Azerbaijani musical instruments? Probably not so much. In his interview with Day.Az, Doctor of arts, Professor of the Azerbaijan National Conservatory Abbasgulu Najafzade shared very interesting facts about national folk musical instruments. One of the most ancient places of human settlement rightly stands as an ancient cultural center. People settled here about 2 million years ago as monuments revealed in Azerbaijan through archeological excavations. Cultural monuments, including petroglyphs discovered in Nakhchivan, Absheron, Gobustan and Kalbajar perfectly illustrate the country's ancient culture. Along with the primitive tools, ancient people created the first musical instruments to satisfy the needs of their spiritual life. Some of them passed down through the ages, while others have already been forgotten. Najafzade divides the musical instruments into several groups, including idiophone, aerofone (woodwinds), chordophone (stringed) and finally, membranophone, when the sound is produced by striking, rubbing, or blowing against a membrane. The first musical instruments created by ancient people were idiophones. For this reason, in organology musical instruments related to idiophones are considered the "alphabet" of musical instruments. Scientists believe that about 40 idiophones have been used in Azerbaijan in different periods. Among folk instruments there are those you first time hearing about. Balaban refers to aerofoams. The silver ring, which is more than 2,000 years old, have been discovered during archaeological excavations in Bargoed village of Ujar region. Ring with the blue stone imprinted the image of Balaban. The word "Balaban" combines two Azerbaijani-Turkish words "bal" and "ban". Bala means small or fragile and ban is an archaism which means voice. The Armenians call Balaban as 'duduk'. The prototype pipes is tutek (reed pipe), the name of this tool is mentioned in the epos of "Kitabi Dada Gorgud". The word 'duduk' used to mean "false sound" is the Turkic word. But it doesn't possess any scientific etymological meaning in Armenian language," said Najafzade. The oldest music chang is considered to be the prototype of the harp. The name of the first performer on this instrument in Azerbaijan is unknown. However, the oldest chang performer was poetess Mahsati Ganjavi. In his works, Nizami also notes the name of Nagisa, master harpist and composer of the royal court of King Khosrau II of Persia. Kamancha is a bowed string instrument, the birthplace of which is the Ancient Egypt. In Azerbaijan, the musical instrument was widespread in the 7th and the 8th centuries. The name of the instrument comes from the combination of the words "bow" ("kaman") in Farsi and "play" ("chal") in the Azerbaijani language. After the loss of one letter, it began to sound as "kamancha". The word is often met in poems of such classics as Nizami, Fadi, and Masihi. Such an instrument was discovered during the excavations in Iranian Azerbaijan, in the city of Gigamesh. The articles about such interesting finding have been published by UNESCO, the magazine "Peyam". Later, music instrument appeared in article "Grandfather of the orchestra" written by literary critic Abulfaz Husseini. Gosha naghara combines two words "gosha" which means binary and nagara, taken from the Arabic language and meaning "strike" or "knock". So, the word formed by two languages means "double drum". In ancient times, gosha naghara was called gosha-dumbul. Naghara refers to membranophones. The travelers, ethnographers and envoys, who visited Azerbaijan in different periods of times referred to the music instrument as drum. Dumbala and davula are the names given to naghara in ancient times. The word entered Azerbaijani language after the spread of Islam and Islamic literature in the 7th century. The music instrument is mentioned in such oral and written heritage of the Azerbaijani people as heroic epic poem "Kitabi Dada Gorgud", eposes "Koroglu'"and "Dastani-Ahmed Harami", poems of Nizami, Jalaluddin, Assar, Burhanuddin, Fadai, and Amani. One of the most wonderful folk wind instrument "nei" first appeared in the Stone age. Nei is a Sumerian word which means "singing reed". The folk instrument can be made only from savory reed. Today, music instrument is commonly used by different peoples under various names. Turkic-speaking ethnic groups referred to folk wind instruments as "lip gopuz" due to it's similarity to the sound produced by mouth. Tar is one of the most beautiful folk instruments played with mediator. Tar is made of mulberry, walnut and pear trees, open side of the body is made of cattle heart membrane. Its strings are of different thickness and composition. The legendary composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli wrote that the folk instrument was invented by philosopher of Turkish origin Al-Farabi in 9th century. Tar is a musical instrument of only Azerbaijani Turks. In Azerbaijani language, this word has a variety of meanings, including "aromatic", " fragrant ", " to extend", "to spread", "pleasant combination", and "to comb". Music and craftsmanship of Azerbaijani tar, one of the ancient stringed instruments, was included into the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument with 11 or 12 strings grouped in 5 or 6 courses. Renowned musician and writer on the theory of music, Abd al-Qadir al-Maraghi believed that the oud was invented by the grandson of the prophet Adam (7,000 BC). According to another version, the ancient oud was made by Greek philosopher Pythagoras in the 6th century BC. Archeological discoveries made by Azerbaijani archaeologist, doctor of historical Sciences, Professor Alam Nuriev (1936-2004) require revision of folk instrument's history. Nuriyev believes that the discovery is related to the Kura-Araxes period of the Bronze age. The sample is kept in the Museum of Culture of the city Barda. The 16th century masters of miniatures, including Nizameddin Sultan Muhammad, Mirza Ali, and Mir Sayyid Ali Tabrizi often depicted the stringed instrument in their works. The musical instrument had 32 varieties. Oudi-gelim, oudi-kamil, and vel-oud were commonly spread in Azerbaijan. Zurna is a wind instrument with a strong, high tone, is widespread in Azerbaijan. The remains of four wind instruments, made of deer antlers were found by archaeologist Gardashkhan Aslanov near the city of Mingachevir in 1947. One of them had six holes for sound. Specialist implies that the instrument was put on the cane, like the zurna. The prototype of the zurna is kept in Azerbaijan History Museum. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova ARTIM Project Space invites art lovers to workshop of Berlin-based curator Thibaut de Ruyter on June 18-22. The Making of Exhibitions workshop is supported by Goethe-Zentrum Baku. The five-day event is based on learning practical and everyday tools used by architects (model making, plans, simple graphic representations, vocabulary) in order to understand space and in particular exhibition spaces (from private galleries to museum via non-traditional locations). The learning of those tools is a pretext to discuss exhibition making with the students, at both theoretical and practical level (from concept to press-release through graphic design and scenography). The students learn how to produce very simple models and implement afterwards their own project for a potential exhibition within the space. During that stage of the workshop the students are left free to deal with their own interest so that, at the end, a variety of exhibitions (solo or group show, contemporary art, applied art, biographical or historical) is being developed and shared within the group. The course is intended to any person having an interest in exhibition making (artists, curators, architects, historians, designers, critics, etc). No previous experience as a curator being required. Thibaut de Ruyter is a French architect, curator and critic, living and working in Berlin since 2001. During the last ten years he has organized exhibitions in (among others) the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt/Main, HMKV in Dortmund, EIGEN+ART Lab and CTM in Berlin, Muzeum Sztuki in odz and CRP/ in Douchy-les-Mines. One of his latest project is a traveling exhibition for Goethe-Institut in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Die Grenze that address the border between Asia and Europe in former Soviet countries. His fields of interest move from new media via spiritism via to exhibitions that are not exhibitions. Most of his projects are linked by every day, pop or underground culture. Since 2007, he is a member of AICA-France. Please send your CV (including phone number) and portfolio to [email protected] . Application deadline: 13 June 2018, 00:00 For any further information and questions please contact: E-mail [email protected] Tel: +99412 505 1414. ARTIM is directed at young Azerbaijani artists with an intention to support and encourage emergent talent to grow. The program has a designated exhibition space in Icheri Sheher that was conceived as a platform for experimenting and professionally showcasing art. Artworks resulting from the program are exhibited at the ARTIM Project Space, Baku. YARAT is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to nurturing an understanding of contemporary art in Azerbaijan and to creating a platform for Azerbaijani art, both nationally and internationally. Based in Baku, YARAT (meaning CREATE in Azerbaijani) was founded by Aida Mahmudova in 2011. It realizes its mission through an on-going program of exhibitions, education events and festivals. YARAT facilitates exchange between local and international artistic networks including foundations, galleries and museums. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova YARAT Contemporary Art Space will host a solo exhibition by internationally renowned Indian artist Shilpa Gupta from June 6 to October 7. Viewers will be presented a new, large-scale multi-channel sound installation which gives voice to 100 poets who have been jailed over the centuries for their writing or political alignments. Exhibited alongside other new drawings and sculptures, the works highlight the fragility and vulnerability of our right to freedom of expression today. Running across the entire first floor gallery space, 100 microphones are suspended above 100 metal rods, each piercing a page inscribed with a verse of poetry. In turn, a single microphone plays these verses, echoed by a chorus of the other 99. Lasting over an hour, the sound piece alternates between English, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Azeri and Hindi, amongst other languages. A chorus of voices shift across the space, forming an ongoing sequence of haunting recitals. The title of the installation, For, in your tongue I cannot fit 100 Jailed Poets, is based on a poem by 14th century Azerbaijani poet Nesimi. Alongside this major new work are a series of drawings and objects which reflect upon the lives of the poets, including a mouth cast in metal, a drawing made with thorns and tracings on paper around the body of the missing person. Telling stories of deep conflict and endearment, the works explore the political and societal restrictions which seek to control and clamp both the imagination and the physical mobility of the poets. A motion flapboard, typically found in transit zones and transport hubs to communicate timings and schedules, hangs from the ceiling. Subverting its intended function, Gupta replaces informational text with poetry which describes processes of arrival and departure, and the movement of people and ideas. As the split-flap display rotates, new words and prose appear, offering poignant and timely reflections which in turn lead us to question how we define identity through place and time. For this exhibition, the artist revisits her photographic series, Dont See Dont Hear Dont Speak (2006) to create a sculpture in which three identical people encircle one another, each concealing the others eyes, ears or mouth. Based on a Japanese proverb made popular by Mahatma Gandhi, the work sits within the context of our current changing political landscape and recent wave of separatism a present force in the artists own home country, where agencies are often suppressed for their views. Creating a potent dialogue with the other pieces in the exhibition, Guptas sculpture offers a powerful reflection on freedom of expression. The artist continues: Time and again, like where we are at today, voices of truth cause discomfort and stand truncated, however the resonances stay and they continue to be heard". Guptas sound installation is a joint commission by YARAT Contemporary Art Space, Baku and Edinburgh Art Festival This exhibition is curated by Bjorn Geldhof Shilpa Gupta (b. 1976, Mumbai, India) lives and works in Mumbai, where she studied B.F.A. Sculpture at Sir J.J. School of Fine Arts, graduating in 1997. Guptas work has exhibited around the world including the Venice Biennale, Berlin Biennale, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Devi Art Foundation, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and Mori Museum amongst others.Preview: July 6, 2018 (Admission by invitations only) Exhibition opens: Tuesday through Sunday, from 12:00 23:00 Admission is free YARAT is an artist-founded, not-for-profit art organisation based in Baku, Azerbaijan, established by Aida Mahmudova in 2011. YARAT (which means 'create' in Azerbaijani) is dedicated to contemporary art with a long-term commitment to creating a hub for artistic practice, research, thinking and education in the Caucasus, Central Asia and surrounding region. It comprises YARAT Art Centre, ARTIM Project Space, YARAT Studios, YAY Gallery and an extended educational and public programme. YARAT Art Centre, a 2000m converted Soviet-era naval building, opened in March 2015 and is the organisation's main exhibition space. The exhibition programme features new commissions by artists responding to the region. It supports and provides access to artists from the region, while engaging and introducing established, international artists. In October 2015, YARAT opened ARTIM, a central, accessible and dynamic space in Baku's Old City. ARTIM (meaning 'progress' in Azerbaijani) shows experimental practices and new work by emerging Azeri art professionals (selected through open call) and the international artists from the residency programme. It features multiple small-scale projects each year and hosts ARTIM LAB, a programme enabling young artists to engage in workshops and daily studio practice to generate new ideas and works. In 2016 YARAT launched a renewed residency programme. Aimed at developing young Azerbaijani voices and emerging international artists, the focus is on new, innovative practices and artists with an interest in the region. The residency programme hosts 6 international and 4 local artists a year at YARAT Studios spaces. Education has been at the heart of YARAT's activities since its creation. With a dedicated public programme that includes courses, workshops, lectures, screenings, festivals, literature and theatre clubs and family weekends, YARAT aims to give access to broad audiences of all ages. The public programme invests proactively in building communities and nurturing a wider understanding of, and participation in, contemporary art. Founded in 2004 and now in its 15th edition, Edinburgh Art Festival is the platform for the visual arts at the heart of Edinburghs August festivals, bringing together the capitals leading galleries, museums and artist-run spaces in a city-wide celebration of the very best in visual art. Each year, the Festival features leading international and UK artists alongside the best emerging talent, major survey exhibitions of historic figures, and a special programme of newly commissioned artworks that respond to public and historic sites in the city. The 2017 Festival attracted over 315,000 visits. Edinburgh Art Festival is a registered charity supported by Creative Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council. For more information, please visit www.edinburghartfestival.com or follow the Festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @EdArtFest #EdArtFest. Shilpa Guptas commission is also supported by the Scottish Governments Festivals Expo Fund and EventScotland, with additional support of Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Scottish Poetry Library and Pen International. For media and image enquiries please contact: Milly Carter Hepplewhite and Rebekah Humphries at Pelham Communications Telephone: +44 208 969 3959 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov Azerbaijan, pursuing a policy of isolation of Armenia, is guided by the UN Charter, Farhad Mammadov, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Azerbaijan, told Trend on June 8. He noted that the territories of Azerbaijan were occupied by Armenia, as a result of which ethnic cleansing was carried out on these lands. After that, Azerbaijan applied the articles No. 41 and 42 of the UN Charter, which say that if a state does not comply with the UN Security Council resolutions, sanctions may be applied against this state, Mammadov said. The Director of the Center mentioned that good-neighborly, equal and mutually beneficial cooperation with neighboring countries, in particular with Georgia, allows Azerbaijan to implement projects, the amount of which in monetary terms is hundreds of times more than the budget and tens of times more than the GDP of Armenia. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has always stressed that if the Armenian authorities, regardless of who they are, think about the independence and economic development of their country, they must peacefully co-exist with their neighbors. This would bring more benefit to the population and strengthen the state independence of Armenia, as it is impossible to develop in isolation, Mammadov stressed. He added that it is enough to look at the map to understand that with the closed borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey, Armenia cannot develop and implement any economic initiatives. Armenia has borders with four countries and the longest borders are closed. The infrastructure that existed in Soviet times also passed through the territory of Azerbaijan. The only railway connecting Russia with Armenia and passing through the territory of Abkhazia in Georgia has been closed for 25 years and its opening is not expected in the near future, Mammadov reminded. Nevertheless, the trilateral format of Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey cooperation is not directed against anyone, but is formed and operates within the national interests of these three states. Mammadov reminded that this format has its own agenda, and traditional meetings of heads of state, foreign ministers, relevant structures, defense ministers, and joint military exercises are held within it, as well as pipeline and infrastructure projects are implemented. The doors to participation in these projects are open for all parties for Iran and for Russia. This provision was prescribed back in 2007, when the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project was founded. However, there is a reservation that the territorial integrity of these countries must be respected. It was a message for Armenia, the Director of the Center said. Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on restoration of the bridge over the Goychay River, connecting Agsu and Goychay districts. Under the order, 3.5 million manats will be allocated from the Presidential Reserve Fund envisaged in the 2018 state budget to the State Agency of Highways to restore the bridge over the Goychay River located on the 217th kilometer section of the M-4 Baku-Shamakhi-Yevlakh highway. The Finance Ministry is instructed to provide financing in the amount indicated in the order. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Opening ceremony of the international scientific and educational conference on strategic planning of education was held on June 7 at the ADA University with the support of the EU Baku office. Speaking at the event, Vice Rector of the ADA University Vafa Kazdal noted that the activities in the field of education do not immediately lead to success and it takes time. She said the participants of the conference will get acquainted with the best international experiences in the field of education, as well as hold discussions in four directions in connection with the state strategy for development of education in Azerbaijan. National and foreign experts will share their opinions during the discussions. Minister of Education Ceyhun Bayramov, speaking at the event, noted the great importance of such a conference held at the ADA University, which is one of the leading universities in the country. He reminded that about five years have passed since the adoption of the State Strategy for the development of education in Azerbaijan. "During this time, much work has been done and success has been achieved, active work is being done to train professional personnel, and some changes have been made in the field of higher education and primary vocational education. Over the past few years, the number of students enrolled in universities has increased by 12 percent or 4,000 people," the minister said. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the State Examination Center (SEC) Maleyka Abbaszade noted that the next year will be very important for the education system. "Next year, along with the students of the 9th grade, the students of the 11th grade will also take the final exams based on new programs," she said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov Another 23 families have moved to the houses built in the second stage in the liberated Jojug Marjanli village of Azerbaijans Jabrayil region, Chief Executive of the region Kamal Hasanov told Trend on June 7. He noted that the second stage of resettlement began a few days ago and the families were provided with transport for the relocation. The resettlement continues, and all the families will move there in stages, Hasanov said. Jojug Marjanli was liberated by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces from the Armenian occupation in April 2016. In late January 2017, President Ilham Aliyev ordered to restore the village. The second phase of construction and restoration work and work on improvement and creation in Jojug Marjanli started on June 15, 2017. During the first phase of restoration, 50 private houses, a school, mosque, electric substation, hydrometeorological station, highway and other relevant infrastructure were constructed in Jojug Marjanli. The village was provided with gas, electricity and water supply. During the second phase of construction and restoration work and work on improvement and creation in Jojug Marjanli, new houses are built and infrastructure is enhanced in the village. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov Azerbaijans Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov took part in the NATO summit in Brussels organized at the level of defense ministers of states contributing to the NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, the Defense Ministry informed on June 8. Hasanov fully informed the participants of the meeting about the support Azerbaijan provides to Afghanistan. The minister added that Azerbaijan will continue to support the efforts of the international community aimed at restoring peace and stability in Afghanistan. The political situation and security in Afghanistan, the future of the mission, the continuation of financial support required for the maintenance of security forces after 2020, and other issues were discussed at the meeting. In order to ensure international peace and support of partners, the number of Azerbaijani peacekeepers has been increased from 94 to 120 servicemen since 2018, including six Azerbaijani officers, who are represented at various headquarters of the Resolute Support mission, as well as two military doctors. Azerbaijan has several times made substantial donations to the Afghan National Army (ANA) Trust Fund. Moreover, Azerbaijan supports Afghanistan on its path of reforms towards integrating into regional and global economy. Furthermore, Azerbaijan allowed the NATO planes carrying non-combat loads for a mission in Afghanistan to fly through Azerbaijans airspace and to use the countrys airports. About 40 percent of all cargo destined for the NATO mission in Afghanistan pass through Baku. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijans Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has been elected new chairman of the Azerbaijan National Oil Committee, the Committee told Trend June 7. A meeting was held in Baku under the chairmanship of first vice-president of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR, Khoshbakht Yusifzade, during which a new chairman and board of the Committee, which consists of 19 people, were elected. The Azerbaijan National Oil Committee was established in 2005 and became a member of the World Petroleum Council (WPC) in the same year at a congress in Johannesburg. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Sara Israfilbayova World oil prices show mixed dynamics on Friday, as investors react to news about delays in deliveries from Venezuela and wait for statistics on drilling activity in the U.S. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.6 percent to $76.89 a barrel on Londons ICE Futures exchange after closing almost 2 percent higher Thursday. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were trading down 0.4 percent at $65.69 a barrel, according to Wall Street Journal. Support for quotations is provided by news about problems with the supply of black gold from Venezuela. The media reported with reference to sources that the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA is almost a month behind the plan of oil supplies to its customers. According to the agency, the constant delays exacerbate the degree of oil production reduction in the country and may violate the terms of the PDVSA supply contracts. Oil production in Venezuela reached a minimum level amid the economic and political crisis - according to OPEC, in April the country produced 1.49 million barrels per day. Now investors are waiting for the publication of the data of the oil and gas service company Baker Hughes, a GE Company (BHGE) on the number of oil and gas drilling rigs in the U.S. According to the results of the previous week, which ended on June 1, the number of oil rigs in the U.S. increased by two, or by 0,2 percent - to 861 units. And the total number of oil and gas drilling rigs increased in annual terms by 144 pieces, or 1.2 times. OPEC and a number of non-member countries agreed at the end of 2016 in Vienna to reduce their oil production by a total of 1.8 million barrels per day from October 2016. The implementation of the agreement has started from the beginning of 2017 and has been twice extended, most recently - until the end of 2018. The next meeting of the ministerial monitoring committee of OPEC + will be held on June 21 in Vienna. It will be followed by a meeting of the OPEC countries on June 22 and a meeting of all 24 OPEC member countries on June 23, at which quotas for production reduction can be revised. --- Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Drilling in Kish Gas Field, the Persian Gulfs second largest gas field after South Pars, has made significant progress and is expected to be completed in nearly 7 months, deputy chief of the National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) said. "Impending (US) sanctions on the countrys oil industry and domestic inability to produce (some equipment) have delayed the project in Kish Gas Field," Mohammadreza Takaidi told YJC news agency on June 7. The government is now in talks with Canada and Singapore to buy the equipment, he added. Takaidi further said that the equipment will be delivered to Iran in the next two months and that it is estimated that drilling at wells at the offshore Kish field will be completed by the end of December or mid-January. Discovered in 1968, Kish gas field is located 30 kilometers east of Lavan Island off the Persian Gulf. The field holds an estimated 1.3 trillion cubic meters of natural gas in place and more than 500 million barrels of gas condensate, an ultra-light grade of oil. In 2017, Iran signed a basic agreement with Shell last December over studying the country's Kish gas field as well as South Azadegan and Yadavaran oil fields. Italian oil major Eni also signed an agreement with the Islamic Republic in June 2017 for feasibility studies to develop the gas field. The new US sanctions will take six months to kick in, but a number of European companies have already halted their businesses in Iran despite verbal pledges by their governments to protect them against any fallout. US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement, which was reached in 2015 between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany. Trump also said he would reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose "the highest level" of economic bans on the Islamic Republic. --- By Kamila Aliyeva Kyrgyzstan will continue the summer export of electricity to Uzbekistan, the press service of the state-run company, Electric Stations JSC, reported. This is done to rationally use the water and energy resources of Kyrgyzstan within the framework of good-neighborly relations with Uzbekistan. In total, 500 million kilowatt-hours will be exported at a price of 2 cents per kilowatt-hour. According to the agreement, between Electric Stations JSC (Kyrgyzstan) and Uzbekenergo JSC (Uzbekistan), electricity exports to Uzbekistan were launched today, on June 8, 2018, and will last until August 2018. Daily supplies will be adjusted based on technical capabilities and availability of water in the Toktogul reservoir. Uzbekistan last year began buying cheap electricity from Kyrgyzstan. Deliveries were started on June 16 as part of a contract concluded between Electric Stations and Uzbekenergo. According to representatives of the Uzbek side, this is done to optimize the operation of the energy system and provide the agricultural sector with water resources. After the summer exports (June-October) in the amount of 1.1 billion kWh of electricity, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have concluded an agreement on the export of electricity in the amount of 550 million kWh from December 2017 to March 2018. The cost of one kilowatt-hour under the contract was 2.4 cents. Currently, Uzbekenergo annually produces over 60 billion kWh of electricity, of which 10 percent is produced by HPPs and 90 percent by thermal power stations. Electricity consumption in the country is increasing every year. So, if in 2000 the monthly consumption of one family was 114 kWh, then by 2016 it increased by 35 percent and reached 160 kWh. Previously, Central Asia had a unified energy system. It included 83 power plants with total capacity of 25,000 megawatts in the territory of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and southern Kazakhstan. In winter, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan accumulated water in reservoirs and received electricity and energy resources (coal and natural gas) from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In summer, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan sent water to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan for irrigation farming. However, after Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan left the unified energy system of Central Asia in 2003 and 2009, respectively, the system ceased to function. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is ready to provide financial and technical assistance, if necessary, in drafting an international treaty on the joint use of the railway corridor Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China. Negotiations were held at the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Trade on June 7. The delegation of ESCAP was led by Officer-in-Charge of the organization Hongjoo Hahm. The sides discussed the current state and prospects for the development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and ESCAP, and exchanged views on enhancing the organization's participation in the implementation of transport and logistics projects in Uzbekistan and Central Asia in general, the ministry said. In his speech, Hahm noted that ESCAP regards Uzbekistan as an important partner in the region and assesses positively the large-scale reforms initiated in Uzbekistan, the liberalization of foreign trade activities, and the launch of the negotiation process on Uzbekistan's accession to the WTO. He also stressed the intention of the organization to take an active part in the forthcoming international conference Central Asia in the System of International Transport Corridors: Strategic Perspectives and Unrealized Opportunities initiated by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Uzbekistan, being a full-fledged member of ESCAP since 1992, interacts with the Commission in the field of transport, trade and investment, the environment and other areas. The new railway will provide an opportunity to transport goods from China through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to the countries of Eastern Europe and the Middle East. It will become one of the shortest routes for the transport of Chinese goods to the EU. According to the preliminary estimates, the reduction of the route from East Asia to the countries of the Middle East and Southern Europe will be about 900 kilometers, and the terms will decrease by 7-8 days. In addition, the construction will ensure the development of the transport infrastructure of the Central Asian countries, provide them with convenient access to the ports of the Persian Gulf and the Pacific, and will stimulate the development and use of natural resources of the regional countries. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Moscow and Washington are discussing a possible meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters with reference to the RIA news agency reported on Friday. We are thinking about the presidential summit, and in conversations with American partners this question emerges. But there are no agreements yet, RIA cited a source as saying. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva Kazakhstan and China signed an agreement to establish a Eurasian Nurly Investment Fund on June 8. The document was signed by Chairman of the Board of National Management Holding Baiterek Aidar Arifhanov on behalf of Kazakhstan, as well as Director General of CITIC Eurasian Capital Limited Sun Yang and President of the China-Eurasian Economic Cooperation Fund Lin Gang. The planned target size of the fund to be will amount to up to $500 million, the Baiterek press service said. The fund will finance projects in Kazakhstan in development of infrastructure, processing of natural resources, logistics, information technologies, processing industry and agribusiness complex, Arifhanov said. The Kazyna Capital Management JSC, a subsidiary of the Baiterek holding, will become a Kazakhstans partner in the implementation of the agreement. The new Eurasian Nurly Investment Fund will attract investments to the economy of Kazakhstan from the major institutional and private investors of China - CITIC Group, China Eurasian Economic Cooperation Fund, Asia Investment Finance Group Limited and others, said a representative of Kazyna Capital Management. Baiterek is a public joint stock company that was established in May 2013 by a decree of the President of Kazakhstan and Kazakhstan government order. It is 100 percent owned by Kazakhstan. Baiterek is one of three national management holding companies and acts as the state's quasi-fiscal vehicle, channelling funds from the state to the national economy. Baiterek's institutional mission is to foster Kazakhstan economic diversification and development. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The imposition of new sanctions on Iran may negatively affect the cooperation of Kazakhstans National Maritime Shipping Company Kazmortransflot LLP (KMTF) with Iranian companies, which in turn may affect the total volume of the companys cargo transportation in the Caspian Sea, a source in the KMTF told Trend. KMTF plans to launch swap operations in the direction of Iran to effectively achieve an increase in the share of export flow of Kazakh oil cargoes. The list of positive factors affecting the company's activity, in turn, include the increase of oil production at the Kashagan field, as well as, the increase in the volume of Kazakh oil transportation to international markets via sea transport. "Kazmortransflot has its own infrastructure in the ports of Aktau and Batumi, which is a convenient base for organizing the transportation of Kazakh oil to the world market. KMTF also participates in the project of the future expansion of Tengizchevroil project, increasing its role in the oil sector of Kazakhstan. The company plans to increase the number of vessels of the service fleet to participate in Kazakhstans existing and prospective offshore oil projects in the medium and long term," Trend was told. KMTF also contributes to strengthening the role of Kazakhstan as a trans-shipment base for international transport corridors, according to the source. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva Kazakhstans housing market demonstrates stability this year with slight increase in prices for the purchase of housing and no change for its rent. The average cost of 1 square meter of new housing in Kazakhstan amounted to 263,853 tenge ($792.16) in May 2018 which shows a 0.3 percent growth compared to the previous month, according to the Committee on Statistics under the Kazakh National Economy Ministry. The price has risen by 1.4 percent compared to December 2017. The average resale price of 1 square meter of well-maintained housing in April stood at the level of 186,564 tenge ($560.12), thus showing an increase of 0.2 percent compared to the previous month and 0.5 percent increase compared to December last year. The resale price of 1 square meter of ill-equipped housing averaged to 115,513 tenge ($346.80) that is 0.1 percent higher than in the previous month and 0.9 percent more than in December 2017. The average rental price of 1 square meter of well-maintained housing in Kazakhstan last month amounted to 1,341 tenge that has not changed compared to the previous month and 0.9 percent higher than in late 2017. In Kazakhstan, the number of deals on purchase and sale of housing in January-April 2018 was 72,909 and increased by 4 percent compared to the same period in 2017. As many as 239,600 deals for housing purchase and sale were concluded in Kazakhstan during 2017 showing an increase of 26 percent compared to 2016. Previously, Kazakhstan has experienced a sharp decline of the real estate market due to adverse external conditions. Devaluation of the national currency, along with a decrease in real wages and purchasing power affected the demand side, while slight overinvestment and high exposure to currency risks shocked the supply. The Kazakh government is committed to resolving current issues on the real estate market with massive programs, which aim to provide affordable housing, including rental, refinancing foreign currency mortgages and stimulating construction of infrastructure for individual housing construction. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz For $12,000 a night, you're going to expect a lot from a hotel room, and Tilman Fertitta delivers in the 5,000-square-foot Presidential Suite at the Post Oak Hotel in Houston's Uptown district. You'll get privacy, for sure, when you use the private elevator that will take you to your 22nd-floor room from the parking garage or the rooftop helipad, depending on how you choose to arrive and depart. Your room will have the gym equipment you asked for, the liquor you want and it will even have the choice and color of flowers that you desire. Want a butler? Done. A caterer or chef who'll slip in discretely? Done. Melissa Phillip, Staff / Houston Chronicle Fertitta, 60, the CEO of Landry's Inc., owner of the Houston Rockets and star of CNBC's "Billion Dollar Buyer" show, opened his newest baby in mid-March to early guests as the finishing touches were still being put on the hotel's spa and some of its restaurants. His Uptown Houston compound is sure to draw throngs of bold-faced names to its restaurants, bar, spa, and boutique. Its Bloom & Bee restaurant is already a fave of Ladies Who Lunch and its dark H Bar draws crowds who like to linger over a cocktail in velvety luxury. Fertitta, a Galveston native and self-made billionaire, hopes to set a new bar for steakhouses with Mastro's, and he's equally proud of his reimagined Willie G's restaurant. Up on the 22nd floor, though, the foyer-like entrance to the Presidential Suite is covered in black and white marble. Inside, the black-white-gray palette continues through a great room, gym, office, two bathrooms and two bedrooms. Chandeliers dripping with crystals are in every room, from a pair in the living room which each have 300 strings of crystal, to a tiered structure over the king-size bed in the master suite. Sticking with the exclusive nature of the room, its one-of-a-kind furnishings can't be found in any other room in the hotel. Muncie-based Central Indiana Orthopedics is constructing a 37-acre medical campus with a surgery center and medical office space, the Indianapolis Business Journal reports. Here's what you should know: 1. The practice plans to use $13 million to acquire the land and start construction on the first of several buildings. The entire campus could cost up to $52 million. 2. The company hired Envoy Inc., to manage the construction and development of the campus. 3. The city council has already approved a $5.2 million bond for the project that'll be paid back through a tax increment financing district. 4. The practice plans to have three separate buildings that appear as one, but can accommodate separate owners when complete. The number of Medicare-certified ASCs nearly doubled from 2000 to 2017, according to Avanza Healthcare Strategies' Outpatient Statistical Snapshot. Here are 16 statistics on changes in the outpatient market over the past four decades: Medicare-certified ASCs 1. 2000: 3,028 2. 2017: 5,634 Total Medicare payments to ASCs 3. 2010: $3.3 billion 4. 2015: $4.1 billion Medicare payments to ASCs per fee-for-service beneficiary 5. 2010: $104 6. 2015: $122 Total Medicare outpatient FFS payments to hospitals 7. 2006: $29 billion 8. 2015: $58 billion Outpatient costs 9. Average net cost per hospital-based surgical procedure: $4,337 10. Average net cost per freestanding, ASC-based procedure: $2,429 Hospitals 11. 1981: 6,933 12. 2016: 5,534 Average hospital outpatient visits per 1,000 people 13. 1999: 1,817 visits 14. 2015: 2,251 visits Total community hospital outpatient visits 15. 1994: 383 million 16. 2014: 693 million Note: Avanza gathered data from Advancing Surgical Care, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, American Hospital Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield, CDC, Franklin Trust Ratings, Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Moody's Investors Service and The New York Times. Three more sexual assault suits were filed against former Charleston, W.Va., gastroenterologist Steven Matulis of Charleston (W.Va.) Gastroenterology Associates, the West Virginia Record reports. Here's what you should know: 1. Dr. Matulis has 15 lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault pending in court. Dr. Matulis would allegedly perform vaginal exams without a patient's consent while they were under anesthesia for other procedures. https://www.beckersasc.com/gastroenterology-and-endoscopy/former-gi-physician-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-patients-retains-medical-license-6-important-details.html 2. Dr. Matulis, Charleston Gastroenterology Associates, Charleston-based Day Surgery Center and DS Holdings were named as defendants in all three suits. 3. The three victims claimed they underwent procedures at Day Surgery Center when Dr. Matulis allegedly failed to obtain consent before inappropriately touching them. 4. Dr. Matulis switched his medical license to inactive in May 2016. Despite the claims against him, The West Virginia Board of Medicine allowed Dr. Matulis to retain his medical license. More articles on gastroenterology: Carolinas Center for Ambulatory Dentistry sinks teeth into ASC project 5 quick facts 4 things to know about Laser Spine Institute's new CMO Hitting the sweet spot: 7 statistics on the ideal number of physician owners for ASCs Google CEO Sundar Pichai has outlined seven principles guiding the company's work related to artificial intelligence. In a June 7 blog post, Mr. Pichai emphasized the principles ranging from "avoid creating or reinforcing unfair bias" to "be accountable to people" are not theoretical concepts, but "concrete standards that will actively govern our research and product development and will impact our business decisions." "We recognize that such powerful technology raises equally powerful questions about its use," Mr. Pichai wrote. "As a leader in AI, we feel a deep responsibility to get this right." Along with the seven principles, Mr. Pichai laid out four types of AI Google will not design or deploy. Here are the four areas Mr. Pichai detailed in his blog post, reproduced below in their entirety: 1. Technologies that cause or are likely to cause overall harm. Where there is a material risk of harm, we will proceed only where we believe that the benefits substantially outweigh the risks, and will incorporate appropriate safety constraints. 2. Weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people. 3. Technologies that gather or use information for surveillance violating internationally accepted norms. 4. Technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights. Mr. Pichai's blog post follows Google's recent decision not to renew a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, which included work leveraging AI to improve the targeting of drone strikes. The company's work with the DOD had resulted in backlash against the company among the public and its employees, according to The New York Times. In his blog post, Mr. Pichai emphasized that while Google will not develop AI for use in weapons, the company will "continue our work with governments and the military in many other areas. These include cybersecurity, training, military recruitment, veterans' healthcare, and search and rescue." To access Mr. Pichai's blog post, click here. UC San Diego Health launched capabilities to support OpenNotes, an international movement designed to encourage providers to share clinical notes with patients, in June. Here are four things to know about UC San Diego Health's involvement: 1. The international OpenNotes movement supports the use of online patient portals to connect patients with their notes. More than 22 million patients in the U.S. and Canada have access to their clinical notes through systems like patient portals, according to a UC San Diego Health statement. 2. Under the program, patients at UC San Diego Health will be able to read notes signed by physicians in participating medical teams, including primary care, internal medicine, family medicine, urology, hematology and oncology. The health system plans to add more participants over time. 3. To access their notes, patients must log into the health system's patient portal, called MyUCSDChart. The portal contains information on a patient's medical history, prescriptions, lab results and appointments. In the future, UC San Diego may allow patients to contribute to their notes online. 4. For UC San Diego Health, a key goal of the program is to improve communication between physicians and patients. "With OpenNotes, we acknowledge that patients have a right to view her or his medical records, including their physician's notes," Marlene Millen, MD, chief medical information officer for ambulatory care at UC San Diego Health, said in the health system's statement. "As a primary care doctor, my hope is that these notes will help my patients have a better understanding of their overall care, and will help them see how much I think and care about them." In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis in which the majority sided in favor of large corporations some are now calling on Epic employees to unionize, writes journalist Alan Talaga in an op-ed for the local newspaper, Isthmus. The case called into question the terms of employment arbitration agreements after a former employee sued the Verona, Wis.-based EHR vendor for overtime pay. Epic and its two co-petitioners argued their individual arbitration contracts, which bar employees from joining together in class-action lawsuits, do not violate federal labor laws. The high court agreed. The decision, penned by Justice Neil Gorsuch, established that companies have a right to resolve labor and wage disputes individually and use arbitration clauses to do so. Employers are only required to recognize collective action if the employees belong to a labor union. The ruling affects millions of employees across the U.S., making it harder for individuals to take action against wage theft, a sexual harassment and other safety concerns, Mr. Talaga writes. But, Mr. Gorsuch's opinion opens the door to unionization. "For these tech workers, who may not have thought about unions as a means to have a say in the workplace, this particular ruling could get them looking at organizing and unionizing for the very first time," Kevin Gundlach, president of the South Central Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, told Mr. Talaga. Unions aren't yet popular among tech companies, but the need is there, Mr. Talaga writes "While pay for full-time work in tech is generally pretty good, many workers are kept on low-paying, temporary contracts. Without unions, employees are often pushed to work extreme overtime hours. Short-term contracts and long hours mean employees burn out quickly," adding that this creates a constant rotation of employees who don't organize. Unions are growing increasingly popular at digital media companies, such as Vox Media, which unionized in January. Similarly, they are slowly fulfilling their promises at tech behemoths, like Google, where, after employees took collective action against a contract Google had to develop artificial intelligence for the U.S. Defense Department, the company announced it would not renew its deal. Epic may be well poised to "lead the fight for worker power," Mr. Talaga writes. "For one, it shouldnt be too hard to convince Epics workers that the company doesnt always have their best interests in mind. Going all the way to the Supreme Court just to avoid paying some overtime is a pretty good example of that," the op-ed reads. "More importantly, Epic is the only major tech employer in town ... As Epic employees get older, start families and lay down roots in Madison, theyll be faced with fewer options to change lanes in their career than theyd have in those larger markets. Thus, they have incentive to fight for stronger working conditions at the lone 800-pound gorilla of online medical records." Click here to read Mr. Talaga's complete op-ed. More articles on EHRs: The following hospital and health system credit rating and outlook changes and affirmations took place in the last week, beginning with the most recent. 1. Fitch downgrades El Paso County Hospital District to 'A-' Fitch Ratings downgraded El Paso (Texas) County Hospital District to "A-" from "AA-," affecting about $348.3 million of debt. The hospital district does business as University Medical Center of El Paso. 2. Fitch affirms 'A' rating on CoxHealth Fitch Ratings affirmed its "A" rating on Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth's revenue bonds, affecting about $490.3 million of debt. 3. Fitch assigns 'A' issuer default rating to HonorHealth Fitch Ratings assigned its "A" issuer default rating to Scottsdale, Ariz.-based HonorHealth. 4. S&P downgrades Infirmary Health System to 'BBB+' S&P Global Ratings downgraded Mobile, Ala.-based Infirmary Health System's issuer credit rating to "BBB+" from "A-." 5. Moody's affirms 'Aa3' on Piedmont Healthcare, outlook remains negative Moody's Investors Service affirmed its "Aa3" rating on Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare's outstanding bonds after the health system completed its acquisition of Columbus (Ga.) Regional Health System and Clearview Regional Medical Center based in Monroe, Ga. 6. Fitch upgrades Mount Sinai Medical Center of Greater Miami to 'A-' Fitch Ratings upgraded the rating on Mount Sinai Medical Center of Greater Miami's debt to "A-" from "BBB+." 7. Fitch assigns 'AA-' rating to McLaren Health Care's bonds Fitch Ratings assigned its "AA-" rating to Grand Blanc, Mich.-based McLaren Health Care's $300 million series 2018 taxable bonds. 8. Fitch upgrades Central Washington Hospital's rating to 'A-' Fitch Ratings upgraded Wenatchee-based Central Washington Hospital's series 2015 and 2009 revenue bonds to "A-" from "BBB+," affecting about $113.4 million of debt. 9. Fitch downgrades Northwell Health to 'A-' Fitch Ratings downgraded New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health's long-term bond ratings to "A-" from "A." 10. S&P revises West Tennessee Healthcare's outlook to negative after acquisition S&P Global Ratings affirmed its "A+" long-term rating on Jackson-based West Tennessee Healthcare's series 2015 and 2008 revenue bonds. 11. S&P upgrades El Camino Hospital's rating to 'AA' S&P Global Ratings upgraded the long-term rating and underlying rating on Mountain View, Calif.-based El Camino Hospital's series 2017A and 2015A revenue bonds to "AA" from "A+." 12. S&P upgrades Rogers Memorial Hospital to 'A' S&P Global Ratings upgraded Oconomowoc, Wis.-based Rogers Memorial Hospital's series 2014A and series 2014B rating to "A" from "A-." 13. S&P affirms 'BB-' rating on Care New England amid proposed acquisition S&P Global Ratings affirmed its "BB-" rating on Providence, R.I.-based Care New England and revised its outlook to developing from negative as the health system works to secure regulatory approval for its deal with Boston-based Partners HealthCare. 14. S&P downgrades Kalispell Regional Medical Center to 'BBB' S&P Global Ratings downgraded its rating on Kalispell (Mont.) Regional Medical Center to "BBB" from "A-." 15. Fitch upgrades Meritus Medical Center's rating to 'BBB+' Fitch Ratings upgraded its rating on Hagerstown, Md.-based Meritus Medical Center's series 2015 revenue bonds to "BBB+" from "BBB." 16. Moody's affirms 'A1' rating of Gundersen Lutheran Moody's Investors Service affirmed its "A1" rating on La Crosse, Wis.-based Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, affecting about $197 million of rated debt. Kelly Duke, CEO of Deming, N.M.-based Mimbres Memorial Hospital, abruptly resigned June 7, according to a Deming Headlight report. Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health owns Mimbres Memorial Hospital. Here are four takeaways: 1. Mr. Duke did not disclose the reason for his departure or whether it was voluntary to the Deming Headlight. 2. He joined the hospital as CEO in 2016, succeeding Steve Westenhofer, who retired. 3. His prior experience includes serving as assistant CEO of the Carlsbad (N.M.) Medical Center and director of business development and marketing at Mountain View Regional Medical Center in Las Cruces, N.M. 4. Former CEO Mr. Westenhofer will return to the hospital on an interim leadership basis. A longtime Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Erlanger Health System physician filed an amended complaint against President and CEO Kevin Spiegel May 14, claiming Mr. Spiegel and other administrators were aware of discrimination issues at the hospital but did not act, according to the Times Free Press. Here are four things to know: 1. Thomas J. Brooks, MD, initially filed a lawsuit against Mr. Spiegel in January, alleging Mr. Spiegel had "full knowledge" of the racial discrimination complaints Dr. Brooks made, but that he and previous CEOs went "out of their way to ignore and not address" them, according to a previous Times Free Press report. While the lawsuit did not disclose the complaints, Dr. Brooks claimed he frequently emailed Mr. Spiegel about them. 2. In the May 14 amended filing, Dr. Brooks said he met with black professionals in Erlanger's diversity department and on the hospital's board of directors last year to discuss his concerns about possible racial discrimination at the institution. He said one individual appeared interested in investigating his claims, but later backed off, while another individual failed to properly investigate a claim Dr. Brooks made in 2015, according to the report. 3. Dr. Brooks claimed in the lawsuit the hospital retaliated against him after he made the complaints by suspending his privileges at the institution, where he had maintained privileges since 1978. Dr. Brooks retired from the institution in June 2017. 4. Mr. Spiegel, who was in charge at the time, had reportedly been aware of Dr. Brooks' concerns since 2013 and oversaw the discipline against him, according to the lawsuit. "[Mr. Spiegel] assured Dr. Brooks that what African-American physicians had accomplished at [Erlanger facilities] was significant to the community and that it was 'only right' that Erlanger develop a positive relationship with the physicians," the lawsuit states. "Talk did not turn into action." 5. A spokesperson for Erlanger told Becker's Hospital Review June 8 the health system does not comment on pending litigation. In this special Speaker Series, Becker's Healthcare caught up with Matthew Grob, senior director of IT governance and consulting at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City. Matthew will speak on a panel during the Becker's Hospital Review 4th Annual Health IT + Revenue Cycle Conference that is titled "HIT Security & Privacy: Best Practices and Key Issues," at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 20. Learn more about the event and register to attend in Chicago. Question: In the past 12 months, how have you adapted to new patient experience expectations in the age of consumerism? Matthew Grob: Although our flagship hospital is on the 2018 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals Honor Roll, our competitive landscape includes other highly regarded academic medical centers in our backyard. One of the ways we can differentiate ourselves is through the patient and visitor experience. We are building a new hospital, and as we design the workflows and technology that will be part of the new building, we are looking to the hospitality industry. Amenities and the guest experience are a factor in choosing hotels, and we believe that patients and families have that in mind when choosing where to receive their healthcare as well. A friend who had surgery in one of our hospitals this year could not stop raving, not only about his outcome and the care he received, but also about the food. People remember those things, and they tell their friends, too. Q: What's the biggest misconception about health IT? MG: That it's easy. We are so much more than a "keep-the-lights-on" function. In order to be successful, health IT professionals need to know not just the technology, but how it's used in a healthcare environment. We need to make sure that the solutions we offer and support enable clinicians to do their jobs more effectively and more safely. Everything we do contributes to a positive patient outcome, and we do it in an industry that operates on very low margins. The financial services industry spends 20 percent of revenue on IT, while we spend closer to 5 percent and in a very complex environment that is part science and part art. Q: How do you promote innovation within your organization? MG: Interestingly, we tend to shy away from focusing on innovation as a discipline, simply because we believe that it should be embedded in everything we do, every way in which we approach a problem and every way in which we develop solutions. That being said, twice a year, we do give out the IT Innovation Award recognizing a team in our department not an individual for the development and implementation of leading-edge technology solutions, processes and services. The purpose of the award is to promote the use of our staff's skills, training and experience to deliver high value to our customers through innovation. As a second generation physician, Alan Pitt, MD, realizes the U.S. healthcare system is majorly flawed. In America, receiving care is just as confusing as the hallways of a hospital, and navigating healthcare's twists and turns often confuses patients to the point they don't want to seek care or stick to their care regimes. Capitalism further forces hospitals to focus their energy on driving profits, which often leaves the community's well-being in the dust. "America is the wealthiest country in the world, yet we often bankrupt our citizens when they become ill," Dr. Pitt writes on his website. "We cure what seems incurable, but then abandon the many others." To help healthcare consumers get up to speed on all things healthcare, Dr. Pitt a neuroradiologist at the Barrow Neurological Institute, part of Dignity Health's Phoenix-based St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center began a blog that has since evolved into the podcast "Healthcare Pittstop." "I am super interested in how we are moving from fee-for-service to value-based care," he said. "[My podcast] is something I do out of passion. It started as a blog post trying to explain healthcare to those who are not in healthcare and kind of continued to evolve and change." Dr. Pitt, who also advises a number of healthcare technology companies and serves as CMO of the telehealth vendor Avizia, recently spoke with Becker's Hospital Review about his podcast and the inspiration behind it. Editor's notes: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length. Question: What inspired you to start making your own podcast? Dr. Alan Pitt: In many ways, healthcare has gone off the rails where things are not as we hoped they would be, and the podcast is my effort to educate the public about the malalignment of capitalism. Unfortunately, [I believe] the way you get things done [in a capitalist society] is to create greater value at a lower cost, but there is a malalignment between that and the idea that I am always going to take care of the sick. That makes it super difficult to figure out how you build a healthcare system aligned with capitalism. I started a blog as an opportunity to talk about some of the malalignments I see in healthcare and the strange things we create. I am hoping to explain that to folks that aren't directly in healthcare so they have a better understanding of this system that is really important for all of us. Q: Could you elaborate on some of those malalignments? AP: Many times we have healthcare systems that have to make a profit and they end up doing things that are not aligned with the overall wellness of their communities. For instance, I trained for a year in Sweden. In Sweden, if you want care you go to the regional center of excellence where you have the best people for your problem that are organized in a regional way. Here in Phoenix, we have many cancer centers, all of which claim excellence. Patients are left to figure out where the good doctors are and how to get the best care, which makes no sense in terms of creating a market. To have a capitalistic market, you have to have transparency in terms of price and value, and we don't do that in healthcare. Fundamentally, that is one of the biggest problems we have. We just haven't figured out how to balance these bizarre ways that we think about healthcare. Q: Who are some of the guests you bring on to your podcast, and what do some of the episodes touch on? AP: Guests and episodes are varied. One of the things I struggle with is who is my audience and what should I be presenting. I am often asked to narrow it down to one disease, but I'm not as interested in disease as the way we care for each other and how difficult it is. I've interviewed people on the ethics side of things and] I have talked to people on the legislative side of things, like lobbyists in the telemedicine space. Q: Can you describe one of your episodes to paint a picture of your podcast? AP: An early guest I brought in was a good friend of mine. She was a hospital administrator who was also a nun. She talked about a woman who came in for an abortion at her hospital. As part of the ethics committee, she agreed to an abortion for this woman because both the mother and baby would die, and this was a mother of four. She thought that would be a meaningless loss. Because she agreed to an abortion at 10 or 12 weeks, whatever it was, she was ex-communicated from the church. I talked to her about how she grapples with being a religious authority and a hospital administrator at the same time because they are not always aligned. Q: How can healthcare leaders take the information you discuss and benefit from it? AP: Healthcare leaders need to figure out better ways to migrate healthcare from a fee-for-service world to a value-based world and that means looking at the population more holistically. I am a big believer in looking at the social determinants of care. In my dream, the place I work Dignity Health drops the word "health" and is just "Dignity" and it is a corporation that says, "My mission is to take care of the poor, and I know that it is not necessarily their health that drives this." Maybe it is giving someone a place to live or feeding them, so they won't continue to come in and out of my ER all the time. We need to begin to think about ways to stitch up all of the determinants of an outcome rather than the transaction. For more, listen to Dr. Pitt's podcast here. More articles on leadership: Geisinger CEO forgoes chief exec role at Amazon, Berkshire, JPMorgan health company 2 words keep Gillette Children's CEO Barbara Joers motivated Norwegian American CEO Jose R. Sanchez: Providers must go beyond physical care to improve community health A University of Missouri-Kansas City medical student filed a lawsuit against the university March 2, accusing the school of ratcheting up tuition, fees and other costs by requiring students to repeat classes and academic years, but failing to count the repeat courses toward students' GPAs, according to the Kansas City Business Journal. Here are four things to know: 1. In the lawsuit, filed in the 16th Circuit Court of Jackson County, Mo., March 2, but moved to the U.S. District Court for Western Missouri June 1, Mr. Carter accused UMKC of using the institution's academic rules to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act by committing a pattern of racketeering activity in a scheme to defraud students. The lawsuit also accuses the institution of breach of contract and violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, the report states. 2. Mr. Carter claims he enrolled and successfully completed the first year of the medical school program. However, during his second year, he was unable to pass one of his classes. He claimed that because he did not pass the class, UMKC required him to repeat the entire first year curriculum and enroll in a separate program that compelled him to pay an additional year of tuition payments and costs. The action, Mr. Carter claimed, goes against university policy, which reportedly allows second-year students to simply repeat a class instead of an entire year's worth of classes. 3. The lawsuit also claims that despite receiving a passing grade in the class he retook and being told the new grade would replace his old one, university officials averaged the two grades, lowering Mr. Carter's GPA to less than the required level. Because of his low academic standing, UMKC allegedly told him to repeat the entire second year's curriculum or drop out of the medical school program, the Kansas City Business Journal reports. 4. Mr. Carter claimed UMKC also required him to take additional biology classes that would count toward his GPA, but failed to include those classes in his GPA or toward his requirements to gain an undergraduate degree in biology. He is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorney fees, among other costs. To access the full report, click here. Editor's note: Becker's Hospital Review reached out to the University of Missouri-Kansas City for comment and will update the report as more information becomes available. Local residents voted to sell bankrupt Surprise Valley Hospital in Cedarville, Calif., to a 34-year-old entrepreneur who runs two labs in Denver, according to a California Healthline report. Here are five things to know: 1. Surprise Valley Health Care District, which operates the 26-bed rural hospital, filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy Jan. 4. Local residents on June 5 agreed to sell the company to Beau Gertz, who owns lab-testing and nutraceutical companies in Denver, including CadiraMD and SeroDynamics. 2. As part of the deal, Mr. Gertz will take over the hospital's debt, which is at least $4 million, according to the report. 3. Bankruptcy court documents show another out-of-town investor managed the hospital for a short time and then "abandoned" it, the report states. Now, Mr. Gertz's offer to buy the hospital is able to move forward after being accepted by the district hospital board and approved by a federal bankruptcy judge and local residents. 4. Resident voters had different opinions about the issue, with some seeing Mr. Gertz's offer as the answer to help the hospital stay afloat, and others expressing skepticism about his plans and their possibility for success. Ultimately, nearly 84 percent of those who went to the polls voted in favor of the sale. Bonnie Madrigal, 26, a former certified nursing assistant at the hospital, told California Healthline: "Now that I have children, keeping the hospital is the most important thing to me. I know how much improvement the hospital needs, but once I listened to Beau, I heard hope. I feel like with Beau, the debt is going to be off our shoulders, and we'll work together as a community to make things better." Ray March, 83, of Cedarville, told the publication: "We felt that to vote yes would be to bail out the [hospital] board and forgive it for all the mistakes it's made." 5. Mr. Gertz has told residents his plans include a "wellness center" offering vitamin infusions and genetic testing, among other health services, as well as keeping the hospital's nursing home wing open and preserving its emergency room and ambulance services, according to the report. He also has proposed billing insurers for lab tests through the hospital, even for patients who receive them from outside the facility via telemedicine. Such practices, some experts contend, according to the report, are legally questionable and have resulted in lawsuits and government scrutiny in certain areas. Mr. Gertz, who has not faced such legal action, did not respond to California Healthline's request for comment. Access the full California Healthline report here. Morgan Haefner contributed to this report. More articles on transactions and valuations: Reshaping healthcare M&A: 4 insights Yale New Haven Health's 383-bed hospital explores integration plan UnityPoint affiliates with 18-bed Illinois hospital Unionized nurses at University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington intend to hold a strike vote June 10, 11 and 12, according to a Seven Days report. The vote will determine whether the nurses have the option to strike in the near future. Their current three-year contract expires July 9. The nurses could decide to issue a 10-day strike notice to the hospital on June 29, according to the report. However, a strike could be averted if both sides reach an agreement. Julie MacMillan, RN, the union's lead negotiator, told Seven Days that's the union's hope as nurses are calling on the hospital to invest more in wages for workers to improve patient care and staffing levels. Annie Mackin, communications strategist for the medical center, told the publication the hospital is "engaged in a planning process" to prepare for the possibility of a strike, but is committed to good-faith bargaining until both sides reach a labor deal. She said the hospital hopes a mediator is brought in to negotiations. More articles on human capital and risk: Dialysis patient care initiative qualifies for November ballot in California Wilkes-Barre hospital nurses protest lockout after daylong strike Michigan nurses OK labor deal with Duke LifePoint Nurses at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett (Wash.) held lunchtime pickets June 6 at Providence's Colby and Pacific campuses, according to the Renton Reporter. The nurses, represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21, are currently in negotiations with the hospital and say staffing is one of the key sticking points. Suzanne Woodard, a labor and delivery nurse, told the Renton Reporter hospital staffing levels are minimal, so many nurses weren't able to take breaks or use the restroom. She also said nurses often work 12 hours straight. The hospital did not address staffing levels in a statement to the Renton Reporter, but it did express disappointment in the picketing. "We are disappointed that the union has chosen this option, and we would prefer to get back to the bargaining table," hospital spokeswoman Lisa Daly stated via email. "Providence Regional Medical Center Everett continues to remain committed to negotiating in good faith." According to the report, the nurses are working under an extension of their last labor deal, which expired in October. Hospital professional and technical staff also are working toward new labor deals. More articles on human capital and risk: Dialysis patient care initiative qualifies for November ballot in California Wilkes-Barre hospital nurses protest lockout after daylong strike Michigan nurses OK labor deal with Duke LifePoint From a former employee suing a Missouri hospital for wrongful discharge to the Department of Justice refusing to defend key provisions of the ACA in a lawsuit brought by 20 Republican-led states, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 1. DOJ won't defend ACA, argues individual mandate is unconstitutional The Department of Justice won't defend major provisions of the ACA in a lawsuit brought by 20 Republican-led states, arguing key parts of the ACA are unconstitutional and should be overturned. 2. Class-action suit accuses Trinity Health of cheating workers out of overtime pay Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health and two of its subsidiaries are facing a punitive class-action lawsuit alleging hourly wage workers were shorted overtime pay, a violation of federal and state wage laws. 3. Patient sues UPMC after nurse exposes 4,700 to tuberculosis A former patient who was among 4,700 people potentially exposed to tuberculosis by an emergency room nurse at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh is suing UPMC for negligence. 4. 13-hospital Louisiana health system settles false claims allegations Shreveport, La.-based Allegiance Health Management, a 13-hospital post-acute health system, agreed to a $1.7 million settlement to resolve False Claims Act allegations. 5. Healthcare CEO sentenced to 19 years for $18M physical therapy fraud scheme The former CEO of Team Work Ready, a Houston-based physical therapy chain, was sentenced June 1 to more than 19 years in prison for his role in an $18 million healthcare fraud scheme. 6. Missouri hospital allegedly fired coder for refusing to ignore improper billing A medical coder sued Mosaic Life Care Medical Center in St. Joseph, Mo., May 25 for wrongful discharge, unlawful retaliation and age discrimination. 7. Judge orders Maine to move forward with Medicaid expansion Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage had blocked the Medicaid expansion that voters in his state approved last November, but a judge ordered his administration to move ahead with the expansion June 4. 8. Physicians claim Mississippi children's hospital had 'pervasive mold and cockroaches' More than 30 physicians have left Batson Children's Hospital, part of Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center, in recent years, including several pediatricians who are now working for a new local competitor. This move has prompted litigation, which calls into question the physicians' motives for breaking away from the hospital 9. Feds arrest police officer for allegedly assaulting patient at New Jersey hospital Law enforcement arrested Roger Then, a police officer in Paterson, N.J., May 30 for allegedly assaulting a patient at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Paterson earlier this year. 10. Owner of neuropsychology clinic charged with insurance fraud Michael Howard Kabat, owner of San Diego-based Neuropsychology Consult Services, was charged June 4 with health insurance fraud related to an alleged multimillion-dollar fraudulent billing scheme. 11. Anthem sues California hospital over alleged toxicology lab fraud scheme Anthem and its affiliates from nine states filed a lawsuit against Sebastopol, Calif.-based Sonoma West Medical Center June 1, accusing the hospital's toxicology program of engaging in fraud and fraudulent concealment, among other charges. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: Missouri hospital employee allegedly stole $54k in medical supplies meant for charity New York City physician sues former patient for $1M over negative Yelp review Humana sues government to keep secrets of its $45B Tricare contract confidential Danish drugmaker Lundbeck agreed to settle a U.S. Justice Department investigation into its support of charities that help Medicare patients cover drug expenses for $52.6 million, reports Reuters. Here are four things to know: 1. Lundbeck, an affiliate of H. Lundbeck A/S with about 900 U.S. employees, has global headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, and U.S. headquarters in Deerfield, Ill. It develops and distributes drugs for depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy and other conditions. 2. The drugmaker said it would not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, and the settlement could be negotiated further, according to the report. 3. The investigation centered on the drugmaker's support of charities that help cover drug costs for Medicare patients. According to the report, drug companies are banned from subsidizing copayments for Medicare patients, but they are allowed to give money to independent nonprofits providing copay assistance. 4. Lundbeck is not the only drugmaker the U.S. has investigated on related matters. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts has helmed an industrywide investigation, which most recently resulted in a settlement involving Pfizer, reports Reuters. Read the full report here. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: Tenet paid out $127.2M in wage disputes since 2000 Appellate court revives monopoly suit against Texas hospital: 5 things to know Healthcare CEO sentenced to 19 years for $18M physical therapy fraud scheme Dustin James Funk has been arrested for going into Canton, Ga.-based Northside Cherokee Hospital using fake aliases to obtain pain medication 29 times since July 2017, according to an 11 Alive report. Mr. Funk, 33, allegedly took trips to the hospital's emergency room with the goal of scamming the hospital to obtain drugs such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol. He was first caught using a fake name May 18, police said. An investigation by the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad discovered that he regularly made trips to the hospital. Mr. Funk is being held in Bartow County Jail. He faces 79 felony charges. A New York City physician was indicted in the death of two patients after he was accused of overprescribing a mix of an opioid painkiller, an anti-anxiety pill and a muscle relaxer, NBC News reports. Charges against Lawrence Choy, MD, include manslaughter and the criminal sale of prescriptions. Police arrested the 65-year-old physician in March in Sheboygan, Wis. Officials said he moved to Wisconsin after realizing he was being investigated, according to the report. Dr. Choy is charged with prescribing oxycodone, Xanax and a muscle relaxer to two patients both of whom died within three days of their last appointment with the physician. The investigation revealed Dr. Choy "personally observed the patients' physical and mental states deteriorate, while disregarding reports about patients' involvement in accidents, including motor vehicle accidents," the Drug Enforcement Administration said, according to NBC. Dr. Choy also is being charged with reckless endangerment in the death of another patient as well as eight living patients. Dr. Choy's attorney did not return NBC's request for comment. President Donald Trump's administration on June 8 announced a public awareness campaign aimed at reducing opioid addiction among young people, CNN reports. Five takeaways: 1. The campaign's first four ads highlight true stories illustrating the extreme lengths young adults have gone to to obtain painkillers, including scenes where young people are smashing their hands or arms, wrecking their cars or breaking their backs. "We hope these ads will spark conversation to educate teens and young adults to talk to their doctors about alternatives to opioids; that pain management may not always mean extended pain medication use; safe disposal practices for leftover, unused prescription; and also, to arm them with specific yet very simple knowledge about opioids," White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said after the campaign announcement. 2. During his first year in office, President Trump developed a commission to study ways the government could curb the opioid epidemic. Last fall, the president also declared the opioid crisis a national health emergency. 3. The White House previously has run similar anti-drug campaigns through the Office of National Drug Control Policy, including former first lady Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign to address the crack cocaine epidemic in the early 1980s and the "Above the Influence" campaign. 4. This campaign's 30-second ads were produced in partnership with the Truth Initiative, the Ad Council and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. The ads are expected to air on television and digital platforms. Most of the funding for the ads came from private partners, including Facebook, Google, YouTube, NBC Universal and Amazon. 5. These first four ads are the beginning of a larger awareness campaign, the Trump administration said. The first four ads are directed at 18-to-24-year olds. Future ads will target those ages 15 to 34. "Raising awareness is a key piece of defeating the threat of opioid addiction, which too many Americans still do not fully understand," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement obtained by CNN. "These ads are a targeted effort to promote awareness, especially among our youth, about the deadliness of opioid misuse and the risks of opioid addiction." Health officials confirmed six more cases of hepatitis C at Puyallup, Wash.-based Good Samaritan Hospital, bringing the total number of cases to eight, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said June 7. The health department launched an investigation into the hospital in April after two patients who received care in the emergency department in December 2017 tested positive for hepatitis C, KCPQ reports. Further investigation revealed a Good Samaritan nurse, later identified as Cora Weberg, tested positive for hepatitis C and had treated the two patients with confirmed infections. Hospital officials accused Ms. Weberg of infecting patients with the virus, possibly by injecting herself with narcotics and then reusing the needles on patients. However, the hospital has not found evidence she infected the patients. Police arrested Ms. Weberg May 4, but she was later released and never formally charged. Ms. Weberg, who no longer works at the hospital, lost her nursing license May 7. Ms. Weberg denied reusing syringes on patients during a May 8 news conference. Additionally, late last month, an attorney representing the nurse said a blood test concluded undetective for hepatitis C. MultiCare, which notified patients at risk of exposure in late April, is offering free testing for hepatitis C and other communicable diseases. "This is a good thing because these people who may not have otherwise gotten tested now know they have the virus and can get treatment," the health department said. Of the 2,761 patients potentially exposed to the virus between Aug. 4, 2017 and March 23, 2018, 1,533 received hepatitis C testing by the end of May. Most of these patients tested negative for the virus. More articles on clinical leadership and infection control: Patient sues UPMC after nurse exposes 4,700 to tuberculosis OIG: Dirty conditions, gaps in safety revealed at Phoenix VA hospital Higher neighborhood socioeconomic status correlates with fewer infection-related hospital stays Amid contract negotiations with Cincinnati-based UC Health, nurses at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center sent their newly appointed chief nursing officer a letter this week that requests solutions to staffing shortages and improvements to patient care, The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The Registered Nurses Association, which is the nurses' bargaining unit, sent the letter to Beverly Bokovitz, DNP, RN, who joined UC Health as CNO April 18. The union is currently engaging in its second month of talks with UC Health on a new work contract. The contract focuses on the medical center's nursing shortage. The union delivered nearly 1,000 copies of the form letter to Dr. Bokovitz' office June 6. "As a nurse here, I care deeply for my patients and ask you to partner with us in your capacity at the contract negotiating table in fostering an environment of first-class patient care," the letter reads. The letter requests that Dr. Bokovitz advocate for the staff's solutions to the medical centers problem areas, including giving nurses better benefits to reduce turnover rates and having more nurses on staff to handle heavier patient loads. Kelly Hickman-Begley, RN, a labor-and-delivery nurse and one of the contract negotiators for the nurses, said the negotiations are making progress toward a new contract that would cover about 1,500 nurses. The current three-year deal expires June 30, the report noted. "From the very beginning, the hospital and our negotiating team have been in complete agreement that patient safety is our main priority," Ms. Hickman-Begley told The Cincinnati Enquirer. "Anytime you are negotiating with someone, if you have the same goal in mind, if you're working toward the same goal, negotiations go better." A former patient who was among 4,700 people potentially exposed to tuberculosis by an emergency room nurse at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh is suing UPMC for negligence, according to the Tribune-Review. In April, UPMC notified about 4,700 patients that they had made contact with an employee infected with tuberculosis between Oct. 28, 2017, and Feb. 28, 2018 the widest possible range the nurse could have been contagious. The health system urged those patients to get screened and provided testing free of charge. Michelle Harris-Barber was exposed to the infected nurse on Oct. 31 at UPMC Presbyterian and received a notification letter from the health system April 11. She recently sued UPMC, alleging the health system was negligent in allowing the infected nurse, who may have been contagious for four consecutive months, to go undetected for so long, according to the report. The class-action complaint alleges UPMC's negligence caused Ms. Harris-Barber and other patients exposed to the infected nurse to have to undergo additional medical care and suffer from mental pain and anguish. The complaint highlights several TB-related hospital regulations UPMC should have followed, such as requiring annual testing for employees. Ms. Harris-Barber is seeking more than $25,000 in damages and other relief on behalf of herself and other patients exposed to the infected nurse at UPMC. UPMC officials had not reviewed the newly filed complaint as of the evening of June 6, according to the report. More articles on healthcare quality: APIC honors West Virginia hospital infection prevention director Common catheter-related infection treatment not most effective among pediatric cancer patients Off-duty nurse revives motorcyclist with no pulse after crash in California California health officials declared "immediate jeopardy" at UC San Diego Health-Hillcrest in March for at least the eighth time after officials discovered issues with how surgical equipment was cleaned, according to ABC 10 News. The deficiencies were discovered during the California Department of Public Health's routine compliance check at the hospital in March. Officials placed the hospital in "immediate jeopardy," which indicates a hospital's errors have caused or are likely to cause serious injury or death to patients. The designation was lifted 24 hours after it was initiated. Officials said in their report the hospital's "surgical instruments were not cleaned and processed according to nationally recognized infection control standards," and that UC San Diego Health-Hillcrest "failed to ensure they had an effective, active systemwide infection control program," according to the report. The health department's report noted several deficiencies, including trays with surgical equipment that had brown staining, sterilization machines that reportedly contained large amounts of rust and were covered in dirt, and post-operative instruments that had red stains, ABC 10 News reports. UC San Diego Health said in a June 7 statement to ABC 10 News: "UC San Diego Health recently underwent a routine survey with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Opportunities for improvement were identified within an early phase of instrument cleaning that occurs before the actual sterilization. Immediate actions were taken. "In an abundance of caution, UC San Diego Health chose to reprocess (clean, decontaminate and sterilize) all surgical instruments. CDPH approved this comprehensive approach. UC San Diego Health conducted a review of surgical data before, during and after the survey. This review found no infections related to cleaning and sterilization processes. There has been no evidence of patient impact or harm." Hospital officials told the television station it was not necessary to notify patients of the designation and surgeries were not canceled. UC San Diego Health-Hillcrest has received the "immediate jeopardy" designation from various health agencies at least seven other times during a period of 11 years, according to a December 2017 press release from the California Department of Public Health cited by ABC 10 News. To access the ABC 10 News report, click here. Editor's note: This article was updated June 12 at 8 a.m. to include additional information from UC San Diego Health. M. Daniel Eggart, MD, became the first surgeon in the Charleston, S.C., area to perform a minimally invasive posterior cervical fusion, according to the South Strand News. Here are three things to know: 1. Dr. Eggart is part of Charleston-based Medical University of South Carolina's neurosciences team at Tidelands Health in Georgetown, S.C. 2. He performed the surgery at Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet, S.C. 3. The 15-to 20-minute procedure requires a surgeon to fuse together vertebrae to stabilize the spine and relieve pain. A single screw is used to stabilize the spine instead of a rod and screw system. Youngstown (Ohio) State University bestowed Chander Kohli, MD, and the neurosurgeon's wife Karne Kohli with the Friend of the University Award, according to WFMJ. Here are four takeaways: 1. Dr. Kohli earned the award after donating $1 million to the university last fall as part of the We See Tomorrow campaign. 2. The $1 million donation will go toward developing 18 classrooms, each filled with advanced educational technologies. 3. The classrooms will be named the Aneal Mohan Kohli Classroom of the Future, in honor of the neurosurgeon's late son. 4. Dr. Kohli is the former chairman of the Youngstown State University board of trustees. Here are four spine and neurosurgeons making headlines. M. Daniel Eggart, MD, became the first surgeon in the Charleston, S.C., area to perform a minimally invasive posterior cervical fusion. Kirkland, Wash.-based EvergreenHealth Spine and Neurosurgical Care added Emun Abdu, MD, to its team. Former Louisiana State University Health Shreveport Department of Neurosurgery Chairman Anil Nanda, MD, is leaving to join Rutgers New Jersey School of Medicine in Newark. Youngstown (Ohio) State University bestowed neurosurgeon Chander Kohli, MD, and his wife, Karne Kohli, with the Friend of the University Award. More articles on spine: These 2 aspects of spine surgery care are associated with increased patient satisfaction: 4 insights Neurosurgeon receives Youngstown State University award for $1M donation: 4 takeaways Opioid use prior to spine surgery associated with increased risk of long-term use, study shows Giving people choices when it comes to television advertising sounds pretty straightforward, but its complicated by the fact that many viewers want an effortless experience. This is why voice activation is working so well, because its actually the only thing easier than picking up a remote and pressing the buttons, says Ben Winkler, Chief Investment Officer at OMD. So while Winkler believes creating a good consumer experience will yield good returns for advertisers, hes not as bullish on that as Id like to be because I kind of feel that most media is still consumed on a passive basis, and people just dont want to have to make any effort whatsoever. In this interview at the recent Beet Retreat in the City, where Winkler was one of several moderators, he also identifies the key challenge of measuring TV ad ROI in response to questions from Beet.TV contributor Ashley J. Swartz, who is CEO of Furious Corp. According to Winkler, accountability and integrity of data take a back seat to inconsistency. He likens it to what happens to evidence in the police world. That chain of custody just does not exist. Each piece of data is in a different language, so they just simply cant connect from piece to piece to piece, Winkler says. Consumer choice was one of the key topics as hundreds of Beet Retreat attendees gathered at the Luce Auditorium at Meredith Corporation in Manhattan for an event titled Television Advances as Consumers Choose. After a welcome from Meredith Video SVP Andrew Snyder, the sharp-witted Rob Norman took to the stage as moderator and quantified his own attention span now that hes retired from GroupM. My girlfriend told me not to look out the window all morning, because youll have nothing to do in the afternoon. Norman was joined on the dais by Foxs Joe Marchese, who is no stranger to irreverent discourse. The founder of true[X] discussed proper commercial lengths and what constitutes ad effectiveness before addressing what he see as the bigger problem of attributionspecifically, the bullshit of some of the attribution methods out there. The math just doesnt add up. Asked by Norman how TV providers can increase the supply of coveted ad inventory, Marchese responded, You dont. You get better with the supply you have. The only real currency for transacting, according to Marchese, is attention. Engagement is proof of attention. Next on stage was Kristin Dolan, co-founder of TV data analytics firm 605, which was formed in 2016 to parse set-top box data for the benefit of programmers and advertisers and recently launched its Impact Index. Rather than focus solely on sales results, Impact Index is a scientifically-based approach for measuring the impact of TV advertising on both branding and sales. Dolan described the work 605 has done for clients like Walmart, which conducted a reputational ad campaign with no specific call to action. According to Dolan, among people who were exposed to the campaign ads, attribution metrics showed that their in-store spending increased along with their affinity for the Walmart brand. Nancy Reyes, Managing Director, TBWA/Chiat Day/NY, presented three visual case studies centered on data empowering creativity, labeling them Bionic Creative, Data As Content and Data As A Canvas. For Bionic Creative she cited a campaign by postal authorities in the Netherlands that induced the general public to send Christmas cards to some 230,000 people who were deemed to be lonely based on the amount of mail that they did not receive. Data As Content was exemplified by an out-of-home campaign that sought to reduce Finlands world-leading domestic violence statistics by publicizing them in the hopes that more people would report abuse. For Data As A Canvas, Reyes walked the audience through a campaign for the New York return of the Grammy Awards that used an Uber car outfitted with augmented reality to create music based on pedestrian activity. Former Starcom executive Laura Desmond, now CEO of Eagle Vista Partners, moderated a discussion about the transformation of the TV marketplace with NBCUniversals Mike Rosen, LiveRamps Allison Metcalfe and Vikram Somaya from ESPN. Asked by Desmond why addressable linear TV hasnt sufficiently scaled yet, Metcalfe observed that Change is hard and change is difficult while Rosen opined that We are a business of legacy. Its hard to change but the will is there. Since consumers are deciding what they want, Somaya said the program/ad value exchange needs to be readjusted. Under questioning by Furious Corp.s Swartz, Walt Horstman of TiVo said one positive sign in the advancement of data-informed TV advertising is that digital teams within agencies are taking a leadership role and that they dont see themselves bound by the ways TV has been bought and sold for a half century. 605 Co-Founder Ben Tatta was joined by David Kline of Charter Communications and Spectrum Reach in a discussion about the rise of addressable linear TV. Were further along but were not far enough along, said Kline, who noted that this week Charter launched household addressable in the Los Angeles market. He predicted that cable companies and networks will engage in more collaboration going forward to increase the national addressable footprint. For buy-side dialogue, Norman asked Dentsu Aegis Groups Doug Ray and GroupMs Lyle Schwartz about the progress in moving to new measurement currencies. The best experience will win, is how Ray summed things up. The ad industry that I joined is not here today, said Schwartz. It will evolve. It may not be dead but it may be on life support in 20 years. OMDs Winkler dubbed true[X] the platypus of advertising before its new President, Pooja Midha, explained how engagement is a perfect impression while noting We operate in a business that has for many, many years transacted in a couple of very specific metrics. Winkler then welcomed Chris Geraci on stage and asked the Omnicom Media Group veteran about this years Upfront market. There are more moving parts than ever, Geraci responded, with dollars shifting in many ways away from linear TV. He identified as pricing factors a strong economy and a significant increase in TV spending by some brands. Normans setup for his talk with IBMs Babs Rangaiah about blockchain was his own definition of the technology, likening it to teenage sexeveryones talking about it but no ones doing it. Rangaiahs view: Its everything you dont understand about finance and everything you dont know about computers combined. On a more serious note, Rangaiah described his work for his former employer, Unilever, on using blockchain to help rein in media-buy discrepancies, a topic he will showcase at the upcoming Cannes International Festival of Creativity. To top off the proceedings, GroupMs Phil Cowdell gave an emotionally vivid presentation with slides and video footage chronicling the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and how he and others in the ad industry have been helping the survivors put their lives back together. Problems can seem so enormous, said Cowdell, suggesting that people use the word dot to help them focus: Do one thing, he advised. Theres so much more to do. Cowdell was followed by Olga Ramos, President of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico, who described herself as being in the business of providing hopes and opportunities for our kids to help break the cycle of poverty. Im not asking donations. Im asking for investments, Ramos said. During a reception that followed, an auction was held to raise additional funding for hurricane victims under the auspices of Stand By Puerto Rico. This video was produced at the Beet Retreat in City & Town Hall on June 6, 2018 in New York City. The event and video series are presented by LiveRamp, TiVo, true[X] and 605. For more videos from the series, please visit this page. House of Fraser is the anchor tenant at Belfasts Victoria Square complex Belfast's House of Fraser store has been spared the axe as it announced that 31 of 59 branches are to shut across the UK and Ireland as part of a rescue plan. But it's not clear whether the store, which is the anchor retailer at the city's Victoria Square Shopping Centre, will be subject to a rent reduction as part of a new company voluntary arrangement. The planned closures, which include its Oxford Street store, are the main plank of the CVA - a controversial insolvency procedure in vogue among struggling retailers. If the CVA is approved by landlords, it will affect up to 2,000 House of Fraser staff and a further 4,000 across brands and concessions. It said the shops earmarked for closure would remain open until early 2019. The group said it also plans to relocate its Baker Street head office and the Granite House office in Glasgow to slash costs and "secure House of Fraser's future". Alex Williamson, chief executive of House of Fraser, said the move was "one of the most important in this company's 169-year history". "We, as a management team, have a responsibility to take necessary steps to ensure House of Fraser's survival, which is why we are making these proposals. "We are fully committed to supporting those personally affected by the proposals." House of Fraser said it has already informed staff set to be impacted by the plans, and was committed to "working with all those affected openly and with sensitivity over the months ahead". As well as the store closures, House of Fraser's restructuring deal will also see the rents slashed for a further 10 stores. Landlords, who must vote through the plan, have already expressed serious concerns about the proposals and met on Tuesday to discuss how to respond to House of Fraser. Last month, lawyer and Arthur Cox finance partner Kieran McGarrigle said landlords were seeking advice. More investment is needed in the tourist attractions of the future after spending hit almost 1 billion in 2017, it has been claimed. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) said there were 4.9 million trips during 2017 with spending of 900m, up 9% (76m) on 2016. And Tourism NI chief executive John McGrillen said he expected the province to reach a target of 1bn spending this year or in 2019. Next, there would be a focus on a draft tourism strategy for 2030 - but he said more investment would be needed in attractions. Last year, the Giant's Causeway was the top tourist draw. "About six years ago we had investment in Titanic Belfast and Derry's City Walls so we will need another wave of that to give people more reasons to come, spend longer and spend more money," said Mr McGrillen. "We also need a dispersal strategy to get them beyond Belfast and the Giant's Causeway." But he added he believed Belfast needed "another big attraction" to anchor visitors, with a museum on the history of the city one possibility. And he said further investment in locations along the Causeway Coast including Carrickfergus Castle would be necessary. He also has no fears about there not being enough demand to fill the new hotels being built in Belfast. Around 20 are in the planning system, including extensions, with around four new venues opening in the first six months of the year. In total, room numbers are to grow from 8,000 to 10,000. "The fact that we have greater accommodation is absolutely a good thing... Dublin would love to be in the position that we are in," he said. "The fact that we have that stock is now giving us a competitive advantage as many of the tour operations are now looking to Belfast instead of Dublin." Nisra's figures for 2017 also show that holidays taken by visitors from the Republic - a market that has been a major target of Tourism NI - were up nearly 50%, helped by a favourable exchange rate. Overall visits from the Republic were up 6% to 482,000, while holiday trips were up 49% to 237,000. There was growth from other markets including staycationers and from other overseas markets aside from the Republic. Of the 4.9m trips, there were 2.5m holiday trips taken, with major growth in each market and a significant increase of 18% in holidaying at home for the domestic market. And travellers from overseas were also spending more, with their expenditure up 9%. Overseas markets performed well with a growth in spend of 9% to 248m. More locals holidayed at home, with 1.5m deciding to remain - up 18% on 2016. Their spending was also up 14% to 270m. Mr McGrillen believes that the tourism industry will continue to grow this year. "2018 is already off to a positive start, with hotels achieving unprecedented sales," he added. Participants get ready for the Feile an Phobail parade along the Falls Road last year I know what it is like to be received circumspectly at the Feile an Phobail, so I am well-placed to empathise with Leo Varadkar. He will be going there against a background of criticism from some in the victims sector, but also aware that there will be mutterings about his intentions from people around him. Is he courting a coalition with Sinn Fein? Would he like to repeat now some of his past sneering jibes at how well the West Belfast constituency has fared while championed by Sinn Fein? I have often gone to Feile events warily myself. I have had a troubled acquaintance with the festival and other cultural events in the republican ambit. Gerry Adams gave me a warm welcome once, but others have been downright rude. Tom Hartley once told a group of people following him around on a history tour that half of west Belfast would cheerfully string me up from a lamp-post. And well I remember - having got so much mileage out of the tale - how Bobby Storey put me up against a wall in the Felons Club and told me I was a slug and not welcome in west Belfast. Once, Tommy Gorman - the republican one, not the RTE broadcaster - interviewed me on the Feile radio station. That went well. Tommy is a civil bloke. But a future minister came into the room, saw me and gave off to him afterwards for inviting me: "What's he doing here?" But, over the years, the Feile has extended its reach and incorporated some groups that are more warmly disposed to me. Amnesty International had me chair a debate at St Mary's Teacher Training College. But Jim Gibney introduced me and got my name wrong. Mr Gobney is a commentator himself and could be expected to know me, so perhaps he was making a point. And, a couple of years ago, Culturlann invited me to display an exhibition of landscape photographs. They also took some criticism for letting me do that, but had me back to introduce loyalist artists, the writer Beano Niblock and the painter Geordie Morrow. Moving through the Feile with a sense that you are not warmly admired by everyone you meet is probably not a rare experience. I put some of that down to the fact that old militant republicans, in particular, have been at the receiving end of abuse for decades and have never really adjusted themselves to the contempt in which their militancy was held. If you have been a gunman, or a bomber, then you are going to have to live with the fact that most people will not endorse the path you took. Part of the motivating spirit of the festival is to reinforce the dignity and self-respect of that wasted generation. Yet, paradoxically, the Feile can congratulate itself on having been wide open to opposing views. The terrific debates at the annual West Belfast Talks Back have been a showcase for inclusiveness. Loyalists have been invited. Political critics from the republic have been invited. I remember the exhilaration around Jude Collins challenging Eoghan Harris to a bet that Sinn Fein's vote would continue to rise. Harris took the bet, lost and paid up. The late Sean Crummy - the impersonator behind Folks On The Hill - had the audience in fits with his take on Jarry Kally, chewin' a brick. Even in the early days, the Provos were keen to show that they were game to be made fun of. Denis Donaldson once told me that he and some of his mates had gone to see The Hole In The Wall Gang at the Andersonstown Leisure Centre and wondered afterwards if they had held back. "We can take it," he said. Of course, Denis had another agenda that I wasn't aware of at the time. My feeling about the Feile is that the voice it least wants to hear is the voice of critical neighbours. I grew up in west Belfast. I sat in classrooms with future Provos. I was a close witness to the start of the Troubles and I have a take on that experience which is hugely at odds with the standard Provo narrative. I don't think republicans want to hear that. They can cope better with a loyalist from the Shankill, or the Chief Constable. I was at an event once with Cathal O Searcaigh, reading from his wonderful memoir A Light on Distant Hills. Cathal talked about a flowering of memoir writing in Ireland and cited some other authors, including - very generously - myself. Afterwards, we talked and he asked why I had not featured in the festival and I voiced my theory, to his horror, that a writer of books about growing up in Andersonstown would not be as welcome here as a writer from the Shankill, if his experience contradicted the republican vision. And how many other writers are there with roots in the area who have never been invited to read, or launch their work, there? I can easily think of a few. Danny Morrison isn't one of them. But, though the West Belfast Festival will always seek to remember with nostalgic affection the benign endeavours of the IRA to achieve justice for the people and much of the outside world will continue to regard that as an unwarranted and eccentric stand, that doesn't mean that the whole city isn't better off with the festival than without it. Leo Varadkar will open it and he is accused of effectively endorsing the celebration of the IRA that is always a feature of the festival. That isn't fair. He will be visiting Schomberg House and telling the Orange Order that it is a fine, all-Ireland institution. That doesn't mean that he endorses the sectarianism that gathers around much of what the order does, the loyalist paramilitary bands that march with the lodges, or the sneering at Catholicism and the Irish language which has featured in recent events. The Orange Order was born out of sectarian faction-fighting in Armagh over 200 years ago. It retains and excuses much that is sectarian and problematic. Its achievement is to preserve the memory of those riots as part of a noble struggle. There isn't much difference between that approach and the one the Feile represents, trying to think well of a disgraceful past, while moving beyond it into self-respect and amicability. Leo Varadkar, like many of us, would rather indulge them both in that endeavour than shut them up. The DUP has said Northern Ireland's constitutional status is protected in Theresa May's backstop proposal, which could keep the UK in the customs union until 2021. But nationalists said the Prime Minister was still failing to come up with a solution that addressed the problems caused by Brexit. Mrs May twice met with Brexit Secretary David Davis yesterday amidst reports he would resign unless she set a clear time limit on the temporary customs arrangement. There was no fixed deadline in the document eventually published, which stated only that the UK "expects" a final customs solution to be in place by the end of December 2021 at the latest. Read More The paper is the Government's counter to an EU proposal to keep Northern Ireland in the customs union after Brexit, which was rejected outright by Mrs May because it would mean a border in the Irish Sea. DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said: "The backstop in the technical report issued applies to the entire United Kingdom. "That is positive and a step forward. It is another demonstration of the Prime Minister's commitment to the Union. The previously proposed annexation of Northern Ireland was totally unacceptable. "We must also remember that the backstop will only be used as a last resort. The focus must now be on getting a new trade deal. This is in the best interests of the United Kingdom, European Union and Republic of Ireland." But Tanaiste Simon Coveney warned that unless there was a legally-binding assurance that a hard border would be avoided "in all circumstances", there could be no progress on other elements of the Brexit talks. "Ireland and the (European) Commission have both stressed that substantial progress on the backstop is needed before the June European Council," he said. "Clearly, a great deal of work remains to be done and this needs to be the highest priority for all sides in the weeks ahead." In a letter to Tory MPs, obtained by The Times, the Prime Minister described the UK proposal as "unpalatable but at worst temporary" and "in no way the Government's intended or desired" result. The Government did not expect it to be implemented as it intended to have a permanent customs arrangement in place by the end of 2020, she said. But Mrs May maintained it was right to have a fallback option ready in case the process was delayed "for technical reasons". She said the Government was "committed to making sure that the future arrangements are in place by the end of December 2021 at the very latest" and to ensuring the UK leaves the customs union. Mrs May is facing a possible defeat in the House of Commons next week on an amendment that would require her to try to negotiate a permanent customs union with the EU. With Labour MPs whipped to back the Lords amendment, Tory Remainers are understood to believe they have enough support to mount an effective rebellion. However, Mrs May is expected to win a second vote on membership of the European Economic Area after Jeremy Corbyn ordered his MPs to abstain in favour of an alternative Labour motion. Under the new backstop proposals, if no agreement on customs has been implemented by the end of 2020, a temporary arrangement would ensure that no "tariffs, quotas, rules of origin (or) customs processes" applied to UK-EU trade. At the same time the UK would be able to strike free trade agreements with other countries. Rather than setting a firm deadline for the end of the backstop, the document stated: "The UK expects the future arrangement to be in place by the end of December 2021 at the latest. There are a range of options for how a time limit could be delivered, which the UK will propose and discuss with the EU." A source close to Mr Davis said there had been "a back and forth" on the wording of the paper, which "now expresses, in much more detail, the time-limited nature of our proposal". The Prime Minister also held separate face-to-face discussions with leading Brexiteers Boris Johnson and Liam Fox. None of the three ministers threatened to resign during the discussions, a spokeswoman for Mr May said. However, the European Parliament's Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt said it was "difficult to see" how the UK proposal could deliver "a workable solution" to avoid a hard border. "A backstop that is temporary is not a backstop, unless the definitive arrangement is the same as the backstop," he said. The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier is due to discuss the proposal with Mr Davis in Brussels next week, ahead of a crunch summit of EU leaders starting on June 28. Mr Barnier said they would examine them in the light of three questions: "Is it a workable solution to avoid a hard border? Does it respect the integrity of the single market/customs union? Is it an all-weather backstop?" Former SDLP MP and party leader Margaret Ritchie has revealed that she is being treated for breast cancer. The 60-year-old politician was diagnosed in February, had a mastectomy in March and is halfway through a course of chemotherapy. Doctors have told Ms Ritchie that her cancer was caught early and is treatable. "I was diagnosed back in February of this year after a scheduled mammogram appointment," she said. "I got a recall. I went to the breast assessment in the Belfast Trust at Linenhall Street and then they did biopsies where cancer was confirmed. "I selected to go to the Cancer Centre and I was referred to a consultant breast surgeon and had my mastectomy on March 23. "It was in several of my nodes and my doctor's attitude was to get rid of it all, because you can't be too careful of the lymphatic system. "My scans that they took post-surgery were clear, so that was a good basis for treatment. "I have to have chemotherapy, radiotherapy as well as hormone and calcium tablets in the future. I am in the middle of chemotherapy at the moment. "I am three chemo treatments in. I'm not feeling too bad. "The first few days you are on a combination of anti-sickness and steroids and your sleeping pattern is interfered with. But apart from that, by Saturday and Sunday, I'll usually feel grand again." She said that the diagnosis was a "big shock", but that her family and friends had rallied around her. "There was no history of breast cancer in our family. Of course there has to be someone first. But I am very positive," she said. "There are bits and pieces of work I do, which keeps my mind focused. I believe that, and have been told that, this is treatable breast cancer, so I want to get on with my life. "My family and friends have been extremely good and extremely helpful over the last number of months. While it was a shock for me, it couldn't have been easy for them either." Ms Ritchie was an MLA between 2003 and 2012, succeeded Mark Durkan as party leader in 2010, and was MP for South Down between 2010 and 2017, when she lost her seat to Sinn Fein's Chris Hazzard. She said that her work kept her busy and her mind focused on matters beyond her treatment. "I could feel sorry for myself, but feeling sorry for yourself doesn't achieve a thing," she added. "I am staying positive. I would say that mine was caught early. "But having said that, you can never be too careful. "I am walking regularly and I am eating well but there are probably a lot of things that I should be doing that I'm not doing, like resting. For a person who was always extremely, extremely busy, it is very difficult to do that. "I am still heavily involved in politics in South Down and I would want to stay like that. Politics is in my blood, it's in my DNA. "I'm going to get on with this treatment and then get on with my life." Ms Ritchie said that, having seen first-hand the pressure our health service is under, it was imperative that Stormont got up and running immediately. "I couldn't praise the medical and nursing staff enough at Belfast City Hospital," she said. "Whether it was in the surgical team or the oncology team. They deal with a very high volume of people on a five-day week basis between the Cancer Centre and Bridgewater and the work that they do is quite phenomenal. They are so attentive. "Obviously they must be working in very difficult circumstances because the level of diagnosis is much higher these days. "But they need to be given all the financial assistance and all the medical and nursing support that is possible in terms of staffing. "I would also say in that regard, there is an urgent need for the restoration of the political institutions. "I would hope that the greatest existential crisis of Brexit won't impact on our health service, but I'm not so sure about that. "We do need the addition of more doctors into the service and I would hope that there would be resolutions there. Because we need all the support to do the good work." As she navigates her chemotherapy treatment, Ms Ritchie advised other women to make sure they check themselves and attend their mammogram appointments. "I would like to emphasise the importance of the mammography service and keeping to your mammogram appointments every three years," she said. "That is how I was diagnosed. I couldn't find a lump or anything. "I want to say to women, please take up the offer of a breast screening. It is vitally important." A judge has accused Northern Ireland Water of having an attitude of "extraordinary complacency" for the time it took to react to a major sewage pollution incident. Judge Philip Babington made the comment as he fined the company 40,000 for a spillage from its waste water treatment works into the Moyola River at Maghera Road in Tobermore. The discharge, which contained noxious, poisonous and polluting matter, continued for almost 17 hours after the alarm was first raised on the morning of February 15 of last year. Previous pollution cases involving NI Water, which is effectively owned by the Department for Infrastructure, were dealt with at Magistrates Court level, but this was the first time the company had been prosecuted in the Crown Court. The company's director of customer service delivery Sean McAleese stood in the dock as Judge Babington described the company's response to the spillage as inexcusable. "One can only conclude that the attitude of those who dealt with this matter was one of extraordinary complacency on this occasion," Judge Babington said. He added: "The environment in which we live is a precious heritage and it is incumbent on the present generation, including the courts, to play a part in preserving it for the future." Judge Babington said although there was no fish kill in this case, the aquatic life of the river was endangered and samples taken were 142 times greater than an EU directive limit for poor water quality. He said an aggravating factor in the offence, which the company admitted, was its poor previous record for similar offences. Imposing the fine of 40,000, Judge Babington said he had fixed the amount "to bring the necessary message home to the particular defendant in order to deter future breaches". In the wake of the verdict, NI Water said the company viewed its responsibility to the environment with the utmost seriousness, having invested 500m in the network over the last three years towards "helping make our rivers and beaches the cleanest that they have ever been". It added: "Unfortunately, on this occasion, we failed to maintain the highly exacting standards that we set ourselves and we have already begun the process of implementing lessons learnt (from the case). "A full survey and investigation of the drainage system at this site has been conducted and remedial actions to mitigate the risk of such an occurrence arising in the future are being put in place. "It should be noted NI Water treats 340m litres of waste water every day through a network which comprises over 15,000 kilometres of pipes and more than 1,000 wastewater treatment works." Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. He is pictured meeting Michelle O'Neill. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. He is pictured meeting Michelle O'Neill. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 8th June 2018 - The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road. He was welcomed to the launch event by Feile Director Kevin Gamble, Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey, West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and Colaiste Feirste pupil Katie-Rose Mead. He is pictured meeting Michelle O'Neill. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, was in West Belfast today to launch the 30th anniversary events programme of Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, at an event in St Marys University College on the Falls Road - Credit: Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has launched the Feile an Phobail festival in west Belfast. It follows a historic trip north of the border, with Mr Varadkar becoming the first Taoiseach to visit the headquarters of the Orange Order. While opening the Feile an Phobhail festival in west Belfast he met with Sinn Fein's leader in Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill before addressing the assembled crowd at St Mary's University College. During the event he also met with new Lord Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey and director of the west Belfast festival Kevin Gamble. On his arrival he was presented with a Feile an Phobail custom-made hurling. Ahead of his arrival in Belfast Varadkar faced a backlash from polticians in Northern Ireland, who questioned his decision to launch Feile an Phobail. DUP Arlene Foster described herself as "very concerned" about his decision to launch the festival, with IRA victims Mairia Cahill and Austin Stack also criticising the Taoiseach. Responding, Mr Varadkar noted the DUP leader had attended the festival in the past, and that headline act Olly Murs could not be accused of being a "diehard republican". The woman behind the campaign to have Northern Ireland's abortion laws changed said she will now take her fight to the High Court in Belfast. Sarah Ewart will be seeking a formal declaration of incompatibility that the UK Supreme Court declined to grant yesterday. The court ruled the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) had no legal standing to bring a challenge to the abortion law, saying it could only have been brought by a woman impacted by the abortion ban. But while the decision means the Government is not obliged to change the law, the seven judges gave a strong indication that reform is needed. Ms Ewart (28) had to travel to England for an abortion in 2013 when her 19-week scan showed her baby's brain and skull had not developed properly and the child would not survive. She said she had "no regrets" after the Supreme Court ruling, adding: "If this same thing was to happen to me tomorrow, and the law wasn't changed, I would make the same decision. Now the highest court in the land has recognised that Northern Ireland is in breach of human rights for people who find themselves with fatal foetal abnormality. "They have said that the law needs to be changed, so we will keep going until we get that change. The High Court in Belfast and the Supreme Court are in agreement, so let's just do this." But Bernadette Smyth, director of anti-abortion campaign group Precious Life, said: "What happened here today was upholding democracy. This court made a ruling that this court has no right to make decisions for Northern Ireland. Regardless of their opinions, this is a law in Northern Ireland and that is where these decisions should be made." A majority of a seven-strong panel of Supreme Court justices ruled against the NIHRC, saying the case could only have been brought by a woman impacted by the abortion ban. But they said the law was incompatible with the right to respect for private and family life as guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. The judgment will add to the political pressure on the Government and politicians in Northern Ireland to deal with the issue. DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the NIHRC had questions to answer about the cost of taking the case and why "it decided to act beyond its competence in such a sensitive issue". He added: "We should all approach the matter of abortion with the seriousness and maturity that the discussion deserves." Dismissing calls for Prime Minister Theresa May to intervene, Sir Jeffrey added: "This is a devolved matter and any attempt to change the law without the consent of the Assembly would be a breach of the devolution settlement." UUP leader Robin Swann urged the DUP to adopt a matter of conscience for members. He said: "That's the view of the Ulster Unionist Party and a position other parties should extend to their membership, just as the SDLP has. I know of DUP members deeply uncomfortable with how they are being perceived and how this and other issues are being handled by their party." SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said: "As politicians we can no longer duck our responsibilities. It's my strong, personal view that it is completely unsustainable for us to have a different law from the south on abortion." Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O'Neill said it was clear that legislative change is needed. "This judgment makes it clear that in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities, sexual crime and rape that the current law in the north remains incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights," she said. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley said: "No formal declaration has been made by the court and the appeal has been dismissed. But the analysis and comments from the court on the issue of incompatibility will be clearly heard by this House and politicians in Northern Ireland." Key statistics in the debate Almost 1,000 women from Northern Ireland travelled to England or Wales for an abortion in 2017, an increase on the year before. In 2017, there were 4,809 abortions for women recorded as residing outside England and Wales, and most non-residents travelled from the Irish Republic (64%) and Northern Ireland (19%). There were 919 abortions for women from Northern Ireland an increase of over a quarter from 2016 and the highest level since 2011, according to Department of Health (DoH) statistics. The number of NI residents having an abortion in England and Wales has generally declined since a peak of 1,855 in 1990. The number of Republic of Ireland residents having an abortion in England and Wales has also been declining since 2001 when 6,673 women had the procedure. In 2017, 3,092 women from the Republic of Ireland had an abortion in England and Wales, less than half the number than in 2001 and a further 5% decline from 2016. The Presbyterian Church has voted in favour of a new policy which means anyone in a same-sex relationship cannot be a full member of the church. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has voted in favour of a new policy which means anyone in a same-sex relationship cannot be a full member of the church and their children cannot be baptised. The vote was taken on Friday at the decision-making General Assembly in Belfast. The decision comes after the church voted to loosen its affiliation with the Church of Scotland over its stance on the issue of same-sex relationships. The policy is contained in a report by the Church's doctrine committee. The committee concluded: "In light of our understanding of scripture and the Church's understanding of a credible profession of faith, it is clear that same-sex couples are not eligible for communicant membership nor are they qualified to receive baptism for their children. "We believe that their outward conduct and lifestyle is at variance with a life of obedience to Christ." Earlier this week, The Reverend Dr Charles McMullen was elected as moderator of the church in Ireland for the next 12 months. Alliance Party leader Naomi Long, who is a member of the Presbyterian Church, said her "heart is broken" by the decision. She wrote on social media: "I can only imagine the hurt this has caused to those from the LGBT community. "It does not reflect the views of so many of us who love, respect and value you as family, friends and members of our community." Reacting to the decision, UUP MLA Doug Beattie said: "My word....I can't get my head around this. A reason to exclude is never going to be better than a reason to include." My word...... I cant get my head around this. A reason to exclude is never going to be better than a reason to include. https://t.co/Fpyx4FdwQZ Doug Beattie (@BeattieDoug) June 8, 2018 The Belfast Telegraph has contacted the Presbyterian Church in Ireland for comment. Peter Robinson with, from left, Professor Richard English, Professor James McElnay, acting president and vice-chancellor of Queens University Belfast, and Professor John Brewer Former DUP leader Peter Robinson has suggested holding fixed generational polls on Irish unification as a way to stabilise politics in Northern Ireland. The ex-first minister said the approach would help make the constitutional question less disruptive to local politics and the prospect of a referendum less threatening. Delivering a lecture at Queen's University in Belfast, veteran unionist Mr Robinson stressed he would be very confident that citizens would choose to stay within the UK. Read More But reflecting on the discordant aftermath of the Brexit vote, he said the prospect of a simple yes/no poll to deal with a "colossal constitutional change", and which could be carried with a majority of just one vote, was a "recipe for chaos" on the island. As such, he said there was a need for processes and timescales to be agreed in advance, rather than having to "tackle the issue on the fly" if unification was ever backed. "In this I am not, of course, talking about the nature and shape of the new state that would emerge if there ever was a vote to exit the UK," said Mr Robinson. "I am alluding to the need to agree a process for negotiations, timescales and not only the means of reaching agreement on all the particulars but also who would be involved in negotiating such an agreement. "With those details settled, my own view, for what it's worth, is that fixed generational border polls would be less divisive and disruptive of our local political process." Mr Robinson acknowledged he had "pulled the pin out of the grenade" with his remarks. The main focus of his lecture at Queen's was his reflections on how to restore a stable power-sharing administration. Mr Robinson, who was recently appointed an honorary professor of peace studies at the institution, warned that community division in the region was "accelerating" and suggested violence could reignite if the political stagnation continued. "We are at risk of awaking the slumbering hostilities that we had all hoped would never again be aroused," he said. The former MP suggested that widening the range of issues in the negotiations between the rowing parties could actually help, rather than hinder, efforts to secure a deal to resurrect devolution. "As I see it, simply applying a sticking plaster, or attempting to patch-up the existing process, will not provide a durable result," he said. He said by broadening the agenda to take in other unsettled issues could provide more scope for trade-offs and identify areas where common ground could be found. "I am talking about those matters that impact upon the smooth operation, permanence, continuity and stability of the institutions," he said. "I say this because I feel sure a new Assembly tripping over the debris of unresolved, critical problems will collapse and because I believe another collapse would be fatal for devolution and harmful to the future of Northern Ireland." He called for reforms to Assembly structures so that one party alone could not wield the power to collapse the institutions by walking out. "Whatever future problems may arise, the parties, in agreeing a new deal, should, at the very minimum, sign a solemn declaration to work on any problem that surfaces while still operating the agreed institutions," he said. Mr Robinson said there was a need to move from the politics of "process" to create a sense of permanence around the institutions. "Being processed brings with it that unsettled feeling that produces uncertainty and, at times, fear," he said. "That's why I counsel against a nip and tuck solution and favour major reconstructive surgery. "The outcome of the next set of negotiations must have the feel of the parties having reached a settlement rather than the continuation of a process." Mr Robinson said current structures that enable parties to veto decisions needed reform, insisting it was possible to design other community protective devices. Addressing an audience that included current DUP leader Arlene Foster, he said the most recent set of failed negotiations to resurrect Stormont ended in a "train crash". "Where the blame game reached fever-pitch, angry words were exchanged, documents leaked, confidences broken, and trust shattered," he added. Afterwards, Mr Robinson's successor Mrs Foster was asked if she felt she was being criticised in the speech. But she told the BBC: "I think he was actually reflecting what happened in February. "It was the very first time that there wasn't a soft landing, and in fact papers were released to the media, commentary was made on those papers - and he's right about that - it makes it a lot more difficult to put back together again and to build trust up again when something like that happens." Halting a planned new 200m cross-border electricity line could see Northern Ireland's "lights go out" by 2021, the High Court heard today. Counsel for the Department of Infrastructure stressed the urgency surrounding a legal challenge to its decision to approve the north-south interconnector. Up to 6,000 people who own land or live along the proposed route of the pylons and lines are seeking to have the planning permission judicially reviewed. In January the Department announced it was giving the go-ahead for the Northern Ireland section of the overhead scheme between Tyrone and Meath. But a group formed under the name Safe Electricity A&T (SEAT) issued proceedings in a bid to have the decision quashed. They claim a development of such regional significance was wrongly approved by a senior civil servant in the absence of a minister. In a separate case last month the High Court held that a permanent secretary did not have power to give the green light for a 240m waste incinerator at Mallusk on the outskirts of north Belfast. That ruling is being appealed in an attempt to clarify the authority of civil servants without a functioning executive. However, based on the current legal interpretation, the Department's lawyers accepted SEAT has established an arguable case at this stage on the constitutional point. It was contended however, that a second ground of challenge about the potential impact to wildlife should be dismissed. Barrister Charles Banner, for the Department, described the interconnector scheme as having "profound urgency and importance". He told the court work is on hold amid uncertainty due to the legal challenge. "The lights could go out in 2021 if this project doesn't proceed," Mr Banner claimed. The overall initiative to join electricity grids in the two jurisdictions has also approved in the Republic of Ireland. It will involve 85 miles of overhead cables and lead to new pylons being built. Business chiefs have backed the joint scheme between the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI) and EirGrid in Ireland to reduce costs and ensure electricity supplies. But residents in border areas who objected to the interconnector instead wanted undergound cables for health an environment reasons - an option dismissed as unfeasible. SEAT's challenge is centred on approval for more than 100 towers and high-voltage transmission lines. They also claim the scheme lacks the scientific certainty required under a habitats directive that no harm will be caused to wildlife. The hearing on whether to grant leave to seek a judicial review was adjourned for amendments to the legal papers. Mr Justice McCloskey emphasised the need for clarity and certainty "given the obvious major public interest." Outside court solicitor Paul Farrell of McIvor Farrell, who is representing SEAT, claimed 6,000 landowners were adversely affected by the planning approval. He added: "For such a decision to be taken by an unelected and politically unaccountable civil servant should cause the public grave concern and will form part of out further submissions to the court." The prohibition was imposed as bail was granted to the 17-year-old accused of targeting vulnerable pensioners living at facilities across Co Antrim. A youth accused of burgling a 94-year-old woman must not be within 500 yards of any nursing home in Northern Ireland, a court ordered. The prohibition was imposed as bail was granted to the 17-year-old accused of targeting vulnerable pensioners living at facilities across Co Antrim. He allegedly joined a 22-year-old woman in a campaign which also involved attempted raids on four different care homes between May 1-4. Prosecutors claim the 94-year-old woman living in sheltered housing at Castlerocklands, Carrickfergus answered a knocked on her door to be confronted by a male and female asking for a glass of water. The pensioner's attempt to close the door were thwarted by a foot being put against it, a previous court heard. She went to get the drink, leaving her walking frame and handbag unattended. When the woman returned the callers had gone and the bag containing 30 cash was said to be missing. It was alleged the pair had also gone into her home, rummaging through a jewellery box but apparently taking nothing more. Further incidents occurred at four nursing homes located in Carrickfergus, Ballymena and Lisburn, according to the prosecution. On each occasion a male and female challenged by members of staff claimed they were on the premises looking for work. Investigations into other suspected incidents involving the same alleged modus operandi were said to be continuing. The 17-year-old defendant, who cannot be named because of his age, and co-accused Zakelina Sarkozlova, a Slovakian of Martin Park in Newtownabbey, deny charges of burglary and four counts of attempted burglary. They claim they only went to the nursing homes to seek work. Both accused were initially refused bail at the High Court last month due to the risk of re-offending. But while Sarkozlova remains in custody, the teenager's solicitor, Hamill Clawson, successfully mounted a fresh bail application at Belfast Youth Court. His client is to be released under strict conditions, including a curfew, electronic monitoring, daily reporting to police and 1,000 cash surety. Mr Clawson confirmed the judge imposed a ban on being within 500 yards of any nursing home. Larissa Watson is alleged to have attempted to steal a Sangermani Daycruiser yacht, from the Italian port of Portofino, a playground of the rich and famous Larissa Watson is alleged to have attempted to steal a Sangermani Daycruiser yacht, like the one pictured, from the Italian port of Portofino, a playground of the rich and famous A Northern Ireland artist has been arrested by police in Italy after allegedly attempting to steal a 150,000 yacht in one of the country's most exclusive resorts. Award-winning painter Larissa Watson, who opened a boutique in Belfast's Commercial Court under her lifestyle and fashion brand Goddess and Swift in 2014, has been dubbed 'The Portofino Pirate' by the Italian media since the alleged incident on Monday. "The double life of Larissa Watson seems to have come straight out of a film," newspaper La Rivieria said. "In Britain she's an esteemed artist, in Italy a thief who's been under scrutiny by the police for some time." The 50-year-old, who was born in Canterbury in England but has lived most of her life here, was charged with theft after allegedly "nonchalantly" climbing aboard the Sangermani Daycruiser yacht in Portofino - a playground of the rich and famous - The Daily Telegraph reported. The designer apparently found the keys and started the engine, and was about to head out of port when she was spotted by a suspicious harbour worker. He ran along the dock, leaped aboard and steered the vessel owned by a local boat rental company back to its mooring. The worker then called the port authority and the local Carabinieri paramilitary police, who arrested her. When asked by officers, who described her as "tall, blonde and refined", if she wanted to contact her family, Mrs Watson is reported to have declined the offer. Mrs Watson, creative director of a fashion brand as well as a painter and textile designer, is believed to have been in Italy since February and has been reported to Italian authorities for a string of unpaid hotel and restaurant bills. She allegedly left an unpaid hotel bill in Milan, fled a restaurant without paying in Ventimiglia on Italy's border with France, and ran off from a hotel in Reggio Calabria in the far south of the country. On at least two occasions police were called. In another incident last Saturday, the Ulster University graduate reportedly went to a beauty salon in Santa Margherita Ligure, close to Portofino, and then allegedly refused to pay her bill of 150. Police were informed and she was charged with fraud. The mother-of-four is due in court in Genoa next month. But The Daily Telegraph reported her whereabouts are unknown, prompting local police to warn they will issue an international warrant for her arrest if she fails to make her court appearance. "Nothing like this has happened before in Portofino, it's very unusual," Captain Simone Clemente of the Carabinieri told The Daily Telegraph. "By looking through her Facebook and Instagram accounts we found she had done navigation courses in the past and knew how to handle a boat. She nearly made it out of the harbour." During her travels in Italy it is reported that Mrs Watson has posted numerous photos on her Facebook account, taken in Rome, Sicily, Emilia-Romagna and along the Italian Riviera. In March she posted an apparently old photo of herself holding a silver trophy and wearing an elegant evening dress. "Happy times when I had decent clothes to wear, a great car to drive, a home and a clean, comfortable bed every night - offshore racing - winning in style!" she wrote. In another, she said she was thrown out of a party in Bologna featuring celebrity chef Jamie Oliver "by an officious little girl". Following her graduation from Ulster University, Mrs Watson established a studio practice in fine art and textiles, exhibiting extensively in the UK, America, Japan and Europe, with her award-winning work garnering attention within the art world. Some of her latest artworks are available to purchase from at least one Belfast gallery, which promotes two of her oil paintings depicting Eglantine Avenue in south Belfast on its website. The artist, who completed an Masters in fine art in 2004, is believed to have received bursaries from the Crafts Council of Ireland and the Creative Industries Innovation Fund. The Belfast Telegraph attempted to contact her Belfast boutique. But it appeared to no longer be receiving phone calls. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has made history as the first serving leader of the Republic of Ireland to visit the Orange Order's Headquarters in Belfast. There was applause from some onlookers as Mr Varadkar was welcomed by the Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Edward Stevenson. Read More During a tour of the Museum of Orange Heritage, Mr Varadkar met with the leadership of the Order, including senior Orangemen from the Republic of Ireland. He posed beside a sign commemorating the 1690 Battle of the Boyne and also paid respects at a memorial window dedicated to the 336 members of the organisation who were murdered during the course of the Troubles. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Taoiseach Leo Varadkar meets Orange grand master Edward Stevenson visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast on June 8th 2018 (Picture by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Taoiseach Leo Varadkar meets Orange grand master Edward Stevenson visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast on June 8th 2018 (Picture by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Taoiseach Leo Varadkar meets Orange grand master Edward Stevenson visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast on June 8th 2018 (Picture by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by Grand Master of the Orange Order Edward Stevenson as he visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 08: Taoiseach Leo Varadker is greeted by Orange Grand Master Edward Stevenson at the Orange Order Heritage centre on June 8, 2018 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The historic visit to Schomberg House is the first time an Irish premier has been welcomed to the Orange Order's headquarters. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by Grand Master of the Orange Order Edward Stevenson as he visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by Grand Master of the Orange Order Edward Stevenson as he visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by Grand Master of the Orange Order Edward Stevenson as he visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is welcomed as he visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is welcomed as he visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is welcomed as he visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by Grand Master of the Orange Order Edward Stevenson as he visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by Grand Master of the Orange Order Edward Stevenson as he visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by Grand Master of the Orange Order Edward Stevenson as he visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by Grand Master of the Orange Order Edward Stevenson as he visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 8/6/2018 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by Grand Master of the Orange Order Edward Stevenson as he visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast. It will be the first time an Irish prime minister has been to the headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Taoiseach Leo Varadkar meets Orange grand master Edward Stevenson visits the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast on June 8th 2018 (Picture by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Mr Stevenson said: "We acknowledge this is a significant moment; as it is the first time a serving leader of the Republic of Ireland government has visited the headquarters of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland. "As a cross-border organisation, we welcome the Taoiseach's direct engagement with our members based in the border counties of the Republic and, in so doing, recognising the longstanding cultural identity of the Orange family in the south. "It is also important to acknowledge the importance of the Taoiseach paying his respects to those members of our institution, many of whom served in the security forces, who were murdered by terrorists. "Such a gesture should not be underestimated and will, I believe, be deeply appreciated by many relatives of the deceased, and the Orange membership as a whole." Irish premier Varadkar said the UK Government's proposals on a backstop position to avoid a hard border in Ireland "fall short" of what the EU require. He said the concept of a deadline or time-limit on the customs arrangement was not acceptable, insisting any fall-back position to enable free movement over the frontier should only expire at such time that a broader trading deal between the EU and UK is struck. "Just putting off a hard border for three years or four years or six years or 20 years isn't enough - it has to be permanent," Mr Varadkar said during his visit. On Boris Johnson's unguarded comments in which he downplayed the significance of the Irish border issue, Mr Varadkar said the Foreign Secretary's assessment was not accurate. He added: "When I want to know what the view of the British government is, I listen to the prime minister." The Taoiseach kicked off a day of engagements in Belfast with a private meeting with Baroness Paisley, the widow of former DUP leader Ian Paisley, at a library dedicated to his memory in the east of the city. Later on Friday he will launch the west Belfast Feile an Phobail at St Mary's University College. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has gone off script & is enjoying an extended tour of the museum at Schomberg House. MrVaradkar taking his time. pic.twitter.com/tnr0vMTOCo Sara OKane (@sara_utv) June 8, 2018 The Western Trust has recalled 37 patients who had been receiving treatment for a heart condition The Western Trust has recalled 37 patients who had been receiving treatment for a heart condition. The recall has been made following a review of patients' files, and affects those suffering from aortic stenosis - the most common type of heart valve disease in the elderly. The move was prompted by concerns related to two patients earlier this year. Dr Dermot Hughes, medical director at the Western Health Trust, said: "Following a review of patients diagnosed with a heart valve condition known as Aortic Stenosis, the Trust has identified 37 patients from the Fermanagh area who should have received a follow up review after their treatment. "These patients have been contacted by telephone or letter on June 6 and June 7 and have been offered a review appointment with cardiology staff at South West Acute Hospital, Enniskillen. "It is unlikely that patients will need any change in their treatment, but these reviews are being carried out as a precautionary measure." Sinn Fein MLA Colm Gildernew said: "These reviews need to be carried out as quickly as possible and the Trust need to communicate in a full and transparent manner with the patients and their families. "The well-being of patients must be the primary focus in the days ahead and the circumstances surrounding the recall must be thoroughly investigated and communicated to the public." It follows the recall last month by the Belfast Health Trust of over 2,500 neurology patients treated by neurologist Dr Michael Watt, making it Northern Ireland's largest ever patient recall. Yesterday, SDLP deputy leader Nichola Mallon welcomed publication of the Terms of Reference for the Independent Inquiry into the recall. The panel comprises its chair Brett Lockhart QC and Dr Hugo Mascie-Taylor. She said confirmation was needed over whether Dr Watt's private sector work would be also included. "The same point goes for the review into the handling of complaints and concerns prior to November 2016. Will the private sector be included? She added: "There is also no detail as yet on how patients will have their voices heard and how their vital knowledge and experiences will be taken into account. There is mounting frustration and anger among patients that no one is talking to them or listening to them. The Inquiry must provide the space and confidence for them to be heard." Mr Lockhart said: "I very much welcome the finalisation of the terms of reference and, in particular, the involvement of Dr Hugo Mascie-Taylor, who has significant experience in clinical governance. "I am conscious of the level of public interest and concern and a preliminary report will be produced as soon as practicable with the final report issued on the completion and review of all other relevant actions initiated by the Department." The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for Northern Ireland with heavy rain expected on Saturday. The warning will be in place between 12pm and 9pm. There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds. Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services. Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. Expand Close Yellow weather warning for Northern Ireland. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Yellow weather warning for Northern Ireland. There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost. There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life. "Many areas will remain dry on Saturday. However, where heavy showers do break out there is potential for 20 mm rain to fall in less than an hour with 30-50 mm possible in three hours," a Met Office spokesperson said. "Hail may present an added hazard. The risk looks greatest across Northern Ireland first, from around midday, then extends eastwards across Scotland during Saturday afternoon, before showers and thunderstorms die out during the evening." Some people would blame Brexit for the renewed calls for a border poll Taoiseach Leo Varadkar does not want to see an Irish unity vote anytime soon because he does not think it would be successful. Mr Varadkar was speaking ahead of a visit to Belfast on Friday where he will be the first Taoiseach to visit the Headquarters of the Orange Order. Read More He will also launch the west Belfast Feile an Phobail at St Mary's University College. The Taoiseach said he did not want a border poll in the near future as he did not think it would help the political situation in Northern Ireland. "I think a border poll would be defeated and very divisive," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme. "We should be respecting the primacy of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) and, at the heart of the GFA, is power-sharing within Northern Ireland, ever-increasing cooperation within the north and south and peace in Britain and Ireland. "While the GFA provides for the possibility of a border poll, and would allow that to pass by a majority of one, I don't think the time or the conditions are right. "I think the focus should be on getting the institutions up and running again, rather than focusing on a border poll." Mr Varadkar's comments come after former First Minister Peter Robinson said holding fixed generational polls on Irish unification could be a way to stabilise politics in Northern Ireland. A new study conducted for the BBC by Lucid Talk has shown that it would be hard to predict the result of a potential border poll. Expand Close Leo Varadkar / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Leo Varadkar Last month an academics poll by Ipsos MORI found that just 21.1% of people in Northern Ireland would vote for Irish unity after the UK leaves the EU. However, the new poll showed that 45% of those asked would vote for Northern Ireland to stay in the UK while 42% would vote for Northern Ireland to join a united Ireland. The poll suggests that the result would be decided by the 13% of people who said they were undecided or would not vote in the poll. It found that only 47% of people in Northern Ireland identified themselves as British, less than the number who consider themselves Irish, Northern Irish or European. The BBC survey found that 4% of Catholics defined themselves as British in comparison with 29% of Protestants who considered themselves Irish. 28% of respondents to the survey said that Brexit made them more likely to vote for a united Ireland. Ireland voted resoundingly to reform its strict abortion laws in last months referendum (Niall Carson/PA) The Irish Government is not obliged to allow unrestricted access to abortion during early pregnancy, campaigners said. LoveBoth attempted to save the Eighth Amendment constitutional restrictions ahead of last months repeal referendum on grounds that protecting the unborns right to life was sacrosanct. New legislation implementing the polls overwhelming two-to-one verdict in favour of making the procedure available will be implemented in the new year, the Taoiseach has said. Caroline Simons, legal consultant to LoveBoth, said: We do not believe however that there is any obligation on the Government to legislate for unrestricted abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. When examined closely, providing abortion on such grounds would fly in the face of the Taoiseachs commitment that any new law would be restrictive and that abortion would be rare. Ireland voted resoundingly to reform its strict abortion laws in last months referendum, paving the way for the removal of the Eighth the constitutions all but blanket ban on terminations. Health Minister Simon Harris is to draft legislation that would allow abortions within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, subject to medical advice and a cooling-off period, and up to 24 weeks in exceptional circumstances. Ms Simons urged the provision of counselling services ensuring women with unplanned pregnancies were aware of all alternatives to abortion. She said pain relief should be administered to the baby prior to a termination if there was a risk of pain. Doctors should strive to preserve the lives of babies born alive following the procedure, she said, and warned against prenatal discrimination against the unborn on the basis of sex or disability. Provision should be made for the exercise of conscientious objection by healthcare professionals Caroline Simons, legal consultant to LoveBoth Provision should be made for the exercise of conscientious objection by healthcare professionals and by others working in healthcare facilities. She said foetal remains should be disposed of in a fashion respecting the dignity of the unborn. Pregnant women should have access to emergency care in hospital in case of complications, the organisation said. British Prime Minister Theresa May has been under pressure to intervene to liberalise Northern Irelands strict abortion laws following the Irish result. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where the procedure is banned except in exceptional circumstances. Leo Varadkar has said the Dail may have to sit longer into the summer to facilitate the passage of new laws in the Republic. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is welcomed by the Grand Master of the Orange Lodge, Edward Stevenson (Laura Hutton/PA) Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he wanted to be viewed in Northern Ireland as a neighbour not an invader, as he made symbolic visits in Belfast that spanned both orange and green traditions. Mr Varadkar became the first Irish premier to visit the Orange Orders headquarters as he toured Schomberg House in a staunchly unionist part of east Belfast on Friday morning. Hours later he was travelling to the nationalist west of the city to launch the 30th outing of the renowned Feile an Phobail community festival. After receiving a warm welcome at the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland locals applauding him on arrival and departure the Taoiseach said he hoped to forge better relations with the institution, and move on from past tensions between it and the Irish state. I believe that Protestant heritage, Protestant history, Orange heritage, is part of our shared history, he said. Its not just something that is about Northern Ireland its something that applies in all parts of Ireland and very often we can be too binary. Things are never as simple as north versus south or orange versus green our history is very complex. After his visit, Mr Varadkar was asked about fraying relations with unionist politicians over Brexit, a cooling that has seen him accused of aggressive tactics and bad manners by the Democratic Unionists. My mother brought me up to have very good manners so I hope people dont think I am ill-mannerly at all, he replied. When I come north I see myself as a neighbour not as an invader, as the head of government of another jurisdiction. And I see this place, Northern Ireland, as a neighbouring jurisdiction but also one in which there are almost a million people who are Irish citizens and we need to acknowledge that, the fact that it does make it a unique place. What I am trying to do on this trip is to reach out to all communities in Northern Ireland to understand their needs and perspectives better and try to cement relationships that I think we can build on in the future. Expand Close Leo Varadkar tours the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast (Paul Faith/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Leo Varadkar tours the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast (Paul Faith/PA) The Taoiseach said notwithstanding remarks from some politicians, he always received a very warm welcome from ordinary people in Northern Ireland. Moments later he was surrounded by a group of local women who had been waiting at the gates of Schomberg House, keen to shake his hand. If the departure in east Belfast was warm, there was an edge to his arrival in west Belfast, as a group of anti-abortion protesters gathered at the gates of St Marys College ahead of the festival launch. The demonstrators voiced anger about the Taoiseachs support of reform of abortion law in the Irish Republic. They held up graphic placards and shouted repent as Mr Varadkars car swept through the gates. I want to commend those who founded this festival thirty years ago Leo Varadkar speaking about Feile at the 30th anniversary launch event today pic.twitter.com/JiGLvvwvBz Feile an Phobail (@FeileBelfast) June 8, 2018 In his subsequent speech to launch the Feile, Mr Varadkar reassured nationalists that the Irish government recognised their deep concern about Brexit and the potential impact for north-south relations. The European Union brought Britain and Ireland closer together and eliminated many of the differences and that in turn made peace possible, he said. On Brexit, he added: Its also brought the issue of the border into focus and I want to assure you that the Irish government shares your concerns. So from the beginning we have made it our policy to protect the Good Friday Agreement and to make that central to our approach to Brexit. The European Union brought Britain and Ireland closer together and eliminated many of the differences and that in turn made peace possibleLeo Varadkar Mr Varadkar said he had no doubt Brexit was a major factor in the ongoing political impasse in Northern Ireland. In an reference to the rights issues currently dividing the DUP and Sinn Fein namely same sex marriage, the Irish language and abortion the Taoiseach said he believed any right enjoyed by citizens in Great Britain and the Irish Republic should be enjoyed by people in Northern Ireland. During his trip north he was also asked about a suggestion by former Democratic Unionist leader Peter Robinson to hold fixed generational polls on Irish unification as a way to stabilise politics in Northern Ireland. Ex-Stormont first minister Mr Robinson said the approach would help make the constitutional question less disruptive to local politics and the prospect of a referendum less threatening. Expand Close Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was against a referendum on the Irish border (Laura Hutton/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was against a referendum on the Irish border (Laura Hutton/PA) Mr Varadkar insisted it was not the time for a border referendum, claiming it would further polarise communities. He said it also be unlikely to result in a vote to reunify the island. It would cause people to break down once again on traditional lines, he said. One valid point that Peter did make was if there ever was a referendum on the border its not something that should happen every three years or five years or seven years. The point he was making was decisions like that should be once in a generation. I think that was a sensible point. Earlier, during his tour of the Orange museum, Mr Varadkar met the leadership of the Order, including senior Orangemen from the Republic of Ireland. Two Orangemen from Co Donegal spoke with him in Irish. He posed beside a sign commemorating the 1690 Battle of the Boyne and also paid respects at a memorial window dedicated to the 336 members of the organisation who were murdered during the Troubles. Id encourage anyone to visit @OrangeHeritage to learn more about the Protestant heritage. Ill be back for sure pic.twitter.com/POnjLlbP8L Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) June 8, 2018 Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland Edward Stevenson said: We acknowledge this is a significant moment, as it is the first time a serving leader of the Republic of Ireland government has visited the headquarters of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland. As a cross-border organisation, we welcome the Taoiseachs direct engagement with our members based in the border counties of the Republic and, in so doing, recognising the longstanding cultural identity of the Orange family in the south. It is also important to acknowledge the importance of the Taoiseach paying his respects to those members of our institution, many of whom served in the security forces, who were murdered by terrorists. Such a gesture should not be underestimated and will, I believe, be deeply appreciated by many relatives of the deceased, and the Orange membership as a whole. Next stop in Northern Ireland is meeting business and civic society leaders at @QUBelfast to get their views about current issues like #Brexit pic.twitter.com/3p5tkT2QfA Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) June 8, 2018 The Taoiseach kicked off a day of engagements in Belfast with a private meeting with Baroness Paisley, the widow of former DUP leader Ian Paisley, at a library dedicated to his memory in the east of the city. He also had a private lunch with business leaders and academics at Queens University in Belfast. The Taoiseach rounded off his trip to Belfast by stopping for a pint of beer in Maverick gay bar in the city centre. Barman James Magennis said: It was great to see him and its great to have a Taoiseach representing the LGBT community. Alan ONeill arrives at the LA Premiere of Sabotage on Wednesday, March 19, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) Irish actor Alan ONeill, who appeared in hit US show Sons of Anarchy, has died aged 47, according to reports. Best known for his portrayal of Hugh in the cult motorbike gang crime drama, ONeill also appeared in Irish soap Fair City and several films. The performers manager Greg Meyer confirmed the actors death to Variety. Fellow Sons of Anarchy stars have paid tribute to ONeill on Twitter. Irish actor Timothy V Murphy, who played Galen OShay, said: My good friend Alan ONeill died today.we worked together on The Sons Of Anarchymy condolences to his family. Expand Close Alan ONeill arrives at the premiere for The Expendables 3 in 2014 (Alexandra Wyman/Invision for Lionsgate/AP/PA) Alexandra Wyman/Invision/AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Alan ONeill arrives at the premiere for The Expendables 3 in 2014 (Alexandra Wyman/Invision for Lionsgate/AP/PA) US actress Kristen Renton, who played Ima Tite, said: RIP sir my you find peace now. Irish actress Jenny Dixon, who worked with ONeill on 2012 short film Invisible, said he was a great friend who taught me so much. She tweeted: Thank you for your kindness. So very sorry to hear of your passing. A great man, sadly missed. My thoughts & prayers to you & to your family. ONeills career began in the 1990s, with several television appearances before his big domestic break on Fair City in 2006. He appeared in the sixth and final seventh season of Sons of Anarchy, which ended in 2014, and most recently played the Captain in 2016 film Urge. The actor was found dead at an apartment in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, according to TMZ. No foul play is suspected in his death, with reports suggesting he had suffered health problems. Alan ONeill arrives at the LA Premiere of Sabotage on Wednesday, March 19, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) Tributes have flooded in for Irish actor Alan ONeill, who has died aged 47. The actor, who appeared in hit US show Sons of Anarchy, was best known for his portrayal of Hugh in the cult motorbike gang crime drama. Most Irish people will know the actor from his time featuring in domestic soap Fair City. He also appeared in several films. Expand Close Alan ONeill arrives at the premiere for The Expendables 3 in 2014 (Alexandra Wyman/Invision for Lionsgate/AP/PA) Alexandra Wyman/Invision/AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Alan ONeill arrives at the premiere for The Expendables 3 in 2014 (Alexandra Wyman/Invision for Lionsgate/AP/PA) Fellow Sons of Anarchy stars expressed their sorrow on Twitter after Mr ONeills death in the US. Irish actor Timothy V Murphy, who played Galen OShay, said: My good friend Alan ONeill died today.we worked together on The Sons Of Anarchymy condolences to his family. US actress Kristen Renton, who played Ima Tite, said: RIP sir my you find peace now. Actor and musician Sean McNabb, who has appeared on Sons of Anarchy, said he had few words. He wrote on twitter: Such a great and talented guy.. Rest in peace Mr Alan ONeill you will be missed my brother. OmG...... few words rt now....... Such a great and talented guy..... Rest in peace Mr Alan ONeill #Hugh #SonsofAnarchy #Irish #Actor you will be missed my brother pic.twitter.com/6Qxbp42kIn Sean McNabb (@SeanMcNabbLA) June 8, 2018 Mr ONeills career began in the 1990s, with several television appearances before his big domestic break with Fair City. He played the role of Keith McGrath in the soap, set in the fictional town of Carrigstown, between 2006 and 2012. Irish actress Jenny Dixon, who starred alongside Mr ONeill in the soap and on 2012 short film Invisible, said he was a great friend who taught me so much. Ms Dixon tweeted: Thank you for your kindness. So very sorry to hear of your passing. A great man, sadly missed. My thoughts & prayers to you and to your family. One of the first films I did & a privilege to act across from @AlanONeill19 .A great friend who taught me so much. Thank you for your kindness. So very sorry to hear of your passing. A great man, sadly missed. My thoughts & prayers to you & to your family pic.twitter.com/Kygj7pybWo Jenny Dixon (@JennyleeDixon) June 7, 2018 Fellow Fair City actor Seamus Power, who plays Dermot in the long-running drama series, said he was so sad to hear of Mr ONeills death and he had always enjoyed working with him. He tweeted: Rest In Peace old pal. So sad to hear of the passing of Alan ONeill who played Keith in Fair City. Always enjoyed working with him. Rest In Peace old pal. pic.twitter.com/8EnoRnwmLT Seamus Power (@MrSeamusPower) June 7, 2018 The actors Irish casting agency Castannettenow confirmed his death to the Press Association in a statement on Friday. Agency founder Annette Walsh said: Its with great sadness that I confirm the passing of Alan O Neill, a brilliant, funny, and kind human being. My thoughts are with his partner, children, family and friends at this time. She added: Ill personally miss knowing Alan isnt sharing the planet with us. Despite the miles between LA and Dublin, Alan was only ever a phone call away. May he rest in peace. The performers US manager Greg Meyer also confirmed Mr ONeills death to Variety magazine. Mr ONeill appeared in the sixth and final seventh season of Sons of Anarchy, which ended in 2014, and most recently played the Captain in 2016 film Urge. Mr ONeill also had theatre experience in productions such as The Field, A Streetcar Named Desire, Hamlet, King Lear and The Importance of Being Earnest. The actor was found dead at an apartment in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, according to TMZ. No foul play is suspected, with reports suggesting he had suffered health problems. The failure of a UK energy watchdog to share information about potential abuses of the controversial Renewable Heat Incentive with Stormont officials was both "bizarre and incomprehensible", the chairman of a public inquiry has said. Sir Patrick Coghlin made the remarks yesterday during a session of the RHI Inquiry in Stormont's Senate Chamber that focused on the low number of inspections carried out on biomass boilers installed as part of the scheme. The probe also heard that a member of the public had informed the counter fraud team at the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) that three biomass boilers had been accredited under the scheme for use in a poultry house that wasn't operational. The boilers were heating empty sheds and, as they were accredited under the scheme, the owner wasn't required to prove that they were generating useful heat, the inquiry heard. Ofgem was responsible for organising audits on behalf of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Industry (Deti). Although the matter was referred to Ofgem, yesterday a senior official from the watchdog could not say whether the site had been checked. The inquiry also heard that only 1.4% of boiler installations under RHI were independently audited - far below the 7.5% of installations checked in a comparable scheme in Britain. And during the scheme's first three years of operation, it was revealed only 31 audits of installations were undertaken. In 2014-15, nine of the 12 installations that were inspected were not being used in accordance with the rules. The probe was told that information about abuse of the parallel RHI in Britain, and examples of how applicants were "gaming" it, were not shared with Deti until 2016. Sir Patrick described Ofgem's failure to share information about how the British scheme was being abused as "bizarre and incomprehensible". At yesterday's sitting of the inquiry, Edmund Ward of Ofgem said he could not give an exact figure about how many site audits were carried out in the most recent full year, 2017-18. However, he told the inquiry it was a "significant sample" of between 50 and 100. The probe also heard that the Stormont department responsible for the scheme has ordered extra audits of RHI boilers in addition to those that Ofgem has commissioned. The same contractor - Ricardo-AEA - that Ofgem has used from the outset is being used to carry out these audits. Ofgem chief executive Dermot Nolan said that not enough audits had been carried out on RHI. And he said that neither Ofgem nor Deti had checked that the assumptions they were using to determine how many audits were needed were actually valid. Former Court of Appeal judge Sir Patrick described the admission as "a fairly frank concession". A senior Ofgem official had already told the RHI probe that in 2014 it requested 30,000 to fund more audits as the scheme grew in size, but was told by civil servants in Deti that no more money was available. The extra 30,000 requested would have funded 24 additional inspections. RHI was established to incentivise businesses to shift to renewable energy sources by offering a proportion of the costs to run eco-friendly boilers. But in Northern Ireland the subsidy tariffs were set too high and without a cap, so it paid out more than the price of the fuel. The botched scheme sparked a political row that resulted in the collapse of Stormont in January last year. The inquiry was set up to establish the facts and to investigate why the costs had spiralled. Boris Johnson has strong views on Brexit but so do I, Theresa May insisted as she attempted to downplay the Foreign Secretarys outburst on how negotiations are progressing. The Prime Minister claimed nobody ever said it was going to be easy to quit the European Union but pledged to deliver Brexit for the British people. Mr Johnsons indiscreet remarks about Brexit, which saw him call for guts in the negotiations, emerged as Mrs May was on a flight to Canada for the G7 summit. Boris leak a bit like him using the Tory WhatsApp group as a kind of deniable press briefing. Dressing up publicly broadcast insults under the cover of a private discussions wont wash. Sarah Wollaston (@sarahwollaston) June 8, 2018 Quizzed by broadcasters on her arrival in La Malbaie, she said: Boris has strong views on Brexit but so do I. The Foreign Secretary told a private dinner there was a risk Brexit will not be the one we want and would keep the UK locked in orbit around the EU. At the gathering of the Conservative Way Forward, a Thatcherite campaign group, he branded the Treasury the heart of Remain and claimed negotiations were approaching a moment of truth. Mr Johnson was heard warning of a Brexit meltdown and said the UK could end up in the customs union and to a large extent still in the single market in the recording obtained by BuzzFeed News. The Prime Minister was going to go into a phase where we are much more combative with Brussels, the Cabinet minister said. He also claimed fears about the border on the island of Ireland were out of proportion and said it was beyond belief that were allowing the tail to wag the dog in this way. Mrs May told Channel 4 News: These are complex negotiations. Boris has strong views on Brexit but so do I. I want to deliver for the British people, thats exactly what we are doing as a Government and if you look at the process of these negotiations nobody ever said it was going to be easy. It comes as the PMs latest Brexit proposals received a frosty reception in Brussels, Michel Barnier raising objections to her plan for a time-limited customs backstop covering the whole UK. I don't think Boris Johnson is somebody who should be in one of the high offices of state. pic.twitter.com/NxGnka9Tjc BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) June 8, 2018 But within minutes of concluding a press conference in Brussels, the chief EU negotiator took to Twitter to correct the impression that he was rejecting the UK proposals out of hand, stressing that they would be the subject of discussions in the coming days and weeks. Responding, Mrs May told the BBC: This is a negotiation, Michel Barnier has said exactly that point. We have put a proposal on the table, on this backstop relating to Northern Ireland, we will now sit down and negotiate it with the European Union. We are getting on with the job and thats what the British people want. Friends of Mr Johnson said it was disappointing that the private dinner had been covertly recorded but senior Conservative Sarah Wollaston said dressing up the comments under the cover of a private discussions wont wash. "Imagine Trump doing Brexit. What would he do? He'd go in bloody hard. There would be all sorts of breakdowns. All sorts of chaos." Is Trump's brashness a good model to follow for Brexit negotiations as @BorisJohnson believes? Lord Howard isn't convinced #r4today pic.twitter.com/DLaa9vnLgy BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) June 8, 2018 Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Foreign Secretary had no credibility whatsoever. Asked about the Foreign Secretarys remarks following a speech in Berlin, the Chancellor said: My experience has been that a collaborative approach is generally more productive than a confrontational approach. A promising Oxford University medical student who avoided jail after stabbing her boyfriend with a bread knife has lost an appeal against her suspended sentence. Lavinia Woodward attacked her then partner after drinking at her university accommodation at Christ Church college. The 25-year-old was given a 10-month prison term suspended for 18 months at Oxford Crown Court in September last year after admitting unlawful wounding. She was due to be sentenced earlier but a judge gave her four months to prove herself and stay out of trouble. Woodward challenged her sentence at the Court of Appeal on Friday. Her lawyers argued the exceptional circumstances of her case including her mental health difficulties meant she could have been given a conditional discharge or a fine. Jim Sturman QC said the suspended sentence has affected her ability to find work. I appreciate it would be an exceptional course, but she is an exceptional candidateLavinia Woodward's lawyer He told the court: I appreciate it would be an exceptional course, but she is an exceptional candidate. But, rejecting her appeal, Judge Johannah Cutts said the Crown Court judge had taken an exceptional course by suspending her jail term and his sentence was constructive and compassionate. Sitting with Lord Justice Simon and Mr Justice Goose, she said: We accept that she had powerful mitigation. This nonetheless remained a serious offence which, in our view, merited a custodial element to the sentence. It was by reason of the powerful mitigation that the judge was able to take an exceptional course and suspend the custodial term. It was a constructive and compassionate sentenceJudge Johannah Cutts It was a constructive and compassionate sentence. The stabbing happened in December 2016 when Woodwards partner, a Cambridge University student, visited her in Oxford. He realised she had been drinking and when Woodward discovered he had contacted her mother, she became extremely angry and attacked him with a bread knife before throwing things at him. He sustained cuts to his leg and fingers as a result of the attack. Mr Sturman told the court Woodward has undergone voluntary drug tests and has been clean for the past 18 months. He also said she has accepted she will never fulfil her ambition of becoming a heart surgeon, but hopes to pursue a career in medical research. A character reference from her former professor at Oxford said she was the most talented undergraduate who had been in his laboratory over the past 25 years. The court heard she had made an observation whilst studying which led to the founding of a research department at the university. A man rowing solo across the Atlantic has thanked coastguards who fixed his broken rudder after he thought he would be forced to abandon the expedition. Niall Iain Macdonald set off from Cobbs Marina in Norfolk, Virginia in the US on May 23 in a bid to row about 3,400 miles across the North Atlantic to his home in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. However on Monday night his rudder broke in heavy weather and he feared he would have to abandon his NY2SY challenge, as he had been forced to in 2014, when he suffered a back injury days into his first bid to row across the Atlantic. Mr Macdonald, 44, rang UK coastguards who contacted their US counterparts, and settled down to wait in his position about 500 miles off the Virginia coast, fearing the worst. Describing the wait on his blog, Back on course, he wrote: After that, I basically went into a meltdown as I thought that I would have to abandon the row, and my boat, again. Expand Close Coastguards assisting Niall Iain Macdonald (second left, front row), who has thanked them for fixing his broken rudder (US Coast Guard/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Coastguards assisting Niall Iain Macdonald (second left, front row), who has thanked them for fixing his broken rudder (US Coast Guard/PA) Disbelief, shock, sadness. I managed to get my head together for a while and began packing some dry bags with various things that could be salvaged from the boat. I then just sat and waited for the Coastguard to appear. However, when US Coastguard cutter Diligence arrived on Wednesday the crew told him they should be able to fix the rudder and took him on board, where they carried out repairs in their engineering room. They then returned him to his boat, Alba, and fixed the rudder back in place. Mr Macdonald, a Gaelic broadcaster, said the coastguards saved his row and expressed his gratitude to them. He wrote: I cannot find the words to express my gratitude to the crew of USCGC Diligence for all they did. I was treated so well onboard and there were never any questions like what are you doing out here or any judgments. All they ever asked was how can we help?, is there anything else that you need?. A few hours earlier I had resigned myself to the fact that, once again, I would be returning home months earlier than planned and without my boat. Now, I am able to continue with my row and that is down to the hard work, ingenuity, persistence and professionalism of the crew of USCG Diligence. Thank you so much. Mr Macdonald is now continuing his row and hopes to arrive in Stornoway in September. Expand Close Coast guards helped to fix a broken rudder (US Coast Guard/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Coast guards helped to fix a broken rudder (US Coast Guard/PA) He is aiming to raise awareness of mental health issues and at least 100,000 for Scottish mental health charity SAMH. The US Coastguard said they were delighted to help. Lieutenant Commander Brian Chapman, executive officer, said: The row boat Albas rudder was giving Mr Macdonald some trouble, so we dropped in to assist. He came by and visited with us shortly while the engineers helped with the rudder. The Diligence crew truly enjoyed learning about Mr Macdonald and his journey. He was most inspiring. Mr Macdonald and the Alba are back under way, next stop Scotland. We are rooting for Niall here too. His courage and tenacity embody the best in what we strive to be. Donations can be made via Mr Macdonalds JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/NY2SY. Suffer the little children to come unto me - unless they have a gay mum or dad. That would appear to be the essential position of the Doctrine Committee of the Presbyterian Church, which is due to be recommended to the General Assembly in Belfast today. Let me give it to you in their own words. "In light of our understanding of Scripture and the Church's understanding of a credible profession of faith, it is clear that same-sex couples are not eligible for communicant membership, nor are they qualified to receive baptism for their children," opines the committee. "We believe that their outward conduct and lifestyle is at variance with a life of obedience to Christ." That sounds like a harsh, punitive and exclusionary verdict to me. Of course, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is entirely at liberty to make up its own rules, just as it is entitled to stick by the traditional belief that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. But telling devout same-sex couples who wish to play a full and active role in the Church that they aren't eligible for "communicant membership" simply because of who they're tucked up in bed with at night does not come across as an act of Christ-like love. That's bad enough. But it's the refusal to baptise the children that really gets me. How is their parents' sexual orientation anything to do with them? Why are they being punished and excluded for the perceived "sins" of their fathers and mothers? Where in the Bible does Jesus say "let's lay the blame on the kids"? Hilariously, in the next breath - well, the next paragraph - the Doctrine Committee says: "The Church invites and welcomes all who wish to sit under the means of grace at public services and to have access to the pastoral care and counsel available within her fellowship. Like her Lord, she reaches out with compassion." Don't imagine that the church is happy about it, though: "This posture of grace and welcome should not in itself be confused with moral indifference or approval of any behaviour contrary to God's Word." Right, so gay couples and their kids will be permitted to "sit under the means of grace" at public services - whatever that actually means, perhaps something to do with inhaling the odour of sanctity? - and they can get pastoral care and counselling, but they still can't be full, proper Presbyterians. Instead, they have to remember that their activities are the subject of moral disapproval, and so they must keep to their place, which is sinful, and thus secondary. What family in their right minds would want to join a church that treated them like this? Perhaps mindful - in some dim, woolly sense - that the Doctrine Committee's proposal sounds neither kind nor welcoming, a spokesperson for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland said: "The General Assembly will not be discussing whether to bar anyone from attending worship, coming into church or receiving communion, it will discuss a paper focused on the theological question of what represents a credible profession of faith, something that is applicable to everyone." Well, I'm afraid that gets us no further. Theological questions are only worth discussing if they actually connect up with the lived experience of real individuals in the world, otherwise you're in angels on pins territory, and what use is that to anyone? They can robe this question in all the pious, emollient words they like, and they can pretend that a theological discussion is separate from everyday reality, but in the end it still comes down to whether the Church is going to treat people - and, still worse, their poor kids - differently, because they happen to love a person of the same sex. So the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has a choice. Is it going to ostracise and stigmatise gay parents and their children, or is it willing to welcome them with love and compassion? I'm not talking about cold-blooded tolerance, parsimoniously meted out, but real, warm-hearted love, the non-judgemental kind that Jesus himself practised. The signs aren't good. Since 2015, the Irish Presbyterians have been in an almighty huff with the Church of Scotland, refusing to attend its General Assembly, after the mother church voted to allow people in same-sex civil partnerships to serve as ministers. Now they have decided to dis-invite the Scottish Moderator to their own General Assembly. Back in the 18th century, Belfast Presbyterians fought for the principles of enlightenment, equality and liberty. Today they want to deny baptism to children. How is this progress? Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks at a news conference in Petaling Jaya where he announced a planned high-speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore would be axed, May 28, 2018. Faced with massive debt inherited from the previous government, Malaysias new administration focused during its first month in power on campaign promises to cut costs and lower that burden, analysts said. Led by the worlds oldest prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government faces the task of delivering on electoral pledges that also include investigating alleged corruption committed by the old government, according to observers. They have honored their promises despite some financial restraint, Hisommudin Bakar, executive director of the Ilham Center, an independent think-tank, told BenarNews. Overall, they have delivered and will continue to deliver, I hope. The view was shared by Awang Azman Awang Pawi, a political analyst at the University Malaya, who said the new administration was doing its best to salvage the nations economy. Lim Guan Eng, the new finance minister, disclosed recently that Malaysias debt and liabilities had exceeded 1 trillion ringgit (U.S. $251 billion). During their campaign that led to last months upset victory in a general election, in which the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition was ousted for the first time ever in Malaysias 61-year history, Pakatan candidates promised to fulfill 10 goals in their 100 days in office. The platform promises included: reducing fuel prices; abolishing student loans and a 6 percent good and sales tax (GST); alleviating the non-working status of housewives by putting them under a contribution scheme like other working adults; setting a nationwide minimum wage; and providing better health care. In addition, PH promised to investigate financial scandals including the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) state investment fund that lost Malaysia billions of dollars and to review Chinese-backed mega infrastructure projects to determine if money was being spent properly. Democracy, transparency as main objectives At the end of the new governments first month in office, half of the promises have yet to be fulfilled, but voters were able to evaluate government performance not just by manifestos but also by how the country was run, according to Hisomuddin. Since taking office, the government of Mahathir who will turn 93 next month has announced that Malaysians will have a three-month tax break before it introduces a more modest sales-and-services levy, effective Sept. 1. Additionally, instead of abolishing the student loan program, it decided to lift a travel ban on thousands of defaulters, while studying the best mechanism to get students to repay without facing financial hardships. Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the first woman to hold that post in Malaysia, announced that a contribution scheme for women previously classified as non-working was under study. The government was able to set a fixed price for lower grades of fuel. These efforts have drawn far less attention than the new administrations promise to quickly investigate former Prime Minister Najib Razak for alleged corruption along with financial scandals tied to 1MDB and its former subsidiary, SRC International. The government also moved to cut a high-speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, citing its cost against a return on investment. Mahathir, who previously served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003, succeeded in convincing rural Malay voters to vote against BN this time, a move the opposition had never been able to pull off in Malaysia. Before he led the opposition to victory in the May 9 election, Mahathir was a longtime pillar of Barisan Nasional who developed a reputation as an autocratic leader during his first 22-year stint as PM. Surely with the progressive ideas thrown in by many of the newly [appointed] ministers and by many of the parliamentarians from PH, democracy and transparency will be the main objective. We can hope for a better future in terms of integrity and accountability, Hisomuddin said. Since Barisan lost the election, Najib and wife, Rosmah Mansor, have been barred from leaving the country. They also have been questioned separately by the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over how 42 million ringgit ($10.5 million) in money from SRC International ended up in Najibs private bank accounts, when he was prime minister. Their appearances before MACC followed searches of their home, his former office and other residences where, police said, they seized suitcases containing nearly $29 million in cash and expensive items, along with 284 boxes containing luxury handbags. U.S. justice officials have pointed out that more than $4.5 billion (17.9 billion ringgit) was stolen from 1MDB since its inception in 2009 until its advisory board was dissolved in 2016. Najib has maintained his innocence. The investigation and the probe are done according to the rule of law. The confiscation of handbags, cash, and jewelry are part of the process, analyst Awang Azman told BenarNews. But that does not mean that Najib and Rosmah are guilty. But the way they are treated on social media has somehow given us the idea that they are stealing our money, and that is not right. A press conference government Meanwhile, an executive council member of the youth wing of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the anchor party of Barisan, disagreed with the new governments efforts to fix the economy. Armand Azha Abu Hanifah said it had been flip-flopping for almost a month as major promises on student loans and fuel prices had yet to be fulfilled. The government of the day is nothing more than a press conference government announcing everything but not delivering on major promises, Armad told BenarNews. Lambasting the new government, Armand said Najibs administration was able to deliver on its promises despite being hit with endless controversies and scandals. Now after realizing that the debt is high, they decide to cut down on mega projects and make hundreds of poor Malaysians jobless, he added. Filipino fishermen prepare their boat for an expedition to the disputed Scarborough Shoal, west of Luzon island, in October 2016. The Philippines on Friday downplayed a TV report that showed Chinese coast guard officials allegedly harassing Filipino fishermen near Scarborough Shoal, a chain of reefs and rocks off the countrys western coast that Beijing took by force six years ago. GMA-7 television aired a video showing the Chinese officials boarding Filipino fishing boats and confiscating their best catch. The station said the incident, which was filmed on a mobile phone, took place May 20. It quoted one of the fishermen as saying that such incidents happened several times in the past, with the Chinese selecting their best catch before departing. When asked to comment on the latest incident, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the government had yet to establish the grounds for a protest, noting that the video he had seen was inconclusive. I didnt actually see any bullying, Roque said. However, if the video was authenticated and accurate, the government should file a protest, he said. But Rep. Gary Alejano, who has been calling for greater government action in the South China Sea, said the video validated intelligence reports about Filipino fishermen being at the mercy of the Chinese. This is another evidence to show that what the Duterte administration is saying does not match what is the reality on the ground, Alejano said. They are fooling the people. In 2012, a Chinese incursion into the area led to an impasse between Beijing and Manila, with China standing its ground and stationing coast guard ships around Scarborough Shoal. The following year, Manila filed an arbitration case against China, arguing the triangular shoal had long been a fishing ground for Filipinos and was well within the countrys exclusive economic zone. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines, but China ignored the ruling that was cheered by the rest of the international community. That same year, President Rodrigo Duterte, who had taken office, welcomed the ruling but did not actively pursue it. Instead, he sought to appease China and make overtures to repair bilateral damage caused by the territorial wrangling. Alejano said the ruling explicitly stated the shoal was a common fishing ground and the government should be protecting Filipino fishermen. The Chinese coast guard is acting much like pirates bypassing small Filipino fishermen and stealing their catch, Alejano said. China does not seem to treat us as a sovereign equal anymore. He called on the government to protect Filipino fishermen and to fight for our territory. Fernando Hicap, who leads a group of fishermen called Pamalakaya, hit out at Duterte for allegedly acting to protect the interests of China more than Filipino citizens. The government has not said anything or filed a diplomatic protest against China for its actions, Hicap said, adding that Duterte was a disgrace. Last week, Philippine National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said government had not abandoned the arbitration court ruling but had set it aside in line with Dutertes police of non-confrontation. At the proper time, we will take full advantage of the tribunal ruling, even as China refuses to recognize this, to serve as basis for the countrys exercise of sovereignty and jurisdiction over features that are in the Philippine territorial waters, Esperon said. Disputed territory China claims most of the mineral-rich South China Sea, including areas that reach the shores of its smaller neighbors. The region also is claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan, leading to previous armed skirmishes in the area. Over the past two months, China has ramped up its expansion in the islands it lays claim to and raised international concerns after showing off its deployment of a long-range bomber in an island it occupies. It apparently installed anti-ship cruise missile and surface-to-air missile systems as well as surveillance airplanes in territories in the Spratly islands. Earlier this week, the Chinese government reacted angrily after the United States Air Force confirmed that two of its B-52 bombers flew near the Spratlys, which China calls the Nansha islands. Is it an act of militarization to fly offensive strategic weapons like the B-52 bombers to the South China Sea? Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a press briefing Wednesday, according to an official transcript. She was alluding to a speech made over the weekend in Singapore by U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, who warned about Chinas militarization of the sea region. [S]top playing up the so-called militarization in the South China Sea and stop talking through their hat, Hua said, referring to the American side. China will never be intimidated by some military vessels or planes, the presence of which will only strengthen our resolve to take all necessary measures to safeguard our national sovereignty and security and uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea, she added. Vital Strategies provided technical support for the development and implementation of this campaign. At a World Health Organization (WHO) event recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India launched a national media campaign to encourage smoking cessation. Entitled What Damage Will This Cigarette/Bidi Do, the public service announcement (PSA) prompts smokers to think about each cigarette or bidi as the path to one of many potential harmful events: heart attacks, cancer, lung disease, and more. By highlighting tobaccos links to stroke and heart disease, the leading cause of death among tobacco users globally, the campaign amplifies the theme of this years World No Tobacco Day, which is Tobacco Breaks Hearts. Vital Strategies provided technical support for the development and implementation of this campaign. Dr. Nandita Murukutla, Vice President, Global Policy and Research, Vital Strategies, said, We congratulate the Ministry of Health on this powerful campaign. According to the latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey, more than 90 percent of current adult smokers are aware that smoking and exposure to second hand smoke causes serious illness. This campaign graphically shows the specific, proven harms of tobacco smoke, prompting smokers to think about making the healthy choice to quit. Vital Strategies is pleased to partner with the Ministry of Health in delivering this campaign. Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare said, We should have an addiction-free India that includes Tobacco-free India. He made an appeal for NashaMuktiAbhiyaan. He further added that we need community mobilization to encourage people to give up tobacco consumption. Tobacco destroys families and communities. We need to start a nationwide abhiyaan- peoples movement, to combat tobacco use. What Damage Will This Cigarette/Bidi Do shows that smoking causes stroke, lung and mouth cancer, heart disease and emphysema, among other diseases. It encourages smokers to quit tobacco use and ends with the national quit line number (1800-11-2356) and a missed call number (011-22901701) for smokers who want advice on quitting. The campaign will achieve pan-India reach by being broadcast in 17 languages on all major national government and private TV and radio channels. In addition, the campaign will be supported by a comprehensive social media campaign and will run on major digital platforms including Youtube, Facebook, Hotstar and Voot. According to The Tobacco Atlas, more than 9 lakh Indians die due to tobacco-related diseases every year. Research suggests that implementing strong tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use could avert 25 percent of cases of heart attack and stroke in India. Strong tobacco control would also help to reduce the incidence of cancer in India: nearly 45% of all cancers among males, 17% among females and more than 80% of oral cancers are directly attributable to tobacco use. What Damage Will This Cigarette/Bidi Do was rigorously pretested with a sample of the target audience who found that it was easy to understand, believable, made respondents stop and think, and made respondents feel more concerned about smoking and diseases related to it. Overall, respondents understood the main message of the PSA and it resonated well with them. Under this agreement, Lillys Basaglar will be marketed and distributed in India by Cipla. Cipla has entered into a partnership with Eli Lilly and Co (India) Pvt. Ltd., a 100 per cent subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, a global multinational pharmaceutical leader, for the marketing and distribution of Lillys Basaglar (insulin glargine injection) in India. Under this agreement, Lillys Basaglar will be marketed and distributed in India by Cipla. It expects to start commercialising Basaglar in India by end of the year 2018. Diabetes continues to be a focus area for Cipla and with the launch of strong brand like Basaglar, Cipla will be at the forefront of providing a holistic diabetes care with the most comprehensive portfolio across orals and injectables. Ciplas focus continues to revolve around care continuum approach for the patients it serves and create greater access to high quality treatment and medication. According to Eli Lilly, this strategic partnership leverages the companys commitment to bring innovation to people suffering from diabetes in India and Ciplas strong on-ground footprint across the country. Thank you for being patient. Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 1 Vote(s) - 5 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Alligator reportedly drags woman into Florida pond; search underway silversides The bare necessities of life User ID: 148291 06-08-2018 08:58 PM Posts: 29,354 Post: #1 Alligator reportedly drags woman into Florida pond; search underway Advertisement By Jennifer Earl | Fox News Police are searching for a woman who, according to a witness, was dragged by an alligator into a Florida pond Friday while walking her dogs. Police responded to Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park in Davie, Fla., to search for the woman, who has not yet been identified. An animal trapper from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) was also sent to the park, which has since been closed. Her dogs wont leave the pond. One of her dogs got bit by the gator," Davie Police Maj. Dale Engle told The Sun Sentinel. Police Detective Viviana Gallinal told the Sentinel a roughly 12-foot gator had been spotted in the pond, though officials couldn't confirm that was the creature that attacked the woman. Authorities are currently working to capture the gator. However, officials say it remains unclear at this time what exactly the witness saw. News media earlier reported a caller told police he saw a gator drag a woman into the water as she was walking her dogs. Det. Gallinal said the witness told authorities he saw the woman walking two dogs and then noticed the dogs barking near the water. The witness did not see the woman again. ... http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/06/08/all...+-+Text%29 Popurri Perez Prado Alligator reportedly drags woman into Florida pond; search underwayBy Jennifer Earl | Fox NewsPolice are searching for a woman who, according to a witness, was dragged by an alligator into a Florida pond Friday while walking her dogs.Police responded to Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park in Davie, Fla., to search for the woman, who has not yet been identified.An animal trapper from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) was also sent to the park, which has since been closed.Her dogs wont leave the pond. One of her dogs got bit by the gator," Davie Police Maj. Dale Engle told The Sun Sentinel.Police Detective Viviana Gallinal told the Sentinel a roughly 12-foot gator had been spotted in the pond, though officials couldn't confirm that was the creature that attacked the woman.Authorities are currently working to capture the gator. However, officials say it remains unclear at this time what exactly the witness saw.News media earlier reported a caller told police he saw a gator drag a woman into the water as she was walking her dogs. Det. Gallinal said the witness told authorities he saw the woman walking two dogs and then noticed the dogs barking near the water. The witness did not see the woman again.... LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 445061 06-08-2018 09:05 PM Post: #2 RE: Alligator reportedly drags woman into Florida pond; search underway Gator land; watch your back. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 430723 06-08-2018 09:11 PM Post: #3 RE: Alligator reportedly drags woman into Florida pond; search underway LoP Guest Wrote: (06-08-2018 09:05 PM) Gator land; watch your back. Basically you don't walk too close the shore of water. You stay a good 6-8' away from the shoreline. If you live in Florida or Texas, you should know this. Basically you don't walk too close the shore of water. You stay a good 6-8' away from the shoreline. If you live in Florida or Texas, you should know this. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 442410 06-08-2018 09:33 PM Post: #4 RE: Alligator reportedly drags woman into Florida pond; search underway LoP Guest Wrote: (06-08-2018 09:11 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (06-08-2018 09:05 PM) Gator land; watch your back. Basically you don't walk too close the shore of water. You stay a good 6-8' away from the shoreline . If you live in Florida or Texas, you should know this. As an absolute minimum, a gator can cover that distance in under 2 seconds from a dead standstill. Situational awareness is key, humans are on enemy territory in the majority of Fla. As an absolute minimum, a gator can cover that distance in under 2 seconds from a dead standstill. Situational awareness is key, humans are on enemy territory in the majority of Fla. general mishka lop guest User ID: 441771 06-08-2018 09:42 PM Post: #5 RE: Alligator reportedly drags woman into Florida pond; search underway Not the place to take an alligator purse LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 441628 06-08-2018 10:04 PM Post: #6 RE: Alligator reportedly drags woman into Florida pond; search underway RIP...she's history. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 381174 06-08-2018 10:10 PM Post: #7 RE: Alligator reportedly drags woman into Florida pond; search underway She was probably trying to feed it or something and it just ate her whole arm, then the rest of her. Uppity Me Registered User User ID: 443267 06-08-2018 11:06 PM Posts: 37,104 Post: #8 RE: Alligator reportedly drags woman into Florida pond; search underway they're very fast, they're predators it pulled her to the bottom of the lake, end of story Quote: Les pauvres n'ont-ils des Euros ? Alors laissez les pauvres 'sh*t' dans les rues (This post was last modified: 06-08-2018 11:07 PM by Uppity Me .) LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 444910 06-08-2018 11:13 PM Post: #9 RE: Alligator reportedly drags woman into Florida pond; search underway Feel sorry for for doggies. Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 1 Vote(s) - 1 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? GenX Subscriber User ID: 422226 06-08-2018 10:07 PM Posts: 33,023 Post: #1 Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? Advertisement Quote: Bernie Sanders wont endorse his son for Congress, citing dynasty politics Sanders isnt typically frugal with his endorsements, except for when it comes to Levi Sanders, his son, whos running in New Hampshire. By Emily Stewart Updated Jun 8, 2018, 8:13am EDT SHARE Bernie Sanders at a campaign rally in Durham, New Hampshire, in 2016. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Fathers Day at the Sanders household could be awkward. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is publicly keeping a distance from his son Levi Sanderss congressional campaign in New Hampshire. The senator declined to endorse his son when Levi announced his candidacy in February, and hes still staying out of it; he says its for the sake of avoiding dynasty politics. The younger Sanders, 49, is one of multiple Democrats and Republicans running to replace outgoing Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter in representing New Hampshires First District. He has styled himself after his father, with his campaign website calling for a system that represents the 99 percent and not the 1 percent who have never had it so good. But whatever Levi Sanders is putting down, Bernie Sanders is not picking up at least not enough to endorse his only son. When contacted by the Boston Globe about Levi Sanderss candidacy this week, Bernie provided a statement highlighting his support for a higher minimum wage, infrastructure spending, and free public education. As to whether voters should cast their ballots for him, he wouldnt say. Levi has spent his life in service to low income and working families, and I am very proud of all that he has done, Sanders said. In our family, however, we do not believe in dynastic politics. Levi is running his own campaign in his own way. In an interview with CNNs Chris Cuomo on Thursday, Sanders echoed the sentiment. I dont believe in dynastic politics, he said. Hes on his own. Hes going to speak to the people of New Hampshire, and Im sure hes going to do very well. Sen. Sanders offered a similarly tepid statement when Levi announced his candidacy, saying, The decision as to who to vote for will be determined by the people of New Hampshires first district, and nobody else. more... https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/...-hampshire ************ If I don't look after the interests of the underprivileged, maybe somebody else will. Maybe somebody without any money or property, and that would be too bad!" -Citizen Kane No, I doubt you can!************If I don't look after the interests of the underprivileged, maybe somebody else will. Maybe somebody without any money or property, and that would be too bad!"-Citizen Kane LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 445079 06-08-2018 10:08 PM Post: #2 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? Bernie Sanders wife is a corrupt sh*t bag, has he denounced her yet? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 388129 06-08-2018 10:09 PM Post: #3 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? He should give back the money then. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 422221 06-08-2018 10:13 PM Post: #4 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? Bernie is a sellout and a wimp. Id never entertain the idea of voting for him ever. If you want to find someone with more integrity than trump try your local sewer. GenX Subscriber User ID: 422226 06-08-2018 10:18 PM Posts: 33,023 Post: #5 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? SO QUALIFIED!! ************ If I don't look after the interests of the underprivileged, maybe somebody else will. Maybe somebody without any money or property, and that would be too bad!" -Citizen Kane LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 412093 06-09-2018 12:14 AM Post: #6 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? Ask Bernie to give an example of where socialism-communism has actually worked, and watch him squirm, like a child about to wet themselves. He always looks like he just rolled out of bed, and has a bad case of irritable bowl syndrome ..Like the Simpson's Mr.Burns with glasses, on a bad hair day. Bernie the commie, millionaire, career politician. Look up hypocrite in the dictionary, and his face will be right there. He preaches about sharing the wealth, just not HIS wealth.Ask Bernie to give an example of where socialism-communism has actually worked, and watch him squirm, like a child about to wet themselves. He always looks like he just rolled out of bed, and has a bad case of irritable bowl syndrome ..Like the Simpson's Mr.Burns with glasses, on a bad hair day. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 315004 06-09-2018 12:21 AM Post: #7 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? Trumps a commie prick eating hermaphrodite f*cktard! Manlania has a moldy cootch. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 445093 06-09-2018 12:53 AM Post: #8 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? LoP Guest Wrote: (06-09-2018 12:21 AM) Trumps a commie prick eating hermaphrodite f*cktard! Manlania has a moldy cootch. Thank you for your well thought out contribution. Thank you for your well thought out contribution. EarthGuy Registered User User ID: 444907 06-09-2018 12:55 AM Posts: 516 Post: #9 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? LoP Guest Wrote: (06-09-2018 12:53 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (06-09-2018 12:21 AM) Trumps a commie prick eating hermaphrodite f*cktard! Manlania has a moldy cootch. Thank you for your well thought out contribution. I seen that as well guest on a bumper sticker the other day I seen that as well guest on a bumper sticker the other day racer ac lop guest User ID: 445049 06-09-2018 12:58 AM Post: #10 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? LoP Guest Wrote: (06-09-2018 12:53 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (06-09-2018 12:21 AM) Trumps a commie prick eating hermaphrodite f*cktard! Manlania has a moldy cootch. Thank you for your well thought out contribution. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 384149 06-09-2018 01:01 AM Post: #11 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? the only thing Sanders got right........ PioneerSpirit Registered User User ID: 441578 06-09-2018 01:08 AM Posts: 15,196 Post: #12 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? House of M Wrote: (06-08-2018 10:07 PM) Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? No, I doubt you can! can you picture Hillary or Bill Clinton doing that? can you picture Barack or Michelle Obama doing that? NO. BUT .. it's not all rosy with Bernie. His wife is corrupt to the core. He's protecting himself by not endorsing her. can you picture Hillary or Bill Clinton doing that?can you picture Barack or Michelle Obama doing that?NO.BUT .. it's not all rosy with Bernie.His wife is corrupt to the core.He's protecting himself by not endorsing her. "They notice that you notice" - Mothman Prophecies A tradition cannot make an historical claim and then refuse to have it evaluated by history LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 441673 06-09-2018 01:10 AM Post: #13 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? No, because his goal is to be the Emperor and that is also the Alt-Right's goal. Seriously. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 444788 06-09-2018 01:12 AM Post: #14 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? LoP Guest Wrote: (06-09-2018 01:10 AM) No, because his goal is to be the Emperor and that is also the Alt-Right's goal. Seriously. Seriously? Seriously? spo snouou Vocem sine nomine audivit! User ID: 350320 06-09-2018 01:53 AM Posts: 67,593 Post: #15 RE: Can you IMAGINE Donald Trump doing THIS? all the pissing and moaning clinger narcissist creeps all sound like they are still regurgitating Russian bot memes pushed at them in 2016 like verbatim.. I bet I could find all the this weak agenda 21 type sh*t-for-brains diatribe and jingoism that was pushed at them in meme form during the election and since. don't you idiots have any original thoughts? Advertisement A Chinese man has been arrested after a package of illegal drugs was seized at a business premises in Dun Laoghaire in Dublin. The package - which originated in Spain - was found on Wednesday. By Alison O'Riordan An individual who pursued two attackers involved in the fatal shooting of Gareth Hutch recognised one of the men as murder accused Jonathan Keogh, his trial has heard. Mr Hutch (36), nephew of Gerry the Monk Hutch, was shot dead as he was getting into his car outside Avondale House flats on North Cumberland Street in Dublin on the morning of May 24, 2016. Mr Keogh and his sister, as well as another man, are on trial at the non-jury, three-judge court accused of murdering Mr Hutch. Thomas Fox (31) with an address at Rutland Court, Dublin 1, Regina Keogh (41) from Avondale House, Cumberland Street North, Dublin 1 and Jonathan Keogh (32) of Gloucester Place, Dublin 1, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Hutch. Mr Fox has also denied unlawfully possessing a Makarov 9 mm handgun on May 23, 2016 at the same place. Detective Sergeant Enda OSullivan told prosecution counsel Paul Burns SC that Gardai received confidential information from a named individual who had pursued the two attackers and recognised one of them as Jonathan Keogh. As a result, Det Sgt O'Sullivan obtained a search warrant from Judge Bryan Smyth to search a house at Upper Sean McDermott Street, the home of Mr Keoghs father. The warrant was executed at 3.30pm on May 24 - the day of the shooting. Det Sgt OSullivan said that a Samsung Galaxy box and a Meteor SIM pack were found in a press in the kitchen of the house at Upper Sean McDermott Street and a second Meteor SIM pack was found inside the kitchen door over the microwave. Defence barrister Sean Guerin SC, for Mr Keogh, argued that there was no evidential basis for the warrant to search Mr Keoghs home but the three-judge court ruled the warrant was valid. The court heard that Regina Keogh arrived at her fathers house when Gardai were there and said to Det Sgt OSullivan: You will probably be searching my house next. A search of Ms Keoghs flat was conducted later that day but nothing was recovered. Det Sgt OSullivan said he was able to view further CCTV footage from Avondale House on May 25 where he observed two of the suspects going towards Mary McDonnells flat. He was later granted another warrant by Judge Halpin to search Ms McDonnells flat. The prosecution contend that the evidence of Ms McDonnell is "important" in this trial as the three accused used her home "as a base" to wait for Mr Hutch in the hours prior to the attack. Her kitchen window had a view into Mr Hutch's flat. Det Sgt OSullivan said he observed Ms McDonnell coming from the bin area when he arrived in the courtyard area of Avondale House on May 25. He introduced himself and informed her that he had a warrant to search her flat. The court heard that Ms McDonnell had been observed putting a black waste bag into one of the bins at Avondale House and that bag was recovered by Det Sgt OSullivan's colleague and a number of exhibits were taken from it. A dressing gown with latex gloves in the pocket was seized at a later date, the court heard. In his evidence, Garda Damien Murphy said he was part of a team of Gardai who obtained a search warrant for Ms McDonnells flat at Avondale House on May 25. He said that as he came into the flats complex he saw Ms McDonnell putting a black bag into a bin. He went over to the bin and retrieved this bag, which contained cigarette butts, as well as baby wipes and white plastic or surgical gloves. Gda Murphy said he also retrieved a pack of Huggies baby wipes from the kitchen of McDonnells flat. In his opening speech, Mr Burns said it was the State's case that Ms McDonnell gave the two shooters wipes to clean down their weapons as well as plastic bags to put the guns into prior to the shooting. Gda Murphy said that he returned to the flat on May 28 and retrieved a pink dressing gown from the main bedroom, as well as a number of latex gloves, which were inside it. The court previously heard that it was in the course of Gardai searching Ms McDonnell's flat that she began to talk to Gardai by way of a voluntary conversation. She was later arrested on suspicion of murdering Mr Hutch and was ultimately charged with withholding information but that charge was subsequently withdrawn and on May 8 this year she was provided with a letter of immunity. Mr Burns also said at the opening of the trial that the killing of Mr Hutch was not a spontaneous or spur of the moment act but a brutal and callous murder. It was premeditated and a significant amount of planning had gone into it. The prosecution say the three co-accused each had their own part to play in bringing about the death of Mr Hutch. The trial continues on Monday before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge Patricia Ryan and Judge Michael Walsh. By Gerard Cunningham A journalist has been told there is an obligation to tell the whole truth to the Charleton tribunal. Irish Mail on Sunday journalist Debbie McCann told the tribunal she could not talk about phone conversations she had with former garda press officer Supt David Taylor before she met with the family of Miss D, who made allegations against Sgt Maurice McCabe in 2006. The DPP directed no prosecution in relation to the allegations following a garda inquiry. The tribunal is looking at allegations by Supt Taylor that he was directed to smear whistleblower Sgt McCabe. Former commissioners Martin Callinan and Noirin O'Sullivan deny there was any smear campaign. Ms McCann said today that not all her dealings with Supt Taylor when he was garda press officer in 2013 and 2014 would have been on the record and she had an obligation to protect sources. "Supt Taylor would have been one of a number of people I would have been talking to on and off the record at the time," Ms McCann said. Ms McCann told the tribunal she had refused to confirm her telephone number to tribunal investigators as she didn't want to give rise to any investigations into her phone number and who her sources were. Tribunal barrister Patrick Marrinan SC asked Ms McCann if she had any evidence of any attempt by former commissioners Callinan or O'Sullivan to discredit Sgt McCabe. "I have no evidence of any orchestrated campaign by senior garda management," Ms McCann said. "I wasn't asking about an orchestrated campaign," Mr Marrinan said. "I have no evidence of any campaign to malign Sgt McCabe, " Ms McCann said. I wasn't briefed negatively by any member of an Garda Siochana in relation to Sgt McCabe. The tribunal chairman, Mr Justice Peter Charleton said this was the first time he had heard this from Ms McCann. Ms McCann said that in early 2014 there were "murmurings going around, something in relation to Sgt McCabe in his past. Ms McCann said she did not pay much heed at first, but later she began to look into the rumours. Mr Marrinan asked if Ms McCann had approached Supt Taylor about the rumours. "You wouldn't really expect a garda press officer to confirm details like that. I would have my own sources that I would go to," Ms McCann said. After discussing the story with her news editor, Ms McCann decided to travel to see the D family, to see if she could speak to Miss D, who had made the historic allegation. "I understood there had been an allegation it was historic in nature. It was an allegation of inappropriate touching, the DPP had directed no prosecution," Ms McCann said. Ms McCann said she could not answer questions about phone conversations she had with Supt Taylor before she met with Miss D. The tribunal chairman said that Ms McCann had a patriotic duty to tell the whole truth, and had already stated she was never briefed negatively about Sgt McCabe by any garda. "The obligation here is to actually tell the truth. You've sworn an oath to that effect, not to pick and choose words," the chairman said. "I am telling you I know of no smear campaign against Sgt McCabe," Ms McCann said, before the tribunal rose for lunch. Earlier, Irish Times security and crime editor Conor Lally said no one ever told him that Sgt McCabe was motivated by revenge against garda management, or tried to "plant a seed" in his head. "Nobody from the guards ever came near me with that particular line or spin on it," Mr Lally said. Mr Lally said the person who first told him in 2011 of an allegation against Sgt McCabe was not a garda, and was not "wielding any sort of garda agenda." "The person wasn't a guard, they weren't pro-guard, they weren't trying to wheel out any garda agenda, they weren't poisoned by any guard," Mr Lally said. Mr Lally said the account of Supt Taylor that he was negatively briefed was "total fantasy". If anybody had come to me and tried to negatively brief me about Sgt McCabe I would remember it. That would be a big moment. The tribunal continues. By Ann O'Loughlin Proposals aimed at resolving proceedings brought against the Irish Countrywomen's Association are to be furnished early next week, a High Court judge has directed. Today Ms Justice Una Ni Raifeartaigh directed lawyers acting for the ICA to serve a set of proposals aimed at dealing with concerns raised in actions brought by long-standing ICA member Patrica Madden. The concerns arise out recent elections for several positions, including National President, on the ICA's national executive. Earlier this week Ms Madden secured a temporary High Court injunction restraining the ICA from filling any vacancies on its Board, including national president, treasurer, secretary and regional presidents. Ms Madden, who is representing herself, claims those positions were not filled, following a postal vote, at the ICA AGM in May. Ms Madden, who claims the ICA has acted in breach of its constitution in respect of the ballot, says she has taken the actions, not for personal gain but to protect the organisation. When the matter returned before the Court today Frank Beatty, SC for the ICA, said his side had made two temporary appointments to the National Executive before the ICA had knowledge of the injunctions being granted. Counsel said that the appointments were required so that the ICA could keep running. Without the appointments the ICA would have "to shut up shop," counsel said. Mr Beatty, appearing with Brendan Kirwan Bl, said Ms Madden had raised issues with the election to the ICA's National Executive, where ballot papers had been sent to the wrong people. His side was prepared to make a number of proposals to Ms Madden by Wednesday of next week, and if she did not accept them it was seeking to have the case heard later this month. While temporary appointments had been made to the position of national secretary and national treasurer no further undertakings would take place until the hearing of the application. The Judge said the ICA should furnish its proposals by Tuesday rather than Wednesday. If the proposals are not acceptable to Ms Madden, the case should be listed for hearing next Wednesday, the Judge added. Ms Madden, a barrister of Saint Mobhi Road in Glasnevin, Dublin 9, has also brought separate, but related, proceedings where she seeks an injunction restraining the ICA from destroying or interfering in any way with ballot papers returned for the organisation's 2018 national elections for positions of National President, National Secretary, National Treasurer and regional Presidents. Those proceedings stand adjourned after the ICA gave an undertaking not to destroy the ballots. By Ann O'Loughlin A High Court judge has said orders for the deportation of a mother, who has been here 15 years, and her two Irish born daughters to the mothers native country of Georgia are "disproportionate". Mr Justice Richard Humphreys has adjourned to next week any formal decision on the family's challenge to the orders, suggesting there might be discussions between lawyers for the Minister for Justice and the family in the interim. Lela Sivsivadze came here 15 years ago and her two children, Mariam (13) and Sofia (8), have lived all their lives here, have never travelled outside Ireland, attend school here, speak Irish and know almost nothing of Georgia, their counsel Garry OHalloran BL had argued earlier. The Minister for Justices 2017 decision to deport them arising from lies told by the mother in her asylum application 15 years ago is so disproportionate in a democratic society its off the radar, he said. It was accepted there is a duty on everyone to tell truth at all times and his client had told it late in the day but the State response appearing to place her number one on its "charter for liars" was totally disproportionate. Her children should not be punished for those lies, which she had since disclosed in other court proceedings unsuccessfully challenging the deportation of her husband, also from Georgia, he said. This case was essentially about the rights of children to have their position considered independently of the conduct of their parents and the older girl was already very distressed arising from the deportation of her father to Georgia seven years ago, he added. The State's approach meant these children "never had a chance". Documents concerning the family which the court had sought from the State showed nothing to suggest humanitarian leave to remain previously granted to the family was dependent on the mother not having provided false and misleading information, he also argued. A memo indicated the leave to remain was granted as an exceptional measure. Siobhan Stack SC, for the Minister, said Ms Sivsivadze had previously secured permission to remain here on humanitarian grounds and that permission could be revoked if false and misleading information was provided. Counsel also said Ms Sivsivadzes parents are alive and still living in Georgia, her husband is also there and there was no evidence to support Ms Sivsivadzes claims he is homeless and unemployed. During exchanges with counsel, Mr Justice Humphreys said it was widely known that many people tell lies in the immigration process but that few admit to those. We are all against immigration fraud but very few own up to it. Ms Sivsivadze has been here 15 years and appears to have become a sitting duck for the State which has come down on her because she was honest or naive enough to have owned up to the lies, he remarked. "Where is the incentive to come clean if this happens?" Those lies, the court heard, were to the effect she was fleeing an abusive stepfather in Georgia who did not exist. She was rather coming here to seek work. Ms Stack said the mother "created this situation for herself", the family had been here unlawfully for the last three years and there had been no challenge to the 2015 revocation of permission to remain. The case should be considered in the context of all the documents, not just the memo, she added. Having heard the sides, the judge said he wanted to indicate he considered the deportation orders are disproportionate but he would adjourn the matter to Tuesday. People living in a number of apartments in Tallaght have been told they cannot use their balconies over fears they could collapse. Engineers say wooden-supported terraces at Hunterswood in Ballycullen are rotting at a faster rate than first thought. The dangerous buildings section of South Dublin County Council is being asked to arrange for repair works to be carried out. South Dublin County Council say they are not involved in the matter but they are aware of steps being taken by the apartments' management company to resolve the issue. Local Councillor Charlie O'Connor says it is not clear when repairs will start. "I'm waiting on confirmation in that regard but we are saying that it has to be immediate because this is an immediate situation, it's a story which has only developed," he said. "I would imagine that it came as a big shock to many locals in the Hunsterswood area. We are asking of the council, indeed, demanding of the council, that urgent action be taken. It is understood a report issued by a team of engineers has to be reviewed before those responsible decide what course of action to take. Digital Desk Ikea, the world's biggest furniture retailer, plans to use only renewable and recycled materials in its products by 2030, in the latest commitment by a global store group to reducing its impact on the environment. Inter IKEA, the owner of the brand best known for its low-cost flatpack furniture, said on Thursday it aimed to reduce the climate impact of each of its products by more than two thirds by the end of next decade. The world's biggest furniture seller says it will reduce the climate impact of its products. Credit:Glenn Hunt Currently, 60 per cent of the IKEA range is based on renewable materials, while nearly 10 per cent contain recycled materials, an Inter Ikea spokeswoman said. "Through our size and reach we have the opportunity to inspire and enable more than one billion people to live better lives, within the limits of the planet," Inter Ikea CEO Torbjorn said in a statement to accompany the company's 2030 sustainability strategy document. Singapore based rural specialist Milltrust Agricultural Investments (MAI) plans to expand its interests in Australia possibly by launching a $200 million listed property trust amid renewed interest in rural properties from local and offshore institutional investors. An arm of UK group Milltrust International, MAI recently sent representatives to Australia to sound out the markets appetite for a real estate investment trust (REIT) based on Milltrusts sale and leaseback model. Milltrust wants to buy land and lease it back to farmers. This entails MAI acquiring only the land and leasing it back to the existing farmers, who retain operating control as well as exposure to commodity price and other risks. MAI is targeting land parcels of $34 to 40 million, with the aim of funding farmers to acquire more properties. The Vivid Sydney festival has opened and the city is on display for local and international tourists alike. As the more than 2.33 million people of all ages, cultural backgrounds and abilities visit the worlds largest light festival, it brings the importance of inclusion into sharp focus - not only as we showcase our city to the world but when considering the physical spaces in which Australians work and live. One in five Australians live with a disability today and we need to respond as an industry to be adapt building design, place making and community engagement opportunities to ensure that all Australians can participate. As an example, Tumbalong Lights inclusive playground established as part of Vivid Sydney 2018 and supported by some of Australias largest property players and employers*, is a testament to the idea that everyone should be included whether we are planning for major events or designing and developing public and work spaces that accommodate a more diverse range of consumers into the future. Tumbalong Lights is a new sensory play experience as part of Vivid Sydney The latter sits squarely in the domain of the property industry and remains central to delivering real estate assets and environments that truly serve to break down the barriers of social exclusion. The man appointed to settle disputes in the scandal-plagued $144 billion franchising industry admits many small operators in the sector don't know he exists, and has called for a more powerful body to take his place. Derek Minus, the government-appointed Franchising Mediation Adviser, told the first day of a parliamentary inquiry into the Franchising Code of Conduct that he could only provide mediation and that small businesses needed a dispute process that could issue binding determinations. Robert Whittet (right) gave evidence at the franchising code inquiry. Credit:AAP The inquiry is probing the code's suitability amid allegations of unconscionable and deceptive behaviour by franchise companies, and follows revelations that sharp business models at Domino's, Caltex, 7-Eleven and Retail Food Group were crushing franchisees, pushing many to underpay staff to stay above water and leading others to financial ruin. "What's really required ... is determination by an expert, by an arbitrator, someone who can be more than just an umpire and actually investigate," Mr Minus said. American actor Alex Wolff has suggested he has "some sort of PTSD" after filming the upcoming horror flick Hereditary. Wolff plays Toni Collette's on-screen son, Peter - a character shellshocked with grief over the recent death of his maternal grandmother. At first, the film plays out like a psychological family drama. However, as with any good horror movie, things quickly start to take a sinister turn. The film's trailer shows Wolff stumbling down a hallway while hallucinating and in another scene he is unable to stop himself from slamming his head into his school desk over and over again. The 20-year-old is no stranger to acting, having first starred alongside his brother in the 2007 Nickelodeon comedy series The Naked Brothers Band. But it turns out nothing could have prepared him for the role of Peter Graham. Sons of Anarchy actor Alan O'Neill has been found dead at his girlfriend's home in LA. He was 47. The Irish-American actor, who rose to fame playing True IRA member Hugh in seasons six and seven of the hit show, reportedly had a history of heart problems, and struggled with alcohol abuse. The death is not considered suspicious, and an autopsy will be carried out to determine O'Neill's cause of death. O'Neill's death was confirmed by his manager Greg Meyer, while his agent Annette Walsh described him to US Weekly as "brilliant and funny." "Ill personally miss knowing Alan isnt sharing the planet with us any longer," she said. "Despite the miles between L.A. and Dublin, Alan was only ever a phone call away." A staff member at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation facility at Lucas Heights has been involved in a spill of radioactive material, the second such incident in 10 months. A quality control analyst working in medical production was involved in the spillage of about one millilitre of the radioactive isotope molybdenum-99 early on Thursday morning, an ANSTO spokesman said. The nuclear reactor at ANSTO's Lucas Heights research campus. Credit:Sahlan Hayes The staff member was wearing full protective clothing. An occupational health physicist checked the analyst and confirmed no skin contamination," the spokesman said. The employee was then cleared to go home and returned to work on Friday. Theyll readily point out the possibility that foreign students on our campus may have been intimidated while ignoring real instances of genuine threats against Australian citizens of Khmer origin. They point to the implied danger that accompanies the rapid development of Chinese cyber monitoring capacity while dismissing the reality that Google, Facebook and Apple have already built huge databases containing the shopping habits, contacts, and political preferences of almost every Australian citizen. But theres little or no evidence of any untoward activities its mainly about possibilities. They cant explain why Chinas such a major problem when similar concerns about information harvesting by massive US corporations is dismissed as irrelevant. In neither case has there been any misuse ... yet. Nevertheless, in both instances the danger is there. Facebook, for example, has demonstrated a willingness to sell its product to advance partisan political operatives, as witnessed by the Trump campaign in the US. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, Myanmar and Cambodia Facebook censors its news feeds according to government diktat, weeding out particular stories and articles. Obviously special rules and a new way of thinking are required to deal with these issues. Although cyber-security minister Angus Taylor is introducing vital new legislation to allow police (and spy agencies) to obtain warrants to monitor illegal activity, theres absolutely no overarching framework in place to protect ordinary people. Whats needed is a clear and unambiguous statement of Australian interests in cyberspace that applies to both China and the US. Theres also a need for a clear statement, a marker, specifying where our interests end. Liberal Senator Jim Molan, for example, is quite correct when he points out China has, in defiance of international law and its own promises, militarised the South China Sea. But, as he suggests, we probably now need to get over this. Beijing will never retreat. The key is to work out how best to move forward. It follows recommendations from Coroner Margaret Hunter to set up the scheme 2017, after an inquest into the death of Canberra man Paul Fennessy , who died of a prescription drug overdose in the capital in 2010. The system will allow both doctors and pharmacists in Canberra to check in real time what prescriptions for Schedule 8 controlled medicines a person has been prescribed, in an effort to limit potential misuse and doctor-shopping practices. A real-time prescription monitoring system is set to begin operating in the ACT in March next year, after the Legislative Assembly passed the bills to create the scheme. While the monitoring system will record prescriptions provided for Schedule 8 drugs, largely opioids and alprazolam, it will not initially include most benzodiazepines, which are commonly found alongside opioids in the coronial data. Mr Fennessy's mother, Ann Finlay, has called for the system to be extended to such pharmaceutical drugs that are linked to multi-drug toxicity, and to ensure the system is mandatory for all doctors and chemists in the ACT. Ms Finlay remained concerned that the significant amount of evidence pointing to multi-drug toxicity as a key cause of prescription drug deaths was not being taken on board, and she has urged the government make sure the ACT had the best system from the start. "Doctors are highly skilled professionals, but the statistics are telling us they get it wrong, given the rate of accidental drug-related deaths that now exceeds [motor vehicle accident] related fatalities across Australia," she wrote to Ms Fitzharris earlier this week. "Surely doctors would welcome a system that provides them with real time medication information to decrease the risk of prescription shopping and harm to their patients?" As yet another Queen's Birthday long weekend rolls around it is timely to reflect on the strange fate that has befallen a separate - and uniquely Canberran - act of homage paid to the House of Windsor. Street atlases of inner Canberra used to feature a pair of broken parallel lines stretching from Kings Avenue to Canberra Avenue. This, the cartographers indicated, was Windsor Walk. The broken lines meant that it was planned but had yet to be laid out. Canberra's York Park was named in honour of the royal family. Credit:Jamila Toderas The name dates back to 1927 when the Queen's parents, then known as the Duke and Duchess of York, visited Canberra for the ceremony to mark the transfer of federal parliament from Melbourne. To honour the Yorks the powers that be declared that grassland not too far from the new legislative building would henceforth be known as York Park. Apartments and townhouses are out and backyards are in under Brisbane City Councils new blueprint for the city. Lord mayor Graham Quirk, who unveiled the blueprint on Friday, said the revised plan for the city was on the back of the $2.1 million ratepayer-funded Plan Your Brisbane campaign. Brisbane City Council has overhauled its approach to city planning on the back of the Plan Your Brisbane campaign. Credit:AAP Opposition councillor Jared Cassidy questioned why the LNP had to spend $3 million of ratepayers money simply to listen to residents. If he got out of his chauffeur-driven car and spoke to ordinary people, hed understand the basics, Cr Cassidy said. A shopping centre in inner Brisbane was evacuated on Friday after the floor began to collapse under shoppers. Video posted on social media showed the tiled floor outside Coles in The Markets shopping centre, on the corner of Norfolk Road and Boundary Street in West End, buckling and collapsing as people tried to avoid the area. Some shoppers called emergency services to report "loud banging" and tiles lifting. One shopper warned others on social media that the building was evacuated as the tiles began buckling, creating "quite a sight". Australias capital city rental markets are notoriously expensive, with Brisbanes annual median house price reaching $670,000 in the March 2018 quarter and about $400,000 for an apartment. Bond University associate professor in property law Kate Galloway said there was a need for a serious discussion about how regulation manages property co-ownership as more people turn to sharing a mortgage as a way to break into the market. Loading The Commonwealth Bank is one of the few banks providing a co-ownership mortgage tailored to friends or family purchasing together, while the NAB is also investigating. The regulation around a co-ownership purchase could be maze-like and difficult to navigate, Dr Galloway said, and wasnt contemporary enough to keep up with Australias rapidly changing social landscape. Housing affordability is almost impossible for the ordinary person, and in addition, there are quite diverse living arrangements, Dr Galloway said. Im aware, for example, of circumstances where you have a couple of single mothers who might pool their resources and go into a house together, and they support each other by looking after the kids and supporting each other in work. The concept of friends, families or complete strangers pooling their resources to secure a mortgage and buy a property could be a highly practical one, Dr Galloway said, but it needs greater understanding and awareness of the potential for conflict. Some Queensland residents are turning to social media and sales websites such as Gumtree to find like-minded people to purchase a property together, although Dr Galloway warned the risks and complexities in such a situation were higher. Were not just talking nuclear family units, she said. I think were going to see more and more circumstances where people are going to share property in circumstances that arent always harmonious. Ms Dixon said the most important thing about her purchase with Ms Washington was they had trust in each other, and had known each other for more than 15 years. We had to have trust in each other, so she knows whats in my bank account and vice versa, she said. We were very open with it and we had a really good broker who helped us through each of those steps. There are two legal types of co-ownership: joint tenancy, which traditionally was the kind of agreement made when a married or de facto couple purchased a house together, and tenants in common. A joint tenancy means that if one member of the couple dies, the other retains full ownership over the property. A tenants-in-common agreement, however, is more complicated, as each persons name goes onto the title of the property and if one owner dies, their share of the property is settled according to their will. Hazards in such circumstances include the impact on the overall value of the property, the chances of being able to sell a share in a property, and any disagreements between co-owners. Proponents for a tenants-in-common agreement say its a way to share the burden of a full mortgage, as each person is responsible only for their repayments. Such an agreement could also improve quality of living, as two or three people together could potentially purchase in a better neighbourhood than one person attempting to buy alone - just as Ms Dixon and Ms Washington did. But Dr Galloway said there were plenty of complexities that needed to be thoroughly clarified before any paperwork was signed. Case studies such as the communal living arrangements of hippie communes in the 1960s and '70s that clearly defined expectations and roles could be examined to find better ways to share property, she said. Dr Galloway said anyone looking at sharing a property needed to understand the legislation involved including how mortgages would be repaid, and the rights and responsibilities of each owner. Loading She said the idea of sharing property was really sensible but people approaching a tenants-in-common agreement needed to fully understand what they were signing. What if I built a very extensive, palatial house, and you built a ramshackle shed, and then we sell the property who is entitled to the profits and how are they divvied up? she said. Theoretically, you could provide for that with an agreement, but thats a fairly complex agreement. For ordinary people who arent used to dealing with commercial arrangements theres a lot to think through and a lot to imagine into the future. People considering a tenants-in-common agreement needed to have full planning for what would happen if one partner decided to sell, or defaulted on their mortgage, or if personal disputes and disagreements arose. The other question, Dr Galloway said, was whether there was a market for shares in property if someone decided to sell their interest in a property. For Ms Dixon and Ms Washington, they found the Commonwealth Bank was the only bank offering a mortgage that suited them, with each of them taking on an individual mortgage on the same property. It was good for us because that means one of us could pay it off a lot quicker than the other and it doesnt affect each others mortgage payments, Ms Dixon said. As well as the mortgage establishment, she said the two friends have a contract between them that lays out contingency plans if one of them wishes to sell or if something else changes. Ms Dixon said anyone thinking of buying property with friends should strongly consider it, but to always communicate and be open. Four lanes were blocked off outside the Newmarket Hotel on Saturday morning after a two-car smash at the intersection of Enoggera and Newmarket roads. Three patients were assessed by paramedics. Two declined transport to hospital but one patient was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, believed to be a woman suffering neck pain. One of the damaged cars after the crash. Credit:Toby Crockford - Fairfax Media Emergency services were called about 6.45am, with police blocking two inbound lanes and one outbound right turning lane on Newmarket Road. Officers also blocked the right turning lane on Newmarket Road while the cars were loaded onto tow trucks. A Virgin Australia flight en-route from Melbourne to Perth was unexpectedly diverted when a passenger reportedly made threats to kill people. Credit:James Alcock A passenger reportedly made threats to kill fellow travellers on a Virgin Australia flight from Melbourne to Perth overnight. Flight VA 697 took off from Melbourne at 9.30pm (AEST) and was headed towards the Great Australian Bight when it was diverted to Adelaide. A witness told the ABC a passenger began shouting, "Get me off this f---ing plane, don't f---ing come near me, I can't breathe," about an hour into the flight. The witness described it as the "flight from hell". WA craft beer ascendants Gage Roads has added another of the states best brews to its stable with the announcement on Friday it had bought Broome brewer Matsos. Gage Roads has announced it will add Broome brewer Matso's to its stable. Credit:Gage Roads Brewing Co An ASX announcement heralded the news Gage Roads had acquired 100 per cent of Matsos shares for $13.25 million, with a deferred consideration of up to $2.8 million more, subject to performance, over a three-year period. The Broome icon named for Matsos General Store, which now houses the brewery and pub is famed for its wildly flavoured beers and nationally distributed alcoholic ginger beer. The move is part of Gage Roads five-year brand strategy, and managing director John Hoedemaker said the company had a long-standing relationship with the Peirson-Jones family behind Matsos. A convicted paedophile could die in prison after being handed a 20-year term for the sustained sexual abuse of children in state care more than 35 years ago. Martin James Cooper, 66, was sentenced in Perths District Court on Friday after a jury found him guilty of 30 child sex charges late last month. Warminda Hostel housed children just east of Perth. The horrific offences happened between 1978 and 1983 at Warminda Hostel in East Victoria Park and related to eight victims, one of whom was just 11 at the time Cooper raped her. Harrowing testimony provided to the court by victims detailed the prolonged abuse suffered by the children at the hands of Cooper, who was working as a cottage parent at the time the offending took place. The Turnbull government has vowed it is taking seriously allegations that some elite Australian special forces soldiers committed war crimes in Afghanistan, while Labor has demanded a confidential report containing the claims be made public. Defence Minister Marise Payne said it was well-known that special operations soldiers made up primarily of the SAS and commandos operated in a complex, chaotic and very dangerous environment to defend our freedoms. But she said allegations of unsanctioned and illegal application of violence on operations, as well as claims of a lack of accountability to the military chain of command, exclusively revealed by Fairfax Media, were being thoroughly investigated. As Australians would expect, these allegations must be and are being thoroughly examined, independently from the chain of command. Counter says she would be paid $5 per prescription she signs. Nicovape is yet to get underway, but it has a website that optimistically boasts of saving 1 million Australian lives by 2021. Its founder Ryan Boulton concedes the scheme is in a "grey legal area", but says he is playing by the rules. He hopes to build an evidence base that e-cigarettes can actually help people quit. Proponents of e-cigarettes point to recent and substantial research from Public Health England, a British government agency, that found vaping was 95 per cent less harmful than smoking and there were "substantial health benefits" from making the switch. "No one is saying that theres any doubt any more about the lower harm profile of these products," Boulton tells Fairfax Media. "Their concerns are about the efficacy." But that's not strictly true. The new president of the Australian Medical Association, Tony Bartone, has struck a defiant note about e-cigarettes in his first two weeks on the job. He says the jury is still out on every aspect of vaping, including the health impacts compared to traditional smoking, and warns of "unintended consequences" down the track. "It may be less harmful on the basis of current evidence - but it may also be worse," Bartone says. "Theres no irrefutable and reliable evidence that they are safe, that they dont pose a future risk to the users. If the evidence changes, well be the first people to say we need to re-evaluate things." Those words, alongside similar testimony from the National Health and Medical Research Council, have ultimately convinced Hunt and his Labor counterpart, Catherine King, to oppose legalisation. A majority of MPs in a recent parliamentary inquiry also recommended against change. In a curious twist, inquiry chair Trent Zimmerman and fellow Liberal MP Tim Wilson dissented from the majority and called for immediate legalisation with safeguards. The existing evidence is clear enough, they argued, and the "black market" is thriving regardless. Liberal MP Andrew Laming also dissented, writing succintly: "Life is short and shorter for smokers. Just legalise vaping." Liberal MPs Tim Wilson and Trent Zimmerman are pro-legalisation. Credit:Andrew Meares Zimmerman and Wilson, who were key agitators for marriage equality, are not about to go kamikaze for vaping. But they do intend to push the cause and believe Hunt is in the minority among Liberals. "It is an important issue," says Zimmerman. "Its a matter that I will continue to pursue with the minister and my colleagues in the party room. I havent spoken to all of [them] but those that I have spoken to are receptive to a change - or at least hearing the debate." If the AMA has won the lobbying war for now, it is not for their opponents' lack of trying. Vaping marks a rare market opportunity for tobacco firms in a country where smoking has been in decline. Global giant British American Tobacco serves about a third of Australia's 3 million smokers and is gunning to start selling e-cigarettes. Disposing of the shadowy image of Big Tobacco, its Sydney-based corporate affairs manager Josh Fett is happy to talk on the phone, but is steadily on-message. E-cigarettes are about "providing Australian smokers with a choice", he says. They are "significantly less harmful than tobacco products". And Australia is "lagging behind" similar countries while as many as 250,000 people already vape nicotine in an uncontrolled, unregulated fashion. Loading Three years ago, British American hired hot-shot lobbyist Michael Kauter - a former Liberal staffer and deputy campaign director for the National Party - to do its bidding in Canberra (it also retains lobbyist Greg Holland on the Labor side). Their efforts are focused on legalising e-cigarettes. "Its good policy," says Kauter. "I understand very well that people have concerns about smoking in the community - but this is not smoking, this is an e-cigarette. Actually, it feels really good to be lobbying for something that I really do think - and theres evidence for this - will save lives." The lobbying effort is intense on the opposing side, too. Fairfax Media had only made a few phone calls for this story when unsolicited emails began arriving from spinners at the Pharmacy Guild and the Cancer Council, who had "gathered" a story was in the works and wanted to state their position. Loading Minor changes in language are seized upon. When outgoing AMA boss Michael Gannon admitted to having run the company line while president and conceded "not even I agree with everything I say", it was taken by e-cigarette proponents as evidence the fix had been in all along. Gannon denies that. On radio he said he was "interested in the potential benefits" of vaping but stressed he was "very, very suspicious of the extent to which Big Tobacco owns e-cigarettes, owns vaping and uses their wicked campaigns to try and muddy the evidence". One thing seems clear: if there is going to be any movement at the station, politicians will need permission from the AMA and the primary research unit, the NHMRC. Its current position is that the evidence is insufficient. But some researchers are starting to disagree with that assessment. Billie Bonevski, a NHMRC fellow and a behavioural science professor at Newcastle University, is convinced e-cigarettes are "much safer than combustible cigarettes". A key plank in the Turnbull governments new crackdown on foreign interference will not be ready by the time voters cast their ballots at five federal byelections on July 28 despite warnings over the danger of covert influence. The government is aiming to set up a controversial new public register of foreign principals before the next federal election but has run out of time to establish the system next month under laws it wants through Parliament within weeks. In a major concession to quell an outcry over the regime, Attorney-General Christian Porter has scaled back the public register to exclude charities and most overseas companies while still capturing those with ownership links to foreign governments. Frontbencher Christopher Pyne and Attorney-General Christian Porter. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But the Law Council of Australia warned the changes did not go far enough because the definition of national security remained too broad and could include most economic and political relations with another country. What a lot of pressure universities come under these days. Some Chinese students use their fee-paying status to try to pressure for acceptance of their values. Then Abbott, Howard and Turnbull use the lure of money to pressure for a course that is not just about Western civilisation but in favour of it. The fact that the PM is now also applying this pressure shows how little he, Tony Abbott and John Howard understand the real values of Western civilisation which include a commitment to the truth even when its inconvenient and an avoidance of decisions based on monetary gain. These three men have steadily defunded the ABC with its insistence on confronting powerful people with the questions they prefer to avoid. Instead they have given $30 million to Foxtel. I believe that News Corp is much more likely to give them favourable media coverage. Is that why they made that choice? And were they wanting the ANU to provide more propaganda via their Western civilisation course? Rosemary Walters, Palmerston Left on the march The success of the lefts Long March through the institutions is highlighted by ANUs rejection of the Ramsay Centres degree course in Western civilisation. Other examples are the killers, paedophiles and drug dealers saved from deportation by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal; Sonia Kruger being prosecuted by the thought police; Professor Peter Ridd sacked for questioning climate change data; uni student Joshua suspended for praying on campus and so on. Johann Sheller, Forrest Abbott rewrites history The launch of Professor Kevin Donnellys How Political Correctness is Destroying Australia: enemies within and without should have been called the gathering of the three evidence-free amigos. Donnelly seems to write social commentary with little regard for evidence. Alan Jones, who wrote the books foreword, asks his listeners to believe everything he says (regardless of the evidence) and occasionally has to defend his more outrageous comments in court. Tony Abbott, who launched the book, implemented what was generally evidence-free policy when he was PM. The mutual back-slapping of these three opinionated gentlemen was to be expected but I was particularly taken by Abbotts claim that All too often, centre-right governments are in office but not in power because of the cultural shifts that have taken place in our polity over the last 20-30 years. Is Abbott really saying that his short-lived, disastrous government would have succeeded had it not been undermined by some leftie enemies within and without?This is an absurd rewriting of history. Abbott was swept to power in 2013 and, with a large majority in the House of Representatives, had the opportunity to govern more freely than the previous minority Gillard government. The errors that brought him down were not a result of compromises he was forced to make for the sake of political correctness: they were his own disastrous Captains calls. The disastrous 2014 budget was one Abbott was totally invested in. He chose the most divisive person in the Parliament to be its Speaker. He reintroduced knighthoods. He decided to bestow a knighthood on Prince Philip. He refused to sack his chief of staff who was widely loathed by the majority of his cabinet. Abbott was the author of his own demise and no rewriting of history will make it any different. Mike Reddy, Curtin Cook a late starter As a West Australian school kid we were brought up on Dutch explorers Dirk Hartog, Abel Tasman and Willem de Vlamingh. Who was James Cook? We also learnt that two-thirds of the total Australian coastline was known and mapped nearly a century before Cook was even born. After sailing up our east coast having Dutch maps with him, Cook never again mentioned New Holland and over the next decade went on to become a world-class navigator and master of the Pacific. If England did not decide to have a penal colony on our east coast in 1788, with a formal proclamation of territorial jurisdiction then the French would have settled Australia as colonists. Its worth considering that the Dutch only recognised their former East Indies colony Indonesia in 1949 and that the French, to this day, still have major dependencies or overseas territories in the Pacific with twice the population of Tasmania. Richard Lamb, Farrer The right to die Michelle Heines story of her fathers death (canberratimes.com.au, June 4) makes harrowing reading, and she has my deep sympathy. Her story calls out the lie that with palliative care every death is a good death, and voluntary euthanasia is an unnecessary option. The right to determine the time and manner of ones death, and the right to avoid the sort of circumstances Michelle describes, should be a basic and legislated protection for the terminally ill and for those who in older age are capable of making their own decision to die with dignity and at a time of their choosing. Peter Dark, Queanbeyan, NSW AWM touts historical inaccuracy Businessman Chau Chak Wing, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and AWM director Brendan Nelson at the book launch. The book Quiet and Loyal Spirit, promoted and sold by the Australian War Memorial, was funded by Chau Chak Wing, allegedly an agent of influence of the Chinese Communist Party. The books misrepresentations begin with the claim that Chinese people arrived in 1788, but do not stop there. The AWM unconvincingly explains that its shop stocks books appropriate in content. But how can a book that so ludicrously misleads readers about the nature of Australias historical relationship with China be regarded as appropriate in content? A national institution whose most precious assets should include its reputation for historical accuracy has been gulled. As Clive Hamilton shows in his Silent Invasion, the AWM is only one of many universities, agencies and political parties to have become complicit in the Chinese drive to suborn Australian institutions. When and how will these donors claim a return on their investment? Peter Stanley, Dickson A safe passage to NZ Whenever I hear this talk about Chinas machinations in the South China Sea, and what some politicians say about it; about their intentions in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I keep remembering that we sold them the Port of Darwin, to the displeasure of the US and Australian military. We made ourselves an attractive and convenient terminus to their Belt and Road project. So excuse me for not getting excited about that other stuff occurring thousands of miles away. But speaking about our right to freely navigate international waters, perhaps we could clear a 24-mile passageway from the Indian Ocean through to the Pacific, through which the refugees could freely navigate their way to New Zealand. Obviously, wed keep the guns trained on them as they passed, just in case. S W Davey, Torrens Playing fair on war games On behalf of the US, Turnbull lines up the neighbours (India, Indonesia) and we all read China the riot act. It were odd indeed if the purpose of Chinas pop-up islands were to block Chinas own trade routes. It were also odd indeed if China and (say) Colombia or Peru regularly conducted war games off California, on the eastern Pacific rim. Could Chinas islands just be meant to say, US-Korean war games unwelcome West Pacific go home, Yank! Surely not! Oh, no, please dont mention the war ... games! Barrie Smillie, Duffy US military might corrupts We hear every day about the dangers of Chinese influence here. That a foreign government might have access to security information is potentially concerning, and Australia should take care. Re the US, Australia is a servile compatriot, we fight their wars, we buy their military hardware, and we have on our soil in Pine Gap a major US military intelligence facility. The US has a declared China containment policy that carries risk of military conflict, Pine Gap clearly exposing us to involvement. Why are those fearing China influence seemingly unconcerned with that ? There is an absolute truth power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. No one is immune, least of all the mightiest military power on Earth. The US has the highest military budget, the largest armaments industry profiting from war, and hundreds of military bases surrounding its international competitors. Its international aggressive posturing and threats against those nations it dislikes, calling them rogue nations, threatens world peace. Why Australia is always so supportive. Re Korea the current flashpoint, we echo the US line that North Korea must unilaterally denuclearise. This was made clear by US military adviser John Boltons contention that the Libya model should apply, which is a clear statement that North Korea must disarm without any US concessions except verbal promises. That Libyas Muammar Gaddafi is no longer alive tells us the value of such promises. Vince Patulny, Kambah Need to tackle late tackles I wholeheartedly agree with recent comments attributed to Andrew Johns and several current NRL players that something needs to be done to outlaw late tackles i.e. players being hit by opposition players after having gotten rid of the ball. During recent NRL games I have seen several instances of a player either passing or kicking the ball only to be poleaxed by an opposition player immediately afterwards. I realise that some (probably most) of these hits may have been unavoidable. Also I am aware of some (fortunately only a few) players that welcome the opportunity to take a dive. Also I realise that it is somewhat difficult to stop in mid-air. To do this one needs to be able to fly or walk on water. Not many players could do this, Mal Meninga and Bradley Clyde being notable exceptions to the rule. On a serious note, the issue of late and/or dangerous tackles is one that the NRL and the judiciary needs to consider, and draft some policy guidelines on, preferably before a player is seriously hurt. I recall, a couple of years ago a player being cited, and subsequently suspended, for making minor or even minimal physical contact with a referee. Surely we need similar guidelines for such instances of foul play. Andrew Rowe, Florey Climate misdeeds trump banks Readers enjoying watching various bank officials squirm when questioned by the royal commission should support Alan Barrons call for a royal commission (Letters, June 1) into climate and energy policy. The banking misdeeds would pale into insignificance if various politicians and academics, past and present, were forced to explain their views and decisions. Weeks of entertaining viewing would be assured as embarrassing, squirm-provoking issues were addressed. For instance, why were claims of impending climate armageddon from rising carbon dioxide production accepted without full and proper scrutiny by Parliament? Why was the vast history of natural climate change unassociated with CO2 levels ignored? Why was wind and solar seen as the best way to reduce CO2 emissions instead of alternatives like nuclear? Why were international climate agreements signed without agreed success criteria based on cost-effectiveness criteria. Why were the large, planned increases in CO2 emissions from big emitters China and India, that rendered any action by Australia pointless, not taken into account? Why are we not joining much of the world to build modern nuclear and coal-fired power plants? Doug Hurst, Chapman TO THE POINT BARNABYS HAT TRICK It is not so much Barnabys indiscretions that disgust us. Rather, that a retired Shepparton farmer on talkback wireless can evoke an haunting sense of despair as he describes the Nationals priority of representing the mining and fracking industrys interests above grass roots membership and our young farmers. The farmers anger became palpable with the observation (paraphrased) How dare this man parade around in an Akubra when an engineers hardhat befits him. Ronald Elliott, Sandringham, Vic PAUSE TO ADMIRE The Canberra Times (Thursday, June 7) carried a letter from Phillip Winkworth about Barnaby Joyce Missing his stop. Phillips reference to ... got off at Redfern takes the prize from me as the best bit of Aussie idiom this year. A full explanation of the phrase would be blush-making. Ray Blackmore, Kambah RE-HOME THE HORSES Spot on, Toofy. (Letters, June 8). You little guys were here first and deserve a bit of peace and quiet to make your winter home. The horses are better with us. They could make lovely riding horses for youngsters or just act as companions for other horses. Mr Barilaro can put aside a bit of money to start re-homing them. Laura Hakkinen, Lyons MONEY AND THE LAW The Turnbull government is pouring cold water on the idea of a foreign threat to five federal byelections to be held on July 28 amid conflicting claims about the risk of interference in Australian elections. Fairfax Media understands there is no advice from security agencies about the danger of foreign interference at the byelections, when almost 500,000 voters will cast their ballots across four states. Attorney-General Christian Porter named the byelection date as a key reason for Federal Parliament to legislate new foreign interference laws as soon as possible, saying it was utterly critical the regime was put in place before July 28. Attorney-General Christian Porter Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Mr Porter's decision to link the laws to the byelection date triggered headlines about a "threat" from foreign spies at those byelections, but the government cautioned on Friday morning that it was not claiming such a danger. The third ill-effect is that government has created a pathway by which powers given, supposedly with tight controls, to be used only in extremis, are being normalised, then handed over, almost without debate, to other agencies or parts of agencies having only passing association with national security matters. This handover for example of telephone metadata, wider and increasingly less accountable tapping, bugging and computer surveillance material has been part of the permanent agenda of police in the criminal justice system, but has hitherto faced a more critical hearing. It is inevitably argued, of course, that the techniques are used only to deal with the most serious crime. The types of cases most cited as proof of the need tend to be ones that excite public horror paedophilia and drug trafficking for example. Perhaps we do need more sophisticated investigatory resources against such evils, but the cynic will notice that the public has no means whatever of knowing how effective or efficient police are in combating them. We have regular, highly triumphed drug seizures, but never the slightest evidence that any have made even a temporary dent in the supply available to those who use illicit drugs. Nor is it clear what police statistics on successes in catching adults pretending to be children for sex purposes tell us about what is happening with the wider problem. Thats even assuming that anyone can rely on police statistics witness the mild embarrassment suffered by the Victoria Police recently when it emerged 250,000 breathalyser tests had been faked. Sometimes, indeed, politicians hardly bother to argue the case for more draconian powers. Malcolm Turnbull explained the further militarisation of Australian airports, and the arming of airport police with yet further powers, unconstrained by any rules about racial profiling, to stop and interrogate anyone they like, by simply saying that these were dangerous times. Perhaps, though it would be nice to see some evidence for the need, beyond bland assertions by police commissioners that their vigilance had prevented hundreds of hijackings, hostage takings and other atrocities. What we have, at massive cost and no small inconvenience, may just possibly have deterred a would-be hijacker, but there is no evidence that greater security will enhance that effect. Some might remember that in August last year two men were charged with alleged plans to blow up an Etihad aircraft with an improvised explosive device. But the police success in thwarting that owed nothing to the airport security system: the men were fingered, before the act, by an overseas intelligence agency. While the public is being deprived of the opportunity to hear the argument from both sides, let alone cases for doing nothing at all (or dismantling some of the powers given) bureaucrats have continued to be useful to the government in making the case for more money, more powers, and more toys. From Mike Pezzullo, secretary of Home Affairs, comes an array of speeches stressing the importance of secure borders. If he can be accused of promoting a sense of national insecurity that, as it happens, serves the interests of his minister and the government, he can claim, reasonably, that he is not being partisan, because the policies he argues are bipartisan ones. Tony Abbott, in his last few months as prime minister, was alleged to have asked his bureaucrats for a national security crisis a week in the lead-up to an election campaign. He was also extremely fond of set-piece announcements made in front of an ever-increasing number of Australian flags, usually with senior police officers, in full braid, and sometimes ASIO director-general Duncan Lewis, nodding sagely alongside him. They must have been highly conscious of being used, and highly conscious of the risks politicians were taking with the reputations, such as they were, of their agencies having complete independence from political meddling. Millions of tourists and locals alike trek them every year, meandering along the Sydney Harbour foreshore or snapping pictures of rugged escarpment in the Royal National Park. These popular walking tracks and a number of others throughout NSW's national parks will be improved with new facilities such as barbecues and picnic areas, new tracks, and more amenities, through a major funding injection in the upcoming state budget. The NSW government is upgrading a section of Sydney Harbour Scenic Walk between Georges Heights and Middle Head. Credit:James Brickwood In total, the NSW government will spend $50 million upgrading national park walking tracks in Sydney, Port Stephens, Tweed-Byron, on the Macleay Valley Coast and the South Coast. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the funding was part of a $630 million investment in the states national parks estate. Parents will be asked for their thoughts on the national literacy and maths tests, as part of a Queensland evaluation of NAPLAN. Education Minister Grace Grace said she was "constantly" approached by parents, principals and teachers with concerns about the NAPLAN tests. Queensland is examining the NAPLAN test, asking parents if schools use it as a marketing tool. Credit:Rodger Cummins "Just last month, while we were governing from Mackay, I had a conversation with a mother in a local cafe who told me she had withdrawn her daughter from this year's test due to the unnecessary stress it had caused," she said. "I don't believe that was the original intention of the tests and that is why, earlier this year, I committed to conducting a statewide evaluation of NAPLAN." Quebec, Canada: French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday threatened to join with other world leaders to issue a rare rebuke of the United States at a global summit here this weekend, drawing an immediate and sharp reply from US President Donald Trump. Macron threatened to exclude the United States from the joint statement issued every year at the end of the G7 summit, part of an international pushback against Trump efforts to change trade rules. French President Emmanuel Macron Credit:Bloomberg "The American President may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a 6 country agreement if need be," Macron wrote on Twitter. "Because these 6 countries represent values, they represent an economic market which has the weight of history behind it and which is now a true international force." The current US State Department has been hollowed-out and stripped of key staff and funding by the administration. Its new leader, the former CIA chief Mike Pompeo, has been in place for little more than a month. His replacement at the CIA, Gina Haspel, was confirmed on May 18. An ambassador to South Korea was announced in April, when Harry Harris, who had been bound for Australia, was redirected in haste. Trumps new national security advisor, John Bolton, has long advocated for war with North Korea and Politico has noted that in his first two months on the job did not even call a cabinet-level planning meeting to discuss the talks. Nor is the President known for his enthusiasm for painstaking preparation. Breaking with tradition Trump does not read the daily intelligence briefings prepared for him by his agencies as it does not suit his preferred style of learning, The Washington Post has reported. Speaking to reporters before a White House meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump said: I don't think I have to prepare very much. It's about attitude. It's about willingness to get things done. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is due to travel to Singapore for the meeting. Credit:AP Trumps approach has prompted concern in some quarters. John McLaughlin, former acting director of the CIA, told the Posts conservative commentator - and frequent Trump critic - Jennifer Rubin, that he doubted Trumps team. These people have never been in a real negotiation and have no idea how complicated this will be. Even in the hands of the most astute diplomats and serious presidents, wrote Rubin, this meeting would be a daunting proposition; in the hands of the Trump crew, the prospect of face-to-face meetings is, candidly, petrifying. One man who does know exactly how complicated it is to negotiate with North Korea is Robert Carlin, a former CIA analyst and US State Department official who is currently a scholar with Stanford Universitys Centre for International Security and Cooperation. Carlin has perhaps spent more time in face-to-face negotiations with North Korean officials than any other American. Carlin disputes the view of some US observers that negotiation with North Koreans is pointless. In a paper for the Centre for International Security and Cooperation published in 2008, Carlin wrote that US officials spent thousands of hours of often fruitful negotiation with North Korea between 1993 and 2000, before the relationship again frayed. He lamented that the lessons of those negotiations had been forgotten by American officials, to the detriment of US national security. I don't think I have to prepare very much. It's about attitude. US President Donald Trump Recalling those talks in a recent interview with the American journal National Review, Carlin said he believes there is a possibility of a breakthrough in the coming talks. He argued that despite the lack of painstaking preparation, there were reasons for optimism, especially since talks had taken place between Pompeo and Kim. Were much better off than we were at the beginning of the year, when no one we knew or trusted had direct experience with Kim Jong-un, he wrote. We were trapped in our own bubble of ignorance. Now several people have met with Kim, and the President will have the benefit of first-hand observations on the North Korean leader. Carlin described North Korean negotiators as tough but careful, reports The New Republic. They are good at their game When they get precise in their presentation, its important to pay attention they mean what they say. But its often only possible to understand what they mean by having a good grasp of their previous positions ... My experience is that Americans sometimes dont recognise progress when they see it from the North Koreans, and thus may miss openings. He said the North Korean negotiators would also be alert to signs of disrespect. When what we are asking for flows from our sense of moral superiority rather than any pragmatic or rational basis, the North Koreans can sense it. They have good emotional radars and know when we are being condescending, speaking down to them. And he warned that they would prosecute their case rigorously. If we leave gaps, we can be sure they will explore them. If there are seams, they will play them. If they are uncertain about our own commitment, they will pursue hedging. Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un are set to meet at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island in Singapore. Credit:AP In a separate piece written for 38North, a website for analysis of North Korea, Carlin wrote that North Koreans are pragmatic negotiators who followed diplomatic norms. A productive set of negotiations with them follows a pattern found anywhere in the world: Define the problem in terms that both sides can claim benefit from a solution; divide the problem into parts; move from easiest to hardest to solve; fix details and define terms; review again so that both sides understand what is and what isnt in the agreement; agree on implementation details and timetable." He wrote that in talks with North Koreans, negotiators needed not only to be able to stand firm when they felt they had been slighted, but to be able to sit patiently and listen while North Korean officials voiced their own concerns. Rarely do the North Koreans pound the table. More often, when we raise a point they find objectionable, they may quietly take off their glasses, close their notebooks gently, and lay their pens to the side. The benefits of preparation, Carlin told National Review, are often to be felt in the wake of talks rather than at the table. Wellington: Disgraced American news anchor Matt Lauer has been allowed to hold onto his New Zealand farm after passing a "good character" test. The former Today Show host bought a 6500 hectare high-country station in New Zealand's South Island last year. Matt Lauer, former co-host of the NBC's "Today" show. Credit:AP But after he was fired by NBC in November over allegations of sexual misconduct, New Zealand's Overseas Investment Office - which has to clear major overseas buyers - launched an investigation into whether he had breached the good character requirement. On Friday, the department said it wouldn't be going after Lauer. Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC Dont fugheddaboudit! Brooklyn Paper Radio hosts Vince DiMiceli and Gersh Kuntzman dug their collective teeth into the controversy that is sweeping the nation: Should the Metropolitan Transportation Authority correct the incorrect spelling of its famed Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and add a the missing z Brooklyn pines for. But as is their wont, Gersh and Vince asked the tougher question: How could this travesty have gone on for so long? To answer that, they brought on Prof. Silvio Lacetti of the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken to explain why Brooklyns Italian-American community hasnt fought harder to make the change. Want to know the answer? Youll have to tune it to Brooklyn Paper Radio right now by clicking below. Brooklyn Paper Radio and can be found, as always, right here on Brook lynPa per.com , on iTunes at, on Mixlr, and of course, on Stitcher. Brooklyn Paper radio is recorded and podcast live every Thursday at 4:45 pm from out studio in Americas Downtown. Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC There is plenty to sea and do! Next weekend, the annual Mermaid Parade will sweep across Coney Island, bringing thousands of revelers decked out in their most flamboyant sea wear to strut down the streets of Sodom by the Sea. If you want to join the countrys largest art parade or just watch and have a good time consult this guide to getting glittery gear, staking out a spot, and dancing the net away. Getting mer-made up Whether you are on the sidelines or in the parade, you want to look your fin-est. Start your shopping spree at beauty emporium Rickys (478 Bergen St. between Fifth and Flatbush avenues in Park Slope), where you can pick up all the colorful wigs, makeup, and body paint you need to go from pasty to Poseidon. Then head to Havin a Party (8414 Fifth Ave. between 84th and 85th streets in Bay Ridge) or Party City (3849 Nostrand Ave. between Avenues Y and Z in Sheepshead Bay) to pick up the mermaid skirts, seashell bras, and tridents you need to complete your nautical metamorphosis. Sea and be seen The Mermaid Parade will kick off at 1 pm on Saturday, June 16, marching down Surf Avenue from W. 21st Street to the Cyclone roller coaster on W. 10th Street, where it will turn right and march back down the Boardwalk to the parachute jump. The procession will include antique cars, motorized floats, marching bands, thousands of scantily-clad aquatic partiers, and this years Queen Mermaid and King Neptue: musician Amanda Palmer and writer Neil Gaiman. But you dont have to be part of a group to march! Any individual can register online at www.coneyisland.com for $30 ($15 for kids but you should choose the Family section of the parade). And if you wait until the last minute, you can sign up on the morning of the parade, from 10 am to 1 pm at Surf Avenue and W. 21st Street, where it will cost you $35. You can take in the classic view of the parade by joining the sea of crowds along Surf Avenue, anywhere from W. 21st Street to W. 10th Street. If you want to indulge in typical Coney Island delights like a Nathans Famous frankfurter (at 1310 Surf Ave. at Stillwell Avenue) or take a spin on the Wonder Wheel, be sure to show up well before the 1 pm start time, because you will not be able to cross Surf Avenue until the parade ends around 4 pm. If you want the opportunity to bail early, stay on Surf Avenue, on the side away from the beach. The best seats in town are at the Judges Stand, at Surf Avenue and W. 19th Street. To join that coveted crew, you must sign up to be a member of Coney Island USA at the $200 Mermaid Parade Judge level or higher, which comes with a guaranteed seat in the Judges Stand, a t-shirt, refreshments, and a vote for the best Mermaid Costume, Neptune Outfit, Marching Group, Sea Creature, and more. Winners in each category will be announced at the Mermaid Parade Ball, on the rooftop of local eatery Kitchen 21, which will also feature a burlesque show starring the current Miss Coney Island, Gigi Bonbon, along with live bands, and a set from DJ La La Lina. Mermaid Parade Ball at Kitchen 21 (3052 W. 21st St. at the Boardwalk in Coney Island, www.kitch en-21.com ). June 16; 511 pm. $25 ($55 VIP). Wave good-bye If you want to show off your outfit closer to home, there are plenty of options! In Gowanus, the Sea Creature Stomp is an unofficial after-party at the Gemini and Scorpio Loft, where you can take in tropical brass bands, lounge on the roof, and cool off with some ice cream. In Bushwick, you will need a costume to enter the Atlantis party at House of Yes in Bushwick, where you can pose in the floating photo booth and dance the night away with other sea creatures. Sea Creature Stomp at Gemini and Scorpio Loft (255 Douglass St. between Nevins Street and Third Avenue in Gowanus, www.gemin iands corpi o.com ). June 16 at 8 pm. $10$20 suggested donation. Atlantis: Mermaid Parade After Party at House of Yes (2 Wyckoff Ave. at Jefferson Street in Bushwick, www.house ofyes.org ). June 16 at 10 pm. $25. Reach reporter Julianne McShane at (718) 2602523 or by e-mail at jmcsh ane@c ngloc al.com . Follow her on Twitter @juliannemcshane. Its sea-to-table! A floating farm on a barge docked at Sunset Parks Brooklyn Army Terminal offers locals a slice of nature in the concrete jungle by allowing them to freely pick fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Fans of fresh produce have flocked to Swale each weekend since it opened on the waterfront last month, according to its founding artist, who urged locals to come visit before it sails away on July 1. Its completely free people go there and pick fresh fruits and tour through the space on the weekends, said Mary Mattingly, who lives in Gowanus. The barge welcomes school groups for tours and workshops during the week, and on the weekends Brooklynites can come enjoy the sweet scent of flowers while harvesting lettuce, peppermint, oregano, kale, arugula, thyme, strawberries, and bok choy all for free. Plus, grapes, yams, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and plums will sprout within the next few weeks, according to Mattingly, who said that her team is passionate about considering how to help people harness the power of plants. Thats what were thinking about how can plants be used for wellness purposes and nourishment in eating? she said. The barge previously docked at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park last summer, before shipping off to a park in the distant borough of the Bronx through last fall. Its stay at the Brooklyn Army Terminal is funded by the terminal and grocer Whole Foodss Five Percent Days, a program through which the chain donates five percent of its profits to local organizations, Mattingly said. When Swale permanently closes up shop on July 1, its organizers will transplant the green things onto land at the Brooklyn Army Terminal and elsewhere in the city, and begin to think about how to achieve the floating food forests mission of making healthy eating accessible on solid ground especially since research shows access to fresh fruits and vegetables is dependent on socioeconomic status and the neighborhood in which one lives, factors which Mattingly said Swale can help change. Its kind of been our mission to start places like Swale on land that are commons-like, that anyone can pick through, she said. We found a lot of people are big fans of it and are in need of having something like this more permanently. Swale at Pier Four at the Brooklyn Army Terminal (140 58th St. at First Avenue in Sunset Park, www.swale ny.org ). Through July 1, Saturdays and Sundays, 12 pm6 pm. Free. Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC The federal government must release an undocumented immigrant who Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained while he made a routine pizza delivery to Fort Hamilton Army Base on June 1, demanded protesters gathered just across the street at John Paul Jones Park in Bay Ridge on June 6. Councilman Justin Brannan (DBay Ridge) called the incident a real-world, close-to-home example of the fallout of President Trumps anti-immigrant policies. He came all the way out here to deliver pizza, time and time and time again. This time, there was a problem. No idea why, Brannan said. This is no longer on TV, its now in our backyard. This arbitrary enforcement, the unequal enforcement of laws is what divides people. How does taking a pizza delivery guy off the street make us any safer? Its ridiculous. The incident, first reported by Spanish newspaper El Diario on June 4, immediately attracted national attention after Pablo Villavicencio Calderons family and local officials charged that he was unfairly targeted and detained due to his immigration status. At the Wednesday protest, locals chanted Free Pablo, Abolish ICE and No Hate, No Fear, Immigrants Are Welcome Here and held up empty pizza boxes emblazoned with slogans such as Pizza Not Persecution and Pineapple And ICE Agents Dont Belong On Pizza. After the rally, they marched up Fourth Avenue, turned onto 86th Street, and looped up Fifth Avenue, where six protesters were arrested near 87th Street for blocking traffic. Calderon delivered pies to the Army base where he had delivered pizza about once a month in the past from Nonna Delias in Flushing, Queens on June 1 at around 11 am, according to a spokeswoman for the base. When he allegedly lacked the proper military identification required for entry to the base, personnel at the bases Visitor Control Center ran a customary background check in order to grant him a temporary pass, at which point, the spokeswoman said they discovered an active warrant on file from the federal immigration agency, prompting base personnel to turn him over to the federal agency, according to the spokeswoman, who said personnel followed proper protocol. Department of Defense installation commanders are authorized to take reasonably necessary and lawful measures to maintain law and order and protect installation personnel and property, said Cathy Santopietro. This enables the Fort Hamilton Commander to enforce a safe and secure working environment suitable for all. But Calderons wife Sandra Chica a U.S. citizen said that he displayed the same city identification card that he had used to get into the base in the past, and that he had applied for a green card in February. She added that he lacked a drivers license which she called a mistake and that he will likely be deported to Ecuador sometime next week, according to the New York Times. A spokeswoman from the immigration agency said privacy concerns prevented her confirming whether or not Calderon had filed a green card application, but said that a green card application would not affect whether or not he would be deported. She said that in March 2010 an immigration judge ordered Calderon to leave the country, but when he failed to leave by the July deadline, he was classified as a fugitive. The agency will now hold him until he is deported, she said. He remains in ICE custody pending removal, said Rachael Yong Yow. Brannan said the bases claim that Calderon lacked the proper identification was without precedent and would constitute a policy change that would impact every delivery person coming to the base. We want to get to the bottom of what is allowed to happen on an army base, he said. If theyre saying that every delivery person has to have a Department of Defense ID, theyre not going to get any deliveries. If thats what theyre saying now, this changes everything. It seems like arbitrary enforcement. Gov. Cuomo secured a lawyer for Calderon and spoke with his wife on the morning of June 7, telling her he would do anything we can do to help, according to his spokeswoman. Mayor DeBlasio called for Calderons release soon after, insisting that he had been unfairly detained. Delivering a pizza is not a threat to public safety, the mayor wrote on Twitter. But both state Sen. Marty Golden (RBay Ridge) and Rep. Dan Donovan (RBay Ridge) neither of whom attended the protest insisted that personnel at the base behaved appropriately. Golden said base personnel did what they were supposed to do in a security incident. I would expect nothing less from the Fort Hamilton Commander and its dedicated personnel who have committed their lives to protecting our citizens and country, he wrote. Donovan who is taking heat over a controversial anti-immigrant mailer went further, calling protests against the incident partisan insanity, and saying that personnel enforced the law. Liberal activists are attacking ICE agents and military personnel for following the law in detaining an immigrant reportedly here illegally, he said. The manager at Nonna Delias, the Queens pizza shop where Calderon was employed, said that Calderons family was suffering and that he didnt deserve to be detained. Hes a great worker, good man, good family guy. Pray for the family, thats all I can say, said the manager, who declined to give his name. Employees from two separate Bay Ridge pizza shops said they would refuse to deliver to the base in the future because of the identification requirements. One local pizza shop employee, who declined to be named, said the base used to order from them but no longer did, but that they wouldnt take orders from the base in the future. We used to [deliver there], but we dont anymore, said the employee at Baris Pizza, on Fourth Avenue between 86th and 87th streets. We wouldnt go now. Ltd (BSL) said today that it has appointed two new officials on the board of the company. The entire BSL management was changed last month after Tata took control of the company. On May 18, Tata -- which had won the bid for under the insolvency process -- completed the acquisition of controlling stake of 72.65 per cent in the debt-laden firm. In a regulatory filing, BSL said: "The Board of Directors of the company has appointed Neera Saggi and Shashi Kant Maudgal as Additional Independent Directors of the company." It also said that the officials "appointed as additional independent directors to hold office up to the date of the ensuing Annual General Meeting of the Company or due date thereof, whichever is earlier". BSL, one of the 12 non-performing accounts referred by the for (NCLT) proceedings, owes Rs 44,478 crore to its lenders. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. 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Digital Editor Many know the story of how vegetable oil maker Western India Vegetable Products changed its name to Wipro and subsequently became a technology behemoth. Many other listed firms appear to be attempting a similar feat. The number of companies that have undergone a change in name since 2008-09 is 1,230, including three in the current financial year, according to a Business Standard analysis of data-provider Capitalines records. Many of the companies undergo name changes for branding reasons, others because of demergers or changes in ownership, or to become part of an ... In Arabic, the word Tariq means the morning star. With Tariq Premji, the younger son of Wipro chairman Azim Premji, joining the board of Wipro Enterprises as a director, speculations are rife about a larger role for him in future. Even though Tariq has been associated with Premjis family office as well as the philanthropic endeavours in various capacities, he has so far been away from public glare and continues to do so even today, according to sources close to him. His older sibling, Rishad Premji, is currently heading the corporate strategy at Wipro Ltd, the Information ... British telecom major plans to invest 1 billion or about Rs 80 billion in the proposed joint venture with Cellular, which is expected to be in place this month, according to its annual report. The British telecom operator will look at monetising its stake in Indus Towers if it requires to make additional investment in India, in case the decides to put in additional fund in the proposed merged entity, Limited. Ideas equity raise of 0.8 billion in January 2018, which Group will match at the time the merger closes; combined with other adjustments, we currently estimate a net capital injection into of up to 1 billion at closing in June 2018, Vodafone chief financial officer Nick Read said in annual report. The merger of Vodafone with is in last leg of government approval, in which the the British firm is expected to have not more than 47.5 per cent stake. The merged entity will be largest telecom operator in India, with a subscriber base of around 430 million. The companys financial leverage is currently high on a pro-forma basis. In the event that in the future the joint venture partners decide to put in additional funding, the Group would draw upon the value of its stake in Indus Towers, Vodafone said. The company has 42 per cent stake in Indias largest mobile tower firm Indus Towers. Indus Towers paid dividends of 138 million to the Vodafone Group during 2017-18. On April 25, 2018, Vodafone, Bharti Airtel Limited and Idea announced the merger of Indus Towers into Bharti Airtel and Vodafone will jointly control the combined company, and Vodafone will be issued 783.1 million new shares in the combined company, in exchange for its shareholding in Indus Towers. The Indus Tower- deal has given Idea Group to sell its full 11.15 per cent shareholding in Indus Towers for cash, which would be equivalent to a 29.4 per cent shareholding in the combined company. Telecom duo names heads for new entity and have announced appointment of nine executives each from their teams as circle heads for the merged entity, which is proposed to operate as Vodafone Idea Limited, industry sources said. The announcement is learnt to have been made by Kumar Mangalam Birla, non-executive chairman of the proposed entity, in an internal communication to employees. Both the have already announced top leadership team who will run the merged entity. Emails sent to Idea and Vodafone elicited no reply. Vodafone will own 45.1 per cent in the combined entity, while will have 26 per cent and Idea shareholders 28.9 per cent. The government has left no stone unturned in convincing a UK court that fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya must be extradited to India, spokesperson said on Friday. "Extradition hearings have been going on. I understand that the closing submissions in the case have already been made. We now wait for the verdict. I can only assure you that we have left no stone unturned in our efforts to convince the courts that the extradition of Vijay Mallya to India should take place," Kumar told reporters in response to a question. In February 2017, India made a formal request to the UK for the extradition of Mallya, who faces charges of financial misconduct amounting to nearly Rs 90 billion in debt owed to Indian banks by his defunct When asked about the location of fugitive businessmen and Mehul Choksi, who allegedly duped Bank to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees, he said the will not be able to provide their location details as it comes into picture only when the agencies concerned inform it about their whereabouts. Responding to a question on whether the issue of the extradition of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik from Malaysia came up for discussion during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad, Kumar said the interaction between the two leaders was very short. The meeting happened on May 31 during Modi's visit enroute Singapore and the talks covered a broad overview about the relationship between the two countries. Modi made a brief stopover in Malaysia to meet the nonagenarian leader, who won polls after trumping Najib Razak, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia. Kumar added India had sent request to Malaysia to extradite Naik and it was waiting for a response. On the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un scheduled for June 12 in Singapore, Kumar said, " India welcomes the proposed meeting and supports the peaceful resolution to the Korean Peninsula problem. Canadian Prime Minister and French President said on Thursday that they will continue to be "polite and respectful" to President Donald Trump, although they will be "firm" with Washington. Trudeau and Macron, who starting on Friday will meet with the leader at the being held in Canada, said at an Ottawa press conference that in the past they had been friendly with Trump with an eye toward maintaining good relations with one of their main allies. ALSO READ: Trade war impact: Trump gains a lot, but not US Macron warned Trump that the recent decisions taken by the on tariffs "are counterproductive" and will negatively affect "US workers" primarily, Efe reported. The French President also said that the doesn't have to end with a document signed by all countries and that it is more important for the final document to be relevant, referring to the fact that differences with Trump on basic issues such as trade could result in the world's most developed countries having to limit themselves to minimal agreements. "Our aim is to achieve a document that everyone can sign, like last year," said Macron. But the French President also said that the desire to reach a consensus "should not be greater" than achieving real advances on the issues to be discussed. He also suggested that the differences that both Europe and have with the US are just temporary and linked directly to the Trump presidency, saying "Nobody is forever" and adding that the other G7 nations "don't mind being six, if need be". Meanwhile, Trudeau -- who will host the summit in the Canadian town of La Malbaie, some 140 km east of Quebec -- was more conciliatory. The Canadian leader said that the "is a great opportunity to have frank discussions with countries who have been allies for some time". He acknowledged that although "there are issues on which (Trump) will not agree with us, such as climate change and trade", the seven nations "will seek accords to continue moving forward". China has a lesson for the nation's companies: don't get into the habit of relying on the government for a rescue when you run into trouble. China's government devoted a lot of resources to save ZTE Corp because it was concerned about the livelihood of its 80,000 employees, but that doesn't mean such support will always be there, according to a commentary carried on the website of a state radio station. "When doing business in the international market, what matters is the spirit of contracts, the rules and laws, rather than any government intervention," ... US President will skip scheduled sessions on climate change, clean energy, and oceans during the two-day G7 Summit which is slated to begin on Friday in Quebec, Canada, the White House announced. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, announced on Thursday that Trump will leave the resort in Charlevoix (where all the events are taking place) at 10.30 am on Saturday, well before the Summit officially concludes later that day, reports The New York Times. He will attend an early-morning session on "women's empowerment", but he will be gone before any joint statement is issued by the other leaders, Sanders added. Earlier Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lashed out at Trump for imposing tariffs on their steel and aluminium industries. "The American President may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a six-country agreement if need be," Macron tweeted. ALSO READ: G7 Summit: 'Don't mind being six, if need be', Macron warns Trump on trade "Because these six countries represent values, they represent an economic market which has the weight of history behind it and which is now a true force." Also on Thursday, Trudeau said at a news conference that with Macron, "we are going to defend our industries and our workers" and "show the US President that his unacceptable actions are hurting his own citizens". ALSO READ: EU joins battle against US tariff onslaught as Trump takes aim at NAFTA Trump responded with his trademark Twitter bluntness a few hours later, The New York Times reported. "Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the US massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers," he tweeted. "The EU trade surplus with the US is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out... Look forward to seeing them tomorrow." Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the U.S. massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers. The EU trade surplus with the U.S. is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out. Look forward to seeing them tomorrow. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2018 Prime Minister Trudeau is being so indignant, bringing up the relationship that the U.S. and Canada had over the many years and all sorts of other things...but he doesnt bring up the fact that they charge us up to 300% on dairy hurting our Farmers, killing our Agriculture! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2018 Why isnt the European Union and Canada informing the public that for years they have used massive Trade Tariffs and non-monetary Trade Barriers against the U.S. Totally unfair to our farmers, workers & companies. Take down your tariffs & barriers or we will more than match you! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2018 Trump is scheduled to arrive Friday morning for the Summit. He will then attend a gathering that traditionally includes a moment of global camaraderie -- the "family photo" that captures Presidents and Prime Ministers smiling for the camera. The tariffs he imposed last week on Canada, Mexico, and the European Union have drawn a sharp backlash from allies, whose leaders have described feelings of anger, regret, and confusion, reports CNN. "Patently absurd" is what Liam Fox, the British trade minister, called them. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said they were "illegal", while Trudeau said they were "insulting and totally unacceptable". ALSO READ: G7 leaders divided on trade; Trump attacks EU, Canada amid backlash But Trump's aides have signalled that he was unwilling to rethink the decision. "There are disagreements. He's sticking to his guns, and he's going to talk to them," said Larry Kudlow, Trump's top economic adviser, at a briefing on Wednesday. He described the disputes as a "family quarrel". US President on Friday said he would be willing to invite North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the if their Singapore summit goes well. Trump made the remarks after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss the June 12 summit. "Maybe we'll start with the White House," he told reporters after he was asked whether he would invite the North Korean leader to the or Mar-a-lago. About the personal letter delivered to Trump from Kim last week, he said, "The letter was just a greeting. It was really very nice. Perhaps I can get approval to put it out. It was really a very warm letter, a very nice letter". ALSO READ: Trump wants Kim to commit to nuclear disarmament timetable in Singapore "I appreciated it very much, and nothing other than. 'We look forward to seeing you, and we look forward to the summit, and hopefully, some wonderful things will work out'. So it was really very warm, very nice. We appreciated it," Trump said. He, however, made it clear that he was ready to "walk away" from the meeting if his goals were not achieved. "I am totally prepared to walk. It could happen. Maybe it won't be necessary. I hope it won't be necessary to walk, because I really believe that Kim Jong-un wants to do something that is going to be great for his people, and also great for his family, and great for himself," Trump said. "I am totally prepared to walk away. I did it once before. You have to be able to walk away. If you're not going to be able to walk away -- we didn't walk away from the horrible Iran deal that was signed, and if you look at what's happened, since I signed that deal, Iran and in all fairness, I say it with great respect for the people of Iran, but Iran is acting a lot differently. They're no longer looking so much to the Mediterranean," he said. Iran, he said, is no longer looking so much to what was going on in Syria, Yemen and other places. "They're a much different country over the last three months. And again, I say that with hope that maybe something can happen," said the US President. Even the biggest of brokerages and the best of analysts, at times, fail in their assessment of how the markets will play out. In a note, Mumbai based Ambit Institutional Equities, has yet again owned up to making bloopers / mistakes over the past 12 months. After some soul searching, the team presents the worst of its buys and sells over the past 12 months. In addition, this time, the team has put together a survey to get direct feedback from clients on what its biggest mistakes were. The aim is to collate this feedback and introspect, the Ambit note ... The Israeli intelligence firm ImageSat International (ISI) released new satellite images showing Chinese surface-to-air missile systems which were earlier placed on a contested South China Sea island have either been removed or relocated. Woody Island, the largest island in the disputed Paracel Islands chain hosts several Chinese military installations. But currently, it seems that some of them have gone missing, as per Sputnik. In 2016, China had declared that it had deployed weapons to Woody Island in the Paracel Islands, on the northwestern edge of the South China Sea. Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie suggests that the systems might have been removed temporarily to undergo some maintenance work. Last month, China had quietly installed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems on three outposts in the South China Sea. The White House, then warned Beijing, saying there will be consequences for its growing militarisation in the South China Sea. The South China Sea is one of the most contested regions in the China, the Philippines, and Vietnam, among several others, have overlapping territorial claims on the sea. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying earlier said, her nation has been involved in peaceful construction in the islands and such relevant deployments target no one. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Biz2Credit, a leading online resource for small finance, today announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance with Tally Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a multinational company that provides accounting software to small and mid-sized businesses. This alliance will enable easy access of finance to thousands of small and mid-sized companies in the country. Biz2Credit has provided more than USD 2 billion in financing to thousands of small and mid-sized companies. "The small lending sector is one of the biggest contributors to the India growth story. While MSMEs are a priority area for lending by financial institutions, access to credit for entrepreneurs in India still is limited," said Ramit Arora, President of Biz2Credit Through the Biz2Credit-Tally Add On, lenders can access financials, GST returns, P&L statements for small businesses that use Tally. Lenders using the Biz2Credit platform in India can check during customer acquisition if the small owner is a Tally user. If yes, the Biz2Credit platform will generate a unique ID that the customer will use to invoke the 'Add on'. With this add on feature, users will be able to share relevant financial data instantly with Biz2Credit lenders. This data can be further used for establishing veracity of financial statements and underwriting. "Biz2Credit's digital lending platform has several innovative features that enable lenders to focus on providing credit to small business customers and reducing risk, thereby increasing growth and cutting operational overhead," Arora added. He said, "Our alliance with Tally Solutions will help Indian entrepreneurs to quickly secure the funding they need to expand their companies. We are thrilled to help Tally Solutions expand its footprint in India's small industry, digitally. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N on Thursday accused the Central government of hatching a conspiracy to take over the functioning of Tirumala temple. Chandrababu, while addressing a public meeting in Chittoor, where he went to participate in the sixth day of "Nava Nirmana Deeksha", said he will not let any conspiracy succeed. "We will not let any conspiracy against the Tirumala temple be successful. The Centre tried to take the temple under their control. We will not let such conspiracies turn into reality. I survived an extremist attack in 2003 only because of Lord Balaji's blessings. I won't let the sanctity of the temple of Lord Balaji tampered," he said here. Further targeting the (BJP)-led government on the (SCS), the Chief Minister said they were betrayed on the issue. "The Central government has betrayed our state in the matter of Prime Minister pledged SCS to Andhra Pradesh at the feet of Lord Balaji. I am a senior politician. As a Chief Minister, I went to Delhi and asked for special status and funds for state development. But they did not give it. Instead, they betrayed us," he added. At first, the chief minister held "Grama Darshini" program in Chandramakulapalle village, where he personally interacted with villagers and later addressed a public meeting at Valasapalle village. After the public meeting, the chief minister went to Madanapalle Masjid to take part in Namaz and later he attended Iftar party organised by the state government at Madanapalle town. A Maoist was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Jaramongia on Friday morning. An exchange of fire took place between Maoists and a joint party of District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bhairamgarh PS and Naxalites at around 5: 30 a.m. here. The exchange of fire took place for about 30-40 mins after which the Naxalites ran away taking shelter of forests and river. During the search operation, a uniform-clad male dead body, one 7.62 mm pistol with three live rounds, one INSAS magazine with live rounds, explosives with detonators and wires, a tiffin bomb, Naxal literature and spikes were recovered from the spot. The deceased has been identified as Moti Farsa, a twenty-eight-year-old militia Platoon Commander of the Maoists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior leader and former finance minister P. on Friday lauded former President for highlighting Congress' ideology during his speech at the (RSS) event held on Thursday. "Happy that Mr told the what is right about Congress' ideology. It was his way of saying what is wrong about RSS' ideology," tweeted. READ MORE: Soul of India is pluralism, tolerance: at event Mukherjee's acceptance of the RSS' invitation to attend the Third Year Sangha Shiksha Varga (SSV) event led to backlash from the and others. Earlier, had requested the former President to tell the what is wrong with their ideology. "Now that he (Pranab Mukherjee) has accepted invitation there is no point debating why he accepted it. More important thing to say is, sir you have accepted invitation, please go there and tell them what is wrong with their ideology," Chidambaram said earlier at an event in Delhi. Former president Pranab Mukherjee speaks during the closing ceremony of Tritiya Varsha Sangh Shiksha Varg, an (RSS) event to mark the conclusion of a three-year training camp for Swayamsevaks, Meanwhile, Mukherjee while speaking at the RSS event in Nagpur said "We accept and respect our pluralism and celebrate our diversity. Our identity has emerged after a long drawn process of confluence and assimilation, the multiple cultures and faiths make us special and tolerant. READ MORE: Not just Pranab's tolerance advice, but Bhagwat's 'power' warning important "Nation is defined as a large group of people sharing the same language, heritage. Nationalism is defined as identification oneself with one's own nation. Patriotism is defined as devotion to one's own country. We derive our strength from tolerance. We respect our pluralism. We celebrate our diversity. Intolerance will only dilute our identity. Any attempt to define our nation through religion, dogma or intolerance will only fade our existence," he added. READ MORE: Pranab Mukherjee has shown mirror to RSS at their HQ: Congress Besides Chidambaram, other leaders including and also lauded Mukherjee's speech at the event. Congress on Friday targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre and Maharashtra government for holding divergent views on the accused arrested in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told ANI, "Union MoS for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale clearly said that Dalit activists being arrested in Bhima Koregaon violence are injustice and that Elgar Parishad has no connection with the violence. But BJP government in Maharashtra calls Dalit activists 'Maoists'." Putting Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in a catch-22 situation, the Congress leader said, "If the activists are Maoists, will Modi ji take action against Ramdas Athawale who is a minister in his government? But if Ramdas Athawale is right, will Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra government clarify if they are doing injustice to Dalit activists?" On the alleged Maoist email talking about the plot to kill Prime Minister Modi, Surjewala said it should be investigated that who is conspiring against the life of the prime minister. "It should be investigated who is conspiring against the life of PM of the nation. But R Athawale, a minister in his cabinet, said arrests of Dalit activists is not fair, the same activists who are now being called 'Maoists' and accused of planning PM's assassination," Surjewala said. Earlier in the day, Athawale said if the five people, arrested by the Pune Police in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence are followers of Ambedkar, then they should not be considered as Naxalites. He also said he would try to help those arrested if it is not found that they have any connection with the Naxal movement. Among those arrested include Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Jacob Wilson, Shoma Sen and Mahesh Raut. A Pune court on Thursday sent all the arrested to police custody till June 14. On January 1, the celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of Bhima-Koregaon battle took a violent turn when a youth died in clashes which had erupted after right-wing Hindutva groups opposed the same. The violence left one dead and several injured, including 10 policemen. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday said if the five people, arrested by the Pune police in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence are followers of Ambedkar, then they should not be considered as Naxalites. He also said that he would try to help those arrested, if it is not found that they have any connection with the Naxal movement. "There is no connection between Yalgar Parishad and Bhima Koregaon violence. Five people who were arrested yesterday, if they are followers of Ambedkar they should not be considered naxalites. There should be a thorough investigation in the matter," Athawale told ANI. "I will talk to the Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis) regarding this. If those who were arrested yesterday have no connection with naxal movement then I will definitely try to help them. I want to appeal to the young followers of Ambedkar that they should not have any association with naxal movement," he added. The five people arrested by the Pune police in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence have links with Naxals, the city's Joint Commissioner of Police said on Thursday. Among those arrested include Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Jacob Wilson, Shoma Sen and Mahesh Raut. A Pune Court on Thursday sent all the five arrested, including activist Rona Wilson and lawyer Surendra Gadling, to police custody till June 14 in connection to the Bhima Koregaon violence case. A Delhi Court has sent Jacob to two-day transit remand. He will be produced before the local court in Pune on June 8. Gadling too was arrested in connection with the same incident. On January 2, the 200th anniversary of Bhima-Koregaon battle took a violent turn when a youth died in clashes on during an event to mark the day. The violence left one dead and several injured, including 10 policemen. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani will attend the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Qingdao, in eastern China's Shandong Province, on Saturday and Sunday. The SCO Summit is scheduled for June 9 to 10. Acting foreign minister Salahuddin Rabbani and other senior government officials will also attend the two-day summit, reported Afghan's TOLO News. According to Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the summit, among many issues, is set to discuss the fight against insurgency in the war-torn country and the region. "We hope that all countries will cooperate with us in fighting terrorism and drug dealers. Another crucial issue for us is regional connectivity," the report quoted spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sebghatullah Ahmadi, as saying. The Foreign Affairs Ministry also stated that Kabul continues its efforts to secure a permanent spot in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rhitika (name changed) lost her family during her toddler stage because of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). While being brought up by her aunt and uncle, she started falling ill continuously and it was later discovered that she also had been infected with the virus. After her relatives shunned her, she found shelter at the Sapthalta HIV Shikshya Sadan. "When I was small, I started falling sick and later it was traced to be HIV. My relatives' behaviour changed after they found I was infected with the virus. When they read about Sapthalta HIV Shikshya Sadan in Batkepati, Kirtipur in the newspaper, they brought me here," Rhitika told ANI. The Saphalta HIV Shikshya Sadan, established in 2011 by Raj Kumar Pun, is home to 23 orphans and HIV infected children aged below 16. Pun is addressed by the title 'Daddy' by the students residing here and they call the female teachers and other supporters as 'Mummy'. This small area of school has now become the whole world for them. "We feel happy here rather than going out. Sometimes, we do go for an outing but in other schools, the students start whispering after seeing us," said Rhitika. Nepal, the mountainous nation and the home to the world's highest peak Mt. Everest reported 30, 646 cases of HIV mid of July 2017 as per the data from the National Center for AIDS and STD Control under the Ministry of Though the government is running campaigns to spread awareness to reduce the number of infected and fight against the stigma, it is deemed to be failing. "We went to various schools for the admission of these children and requested the management and principals. However, the management thought their students will get scared and drop out of school if we admitted these HIV positive kids," said Raj Kumar Pun, Founder Chairman of the Saphalta HIV Shikshya Sadan. "I use to work as a teacher in a school and I use to spend all my salary for them only. One of my friends Uma Gurung had a cosmetic wholesale shop and she used to donate all her profit to the school. We searched for a home for these children in the initial phase and upon failing to get the rooms and space, my friend Uma gave them shelter for some days. I later shifted them to the home I made for my parents, here in the Bhatkepati (Kirtipur) for about four years," Pun added. The school, which has now got the permission as an alternative school, is now hosting 23 students - all HIV infected - with classes running up to grade 10. But the students, who are in final years of completing their secondary level, face uncertainty over their higher level studies. The residential school is now supported by the donations and the timely celebration by the people in and out of Nepal. It now has seven teachers who are assigned to teach almost all the subjects. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Myanmar held the 17th round of Foreign Office Consultations in the national capital on Thursday, which saw the discussion on the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship between the two countries. "During the discussions, the two sides reviewed the complete range of bilateral relations, including high level visits, security and defence related issues, boundary matters and border management, trade and commerce, development cooperation, connectivity, cultural and consular matters. They also exchanged views on sub-regional, regional and global issues of mutual interest," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The Indian side was led by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and the Myanmar side by Permanent Secretary, Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs U Myint Thu. According to the MEA, during his stay in India, the Myanmar Permanent Secretary will also visit places of historical and cultural significance in the capital. This comes barely a month after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's two-day visit to Myanmar, during which she met the country's president U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian and Nepali officials will conduct an on-site inspection in Nepal's Tarai region to assess the problem of flooding that occurs every year and find ways to combat the crisis. The joint team will inspect the flood-prone area in three phases-before monsoon, during monsoon and post-monsoon. "It has been decided to deploy teams to study the situation of flooding to identify the real cause of inundation," Kathmandu Post quoted an official of Nepal's Foreign Ministry as saying During the 12th meeting of Nepal-India Joint Committee on Inundation and Flood Management (JCIFM) in Kathmandu, senior officials from both the countries had agreed to work on overcoming the problem caused by rivers. It was decided that four members each from both the sides will be appointed for inspection. Director of Ganga Flood Control Commission will head the Indian side, while Deputy Director General at Department of Water Induced Disaster Management (DWIDM) was chosen to lead Nepali team. Both the teams are scheduled to visit Nepal's Tarai region on June 27. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal in May, both the sides had reiterated the importance of advancing cooperation in water resources and decided to work on inundation related issues jointly. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Navy ships of the Eastern Fleet on Thursday arrived at Guam to participate in the 22nd edition of Exercise Malabar to be held off the coast of Guam in the Philippine Sea from June 7 to June 16. The three ships - Sahyadri, Shakti, and Kamorta - of the Eastern Fleet are under the command of Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet and are currently on an overseas deployment to South East Asia and the Western Pacific region. The scope of the Malabar-18 includes professional interactions during the Harbour Phase in Guam from June 7 to June 10. The Sea Phase will be held from June 11 to June 16, which includes a diverse range of activities at sea including Aircraft Carrier operations, Air Defence, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Surface Warfare, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), joint manoeuvres and tactical procedures. Exercise Malabar, which started as a bilateral exercise between the United States Navy and the Indian Navy in 1992, has evolved over the years with the participation of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) from 2007. Over the last 26 years, this Maritime Exercise has grown in scope and complexity and aims at increasing the level of mutual understanding, interoperability and sharing of the best practices between the three navies. The Indian Navy will be represented by the two indigenously designed and built ships, the multi-purpose stealth frigate INS Sahyadri and Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette, INS Kamorta as also by Fleet Tanker INS Shakti and Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I. The United States Navy forces will include the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan with its air wing; two Ticonderoga class cruisers, USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville; two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, USS Benfold and USS Mustin; a Los Angeles-class attack submarine and one Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8A. The JMSDF would be represented by a Hyuga class helicopter carrier JS Ise with integral helicopters; Takanami class destroyer JS Suzunami; Akizuki class destroyer JS Fuyuzuki, Japanese Maritime Patrol Aircraft, P1, and a submarine. Exercise Malabar 2017 was held in July last year on the Eastern Sea Board of India, off Chennai and Visakhapatnam. It is for the first time that the exercise is being conducted off Guam, a major United States Naval Base in the Western Pacific. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, will be meeting people living near the border areas here on Friday. Singh will be travelling to Kupwara, where ceasefire violation from across the border and other terrorist activities has forced some locals to shift their base over the past few weeks. He is also expected to meet those living in the border areas in Jammu. On Thursday, Rajnath, while addressing a press conference, had stated that the Centre won't allow any obstacle to come in the way of its mission to ensure lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir. "I would like to repeat that no matter how many obstacles come in our (Centre's) way, we will not be deterred in our aim to bring lasting peace to Kashmir," he said. Singh also expressed his dismay about Pakistan's repeated violation of the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) during the holy month of Ramzan, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Suspension of Operation order to the Indian side. Prasing the armed forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police, he said, "I have no hesitation in saying that our security forces, including the army and police, have worked with utmost restraint. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Economic Development Forum in association with Indian Achievers Forum New Delhi organised the 12th International Achievers Summit on April 27 at Hotel Crowne Plaza, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE. The topic of the summit was 'Global Opportunities'. This International Achievers Summit highlighted the contribution and effort of many individuals and organisations in the fields of industry, commerce, banking, education, technology, engineering, information technology, tourism, and so on. The Chief Executives, Directors and promoters of various organisations participated in this seminar from all over the country and abroad. Also present at this seminar were many leading technocrats, doctors, educationists and other professionals. This summit was organised to bring together entrepreneurs and organisations from different countries on to a common platform to distinguish and recognise their achievements in their respective fields. Economic Development Forum, is promoting many such organisations in their activities and endeavours. Prominent individual leaders including Ministers, Bureaucrats, Educationist and speakers were present at the summit who spoke on various important economic issues being face in Global era today. H.E. Abdulla Al Saleh, Undersecretary for Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economy, UAE was the chief guest of the event along with H.E Suhail Mohd Al Zarooni, Chairman, Al Zarooni Foundation and Suhail Al Zarooni Group of Companies, Dubai; Sunil Shastri, President Lal Bahadur Shastri Foundation, India; Sandeep Koachar, World famous Astrologer; G K Yadav, Executive Director, Economic Development Forum and various others delegates who attended the summit. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Guest, H.E. Abdulla Al Saleh, expressed his views on the nation's current economic situation. He spoke that the UAE Government is sincerely committed to see that the entire country is covered by over all development programmes and have a good relationship with India In future. Later on in the seminar, the Chief Guest, H.E. Abdulla Al Saleh, H.E Suhail Mohd Al Zarooni and Sunil Shastri presented International Achievers awards to many individuals and organisations from different fields for their high achievements and efforts in their respective field to name a few Nilesh Shankar Chavan, Managing Director, Scon Projects Pvt. Ltd., Ashish Jagtap, Managing Director, Go Leisure International Holidays Pvt. Ltd. Subhashis Mukherjee Director, and Shiv Kumar, CEO, M2M Cybernetics Private Limited. Economic Development Forum in association with Indian Achievers Forum New, going to organise the second leg of the summit in the month of October, 2018 in Moscow, in which we are expecting partner of many countries to come and participate. This will be a wonderful business opportunity for our members and associates to interact and seek collaboration with business partners from other countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States (US) President Donald Trump on Thursday said, he might invite North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to the US if their meeting in Singapore next week goes well. Trump said if a deal is reached with Kim, he could envision normalizing ties between the US and North Korea. "Normalizing relations is something that I would expect to do after everything is complete. We would certainly like to see normalization," CNN quoted Trump as saying. Trump also said, the US, South Korea, Japan and China will help North Korea's economy if the outcome of the most awaited summit is positive. While the sanctions on North Korea remain in place, the term maximum pressure won't be used anymore as we are heading towards a friendly negotiation, he added. There is a list of 300 massive sanctions to be imposed on Pyongyang, but Trump said, he was holding off as the diplomacy proceeds. The United States-North Korea summit is scheduled to happen in Singapore's Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island next week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reliance Infrastructure promoted Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) completed four successful years of travel on Friday. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis marked the fourth anniversary of Mumbai Metro One at Versova Metro Station, which is the lifeline between Mumbai's Western and Eastern suburbs. Speaking at the event, Fadnavis said Mumbai Metro One has changed the face of mobility in the Mumbai city. "With the use of Metro, you don't need a secondary transport system as it takes you closer to your destination. Mumbai Metro One has completely changed the space of Mass Rapid Transport in Mumbai and is the pioneer of the metro movement. The system planning and execution of Mumbai Metro One will help in shaping up upcoming Metro projects in the city," Fadnavis said. "The Mumbai Metro is very efficient, clean, fast and green. In Mumbai suburban trains, the distance between two stations is usually two to three kilometers but in the metro, the distance between two stations is just a kilometer. The metro has helped in bringing down pollution, which is equal to planting 3 crore trees," he added. The Chief Minister also launched several initiatives at Versova Metro Station earlier in the day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday said that the announcement of the ceasefire by the Afghan government with the Taliban is a positive step towards peace in Afghanistan. "I welcome the announcement of a ceasefire made by President Ghani and the Government of National Unity. This is a positive step forward on the path to peace. NATO fully supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process," Tolo quoted Stoltenberg as saying. The NATO chief called on the Taliban to accept the proposal of ceasefire. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani announced that the ceasefire will start from the 27th of Ramzan (June 12) to the fifth day of Eid-ul-Fitr (June 19). The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also welcomes the move. For years, Taliban militants in Afghanistan often use suicide bombers to create unrest in the region, claiming that their struggle is a holy war to impose Islamic rule. On June 4, over 2,000 Afghan religious scholars from around the country issued a fatwa, saying the ongoing war in Afghanistan is forbidden under Islamic law. At the end of the gathering, fourteen people lost their lives and 17 others got injured in an explosion which took place near the Polytechnic University in Kabul. Kabul police confirmed that it was a suicide bombing. However, Taliban had denied any involvement in the attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Orios Venture Partners, a young venture capital fund, announced the appointment of Anup Jain as its Managing Partner on Friday. The expansion of the leadership team is being done to enhance its focus on Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and retail investments. For two decades Anup worked with P&G, Whirlpool, Indya.com, Yum Restaurants International and Bata in India and overseas. Being already involved in the management and a member of the Investment Committee, he will lead Orios' investments into FMCG and Retail brands. "I feel excited about joining the Orios team and look forward to building homegrown disruptors or 'Misfits' as we at Orios call them and also in the Indian consumer space especially in FMCG and Retail," said Jain according to a release.. According to Jain, India's sustained growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita especially in urban areas and doubling of growth on virtual consumers in just 3 years is similar to lifting barriers of access and distribution, which is similar to that of China. "There is a real opportunity to build brands around unmet needs with a much higher capital efficiency than what was possible earlier. I look forward to using my past operating experience at finding these 'Misfits' in the right spaces and help in creating new icons for Indian consumers," added Jain. "I am thrilled to have Anup join Orios. He is a key addition to our leadership team and will be instrumental in raising the bar further at Orios as well as tapping new opportunities that have arisen in FMCG/Retail space," said Orios Venture Partners , Founder and Managing Partner, Rehan Yar Khan. He also said that the Food and Grocery sector alone is valued at $350 billion, so, "One can imagine the potential for creating new brands in the overall FMCG space in our country. With Anup's body of work in the FMCG/Durables/Food/Retail sectors, I feel Orios is now better positioned to help build some stellar brands." Anup joined Orios as a Venture Partner in October last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police in Pune say they have intercepted an internal communication of that reveals the plan of a 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination of Police told a court on Thursday that they seized a letter from the residence of one of the five people arrested for the violence in Maharashtras Bhima-Koregaon, where one person was killed and mobs attacked vehicles, shops and houses in January. The trouble erupted after a large number of Dalits gathered to commemorate the 200th anniversary of a battle they won fighting alongside the British against the Peshwas (upper caste rulers). Modi-led Hindu fascism is bulldozing its way into the lives of indigenous Adivasis (tribals). In spite of big defeats like Bihar and West Bengal, Modi has successfully established BJP government in more than 15 states. If this pace continues, then it would mean immense trouble for the party on all fronts. Greater suppression of dissent and more brutal form of Misson 2016 (OGH), the letter read. It reportedly said senior comrades have proposed concrete steps to end Modi-raj and that they were thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi type incident. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed in 1991 in a Tamil Nadu town in a suicide attack by a guerrilla group ahead of a rally. It sounds suicidal and there is a good chance that we might fail, but we feel that the party PB/CC must deliberate over our proposal. Targeting his road-shows could be an effective strategy. We collectively believe that survival of the party is supreme to all sacrifices. The letter also said for defeating Hindu fascism has been our core agenda and a major concern for the party. Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary said the court should decide the matter. "There are security forces in the country. Also, courts are there. They will look into this. The security forces have been taking care of the politicians in India. I don't know (if it's real or not). Let court decide that," he said. Congress leader said the strategy might be "planted". "I am not saying this is completely untrue, but it has been Prime Minister Modi's old tactic, since he was the Chief Minister of Whenever his popularity declines, news of an assassination plot is planted. So, it should be probed how much truth is in it this time," he told ANI. After the news of alleged Maoists leaders' letters which described the possible assassination plot of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister R.K. Singh on Friday said that the former in under threat and the matter should be taken seriously. "Prime Minister is under threat now; the matter should be taken seriously. Those who don't want India to emerge as a powerful nation have become uncomfortable as they know India can only become powerful under his leadership," Singh told ANI. On Thursday, the Pune police told a court that they were in possession of a letter, seized from the residence of one of the five people who have been arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence, which talks about the assassination of Prime Minister Modi in Rajiv Gandhi-type incident. "Modi-led Hindu fascism is bulldozing its way into the lives of indigenous Adivasis. In spite of big defeats like Bihar and West Bengal, Modi has successfully established BJP government in more than 15 states. If this pace continues, then it would mean immense trouble for the party.... Comrade Kisan and few other senior comrades have proposed concrete steps to end Modi-raj," the letter read. "We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi type incident," it added. In the letter, it was also written that for Maoists, "defeating Hindu fascism has been our core agenda and a major concern for the party". The assassination plot's revelation has generated reactions across the political spectrum. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, while on a campaign trail in Tamil Nadu, was assassinated on May 21, 1991, by a LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) suicide bomber, Thenmozhi Rajaratnam, who detonated herself while greeting him with a garland. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that the security and safety of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a topmost priority for everyone and the ministry is cautious about it. Singh made the comments after the Pune Police earlier in the day intercepted an internal communication of the Maoists revealing plans of a 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination of Prime Minister Modi. Addressing a press conference on his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to review the security situation, Rajnath said, "We are always concerned about the security of our Prime Minister. Maoism and extremism have now been reduced by many folds. Maoists are just fighting a lost battle." The Home Minister espoused that the number of Naxal-affected districts has come down from 175 districts to 90 districts in the last four years under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government, adding that Maoist-related violence has come down drastically. Rajnath further said, "I will still say that there are roughly just 10 districts in the country that is the most affected by Maoist extremism." He cited the example of the insurgency in North-East India, saying that the menace has been finished and there were no cases of extremist-related violence in the region in the last four years. "85 percent extremism has been reduced in the North-East in the last four years. Our security agencies are present and active round-the-clock to ensure that no untoward incidents happen there." Earlier, the Pune Police told a court on Thursday that they seized the Prime Minister Modi's assassination bid letter from the residence of one of the five persons they had arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence. "Modi-led Hindu fascism is bulldozing its way into the lives of indigenous Adivasis. In spite of big defeats like Bihar and West Bengal, Modi has successfully established BJP government in more than 15 states. If this pace continues, then it would mean immense trouble for the party on all fronts. Greater suppression of dissent and more brutal form of Misson 2016 (OGH)," the letter read. "Com. Kisan and few other senior comrades have proposed concrete steps to end Modi-raj. We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi type incident. It sounds suicidal and there is a good chance that we might fail, but we feel that the party PB/CC must deliberate over our proposal. Targeting his road-shows could be an effective strategy. We collectively believe that survival of the party is supreme to all sacrifices," the letter stated. In a press conference yesterday, Pune Joint Commissioner of Police (CP) Ravindra Kadam said that during the investigation the police recovered "pen drive, hard disk and some other documents" which were later sent to forensics. It may be recalled that former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991, in Sriperumbedur, Tamil Nadu, by a suicide bomber from neighbouring Sri Lanka while on a campaign trail. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday strongly condemned divisive political forces on deliberately defaming the party over a morphed photo of former president Pranab Mukherjee wearing a black coloured Sangh cap and giving an RSS-style salute. The RSS said that 'frustrated forces' are using 'dirty tricks' to defame the Sangh. "Some divisive political forces have posted a morphed photo of former president of Bharat Dr. Pranab Mukherjee standing in a prayer position with a folded hand during recitation of Sangha Prarthana at yesterday's RSS function at Nagpur," a press release read. "These forces initially tried to create an opposition to make Dr Mukherjee refrain from attending this function and now these frustrated forces are doing all such dirty tricks to defame RSS. We denounce and strongly condemn such dirty tricks by these divisive political forces to deliberately defame RSS," the release added. Mukherjee on Thursday in his maiden visit to the RSS headquarters delivered a powerful speech on 'Nation, Nationalism and Patriotism'. Mukherjee's acceptance of the RSS' invitation to attend the Third Year Sangha Shiksha Varga (SSV) event led to backlash from the Congress and others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Qingdao, a coastal city in China is all set to welcome guests for the18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. During the weekend, leaders of the eight SCO member states, four observer states, the heads of other international organisations are going to exchange views on the development of SCO, according to Xinhua. This will be the first SCO summit after June 2017, when India and Pakistan were accepted as full members. The summit will be chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Over 2,500 journalists from China and abroad are expected to cover the summit this year. The leaders of the member states will sign the Qingdao Declaration and some other agreements on security, economic cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. During the summit, the leaders will also analyze international and regional security situations and discuss measures to boost cooperation. The SCO was founded in Shanghai 17 years ago and it now accounts for nearly half of the world's population and over 20 percent of global GDP. It is by far the largest regional organisation in the (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After the Pune Police intercepted an internal communication of Maoists revealing plans of a 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Friday called for a high-level investigation into the same and urged all political parties to support the Centre in its probe. On Thursday, the police told a court that they were in possession of a letter, seized from the residence of one of the five people who have been arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence, which talks about the assassination of Prime Minister Modi in Rajiv Gandhi-type incident. "Modi-led Hindu fascism is bulldozing its way into the lives of indigenous Adivasis. In spite of big defeats like Bihar and West Bengal, Modi has successfully established BJP government in more than 15 states. If this pace continues, then it would mean immense trouble for the party.... Comrade Kisan and few other senior comrades have proposed concrete steps to end Modi-raj," the letter read. "We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi type incident," it added. In the letter, it was also written that for Maoists, "defeating Hindu fascism has been our core agenda and a major concern for the party". The assassination plot's revelation has generated reactions across the political spectrum. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the security and safety of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a topmost priority for everyone and the ministry is cautious about it. However, the main opposition party, Congress, raised doubts over veracity of the plot. Reacting to the news, Sanjay Nirupam told ANI, "I am not saying this is completely untrue, but it has been Prime Minister Modi's tactic. Whenever his popularity declines, news of an assassination plot is planted. So, it should be probed how much truth is in it this time." The Communist Party of India (Marxist) downplayed the news and said the court should decide on the matter. "There are security forces in the country. Also, courts are there. They will look into this. The security forces have been taking care of the politicians in India. I don't know (if it's real or not). Let the court decide that," party's general secretary Sitaram Yechury said. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, while on a campaign trail in Tamil Nadu, was assassinated on May 21, 1991, by a LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) suicide bomber, Thenmozhi Rajaratnam, who detonated herself while greeting him with a garland. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Professor Hasan Askari Rizvi assumed charge as the caretaker chief minister of Pakistan's Punjab Province on Friday. He was administered oath of office and secrecy at the Governor's House in Lahore a short while ago, Geo TV reports. On Thursday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had nominated Rizvi after a parliamentary committee failed to reach a consensus on who would be the interim chief minister of the province. Dr.Rizvi is a political scientist and military analyst, noted for his work in comparative politics, nuclear weapons and the country's domestic policy. He also served as a visiting professor of Pakistan Studies at Columbia University from January 1996 to July 1999. During 1988 to 1991, Dr Askari served as the Allama Iqbal Professor at Heidelberg University of Germany. In 2010, the professor was awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz. He has also published a number of books, including Military, State and Society in Pakistan and The military and in Pakistan: 1947 - 1997 among others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping has signed a joint Russian-Chinese statement after making negotiations, which said both Russia and China are determined to build up cooperation in all areas. The purpose of the mutual cooperation would be to develop strategic trust-based dialogue at high and top levels. The two sides also decided to hold closer contacts on strategic security in the conditions of growing instability. As per TASS, the joint statement read, "Amid growing instability and uncertainty in the world, the sides continue to develop contacts on strategic security, support intensive dialogue between the ministries of foreign affairs and step up bilateral coordination at the corresponding international venues." Both the countries also underscored that they were ready to join their efforts to bring bilateral relations to a new, higher level. The two countries are also going to step up coordination between their armed forces. Putin, who is on an official visit to China from June 8 to 10, is also scheduled to attend the Qingdao Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A delegation of South Korean officials and civilian experts will on Friday visit North Korea to make arrangements for the opening of a liaison office in the North's border city of Kaesong. According to the unification ministry, this 14-member team which is led by Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung, will leave for Kaesong today to inspect facilities, Yonhap reported. Following the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's and South Korean President Moon Jae-In's summit in April and May, the two Koreas decided to open the liaison office at an early date in anticipation of increased cross-border exchanges. From 2004 to 2016, the two Koreas operated the joint industrial complex. South Korea's capital with the North's cheap and skillful labor had set a successful example of economic cooperation between the two Koreas. But, in protest at the North's continued missile and nuclear provocations, South Korea closed the factory park in early 2016. However, the opening of the liaison office is seen as a first step to implement promises the two leaders made in their recent summits. In April, North and South Korea agreed to sign a peace treaty formally later this year, ending the 65-year old war between the two countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday questioned the conditional approval being given to former president general Pervez Musharraf to contest elections despite facing charges of high treason in the country. Interacting with media outside an accountability court here, where he was attending a hearing of Avenfield properties reference against his family, Sharif asked, "Where is the law and the Constitution now, where is Article 6 and all the cases [against Musharraf]?" On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan asked Musharraf to appear before it on June 13 and assured him that he would not be arrested upon appearance. "We will pass an order ensuring authorities do not arrest the former president before his appearance in court," Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo lamented that everything that was happening in the country was in non-compliance with the law. "I am not even getting a three-day exemption to go see my [ailing] wife," said Nawaz. He further said that Musharraf was involved in the Akbar Bugti murder and the May 12 carnage. "Musharraf went against the Constitution on two occasions [yet he was given a conditional guarantee] while I was disqualified [from holding office] for life," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The private posts of around 14 million were made public due to a software bug. The users, whose posts typically defaults to a preselected privacy setting, didn't know that a simple message to a person is actually being shared with the general public due to this bug. This bug was active from May 18 to May 27. It changed users' privacy settings to public, without them knowing. ALSO READ: Govt seeks explanation from Facebook by June 20 over data sharing The company said the problem has been fixed, adding that it will notify the 14 million users who could have been affected, starting Thursday. "Starting today we are letting everyone affected know and asking them to review any posts they made during that time. We'd like to apologize for this mistake," CNBC quoted the chief privacy officer Erin Egan as saying. The social media giant had been under scanner lately for the growing online data-privacy concerns like providing privileged access to its API with Chinese companies including Huawei, Lenovo, Oppo, and TCL, data breaching by data analytics company Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy said on Friday that he has spoken to Security Advisor Ajit Doval over the news regarding the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assassination plot and said the matter must not be taken lightly. Swamy made the comments after the Pune Police revealed that they have intercepted an internal communication of the Maoists plotting to kill Prime Minister Modi in 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination. Swamy told ANI, "I called up Security Advisor Ajit Doval and spoke to him regarding this matter. I'll be writing a letter to him on Monday. Since the Congress party is also involved or has been named, this shouldn't be taken lightly. There is no doubt that PM Modi has been our star campaigner and has influenced our performance." He also urged all investigative agencies to take note of the matter and deal it at the highest level. Reacting to the remark made by Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who called it "planted" information, Swamy slammed the grand old party for saying such "untested things". On Thursday, the Pune police told a court that they were in possession of a letter, seized from the residence of one of the five people, who have been arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence, which talks about the assassination of Prime Minister Modi in Rajiv Gandhi-type incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's cousin Noor Jehan is set to contest the upcoming general elections in Pakistan on July 25 from a constituency in Peshawar. Jehan, who has already filed her nominations to fight in the polls, will be contesting from the PK-77 constituency of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly. "I want to work for women's empowerment. I'd like to focus on the problems in my constituency," Jehan was quoted by The Express Tribune as saying. Her brother, Mansoor, who is leading her election campaign, told the Pakistani daily that her sister had previously served as a councillor. Mansoor added that their family had been a part of the Khudai Khidmatgar (Servants of Gods) movement during the pre-Independence days, which was led by freedom activist Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, who was also known as Bacha Khan, as per the report. "We have a political legacy attached to the family," he further said. It is pertinent to know that the Khudai Khidmatgar movement was launched in 1929 and had advocated the use of civilian resistance against British rule and denounce violence. Thousands of people had participated in the massive agitation. Pakistan's Awami National Party (ANP) had also approached Jehan with a ticket and wanted her to contest from a seat reserved for women. However, she failed to make it, after which Mansoor said that Jehan would contest the elections as an independent candidate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is on a five-day visit to South Africa, on Friday met Minister Mentor of Mauritius Sir Anerood Jugnauth, who is also the Defence Minister of Mauritius, to strengthen maritime cooperation. During her transit stay in Mauritius, leaders shared views on strengthening maritime cooperation between two countries, tweeted official spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Raveesh Kumar. "During her transit stay in Mauritius, EAM @SushmaSwaraj interacted with Minister Mentor of Mauritius Sir Anerood Jugnauth who is also the Defence Minister of Mauritius. Leaders shared views on strengthening maritime cooperation between two countries," Kumar tweeted. On Thursday, Sushma Swaraj travelled in the historic first-class compartment of a train from the Pietermaritzburg railway station, from which years back Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi was thrown out by a Britisher. This formed the last leg of Swaraj's visit to South Africa, as the part which she earlier inaugurated a bust of Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi and a model of charkha at the railway station. Swaraj was accompanied by a score of people, clad in white Khadi cloth. She earlier visited the digital version of a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. This museum was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his South African visit in 2016. On Wednesday, while addressing the audience at the railway station, Swaraj recalled the contributions made by Mahatma Gandhi and anti-apartheid crusader Nelson Mandela in starting a movement for independence and anti-racism respectively. She also launched a coffee table book, titled "The Birth of Satyagraha". Swaraj earlier went to Johannesburg to attend the BRICS ministerial meeting and the IBSA (India-Brazil- South Africa) meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Investigation Agency (NIA) Court in Delhi on Friday dismissed bail application of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested for his alleged role in a terror-funding case involving Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed. On June 5, Delhi's Patiala House Court convicted three out of four people in the 2011 terror funding case and sentenced them for the period already undergone. In 2011, the NIA had filed the charge sheet against the trio, indicting them for collecting more than Rs 4.57 crore from Pakistan through hawala channels within three years for funding terrorist activities in the Valley. Thereafter, the NIA in April this year filed the chargesheet against Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin's son Syed Shahid Yusuf under section 120-B of the IPC and 13, 17, 18, 20, 21, 38 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, for willfully raising, receiving, collecting 'terror funds' and holding proceeds of terrorism' for furtherance of terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Furthermore, the Delhi High Court on May 31 dismissed the bail plea filed by Shahid Yusuf in the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amidst the on-going trade wars between the United States (US) and other countries, Canadian President Justin Trudeau on Friday said Japan and Canada will focus on progressive trade relations. Just before the scheduled G7 summit, Trudeau held a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as they both discussed The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership which aims at creating a counter-trade agreement to the North America Free Trade Alliance largely controlled by the US. Trudeau took to his Twitter handle to inform the same as he wrote, "Japan & Canada are committed to moving forward on progressive trade to create jobs & growth in both our countries. Thanks to PM @ShinzoAbe for the meeting this morning in Charlevoix, focused on the progress we've made on CPTPP and today's G7 Summit." Recently, US President Donald Trump had announced trade tariffs amounting to 25 percent taxation on aluminum and steel products worldwide. Following that all Canada, Mexico, and the European Union affected by the new trade taxes criticised the US administration for the trade move. After Trudeau's statement, the European Union reportedly announced to block the United States move to include the ousted country Russia in the G7 bloc. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States President Donald Trump will depart from his visit at the Group of Seven summit in Canada several hours early on Saturday. The development reportedly comes after Trump had a spat with French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over Twitter, both of whom he will meet face-to-face on Friday. Trump will directly fly to Singapore for his much-awaited meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, scheduled to take place on June 12, and will skip sessions on climate change and the environment. The US President will depart the G-7 summit mid-morning on Saturday after a session on women's empowerment. A White House aide will represent the U.S. for the remainder of the summit; the Hill quoted White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as saying. Earlier in the day, Trump lashed out at Trudeau and Macron in a series of tweets over the criticism on U.S' imposition of trade tariff. "Why isn't the European Union and Canada informing the public that for years they have used massive Trade Tariffs and non-monetary Trade Barriers against the U.S. Totally unfair to our farmers, workers & companies. Take down your tariffs & barriers or we will more than match you!," Trump tweeted on Friday. "Prime Minister Trudeau is being so indignant, bringing up the relationship that the U.S. and Canada had over the many years and all sorts of other things...but he doesn't bring up the fact that they charge us up to 300% on dairy - hurting our Farmers, killing our Agriculture!," Trump wrote in another tweet. In another Twitter post, Trump wrote, "Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the U.S. massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers. The EU trade surplus with the U.S. is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out. Look forward to seeing them tomorrow." On May 31, the US had announced the imposition of 25 and 10 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum respectively on three of its biggest trading partners - Canada, Mexico and the European Union (EU). Thereafter, Trudeau dubbed the trade tariffs as 'insulting and unacceptable' and announced that the country would impose its own tariffs on US' goods in retaliation. Meanwhile, Macron tweeted, "The American President may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a 6 country agreement if need be. Because these 6 countries represent values, they represent an economic market which has the weight of history behind it and which is now a true international force. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and he were working to improve the trading relationship between the US and Japan during latter's visit to the US. "Prime Minister Abe and I are also working to improve the trading relationship between the U.S. and Japan, something we have to do. The U.S. seeks a bilateral deal with Japan that is based on the principle of fairness and reciprocity. We're working hard to reduce our trade imbalance..." Trump tweeted. This was Prime Minister Abe's second meeting with Trump in less than two months. In April, Prime Minister Abe said he has agreed to "start talks for free, fair and reciprocal trade" with the US. Focusing on strengthening of economic ties between Japan and the US, the Japanese Prime Minister said, "In order to benefit both Japan and the US, we will further expand trade and investment between the two countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States (US) on Thursday said it is ready to participate in talks with the Taliban. This comes after Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani announced a temporary ceasefire with the Taliban on June 7. Deputy Assistant to US President Donald Trump and Senior Director for Central Asia at the National Security Council, Lisa Curtis, said US cannot talk on behalf of Kabul but is willing to be a part of talks. "The United States is ready to participate in the discussion, but we cannot serve as a substitute for the Afghan government and the Afghan people. A political settlement must be negotiated through a process that is Afghan-lead and Afghan-owned," Tolo News quoted Curtis as saying. The Afghan Taliban, including the Haqqani network, has sought refuge in Pakistan for over 16 years and now we have asked Pakistan to cooperate and assist in the peace process, she added. Ghani announced the ceasefire which is effective from the 27th of Ramzan (June 12) to the fifth day of Eid-ul-Fitr (June 19). Major allies of Afghanistan welcomed Ghani's move. However, the Taliban spokesman said that the leaders of the group are still discussing the issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Monsoon Advance: Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of Central Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Goa, Karnataka and Rayalaseema, some parts of south Konkan, south Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Vidarbha, south Chhattisgarh and south Odisha, entire Telangana, most parts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh, remaining parts of West Central Bay of Bengal and most parts of North Bay of Bengal. The Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM) passes through Lat. 17N/ Long. 60E, Lat. 17N/ Long. 70E, Ratnagiri. Solapur, Nanded, Adilabad, Bailadila, Malkangiri, Kalingapatnam, Lat. 21N/ Long. 90E, Agartala, Lumding, north Lakhimpur and Lat. 29N/ Long. 95E. (Figure 1) Conditions are favorable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into some more parts of Central Arabian Sea, Maharashtra (including Mumbai), Chhattisgarh & Odisha and remaining parts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh during next 24 hours. Conditions are very likely to become favorable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into most parts of Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Maharashtra, some parts of south Gujarat region, southern parts of Madhya Pradesh, some more parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha, some parts of West Bengal & Sikkim, remaining parts of Northeastern States and Bay of Bengal during the subsequent 48 hours. 2. Strengthening of Monsoon leading to enhanced rainfall activity along west coast: Increased rainfall activity over coastal Karnataka, Goa and south Maharashtra is likely to continue till 10th June. It is very likely to extend to north coastal Maharashtra, including Mumbai from tomorrow. Extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in these regions is also very likely during this period. The rainfall activity over these regions is likely to reduce from 12th June. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On 13 June 2018 Anup Malleable has received a letter from Ashok Khaitan, forming part of the Promoter Group of Anup Malleables to consider the voluntary delisting of the Company from the BSE and the Calcutta Stock Exchange (CSE) i.e., both the Stock Exchanges where the equity shares of the Company are listed. In this regard kindly note that in lieu of the aforesaid letter a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on 13 June 2018 to consider the prospects of voluntary delisting of the Company from both the BSE and CSE. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cipla surged 3.28% to Rs 557.95 at 14:46 IST on BSE after the company announced partnership with Eli Lilly & Company to market diabetes drug BASAGLAR. The announcement was made during market hours today, 8 June 2018. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 33.67 points or 0.09% at 35,429.41. On the BSE, 1.57 lakh shares were traded on the counter so far as against average daily volumes of 5.02 lakh shares in the past two weeks. The stock had hit a high of Rs 560.45 and a low of Rs 539.50 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 663 on 7 November 2017. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 508.10 on 22 May 2018. Cipla today announced its partnership with, Eli Lilly and Company (India), a 100% subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, a global multinational pharmaceutical leader, for the marketing and distribution of Lilly's BASAGLAR (insulin glargine injection) in India. Cipla expects to start commercialising BASAGLAR in India by end of the year 2018. Under this agreement, Lilly's BASAGLAR that is manufactured by Lilly will be marketed and distributed in India by Cipla. Umang Vohra, MD & Global CEO, Cipla said that diabetes continues to be a focus area for the company and with the launch of strong brand like BASAGLAR, Cipla will be at the forefront of providing a holistic diabetes care with the most comprehensive portfolio across orals and injectables. Cipla reported consolidated net profit of Rs 153.25 crore in Q4 March 2018 as compared with net loss of Rs 62.79 crore in Q4 March 2017. Cipla's consolidated total income rose 3.69% to Rs 3737.98 crore in Q4 March 2018 over Q4 March 2017. Cipla is a global pharmaceutical company. Its portfolio includes over 1500 products across wide range of therapeutic categories. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India registered a significant decline in Maternal Mortality Ratio. According to the just released SRS bulletin (2016), India has shown impressive gains in reduction of Maternal Mortality with 22% reduction in since 2013. Nearly one thousand fewer women now die of pregnancy related complications each month in India. Maternal Mortality Ratio of India has declined from 167 in 2011-2013 to 130 in 2014-2016. The decline has been most significant in EAG States and Assam from 246 to 188. Among the Southern States, the decline has been from 93 to 77 and in the Other States from 115 to 93. Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare thanked Prime Minister, Narendra Modi for his visionary leadership and continued support that have tremendously helped in achieving this milestone. The latest SRS figures reveal that we have gone beyond the MDG target of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 139 by 2015 and have reached 130. I congratulate the Ministry and the States for their joint efforts, Shri Nadda said. According to the SRS Bulletin, there were nearly 12,000 fewer maternal deaths in 2016 as compared to 2013, with total number of maternal deaths for the first time reducing to 32,000. This means that every day 30 more pregnant women are now being saved in India as compared to 2013. Amongst the States, Uttar Pradesh with 30% decline has topped the chart in the reduction of Maternal Deaths. Three states have already met the SDG target for MMR of 70 per 100,000. These are Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, while Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are within striking distance. The results signify that the strategic approach of the Ministry has started yielding dividends and the efforts of focusing on low performing States is paying off, especially initiatives like Mission Indradhanush and Intensified Mission Indradhanush with their focused approach are significantly turning the tide in favour of India. Other major initiatives under the umbrella of NHM like augmentation of infrastructure and HR, Capacity Building, JSSK which provides for free transport and care for pregnant women have also contributed to the success. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Bank gained 1.61% to Rs 356.60 at 12:22 IST on BSE after the bank said it has hiked its marginal cost of funds based lending rate by 5 to 10 basis points for various tenors effective from 11 June 2018. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 7 June 2018. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 185.44 point or 0.52% at 35,277.64. On the BSE, 65,000 shares were traded on the counter so far as against average daily volumes of 96,000 shares in the past two weeks. The stock had hit a high of Rs 360 and a low of Rs 347 so far during the day. The stock had hit a record high of Rs 428 on 17 November 2017. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 254 on 28 September 2017. The large-cap bank has equity capital of Rs 480.29 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10. Indian Bank announced that it has hiked its marginal cost of funds based lending rates (MCLR) by 5 to 10 basis points (bps) across various tenors with effect from 11 June 2018. The bank's MCLR for overnight loans will be 8%, for one month will be 8.1% and for three months will be 8.3%. The MCLR on 6-month loans will be 8.4% and for one-year loans the rate would be 8.5%, the bank said. MCLR for three-year loans would be at 8.7% and loans with five-year maturity would carry an MCLR of 8.95%, the bank said. Indian Bank's net profit dropped 58.72% to Rs 131.98 crore on 7.66% growth in total income to Rs 4954.21 crore in Q4 March 2018 over Q4 March 2017. The Government of India held 81.874% stake in Indian Bank as per the shareholding pattern as on 31 March 2018. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Durable Water Conservation assets have been a priority under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) over the last 3 years. Over 143 lakh hectares have benefitted in the last 3 years through Water Conservation under MGNREGS. The Institute of Economic Growth study and the Council for Social Development study have indicated improvements in productivity, acreage, incomes and water table. Hon'ble Prime Minister had reviewed with Hon'ble Chief Ministers of States at the time of 2015-16 rainfall deficiency and has again reiterated the need for fully utilizing MGNREGS in April to June period for Water Conservation. To ensure a concerted thrust on Water Conservation during the summer months, already Rs. 25,376 crore have been released to the States and UTs in the current Financial Year. Every State has taken up Water Conservation works as per its felt needs. 2,156 river rejuvenation works have also been planned by the States across the country. Some very meaningful work has been undertaken to revive water bodies, and to construct new ponds. Districts in nearly every State have come forward to start a people's movement for Water Conservation. Efforts in Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Sikkim, Maharashtra, are all designed as per local needs to ensure that durable Water Conservation assets contribute to the well-being of marginal and small farmers. Through these concerted efforts, over 15 lakh farm ponds have already been completed besides a very large number of dug wells, community water bodies, check dams etc. Each and every asset being created is also geo-tagged. The Ministry's thrust on ensuring timely wage payments is showing remarkable results. Of the 38.4 crore persondays already generated in the current Financial Year, payments in over 95% cases have been generated within 15 days. In 86.4% cases, the same has even reached the Bank account of the beneficiaries within the stipulated time period. The Water Conservation thrust, with a focus on transparency, technically sound planning and execution, and timely wage payments, is transforming the lives and livelihoods of a large number of Villages and households in Rural India. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Monrovia (Liberia), June 8 (IANS/MAP) A total of 130 Liberian migrants from Niger were repatriated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM also presented an undisclosed financial package to the migrants who returned on Thursday. The migrants, most of whom expressed joy over their return, said some of them "arbitrarily were arrested, maltreated and imprisoned in North African countries such as Morocco, Algeria, and Niger before IOM could come to their rescue". The IOM's Chief of Mission in Liberia, Kabla Amihere, said the migrants contacted the IOM in Niger and they were taken to a transit centre. Amihere said some of the migrants were en route to Libya and were going to travel to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea. He added that there are currently 200 other migrants in Niger who would be repatriated voluntarily, adding that over 500 others are in Gambia and some more in Tunisia, Algeria and Libya. --IANS/MAP ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The task force on shell companies set up by the government has identified more than 2.25 lakh such firms which will be removed from the register of companies in the current financial year, an official statement said on Friday. A Finance Ministry release here said that in the 2017-18 fiscal ended March, the registrar of companies (ROC) removed the names of over 2.26 lakh companies from its register and disqualified 3.09 lakh directors. "During financial year 2017-18, ROCs identified and removed from the register of companies the names of 2,26,166 companies, while 3,09,619 directors were disqualified," it said. "A second drive is to be launched during the current financial year 2018-19. A total of 2,25,910 companies have been identified for being struck-off under section 248 of the Companies Act." The task force under the joint chairmanship of the Finance and Corporate Affairs Secretaries had been constituted last year. It has compiled a database of shell companies by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office, the statement said. "The ex-directors/authorized signatories of the struck-off companies have been restricted from operating the bank accounts of these companies and they cannot withdraw any amount from these bank accounts, other than for specified purposes, till the company is restored u/s 252 of the Companies Act," it added. --IANS bc/him/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four Palestinian protesters were killed and 618 others wounded by Israeli soldiers on Friday during clashes near the Israel-Gaza border, officials said. Ashraf al-Qedra, the Health Ministry spokesman in Gaza, said Zeyad al-Briem, 25, and Haytham al-Jammal, 15, were killed in east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip, while Emad Darabieh, 26, was shot dead in east of Jabalia in northern Gaza. Meanwhile, Yousef al-Faseeh, 29, was killed in east of Gaza City, Xinhua reported. Among the injured Palestinians, 117 were hit with live gunshots, 60 with tear gas inhalation, and 77 by bullets shrapnels or tear gas canisters, said al-Qedra. The clashes, which broke out on Friday afternoon, were part of the 11th Friday "Great March of Return" held by Palestinians in Gaza since March 30. More than 120 Palestinians have been killed so far. The Palestinian organisers called the latest rally "the Friday of the One-million-men March for Jerusalem". Local media reported that thousands of Palestinian demonstrators joined the protests at five different spots in eastern Gaza. Hundreds of kites carrying Molotov cocktails flown by demonstrators landed on Israeli agricultural fields and caused large fires. Eyewitnesses said Israeli soldiers fired tear gas at journalists and TV crew in eastern Gaza. Palestinian demonstrators brought down an Israeli drone carrying a camera used to film demonstrators in eastern Gaza City. Five journalists were injured, including AFP photographer Mohamed al-Baba, who was shot in his right foot, and a cameraman working for the al-Aqsa Radio of Hamas, who was hit with a tear gas canister in his back, the Health Ministry in Gaza said. The Ministry also accused Israeli soldiers of firing tear gas at the medical workers who were treating the injured protesters. --IANS qd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just a day after meeting BJP president Amit Shah in Chandigarh, the top leadership of the Shiromani Akali Dal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday and emphasized that the BJP-Akali Dal alliance in Punjab was "durable and time-tested". The meeting with the Prime Minister assumes significance in view of some of the allies of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) openly criticizing the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) attitude. The Akali Dal on Thursday reiterated its alliance with the BJP for the 2019 general elections. It urged the BJP leadership to ensure that minorities feel safe under the NDA rule and that the Sikh community, Punjab and its farmers get their dues. "The Prime Minister at the very outset expressed his profound appreciation of the fact the Shiromani Akali Dal is the oldest and the most dependable ally of the BJP in the entire country," a press statement of the Akali Dal in Chandigarh stated. "This is the oldest, the most durable and time-tested alliance and the BJP profoundly values it. The alliance signifies the social and political consensus in Punjab and elsewhere and is a symbol of peace and communal harmony throughout the country, especially in Punjab," it quoted the Prime Minister as saying. Besides, Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Akali Dal delegation comprised Sukhdev Sigh Dhindsa, Ranjit Singh Brahampura, Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Union Cabinet Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and Delhi Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa. The president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Gobind Singh Longowal and Manjit Singh GK also attended the meeting. The Akali Dal delegation thanked Modi for the Union government's "unprecedented and decisive" initiative in exempting Langar from the GST. "The delegation expressed its wholehearted appreciation for the fact that the decision on exemption on all purchases for Guru ka Langar for all Gurdwara Sahibaan throughout the country was a first ever initiative of its kind by the Government of India since Independence," the statement said. The Akali Dal leadership also urged the Prime Minister to expedite the implementation of the Swaminathan Report by which the farmers would be ensured a profit margin of 50 per cent over and above the costs incurred by them. The delegation also asked the Prime Minister to set up a National Committee under his own chairmanship to ensure that the 550th Parkash Utsav (birth anniversary) of Guru Nanak Dev is celebrated as a major national event. It urged Modi to ensure that all Sikh and Punjab detainees languishing in jails even after completing their sentence, in many cases lasting 20 years, should be immediately released. "Keeping them in custody after the expiry of their sentence is both illegal and immoral," the party statement said. --IANS js/him/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ABC Studios, the executive producers of Priyanka Chopras show "Quantico", has extended an apology to fans who were offended by an episode of the show which portrayed Indian nationalists as terrorists who were trying to frame Pakistan in a terror plot. They said that they regret stepping into "a complex political issue", and they didn't intend to offend anyone. The episode, entitled The Blood of Romeo, aired on June 1. In it, Priyanka's character, FBI agent Alex Parrish, thwarts a terror plot just days before a summit between India and Pakistan is to be held, reports Hollywoodreporter.com. During her investigations, Parrish finds a religious Hindu symbol - a Rudraksh chain - on the neck of one of the suspects leading her to conclude that the plot was devised by Indian nationalists to frame Pakistan in a nuclear terror attack. Some fans of the show were upset with the portrayal of Indians in the plot and took to Twitter to express their views. In fact, many fans slammed Priyanka for the track. ABC Studios clarified that Priyanka had no role in writing or directing the show: The statement read: "ABC Studios and the executive producers of 'Quantico' would like to extend an apology to our audience who were offended by the most recent episode, 'The Blood of Romeo'. The episode has stirred a lot of emotion, much of which is unfairly aimed at Priyanka Chopra, who didn't create the show, nor does she write or direct it. "She has no involvement in the casting of the show or the storylines depicted in the series." They also stressed that "Quantico" is a work of fiction. "The show has featured antagonists of many different ethnicities and backgrounds, but in this case we inadvertently and regrettably stepped into a complex political issue. It was certainly not our intention to offend anyone," the statement read further. "Quantico" will not be getting a fourth season. The third season is on air in India on Star World. The cast also included Jake McLaughlin, Johanna Braddy, Russell Tovey, Alan Powell, Marlee Matlin and Blair Underwood. --IANS sug/nv/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) patriach L. K. Advani on Friday described former President Pranab Mukherjee attending the RSS programme at its headquarters in Nagpur his "grace and goodwill" and said it was a significant event in the countrys contemporary history. "Yesterday's (Thursday) visit by Mukherjee, to the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and his illuminating exposition of the noble idea and ideals of Indian nationalism, are a significant event in our country's contemporary history," he said in a statement here. Advani also hailed RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat for inviting Mukherjee to address the swayamsevaks who completed the third year of training this year. "I also heartily congratulate Mukherjee for his grace and goodwill in accepting the invitation," the BJP leader said. Advani remarks came a day after Mukherjee addressed its cadre in Nagpur. The former President's decision to accept the RSS invite had drawn a lot of flak from several Congress leaders -- and his daughter. "There was significant concord and resonance in the views expressed by both leaders. Both of them highlighted the essential unity of India, which accepts and respects all diversities including the pluralism of faiths," said Advani, who is also a Lok Sabha member from Gujarat's Gandhinagar constituency. He asserted that as a lifelong swayamsevak of the RSS, "I believe that these two national leaders have truly set a praiseworthy example of dialogue transcending ideological affiliations and differences". Praising Mukherjee, Advani said, "I have had the pleasure and privilege of knowing, and working closely with, Pranab Babu in and outside Parliament. "His own reflective nature, combined with his long and varied experience in public life, have made him a statesman who strongly believes in the necessity of dialogue and cooperation among people of various ideological and political backgrounds," the BJP leader said. Advani, who has served as the BJP president for the longest period, expressed his happiness over the RSS Chief for expanding and intensifying its efforts to reach out to various sections of the nation in the spirit of dialogue. "Such conversations, conducted in the spirit of openness and mutual respect, will surely help in creating a much-needed atmosphere of tolerance, harmony and cooperation to build an India of our common dreams," Advani added. --IANS aks/vsc/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hours after being taken into police custody, businessman Abhishek Gupta -- who accused the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, S.P Goyal, of seeking bribe of Rs 25 lakh -- retracted his charge on Friday evening. The swift turn of events prompted many here to believe that coercion by the state police was the reason for change in the stance of Gupta. In police custody since afternoon, for "interrogation and ascertaining of his charges", the young businessman from Lucknow who claimed to have taken a loan of Rs 1 crore for setting up a petrol pump at Hardoi, said he "was upset and had lost his mental balance after the senior IAS official trashed his file despite completion of all formalities". In a video that surfaced in social media, where he is seen being prompted by a policeman into parroting the clarification, Gupta is seen saying that he had met Goyal for clearance of his file but the officer put some queries, which despite being sent back from the district administration were not entertained by the Principal Secretary to Yogi Adityanath. He later says that in a state of depression -- as he was shelling out an interest of Rs 1.10 lakh per month against the loan taken for setting up the petrol pump -- he made these frivolous charges against the top bureaucrat. Adityanath had earlier in the day asked Chief Secretary Rajeev Kumar to find out the factual position in the case involving senior IAS officer Goyal, an official spokesman said. Goyal has been accused by the Lucknow businessman of seeking Rs 25 lakh to approve widening of a road to his proposed petrol pump. The issue was triggered after Governor Ram Naik, taking cognizance, shot off a letter to Chief Minister apprising him of the e-mail complaint the Raj Bhawan had received from the Indiranagar-based businessman, seeking help in getting the matter expedited. In his letter, Naik said the business had claimed that since he was not yielding to the bribe demanded by the IAS officer, he was sitting on the file and not disposing it of. The Governor asked Adityanath to look into the matter at his level. On Friday, the complainant was picked up by the Lucknow police around afternoon for interrogation. Lucknow SSP Deepak Kumar said the move followed a complaint filed against Gupta by state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in-charge Bharat Dixit alleging that the said businessman was exerting pressure on senior party office-bearers and the Chief Minister's Office to seek favours. "Following the complaint, the Hazratganj police filed a case under sections 419, 420 and 500 of the IPC against Gupta and he has been picked by the police for interrogation under 161 CrPC," the SSP said. However, later in the evening, Kumar said the businessman had been let off after a written apology. "He has been handed over to his maternal grand father who lives in Lucknow and the probe is underway." While many here feel that the whistle blower was being arm-twisted by the government agencies and the ruling party to withdraw his complaint against Goel, insiders in the BJP said the fact that a letter had been written by the Governor to Chief Minister with regard to the matter has landed the government in trouble! Meanwhile, opposition parties in the state tore into the BJP government for allegedly trying to victimise and intimidate the person who had come up with the complaint against the CM's aide. Ridiculing the state government, former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said it was sad that under the watch of the government, people coming up with complaints were being targeted rather than a serious investigation done in the matter. He also cited the case of a Unnao rape victim, whose father was "killed in police custody" after he approached them with charges against a sitting ruling party legislator. Yadav also demanded a CBI probe into the allegations leveled against the top bureaucrat. The Congress also lashed out at the BJP government over the issue. Spokesman of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) Krishna Kant Pandey demanded that Goyal be removed and that a sitting judge of the high court investigate the allegations levelled against the official. Making similar demands, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member of Rajya Sabha Sanjay Singh said the issue had thrown up serious doubts over the BJP's to fight corruption. --IANS md/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Arunachal Pradesh Governor B.D. Mishra met the Vice Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal S.B. Deo, here and briefed him about an initiative to form a group of Army officers in the northeastern state to motivate the youth. The group will visit schools and colleges across Arunachal Pradesh and motivate the young to excel in life and join the armed forces. Mishra requested Deo to spare these officers for a few days in a year so that they can visit the state for their "social mission". The Vice Chief promised to cooperate with the initiative. --IANS ah/ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Demanded a fair investigation into the Bhima-Koregaon riots, the Congress on Friday slammed BJP's double speak after NDA ally and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale had remarked that it was not right to arrest Dalit rights activists branding them as Maoists. Seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in the matter, it said he should make it clear whether the probe by the Pune police was correct or the statement by Athawale, who had also demanded a probe into the role of Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide for allegedly instigating violence against Dalits. "BJP's duplicity and double speak exposed again in Bhima-Koregaon! Union Minister, Athawale calls arrests of Dalit activists as 'injustice' and says 'no relation of Elgaar Parishad with violence'. "Maharashtra Govt describes them as 'maoist operatives'. Who is lying?" asked Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewla in a series of tweets. Noting Athawale had also called for arrest of "RSS acolyte" Bhide, who Modi visited in 2014 and praised in a public rally, he asked if this was the reason whether the Maharashtra government is not acting against him. "A fair investigation, bereft of politics, is the need of the hour," he added. Congress spokesperon Shaktisinh Gohil said: "If the union minister is telling a lie, he should be removed from his post. If the Pune police investigation is correct, then it should specify the basis of the probe." --IANS sid/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Members of Australia's elite special force units allegedly committed war crimes in Afghanistan, anal internal inquiry revealed on Friday. According to the inquiry, Australian soldiers carried out "unsanctioned and illegal application of violence on operations" which extended to a "disregard for human life and dignity", reports Xinhua news agency. It also uncovered a "complete lack of accountability" from the military chain of command. The inquiry was commissioned by then Special Operations Commander Major General Jeff Sengelman in 2016 amid concerns of the impact that high intensity deployments had on Australia's special forces community. It said the Australian government faced "enormous and difficult challenges" to counter behaviour that goes "well beyond blowing off steam" and involved "problems deeply embedded in the culture" of the taskforce that spearheaded Australia's mission in Afghanistan. A special forces insider was quoted in the document and warned of the dangers of ignoring the current cultural problems. "It'll be reputational issues that will continue to bubble away, regardless of what senior leadership say. And the people that are known to be bad are in the system and they're getting promoted and going forward," the insider said --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Top bankers from north and south India on Friday discussed modalities to improve credit flow and setting up global standards in the banking system, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said here. "There was an internal discussion among the bankers, particularly in respect to improving credit flow while mitigating risk associated with it," he said in a press conference after meeting the bankers. Goyal said the banks may also consider having an oversight company with retired judges or vigilance officers to advise on the health of the banks. A committee has been formed under Sunil Mehta, non-executive Chairman, Punjab National Bank to come up with recommendations, within two weeks, on suggestions given by bankers on Friday on whether to set up a asset reconstruction company or asset management company for faster resolution of stressed asset. "The government stands committed to support 21 public sector banks," the minister added. --IANS bc-rv-ag/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The picturesque capital of arguably the worlds happiest country is all set to host a unique "Thuendrel: Inter-Faith Chanting" event on Saturday. The event is a part of the year-long celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between India and Bhutan. "This year is a landmark year in our bilateral relations and an occasion to celebrate what binds us together in friendship and cooperation. The Thuendrel is a unique event that draws on our common religious and spiritual traditions," Jaideep Sarkar, India's Ambassador to Bhutan told IANS. "Inter-faith events of this nature are important in today's world to build mutual understanding and harmony among people of different faiths and persuasions," he said. The event is being organised by Siyahi, a Jaipur based Literary Consultancy firm, which also organises the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival here. "Bhutan and India have shared an exceptional relationship that extends beyond diplomacy and envelopes culture, spirit and tradition. Theundral is a monumental event, and I am fortunate to have Siyahi partake of this celebration of 50 years of friendship," Mita Kapur, the founder and CEO of Siyahi told IANS. The meditative chanting of the Buddhist monks from Zhung Dratshang, Vedic notes by Sawani Mudgal and Gurbani invocation by Ashupreet and Sisters would come together in an extraordinary celebration of the spiritual being. --IANS ss/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has reportedly warned there may be a Brexit "meltdown" and has also praised US President Donald Trump saying there is "method in his madness", media reports said. In comments made at a private dinner this week, the British Foreign Secretary also referred to the Treasury as the "heart of Remain", according to a report by Buzzfeed. In recorded comments to the campaign group Conservative Way Forward he reportedly said he was "increasingly admiring of Donald Trump". Johnson's friends said they were disappointed that the remarks made at a private event had been covertly recorded, the BBC said. The foreign secretary was apparently speaking to a group in a private room after an Institute of Directors reception on Wednesday night. According to Buzzfeed, Johnson said Prime Minister Theresa May was "going to go into a phase where we are much more combative with Brussels". He reportedly added: "You've got to face the fact there may now be a meltdown. OK? I don't want anybody to panic during the meltdown. No panic. Pro bono publico,... It's going to be all right in the end." Johnson was said to have also described concerns over the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic as "pure millennium bug stuff" and suggested that Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond's department was "basically the Heart of Remain". On the US President, who is preparing for an historic summit with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, Johnson reportedly said: "I have become more and more convinced that there is method in his madness." He added: "He'd go in bloody hard... There would be all sorts of breakdowns, all sorts of chaos. Everyone would think he had gone mad. But actually you might get somewhere. It's a very, very good thought." --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Peak power demand in Delhi this summer has broken all records to touch the highest mark of 6,934 MW and the two BSES distribution companies (discoms) in the capital have taken measures like long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) and banking arrangements with various states, as well as with neighbouring Bhutan, BSES said on Friday. A BSES statement said the peak power demand broke the previous record of 6,651 MW on June 1, while this is the fourth time in June 2018 that last year's all-time high record of peak power demand in Delhi of 6,526 MW has been broken. "Arrangements have been firmed up by BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL) to source adequate electricity to meet the power demand of their around 40 lakh consumers. These arrangements include long-term PPAs and banking arrangements with other states including Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Bhutan," it said. "BSES discoms will get upto 665 MW of power through banking arrangements. Additionally, around 150 MW of renewal energy from Himachal Pradesh and around 20 MW from Rajasthan will further boost the power arrangements. "In case of unforeseen contingencies because of low generation and outages of power plants, the discoms will purchase short-term power from the exchange," it added. The BSES discoms have invested substantial resources during the year to strengthen the network for taking additional power load during summer months, the statement said. "BSES discoms continued to invest heavily in the network and deployed capital expenditure of over Rs 900 crore during FY 2017-2018," it said. The BSES uses advanced statistical forecasting models and weather forecasting solutions to prepare accurate day ahead, intra-day and medium-term demand forecasting, which is vital for optimal and cost effective power planning, it added. --IANS bc/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE has agreed to pay $1 billion as fine as part of a new deal with the US Commerce Department in an attempt to avoid a ban on the company that prevents it from buying American parts, the media reported. ZTE, which employs 70,000 people in China, described the move by the US regulators to cut it off from its US parts suppliers as a "death sentence". Under the deal announced by US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Thursday, ZTE will also set aside $400 million in escrow to cover any future violations, the National Public Radio (NPR) reported. "This is a pretty strict settlement, the strictest and largest fine that has ever been brought by the Commerce Department against any violator of export controls," Ross said in an interview with CNBC. Under the deal, ZTE will also fund a US team to oversee the company's compliance. The company has also agreed to change its board of directors and executive team. However, senators of both parties in the US were quick to express their displeasure at the terms of the new deal. "The Trump administration is giving ZTE and China the green light to spy on Americans and sell our technology to North Korea and Iran, as long as it pays a fine that amounts to a tiny fraction of its revenue," Democrat Senator Ron Wyden was quoted as saying in a statement by NPR. Republican Senator Marco Rubio also called it a "very bad deal". "I assure you with 100 per cent confidence that #ZTE is a much greater national security threat than steel from Argentina or Europe. #VeryBadDeal," Rubio tweeted. The US had imposed sanctions on ZTE for illegal sales to Iran and North Korea, but the Chinese company agreed to take corrective action. But when regulators in the US found ZTE to be violating the terms of the agreement, they cut off the firm from its US parts suppliers. The Commerce Department imposed a seven-year ban on ZTE on buying American parts in April, The Washington Post reported. --IANS gb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for forging an alliance with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress on Friday said it has never compromised with secularism for the sake of power and would never do so in future as well. Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said: "The Congress was never like the BJP which compromised with secularism for the sake of power." Despite its allegation that the PDP was sympathiser of separatists, the BJP chose to compromise with its ideology and struck an alliance with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir. He also cited the example of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with whom the BJP forged an alliance in the state after abusing the Janata Dal-United. "The Congress has never compromised with secularism and will never do so in future. To keep the country united, the Constitution refers to secularism and this ideology is in the interest of the nation," Gohil said. --IANS sid/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A coral fertility treatment designed to help heal damaged parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef is showing signs of success and now needs to be scaled up to create a bigger impact, the scientist told CNN on Friday. Peter Harrison, a professor at Southern Cross University in Australia, said he was "excited by the results" which show the experimental process known as "coral IVF" is working on a small scale. Recently returned from a trip to the reef, Harrison said his team managed to "significantly increase" the numbers of baby coral on reefs at Heron Island and One Tree Island, where they laid millions of coral larvae 18 months ago. "There's a very clear outcome, the higher the numbers of larvae that you put into the reef system, the more coral recruits you get," Harrison told CNN. "The pilot studies at small scales are giving us hope that we will be able to scale this up to much larger reef scales." The 2,300 km-long Great Barrier Reef -- a Unesco World Heritage Site -- lost around half of its coral in the past few years after two mass bleaching events in 2016 and 2017, a pattern repeated on coral reefs around the world. The bleaching occurs when warmer ocean temperatures caused by climate change put major stress on coral organisms, turning them white. If they do not have time to recover, they eventually die. The coral IVF project is designed to help reefs repopulate faster to help speed up the recovery time after a bleaching event. The programme is one of a number of experimental projects underway in Australia to try to find ways to save what's left of one of the seven natural wonders of the world. In April, the Australian government announced a funding package of nearly $400 million which will be spent on different projects working towards reef preservation and protection. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With a surge in unhealthy lifestyles, increased cases of mental illness and NCDs in India the concept of workplace wellness has become pertinent. The market for corporate wellness, valued at $3.4 billion in 2015, is expected to reach $7.4 billion by 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of nine per cent in the Asia-Pacific during this period. Achieving a work-life balance has been a struggle for Indian employees, but company heads are realising that investing in employee health and wellbeing adds to the bottom line, and are now offering perks in the form of healthcare solutions that go above and beyond the insurance cover that was offered thus far. Companies today are committed to supporting the diverse well-being needs of their employees in body, mind and purpose. From focussing on weight loss, smoking, stress relief or even diagnostic care, wellness programmes are now aimed at employee engagement, over all well being that help enhance the employees' quality of life. Trends to watch out for in corporate wellness: Personalization: With a rise in awareness about health, a one-size-fits-all solution no longer works for employees. Every employee's journey towards complete well-being is different and as such requires customised solutions that meet their health goals. Technology plays a crucial role in aiding this customisation and also ensuring ease and convenience. Digital platforms can give a personalised view to the employer on each employee's specific wellness goals and activities, their current health status, interests and preferences, and will also lead to higher participation rates. Holistic wellbeing: Workplace wellness is expected to see a shift in initiatives and goals to support total wellbeing, instead of being a tick-in-the-box for employers. By total wellbeing we mean, going beyond the physical health of the employee and focusing on the full spectrum of wellness, including mental, emotional and even financial elements. For instance, if employees are in debt or are otherwise experiencing financial issues, the stress can reduce their effectiveness in the workplace, increase absenteeism, and ultimately lead to poor health habits or illness. A holistic, focused wellness programme that includes forward-thinking concepts on finance management can encourage healthy behavioural change in the interconnected areas linking them to the bigger picture. Expanding benefits: Our current workforce is bearing the burden of a dependent population (increasing number of people in the 0-14 and 65+ years bracket), and with an increasing geriatric population, that burden will only grow. In the coming years, employers will focus on expanding their support towards child and elderly care, that will impact employees' medical costs for years to come. Encourage time off: Globally, research has concluded that vacations are essential to achieve total wellness, giving rise to an emerging trend to create incentives for employees to take time off. Currently, employees still worry about financial implications or perceived workplace pressure due to taking time off. However, in the coming years, more companies will encourage and even enforce employee vacation time, inspiring employees to decompress on their own. Harnessing the power of technology to gain better access to healthcare in a fragmented market like India is a first for the country's workforce. As technology continues to become an intrinsic part of our day-to-day lives, the advantages it offers will only multiply. Affordability and access have been pressing issues for India's primary care industry for the longest time with little in terms of solutions for the average middle class Indian. With healthtech start-ups charging ahead with innovative and disruptive ideas that solve these problems, the healthcare industry in India is likely to witness a wave of good health in the years to come. (Varun Gera is Founder & CEO, HealthAssure. The views expressed are personal) --IANS varun/vm/tb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said East Asian countries should work together to deal with the insecurities associated with maritime terrorism and crimes including trafficking of humans and drugs. "The regional countries should work together to deal with the insecurities associated with maritime terrorism, maritime crimes, including trafficking of humans and drugs; the smuggling of small arms, other light weapons and weapons of mass destruction," Pradhan told the 3rd East Asia Summit (EAS) conference on maritime security and cooperation here. He said countries must adhere to the freedom of navigation and over-flight and the other related internationally lawful uses of the sea and the peaceful settlement of maritime territorial disputes in accordance with the established principles of international law. The contemporary maritime security discourse highlights a significant rise in threats at sea, particularly from non-state actors, said Pradhan. "The ASEAN-India Maritime Transport Agreement (AIMTA), which is presently under negotiation, would help improve access to maritime services through greater transparency in maritime regulations, policies and practices of trading partners; facilitating the flow of commercial goods at sea and at ports," the Minister said. India, being an important member of EAS, has been playing a key role in the three pillars of culture, commerce and connectivity, he added. Pradhan said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India's key role in maritime security and cooperation for strengthening the Indo-Pacific. "Sea lanes of communications are the lifeline to our energy and global commerce, in general. We need to ensure that the global oil transportation and trade routes remain peaceful and free for all. It must also be our endeavour to revive and energize ancient maritime links in a contemporary setting," he said. --IANS cd/and/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Friday asked its central committee member and former state Minister Elamaram Kareem to contest the upcoming Rajya Sabha election. The state secretariat of the CPI-M, which met here earlier in the day, zeroed in on Kareem, who has been a three-time legislator from Kozhikode and is a veteran trade union leader. He served as Industries Minister during the previous LDF government in the state. Elections to the three Rajya Sabha seats from Kerala that will fall vacant on July 1 are scheduled to be held later this month. The party veteran, who turns 65 in July, expressed happiness over the decision and said he would do his best to serve the interests of the state. His victory is a foregone conclusion, as of the three seats, the ruling Left coalition will be able to elect two of its candidates, while the Congress-led UDF will be able to elect one. The second seat which the Left is certain to win, has been given to another former state Minister Binoy Viswan, who is from the Communist Party of India. --IANS sg/nir/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran actor Robert De Niro criticised US President Donald Trump while honouring a group of award-winning high school students. The Oscar-winner, who has repeatedly criticised the president in the past, slammed Trump while speaking at the ceremony for the Jimmy and Rosemary Breslin "American Writer Award" at the Tweed Courthouse in Lower Manhattan, reports people.com. "The one characteristic that comes through all of your work that I read, and that is the same quality of everything that Jimmy Breslin wrote, is the truth," said De Niro. "Our country is led by a president who believes he can make up his own truth. And we have a word for that - bulls**t. So what about the truth? What does the truth even mean today? I mean, if you are Donald Trump it doesn't mean anything," he added. The ceremony was held in honour of high school seniors who submitted non-fiction stories centered around New York City. --IANS ks/sug/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Group of Seven (G7) summit, which kicked off here on Friday, is expected to be a tough meeting between the US and its allies amid raising concerns over US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The leaders of the G7, the world's most powerful industrialised countries including Canada, France, Germany, Britain, Japan and the US, meet every year to discuss collaboration on issues like world economy, climate change, security and peace, Xinhua news agency reported. The official themes for this year's summit include increasing investments and creating jobs to boost growth and advancing gender equality. However, the confrontation over Washington's unilateral decision to impose metal tariffs on imports from the European Union (EU) and Canada might dominate the summit. What's more, US President Donald Trump's rejection of the global climate accord and Iran nuclear deal have also divided the G7. The White House said that Trump will miss the G7 meeting on climate change as he will leave the two-day meeting earlier than originally planned. Trump on Friday fired off tough tweets directed at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron and the EU on trade issues, saying he is looking forward to "straightening out unfair Trade Deals" with the G7 countries. At the end of the summit, the leaders hope to sign a joint statement detailing the policy positions and initiatives they agree on. France and Germany have warned that they will not sign the final agreement unless Washington makes some major policy concession. --IANS ahm/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A former student of Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi committed suicide on Friday by jumping from a building on the campus in south Delhi, police said. Anshuman Gupta, 31, was unemployed and stayed with his family in Greater Kailash. No suicide note was found on his person. Police said Anshuman, a B.Tech student of 2010 batch, was found lying in a pool of blood around 11 a.m. after he jumped off the seventh floor of a campus building. Anshuman was declared brought dead at the nearby hospital, Deputy Commissioner of Police Milind Mahadeo Dumbere said. "He was unemployed and had left his house early morning after telling his family that he was going to meet some college friend," Dumbere said. "We are trying to ascertain the reason for his extreme step. Prima facie, it appears that he was disturbed over his job. We are questioning his family members," the officer added. --IANS sp/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Myanmar reviewed their bilateral issues during foreign office consultations headed by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Permanent Secretary in the Myanmar Foreign Ministry U Myint Thu, the government said on Friday. "The two sides reviewed the complete range of bilateral relations, including high level visits, security and defence related issues, boundary matters and border management, trade and commerce, development cooperation, connectivity, cultural and consular matters," the External Affairs Ministry said after the 17th round of foreign office consultations on Thursday. "They also exchanged views on sub-regional, regional and global issues of mutual interest," a Ministry statement stated. India is a key development aid partner for Myanmar and is implementing a number of infrastructure projects in that country. These include the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project connecting Mizoram with Sittwe port in Myanmar, the Trilateral Highway Project connecting India with Myanmar and Thailand and the Rhi-Tiddim road. India is also offering economic and humanitarian aid to Rakhine State in the wake of the Rohingya refugee crisis. --IANS ab/mr/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India is committed to all its military-technical agreements with Russia and won't back out of the proposed purchase of the Russian-made S-400 Triumf advanced air defence system despite US concerns, Indian Ambassador to Russia Pankaj Saran said here. He said that military-technical cooperation between India and Russia was discussed during the Sochi meeting between the top leaders of the two countries in May. "We are committed to all our agreements in this sphere, including purchase of S-400. India has a long history of military-technical cooperation with Russia based on trust and mutual benefit. There is no change in the approach of India to our partnership in this field," Saran said in an interview with TASS news agency. While refusing to fix any time-frame for the signing of the Rs 39,000-crore deal on supply of S-400s, he said: "I can only say that we have achieved significant progress in the negotiations." Saran's remarks come days after a top US Congressmen, Republican Mac Thornberry, Chairman of the House Armed Services, told a group of journalists that there was a lot of concern in both the Donald Trump administration and the Congress regarding the S-400 missile system being acquired by any of American partners, including India. Thornberry, who was in India last week, said if New Delhi went ahead with the purchase, it would complicate "our ability to work out inter-operability" at a time when the US had issued sanctions against Russian oligarchs and companies. These include Rosoboronexport, the state-owned Russian weapons trading company. The Congressman said the US was making sanctions against Russia "flexible" for its allies like India to allow them breathing room to continue dealing with Moscow -- but only to maintain their legacy equipment and at the same time they must wean themselves off Russian equipment. In response, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said the US sanctions were not binding on India and that New Delhi will go ahead with the proposed purchase of S-400s. She said that India's ties with Russia were independent of external influences and relationships with other countries and the same had been conveyed in all its engagements with the US. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia on May 21 for an informal summit with President Vladimir Putin in the summer beach resort of Sochi amid US sanctions against Moscow. Describing the Sochi summit as a historic event, Saran said that for the first time Putin and Modi spent most of their time together in an informal setting without delegations. "This summit was characterized by a special personal chemistry between the two leaders. The reason for this unscheduled meeting was that both sides wanted to exchange opinions on key global and regional issues including development of situation in Afghanistan, Syria and Iran as well as to discuss matters of bilateral interest. "Today relations between India and Russia are important not only for our two countries but also for the region and the whole world. And we would like to build a multi-polar world where India and Russia will contribute to global stability," he said. India's deep military and strategic ties with Russia date back to the beginning of the Cold War even as New Delhi led a movement of "non-aligned" countries that declared their tilt with neither Washington nor Moscow. However, India always leaned toward the then USSR. India still buys over 60 per cent of its defence equipment from Russia. At present, the Indian armed forces are 70 per cent equipped with Soviet or Russian weapons. --IANS vv/ahm/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Naval ships, aircraft and personnel from India, Japan and the US have begun exercise Malabar 2018 during which they will practice surface and anti-submarine warfare operations and combined carrier strike group operations off the coast of Guam island in the western Pacific. The June 7-16 wargame -- first after the US renamed its Hawaii-based Pacific command as the Indo-Pacific Command -- is being held amid incrased Chinese activities of building artificial islands in the South China Sea and sending submarines into the Indian Ocean. "The Malabar 2018 exercise represents the US commitment to working with regional powers in the Indian and Pacific Oceans," US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said when he announced the new name and welcomed Admiral Phil Davidson in his new role taking the charge of the combat command. Malabar will be done in two phases: ashore and at-sea training. The harbour phrase will occur at Naval Base Guam from June 7 to 10 and the sea phase from June 11 to 16 in the Philippine Sea. Guam island was a theatre of an intense World War II when US forces stormed in to take it from the Japanese. While ashore in Guam, training will include subject matter expert and professional exchanges on carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, surface and anti-submarine warfare, medical operations, damage control, helicopter operations and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations, according to a US Navy statement. The at-sea part will see military-to-military coordination and capacity to plan and execute tactical operations in a multinational environment. The statement said events planned during the at-sea portions include gunnery exercises, anti-submarine warfare, air defense exercises, surface warfare exercises, helicopter cross-deck evolutions and underway replenishments. The Malabar exercise began in 1992 as a joint Indo-US naval drill. But it was suspended from 1998 to 2002 after India conducted nuclear weapons tests in 1998. This year marks the 22nd edition of the exercise which has now become an annual feature in the deep military ties between the US and India. Japan became a permanent participant in 2015. Australia, in the last two years, had repeatedly requested to be part of the annual drill but India again refused after China raised is concerns. The US Navy has fielded aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), the guided-missile cruisers USS Antietam (CG 54) and USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) and a P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The Indian Navy has sent the INS Kamorta, the first of four anti-submarine Kamorta-class stealth corvettes; the INS Sahyadri, a Shivalik-class stealth multi-role frigate; and the Deepak-class fleet tanker INS Shakti. There is also a P-8I Neptune advanced maritime patrol/anti-submarine warfare aircraft. Three ships from the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force are: the 19,000-tonne JS Hyuga - the lead ship of the Hyuga-class of helicopter carriers; the Takanami-class guided-missile/ASW destroyer JS Suzunami; the Akizuki-class guided-missile destroyer JS Fuyuzuki; and a diesel-electric attack submarine, as well as one Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft.. "Indian, Japanese and US maritime forces have a common understanding and knowledge of a shared working environment at sea. Each iteration of this exercise helps to advance the level of understanding between the nations' sailors as members of Indo-Pacific nations, and the hope is to be able to continue this process over time to strengthen bonds and personal relationships," the US Navy statement said. --IANS sar/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Sonakshi Sinha will be attending a charity gala hosted by the Women's India Association in London as the brand ambassador of their empowerment program. The Vintage Glamour charity Ball will be held on Friday at Grosvenor House Hotel, London, read a statement to IANS. Sonakshi will be aiding the organisation to raise funds for the projects that reflect the ethos of empowering women and children. "WIA is one of the oldest Indian charitable organisations in the UK which is completely dedicated in its commitment to empowering women and children through education, rehabilitation, life skills and social welfare," Sonakshi said. "I feel honoured to be part of the gala this year and help them raise funds for their ongoing effort to reconstruct the place of women and children in our society," she added. According to a source, the actress has wrapped up "her shoot for 'Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi' and is amidst prep for 'Kalank' and rehearsals for the Dabbang Tour". "When this opportunity came her way, she knew it's something she wanted to pursue given how legitimate their efforts were towards women and children's initiatives. So she decided to make time for the gala," the source added. --IANS sug/qd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran actress Jane Fonda will visit Australia and New Zealand for a speaking tour in August. The 80-year-old star will appear at the Sydney Opera House on August 27 and Melbourne's Hamer Hall the following day, before flying to Auckland at the end of the month, reports dailymail.co.uk. Fonda is known for her frankness when it comes to speaking about her experiences as an actress, writer, activist, model and fitness guru. The two-time Academy Award winner has said she is surprised that "she lasted so long". --IANS ks/nn/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Michael B. Jordan told his agents that he will not audition for roles which are written for African-Americans. "Right around the time 'Fruitvale Station' went down, I told my agents I didn't want to go out for any roles written for African-Americans. I didn't want it. I wanted only white men. That's it. That's all I want to do," Jordan told variety.com. "Me playing that role is going to make it what it is. I don't want any pre-bias on the character Writers write what they know, what they think encounters with us would be, and that's slight bias," he added. One example Jordan brought up in which he benefitted for going for white roles is "Chronicle", directed by Josh Trank. The actor explained the character in the script was a white teenager named Steve Krasinsky. Jordan auditioned for the part and impressed Trank and company so much that they cast him and changed the character's name to Steve Montgomery. "I wanted to go out for these roles because it was just playing people. It didn't have to be like, 'You are playing the black guy in this'. And everybody would be going out for the same role. "Every young black actor from ages 17 to 40 going out for the same role. How do you reverse engineer that problem of pitted competition with each other and give more opportunities to eat and be successful," said Jordan. Jordan said his team gave him no pushback and encouraged him to go for any role he wanted. "Nobody stopped me. Everybody believed in me as much as I believed in myself. That was really important for that happening. I got no pushback whatsoever. Everybody pushed for it," he said. --IANS ks/nn/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 5th edition of the Kalinga Literary Festival kick-started here on Friday in the presence of eminent personalities from Indian literature, politics, media, and public services. Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the three-day festival. He said the event could be a perfect opportunity to showcase the rich heritage of Odia literature and litterateurs. "I propose that let there be a discussion on literary works of eminent Odia writers who have been felicitated with the National Awards. Let us discuss, appreciate, and critically analyse their works which will have an impact on many future writers," the Minister said. Pradhan also requested the writers present on the occasion to write about the rich Kalinga legacy. The literature festival celebrates not just Odia but Indian as well as global literature through the presence of many non-Indian writers. Amish Tripathy, famous for his Indian mythology books 'Immortals of Meluha' of the Shiva Trilogy, said: "Ancient Kalinga had a rich legacy and was influential in not just east India but entire India. This legacy must be retold to the new generations. As I have lived in Odisha in my early childhood, it has become my duty to write about King Kharavela to showcase the rich Kalinga culture." Pawan Varma, a former bureaucrat and writer, said that language is not just a medium of communication but also a carrier of an entire culture. "If one is rooted in his or her culture, then it becomes easier to connect with others easily." He said that literature has to reflect the realities of life and not just the dreams. Eminent Odia writer Pratibha Ray said that literature does not know any boundaries called language. "It is an open sky where each writer can paint his or her imagination without fear of being judged," she added. Another prominent Odia writer Pratibha Satapathy said that a writer may live in pain, but he or she gifts the readers a pleasurable feeling through the literary works and that is why literature should be celebrated." She ended her speech with a beautiful Odia poem. During the inaugural ceremony, eminent writers were felicitated for inspiring works in literary and professional world. Padmaj Pal received the Kalinga Sahitya Sanman (Odia), Amish Tripathy the Kalinga International Literary Award (writing in any global language), and Nirupama Rao the Kalinga Karubaki Literary Award (for women writers). Young writers and poets from several districts of Odisha will be given the Kalinga Literary Youth Awards for excellence in literary fields during the literary festival. --IANS cd/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 11 people were killed and 13 injured as lightning struck parts of Bihar on Friday, officials said. According to the officials of the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, six people were killed in Saharsa district, four in Darbhanga and one in Madhepura district. The injured have been admitted to local hospitals for treatment. "The state government has ordered an ex gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives in the lightning strikes," said an official. Lightning strikes during the June-September rainy season are common in this part of the country. --IANS ik/nir/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maldives was routed on Friday in the Security Council elections in which Indonesia emerged the winner for the Asian seat. Indonesia received 144 votes, more than the 127 required for a two-thirds majority, in the General Assembly while Maldives got only 46 votes. Indonesia made a big push for its election, with the lobbying efforts headed by Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi at the UN. Maldives, meanwhile, was hobbled by internal unrest and the jailing of its Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed. The elections were held to pick the regional representatives for the elected Council seats for 2019-20. There was a contest only for the Asian seat, while the candidates from the other regions were elected unopposed. Although the seats are distributed on a regional basis, all the countries vote for the candidates. South Africa won the African seat, Dominican Republic the Latin American and Caribbean representation, and Belgium and Germany the two Western European seats. Kuwait, which was elected last year, holds the other Asian seat through next year. Kazakhstan will be completing its term at the end of this year, when Indonesia will take over. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in) --IANS al/him/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with a delegation will visit China from June 22-30 and the visit would be "important" for interaction between the neighbouring country and Eastern India, a Chinese diplomat said here on Friday. "Visit to China by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is very important. This is actually her first visit to China. Chinese side attaches a great importance to her visit. Arrangements are still underway. It will be worked by the Chinese government, India MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) and Indian Embassy at Beijing," Chinese Consul General Ma Zhanwu told the media here. "She will be visiting to Beijing, Jinan of Shandong province and Shanghai," MA said, adding that the visit would be "important for interaction between China and eastern India". "I can assure you it would be an impressive visit for economy, trade, investment, cultural ties and also educational exchanges, he said. Banerjee is expected to meet leaders of provinces, captains of businesses and many others during here visit, he said. Ma also informed West Bengal Agriculture Minister would also lead a group to China in the middle of this month to attend the China South Asia Expo. He said a China-India joint artistic performance would be held by the Chinese consulate in the city on June 11, in coperation with the Cultural Affairs Department of Yunnan Province of China, Kolkata Police and Rakshak Foundation. --IANS bdc/ahm/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala Congress-Mani chief K.M. Mani on Friday rejoined the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) amid protests by workers of the Congress youth and student wings against the allocation of a Rajya Sabha seat to his party. Almost two years after he had taken a separate path, Mani was all smiles as he walked into the Cantonment House here where a meeting of the Congress-led UDF was on. Minutes before Mani's arrival was announced, former state Congress chief V.M. Sudheeran walked out of the meeting expressing his displeasure over the Congress decision to give away a seat it could have won to Mani's party. Sudheeran had lashed out at the state Congress leadership for gifting the Rajya Sabha seat to the Kerala Congress-Mani to get Mani back into its fold. Even as the UDF meeting was on, angry activists of the youth and students wings of the Congress staged a sit-in in front of the venue. It was in 2016 when Mani walked out of the UDF ending his over four-decade long association. He had accused a section of the Congress of working against him. Ever since, he and his six legislators have formed a separate block in the Kerala Assembly. In between, the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist on a few occasions extended an olive branch to Mani to get him into the Left coalition. Mani's return was facilitated by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and state Congress chief M.M. Hassan with the support of IUML Lok Sabha member P.K. Kunhalikutty. On Thursday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi sanctioned Mani's return to the alliance. A beaming Mani said: "We will now all work together to see the resurrection of the UDF and it will become a reality." An upset Sudheeran later told the media that although Mani's return was welcome, the way the affair was handled, minus transparency, had hurt the Congress and UDF workers. "Those who handed over the Rajya Sabha seat to Mani said it will strengthen the UDF. But actually it will not. In fact the Congress party has been weakened. "The rank and file of the Congress has been badly hurt. The end result of this illogical decision has set the stage for strengthening of the BJP and that does not augur well," said Sudheeran. Protests took place at many places throughout the state against Chandy, Chennithala and Hassan. Chennithala, however, defended the move and said it was not the first time that a Rajya Sabha seat had been given to an ally. Even under Sudheeran's leadership, several decisions have been taken without consulting any committees. --IANS sg/in/mr/him/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress party was in turmoil in Kerala on Friday even as estranged ally K.M. Mani returned to the UDF fold after being given a Rajya Sabha seat the Congress could have easily won. Veteran Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson P.J. Kurien blamed former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for the surrender of the Rajya Sabha seat, a decision which also sparked street protests by young Congress activists in the state. Kurien told the media in Delhi that he had no grudge against Mani. "This is the brain work of Chandy who has always had an agenda. At times he comes out with plans to sideline some leaders and at times he comes out with plans to project some others. I was a victim in 2012 also when Chandy opposed my nomination but I got elected," said Kurien. "This seat, which should have rightfully gone to the Congress, was handed on a platter to Mani. What should have happened was that the Political Affairs Committee of the state Congress should have met and a discussion should have taken place... This never happened." Congress student and youth wings held protests at a few places in the state to denounce the loss of the Rajya Sabha seat. But none of them criticized the return of Mani to the Congress-led UDF. Mani, who in 2016 walked out of the United Democratic Front (UDF) ending over a four decade long association, was all smiles on Friday. Mani said his party had decided to rejoin the UDF and thanked the Congress for giving his party the Rajya Sabha seat. "The decision on who will be nominated to the Rajya Sabha will be announced shortly," he said, adding that he does not wish to contest. Mani was beaming as he entered the Cantonment House where a meeting of the UDF was on. Minutes before Mani's arrival was announced, former state Congress chief V.M. Sudheeran walked out of the meeting expressing his displeasure over the Congress decision. As the UDF meeting continued, young Congress activists staged a sit-in outside the venue. Mani said: "We will now all work together to see the resurrection of the UDF." Chandy, however, told IANS that the decision on giving the Rajya Sabha to Kerala Congress (Mani) was meant to strengthen the UDF. "Over the years, on two occasions, once in the 90s and again in 2001, the Congress party due to then political needs took the Rajya Sabha seat from Mani... This is a one-time adjustment. The Congress will get the Rajya Sabha seat in 2022," said Chandy. Kurien alleged that the opposition to his re-nomination to the Rajya Sabha by young Congress legislators was a game plan of Chandy. He insisted that the Congress High Command had been misled by Chandy. Those backing the nomination of Mani's party to the Rajya Sabha include Chandy, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and state Congress chief M.M. Hassan besides IUML Lok Sabha member P.K. Kunhalikutty. On Thursday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi sanctioned Mani's return to the alliance. An upset Sudheeran told the media that although Mani's return was welcome, the way the affair was handled, minus transparency, had hurt the Congress and UDF workers. "Those who handed over the Rajya Sabha seat to Mani said it will strengthen the UDF. But actually it will not. In fact the Congress party has been weakened. "The rank and file of the Congress has been badly hurt. The end result of this illogical decision has set the stage for strengthening of the BJP and that does not augur well," said Sudheeran. Both the CPI-M and BJP tried to fish in troubled waters. CPI-M state Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan appealed to Congress leaders upset with the loss of the Rajya Sabha seat to take a stand during the polls to the Upper House. If they do, the Left will take appropriate decisions, he said. Former state BJP president P.K. Krishnadas invited all disgruntled Congressmen to join his party. "The doors of the BJP will be kept open to all Congressmen who are unhappy," he said. Three Rajya Sabha seats have fallen vacant in Kerala. While two of the seats will be won by the Left, the Congress-led UDF is expected to bag the third. --IANS sg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police, investigating the Maoist links to the Koregaon-Bhima caste riots, have stumbled upon letters that point to plans to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, officials said here on Friday. Police have also released pictures of four more persons involved in the Koregaon-Bhima riots of January 1, that left one person dead, and appealed to the public to inform them of their whereabouts. One of the incriminating letters has been found from the home of Delhi-based activist Rona Wilson, who was among the five activists arrested from different parts of India on Wednesday as part of the probe into the riots conspiracy and "urban Maoist sympathisers". The letter refers to a requirement of Rs 8 crore to procure M-4 rifles and 400,000 rounds and speaks of "another Rajiv Gandhi-type incident". Former Prime Minister Gandhi was killed by a LTTE suicide bomber during his campaign for the May 1991 Lok Sabha elections in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. The investigators also claimed that the communication seized from the laptop of one of the arrested persons says that "Modi has successfully established BJP government in more than 15 states... if this pace continues, then it would mean immense trouble for the Maoist party on all fronts". Accordingly, they were thinking along the lines of "another Rajiv Gandhi-type incident" by "targeting his roadshows" which they though "could be an effective strategy". "It sounds suicidal and there is a good chance we might fail but we feel the party must deliberate over our proposal," one of the letter reads. The latest development in case follows the arrests of Wilson, who is the secretary of Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners, advocate Surendra Gadling, General Secretary of Indian Association of Peoples' Lawyers, Shoma Sen, Head of Department of English at Nagpur University (both from Nagpur), Mumbai journalist and 'Vidrohi' editor Sudhir Dhawale, and Mahesh Raut, an activist of Bharat Jan Andolan and a former Fellow at Prime Minister's Rural Development programme in Gadchiroli. Charged under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, they were produced before a Pune court and have been sent to police custody till June 14. The Wednesday arrests were made on the basis of a complaint lodged by police in Pune on January 8 after the Elgaar Parishad on December 31, organised by the Kabir Kala Manch, and later the Koregaon-Bhima riots. On Thursday, Pune Joint Police Commissioner Ravindra Kadam said police had "sufficient evidence to show the participation of Maoists and the inspiration they provided to the organisers (Elgaar Parishad)". The latest developments of Maoist plans to assassinate the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister have evoked reactions from different political parties in the country. --IANS qn/him/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday said Muslims should emerge as political force to get their rights in the country. He said he believes this will strengthen the country, the roots of secularism and restore confidence among Muslims. Addressing a meeting at the historic Mecca Masjid on the last Friday of Ramadan, he said the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) will continue its political journey to expand in different parts of the country despite the allegations from its rivals that it is dividing secular votes. Stating that MIM did not contest elections in Karnataka and extended support to Janta Dal-Secular as a strategy, Owaisi said the outcome proved their strategy right. He revealed that JD-S leader (and now Chief Minister) H.D. Kumaraswamy had offered MIM a seat but he declined. The Hyderabad MP said Muslims could no longer trust the Congress. "The Congress is finished. A man who spent 50 years in Congress and was President of India visited RSS headquarters. Do you still have hopes from this party," he asked referring to Pranab Mukherjee's visit to RSS headquarters on Thursday. Owaisi said there was need to think of an alternate to the Bharatiya Janata Party, other than the Congress. "The alternate is regional parties and they have to be strengthened," he said referring to the proposal of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao for a federal front as alternative to both BJP and Congress and to bring qualitative change in the country's Owaisi slammed Mukherjee for visiting RSS headquarters and calling RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar a great son of India. He said the man who held the highest constitutional post in the country should know that it was Hedgewar who had asked RSS workers not to fight British and who had stated that India is a country of Hindus. The MIM president also lashed out at Congress for terming Mukherjee's speech at the RSS meet as "sagacious". He reminded Congress that RSS cadre had celebrated when Mahatma Gandhi was killed by Nathuram Godse. Owaisi alleged that both BJP and Congress were hoodwinking the people, who were worried over skyrocketing prices of petroleum products and lack of jobs. The MIM chief voiced concern over growing number of attacks on Muslims. He said repression was let loose on the community in the name of the cow since BJP came to power in the country four years ago. "As many as 28 people were killed in these four years in the name of cow," he said. Quoting statistics of Union Home Ministry, Owaisi said the communal riots had increased by 24 per cent. There were 8,890 incident of communal riots in which 390 people were killed and 9,000 injured. He alleged that the BJP government created an environment of hatred towards Muslims and a message was being given that Muslims are responsible for Partition and that they are not loyal to this country. Owaisi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Muslims on Ramadan and speaks about 'zakat' in his 'Mann ki Baat' programme but he had failed to discharge his responsibilities as a ruler. The MP said if the excesses on Muslims continued, this will result in the Constitution being thrown to the wind and there will be no rule of law. --IANS ms/vd/him/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered "tough" organic molecules in three-billion-year-old sedimentary rocks near the surface of Mars -- a finding that suggests the planet could have supported ancient life. It has also found seasonal variations in the levels of methane in the atmosphere, a discovery that has relation to the search for current life on the Red Planet. "With these new findings, Mars is telling us to stay the course and keep searching for evidence of life," said Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, in Washington on Thursday. "I'm confident that our ongoing and planned missions will unlock even more breathtaking discoveries on the Red Planet," Zurbuchen said. While not necessarily evidence of life itself, these findings, detailed in two papers in the journal Science, are a good sign for future missions exploring the planet's surface and subsurface. Organic molecules contain carbon and hydrogen, and also may include oxygen, nitrogen and other elements. While commonly associated with life, organic molecules also can be created by non-biological processes and are not necessarily indicators of life. "Curiosity has not determined the source of the organic molecules," said Jen Eigenbrode of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who is lead author of one of the two new Science papers. "Whether it holds a record of ancient life, was food for life, or has existed in the absence of life, organic matter in Martian materials holds chemical clues to planetary conditions and processes," Eigenbrode said. In the second paper, scientists described the discovery of seasonal variations in methane in the Martian atmosphere over the course of nearly three Mars years, which is almost six Earth years. This variation was detected by Curiosity's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite. Water-rock chemistry might have generated the methane, but scientists cannot rule out the possibility of biological origins. Methane previously had been detected in Mars' atmosphere in large, unpredictable plumes. This new result shows that low levels of methane within Gale Crater repeatedly peak in warm, summer months and drop in the winter every year. "This is the first time we have seen something repeatable in the methane story, so it offers us a handle in understanding it," said Chris Webster of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, lead author of the second paper. "This is all possible because of Curiosity's longevity. The long duration has allowed us to see the patterns in this seasonal 'breathing," Webster added. Launched in 2011, Curiosity was designed to assess whether Mars ever had an able to support small life forms called microbes. Although the surface of Mars is inhospitable today, there is clear evidence that in the distant past, the Martian climate allowed liquid water -- an essential ingredient for life as we know it -- to pool at the surface. Data from Curiosity reveal that billions of years ago, a water lake inside Gale Crater held all the ingredients necessary for life, including chemical building blocks and energy sources. --IANS gb/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NATO's Secretary General on Thursday called on the Taliban militant insurgent group to lay down their arms and engage in dialogue with the Afghan government coordinator as part of a ceasefire plan in the war-torn nation. Jens Stoltenberg was addressing the press in Brussels just hours after Afghan president Ashraf Ghani announced that a temporary ceasefire had been struck with the armed group involved in the ongoing conflict in the Central Asian nation, Efe reported. "The only way for them to achieve a solution is to sit down at the negotiating table, and therefore we will continue to provide support and I call on the Taliban to join the ceasefire and lay down their arms and engage in a constructive dialog to a find a peaceful negotiated solution," Stoltenberg said of the news at the beginning of a European Defense Minister meeting in the Belgian capital. He described the move as a positive step towards peace and said the Alliance would support a reconciliation process led by Afghans themselves. Ghani's announcement, which comes after an ambitious offer of peace in February to the Taliban that included their political recognition and the release of prisoners, comes after a fatwa or religious edict in which the Taliban were urged to put an end to the conflict. In the fatwa, described as historic by Ghani on Thursday, some 2,000 religious leaders claimed that the war in Afghanistan is illegal and has no religious justification. The conflict in Afghanistan remains in a stagnant situation following the end of NATO's military mission in the country in early 2015 which initially helped the Taliban make military advances territorially. The government controls about 56 per cent of the territory, while the Taliban control around 11 per cent, according to data from the US. --IANS qd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nearly 60,000 older drivers in Japan showed signs of dementia, a new police report revealed on Friday. The drivers aged 75 and over displayed symptoms when they renewed their driving licences during the 12 months to the end of March, the Guardian quoted the report as saying. Under a change to road safety laws introduced last year, drivers who showed symptoms of dementia were required to see a doctor as part of efforts to cut the number of accidents involving older motorists. According to the police, more than 2 million drivers underwent cognitive function tests during the year ending in March, and just over 57,000 were suspected of having some form of dementia. The police said about 1,900 older drivers had their licences revoked or suspended, while another 16,000 voluntarily surrendered their licences. The Health Ministry said that 4.6 million people were presently living with some form of dementia, with the total expected to soar to about 7.3 million people, or one in five Japanese aged 65 or over, by 2025. --IANS ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor George Clooney, who made his acting debut on television in 1978 and is a recipient of three Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, says he is proud of the changes he is seeing in Hollywood. The actor was honoured with the American Film Institute's AFI Life Achievement Award on June 8, reports hollywoodreporter.com. During his acceptance speech he said: "I love being a part of this industry. I'm very proud of the changes I'm seeing in this industry. They're much overdue." He also thanked his parents, who were present, calling them "two of the most ethical people I know. Their example was always due north". Clooney, 57, also spoke warmly of his wife Amal. "I thought you couldn't have it all. I thought if you had a successful career you couldn't have one great love and then I met Amal." He also thanked everyone who took the time to toast (and roast) him throughout the evening. Former US President Barack Obama appeared by videotape to support Clooney and said: "He does the whole grey hair thing better than me. He is a good man, a good friend, a good citizen and an outstanding maker of film." --IANS ks/sug/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of his departure for Qingdao, China, on Saturday for this year's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on June 9-10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the meeting will herald a new beginning for India's engagement with the Eurasian bloc. Stating that he is excited to lead the Indian delegation for India's first ever participation in the Summit as a full member, Modi said in a pre-departure statement: "I believe that the Qingdao Summit will further enrich the SCO agenda, while heralding a new beginning for India's engagement with the SCO." This will be the first time India will be participating in the SCO Summit after being granted full membership of the bloc, along with Pakistan, in June last year. The SCO is a Eurasian inter-governmental organisation, the creation of which was announced in 2001 in Shanghai by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism. "The SCO has a rich agenda for cooperation, ranging from fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism to promoting cooperation in connectivity, commerce, customs, law, health and agriculture; protecting the environment and mitigating disaster risk; and fostering people-to-people relations," Modi said. "In the last one year since India became a full member of the SCO, our interaction with the organisation and its member states has grown considerably in these areas." Modi will also hold a bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Summit. While the bilateral meeting with Xi will be held on June 9, June 10 is the main day of the SCO Summit in Qingdao in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong. The bilateral summit between Modi and Xi will be held after the two leaders met for an informal summit on April 27-28 at the invitation of the Chinese leader in Wuhan, China, where they pledged to keep the India-China border quiet and personally guide their respective armies to avert a Doklam-like military stand-off in future. Modi is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders of other member states of the SCO on the sidelines of the Summit Stating that India enjoys deep friendship and multi-dimensional ties with the member states of the SCO, he said: "On the sidelines of the SCO Summit, I will have the opportunity of meeting and sharing views with several other leaders, including the heads of states of many SCO member states." At a media briefing here on Thursday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that connectivity, the fight against terrorism, common development and extending relations with Central Asian countries will be among India's objectives at the Summit. SCO countries now account for around 42 per cent of the world's population, 22 per cent of the land area and 20 per cent of the GDP. --IANS ab/ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three persons including a child got injured after the rifle of a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable went off during change of duty at the Dumdum Metro railway station premises here on Friday afternoon, police said. Kolkata Metro General Manager Ajay Vijayvargiya has ordered a "high level inquiry" into the incident and promised stringent action against those found guilty, an official said. The incident happened at around 1.45 p.m. near one of the ticket counters at the metro station when an RPF constable was handing over his rifle to another as his duty got over. "The rifle of an RPF constable got accidentally dropped on the ground while changing hands inside the Dumdum Metro station premises. The bullet rebounded from the floor of the station complex. A woman and her son sustained splinter injuries in the incident," said Kolkata Metro CPRO Indrani Banerjee. A metro employee also got hit in the process, she said. According to an eye witnesses, the splinters of the bullet brushed the hand of Sonarpur resident Sangeeta Basu before hitting the leg of her nine-year-old son Saptarshi Basu, who were standing in a queue to buy tickets. Following the incident, panic gripped the commuters as well as hundreds of passengers of adjoining Dumdum railway station. The injured mother and son were rushed to the nearby RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. "None of the injuries were serious. They were released from the hospital after first aid," a metro official said. --IANS mgr/vd/him/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New, more advanced and safe fuel will be reloaded into the two running reactors of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) and also into the subsequent units being built in Tamil Nadu with the technical assistance of the Russian national atomic power corporation Rosatom, according to a senior company official. Alexander Ugryumov, Vice President (R&D) of Rosatom's fuel arm TVEL, told IANS in an interview here that the company hoped to conclude the final agreements for supply of the new fuel with the KNPP builder, the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL). Rosatom is also the equipment supplier for the KNPP, whose first two units of 1,000 MW each have already been commissioned. Ugryumov said that at the time of negotiating for units 1 and 2, the company only had the international licence for the UTVS fuel loaded into the VVER-1000 type reactors. "The UTVS fuel was applied to all international projects of Rosatom, including units 1 and 2 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in China and unit 1 of the Bushehr NPP in Iran," he said. "Now we have the licence to sell TVS-2M which is the reference solution for all power units with VVER-1000 reactors which Rosatom builds abroad. From the very beginning, TVS-2M will be loaded into the reactors of Kudankulam's units 3, 4, 5 and 6." Ugryumov said the TVS-2M fuel assembly offers increased uranium capacity, improved heat reliability and enhanced operational safety, while supply agreements have already been reached in principle. "Upgrading to TVS-2M will help improve efficiency of the Indian VVER units as well as reduce the cost of electricity. Being more robust, with higher stiffness, this fuel bundle does not bow in the reactor and preserves its initial shape, making operations safer and reliable," he said. "While UTVS are packed with 490 kg of enriched uranium pellets, TVS-2M bundles weigh 527 kg. For a nuclear plant operator it gives a lot of options in terms of an extension of a fuel cycle length from 250 up to 510 effective full-power days," the official said. The new solution is also more efficient in terms of economy. "This is because you save the amount of money spent on the scheduled outages, while still providing the highest safety standards," Ugryumov said. "Secondly, with more uranium mass you will need less fuel bundles to generate electricity, so after the end of the operation there will be less spent nuclear fuel." With the expiry of the original 10-year fuel supply agreement for KNPP last year, Ugryumov hoped to have the engineering contract signed this year for the introduction of TVS-2M fuel in the already commissioned first two units at Kudankulam. "We hope that this year we'll have the contract signed for the introduction of TVS-2M for Units 1 and 2. The TVS-2M allows the option of shifting the operations from 12-month to an 18-month fuel cycle," the official said. "With the advanced fuel, we will have three cycles lasting a total of 54 months, instead of the current duration of 36 months," he added. Indo-Russian nuclear cooperation was certain to have figured when Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an informal one-day summit at the Black Sea resort of Sochi in the second half of May to discuss the situation arising out of the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposition of sanctions, which is going to affect Indian crude oil imports from the Gulf nation. (Biswajit Choudhury was invited to visit Russia by Rosatom. He can be reached at biswajit.c@ians.in) --IANS bc/vm/tb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to set up a committee to study how the temples of cultural and architectural importance across the country were managed, particularly vis-a-vis facilities for pilgrims and utilisation of donations/offerings. A vacation bench of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Ashok Bhushan said that the best practices so identified would be used to facilitate hassle-free access to pilgrims to these places of worship and curb fleecing by priests and others associated with these shrines. "We only want that lakhs and lakhs of devotees who visit the places of worship of importance are not exploited... there are no encroachment, malpractices... funds coming to the temple are not misused," said Justice Goel. The court said its endeavour is to "protect the welfare of the pilgrims going to these shrines for thousands of years". The court order came on a petition that sought curbing of malpractices in the management of Shri Jagannath temple in Puri in Odisha and a report on the missing key of the Ratna Bhandar, where precious jewellery and other valuables are stored. The Supreme Court asked the government to constitute a committee to study the management practices at the Vaishno Devi shrine, Tirupati temple, Sai Baba temple at Shirdi, Somnath temple and the Golden Temple in Amritsar and suggest changes in the management of Shri Jagannath temple. The top court also issued a slew of directions to address alleged exploitation of devotees at Shri Jagannath temple and the management of its finances, including donations and offerings by pilgrims. The court said that the donations/offerings to the temple deity will go directly to the temple management and not be pocketed by priests attending on the deity. It is the temple management that will make payments to the shrine's 'sevaks' (staff), including priests. Describing Shri Jagannath temple as a place of national importance, the apex court directed the Puri District Judge to submit by June 30 a factual report on the difficulties faced by pilgrims/devotees, including their alleged exploitation. The report will point to deficiencies in temple management and make suggestions to improve the same. The Supreme Court directed the temple committee and the district administration, including the District Collector, to extend the necessary help to the District Judge. The court ordered the district administration to submit a report on the number of closed-circuit televisions installed in the temple complex, and who all were viewing the footage. The court said that the administration has to ensure there is no direct collection of contributions/donations from devotees and all offerings are accounted for. --IANS pk/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Amanda Seyfried is on board to portray the spouse of actor Kevin Bacons character in "You Should Have Left". David Koepp will direct from his own script for Blumhouse Productions. The company is planning to start shooting later this year, reports variety.com. The project is based on Daniel Kehlmann's 2017 novel by the same name, which is based on a screenwriter in a remote house in the Alps working on a sequel to his hit film along with his younger wife and a six-year-old. The writer begins to lose his bearings thanks to unexplained occurrences. Bacon and Koepp have earlier collaborated for the 1999 supernatural thriller "Stir of Echoes". Seyfried will next be seen in "Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again", in which she will reprise her role as Sophie Sheridan. --IANS ks/sug/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday questioned a Supreme Court directive that allows former President Pervez Musharraf to file his nomination papers to contest the July 25 general elections. Speaking to the media here, Sharif said it was beyond comprehension that Musharraf had been permitted to contest the elections, reports Dawn news. "How could the Chief Justice extend such an offer to someone accused of high treason?" Sharif asked. "This is something which is beyond my understanding..." "While Musharraf has been offered such a relaxation, my plea for just three days exemption from appearing in court was turned down," the ousted premier said, adding that he had wished to visit his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer in London. The directive allows Musharraf to file his nomination papers on the condition that he would appear in person before the Supreme Court on June 13 in Lahore to attend a hearing. On Thursday, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar took up Musharraf's plea against his 2013 disqualification for life by the Peshawar High Court, reports Dawn news. Following his disqualification in April 2013, Musharraf's nomination papers for Karachi's National Assembly seat in the polls that year were rejected on the grounds that he had held in abeyance and suspended the Constitution on November 3, 2007, detained and removed a number of superior court judges and publicly insulted then Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. In addition to the treason trial, Musharraf is facing a number of criminal cases. The former military dictator left for Dubai in 2016 to "seek medical treatment" and has not returned since. --IANS ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan met his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho here to finalise the details of the security measures and protocol of the upcoming US-North Korea summit. The Ministers on Thursday "exchanged in-depth views on further developing the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries with a long history and tradition in various fields and on the situation ahead of the summit", Efe news reported on Friday. Balakrishnan arrived in the North Korean capital on Thursday for a two-day visit. The summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump is scheduled for June 12 in Singapore. It is expected that Balakrishnan will also meet North Korea's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam. The countries are finalising the preparations for the historic meeting after it was earlier cancelled due to disagreements between the US and North Korea regarding the Pyongyang regime's possible denuclearisation. Diplomatic efforts managed to revive the summit. The June 12 meeting will be the first time that leaders of North Korea and the US have met face-to-face after almost 70 years of confrontation following the 1950-53 Korean War and 25 years of failed negotiations over North Korea's nuclear development programme. --IANS and/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Austria's Dominic Thiem on Friday put an end to the French Open dream run of Italy's Marco Cecchinato with a 7-5, 7-6 (12-10), 6-1 victiry, earning a place in a Grand Slam final for the first time. The second set tie-break proved to be decisive as the Italian player squandered three set points, having recovered from a 6-3 deficit, reports Efe. Cecchinato, who up until this year's Roland Garros never got past the first round of a Grand Slam event, did not look the same in the third set, as he hit just one winner, committing eight unforced errors. This was not the case during the first two tight sets between the Thiem and Cecchinato. Thiem, who fell short to Spaniard Rafael Nadal at the semi-finals in 2017, started the match breaking his rival Cecchinato's serve. The 25-year-old Cecchinato, who knocked out Serbia's Novak Djokovic in the previous round, however fought back, drawing level at 4-4, but eventually conceded his serve in the 11th game. Thiem improved on serve during the second set, facing zero break points, but he was not able to seize on any of the three break points as the set went to the tie break. "The second set tie-break was the big key to the match, 100 per cent, because obviously he felt all the matches from the past two weeks after that," said Thiem, according to ATP's website. "If he would have won the tie-break, he would (have been) full power, for sure, in the third set. So it was good for me that I won it I expect that he will be a really good player on clay. You don't get to a Grand Slam semi-final by accident. He beat really good players." Easing through the third set, Thiem became only the second Austrian player to reach the final of Ronald Garros, following in the footsteps of Thomas Muster, who won the title in 1995. Next up for Thiem is either Nadal, who is eyeing his 11th French Open title, or Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina. "Of course there is pressure, especially in Grand Slam finals, because I have gone a very long way now and I don't want to lose the final," said Thiem. Cecchinato said: "It was a special tournament for me. I played two sets at the same level (as Djokovic) against Thiem. (My) level is very good at the moment (and) I am very, very happy. If I had won the second set, I think it would have been totally different the third set. But after the loss, I go a little bit down mentally and physically. Today was unbelievable for me, with all of Philippe-Chatrier Court full." --IANS pur/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday dismissed Maoists' alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the left-wing extremists are "fighting a lost battle" and that "PM's security is top priority of the government". The Minister said the reported Maoist plan to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a hollow threat. "Security of the Prime Minister is the top priority. Maoists are fighting a lost battle. Maoist insurgency has considerably come down," the Home Minister said. "At present, the Maoist insurgency affects just 10 districts and even that would end soon as has been done in the Northeast where insurgent violence has been contained and brought down by 85 per cent." Maharashtra Police on Thursday told a Pune court that they had seized a letter from a suspected Maoist revealing how they planned to assassinate Modi in a "Rajiv Gandhi-like incident". The letter was recovered after five activists were arrested on Wednesday for links with the banned CPI-Maoist. They included Dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale and lawyer Surendra Gadling, besides activists Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen and Rona Wilson. --IANS sq-rak-sar/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two persons were killed here on Friday when their pick-up van rammed into a tractor trolley transporting iron girders protruding outside the vehicle, police said. The gory incident occurred on National Highway-24 near Royal College in Kavi Nagar area. The police said the commuters, residents of Patel Nagar in Delhi, were going to Nainital in Uttarakhand when the tractor trolley came on to the road at high speed through a cut, causing the accident. The iron girders smashed into the pick-up van after breaking the windscreen, killing Ravi Shankar Mehra and Ganpat Mehra and injuring four others, police Inspector P.L. Tripathi said. "The family members have been informed about the accident," Tripathi said. --IANS sps/mr/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he is willing to invite North Korea's top leader Kim Jong Un to visit the US for further talks if their meeting in Singapore goes well. "Maybe we'll start with the White House," Xinhua quoted Trump as saying at a joint press briefing at the White House with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "But certainly if it goes well. And I think it would be well received. I think he would look at it very favourably. So I think that could happen," he noted. Speaking of his upcoming meeting with Kim, Trump said: "I think ... we're going to have a great success. I don't think it will be in one meeting. I think it will take longer than that. This has been going on for many, many decades." Trump added that Kim's personal letter to him carried a very warm and nice "greeting", which he appreciated very much. Noting that he believes the meeting is going to "have a terrific success or a modified success", Trump said he would like to see the normalization of bilateral ties once their mutual concerns are solved. He added that he and Abe have agreed to help the North Korea "if the deal is done". "We could absolutely sign an agreement", Trump said. "But that's really the beginning. Sounds a little bit strange, but that's probably the easy part; the hard part remains after that." Speaking of the US "maximum pressure" campaign against the North Korea, Trump said he would not use the term now. He added that whether he will re-use it in the future depends on the negotiations and the "maximum pressure is absolutely in effect" currently. "We have a list of over 300 massive, in some cases, sanctions to put on North Korea. And I've decided to hold that until we can make a deal, because I really believe there's a potential to make a deal," he said. Trump added that he is totally and fully prepared to walk away from the Singapore meeting if it does not go well, as he did to the historic Iran nuclear deal. "But I hope it won't be necessary," he added. --IANS qd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) president met RJD's on Thursday, after which the Opposition Leader in the Assembly said their coming together was aimed at "protecting Constitution, secular-democratic values and goals of social justice". The meeting came days after the won the Jokihat assembly seat in in a bypoll, defeating the ruling JD(U). "We are here not to form governments but to transform the lives of the downtrodden people against the wishes of (the) current right-wing authoritarian regime. Our togetherness is aimed at protecting Constitution, secular-democratic values & goals of social justice. We shall fight, we shall win," Yadav tweeted after the meeting. Fruitful meeting with @RahulGandhi Ji. Bliss was it to be in that dawn..to be young was all the more heaven. We are committed to take nation out of the climate of fear generated by this regime. Watch out! Shall come out wth a committed programme for farmers,youth,women,poor... pic.twitter.com/lPX2uEAiYJ (@yadavtejashwi) June 7, 2018 In another tweet, he said, "Fruitful meeting with @RahulGandhi Ji. Bliss was it to be in that dawn..to be young was all the more heaven. We are committed to take nation out of the climate of fear generated by this regime. Watch out! Shall come out with a committed programme for farmers, youth,women, poor...(sic)." We are here not to form govts but to transform the lives of the downtrodden people against the wishes of current right wing authoritarian regime. Our togetherness is aimed at protecting constitution,secular-democratic values & goals of Social Justice. We shall fight, we shall win pic.twitter.com/6X4hDZdVoE (@yadavtejashwi) June 7, 2018 candidate Shahnawaz Alam defeated Murshid Alam of the JD(U) by over 41,000 votes. Jokihat seat in the Muslim-dominated Araria district of was won by the JD(U) in the 2015 assembly election. The Jokihat bypoll defeat came as a jolt to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) who dumped the and the last year to join hands with the BJP to form a new coalition government in Bihar. Ten farmers from Haryana, who were facing arrest warrants, surrendered before a local court and were sent to judicial custody in connection with an attempt to murder in Kairana here. The additional chief judicial magistrate in Kairana sent them to 14 days judicial custody yesterday in the case. According to the prosecution, the bail plea of the farmers was rejected. The Kairana police had registered cases against 17 farmers in an attempt to murder case at Nawi village in Shamli district in April last year. The rest of the farmers are still absconding. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eleven Naval trainees were today awarded 'Wings' on completion of their three week 90th Helicopter Conversion course at the Naval Air Station at Arakkonam, about 80 km from here, today. Flag Officer and Commanding-in-Chief, Vice Admral Karambir Singh viewed the passing out parade at the Naval Air Station Rajali, Arakkonam, the Navy's largest operational air base, an official release said. Sub-Lieutenant Vishnu Menon was adjudged Best all round trainee and received the 'Kerala Rolling Trophy'. Lieutenant Amit Singh was selected for the 'Book Prize' for standing first in the subjects. The pilots would be appointed in front-line units and take on varied missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, search and rescue operations and anti-piracy patrols, the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 'Bengal Mango Utsav - 2018' began here today to showcase the state's mango and mango products, and also to explore possibilities for their export to the Middle East, Europe and South East Asian countries. The three-day mango utsav is being organised by the state's Food Processing Industries and Horticulture department in association with the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Exhibition and sale of different varieties of mango and mango products by the growers and producers from all across state are in display at the utsav. Inaugurating the festival, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee said mangoes from West Bengal have found space in many countries and the state government is ready to provide all necessary supports to the farmers. The state government has initiated talks to get markets in United Kingdom, Italy, France and other countries with the best of mangoes that are produced in West Bengal, Mukherjee said. He also said "West Bengal has different verities of mangoes. However, we need to market them well to get better price." Food Processing Industries and Horticulture Minister, Abdur Rezzak Mollah said mango has huge potential for various food processing products. "However, we need to set up right kind of food processing units in the state and also identify the best quality mangoes for pickles, juices and other products," he said. He further said that FPOs should be proactive in building connections between farmers and national and international buyers through participatory farming. "Thrust has been given to produce more export quality mangoes from West Bengal," Mollah added. State's IT and Electronics Minister Bratya Basu said that this year West Bengal has produced nearly 9 metric tonnes of mangoes which is a record production for the state. Agriculture, Horticulture and Food Processing Industries Secretary Nandini Chakravorty said representatives from eight countries directly communicated with the farmers from different districts. She also informed that West Bengal produces 400 variety of mangoes out of which 100 varieties are available in Bengal Mango Utsav. Dr Rajeev Singh, director general, Indian Chamber of Commerce said that it is important for West Bengals mango to get better market in India and abroad to ensure better price for the farmers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five elderly patients died in the ICU of a state-run hospital here during the last two days, with their attendants alleging that AC plant failure was the reason for their deaths, a charge denied by hospital authorities. The incident brought back memories of the Gorakhpur hospital deaths last year allegedly due to shortage of oxygen. While the attendants of patients alleged that the AC plant in the ICU of Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital was not working for the past several days leading to their deaths, the principal of the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Medical College, under which the hospital functions, said the patients died due to serious illness and not because of any AC failure. "There were problems in the AC plant yesterday. The problems were fixed, but they again cropped up," Principal Navneet Kumar admitted but emphatically denied the charge that the patients died due to air conditioning problem. "The ICU has serious patients but none died due to AC failure," he told reporters here. He said technicians have been asked to rectify the problem in the AC plant at the earliest and a probe has been instituted into the matter. The deceased patients were identified as Indrapal (75) of Nurwal, Ganga Prasad Yadav (75) of Budhi-Khera Unnao, Rasool Baksh (62) of Sandeela Hardoi, Murari Lal (65) of Azamgarh and another person whose identity could not be established immediately. Accepting that there were certain air conditioning problems, ICU in-charge Saurav Agarwal said the AC plant of the medicine department's ICU had shut down just two days back. "Superintending in-charge of LLR Hospital, chief medical superintendent, power department officials and the agency concerned were informed and the problem was rectified. But the compressor again got burnt yesterday," Agrawal said. "Although it was hot inside, life-saving machines like ventilators and monitors were not affected and were working properly. Only the AC became defective," he said. An attendant of a patient told PTI that the LLR Hospital staff tried to provide relief to patients by opening windows and doors of the ICU, but it could not be of much help due to the blazing summer. He said attendants had to use hand fans to bring some respite to restless patients. On getting the about the deaths, senior officials including district magistrate and additional district magistrate (ADM) rushed to the hospital for making on-the-spot assessment. Last year several deaths took place in a state-run hospital in Gorakhpur allegedly due to shortage of oxygen. More than 60 children, mostly infants, had died at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College there within the span of a week in August 2017, triggering a massive outrage. There were allegations that the deaths occurred due to disruption in oxygen supply over unpaid bills to the vendor, a charge denied by the state government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seven people were killed in lightning strikes in Uttar Pradesh and Odisha today and heavy rain lashed Shimla and its adjoining areas, even as hot conditions continued in Punjab and Haryana. It was a hot day in the national capital with the MeT department forecasting the possibility of a thunderstorm tonight and light rains tomorrow. The maximum temperature was recorded at 40.5 degrees Celsius in Delhi, normal for this time of the year. The humidity level was between 68 and 44 per cent, it said. In Uttar Pradesh, as many as five people were killed in separate incidents of lightning strikes in Jaunpur and Rae Bareli districts with isolated places in the state experiencing light to moderate and heavy rains. Lightning also killed two people in Odisha's Kendrapara district. Heavy rains lashed Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla and its adjoining areas this afternoon causing a drop in day temperatures, even as Una in the lower hills recorded a high of 42 degrees Celsius. The local meteorological (MeT) office has warned of thunderstorm with gusty winds at isolated places in Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Mandi and Kullu districts tomorrow and the day after. Key tourist resort of Kufri near Shimla was the wettest with 44 mm of rains while Chhaila and Kandaghat received 21 mm and 20 mm of precipitation. Shimla recorded 19 mm of rain in just one hour. Light rains brought down day temperatures at a few places in Rajasthan, even as Churu was the hottest place in the state recording a high of 45.5 degrees Celsius. Sriganganagar, Kota, Bikaner, Pilani and Jaipur recorded maximum of 45.3 degrees Celsius, 44.2 degrees Celsius, 43.6 degrees Celsius, 43.1 degrees Celsius and 42.2 degrees Celsius respectively. Bonli area in Sawaimadhopur district recorded 1 cm of rains since yesterday, the meteorological department said. Hot conditions continued to prevail in most parts of Haryana and Punjab today, with Hisar sizzling at 45 degrees Celsius, three notches above the normal. In Haryana, Bhiwani recorded a high of 44.5 degrees Celsius, while Ambala had a hot day at 39.1 degrees Celsius, while in Punjab, Amritsar recorded a high of 41.3 degrees Celsius, up one notch against the normal. On the advancement of monsoon, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has alerted residents on India's west coast about the possibility of "extremely heavy rainfall" in parts of the region during next two to three days. The Southwest Monsoon moves from sea to land and remains active from June through September over the Indian subcontinent. It has two branches - the Arabian sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch - that bring rainfall across India. The IMD said the monsoon has advanced to parts of central Arabian Sea, Goa, Karnataka, Rayalaseema region and coastal Andhra Pradesh, parts of south Konkan, south-central Maharashtra, Marathwada, Vidarbha, south Chhattisgarh, south Odisha, Telangana, and west-central and north Bay of Bengal. It said the conditions are favourable for further advance of the monsoon into central Arabian Sea, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha and remaining parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh during next 24 hours. "Increased rainfall activity over coastal Karnataka, Goa and south Maharashtra is likely to continue till June 10. It is very likely to extend to north coastal Maharashtra, including Mumbai, from tomorrow. Extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in these regions is very likely during this period," the IMD said. The rainfall activity over the regions is likely to reduce from June 12. Mumbai and its satellite cities have been alerted about the possible heavy rainfall. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A pass percentage of 89.41 was recorded in this year's Std 10 exams conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Girls recorded a pass percentage of 91.97 against boys whose pass percentage was 87.27, the board said here. Konkan division delivered the best result with 96 per cent of students passing, while Nagpur division was at the bottom with a pass percentage of 85.97. Board chairman Shakuntala Kale announced the results here. A total of 16,36,250 students had registered for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination held in March, of whom 16,28,613 appeared and 14,56,203 passed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nine members of a family, including two minors, were rescued by police from an ashram run by sadhvi Shalini Shukla in Kesri here after a girl escaped from captivity and informed the villagers about their ordeal, police said today. "The family comprising an elderly couple, their two sons, two daughters, a daughter-in-law and two minor grand children were illegally confined in the ashram in Navada area since February 8 against their wishes," Shivli station house officer Mahendra Pratap Singh said. He said a raid was conducted in the ashram on the basis of information provided by one of the family members who escaped from the ashram. The girl met some villagers and told them them about her family's plight, the SHO said. "She claimed that they had been illegally confined like animals and tortured for not following the diktats of Shukla and her aides," the SHO said. The villagers immediately took the girl, a class VIII drop out, to a meeting organised by BJP MP Devendra Singh , who after hearing ordeal of the girl apprised the senior police officers of the situation. "Shivli police rescued nine members of the family from the ashram where they were confined for past four months," Kanpur (rural) Superintendent of Police Radhey Shyam said. During the police raid, the locals admitted to police that they often heard the women and the children crying at night, he said. A case under various sections of the IPC has been lodged against Shukla and her aides, who managed to flee from ashram during the police raid. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 90-year-old woman in the UK was left in a critical condition after she was brutally beaten in her own bed, days after a centenarian was mugged to death and her handbag stolen in London. Iris Warner was discovered by her son slipping in and out of consciousness in her house in Brent, north-west London on June 4. She was rushed to hospital with her life hanging "in the balance", police said. Her condition has since improved but she requires ongoing treatment, the BBC reported. Warner's son Jeffrey said the family were "sickened" by the attack. The family have released images of Warner's injuries, including bruising to her face and down the entire length of her body, to try to find the person responsible. It is believed Warner was attacked at some point between midday on June 2 and midday on June 4. Ms Warner told officers she was woken by a man standing over her who she believes struck her in the face several times with some kind of instrument. Scotland Yard said her bedroom was left in a messy state suggesting the man had searched for something, but it is not known yet if anything was stolen. Detective Inspector Saj Hussain said Warner has "various medical complications on top of the injuries sustained in the assault that are likely to keep her in hospital for a very long time". "Her family are desperate for any information from the public that could help us catch this man," he said. Prashant Patel, who lives on Brampton Road where Warner lived, said he felt "shocked" and "horrified" by the attack. The Indian-origin man added that he was worried for his 85-year-old mother, who he cares for, and was "scared for her when I'm not here". Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was appalled by the "sickening attack". The brutal attack on Warner came days after a 100-year-old woman died after suffering multiple injuries including a broken neck when her bag was stolen. Zofija Kaczan was approached from behind and pushed to the ground in the Normanton area of Derby on May 28. Her handbag was found dumped a few hundred yards away from the scene of the crime. A 39-year-old man who was initially detained on suspicion of robbing her has been arrested on suspicion of her murder, Independent newspaper reported. He remains in police custody and is being questioned. Derbyshire Police is appealing for anyone with information on the incident to come forward, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A four-seater solar car that can attain a top speed of 30 kmph has been developed by students of an engineering college here to protect the Taj Mahal which, as per some reports, is slowly turning brownish-yellow due to rising air pollution in the city. Priced at Rs 50,000, the car named 'Nexgen' has been created by students of ACE college of engineering and management, Agra using recycled and and scrap materials. However, the vehicle is sturdy enough to be used ion rural areas, Sanjay Garg, Chairman of the college told PTI. With petrol and diesel vehicles contributing overwhelmingly to the city's already polluted skyline, the zero-fumes solar car can help clean up the air, Garg said. "Our solar car can help a lot in bringing down pollution levels. It can be used in the night as well as a battery has been provided," said Sanyam Agarwal, project director. "India has enough sunlight round the year. It can be widely used even in rural areas," Agarwal added. The students said solar cars for one or two people have been developed abroad, but theirs can easily seat four. The maximum speed is 30 kmph, more than enough for cities like Agra with perpetual traffic snarls, the students said. The operational costs and the maintenance expenses are low and the spare parts are easily available, they added. "If solar cars become popular, our dependence on petrol and diesel will reduce and emissions will remain under control," Akash Gupta, team leader said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cash-crunched Air India, which delayed salaries for three months in a row, has sought an additional funding of around Rs 2,000 crore from the government to tide over the situation, a senior company official said. The airline is expecting these funds next month when the government moves the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2018-19 in the Monsoon session of Parliament, the official said. The national carrier has already received more than Rs 26,000 crore of the 10-year Rs 30,231-crore bailout package announced by the former UPA government in April 2012. "We have requested the government to restore equity infusion in the airline, which was stopped because of the proposed disinvestment. We are seeking an additional Rs 2,000 crore funds to deal with the present situation," the official said on condition of anonymity. Air India had been receiving on an average Rs 3,000-4,000 crore funding per year from the government till financial year 2013-14. However, the amount got substantially reduced after that. For 2018-19, the carrier was allocated only Rs 650 crore in view of the privatisation plan, which failed badly last month as the government did not receive even a single bid to acquire the 76 per cent stake on offer in the airline. "It (the issue of additional funding) will be decided when the first batch of Supplementary Grants for Demands come up in the Monsoon session of Parliament next week," the official said. Amid cash crunch, during which Air India also had to defer staff salaries, the airline borrowed Rs 6,250 crore from various banks between last September and this January. The carrier has already approached banks and financial institutions seeking Rs 1,000-crore working capital loans, which it want to avail within this month, in one or more tranches. Civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu yesterday had said the future course of action for Air India disinvestment process will be decided by the group of ministers. He said that all alternatives will be discussed by the Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM), headed by Union minister Arun Jaitley. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A letter found in the house of a person arrested for alleged maoist "links" talks about the ultras' mulling "Rajiv Gandhi-type incident" and suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be targeted during his "road shows", according to the police. The letter, addressed to one Comrade Prakash by sender who identifies himself as 'R', talks about the requirement of Rs 8 crore to procure M-4 rifle and along with four lakh rounds of ammunition for the purpose. The letter was recovered from the house of Rona Wilson who was among five people arrested arrested from Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi in connection with 'Elgar Parishad' held here in December and the subsequent Bhima-Koregaon violence in the district, the police said. All the five were yesterday produced before the sessions court which remanded them in police custody till June 14. The letter reads: "Defeating Hindu fascism has been our core agenda and a major concern for the party. Several leaders from secret cells as well as open organizations have raised this issue very strongly. "Modi-led Hindu fascist regime is bulldozing its way into the lives of indigenous adivasis. In spite of big defeats like Bihar and West Bengal, Modi has successful established BJP government in more than 15 states. "If this pace continues, then it would mean immense trouble for the party on all the fronts. "Comrade Kisan and few other senior comrades have proposed concrete steps to end Modi-Raj. We are thinking along the line of another Rajiv Gandhi type incident." Rajiv Gandhi, former prime minister, was killed by a woman suicide bomber during a public event in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. "It sounds suicidal and there is a great chance that we might fail but we feel that the party PB (polit bureau)/CC (central committee) must deliberate over our proposal," the letter adds. "Targeting his road shows could be an effective strategy. We collectively believe that survival of the party is the supreme to all the sacrifices," it adds. Public Prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar cited the letter while arguing in the court and seeking police custody of the five accused yesterday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Playing out his his third successive decisive game, Viswanathan Anand got the better of Sergey Karjakin of Russia in the final round to end joint second in the Altibox Norway chess tournament, here today. In a solid start, the Indian ace started off with as many as six drawn games and ended with three decisive games in a row. But for his loss against Fabiano Caruana of United States in the previous round, the Indian ace could have been at the helm in the strongest chess tournament of the year. Having lost the tournament-opener itself, the rise of Fabiano Caruana continued as the American scored a fine victory over compatriot Wesley So to win the tournament with five points. Caruana capitalised on a huge blunder from Wesley So when the latter could have drawn through repetition on the 41st move. It was a hard loss for Wesley as he could have tied for first and forced a play-off for the first place if he had spotted the drawing variation. Anand faced the Queen pawn opening from Karjakin and went for the Queen's gambit declined. Karjakin showed some preparation as he played fast in the initial stages and faced a new idea by Anand on move 13. The situation was under control for Anand for a long time in the middle game till Karjakin cracked under pressure. The fateful 26th move gave Anand chance to win a pawn and six moves later when faced with loss of his second pawn, Karjakin resigned. With Caruana winning his third super tournament of the year after Grenke and Candidates, Anand, Hikaru Nakamura of United States and Magnus Carlsen of Norway ended tied for the second spot on 4.5 points apiece. Wesley So and Levon Aronian of Armenia finished joint fifth on four points, a half point clear of Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan. Vachier-Lagrave of France and Karjakin ended joint eighth on three points apiece. The final day had two decisive games and Magnus Carlsen was the first to split the point with Vachier-Lagrave. The Norwegian had black pieces and he felt it was risky to try for more. In the other game of the day Levon Aronian signed peace with Nakamura. The Caravan now moves to a double Rapid and blitz tournament as part of the Grand Chess tour. Anand will participate in both events at Paris and Luven starting on the 12th of June. Results final round: Sergey Karjakin (Rus, 3) lost to V Anand (Ind, 4.5); Fabiano Caruana (Usa, 5) beat Wesley So (Usa, 4); Levon Aronian (Arm, 4) drew with Hikaru Nakamura (Usa, 4.5); Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra, 3) drew with Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 4.5). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protests were held by some organisations here over security situation in Jammu and Kashmir during which they demanded handing over of Kashmir to the Army. Carrying banner "crush Pakistan", the protests, led by Jammu West Assembly movement President Sunil Dimple, held anti-Pakistan slogan for resorting to shelling on border and killing 47 people and injuring 130 others this year. "Kashmir should be handed over to the Army as situation is worsening in the region, Dimple said. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be visiting the border areas to reach out to the people and meet some local delegations at Jammu on the second day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir today. Talking to reporters, Dimple said that the protests were held against Pakistan for creating terror on border. They will also hold dharna to convey the message to the Union Home Minister that it was not the time to celebrate Iftar parties, but to take hard steps in J-K. Dimple appealed to Singh to stay on the International Border (IB) for a night in Arnia, RS Pura sectors with the people and know their hardships. He said Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Singh are enjoying theIftar parties when our security jawans are sacrificing their lives on the borders and people in the Line of Control (LoC) are dying due to Pakistan shelling. Another organisation, Kashmiri Migrant Relief Holders and Overaged Youth held protests in support of the demand of increase in relief money and rehabilitation of overaged youth of the community. They raised anti-government slogans and alleged that the prime minister and he home minister are reaching out to anti-India forces of separatists, stone-pelters and Hurriyat conference in Kashmir during their visit, but forget the displaced Kashmiri migrants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Salma Hussain, a 22-year-old lawyer in Assam, will join a team of young women, selected from across the world, for a peace-building initiative by a Washington-based institute. Hussain, who recently completed her studies from NERIM Law College here, is the only Indian in the eight-member team chosen for the programme by Andi Leadership Institute for Young Women, a press release said here today. The institute, established in honour of activist Andi Parhamovich, offers financial assistance to women who desire to work in the fields of politics, communications, and humanitarian action, it said. Parhamovich was killed in Iraq in 2007 while working for National Democratic Institute, a non-profit organization that works with partners in developing countries to "increase the effectiveness of democratic institutions". The foundation aims to bring diverse women together in an effort to bridge cultural divides and transform conflict through leadership training - similar to what Andi aspired to do through her work in Iraq, the release said. Under this programme, Salma Hussain, a resident of riverine village Sontoli in Assam's Kamrup (Rural) district, will undergo training in peace-building measures from August 5 to18 in Washington, DC. During the course of training, she is likely to meet human rights workers to gather ideas for implementing her dream project of adopting a village in Assam to make it an "abode of peace", the release added. In the past, too, Hussain had received awards and accolades for her welfare work. The Assam had accorded the title of "TAN Youth Icon" to Hussain in 2016 for her contributions to the society. The National Foundation of India bestowed "Youth Leadership" award on her last year, in recognition of her social work. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Austria's government said today that it is closing seven mosques and plans to expel imams in a crackdown on "political Islam" and foreign financing of religious groups. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said the government is shutting a hardline Turkish nationalist mosque in Vienna and dissolving a group called the Arab Religious Community that runs six mosques. The actions by the government are based on a 2015 law that, among other things, prevents religious communities from getting funding from abroad. Interior Minister Herbert Kickl said the residence permits of around 40 imams employed by ATIB, a group that oversees Turkish mosques in Austria, are being reviewed because of concerns about such financing. Kickl said that, in two cases, permits have already been revoked. Five more imams were denied first-time permits. The conservative Kurz became chancellor in December in a coalition with the anti-migration Freedom Party. In campaigning for last year's election, both coalition parties called for tougher immigration controls, quick deportations of asylum-seekers whose requests are denied and a crackdown on radical Islam. The government recently announced plans to ban girls in elementary schools and kindergartens from wearing headscarves, adding to existing restrictions on veils. "Parallel societies, political Islam and tendencies toward radicalization have no place in our country," Kurz told reporters in Vienna. He added that the government's powers to intervene "were not sufficiently used" in the past. Today's measures are "a first significant and necessary step in the right direction," said Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, the Freedom Party's leader. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An estimated 83.75 per cent students of the total 8,04,895 examinees passed class XII examinations, conducted by the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary (WBCHSE), as per the results announced today. This year, 8,04,895 candidates sat for the examination, of whom 6,63,516 students passed, the WBCHSE said in a statement. Among the toppers, Granthan Sengupta from Jalpaiguri Zilla School in Jalpaiguri district secured the top spot scoring 496 marks out of 500 (99.2 per cent), it said. Ritvick Kumar Sahoo (493) of Tamluk Hamilton School secured the second spot with 98.6 per cent marks. Timir Baron Das, Saswata Roy jointly took the third spot securing 490 marks. Among the girls, Arkadipta Ghosh and Anima Garai jointly secured first spot, having scored 97.2 per cent each and both ranked fifth in overall. While Ghosh is from Jadavpur Vidyapith, Garai took the exams from Bankura Ranibandh School. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat that around 200 students - comprising toppers in Secondary, Higher Secondary, ICSE and CBSE examinations and the topper in Ol Chiki in this year's Secondary Examination - will be felicitated at a function at Netaji Indoor Stadium on June 11. The next day, the toppers in Madrasa and High Madrasa Board exams will also be felicitated at Nabanna, she said. Banerjee also called up Sengupta during the day and wished him success. In this year's Higher Secondary Examination, a total of 5,248 candidates received O grade (90 - 100 per cent) while 41,428 candidates got A+ grade (80-100 marks). An estimated 2,50.961 students got first division (over 60 per cent marks). The Higher Secondary examinations were held from March 27 to April 11 this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The opposition BJP today hit out at Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the missing keys of the Shree Jagannath Temple's Ratna Bhandar here and announced a plan to launch an agitation on the issue from Monday. As part of the stir, party activists would demonstrate in all district headquarters and sub-divisional towns on June 11, BJP state unit president Basant Panda said. Slamming Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for remaining silent on the issue which has triggered state-wide outcry, Panda said the judicial inquiry ordered into the matter was aimed at diverting the people's attention. The state government has constituted a judicial commission headed by retired Odisha High Court judge Ragubir Dash to probe the circumstances under which the keys of the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar went missing. BJP workers would stage demonstration at all the police stations in the state and lodge FIR regarding the missing keys of the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar for a week from June 12, Panda told reporters here. 'Diyas' would also be offered in all Jagannath temples in different parts of the state during the period, he said after a team of senior BJP leaders visited the Jagannath Temple here. A controversy erupted earlier this month when Puri District Collector Arvind Agarwal observed in a temple management committee meeting that there was no information confirming the availability of the keys. On April 4, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration had made an attempt to open the inner chamber of the treasury for inspection. But they could not open the room for non-availability of the keys and had to return after peeping into the chamber through a broken window. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Uttar Pradesh police today detained a businessman who had alleged that an aide to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's had sought a bribe from him. The police acted against Lucknow-based businessman Abhishek Gupta after a complaint by the UP BJP office that he was putting pressure on bureaucrats, dropping names of party's office bearers to get his work done. But opposition Samawadi Party has questioned why the original bribery allegation against IAS official S P Goyal, who is principal secretary to the chief minister, is not being probed. The chief minister has asked officials for the factual status of the case. Lucknow's Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar confirmed that an FIR has been registered against the businessman at city's Hazratganj police station. He has been detained for questioning," he told reporters here. A case has been registered against him. The SSP said Gupta was picked up following complaints lodged by the in-charge of the UP BJP office yesterday. But Gupta had earlier written to Governor Ram Naik, alleging that the IAS officer had demanded a bribe to clear a file relating to his petrol pump. The governor, in turn, wrote to Adityanath about the complaint. "Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed Chief Secretary Rajive Kumar to inform the state government about the factual status in the entire episode pertaining to Abhishek Gupta, who had wanted to install a petrol pump in Hardoi district," a UP government spokesperson said. In his letter to Adityanath, which also surfaced on social media, Naik asked the chief minister to take appropriate action over the complaint against his principal secretary. Gupta accused Goyal of demanding Rs 25 lakh as bribe for providing land to widen a road leading to his petrol pump at Raiso in Hardoi district, the governor said in his letter. A copy of Naik's April 30 letter to Adityanath was sent to complainant Gupta as well. Gupta had e-mailed his complaint to the governor on April 18, saying an oil company had approved the petrol pump and he wanted land for widening a road leading to it. It said an application for this was pending before Goyal, and this had delayed the pump's opening. Goyal said that he will reject the file if he wasn't paid Rs 25 lakh, according to the businessman. I said that I am not in a position to pay since I have already taken a loan. I had tried to record his conversation. He saw it and scolded me and told me to leave the place," the businessman complained. But the ruling BJP sought police action against the businessman himself. Bharat Dikshit, the in-charge of BJP's state headquarters, yesterday wrote to the Lucknow SSP seeking an FIR against Gupta. Dikshit accused Gupta of pressuring officers to get inappropriate work, by falsely taking the names of BJP office bearers. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. He expressed surprise over the police "quickly detaining" the complainant rather than showing alacrity in probing his allegation that he was asked for a bribe. He said the same sections of the IPC were applicable to those who demand or offer a bribe. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Uttar Pradesh police today said that a businessman, who had charged a senior official with demanding bribe from him, was under mental pressure and had also given a written clarification in this regard. "Abhishek Gupta was called for interrogation this morning and he told us that he had taken a loan of Rs 1 crore from banks and other sources for opening a petrol pump and had to pay Rs 1 lakh instalment monthly," Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar said. "He said that he is unemployed and his mental condition is not strong and had wrongly taken the name of BJP leaders for influencing senior officials...he has also given a written explanation after which Abhishek Gupta has been handed over to his grandfather," the SSP said. The police had acted against the Lucknow-based businessman after a complaint by the UP BJP office that he was putting pressure on bureaucrats, dropping names of the party's office-bearers to get his work done. But, the opposition Samawadi Party has questioned why the original bribery allegation against IAS officer S P Goyal, who is principal secretary to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is not being probed. Gupta had earlier written to Governor Ram Naik, alleging that the IAS officer had demanded a bribe to clear a file relating to his petrol pump. The governor, in turn, wrote to Adityanath about the complaint. "Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed Chief Secretary Rajive Kumar to inform the state government about the factual status in the entire episode pertaining to Abhishek Gupta, who had wanted to install a petrol pump in Hardoi district," a state government spokesperson said. In his letter to Adityanath, which also surfaced on social media, Naik asked the chief minister to take appropriate action over the complaint against his principal secretary. Gupta accused Goyal of demanding Rs 25 lakh as bribe for providing land to widen a road leading to his petrol pump at Raiso in Hardoi district, the governor said in his letter. A copy of Naik's April 30 letter to Adityanath was sent to complainant Gupta as well. Gupta had e-mailed his complaint to the governor on April 18, saying an oil company had approved the petrol pump and he wanted land for widening a road leading to it. It said an application for this was pending before Goyal, and this had delayed the pump's opening. Goyal said that he will reject the file if he wasn't paid Rs 25 lakh, according to the businessman. I said that I am not in a position to pay since I have already taken a loan. I had tried to record his conversation. He saw it and scolded me and told me to leave the place," the businessman complained. But the ruling BJP sought police action against the businessman himself. Bharat Dikshit, the in-charge of BJP's state headquarters, yesterday wrote to the Lucknow SSP seeking an FIR against Gupta. Dikshit accused Gupta of pressuring officers to get inappropriate work, by falsely taking the names of BJP office bearers. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. He expressed surprise over the police "quickly detaining" the complainant rather than showing alacrity in probing his allegation that he was asked for a bribe. He said the same sections of the IPC were applicable to those who demand or offer a bribe. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If you are planning a career with the military or paramilitary forces, make sure you don't have varicose veins as it may cost you the job. The Delhi High Court has said that a candidate, who had developed varicose veins and was operated upon later, was unfit to join the armed forces since it entails working in extreme conditions and involves more physical activity. The court noted that a study has revealed that patients with varicose veins have pain/heaviness of legs, inability to walk/stand for long hours, itching and leg cramps at night and they can also have dermatitis in the region, which may lead to development of ulcers. A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Pratibha Rani said the ramifications of the operated cases of varicose veins are that it leads to impairment of blood circulation and individuals who have been operated upon for the condition, have a predisposition of developing such a problem in other vessels. "Given the above position, the petitioner may be medically fit for civilian jobs, as declared by Swastik General Surgery and Laparoscopy Hospital, Rohtak and Chief Medical Officer, General Hospital, Jhajjar, but not for military/paramilitary posts, which entails working in extreme conditions and involves much more physical activity," the bench said. The court said the decision by the medical board and the review medical board declaring the man to be unfit "cannot be faulted" with and does not require its intervention. The order came on a petition by a man who had said that he had sat for a combined recruitment written examination for the post of constable in 2015 in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Special Security Force (SSF). He said he had qualified the written examination and was asked to appear for a physical test and medical examination for selection in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). On May 23,2016, the man was declared medically unfit on three counts -- varicose veins, tremors, and tachycardia. The court dismissed the man's petition challenging the decision to declare him medically unfit for the post of constable in CRPF. The plea claimed that he had been operated upon for varicose veins at a hospital in Rohtak in May 2016 and was declared to be fit for recruitment to the post of Constable (GD) in CAPFs by the chief medical officer of Jhajjar's general hospital. After undergoing correctional surgery and on being declared fit, the man applied for a review medical examination, which was conducted on August 27, 2016 and he claimed that the review medical board declared him unfit without even examining him. Later, the review medical board had cleared him of tremor and tachycardia but he was declared unfit due to varicose veins and was operated upon on his left leg. The counsel for the Centre and other authorities referred to the study conducted on the subject and the side effects that new varicose veins may develop again after surgery. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The top 12 major ports in the country recorded 2.41 per cent growth in cargo handling at 116.26 million tonne (MT) in the first two months of the current fiscal, the shipping ministry said today. It said the highest growth was registered by Kamarajar Port (11.69 per cent), followed by Kolkata (11.33 pc), Cochin (8.70 pc), Paradip (7.61 pc) and New Mangalore (6.66 pc). Commodity-wise share of POL (petroleum, oil and lubricant) was the maximum at 29.54 per cent, followed by Container at 20.36 per cent and thermal & steam coal at 16.58 per cent. The ministry said in a statement that Nine Ports - Kolkata (including Haldia), Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Kamarajar, Chennai, Cochin, New Mangalore, JNPT and Deendayal have registered positive growth in traffic. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China today welcomed the temporary ceasefire declared by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in the fight against the Taliban, saying military means cannot solve the Afghan problem. "We hope all relevant parties can move in the same direction and initiate the peace talks at an early date. China firmly supports the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process and continues to play a constructive role in this aspect," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said here. "China appreciates the Afghan government's announcement that it will start a temporary ceasefire with the Taliban. China always thinks that military means cannot resolve the Afghan issue," Hua said in response to a question on Ghani's declaration of ceasefire. Ghani said the ceasefire would last from June 12-20 and offered to hold peace talks with the Afghan Taliban. China is trying to aid Afghanistan and Pakistan in resolving their differences over the Afghan Taliban, which Kabul alleges operates from Pakistani soil. China hosted the first trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of the three countries last December. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese government hackers have stolen a massive trove of sensitive information from a US Navy contractor, including secret plans to develop a new type of submarine-launched anti-ship missile, the Washington Post reported today. Investigators told the newspaper that breaches were executed in January and February by a division of the Chinese Ministry of State Security, operating out of the Chinese province of Guangdong. The contractor, which was not named in the report, works for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, based in Newport, Rhode Island. It conducts research and development for submarines and underwater weapons systems. According to the Post, hackers swiped 614 gigabytes of data that included information relating to sensors, submarine cryptographic systems and a little-known project called Sea Dragon. The Pentagon has not said much about Sea Dragon, launched in 2012, except that it is aimed at adapting existing military technologies to new uses. At the Navy's request, the Post withheld information about the compromised new missile system, but said it was for a supersonic anti-ship missile that could be launched from submarines. Navy spokesman Commander Bill Speaks declined to confirm the Post report, citing security reasons. "Evolving cyber threats are serious matters and we are continuously bolstering our cybersecurity culture by focusing on awareness of the cyber threat, and the adequacy of our cyber defences and information technology capabilities," he told AFP. Chinese hackers have for years targeted the US military to steal information and the Pentagon says they have previously swiped crucial data on the new F-35 stealth fighter, the advanced Patriot PAC-3 missile system and other highly sensitive projects. of the hack comes amid rising tensions between Beijing and Washington on a range of issues including trade and military matters. The Pentagon last month pulled its invitation for China to join maritime exercises in the Pacific because of Beijing's "continued militarisation" of the South China Sea. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Drinking coffee can help people work together as a team and boost their productivity, according to a study. Researchers from The Ohio State University in the US found that people gave more positive reviews for their group's performance on a task - and their own contribution - if they drank caffeinated coffee beforehand. The study, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, showed that people talked more in a group setting under the influence of caffeinated coffee - but they also were more on-topic than those who drank decaf. Coffee seems to work its magic in teams by making people more alert, said Amit Singh, a doctoral student at The Ohio State University. "We found that increased alertness was what led to the positive results for team performance. Not surprisingly, people who drank caffeinated coffee tended to be more alert," Singh said. He conducted the study with Vasu Unnava and H Rao Unnava, both formerly at Ohio State and now with the University of California, Davis. While many studies have looked at how caffeine affects individual performance, this is the first to examine the impact it has on teams, Singh said. The first study involved 72 undergraduate students who said they were coffee drinkers. They were instructed not to drink coffee before the experiment. Half of them first participated in what they were told was a coffee-tasting task. They were split into groups of five. After drinking a cup of coffee and rating its flavour, they were given 30 minutes of filler tasks to give the caffeine a chance to kick in. The other half of the participants did the coffee tasting at the end of the experiment. Each group then read about and were asked to discuss a controversial topic - the Occupy movement, a liberal movement that highlighted social and economic inequality. After a 15-minute discussion, group members evaluated themselves and the other group members. Results showed that those who drank the coffee before the discussion rated themselves and their fellow team members more positively than did those who drank coffee after the discussion, Singh said. The second study was similar, except that 61 students all drank coffee at the beginning of the study. However, half drank decaf and the others drank caffeinated brew. Those who drank caffeinated coffee rated themselves and their fellow group members more positively than those who drank decaf. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today demanded a thorough and fair probe into the Bhima-Koregaon violence after five activists with alleged Maoist links were arrested in connection with it, and said the BJP's "doublespeak" on the matter had been exposed. Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said that "BJP's duplicity and doublespeak exposed again in Bhima-Koregaon", citing the remarks of Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, who termed the arrests of Dalit activists in connection with the incident as an "injustice" and said there was "no relation of Elgaar Parishad with violence". "Union Minister Ramdas Athawale calls arrests of Dalit activists as 'injustice' and says no relation of Elgaar Parishad with violence'. Maharashtra government describes them as Maoist operatives'. Who is lying?" he asked. "A fair investigation, bereft of politics, is the need of the hour," Surjewala said. He said Athawale had also called for the arrest of RSS acolyte, Sambhaji Bhide, whom the prime minister visited in 2014 and praised in a public rally in Sangli. "Is this the reason why Maharashtra government is not acting against Bhide and Milind Ekbote?" he asked. The Congress leader also said that terrorism, Naxalism and extremism were unacceptable as no one knew it better then the Congress, which sacrificed Mahatama Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, besides Beant Singh, V C Shukla and Nand Kumar Patel among others. Congress spokesperson Shakti Singh Gohil cited Athawale's theory that Dalits cannot indulge in such violence and said the NDA should first clarify which theory is right. "The cabinet works with collective responsibility. Athawale is giving a different theory while the police inquiry is giving a different theory, which the union minister is rejecting. So NDA should first clarify who is right, the police or the minister," he asked. A letter found in the house of a person arrested for alleged maoist "links" talks about the ultras mulling a "Rajiv Gandhi-type incident" and suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be targeted during his "road shows", according to Pune police. The letter was recovered from the house of Rona Wilson who was among the five people arrested arrested from Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi in connection with Elgar Parishad held here in December and the subsequent Bhima-Koregaon violence in the district, the police said. Union Minister Athawale condemned the alleged plan by Maoists to target Modi, but said the Elgar Parishad and subsequent violence at Bhima-Koregaon near Pune had no Naxal connection. Followers of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar can never be Naxals, Athawale, a prominent Dalit leader, said in a statement in Mumbai. Several Dalit activists were among the organisers of Elgar Parishad held in Pune. The BJP cited the internal letter purportedly of CPI (Maoists) that pointed to funding received by the proscribed outfit from the Congress to "stop the Modi juggernaut" in next year's Lok sabha polls by spreading "chaos" in the country. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the document has "exposed" the Congress like never before and has striped it of "every cloth of modesty". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today rejected outright any tie-up with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, and termed it as rumours and "a work of fiction". Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and AICC in-charge of Punjab affairs of the party Asha Kumari said such "baseless rumours" deserved no attention. "We completely reject the of Congress and AAP alliance in Punjab, which is a work of fiction and is purely a rumour being advanced by people with vested interests, especially in the wake of Shahkot debacle with the agenda of trying to remain relevant!," Jakhar said. Echoing his views, Kumari said, "As Incharge Punjab Affairs, I completely uphold Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar Ji's views on the conjectures of Congress and AAP alliance in Punjab! These baseless rumours merit no attention." Earlier, the Delhi Congress had rejected any tie-up with the AAP in the national capital, where the Congress drew a blank and the AAP formed government with an absolute majority in the 2015 assembly elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress workers today protested the Rajkot Municipal Corporation's inaction over illegal hoardings in the city. City Congress's executive president Mahesh Rajput, opposition leader in the RMC Vashram Sagathiya and others staged a sit-in in front of commissioner B N Pani's office. They were detained when they tried to enter the commissioner's office and released later. They said in a statement that there were 275 illegal advertising boards or hoardings, but the RMC was not removing them or collecting penalty from the advertising agencies. This illegal advertising was causing a major loss to the corporation, Congress leaders alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Dalit woman was allegedly attacked by a mob for sitting on a chair at a school in a village in Ahmedabad district, police said today. The incident took place at Valthera village two days ago. Pallaviben Jadav (45), who works at an Anganwadi (government-run nursery school), had been entrusted the task of distributing Aadhaar cards, police said. According to the FIR registered at Kath police station, Jayraj Vegad, a local resident, was infuriated to see that Pallaviben was sitting on a chair while doing her work. Being a Dalit how she dared to sit on a chair, he asked her and kicked the chair, causing her to fall, as per the complaint lodged by Pallaviben's husband Ganpat Jadav. Later, Vegad and some 25 others went to the woman's house in the evening and allegedly attacked her, her husband and some other family members with sticks and sharp weapons. Koth police registered a case under IPC sections related to attempt to murder and dacoity, and also under the SC-ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The accused belong to the Karadia Rajput community which falls in the OBC category, police said. "It was also alleged that the accused snatched away Pallaviben's mangalsutra. The accused also allegedly tried to set one of Jadav's relatives on fire," said P D Manvar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, SC/ST Cell, Ahmedabad. Manvar, who is investigating the case, said three persons were arrested today. Bharat Vegad, one of the accused named in the FIR, later filed a complaint against Pallaviben and her husband, alleging that it was the couple and their relatives who attacked him and others, the DSP said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government today informed the Bombay High Court that a Deputy Commissioner of Police would inquire into the allegation that the Thane civic commissioner threatened an activist for filing a PIL over shoddy road concretisation work there. The high court had earlier this week expressed displeasure over the police's handling of the inquiry and had asked the Thane Police Commissioner to either transfer the probe to a senior official or it would consider appointing a judicial officer to carry out inquiry. A division bench of Justices A S Oka and Riyaz Chagla was today informed by the assistant government pleader that the probe will now be carried out by a Deputy Commissioner of Police. "Since the probe will now be carried out by the DCP, there is no need for us at this stage to appoint a judicial officer to carry out inquiry. The DCP shall submit an inquiry report before us on July 12," the court directed. The activist, Pradeep Patil, had last year filed a public interest litigation (PIL) raising the issue of shoddy road concretisation work in neighbouring Thane district. Patil had in January this year filed an affidavit in his petition, alleging that on December 19 last year he received a call from Thane Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal summoning him to the latter's residence for a meeting. When Patil went to Jaiswal's residence, he was threatened, the activist alleged in the affidavit. The Thane Municipal Corporation's counsel Ram Apte had refuted the allegations and said Jaiswal never met Patil. The HC had then directed the police to carry out an inquiry and take into account the CCTV footage and call data records (CDR) of the petitioner. The police initially said it had completed its inquiry and found the allegations to be false. But later, the police informed the court that the inquiry was still on and that they were looking into Patil's CDR details. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Launching a scathing attack on CoA members Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji, BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary today asked how can all the powers rest in the hands of "two individuals" in a democratic set-up. The CoA and the BCCI office-bearers (with support of state units) have been engaged in an ugly shadow battle with the Supreme Court-appointed Committee not ready to involve the latter in policy making decisions leading to a lot of acrimony. The latest bone of contention is the SGM scheduled in the national capital on June 22, which the CoA is trying to veto having issued instructions to not entertain any invoices (airfare, TA/DA) raised by the officials. The CoA in its letter had raised seven-point objection stating that BCCI's general body no longer has the monopoly to take decisions. "The process has to be democratic and decision-making of policy nature cannot rest in the hands of 2 individuals and without even being the BCCI, they cannot bind the organisation without its authorisation, consent and free will. The CoA or the office bearers, it is respectfully submitted, are not empowered or obligated to take policy decisions," Choudhary wrote in his letter to the CoA, where he referred to the former CAG as "ex-member of the prestigious IAS from Nagaland cadre". While Rai in his letter had pointed out that "public are primary stakeholders" while players form the "very core", Choudhary in his sarcasm laced reply suggested that the "decisions taken at SGM could be taken by public referendums like Brexit". "Two individuals taking decisions in the most opaque manner have become the repository of all things democratic, transparent and public good. If your interpretation of the recommendations of the Justice Lodha Committee with regard to the people's stake and participation are to be accepted then the AGM of the BCCI could well be held with the next General Elections and decisions at SGMs could be taken by public referendums such as the Brexit vote in the UK." According to Choudhary, the manner in which CoA has interfered in each and every policy decision showed whose contentions are self serving. "The undersigned is surprised at the manner in which everything is being interpreted by the CoA as an attempt to bypass the orders passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court when every care has been taken by the undersigned to comply with each and every order of the Hon'ble Court. "It is also submitted most respectfully that even the public at large may easily interpret as to whose contentions are self-serving, however, your view that the arguments raised by the undersigned have no basis either in law or fact is a notion that is factually incorrect and legally unsustainable." The former Jharkhand top cop also accused Rai and Edulji for having "flawed interpretation of judicial orders". "In the facts and circumstances, arrogation of powers to itself and flawed interpretation of judicial orders, it is humbly requested to kindly withdraw the orders which might come in the way of the constitutional functioning of the BCCI and may hamper the decision making of the General Body by restricting flow of information to the Board through the staff of the BCCI,"Choudhary urged Rai. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today inaugurated a 16 MW solar 'PV power plant' set up by the defence PSU Bharat Electronics LTD at the Heavy Vehicle Factory in Avadi here. The power plant set up on a 80 acre land, at a cost of Rs 105 crore, would meet the captive consumption of the HVF and Engine Factory Avadi (EFA). The plant would inject power at 110kV to the Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Ltd's 110 kV Sub-Station. This is expected to lead to an annual savings of Rs 45.41 million for HVF. "Solar power generated here is given to TNEB (Tamil Nadu Electricity Board) at less than Rs five thus providing over Rs four crore savings. Great contribution by Bharat Electronics and Ordnance Factory at Avadi," she said in her official twitter handle after formally inaugurating the plant. The new plant would provide green energy to the factory and promote GreenIndia, she said in another tweet. Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), under the 'Viability Gap Funding Scheme', is establishing energy security for the Ordnance Factory Estates, by setting up utility scale grid-connected solar power plants, a press release said. It would also lead to reduction of sulphur di-oxide, nitrogen di-oxide and particulate matter emissions resulting in improvement in air quality, the release said. The carbondioxide avoided due to the solar power plant would be around 26,384 ton per year, it added. BEL Chairman and Managing Director, M V Gowatama, Tata Solar Power Chief Financial Officer, Satish Gupta were among those present on the occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three BJP legislators today staged a walkout from the Delhi Assembly after their request for the government's reply on the Jan Lokpal Bill was turned down, even as Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused the Centre of sitting on it for about 21 months. Leader of the Opposition Vijender Gupta and BJP MLAs Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Jagdish Pradhan, after staging the walkout, sat on a 'dharna' outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office in the assembly premises. They sought his apology for spreading "lies" that the file of the Bill is pending with the Centre. The assembly had passed the Jan Lokpal Bill on December 4, 2015, and sent it to the Centre through the Lt Governor for approval, Sisodia said. The deputy chief minister said, "After sitting on the Bill for around 21 months, the Centre wakes up and says there should be a discussion on whether the Bill comes under the competence of the Delhi Assembly or not." "The Centre is raising the question on the right of the assembly. If Delhi was a full state, Jan Lokpal would have been enforced in Delhi," Sisodia said. He, however, did not counter the opposition's allegations that the file related to the Bill was still pending with the Delhi government. As the House proceedings began today, Gupta, Sirsa and Pradhan demanded a reply from the government on the Bill, but their request was turned down, following which they staged the walkout. The three BJP leaders also wrote to Kejriwal, demanding that files related to the Bill be tabled in the assembly without delay. The Jan Lokpal Bill proposes strict punishment for corrupt government officials in the national capital. Sisodia had on Wednesday "misled" the House, saying that the Jan Lokpal Bill is pending with the Centre, Gupta told reporters during the sit-in. "The government is running away from replying on the status of the Bill. The CM and deputy chief minister should apologise to the House over the issue," the Leader of the Opposition said. Sirsa said the opposition will fight for the Jan Lokpal Bill and ensure that it is implemented in the national capital. Yesterday, Gupta and Sirsa were marshalled out of the House while one of their colleagues staged a walkout, demanding Sisodia's apology for "misleading" the House over the Bill. Gupta yesterday also gave a memorandum to Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, bringing to his notice that the Delhi government was "misleading" the assembly by levelling "false" allegations against the BJP-led Centre during the discussion on full statehood to Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi University today appealed to its teachers to end their evaluation boycott in the larger interest of the career of students. Reacting to the development, the Delhi University Teachers' Association said in a statement that instead of reminding teachers of their duties, the DU administration should enter into a genuine dialogue and take concrete, visible steps and give assurance towards resolution of issues which can be resolved at the university level. The DUTA had begun the evaluation boycott from May 9. The Delhi University today said that a meeting was held with the deans of the various faculties of the university and with principals of the colleges to discuss the issues of boycott of the evaluation of the answer scripts of the examinations held during May-June 2018. A serious concern was expressed that if this boycott continues, it will cause "inordinate delay" in declaration of the results and may thus hamper the career of thousands of students pursuing various undergraduate programmes, said the varsity in a statement. During the discussion it was felt strongly that as per service agreement of teachers and the executive council resolutions of 2003 and 2014, it is their mandatory duty to participate actively in the examination/evaluation process, the varsity added. "In the light of the above, it is appealed to all the teachers concerned in the larger interest of the career of students to immediately join the process of evaluation work at their respective evaluation centres and evaluate the answer scripts," said the varsity. The incredible support that the DUTA has been receiving from the student community indicates that the students are well aware that the grave issues that are at stake affect the stability and quality of the teaching-learning process, said the teachers' body. The DUTA was forced to take this harsh step because of attack on reservation policy through March 5 UGC Notification and because of fear that some of the DU colleges may be made autonomous colleges, it added. "The fact that teachers have stayed away from evaluation work shows that teachers are unhappy and demoralised as they have been denied appointments and promotions for the last 10 years," the body said. The DU administration should cease taking a one-sided view of the matter. Instead of reminding teachers of their duties, the DU administration should enter a genuine dialogue and take concrete visible steps and give assurance towards resolution of issues which can be resolved at the university level. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's first indigenous, long-range artillery gun "Dhanush" has passed its final test at Pokhran, paving the way for its induction into the Army, a senior official said today. Between June 2-6, fifty rounds of shells each were fired from six Dhanush guns, Gun Carriage Factory (GCF) Senior General Manager SK Singh told reporters here today. Dhanush is a 155mm x 45mm calibre artillery gun and is also called the "desi Bofors". "Six guns in battery formation (at one go and at one target) successfully fired 101 rounds on June 7," Singh informed. He said that the GCF got the Dhanush project in October 2011 and the first prototype was made in 2014. Later, 11 more prototypes were made from which 4,200 rounds were fired. The gun has passed tests under severe cold conditions in Sikkim and Leh and in hot and humid weather in Balasore, Odisha, Babina in Jhansi and in the desert of Pokhran in Rajasthan, Singh said. He said that during the trial in Pokhran a year ago, the muzzle and barrel of the howitzer exploded two times. A probe by different Ministry of Defence departments into the two incidents, however, did not find any fault with the gun, Singh said, adding that Dhanush is among the finest artillery guns in terms of accuracy. It has a strike range of 38 kilometres and 81 per cent of its components are indigenously sourced, the official said. This, he said, would be scaled up to 90 per cent by 2019. Singh said that 12 guns would be supplied to the Army in the current fiscal while the total number for the initial phase is 114 guns. He said that, under an agreement to be inked soon, a total of 414 Dhanush guns would be supplied to the Army. Manufactured by the Jabalpur-based Gun Carriage Factory (GCF), each of the 155-mm gun costs about Rs 14.50 crore while each shell costs Rs one lakh, a former top official of the factory said. Besides features like electronic gun-laying and sighting systems, the indigenous gun's hitting range was 11 km more than the imported Bofors guns, he added. "The Dhanush project has received support and active cooperation from other ordinance factories and PSUs such as SAIL, BEL, and many private sector companies. Their support has made the project a huge success," he said. The gun has been developed by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Kolkata, after going through design documents running into over 12,000 pages. These documents were given to India as part of the first phase of "Transfer of Technology" (ToT) under the Bofors gun deal inked in the late 1980s, he added. The Swedish Bofors company (now owned by Britain's BAE System) could not complete the ToT for the 155mm x 39mm calibre howitzer as the deal got embroiled in a major political row over alleged kickbacks. Subsequently, the OFB struggled for long to produce the howitzer indigenously, he said. This was despite the fact that it had manufactured and supplied several components and spares to keep the Bofors howitzers operational in India, especially during the Kargil War. "The Army had been desperately looking for 155mm howitzers for more than three decades. It had roped in an Israeli company, Soltam, to upgrade the imported, Russian-made 130mm gun to 155mm at GCF. But the project, after the upgraded gun's trial, ran into issues of alleged kickbacks," the former official claimed. Six years ago, the Defence Acquisition Council had decided to look for artillery guns within the country and asked OFB to start manufacturing howitzers. Towards that end, former Defence Minister A K Antony inaugurated a 155-mm gun manufacturing facility at GCF on September 22, 2012. According to defence experts, the Army needs a huge number of howitzers of different types, and Indian firms, some in partnership with foreign manufacturers, are in the race to fulfil the demand. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) European members of the G7 unanimously oppose US President Donald Trump's call for Russia to be readmitted into the club, French President Emmanuel Macron's office said today. Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May and new Italian premier Giuseppe Conte agreed on a common stance on Russia during talks together on the sidelines of the G7 summit, which is taking place in Canada. "The common European position is against the return of Russia," one senior aide to Macron told reporters, although the leaders did leave open "the possibility of establishing dialogue" with Moscow. Conte, who is attending his first summit, had earlier indicated that he was in favour of Trump's proposal to welcome Russia back into an organization from which it was frozen out after annexing Crimea in 2014. May -- whose government has accused Russia of being behind the poisoning of a former spy in Britain earlier this year -- said that the G7 had to be convinced that Moscow had changed. "We have always been clear that we should engage with Russia. The phrase I've used is engage but beware," she told Britain's Sky "Let's remember why the G8 became the G7. And before discussions could begin on any of this, we would have to ensure Russia is amending its ways and taking a different route. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today said she has written to the Uttar Pradesh government for expediting the process for Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved to set up the proposed Rs 6,000-crore mega food park. "I have written to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to sort out all the issues and expedite the process for setting up of this proposed food park," she said when asked about the controversy over Patanjali's good park. She was speaking on the sidelines of Yes Bank's second FutureAgritech Summit. Badal said the Patanjali has proposed to develop this food park on land provided by the UP government. As per the mega food park policy, land has to be sub-leased for units being set up in the park, she said, adding that the state has to give permission for the same. Badal said Patanjali has been given time till June to fulfill all the conditions so that the company gets the final approval from the Centre to set up food park. When asked whether other companies are facing similar problems in putting up mega food parks, she said: "I personally review the progress of the project on quarterly basis. We coordinate with other ministries and state governments to expedite the process". Earlier this week, Patanjali had stated that it was pulling out of the mega food processing project along the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh, citing non-cooperation from the state government and delay in clearances for transfer of land. However, the company later said that it was reviewing the decision to pull out of the project after getting assurance from the state government. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed officials to expedite the process for Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved to set up its food park. The Haridwar-based company had proposed to invest up to Rs 6,000 crore to set up a plant over 425 acres of land along the Yamuna Expressway through its step-down firm Patanjali Food and Herbal Park. Addressing the event, Badal informed that 15 mega food parks have become operational out of 42 sanctioned. She said food processing would play a pivotal role in achieving the target of doubling farmers income by 2022. The minister stressed on the need to increase the processing level from current 10 per cent in order to reduce wastage of perishable food items, which is estimated at staggering Rs 1 lakh crore annually. "We have to make farmers into agro-processors," the minister added. Stating that India is a leading producer of many crops despite low yields, Badal said India has the capacity to be global food factory if productivity gets increased and post-harvesting wastage reduced. Speaking at the event, Ashok Gulati, Infosys Chair Professor for Agriculture, ICRIER, said the agriculture sector is in "stress situation". The average growth of agriculture and allied sectors in the last four years has declined to 2.5 per cent from 5.2 per cent in the previous four years, he added. Farmers are growing more but not getting right price for their produce, Gulati said, while emphasising on the need to make the whole system demand driven. Effective application of technology is vital to transform the food and agriculture sector, thereby improving yield, productivity, market access and income," YES Bank MD and CEO Rana Kapoor said. The bank has launched an agritech accelerator which will focus on scaling up 4-5 innovative farm-to-fork agritech solutions which also have a social impact, through a mix of mentorship, grants, access to funding and commercialization partnerships, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court has asked Indian Railways to explore the possibility of having a compulsory pre-litigation mediation for facilitating an early settlement in cases of tortuous claims for compensation against them. The court said that the Railways ought to adopt a 'litigation policy' to deal with such cases as the delay defeats the purpose of granting compensation when the amount was not given to the victim immediately. Justice Prathiba M Singh passed the order while dealing with a case in which a man has been running from pillar to post seeking compensation after one his legs was amputated in a train accident over 30 years ago. The court, which was hearing an appeal by the Railways challenging a Delhi trial court's order granting Rs 6.6 lakh compensation to the man, enhanced the amount to Rs 9 lakh and directed the authorities to pay the remaining amount within eight weeks. The court noted that the journey of the litigation has shown that Tilak Raj Singh, who was a 22-year-old law student at the time of the accident in October 1987, was entangled in a technical objection of jurisdiction before the civil judge at Meerut and the Railways Claims Tribunal. "An organisation such as the Railways which is located across the length and breadth of this country ought not to delay cases of compensation in this manner. The whole purpose of granting compensation is defeated if the amounts do not become available to the victim immediately," it said. "The Railways ought to adopt a 'litigation policy' to deal with cases when tortuous claims for compensation are filed against them. In such cases, compulsory pre-litigation mediation can also be explored to bring about an early settlement. "Such a step would reduce the costs for the Railways as also reduce the number of cases filed, and finally ensure timely and efficient payment of compensation," it said. The court said that a copy of the order be sent to the secretary of Ministry of Railways and the Railway Board. The incident dates back to October 20, 1987 when Singh, who is now working with the Income Tax Department, had boarded a general class compartment of Frontier Mail from Meerut Cantonment to Ludhiana and was standing at the exit door. When the train reached Muzaffarnagar, some of the bogies did not reach up till the platform and to give way to others, he came down. When the train started moving, he tried to board it and due to a sudden and jerky movement of the train, he along with other passengers fell and he got entangled between the wheels of the train and was dragged for a long distance. He claimed in the plea that no first aid was given to him at the Muzaffarnagar railway station and he was taken to a hospital in a rickshaw. Due to blood loss and inadequate facilities, he developed an infection and was shifted to Safdarjung hospital. It said that his leg had to be operated upon thrice at Safdarjung hospital and later, his leg had to be amputated. He filed a civil suit in 1990 in a Meerut court, which returned the plaint citing lack of jurisdiction after 12 years. Later, he approached a railways claims tribunal in 2005, which in 2008 held that the case is liable to be tried by a civil court. In October 2008, Singh filed the suit in the Delhi High Court which transferred it to a trial court here in 2016 due to increase in pecuniary jurisdiction of the high court and he was awarded a compensation by the trial court in August 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Finance Minister Piyush Goyal today announced setting up of a committee to give recommendations in two weeks on formation of an Asset Reconstruction Company for faster resolution of stressed accounts. After meeting the heads of state-owned banks, Goyal said the government "stands solidly behind each of the 21 public sector banks (PSBs)". The committee under Sunil Mehta, non-executive chairman of PNB, will make recommendations in two weeks on setting up of an Asset Reconstruction Company or Asset Management Company for faster resolution of stressed accounts, he told reporters here. Most of the stressed assets have been identified that could fit into the ARC or AMC structure, he said. Also, banks will consider having oversight committees with external experts to help faster decision making and resolving stressed accounts in a transparent and speedy manner. Goyal said discussions during the meeting focused on credit flow and banks devising mechanism to ensure credit flow to good borrowers should not face difficulties. Risks need to be mitigated to support economy, he said, adding that all bankers wished to set up a mechanism to enable faster resolution of stressed accounts. He also said that all vacant positions of PSB heads will be filled in the next 30 days. Suggestions about strengthening governance process and honest recognition of NPAs or bad loans were discussed at the meeting, he said. He assured that processes will be streamlined and customer interest protected. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government today told the Bombay High Court that it was in the process of formulating a stringent law, on the lines of the Centre's Clinical Establishments Act, to regulate private nursing homes and hospitals in the state. Appearing for the state, Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni told the court that the draft plan for such law was already in place, and the government was in the process of finalising some amendments to it. "Some doctors and other members of the medical community had some objections and suggestions. A committee was formed to consider these objections and suggestions, and to amend the draft plan accordingly. The committee will finalise the draft plan in about three weeks, after which it will be ready to be placed before the state assembly," Kumbhakoni said. The submissions were made before a bench of justices Naresh Patil and G S Kulkarni which was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Pune resident Atul Bhosale. In the PIL it was claimed that several nursing homes and hospitals in the state were operating in violation of rules and without valid licenses. During random inspections conducted by state authorities of private nursing homes and hospitals across Maharashtra in the past one year, around 6,000 were found to be operating without valid licenses, and in violation of various other provisions of the Maharashtra Nursing Homes Regulation Act 2006. The advocate general told the court that the state had taken action, such as sealing of nursing homes and even sending some doctors and staff to judicial custody, in the case of around 3,000 such nursing homes and hospitals. The bench however, told the AG to submit details of the action taken against each of the nursing homes or hospitals that was found violating the state and the Centre's norms. "The remaining 3,000 odd establishments that were found by the inspections to be erring still continue to operate. That can't be permitted. The health and lives of citizens can't be compromised with," the bench said. "One requires various permits and a license to even start a small shop," the bench said. According to the plea, currently, under the Maharashtra Nursing Homes Regulation Act 2006, if found running a nursing home illegally, one has to pay a fine of up to Rs 10,000. The Union government's Clinical Establishments Act has more stringent provisions, including criminal prosecution under the IPC for those running such establishments, and a fine of Rs 25,000. The bench accepted the state's submission that on the next date of hearing, scheduled after two weeks from now, it will submit greater details of the draft plan and of the action taken against the illegal nursing homes under the existing 2006 Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government is serious about the security of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said, amid reports of an assassination plot by Maoists. "We are always serious about the prime minister's security. The Maoists are fighting a losing battle. They are now active only in 10 districts in the country," he told a press conference here after a two-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir. The police in Pune yesterday told a court that they had seized a "letter" from the Delhi residence of one of the five people arrested on Wednesday for having alleged "links" with the banned CPI (Maoist). The purported letter allegedly mentioned of a plan to "assassinate" Modi in "another Rajiv Gandhi-type incident", the police told the court. Singh said the Naxal violence will come to an end soon as their area of influence has come down from 135 districts in the country to 90 but they are very active in only 10 of these. Asked about the possibility of extending the ongoing suspension of operations against the militants in Jammu and Kashmir beyond Eid, he said an appropriate decision will be taken after reviewing the ground situation and in consultation with all people concerned. Maintaining that the Centre's stand since beginning was that New Delhi was willing to talk to everyone, Singh said, "Our neighbouring country Pakistan should prevent terror emanating from its soil." The home minister also said the central government was ready to hold dialogue with all "right-minded" people if not "like-minded", a statement seen as an olive branch to the separatists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court today directed the state CB-CID, probing the alleged sex scandal involving a woman assistant professor at a college in Virudhunagar district, to file its counter in two weeks. The first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Juctice P T Asha passed the interim order and posted the plea to July 2 for further hearing. On May 11, the High Court had passed the interim order restraining the circulation of the contents of retired IAS officer Santhanam committee report on the issue. The court ordered the government to keep the report in a sealed cover till further orders. The issue related to the assistant professor Nirmala Devi allegedly asking the students of the college to extend sexual favours to the higher officials of the institution in return for marks and money. The order was passed on a plea by the Revolutionary Youth and Students Federation, claiming that if the Santhanam committee, appointed by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, was allowed to file its report on the scandal, it might dilute the probe by the CB-CID. The federation sought to restrain the committee from filing its report till the CB-CID concludes its probe. The college, where the sex scandal broke out, is affiliated to Madurai Kamaraj University. The suspended assistant professor of the private Devanga Arts College in Aruppukottai, some 500 km from Chennai, was accused of advising students to extend sexual favours to some officials in return for higher marks and money. She arrested on April 16, a day after an audio clip went viral on the social media, in which she purportedly advised students "to adjust with some officials". It was alleged that she sought to persuade girls to consider extending sexual favours to senior officials of Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU). She, however, denied a sexual angle to her advice and claimed she had made it "in the right spirit" and not with any hidden motive or agenda. Tamil Nadu Governor Purohit, in his capacity as chancellor of the university, had set up the one-man inquiry committee to look into the charges. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With his government facing birth pangs of coalition politics, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today stepped in to check the disquiet among newly elected Congress lawmakers who were left out during the Cabinet expansion, but they remained defiant. After being sworn in as chief minister on May 23 and proving his majority in the Assembly on May 25, Kumaraswamy, who was not been able to distribute portfolios to ministers two days after the cabinet expansion largely due to the tumult among Congress MLAs, tonight allotted portfolios to them. Kumaraswamy retained the key Finance department, as also Energy with him while giving Home to his deputy G Parameshwara of the Congress. Some of the disgruntled Cong MLAs were ministers in the previous government. As the dissidents continued their activities, the chief minister and several state Congress leaders met the disgruntled lawmakers, who appeared in no mood to relent, at least not for now, after which Kumaraswamy asked the Congress high-command to act immediately and resolve the situation. With the ruling coalition in ferment, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar called the JD(S)- Congress government "directionless and temporary." "Even though the people gave the highest number of seatsto the BJP in the elections, JD(S) and Congress made a backdoor entry to power. This (government) is only temporary," he told a press conference. "The workers are not happy with the coalition of the twoparties which were at loggerheads before the elections. Therefore, the coalition will be short-lived," Kumar said. Making a desperate bid to set his house in order, Kumaraswamy met M B Patil, who has emerged as the leader of the dissident MLAs, and later told journalists that despite the matter not being directly related to him, he had gone to pacify the legislators as the leader of the JD(S)-Congress coalition to ensure the stability of the government. "This is an issue that is not related to me because these are decisions made within Congress party... I have understood his (Patil) feeling of pain that he has worked for Congress party when it needed (him), but feels let down now," Kumaraswamy said. "I have gathered his feelings. I request Delhi leaders (of Congress) to immediately act to find a solution," he said. Ahead of Kumaraswamy's visit, senior Congress leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief G Parameshwara, and ministers D K Shivakumar, K J George and R V Deshpande met Patil at his residence to smooth his ruffled feathers. According to Congress sources, Patil will be travelling to the national capital to discuss the developments with the party high-command. A group of disgruntled MLAs, including M T B Nagaraj, Satish Jarkiholi, Sudhakar and Roshan Baig, among others, had yesterday met at Patil's residence. Several such meetings have taken place over the last three days which were attended among others by former minister H K Patil. Meanwhile, Jarkiholi, an AICC secretary, said he is contemplating resigning from the party post. Declaring that he and several other Congress MLAs were unhappy over the Cabinet expansion and are holding talks, Jarkiholi said they will meet again on June 11. "I'm thinking about resigning as AICC secretary because despite holding that position I could not become aminister nor was able to secure a ministry for others. "So, people question how I can do justice (to them) and also my strength....So, as soon as possible, I will come to a decision on this afterdiscussion," he said. An unappeased M P Patil told reporters that Kumaraswamy's was a "courtesy call" and that it was an "internal development" related to the Congress about which he cannot do anything. Patil said he was not alone and the group will take a collective decision. He also said their effort was to strengthen the Congress. "About 15 to 20 of us (MLAs) are together, we will take a decision together. Let there be no wrong information. All our efforts are towards strengthening the Congress party and taking it forward," he told reporters. Asked whether he was leading the group of sulking lawmakers, Patil said, "We are a team. I'm no senior or no junior. We 15-20 people are all equals. Whatever decision happens, it will be of the team." The opposition BJP took a dig at the state's ruling dispensation, saying it was not a "functioning government". "48 hours after Congress & its (sic) B team took oath asministers in Karnataka we still dont see a functioning govt. All they r busy is with deciding who will loot what in thestate. Cong CM Kumaraswamy & his govts soul (sic) intention is toensure enough is looted to fund 2019 elections," Karnataka BJP said in a tweet. Kumaraswamy had inducted 25 new ministers on June 6, including those from his party JD(S), Congress, BSP, and the fledgling KPJP. Congress is the second largest party after the BJP in the Assembly with 79 MLAs. Several key members of the previous Siddaramaiah ministry, including M B Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Ramalinga Reddy, R Roshan Baig, H K Patil, Tanvir Sait, Shamanur Sivashankarappaand and Satish Jarkhiholi did not find a place in the new government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The IMD today predicted increased rainfall activity, including extremely heavy rains in isolated places, between tomorrow and June 12 along the north coastal belt of Maharashtra which includes Mumbai. A statement from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued today informed that conditions were favourable for the further advancement of the Southwest monsoon into more parts of the central Arabian Sea and Maharashtra, including Mumbai, during the next 24 hours. "Increased rainfall activity over coastal Karnataka, Goa and south Maharashtra is likely to continue till June 10. It is very likely to extend to north coastal Maharashtra, including Mumbai, from tomorrow," the statement said. "Extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in these regions is also very likely during this period. The rainfall activity over these regions is likely to reduce from June 12," the statement informed. It has also warned that winds, with speeds ranging between 40 kilometres per hour to 60 kmph, were likely along the coasts of Goa and Konkan between June 8-12. "We are on alert mode and precautionary measures are in place. Preparatory work to coordinate with various agencies for any eventuality is also in place," a spokesperson of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation told PTI today. "Our officers are ready and are keeping a close watch on the situation. Their weekly-offs have been cancelled as well," the official added. The IMD, in its forecast issued for today, said that a few spells of rain or thundershowers were likely to occur in the city and suburbs. Heavy rain is likely to occur at one or two places, it added. Earlier, Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta had held a meeting of top civic officials and those from the IMD yesterday in view of the forecast of heavy rain in the city during the weekend. The city witnessed heavy rains yesterday resulting in water-logged streets and late running suburban trains. During the last 24 hours, from 8.30 am yesterday to 8.30 am today, the IMD's station at Colaba recorded 30.2 mm rainfall while Santa Cruz recorded 41 mm rainfall. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The entire gamut of bilateral ties, including issues related to boundary, security and defence, were discussed in the 17th round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Myanmar, the External Affairs Ministry has said. In the meeting held yesterday, the Indian side was led by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, while U Myint Thu, Permanent Secretary, Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the other side. "During the discussions, the two sides reviewed the complete range of bilateral relations, including high-level visits, security and defence related issues, boundary matters and border management, trade and commerce, development cooperation, connectivity, cultural and consular matters. "They also exchanged views on sub-regional, regional and global issues of mutual interest," a statement from the External Affairs Ministry said. Last month, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had paid a two-day visit to Myanmar, during which she met the country's president U Win Myint and, State Counsellor and Minister for Foreign Affairs Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. During her visit, boundary and border related issues, peace and security matters, developments in the Rakhine State, including return of displaced Rohingyas, India's development assistance to Myanmar, ongoing projects, and other issues of mutual interest were discussed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India will not abandon the purchase of the S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia despite US pressure as New Delhi is committed to all its military-technical cooperation with Moscow, India's Ambassador Pankaj Saran said here today. India has concluded price negotiations with Russia for a nearly Rs 40,000 crore deal to procure S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems for the Indian Air Force, officials in New Delhi said last month. In an interview with the state-run TASS agency, India's Ambassador to Russia Saran, who has recently been appointed the Deputy National Security Advisor, said that India will not back out of buying S-400s. Military-Technical cooperation between India and Russia was discussed during the informal meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi last month, he said. It was the first informal Summit in the history of India-Russia relations. The envoy said the date for the annual bilateral summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin has not been announced but he expects it to take place sometime in October in New Delhi. "We are committed to all our agreements in this sphere, including purchase of S-400. India has a long history of military-technical cooperation with Russia based on trust and mutual benefit. There is no change in the approach of India to our partnership in this field," Saran said. Asked if Russia could expect signing of an agreement on supply of S-400 by the end of this year, the Indian envoy said he would not like to fix any time-frame. "I can only say that we have achieved significant progress in the negotiations," Saran said. Officials in New Delhi have said that India and Russia are now trying to find a way out to evade the provisions of a US law that seeks to punish countries and entities engaged in transactions with the defence or intelligence establishment of Russia. Both sides are now looking at ways to insulate the deal from the sanctions announced by the US against Russia under its Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The US had announced sanctions against Russia under the stringent law for its alleged meddling in the American presidential election in 2016. CAATSA, which came into effect in January, mandates the Trump administration to punish entities engaging in significant transaction with the defence or intelligence establishment of Russia. Asked about the reason for organising the informal summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin, Saran said that the summit was characterised by a special personal chemistry between the two leaders. "The reason for this unscheduled meeting was that both sides wanted to exchange opinions on key global and regional issues including development of situation in Afghanistan, Syria and Iran as well as to discuss matters of bilateral interest. "Today relations between India and Russia are important not only for our two countries but also for the region and the whole world. And we would like to build a multi-polar world where India and Russia will contribute to global stability," the ambassador added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indonesian Ambassador to India Sidharto Suryodipuro today called for more people to people connectivity between the two countries and said tourism can be an important tool for that. Suryodipuro, who came here to attend a meet to commemorate the cultural ties between the two nations particularly eastern India and Indonesia, said more and more people were now struck by travel bug in both countries as both were witnessing the emergence of a new middle class. "Now with more and more people travelling, we need more regional connectivity. Tourism is the easiest way of establishing that connectivity with India directly," he said. The number of Indians travelling to Indonesia is close to half a million, while the number of Indonesian tourists to India is close to 40,000, the diplomat told reporters. The envoy said they were aiming to reach the figure of 70,000 Indian visitors to Indonesia in a year and said it was achievable. "We understand Bengalis like to travel in groups," Suryodipuro said. "With Kolkata and Sumatra being in close distance, we are talking with the government to increase the number of flights to Jakarta from the present three," he said. With the present flights being via other cities, direct Kolkata-Jakarta flights will ensure closer people-to-people connectivity and reduce time, he said. Enhanced air connectivity is also needed from the point of view of business, Suryodipuro said. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Indonesia, he said, "PM Modi and our President Joko Widodo talked about concluding a new air service agreement." The ambassador came here to attend the 'The Pride and Glory of Bali-Yatra', an art exhibition to mark 2000 years old past shared by the two nations when sailors from Odisha would set for Bali in Indonesia for commercial reasons. A coffee-table book was also launched and a documentary film was screened all put together by writer, photographer and film maker Sudip Sen - to commemorate the glorious history. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The only international airline flying to the Mattala airport in southern Sri Lanka has pulled out, pushing the loss-making facility into further crisis. A release from Fly Dubai airline said operations were being halted from the airport due to non-commercial viability. The Mattala airport built with Chinese loans was named after former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, but was later dubbed "the world's emptiest airport" due to a lack of operating flights. The airport has not generated enough revenue to pay back the loans. Environmentalists have also criticised the airport that was built in an elephant and bird habitat. Migratory birds, which frequent the area, have been involved in collisions with aircraft approaching or departing from the airport. Rajapaksa's Chinese-assisted infrastructure projects have raised much criticism. However the current government of his successor Maithripala Sirisena was not able to abandon any of them. Rajapaksa has hit back at the Sirisena government for "sell outs" of the Chinese projects allegedly through converting high interest loans into equity with Chinese state firms. The airport was opened in 2012 after the completion of its first phase. The export bank of China had lent Sri Lanka USD 210 million for its construction. The current government is to enter a joint venture with India to operate Mattala airport from the middle of this year, officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Kerala Congress(M) was today back in the opposition UDF, a day after the Congress announced the decision to support its candidate for the Rajya Sabha election. The seat is currently held by Rajya Sabha deputy chairman P J Kurian of the Congress who will retire on July 1. KC(M) chief K M Mani said his party would strive to strengthen the democratic and secular forces, a cause espoused by the Congress. The KC(M) had walked out of the Congress-led UDF in August 2016, ending over three-decade-long association alleging it was being "insulted" by the party leading the alliance. Relations between the two parties had soured over the bar bribery scam, and the rift widened after Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala attended the betrothal ceremony of the daughter of controversial hotelier Biju Ramesh and the son of Congress leader and former minister Adoor Prakash. Ramesh, the working president of the Kerala State Bar Hotel Owners Association, had levelled bribery charges against Mani when he was the finance minister. Mani also attended a meeting of the coordination committee of the UDF today where he was received by the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Ramesh Chennithala, AICC general secretary Oommen Chandy, and IUML general secretary P K Kunhalikutty, an MP. The Congress's decision to spare the Rajya Sabha seat for KC(M) candidate has not gone down well with a section of the party. The state Congress's former president V M Sudheeran did not attend the UDF meeting, insisting the development would weaken the main opposition party and benefit the BJP. The decision, he said, lacked transparency and party workers were left disappointed. Soon after Congress leaders from Kerala announced the decision after a meeting with party president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi yesterday, Sudheeran called it "suicidal". Chennithala, Chandy and KPCC president M M Hassan had said the decision to allot the RS seat was taken to strengthen the UDF as part of the party's resolve to bring together democratic and secular forces to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. "The RS seat was given to KC(M) as a special case," Chandy said. Reacting sharply to the development, Sudheeran said, "The party should not have surrendered its pride to KC(M) to bring it back into the front." Echoing similar sentiments, Kurian had said no discussion was held in the party or its election committee. "This is a surrender of the Congress," he told reporters in New Delhi last night. After it snapped ties with the Congress nearly two years ago, the KC(M) maintained it was keeping equidistance from the UDF, the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front, as also the BJP, which is trying to create a sustainable political space for itself in Kerala. The KC(M), however, extended support to the UDF candidates in all the three by-polls held in the state since it left the alliance. Six Congress MLAs also criticised the party's decision to allot the RS seat to KC(M). Three Rajya Sabha seats from Kerala are falling vacant this month. Of these, the ruling LDF is in a position to win two and the UDF one. It was widely expected that the Congress will put up its own candidate for the seat. Besides Kurian, those retiring are C P Narayanan of CPI(M) and Joy Abraham of the Kerala Congress. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP leader Manoj Tiwari today said that the AAP's demand for full statehood to Delhi should be looked into but Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's "attitude" to confront the Centre and the LG has held the process hostage. The Delhi BJP chief alleged that the ruling party was raising the full statehood issue now to divert public attention away from "alarming water crisis" in the city and reports of it approaching the Congress for a political alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha election next year. "The full statehood issue should be reviewed but the attitude of Arvind Kejriwal and the way he confronts the office of LG and the Centre has held the process hostage," Tiwari told reporters. Delhi government ministers and Lt Governor Anil Baijal have been at loggerheads over several administrative issues, including a project to install CCTV cameras in the city and its proposed doorstep delivery of essential services. Granting full statehood to Delhi is one of the main electoral promises of the AAP, in the absence of which it has frequently clashed with the BJP-led Centre over matters of jurisdiction since coming to power for the second time in 2015. The government had drafted a bill for full statehood two years ago but the matter lingered on without any conclusion. Unveiled in May 2016, the draft bill envisaged complete administrative power, including police, law and order and land to the Delhi government, leaving governance of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area with the Union government. But Tiwari today questioned Kejriwal's "seriousness" on the issue. "If he is serious on full statehood why is he shying away from attending a special session of Delhi Assembly on the issue," he said. Water shortage is affecting a number of people in Delhi, while the AAP government is "unable" to address the situation, he said, adding that reports say the party is trying to form an alliance with the Congress for next Lok Sabha elections. "Both these issues are enough to wipe out AAP politically and its leaders are trying to divert attention of the people from it by raising the full statehood demand," Tiwari said. On June 6, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the assembly listed his government's proposals, including appointment of an anti-corruption ombudsman and implementation of decentralisation initiative Swaraj. He said these proposals were stuck because of "interference" by the Centre and the lt governor. Tabling a government resolution seeking full statehood for Delhi, Sisodia then said there were "flaws" in the system which was why an elected government did not have power. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister Upendra Kushwaha today sought to downplay his absence at a get-together of senior NDA leaders here last night which he said was due to "personal reasons" and asserted that the coalition was "intact." Kuswaha excusing himself, citing his preoccupation in Delhi, from the gathering of the NDA leaders, first since Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to the coalition last year, had indicated discontent within the BJP-led grouping over the prickly issue of seat-sharing. "I could not attend the function because of personal reasons. But, other leaders of my party did. Please do not try to read anything between the lines. The NDA in Bihar is intact," Kushwaha, who heads the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLP), told reporters at the airport here on his arrival from New Delhi. Asked whether his unexpected absence at the feast did not indicate that he had some differences with his colleagues in the NDA, Kushwaha shot back "Amit Shah too did not attend the dinner. Would you pose such a question to him?" He also evaded queries about a statement issued by his party's working president Nagamani yesterday that the NDA would immensely benefit if the coalition declared Kushwaha as its leader in Bihar and then fought the Lok Sabha polls next year and the state assembly elections a year later. "This is a question you should ask Nagmani," Kushwaha, who is on a three-day tour of Bihar, said before leaving for his Lok Sabha constituency of Karakat in Rohtas district. Nagmani, who was among the leaders of the RLSP who attended the feast, had claimed that Kushwaha represented a caste group which comprised 10 per cent of Bihar's total population and hence his projection as the NDA's leader would benefit the coalition in elections. He had also claimed that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had a "disadvantage" since he belonged to the Kurmi caste, which is numerically small. Though the RLSP chief tried to show that everything was fine in the coalition, sources close to him pleading anonymity, however, said that the Minister of State for HRD has been miffed over "shabby treatment" meted out to him by NDA leaders in Bihar. They alleged that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did not invite Kushwaha at an Iftaar party he had hosted at his official residence earlier this week nor has he been invited to a similar function organized by Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi today. They also claimed that state BJP president Nityanand Rai invited Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan, who respectively head the JD(U) and the LJP, by meeting them in person, however, Kushwaha was requested to come to Iftaar by a telephone call. Recent statements by the JD(U) that it was the elder brother in the NDA in Bihar, implying that it deserved a lion share of the 40 Lok Sabha seats may also have added to the anxieties of the RLSP which was formed in 2013 by Kushwaha after he resigned from the Janata Dal (United) and gave up his Rajya Sabha seat. While the RLSP has three Lok Sabha members, the JD(U) has only two. However, in the assembly, the JD(U) has about 70 MLAs as against only two of the RLSP. Similarly, the BJP and the LJP have more number of MPs than the JD(U) though their tallies in the state assembly is much smaller than that of the Chief Minister's party. LJP and RLSP as coalition partners of BJP had cornered 31 out of a total of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in the last general election. Nitish Kumar's JD(U) which had fought 2014 Parliamentary alone had received severe drubbing and won only two seats. But, Kumar walked out of Grand Alliance which had RJD and Congress along with JD(U) over graft charge on then Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, and joined hands with BJP in July last year to form a NDA ministry in Bihar. Meanwhile, the going on in the NDA provided an opportunity to opposition RJD to take a potshots at it. RJD national spokesman and Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha claimed "what is happening in the NDA is reflective of the tectonic shift in Indian politics as the common man sees himself pitted against the arrogant BJP. Leaders like Kushwaha have begun to do a rethink over their alliance with the BJP and many more would follow the suit in the near future." Notably, a few months ago the RJD had supported a series of small human chains organized by the RLSP at all district headquarters to press for educational reforms, even as parties like the JD(U) and the BJP had questioned his move. Kushwaha also had met RJD president Lalu Prasad when he was in Delhi AIIMS which had further triggered speculation he might also follow former Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi who left NDA to join hands with RJD. Meanwhile, BJP leaders here today held a meeting to take stock of the political situation in Bihar. The meeting was attended, among others, by the party's national general secretary in-charge for the state Bhupendra Yadav who returned to New Delhi thereafter. Though NDA leaders like Nitish Kumar, Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ram Vilas Paswan and Radha Mohan Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and BJP's national general secretary in-charge of Bihar Bhupendra Yadav attended NDA function here last evening, but belaying speculation that matters relating to seat sharing in next year general election would be discussed, they left after having dinner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a unique initiative, the Vadodara Municipal corporation (VMC)has converted a garbage dumping ground located at Vadsar on the outskirts of the city into a museum of trees. Till the launch of the project in October 2016, garbage used to be dumped at that site. But the VMC decided to stop dumping garbage there and planted saplings of nearly 100 varieties. "Under the project, 12,663 saplings were planted on area of 50,000 square meters. All the trees have survived. This place has been named as 'Urban forest- Museum of Trees'," municipal commissioner Dr Vinod Rao said. "Instead of earning a revenue of Rs 250 crore by selling the site, the VMC took up this unique project of planting trees," he added. The project will be formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani tomorrow. In a bid to improve the city's green cover, the civic body would undertake a plantation drive soon. "One million saplings would be planted this year," he said. Vadodara city was once known as the 'city of banyan trees' owing to the large number of trees of this variety. But due to rapid industrial growth, the number of banyan trees dwindled over the years. "Our endeavour is get back the past glory by planting trees across the city," Rao said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The countrys trade-in-goods deficit in April widened to $3.62 billion from a $1.55-billion gap a year ago as imports surged 22.2 percent while exports fell 8.5 percent, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority on Friday show. The PSA said total external trade in goods in April reached $13.84 billion, 8.8 percent higher than $12.73 billion recorded during the same month in 2017. Total exports dropped 8.5 percent to $5.11 billion in April from $5.59 billion a year ago, the fourth consecutive month of decline, dragged by the decrease in non-electronic manufactured products (wood manufactures, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, processed food and beverages, and furniture and fixtures) and agro-based products. Total imports rose 22.2 percent to $8.73 billion in April from $7.14 billion a year ago, up from a tepid increase of 0.3 percent in March this year. Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the government should seize the benefits of free trade agreements with other countries and forge new ties to expand the market for exports. The current turnout of imports is encouraging. But much has to be done to create an environment that is necessary for exporters to thrive. The signing into law of the Ease of Doing Business Act of 2018 is a step in the right direction, Pernia said in a statement.He said the new law could reduce business costs, encourage wider participation among firms, and attract foreign investorseventually boosting exports in the near to medium term. The 8.5-percent decline in exports for the month of April was brought about by the decreases posted by six out of the top 10 commodities led by exports of machinery and transport equipment (45 percent); gold (25.2 percent); ignition wiring set and other wiring sets used in vehicles, aircrafts and ships (24.4 percent); coconut oil (23.9 percent); other manufactured goods (2.1 percent); and electronic equipment and parts (1 percent). The 22.2-percent increase in imports in April, meanwhile, was triggered by the increase of the top 10 major import commodities. These were miscellaneous manufactured articles (49.1 percent); plastic in primary and non-primary forms (41.5 percent); telecommunications equipment and electrical machinery (33.6 percent); transport equipment (31.4 percent); iron and steel (30.8 percent); other food and live animals (29.4 percent); mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (27.1 percent); organic and inorganic chemicals (25.1 percent); industrial machinery and equipment (24.1 percent); and electronic products (15.2 percent). Hong Kong ranked first with an export value of $837.76 million or a share of 16.4 percent of total exports in April. This represents an increase of 25.7 percent from $666.58 million in April 2017. The chairperson of the House of Representative committee on appropriations on Friday assured funds for the implementation of the measure that calls for better care of cancer patients in government hospitals. Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, the panel chairperson, was referring to House Bill (HB) 6210 which institutionalizes the National Integrated Cancer Control Program. Nograles authored the biIl which he filed last August 2017 and had been approved by the House committee on health. Upholding the funding requirements of the measure will put it one step closer toward its enactment, which cant come sooner for Filipinos whose loved one are afflicted by this curse of a disease, said Nograles, describing cancer as a growing and serious public health concern in the Philippines. The key word here is integrated because what we want to create is a health program that brings together efforts on cancer awareness and treatment, he said. Nograles said that the envisioned National Integrated Cancer Control Program shall serve as the framework for all cancer-related activities of the government. The programs objectives as are follows: 1) decreasing the overall impact and mortality of all adult and childhood cancer, 2) lessening the incidents of preventable cancer in adults, 3) preventing cancer recurrence and secondary cancer among survivors and people living with cancer, and 4) providing timely access to optimal cancer treatment and care for all cancer patients. The proposed National Integrated Cancer Control Act also seeks to 5) make cancer treatment and care affordable, 6) improve the experience of cancer treatment and care for patients and families, 7) support the recovery and reintegration to society of cancer survivors, and eliminate the various forms of burden on patients, people living with cancer, survivors, and their families. Through this bill, the state will be able to provide more PhilHealth benefits for cancer patients and access to better medication and health care services of the Department of Health [DoH] Nograles said. The bill establishes the National Integrated Cancer Control Advisory Board, which shall carry out the implementation of the program. The DoH secretary or a designated Representative not lower than an assistant secretary shall become the chairman in an ex-officio capacity.Under the measure, the Board will develop standards to classify, accredit, and designate comprehensive cancer centers, specialty cancer centers, regional cancer centers, and cancer satellites or stand-alone clinics. This network of cancer care centers will be placed strategically around the country and be made easily accessible to patients, Nograles said. Perhaps the biggest concern of families with cancer patients is the daunting cost of the treatment since it could push them deeper into poverty. The Davao solon acknowledges this and presents a solution in his bill by setting up the Cancer Assistance Fund. "With this trust fund in place, relatives of cancer patients won't feel that they are alone in their battle to save their loved one. And it really does become a long and at-times discouraging battle," said Nograles. The 10-percent incremental revenue from the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products collected by the government pursuant to Republic Act (RA)10351 shall be made the main source of the Cancer Assistance Fund. Meanwhile, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth shall expand current benefits to include screening, detection, diagnosis, treatment assistance, supportive care, survivorship follow-up care and rehabilitation for all types and stages of cancer in both adults and children. Under the measure, the DOH will also intensify its cancer awareness campaign and provide the latest evidence-based information for the prevention and treatment of cancer including practical advice; support and referral for cancer patients, people living with cancer, survivors, their families, and carers. Statistics show that one in every 10 registered deaths in the country is attributable to cancer. Since 2010, cancer has been ranked third in the list of Top 10 leading causes of adult mortality and morbidity and ranked fourth for child mortality and morbidity. There are said to be seven Filipinos dying from cancer every hour, and this excludes deaths from childhood cancer. The Department of Foreign Affairs today expressed its appreciation to Slovakia for offering to bring home the remains of the Filipino financial analyst who was beaten to death in Bratislava last week. The DFA, quoting a report from the Philippine Embassy in Vienna, said the family of overseas Filipino worker Henry John Acorda has accepted the offer of the Slovakian Government to repatriate his remains next week. We would like to thank the Government of Slovakia for its kind gesture of offering to bring home our late kababayan and reuniting him with his loved ones here in the Philippines, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said. Ambassador to Vienna Ma. Cleofe R. Natividad said the repatriation is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, June 13, 2018. Ambassador Natividad said the Slovakian Government has offered to provide an aircraft to carry the remains and personal effects of Acorda and his mother and two siblings.Acorda, 36, died last week from injuries he sustained after he was brutally assaulted by a local man in Bratislava who he earlier tried to stop from harassing a Filipina companion. The suspect is now in detention and is facing manslaughter charges. Acordas death has enraged Slovaks with no less than Prime Minister Peter Pelligrini condemning the incident and assuring that justice will be served. SingaporeNorth Korea has a habit of making others pick up its overseas travel tabs, and experts say either Singapore or South Korea is likely to get stuck with an eye-watering bill for next weeks historic North-US summit in a luxury resort. Preparations are in full swing for the June 12 meeting on an island off Singapore, with the authorities readying to lock down the city-state. Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump are reportedly set to stay at pricey hotelsalthough sanctions-hit Pyongyang will almost certainly not pay its own way. Pyongyang has been conditioned to expect others to pay for any diplomatic outreach the reclusive regime makes, Sung-Yoon Lee, a Korea expert at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, told AFP. Singapores Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said at the weekend that the wealthy city-state was willing to bear some costs to play their part in the historic meeting. Those costs could be quite significant. Even by expensive Singapores standards, the hotels reportedly under consideration to host Kim and his team would leave the average wallet a lot lighter. The five-star Fullerton Hotel, an imposing building on Singapores waterfront dating back to the British colonial era, has a $6,000-a-night presidential suite that may appeal to the young leaders penchant for luxury. If thats not good enough, the St. Regiswhich lays on personal butlers for guests and has a fleet of Bentleys to chauffeur them aboutcharges around $6,700 for its presidential suite. Breakfast is included. It also boasts a private art collection, with over 70 works by artists inlcuding Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro. Theres also the matter of how Kim and his entourage might get to Singapore. While Trumps Air Force One has a range of nearly 13,000 kilometers and is entirely self-sufficient, Kims personal jet is an aging Soviet-made aircraft. Aviation experts have cast doubt on whether it will actually be able to make it as far as Singapore. That might mean someone else has to provide an aircraft for his exclusive use, either one from their own fleet, or a hired plane. If he wants to match Air Force Onea Boeing 747-200PrivateFly.com lists one available for rent at $17,501 per hour.Aside from the tentative Singaporean offer, governments have so far been publicly reluctant to offer to underwrite the affair. The US has insisted it will not foot the billand is not asking anyone else to. The United States Government is not paying for the North Korean delegation to stay. Were not paying for their expenses, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. In Seoul, a spokesman said President Moon Jae-in had no intention of putting his hand in the national pocket. But, analysts note, South Korea has bankrolled Pyongyangs attendance at previous events. For this years Winter Olympics in the South that triggered the recent inter-Korean detente, Seoul put aside 2.86 billion won ($2.7 million) to pay for Pyongyangs high-level representatives, officials, supporters, art performers and other delegates. Seoul also paid for North Koreans to attend the 2014 and 2002 Asian Games in the South, as well as for visits by South Koreans to the North for reunions with their long-lost relatives, according to the Unification Ministry. There are other options. This week a Nobel Prize-winning anti-nuclear group offered to help. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said it was willing to bankroll Kims delegation, using part of the $1.1 million cash prize it received for winning last years Peace Prize. The Travel website HotelPlanner.com has also offered to pick up the tab for Kims hotel and meals, Newsweek reported. Ultimately, most observers think another government will step in. But for some commentators, the idea that a country cannot afford to pay a hotel bill but can spend billions of dollars on a nuclear weapons program is risible. The notion that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lacks the cash for travel to Singapore is absurd, said the Fletcher Schools Lee. Four Saudis were handed death sentences after being convicted for forming an Iran-backed cell planning to assassinate prominent figures. The convicted, according to state-owned TV Al Ekhbariya, were trained in camps in Iran and were tasked to eliminate prominent figures in the kingdom. The court ruling did not give further details on the men. Saudi Arabia over the past has handed heavy sentences to individuals it regards as proxies of its regional arch adversary, the Islamic Republic of Iran. Fifteen people were sentenced to death in late 2016 for spying for Iran. Shia minority in the kingdom have been associated to Shiite Iran. The beheading of top Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr in the kingdom in early 2016 fueled tension between Riyadh and Tehran, with thousands of Iranians attacking Saudi foreign missions in Iran. Both powers have been opposed in regional countries namely Yemen, Syria and Lebanon where they back opposed sides. This week, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei indicated that Tehran will continue to support oppressed nations as response to western powers demand to the Islamic Republic to curb its regional influence; a condition to lift economic sanctions re-imposed by President Donald Trump after walking away early last month from the 2015 nuke deal. Democratic Republic of Congo Prime Minister will sign into law this Friday regulations to immediately implement a new mining code that will replace the previous 2002 law. Mines Minister Martin Kabwelulu said the regulations would first be adopted at a cabinet meeting on Friday and then signed by Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala in the evening, adding that the application of the code will be immediate! Glencore, Randgold and Chinese Molybdenum all operate mines in Congo, Africas top copper and cobalt producer. They said the changes in the code would scare off new investment and violate existing agreements. Glencore and Randgold threatened legal action against the government last week if their concerns about tax hikes and the elimination of exemptions were not addressed. Miners in the mineral-rich nation have enjoyed a 10-year protection under the former codes stability clause against changes to the fiscal and customs regime but those are annulled by the new law. The new mining code could see royalties rise as high as 10 per cent for minerals deemed strategic by the government. Note that over half of the worlds cobalt comes from the DRC, mostly mined by Switzerland-based Glencore. Prices for the metal have more than doubled over the past year. Tanzanian prosecutors on Thursday charged two chief executives of mobile phone companies and four other suspects with fraud. The move is part of a crackdown launched by President John Magufuli against tax evasion in the East African nation. Halotel Managing Director, Le Van Dai, and head of Zantel (Zanzibar Telecom), Sherif El Barbary, are among the six suspects charged for fraudulent use of a network facility on Thursday. Dai is a Vietnamese citizen, while Barbary is Egyptian. The four other suspects were two Chinese nationals and two Tanzanians. According to local media, police raid found that the executives and their alleged accomplices were in the possession of almost 300,000 unregistered SIM cards. The SIM cards were allegedly used by the executives unlawfully to send and receive SMS messages internationally. They were also charged with illegally importing and operating communications equipment that allowed them to fraudulently bypass the governments telecommunications traffic monitoring systems. Halotel, which is part of Vietnamese group Viettel, has around 9% of the telecom market while Zantel has 3%. As a reminder, President Magufuli came to power in late 2015, following resignations and firings of a number of senior government officials involved in a major economic scandal. Magufuli immediately launched an anti-corruption campaign that led to the sacking of hundreds of civil servants and top business officials. He sacked the head of the telecoms regulator in 2016, saying the watchdog failed to monitor the industry. Burundis longest-serving president, Pierre Nkurunziza, on Thursday made a surprise announcement that he will not contest in the countrys next presidential elections in 2020. The move follows the promulgation of the countrys new constitution, which was recently approved through a referendum. The amendments extended the presidential term from five to seven years and gave Nkurunziza whose party gave him the title this year of Supreme Eternal Guide an opportunity to seek two more terms, beginning in 2020. According to the Electoral Commission, 73 percent of voters backed the changes to the constitution. But critics and rights groups said the referendum campaigning and the vote itself took place in a climate of fear and intimidation. The East African country has been plunged into a serious political crisis since the announcement of Nkurunzizas controversial candidacy for a third term in April 2015. United Nations human rights investigators last year said they believe Burundis top leaders and state security agencies committed crimes against humanity. Since 2016, the investigators said, the authorities had committed some abuses in a more clandestine but equally brutal manner. At least 1,200 have been killed and over 400,000 displaced between April 2015 and May 2017, according to estimates by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Ambassador of Belarus I.Petrishenko meets the Ambassador of Thailand 08-06-2018 On June 8, 2018, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Russian Federation Igor Petrishenko and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Russian Federation Thanatip Upatising held a working meeting. During the meeting, the sides discussed intensification of bilateral cooperation in different spheres, as well as interaction between business circles of the two countries. Background information. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on July 21, 1992. In 2017, the trade turnover amounted to 89,1 mln U.S. dollars. print version The state's teachers union threw its support behind Gwen Graham in the Democratic primary for governor last night, calling her "the public education dream candidate." "She was an easy choice for anyone concerned about Floridas schools," the Florida Education Association posted on Facebook last night. Education has been one of Graham's top policy positions, advocating against charter schools and for teacher raises. The former congresswoman is a former PTA president and former administrator for the Leon County School District. She was the district's director of employee relations from 2007 to 2010, when she moved up to became its chief of labor and employee relations. Graham, the daughter of former governor and senator Bob Graham, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014, serving a two-year term before her North Florida district was remapped to be far more conservative. The union endorsement was the second boost for her campaign yesterday, when former congressional colleague Patrick Murphy decided he wouldn't run for governor and would throw his support behind her. Philip Levine on Friday rolled out his support for recreational marijuana, saying he would push for a legal market for users at least 21 years of age and use fees generated off licensed retail sales to fund addiction services and public education. If elected, Levine says he'd "carefully move to legalize the sale of limited quantities" of marijuana either through a bill or through a statewide ballot referendum. He says he supports "limited" possession -- but doesn't detail what that means -- and supports local control over the location, number and size of retail facilities that would hawk the drug. Claiming licensing fees would generate $600 million for the state, Levine says he'd invest the money in substance abuse programs, marijuana research, and in public schools, which he says would receive half the new money. "If elected Governor, I will carefully move to legalize the sale of limited quantities of recreational marijuana for adults, either through the Legislature or by a vote of the people of Florida, while learning from the many states that have already moved or are moving -- this way," he said in the video. Levine, who sponsored legislation that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana in Miami Beach when he was mayor, had already said he'd support recreational marijuana if Florida's voters demanded it. But Friday's announcement was a more affirmative step for his campaign. He joins Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and Chris King in calling for a recreational cannabis market and proposing to use fees to fund state services. Gwen Graham has said she'd support decriminalizing possession. Jeff Greene, who hasn't given any interviews since filling to run for governor Friday, hasn't explained where he stands on the issue. Some 71 percent of Florida's voters supported a full-fledged medical marijuana market two years ago. The state is still struggling to implement that system. Donna Shalala and Matt Haggman are opening field offices Saturday as they runs for Congress. Shalala is setting up shop in Coral Gables, and Haggman in Miami. Here's the press releases: Miami, FL The Donna Shalala for Congress campaign is pleased to announce a kickoff event to commemorate the opening of the campaigns inaugural field office from 1:00pm 3:00pm this Saturday, June 9, 2018 at 354 Minorca Avenue in Coral Gables, centrally located in the heart of the 27thCongressional District that Shalala seeks to represent in Congress. Donna Shalala will join campaign supporters, volunteers and staff for the opening of the field headquarters which will serve as a hub for many of the volunteer activities and field canvassing efforts in anticipation of the Democratic primary election in late August. We are excited to launch our first field office because it brings us closer to the many thousands of volunteers who believe in President Shalalas vision for Congressional District 27 and are eager to help elect someone to Congress who has the experience, track record and ability to deliver for Miami-Dade County on Day One, said Campaign Field Director, Sandy Ducane. Donna Shalala Campaign Field Office Opening Date: Saturday, June 9, 2018 Time: 1:00-3:00 PM Location: 354 Minorca Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134 *** Kenyan gospel artistes Bahati and Willy Paul have finally agreed on one thing. Weeks after Willy Paul complained about Harmonize taking a hands-off approach towards publicising their collabo, Bahati too has fallen victim. He is accusing Tanzanian star Dogo Aslay and his management of unprofessionalism leading to disagreements on the terms of how to share revenue generated from their collabo Bora Nife. According to Bahati, the egos of Aslay and his team have derailed the project. As a result, he opted to let it go without pushing it in the Kenyan media space as anticipated. When two artistes work together, they should be humble so as to push the song but when one of us decides to act like a star it stops many things. It was a song I loved and wanted to take it to another level. But Aslays management was uncooperative in terms of revenue shares, how the song would be sold online etc, Bahati said. He went on to disclose that to date they still havent reached an agreement with Aslays management meaning the songs potential revenue has basically gone with the wind. The track was released in April this year and despite already amassing over 1.4 million views, it has fallen short of expectation. Bahati was in Tanzania recently shooting a video with another artist, Marombosso. Breaking news: Ann Ngiritas cut from the massive NYS cash loot has been located by an encrypted messages expert. This comes after the Ngirita family home in Naivasha was raided in unclear circumstances earlier this week. Heavily armed DCI officers from Nairobi and Nakuru are said to have raided the home in Lakeview estate around 7 pm Sunday. They appeared to be looking for something specific after breaking into several septic tanks and sewer lines. Some observers were convinced that they were looking for some of Ngiritas illegally acquired millions. And as Ngirita flaunted a Daddy Ngirita tattoo in court on Tuesday, a certain Kenyan on Twitter read more into it and figured out where the cash is hidden. The Twitter user, @OptaHos, decrypted the message in Ngiritas tattoo and came with location coordinates. Heres how he did that: You prolly watched Prison Break and lemme me warn this isnt just a typical tattoo. Its an encrypted message. So i did my homework. pic.twitter.com/orxgIEakSn Hon Kuria CBS (@OptaHos) June 6, 2018 So i went ahead and decoded the message. pic.twitter.com/zeKKGxZPt9 Hon Kuria CBS (@OptaHos) June 6, 2018 Ugandas dancehall crooner Joseph Mayanja alias Jose Chameleone is so in love with his wife that he wants to marry her again. The Valu Valu hitmaker on Thursday channeled his romantic side as he sang the praises of his wife, Daniela Atim, to celebrate a major milestone in their marriage. Thursday, June 7 marked 10 years in marriage for the power couple who have had to overcome divorce rumors in recent times. Taking to Instagram to publicly profess his love for Daniela, Chameleone wrote: Atim, thanks for accepting me the way I am. I am human and nothing beyond that. God has blessed us abundantly that even my mistake with yours have been lessons for us to grow and celebrate. Many things have changed amidst the way but one thing for sure that never changes is my love for you. Thanks for the beautiful children that we all live up to. We have to go down on our knees and thank God for that. No matter the tides we have always forgiven each other and moved on. We have served a very good example to our children and society. Never stop loving, teaching and reaching out for me. I want to remarry you my Love. God bless us with more years so we prove them that love is the answer I LOVE you my dear. They will never know how we do it!! I cant ask for more than your Love. I am their Star, You are my superstar. The remarkable milestone comes two months after Jose and Atim welcomed their fifth child together, Xara Amani. Bank Otuch rapper Vicmass Luodollar has a new song out after his recent Cheza Chini release two weeks ago. Titled This is Kenya, it is the second track off his upcoming 8-track EP. It was inspired by the recent record from American rapper Childish Gambino titled This is America. Luodollar uses the track to address his country Kenya and touches on major topics happening right now, including the NYS scam, rape in Girls schools, religious leaders, and others. Vicmass Luodollar is the only East African Musician to do Gambinos rendition of the globally acclaimed This is America. In the continent, Falz The BadGuy has since delivered This is Nigeria. Hapa Ni Kenya was recorded and mastered by Malawian music Producer Major Static and it will be available on all Digital platforms near you on Tuesday next week 8:00 AM East Africa time. A music video is expected at a later date. Reporter: AG Sessions is covering up evidence that completely demolishes the Trump-Russia collusion narrative On many occasions since taking office, President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with his choice to head up (and clean up) the Justice Department. Thats because on many occasions Attorney General Jeff Sessions has failed to live up to the presidents (and his supporters) expectations. While Sessions has been aces when it comes to enforcing immigration law, hes actually been an impediment regarding congressional efforts to get to the bottom of Spygate and the entire Trump-Russian collusion hoax. How? Hes not pressured his underlings to comply with congressional subpoenas and demands for information. Hes even defended efforts by FBI and DoJ officials to stonewall Congress legitimate oversight authority which he used to demand himself as a U.S. senator when it was the Obama administration doing the stonewalling. Now, one investigative reporter even suspects that Sessions is intentionally holding off prosecuting a case that would clear his boss and the man who trusted him to rehabilitate Obamas politicized federal law enforcement agencies. For months, The Daily Callers Luke Rosiak has been following a story involving Pakistani information technology contractors and leading Democrats, including Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida. Here it is in a nutshell: A small group of Pakistani citizens led by Imran Awan has allegedly been spying on the U.S. by stealing data from multiple House Democrats while pretending to be IT managers. Notes The Western Journal Conservative Tribune: Awan, regular readers might remember, was arrested at Washington Dulles Airport trying to fly back to his native Pakistan one day after smashed hard drives were recovered from his home by federal officials. He was charged, along with his wife, with bank fraud and conspiracy in the matter. As a plea deal seems to be imminent, Rosiak has noted that Awan has been hiding assets and that his former business partner claims that data was given to the Pakistanis government by the Awan family, among other claims. Rosiak in an appearance with Fox Business Networks Lou Dobbs explained it on Wednesday, saying flat-out that he believes Democrats are committing treason, and that Sessions case against the Pakistanis is about as open-and-shut as it gets. He said he believes Awan is hiding a second trove of data he illicitly obtained from the Democratic National Committee before the 2016 election, and it could seriously damage the bogus Russian collusion narrative still being pushed by Democrats. (Related: Did the DNC lawsuit just open the door to a massive, underreported scandal involving an indicted Pakistani and top Democratic officials?) There was a second hack that occurred the same week that the DNC was breached. The same week that Wikileaks started putting up those DNC emails the House of Representatives Inspector General briefed authorities that there was this ongoing hack by Pakistanis who the Democrats hired as IT guys, Rosiak told Dobbs. Ordinarily, they would have been arrested on the bat obviously but, think about it, that Russian narrative that they just decided to start pitching that very weak, you know how tenuous it is, how backed by nothing it is, he continued. Rosiak said that evidence of the second hack means that Democrats remained mum about it so that they could stick to their Russian collusion narrative as a means of undermining Trump. What the Democrats did here was treason, he said, noting that Sessions has complete authority to demolish the narrative and charge the Pakistanis with hacking members of Congress, thereby exposing the DNC for hypocrisy and negligence. He said Sessions has all the witnesses and evidence he needs to pursue the case. He has all the goods, said Rosiak. Its in the server logs. This case is open-and-shut. And Jeff Sessions is refusing to bring the charges. Of all the scandals that occurred in the Obama administration, this appears to be the first major one in the Trump era. But its not due to anything POTUS did and its not an act of commission. Its an act of omission. Trump appears to understand that. He called on the Justice Department Thursday to reject the plea bargain. Read more about potential Democratic treason at Treason.news. J.D. Heyes is editor of The National Sentinel and a senior writer for Natural News and News Target. Sources include: TheNationalSentinel.com WesternJournal.com 21:17 The Punjab and Haryana high court has held that 'forcible sexual intercourse' and 'adoption of unnatural means' which are forced upon the other spouse are grounds for divorce. The high court recently allowed a Bathinda woman's plea for dissolution of her marriage, almost four years after the lower court had turned it down. The lower court had said it was for her to establish that her husband had committed oral and unnatural sex against her, and held that no medical evidence or a specific instance had been mentioned by her. "Be that as it may, we find that the claim of the appellant has been wrongly rejected," the division bench of Justices M M S Bedi and Hari Pal Verma said in the June 1 judgment. "The act of sodomy, forcible sexual intercourse and adoption of unnatural means which are forced upon the other spouse and result in unbearable pain to the extent that one is forced to stay away would certainly be a ground to seek separation or decree of divorce," it said. The woman, a postgraduate diploma holder in computer application, had married the Bihar resident in January 2007 and had a child with him. According to the woman's plea, her family had even given dowry. The woman's family had been told that the man was an engineer with a private company, a claim which the petitioner alleged turned out to be false. The woman alleged that for fulfilling his lust, her husband often beat her up and adopted 'unnatural means'. In its judgment, the court observed that the nature of the allegations levelled by the woman was very serious. It added that they cannot be proved by any corroborative evidence, as such acts are not witnessed by any other person or cannot always be proved by medical evidence. "No doubt such allegations are very easy to level and difficult to prove," it said. A court has always to be cautious before accepting such allegations, it said. But it held that the marriage can be dissolved if on appreciation of the evidence and corroboration by other circumstances, it is established as probable that the spouse had indulged in such acts. "It is not that in every case such allegations levelled would be deemed to be true. In the present case, there are allegations of demand of dowry, beating, commission of unnatural sex, creating such circumstances that the appellant was compelled to leave Bihar eight years back," the bench said. "The totality of the circumstances available on the record indicate that the appellant has, on account of unbearable circumstances left the matrimonial home," the court said. The court held that the woman had been treated with cruelty by her husband. "The cruelty established in the present case is mental as well as physical," the order said, adding that the marriage is dissolved by a decree of divorce. -- PTI Ministers and their representatives from China and 16 CEE countries gather in Ningbo, Zhejiang province at the Third Ministerial Conference of China and Central and Eastern European Countries on Promoting Trade and Economic Cooperation on June 7. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] As the 2018 China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo opened in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on June 7, a wide variety of activities aiming to strengthen ties between China and the Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) are being staged in the coastal city. According to a news conference on June 6, this year's China-CEEC Expo, along with the 20th China Zhejiang Investment & Trade Symposium and the 17th China International Consumer Goods Fair, have four sections, namely conferences and forums, investment symposiums, trading exhibitions and cultural exchanges. During the event, a series of parallel activities such as the China-CEEC Mayors of Cities Summit and the China-CEEC Investment and Cooperation Symposium will be held to strengthen trading and economic ties between the two regions. Yan Weiguo, executive deputy director of the expo's organizing committee, said that this year, the China-CEEC Expo will be more internationalized with an increased number of officials, global companies and associations that have confirmed to take part. "We received notifications from over 12,000 people from around 70 countries and regions that they will attend." The exhibition area is expanded to 8,000 square meters this year to accommodate 310 booths for specialties from CEEC, according to authorities. "Ningbo is striving to build a significant platform for the city to develop the Belt and Road Initiative, advance the high-level opening-up of the city and promote quality development," Yan concluded. On Thursday morning, a highlight of the expo - the Third Ministerial Conference of China and Central and Eastern European Countries on Promoting Trade and Economic Cooperation took place in Ningbo, adding much luster to the opening day of the event. Government representatives from China and CEEC conducted wide and in-depth discussions on trade, investment, infrastructure, finance, production capacity, e-commerce, and small and medium-sized companies. Head of the government Saad Eddine El Otmani and his cabinet are facing a storm that may cause their ship to wreck if they do not act with decisiveness and diligence. After King Mohammed VI dismissed ministers from the PJD-led cabinet for delays affecting development projects in the countrys north, a new upheaval caused by a consumer boycott has cost governance minister Lahcen Daoudi his portfolio. Daoudi resigned after being severely criticized by PJD leadership for his participation at an anti-boycott sit-in in Rabat. Morocco has been hit by a consumer boycott targeting Moroccos subsidiary of French Danone, Afriquia gas stations owned by Agriculture Minister Aziz Akhannouch and les Eaux minerales dOulmes. Opposition parties, notably liberal PAM and conservative Istiqlal have voiced support for boycotters who call generally for protecting their purchasing power and demand transparency and an end to corruption, inter alia. Opposition PAM went as far as saying that a no confidence motion was in sight. But the party will need an overwhelming majority to depose the government. In this context, the government prepares two key decisions: setting price cap for fuel and abolishing subsidies for cooking gas. The latter decision may be reflected in higher prices for cooking gas. After governance ministers resignation, these two projects will be run directly by the Head of the Governments office. Morocco will reinforce its air force with another fleet of 12 F16 Viper fighter jets that have been upgraded. The countrys air force have been revamped with the reception of 24 F16 jets that made of Morocco one of the mightiest air powers in Africa, the well-informed military website Far-Maroc website said. Morocco is also planning to bring its F16 fleet to the same level of the F16 Viper, the website said. A Pentagon report said that Moroccos Royal Air Force will bolster the defense capabilities of its F16 jets with the acquisition of advanced medium range air-to-air AMRAAM missiles. Moroccos F16 were tested in a real life battle field in Yemen as Morocco takes part in the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis. In December 2009, Morocco placed a $841.9 million contract with Lockheed Martins Aeronautics to purchase 18 single-seat F-16Cs and six two-seat F-16Ds, as part of a program to upgrade its armed forces. Moroccos F-16s are equipped with a variety of extra equipment, including Lockheed Martin Sniper targeting pods, Goodrich DB-110 airborne reconnaissance pods and Raytheons Advanced Countermeasures Electronic System (ACES). Armament includes AIM-9X Block II Sidewinders with lock on after launch capability, AGM-65D Maverick air-to-surface missiles and Enhanced GBU-12 Paveway II laser guided bomb kits. For the first time, the UN Security Council has announced sanctions against six major traffickers operating in Libya. The sanctions, which show the toughening of international community against human traffickers, include a global travel ban and an assets freeze. The UN sanctions target two Eritrean nationals described as top operators in transnational smuggling networks and four Libyans, including the head of a regional coast guard unit. The black-listed culprits committed serious human rights abuses against migrants, including women and children. According to Western diplomats, these sanctions send a strong message to human traffickers and smugglers that the international community does not tolerate such abuses of human rights and human dignity. African migrants captured in Libya endure horrific treatment, including arbitrary detention, torture, forced labor, extortion and unlawful killings, while some others were sold as slaves, according to UN migration agency and human rights watchdogs. Last week, Libya signed an agreement with its southern neighboring countries Niger, Chad and Sudan to secure the joint border against human and weapons smuggling. The four-way agreement is meant to control and secure Libyas sea and land borders and to strengthen cooperation on joint border control. Seven years after the fall of the Gaddafi regime, Libya remains battered by infighting between heavily armed militias and a political crisis that has divided the country into two parts: the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) and a rival administration backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar in the east. The international community is urging all Libyans to unify and end the political crisis that threatens to split their country wherein Islamist extremist groups expanded their powers, undermining the whole regions peace and stability. The Libyan political rival leaders have lately agreed in Paris to hold inclusive and peaceful elections by the end of this year. The UN Security Council has reaffirmed its full support for the UN Action Plan for Libya and renewed its call for all Libyans to work together in a spirit of compromise in the inclusive political process under the leadership of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ghassan Salame. The Security Council also underscored the importance of the role of the United Nations to facilitate a Libyan-led political solution to the challenges facing Libya and welcomed all efforts to strengthen an inclusive political dialogue among all Libyans, including important efforts by Libyas neighbors, international partners and regional organizations. Dennis Rodman arrives in Pyongyang last summer. Photo: Wang Zhou/AFP/Getty Images Its official: Dennis Rodman will join Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Singapore for their historic summit next week. Or, at least, hell be there at the same time that they are. Rodman announced his travel plans on Twitter Friday and credited PotCoin, a cryptocurrency for the legal weed industry, for making the trip happen. PotCoin has previously sponsored Rodmans trips to North Korea so he could hang out with Kim, whom the ex-NBA star once called a friend for life. Thanks to my loyal sponsors from @potcoin and my team at @Prince_Mrketing , I will be flying to Singapore for the historical Summit. I'll give whatever support is needed to my friends, @realDonaldTrump and Marshall Kim Jong Un. pic.twitter.com/QGPZ8nPrBE Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) June 8, 2018 Trump was asked Friday morning if Rodman, a two-time contestant on Celebrity Apprentice, was invited to the summit. He wasnt, but I like Dennis, Trump said. A great rebounder. When you think Dennis was a great rebounder and he wasnt relatively speaking that tall. So that tells you, you know, theres a rebounding, theres a genius for that. Dennis Rodman was a great rebounder. But Rodman doesnt need an invitation as long as hes got PotCoin in his corner. The PotCoin team as a community has been incredibly supportive of Rodmans peace mission from the beginning, spokesman Shawn Perez told the Washington Post. Its also been supportive of the publicity Rodman generates. Last summer, when PotCoin sent Rodman on his most recent trip to Pyongyang, the cryptocurrency soared in value. Rodman, meanwhile, appears hopeful that Trump and Kim will reach a historic agreement in Singapore. To all Americans and the rest of the world Im honored to call @POTUS a friend. Hes one of the best negotiators of all time and Im looking forward to him adding to his historic success at the Singapore Summit. #Peace #Love #MakeAmericaGreatAgain #MakeTheWorldGreatAgain pic.twitter.com/3t3VBMSGaL Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) June 8, 2018 If they do, expect to hear more people saying what PotCoins Perez told the Post: We at PotCoin definitely believe that Dennis Rodman deserves the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with President Trump and the Marshal Kim Jong Un. Florida Agriculture Commissioner and 2018 gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam, whose staff cant seem to do gun background checks. Photo: Brendan Farrington/AP/REX/Shutterstock If theres one place in the South where its not a good idea for even a Republican politician to look sloppy about very basic gun regulation, its probably Florida, home to both the June 2016 Pulse massacre in Orlando and the Parkland massacre in February of this year. State Agricultural Commissioner (an elected post in Florida) Adam Putnam probably figured that out when Parkland survivors launched a boycott of the Publix grocery chain for its lavish support of Putnams campaign after the candidate proudly tweeted his slavish support for the gun lobby: The liberal media recently called me a sellout to the NRA. I'm a proud #NRASellout! Sign below if you are, too.https://t.co/Uro4UVtIOf Adam Putnam (@adamputnam) July 26, 2017 Publix quickly succumbed to the pressure and suspended its corporate political donation to Putnam and every other candidate. But the pressure on Putnam is about to go sky-high with this revelation from the Tampa Bay Times: For more than a year, the state of Florida failed to conduct national background checks on tens of thousands of applications for concealed weapons permits, potentially allowing drug addicts or people with a mental illness to carry firearms in public. A previously unreported Office of Inspector General investigation found that in February 2016 the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services stopped using a FBI crime database called the National Instant Criminal Background Check System that ensures applicants who want to carry a gun do not have a disqualifying history in other states. Yikes. But it gets worse: The employee in charge of the background checks could not log into the system, the investigator learned. The problem went unresolved until discovered by another worker in March 2017 meaning that for more than a year applications got approved without the required background check. Thats particularly damning since Putnam, in effect Floridas gun czar, campaigned on a determination to speed up concealed carry applications. I guess ignoring essential components of the background check system everyone purports to support is one way to do that. Florida Democrats are dropping the hammer on Putnam pretty quickly. Heres gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham: Its unlikely that Putnams chief GOP gubernatorial opponent, U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis, is going to go after the agriculture commissioner for being soft on guns. Hes too busy attacking Putnam for being soft on immigrants. This Trump-backed candidate isnt likely to attack Putnam from the left on guns, though he may criticize him for incompetence in keeping the firearms flowing. The front-runner for the Georgia GOP gubernatorial nomination, Casey Cagle, should have kept his mouth shut about why he flipped-flopped on a major education bill. Photo: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images Its not often that you see a seasoned politician go into a meeting with a political rival and insist he flipped-flopped on a key policy issue for dishonorable reasons. But thats what Georgias longtime lieutenant governor and current gubernatorial candidate Casey Cagle did, according to a transcript published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle told executive Clay Tippins he supported bad public policy to deprive another rival of supposed help from an outside group, in a recording obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News. Cagles conversation with Tippins, who finished fourth in the race, took place two days after the May 22 primary in Cagles campaign headquarters in DeKalb County. It was surreptitiously recorded on Tippins phone, which was in his coat pocket. To make a long story short, Tippinss uncle was a state senator who had been closely aligned with Cagle (who is the presiding officer of the state senate) in seeking to stop a highly controversial bill that would have greatly increased an allowable tax credit for people contributing to funds set up to pay private-school tuition for K-12 students. The bill was, in effect, an indirect private-school voucher program. Cagle and Senator Lindsey Tippins opposed the bill on various grounds, including the lack of oversight for schools benefiting from the program. But that was before Cagle got wind of one of the repercussions of his opposition, as the transcript showed: Cagle: I just told Lindsey point-blank. I said, Lindsey, the SSO [Student Scholarship Organization] bill, Ive got to have it. Tippins: Why did you have to have it? I know you rely upon him, and he felt he knows his (expletive). I know you trust his judgment on education, and he knows his (expletive). Why did you have to have that so bad? Because I love him, and I can see the pain on him Cagle: It was bad, it was bad. Tippins: Why? You turned on him. And there are reasons for that. Why did you have to have it? Cagle: Exactly the reason I told Lindsey, that you need to listen to: It aint about public policy. Its about (expletive) politics. Theres a group that was getting ready to put $3 million behind Hunter Hill. Mr. Pro-Choice. I mean, Mr. Pro-Charters, Vouchers. Tippins: So someones going to put $3 million into his or yours and Cagle: No, no, no: They werent going to put it into mine. They were going to back Hunter. The deal had already been done. Every year, every year I killed that bill with Lindsey. We beat it to a pulp Tippins: Who was he talking to that was going to do that for him ? Cagle: The Walton Foundation [hes presumably talking about a super-PAC somehow linked to this foundation]. Tippins: The Walton Foundation? Cagle: Yes. Yes. And thats all they care about. Its their only issue. And $3 million in an IE (independent expenditure) Tippins: Oh, no. If he got $3 million from the Walton Foundation, hed have been money. That makes him formidable. The reference is to Hunter Hill, a former legislator who was battling Secretary of State Brian Kemp for a runoff spot opposite Cagle. It is likely that Cagle preferred Kemp as an opponent because he had been in statewide office you know, the swamp nearly as long as Cagle himself. So he wanted to help Kemp win, and that meant taking an issue off the board for Hills backers. So it was about (expletive) politics for real. Whatever you think of Cagle selling out public education in Georgia to keep a wealthy outside group from helping an opponent, his judgment in explaining all of this to Clay Tippins was most definitely suspect. And he will now pay the price. Hill has already blasted Cagle for proving that career politicians are bought and paid for by special interests. And Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is not only joining in the attacks on Cagle, but is using the issue to point out that she voted against the tainted bill. As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted, Brian Kemp will be the biggest beneficiary of Cagles misstep: The recording may as well be an early Christmas gift for Brian Kemps campaign, which has long accused Casey Cagle of being an unprincipled conservative who puts politics first. On top of everything else, it gives Kemp an opportunity to campaign on a message thats not just Im crazier than him on guns and immigration. Cagles main national claim to fame up until now was the fact that he ended the brief electoral career of Christian-right leader Ralph Reed by defeating him in a 2006 GOP primary for the office he still holds. Now, he may become known as a pol who will never enter a meeting room again without checking for a recording device. James Wolfe escorts Jared Kushner following his meeting with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on July 24, 2017. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images President Trump is notoriously obsessed with stopping leaks (unless hes doing the leaking) and now, in what may be a first for his administration, his Justice Department has seized a reporters data as part of a leak investigation. James Wolfe, a former Senate Intelligence Committee staffer, was arrested on Thursday and indicted on charges of making false statements to the FBI in its probe of the illegal disclosure of classified information. As part of that investigation, the Justice Department obtained years of phone and email data from New York Times national security reporter Ali Watkins, though not the messages themselves. Wolfe, who was head of security for the Senate Intelligence Committee for three decades, was responsible for protecting sensitive information shared with lawmakers on the committee. He retired last month. Court documents allege that before he stopped working with the committee in December, Wolfe used encrypted messaging applications to contact three reporters, then lied repeatedly about those communications. Hes also accused of lying about his relationship with Watkins when FBI agents asked him about the sources for an article she wrote. He initially denied knowing her, then when shown photos of them together, he admitted they had been in a three-year relationship. Watkins denied that Wolfe was a source of classified information when they were dating, and says she disclosed the relationship to her editors at BuzzFeed News, Politico, and the New York Times at the time. It appears one focus of the FBIs probe was a BuzzFeed article published in April 2017 in which she reported that Russian spies tried to recruit former Trump adviser Carter Page in 2013. The indictment also describes an incident in which Wolfe alerted another reporter in October 2017 that he had served Page with a subpoena to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee. After the story ran, Wolfe allegedly texted the journalist Good job! and Im glad you got the scoop. Wolfe is accused of using the same messaging app to serve as an unnamed source for a third reporter, and of communicating with a fourth reporter using his Senate email account from 2015 to 2017. He allegedly denied those contacts to federal agents. Since seizing a journalists records is so delicate and potentially an intrusion on their First Amendment rights there are special regulations the Justice Department must follow. Before obtaining records that could reveal a journalists sources, investigators are required to have made all reasonable attempts to obtain the information from alternative, non-media sources. Theyre also supposed to notify the reporter to give them a chance to negotiate or challenge the move, though the attorney general can waive this in extreme cases. The Times reports that FBI agents initially approached Watkins to ask about her relationship with Wolfe, and said they were investigating illegal leaks. But she only learned that her records had been seized when she received a letter from the Justice Department in February. The records contained years of data on Watkinss communications, and some were even attached to her university email from when she was an undergraduate. Its unclear what, if any, efforts were made to obtain the information from other sources. Ben Smith, BuzzFeeds editor-in-chief, said, Were deeply troubled by what looks like a case of law enforcement interfering with a reporters constitutional right to gather information about her own government. Journalists previously raised alarms about the Obama administrations aggressive moves against reporters in leak investigations. Attorney General Jeff Sessions bragged last year that his DOJ was pursuing three times as many leak investigations as were open at the end of the Obama administration, but this is the first known instance of the Trump administration continuing those tactics against the press. Paul Manafort. Photo: Zach Gibson/Bloomberg via Getty Images Special Counsel Robert Mueller once again filed new charges against Paul Manafort Friday. This time, Donald Trumps former campaign chairman is accused of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice for his attempts to tamper with witnesses. Russian political operative Konstantin Kilimnik was also indicted. The longtime Manafort associate once worked for the Americans consulting firm in Kiev and has been described as Manaforts Manafort. The new charges come days after Muellers team detailed the accusations against Manafort in court documents. Prosecutors said that while Manafort was on house arrest following a slew of charges filed against him in February, he got right to work breaking the law again. The new charges are related to the accusation that Manafort hired a firm of former European officials to illegally lobby in the U.S. on issues related to Ukraine. Manafort maintains that the firms work was confined to the European Union, but his actions between February and April belie that claim. Prosecutors says Manafort repeatedly contacted two people at the firm during that time and encouraged them to say they never lobbied in the U.S., and the purpose of the program was E.U. When the witnesses avoided Manafort, he had Kilimnik step in and try to pass along his messages for him. Basically P wants to give him a quick summary that he says to everybody (which is true) that our friends never lobbied in the U.S., and the purpose of the program was E.U., a person believed to be Kilimnik wrote in a WhatsApp message to one of the witnesses. P was apparently code for Paul. The witnesses would eventually rat out Manafort and Kilimnik to the FBI. One of them told investigators that he understood Manaforts outreach to be an effort to suborn perjury since he knew that part of the firm was in fact trying to influence opinion within the U.S. Fridays new charges are in addition to the nearly two dozen charges related to money laundering, bank fraud, and foreign lobbying to which Manafort has already pleaded not guilty. Party over principle? Photo: Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images As part of the presidents duty to look out for the faithful execution of the laws, the federal government is charged with defending duly enacted statutes as they exist on the books no matter the Congress that passed them or the chief executive who signed them. That means that whenever someone challenges a statutory scheme in court and calls for its invalidation, the executive branch generally rises to its defense even if, as a matter of policy, the president is not a big fan of the law. Under enduring Department of Justice guidelines, any reasonable argument that would support upholding the law will do. Only in rare, principled circumstances may our law enforcers decline to defend and enforce the law. This sensible, nonpartisan tradition of respect for the rule of law is out the window with the Trump administration. At the direction of Jeff Sessions, the Justice Department has thrown up its hands and admitted defeat in a frivolous and highly partisan lawsuit a group of states, led by Texas, filed to challenge the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Yes, were still at it, and you remember correctly: Except for the Medicaid expansion, the Supreme Court already upheld the totality of the law as constitutional under a theory that requiring people to purchase health insurance, and imposing a penalty for noncompliance, is a valid exercise of Congresss taxing power. But following dozens of failed attempts to repeal Obamacare, this Republican Congress bent the rules and managed to squeeze in a repeal of the so-called individual mandate in the tax-reform bill that lawmakers approved last fall. Obamacare, its regulations, and accompanying structural reforms didnt go anywhere they remain the law of the land and very much in place. The only thing congressional Republicans did away with was the penalty for failing to buy health insurance. As a result of this decrease in tax revenue, fewer people would be compelled to sign up for health care, insurance premiums would rise, and millions would likely lose coverage. But those policy consequences do not an unconstitutional law make. The Trump administration still had (and has) an obligation to enforce the rest of the law. And yet in a sleight of hand thats only possible in the Trump era, Texas led a coalition of states to sue a friendly president and his administration hoping theyd fall in line and for its specious argument that, with no tax penalty to speak of any longer, the rest of the health-care law should fail and be invalidated. Because the individual mandate is inseverable from the rest of the law, Texass argument goes, repeal of the mandate means repeal of everything else. But Congress already specifically found the tax penalty is severable that is, Republicans eliminated it when they passed tax reform because they determined it was an irredeemable flaw in Obamacare. Congress voted to allow the rest of the law to stand. No matter. Lo and behold, Sessions did exactly as he was requested to do by Texas. I have determined that the plaintiffs in Texas v. United States are correct that Section 5000A(a) will be unconstitutional when the Jobs Acts amendment becomes effective in 2019, Sessions told congressional leaders on Thursday in a letter hes required by law to send whenever the Justice Department determines it will not defend a statute in court. The section Sessions is talking about, of course, is the individual mandate. But the penalty associated with the mandate has already been scrapped by lawmakers with the new tax law. What Sessions is really telling Congress in the rest of his letter and in a brief filed in the Texas case is that the individual mandate cannot be divorced from other key reforms in the health-care statute, like the prohibition on denying insurance coverage to patients with preexisting conditions. So if the mandate falls, the rest of the law should fall with it. Dont miss whats going on here: The Justice Department is, in essence, urging a federal judge to side with Texas and invalidate marquee portions of the Affordable Care Act that Congress couldnt bring itself to repeal, all because, in its view, the new tax law rendered those portions inoperable. Let a court do what congressional Republicans never could. Donald Verrilli, the top DOJ lawyer who twice defended Obamacare before the Supreme Court, called this development a sad moment and brought to bear the governments historic duty to reasonably defend laws in court. I find it impossible to believe that the many talented lawyers at the Department could not come up with any arguments to defend the ACAs insurance market reforms, which have made a difference to millions of Americans, Verrilli said in a statement. Severability, or a courts ability to salvage a statute when a part of it has been invalidated, is a default and not very difficult position to take when youre the Justice Department, looking out for the integrity of the law and the institutional interests of the United States. That Sessions is willing to burn the house down over such a mundane concept tells us a lot about how unserious his whole position is. No one thinks that severability strikes at the heart of who we are as a people and a country, wrote Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan health-law expert who has written at length about this and other ho-hum attacks on Obamacare. Whats more, the severability question isnt even remotely hard. That is to say, anyone can make a reasonable argument for it. Anyone except, apparently, the Trump administration. One way to know that this unusual, indefensible nondefense runs counter to how the government is supposed to work is something Bagley flagged that happened moments before the Justice Department filed its brief in the Texas case. A group of career lawyers working on the case for months notified the judge handling it that theyd be jumping ship they filed a notice with the court formally withdrawing their representation of the federal government. Georgetown Laws Marty Lederman, who closely observes these things, called the 11th-hour withdrawal flabbergasting. In their stead, a new legal team led by Chad Readler, a political appointee leading the Justice Departments Civil Division, would be taking over. Because life is one big coincidence, on the same day that Readler filed the DOJ brief in the Texas case, he received a nod from Trump to become a federal appeals judge. I kid you not. Republicans may just reward him for his fealty to the cause. But theres also the issue of Sessionss fealty to red states. If the attorney generals acquiescence to their demands seems cynically familiar, its because last year he pulled a similar stunt when he caved to pressure from Texas and other states that insisted, with zero legal basis, that a program benefiting Dreamers was unconstitutional despite no court ever so declaring in the five-plus years the program was in effect. The play was so craven and legally dubious, a number of federal judges have since called Sessions on it and reinstated the Dreamer program, telling him in no uncertain terms that he needs to offer a better justification than simply flying a white flag whenever faced with a legal threat. We dont know how Reed OConnor, the George W. Bushappointed federal judge assigned the new Obamacare challenge, will respond to the Justice Departments abdication, but he already seems predisposed to ruling against Obama-era policies that Republican-led states dont like as when he blocked the implementation of federal guidance and regulations aimed at protecting transgender students and patients. New York and other Democratic strongholds have intervened in the dispute and made all of the reasonable arguments to defend the health-care reforms that the DOJ wouldnt, but OConnor will have the last word. This could well be the next thing the judge finds unlawful. Except its not. This latest ploy in federal court is no more than a frivolous, political exercise thats part and parcel with Trumps larger sabotage of the Affordable Care Act, a law he may not like but that hes nonetheless duty-bound to enforce. Now that the Justice Department is in on this sabotage-from-within, theres little hope that the Trump administration can ever be trusted to take principled stances in court anymore. When the Obama administration declined to defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act in pending litigation over same-sex federal benefits, the DOJ looked at the state of constitutional law vis-a-vis the historic treatment of gays and lesbians in the country and concluded that the law couldnt stand. Some lawyers within the ranks were uncomfortable with the decision, but it was a careful, considered opinion, one the Supreme Court ended up adopting when it struck down the part of DOMA defining marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. No such thoughtfulness is at play here. Sessions is just playing along with long-shot legal tactics aimed at toeing the party line achieving through callous litigation what he himself couldnt do when he was in Congress. President Donald Trump chats with Russias president Vladimir Putin as they attend the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, on November 11, 2017. Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP/Getty Images One of Russias principal foreign-policy goals for decades has been to split the United States from is allies. Whether by accident or by design, President Trump appears intent on bringing that dream to fruition. The most immediate theater of Western disarray is todays G7 meeting in Canada. Trump has been fomenting a trade war, hurling wild and largely groundless accusations at Americas allies. Why isnt the European Union and Canada informing the public that for years they have used massive Trade Tariffs and non-monetary Trade Barriers against the U.S. Totally unfair to our farmers, workers & companies, he demands. Take down your tariffs & barriers or we will more than match you! Western trade partners have attempted to reason with Trumps demands, but the problem is that the basis for his beliefs and actions is entirely fantastical. If your neighbor is irate that you let your dog run loose in his yard, you can pacify him. If hes irate that you are reading his thoughts through his tinfoil hat, theres nothing you can do except disengage. And that is what they are doing. French president Emmanuel Macron threatened to sign a six-country agreement omitting the U.S. altogether. Canadian prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to defend our industries and our workers and show the U.S. president that his unacceptable actions are hurting his own citizens. But trade is merely a symptom of a larger rearrangement of American alienation from its partners. The West has attempted to prevail upon Trump to retain, in some form, a series of agreements he inherited: the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Paris climate agreement, and the Iran nuclear deal. In every instance the negotiations foundered on Trumps allergy to compromise and immunity to reason. You cant negotiate a climate plan with a person who considers climate science a Chinese hoax any more than you can negotiate a trade deal with somebody who believes Canada must be punished for the War of 1812. The mutual loathing contains both a personality component and a structural component. One by one, Trumps personal relationship with the leader of each major U.S. ally has been fatally poisoned. Angela Merkel, whom Trump had repeatedly taunted and likened to Hillary Clinton during his campaign, was the first major leader to give up on Trump. Its difficult to overstate just how enraged Germany is about Trump, reports Matthew Karnitschnig. Trumps allies tell one British newspaper he has grown frustrated with Theresa Mays school mistress tone. (May publicly corrected Trumps circulation of fake videos blaming Muslims for violence.) Trump has griped periodically both about German Chancellor Angela Merkel largely because they disagree on many issues and have had an uneasy rapport as well as British Prime Minister Theresa May, whom he sees as too politically correct, his advisers tell the Washington Post. Macron, who has bent over backwards to flatter and placate Trump, has found his efforts unrewarded. A recent phone call between the two was terrible, a source tells CNN. Macron thought he would be able to speak his mind, based on the relationship. But Trump cant handle being criticized like that. Its not as if Trump is unable to get along with anybody. He has drawn our country closer to a variety of despots: in the Gulf states, North Korea, China, and of course Russia. There is an element of personality involved here. Trump admires strongmen. Who are the three guys in the world he most admires? a Trump adviser told the Post last year. President Xi [Jinping] of China, [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan and Putin. Theyre all the same guy. Relatedly, strongmen have the ability to deal with Trump in what is euphemistically described as transactional terms. China spent hundreds of millions of dollars enhancing the value of a Trump property, and in turn was quickly granted a reprieve for a telecommunications firm that had broken American law. Those regimes take a transactional approach. Many American allies have relied on appeals to reason, data and shared values, reports Politico, which also quotes a former Trump official helpfully explaining, If youre not a despot, you cant really be transactional. This clarifies the euphemism, because of course a democratic leader can be transactional. Democratic countries negotiate transactions all the time. What they cant do is hand out bribes. No country has taken a more transactional approach toward Trump than Russia, and no country has seen its investment rewarded so richly. As he boarded his plane to the G7 meeting he was about to tear up, Trump told reporters he believed Russia should be readmitted into the group: It may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run They should let Russia back in. Russia was expelled after invading and seizing territory from its neighbor, among other aggressive actions including murdering people overseas, menacing other neighbors and, not incidentally, committing cybertheft against the Democratic Party as part of its operation to help elect Trump. Last night, The Wall Street Journal reported Russia has asked Austria another friendly country with a far-right leader to organize a meeting between Putin and Trump this summer. The Trump administration is pondering the offer. The rise of Donald Trump has been met with a persistent strain of denial. First domestically, and then abroad, his would-be partners greeted the unfathomable election of an uneducable demagogue by convincing themselves he didnt really mean ravings that passed for his official policies, and that they could reason with, co-opt, or otherwise negotiate with him. Trumps domestic counterparts grasped reality more quickly than his international partners. Senior government officials in Washington, London, Berlin, and other European capitals tell Susan Glasser they now worry that Trump may be a greater immediate threat to the alliance than even authoritarian great-power rivals, such as Russia and China. Trump might be a greater threat to the West than Putin. Worse, he might be, in a sense, the very same threat. Hey, what could go wrong? Photo: Pool/Getty Images President Donald Trump indicated on Thursday that he believes the outcome of his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un depends less on whether hes done his homework, and more on him having the mindset of a master dealmaker. I think Im very well prepared, Trump said in a joint press conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. I dont think I have to prepare very much. Its about attitude, its about willingness to get things done So this isnt a question of preparation, its a question of whether or not people want it to happen, and well know that very quickly. To a certain extent, this is true: No amount of prep work by the U.S. will make much difference if the North Koreans are immovable on the matter of denuclearization. On the face of it, Trump is signaling that the purpose of this meeting will be to gauge how serious Kim is about making a deal with the U.S. Hell plan his next steps accordingly. Trump said hes open to signing a final peace treaty to formally end the Korean War, as well as to normalizing relations with Pyongyang. But he also said hes willing to abandon the talks if they seem to be going nowhere: All I can say is I am totally prepared to walk away. I did it once before, he said, ostensibly referring to his abrupt cancelation of the summit two weeks ago, which he reconsidered after receiving a hand-delivered letter from Kim himself. There are, however, a few potential problems with Trumps all-attitude plan for Singapore, the first of which is a lack of clarity about what the administrations attitude actually is. While Trump characterized the meeting as a friendly negotiation and stressed that he really believe[s] that Kim Jong-un wants to do something, his key advisers, agents, and enablers have been sending conflicting signals. Trumps attorney Rudy Giuliani, for instance, boasted on Wednesday that after Trump canceled the summit, Kim Jong-un got back on his hands and knees and begged for it, which is exactly the position you want to put him in. Begging on ones knees is a degrading position in any culture, but it is a particularly ritualized gesture of submission in Korea and not at all the way an image-obsessed strongman dictator like Kim would like to be seen. Deliberately or not, Giulianis remarks were as provocative as the U.S. comments that set off the North Koreans last month, sparking threats, recriminations, and the summits temporary cancelation. Last month National Security Adviser John Bolton and Vice-President Mike Pence both suggested that the U.S. is pursuing the Libya model for North Korea, hinting that Kims regime might come to the same end as Muammar Qaddafis if he doesnt give in to American pressure. June 12 is less than a week away, but thats still plenty of time for the North Koreans to decide they dont want to have a summit after all, or to stand Trump up and humiliate him. If Trump really wants to have a friendly negotiation, he should probably tell his representatives not to go around trash-talking the person hes trying to negotiate with. Thats not even Diplomacy 101; its just common sense. As Trumps personal lawyer, Giuliani has no role in the North Korea summit, but Bolton does. The national security adviser has spent over a year openly rooting for diplomacy with Pyongyang to fail so that the U.S. can pursue the invasion and regime change Bolton believes is readily achievable, against the opinion of most North Korea experts and non-armchair generals. North Koreans can read the Wall Street Journal as well as the rest of us and know that our president is currently advised on matters of war and peace by a man who is fond of the bad joke: How do you know that the North Korean regime is lying? Answer: Their lips are moving. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo does not seem to be entirely on the same page as his boss either. The chief diplomat cleaned up after Trumps remarks on Thursday, telling reporters the president was fully prepared for the summit and that during his stint as CIA director, there were few days that I left the Oval Office, after having briefed the president, that we didnt talk about North Korea. Given what we know about Trumps attention span and level of interest in the tedious day-to-day work of presidenting, however, its entirely possible that while Pompeo and other officials have given him numerous, extensive briefings on North Korea, he wasnt listening closely and didnt retain much information. Pompeo, who was not warned of Trumps decision to cancel the summit last month before it happened, also praised the presidents fundamentally different approach to North Korea, arguing that it has already driven us to a place wed not been able to achieve in past administrations. Indeed, if it goes ahead, Tuesdays summit will be the first known in-person meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. That is a historic moment, but its also a moment Pyongyang, not Washington, has been seeking for years. It allows Kim to tell his people and the world that he forced the Americans to send their president to personally negotiate peace. All he had to do was ask nicely, suggest he might be open to denuclearization, and play along with Trumps dominance games (e.g. the hand-delivered letter). Kim gets his propaganda coup even if the summit goes nowhere, and hell still have enough conventional and nuclear firepower to deter a U.S. invasion, as long as most U.S. officials remain less comfortable than Bolton with a war that may involve the burning of Seoul and 20,000 South Korean deaths a day (assuming it doesnt go nuclear). Is Trump prepared to tell the American public and the governments of South Korea, China, Russia, and Japan that diplomacy has failed and were going to war? If not, whats the source of our leverage in these negotiations? What happens if Trump waltzes into Singapore hoping for a meeting of the minds with Kim and finds hes been played? What if Kim makes him an offer that looks good to him but has hidden downsides? If Kim proves intractable on the denuclearization question, or demands assurances in return that the U.S. cant easily deliver, whats his next move? What checks are in place to ensure that the president isnt cornered into agreeing to something he shouldnt? Preparing answers to these questions is the purpose of that prep work Trump claims he doesnt need. Reconciliation with North Korea is a deal orders of magnitude more complicated than any Trump has ever done in his private life, with astronomically higher stakes. If the president isnt convinced that he needs to prepare for this event carefully, he may be in for a rude awakening next Tuesday. American idiot. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images During his first 17 months as president, Donald Trump has grown ever more confident in his fitness for the job while remaining resolutely unwilling to execute the most basic responsibilities of his office. This is a significant problem for the United States (and the world, and, quite possibly, humanity). America has weathered non-functioning presidents. Woodrow Wilson spent his final years in the White House incapacitated by a stroke. But Wilson did not make policy while in that enfeebled state let alone, unilaterally. Decision-making authorities were delegated to his Cabinet. Trump is not incapacitated by brain damage; but he is debilitated by nigh-superhuman sloth and incuriosity. Fortunately, for much of his first year on the job, the president appeared to be cognizant of his own limitations. Awed by the awesome responsibilities of his new gig, Trump routinely deferred to the expertise of his advisers allowing the Republican Establishment to dictate his legislative agenda, and the putative adults in the West Wing to overrule his instincts on the Iran deal, trade policy, and a variety of other matters. But then, his tax bill passed and the first-year jitters passed with it. Now, the president is unilaterally imposing tariffs on Europe and Canada, taking unprecedented meetings with the North Korean leadership, and handing out pardons like candy. But the presidents newfound assertiveness and disinterest in his advisers counsel has not been accompanied by any newfound diligence. The leader of the free world still begins his day by binge-watching cable news until 11 a.m.; still spends official meetings nattering on about anything other than the subject at hand (even when said subject is how to ensure that this years hurricane season does not result in mass death this time around); and, most critically, still cannot be bothered to learn the pertinent facts about a given situation, before dictating a policy response to it. JUST IN: President Trump on his preparation for upcoming summit with Kim Jong Un: "I think I'm very well prepared. I dont think I have to prepare very much. Its about attitude. pic.twitter.com/JjYSBGJrF8 NBC News (@NBCNews) June 7, 2018 One of the presidents chief complaints about H.R. McMaster was (reportedly) that the former national security adviser had the temerity to brief him with a PowerPoint deck dozens of pages long, filled with text rather than simple, short bullets, or a graphic or timeline. White House aides have grown so desperate to get the commander-in-chief to ingest the most remedial information about the geopolitical affairs hes mindlessly disrupting, theyve whittled the bullet points in his briefing book down to basically slogans, one administration source told Axios. And just in case those slogans prove too wonky or uninteresting, the book provides Trump with a few less demanding sources of information: The Book typically includes briefing sheets about events the president will attend the next day; his schedule for the day, week and month ahead; and a sheaf of policy papers. Separately, the press and communications staffs assemble clippings often positive, to contrast the bad news he may be seeing on cable news. If he reads something in the press, like if he sees it on TV, that grabs his attention, said a source close to the president. The packet can even include screen grabs of cable news chyrons. The man weve authorized to preside over thousands of nuclear warheads gets his information about the world from printed screengrabs of cable-news chyrons. We are living in some French novelists heavy-handed satire of the George W. Bushera United States. Heres hoping we dont die in it. Photo: Achilleas Zavallis/AFP/Getty Images In a blog post this morning, Google CEO Sundar Pichai outlined the principles that will govern the companys military work going forward. The new guidelines come after weeks of internal turmoil as employees threatened to or did actually resign in opposition to agreements Google had made with the federal government to leverage their AI capabilities for the U.S. military. The company told employees last week that it would not proceed with the initiative, known internally as Maven. Pichais memo lists seven principles. AI projects need to be socially beneficial and avoid creating or reinforcing unfair bias. They should be built and tested for safety, be built with privacy in mind, and uphold high standards of scientific excellence. And they should only be made available for purposes that fall in line with the above. Sure. Here is what Google will not pursue: 1. Technologies that cause or are likely to cause overall harm. Where there is a material risk of harm, we will proceed only where we believe that the benefits substantially outweigh the risks, and will incorporate appropriate safety constraints. 2. Weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people. 3. Technologies that gather or use information for surveillance violating internationally accepted norms. 4. Technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights. That last bullet point, about upholding human rights, is probably the most important one because it makes working with the U.S. government pretty difficult! America does not have a great track record when it comes to adhering to widely accepted principles of international law and human rights or keeping its word. I mean, sure, Google might not be the company developing such systems firsthand, but they are helping prop it up by working on defense contracts. Photo: roevin/Getty Images Airbnb-ers that is hosts, not guests in Japan will now be required to register their rentals with the Japanese government. This is stipulated in an amendment to the countrys Hotels and Inns Act, which goes into effect on June 15, Nikkei reports. However, two weeks before the deadline, the Japanese government announced that any host without a license needed to cancel any upcoming reservations. As a result, almost 80 percent of all rentals in Japan on the site have been unlisted. At the beginning of June, there were over 60,000 options and now that number is just 13,800. If hosts want to continue renting their properties on Airbnb under the new Hotels and Inns Act, they will have to register their listing and display a license number on their listing page, the company explained in a blog post. Airbnb said it had been working with many of its hosts to get proper licensing to continue operating legally. (The new amendment also stipulates that a property can only be rented 180 days of the year.) From Airbnb: This announcement came as a surprise to us. It was contrary to the guidance our team had previously been given by the Japanese Tourism Agency (JTA) and put the travel experiences of thousands of visitors to Japan at risk. As soon as we learned about this reversal, we contacted senior members of the JTA to try to work together to ensure our guests did not have their plans interrupted. Much to our disappointment, after a number of discussions, including a meeting today, the JTA was unwilling to return to their original position or to make reasonable compromises to protect travelers visiting Japan. Instead, the JTA indicated that we are required to cancel reservations at listings without a license number no matter the hardship on hosts looking forward to sharing their homes or guests excited to travel to Japan. The company is offering full refunds to anybody whose reservation was impacted by the change and has established a $10 million fund to help cover any costs guests might incur as a result of the changes. Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body Twelve students from Auburn Universitys College of Human Sciences wrapped up final exams and flew to Nepal as part of a new experiential study abroad trip. The colleges first experience to the South Asia country will last 10 weeks long enough to become immersed in the culture and focus on sustainable tourism and community development. One of the most valuable experiences students are likely to have is working and learning in some of the villages that were hardest hit by an earthquake that devastated the country just three years ago. Students will see how far Nepal has come and how far it has to go. Leading the group is Associate Professor Baker Ayoun, who previously led a study abroad program to his native Jordan. His passion is study abroad experiences that get students outside their comfort zones to fully experience a different culture. Megan Elliott, coordinator of study abroad programs for the College of Human Sciences, knows what its like to be immersed in the Nepalese culture. Not only has she been to Nepal; she lived there for two years. I warned my students I may burst into tears when we land, she said. It was only two years. But it was so impactful for me. Elliott and her familys time in Nepal took experiential travel to a new level. They learned what its like to have a family with young children far away from home. She and her husband knew their oldest, Titus, would be making the trip. The dynamic changed quite dramatically when they discovered she was pregnant again two months before the trip. Jude, now 8, was born in Nepal. Despite the challenges, Elliott treasures her familys time in Nepal. It was a lot of things. I loved it, but it was hard having small children in a culture you dont understand. It definitely brought a whole lot of challenges, she said. Im looking forward to seeing what the dynamic is like having older children along for the ride. One challenge the students who just began their time in Nepal will face is culture shock. Elliott said the tendency is to judge when visitors feel anxiety about a new place. One of the biggest takeaways from our training we went through before we left for Nepal is that we have a tendency to view different as bad, Elliott said. Different isnt always bad. Its just different. Elliott is a veteran of international experiences. In 2005, she spent three months in Australia and then three months in Egypt with Youth With a Mission. She and her family moved to Nepal in 2009, working with a missions organization that ran a mentoring program. The goal was to learn what its like to live overseas and train under veteran missionaries. Part of the process, she said, is adapting to the culture. It is such a whirlwind moving to a different culture, Elliott explained. There is so much excitement, but so much uncertainty as well. Just learning how to find groceries, tell someone what you want at the store or market, and then how to cook those groceries is just one small but vital step in adapting and learning a new culture. The team she served with worked with Christians in Nepal. Since the illiteracy rate is high and more than 100 languages are spoken, the Nepali team members turned the Bible into 40 stories that could be told in villages no matter the illiteracy rate. The highlight of her time in Nepal was working in a Bhutanese refugee camp in south Nepal. Nepalese had migrated to Bhutan, but were driven out. India denied them entry, and their native Nepal wouldnt take them back. They had nowhere to go. The United Nations set up refugee campus, and Elliott was part of a team that taught refugees about Western culture. Their lessons included everything from how to use a Western toilet to preparing for job interviews. They were people with no nation, she explained. It was incredible. They were so eager to learn. They were so excited. They wanted to become Americans or Australians, or whatever country they were being sent to, but they also were nervous. They had no idea what to expect. We tried to help ease those fears. Elliott said the trip had a profound impact on her family. She hopes it does the same for the Auburn students there now. I think they will get a broader view of whats going on in the world, she said. I want them to come away thinking we can always help, but we have to be able to empower the local people. And I want them to get a taste of what its like to live in a foreign country. For Elliott, the experience is likely to be more personal. Im really emotional. Its pretty overwhelming, but Im also really excited, she said. It feels like a homecoming. While only 10 percent of college students nationwide benefit from international study, 33 percent of Human Sciences students at Auburn participate in study abroad. The goal is to have 50 percent of our graduating seniors with study abroad experience, Elliott said. Afrobarometer is set to debut its public-attitude surveys in the Gambia, bringing to 38 the number of African countries in which the network has let the people have a say. The Centre for Policy, Research and Strategic Studies (CepRass) has been selected as Afrobarometers national partner in the Gambia and will conduct the countrys first-of-its-kind nationally representative survey and dissemination of the results. Afrobarometer, a pan-African, non-partisan research network, conducts a series of national public-attitude surveys with the objective of informing the public discourse on democracy, governance, and other policy and development issues. The project is produced collaboratively by social scientists from across Africa. Coordination is provided by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) in South Africa, the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, and the Institute for Empirical Research in Political Economy (IREEP) in Benin. Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) provide technical support to the network. Dr. Bumi Camara, CepRass principal investigator for the project, says the Gambias recent political transition opens a new chapter in the nations quest for democratic governance. He is optimistic that the survey will provide a voice for Gambians on key issues such as governance, corruption, living standards, and public trust. This public opinion survey is relevant for both policymakers and ordinary citizens in order to effectively understand needs and aspirations of people living in the Gambia, he says. Findings from Afrobarometers survey in the country will also be a baseline for assessing the current and subsequent governments performance. During the third quarter of 2018, CepRass will interview a nationally representative, random, stratified probability sample of 1,200 adult Gambians. A sample of this size yields results with a margin of error of +/-3% at a 95% confidence level. CDD-Ghana will provide technical backstopping for the survey. CepRass was launched in 2016 by a team of faculty members at the University of the Gambia to complement the efforts of the university in delivering quality research and consultancy services. The center uses cutting-edge interdisciplinary research methods that combine qualitative and quantitative approaches to address critical socioeconomic, development, political, and governance issues. CepRass serves as a center for scholarly activities and intellectual creativity, offering researchers the opportunity to conduct assignments that are relevant for policymaking. As a focal point for reflection and interaction between policymakers and researchers, the center seeks to advocate and strengthen collaboration on evidence-based development. It operates as a nonprofit organization with a strong conviction that ideas must be communicated to the world and relevant information to the right people at the right time. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video For Immediate Release The following statement is attributable to Karen Naimer, director of PHRs Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones: The Appeals Chamber judgment acquitting Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo represents a devastating setback in the pursuit of international justice for sexual violence crimes. The ruling is deeply demoralizing for the victims, and their communities, who experienced the brutal campaign of sexual violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2002 and 2003. This decision, which reverses the first and only conviction for sexual violence to date at the International Criminal Court (ICC), risks sending a discouraging message to survivors in CAR and around the globe. In light of this decision, all those involved in supporting survivors must redouble their efforts at the international, regional and domestic levels to ensure that there is meaningful access to comprehensive justice so that such crimes do not happen with impunity. Read more about PHRs Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here. About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile NEWSALERT-AFGHAN-EXPLOSION Taliban official says explosion strikes mosque in southern Afghanistan during Friday prayers. (AP) RSTaliban official says explosion strikes mosque in southern Afghanistan during Friday prayers. (AP) RS RS Where Persecution Comes From In Vietnam, Christian persecution is due to local and national governments in addition to tribal culture. Vietnam is one of only five countries in the world that is still ruled by a Communist party. Laws are passed that disadvantage the Christian minority, and their implementation at the grassroots level leads to persecution from local officials. Roman Catholics are by far the largest Christian community in the country, but are seen as suspect for their ties to foreign powers. Ethnic group leaders see Christians as traitors to the tribal culture and identity, and villagers often work with them to persecute believers accordingly. The Montagnards, an ethnic minority with many Protestant Christians, are viewed with particular suspicion by government officials. How Christians are Suffering Historical Christian communities experience relative freedom in Vietnam, although they are still monitored by the government on suspicion of collusion with foreign powers. Politically outspoken Catholics are targeted, arrested and sentenced. Catholic congregations also have their land taken by the government for development and financial gain, despite protests in opposition. It is converts from folk religions, as well as Protestant Christians, that experience the most intense persecution, especially in the rural and remote areas of Central and North Vietnam. These believers face exclusion, harassment, discrimination, loss of property and even violent attack for their faith. Many who flee to neighboring countries for asylum are sent back to Vietnam. Examples In 2017, at least 50 Montagnard Christian refugees fled from Cambodia to Thailand to avoid repatriation to Vietnam. In June 2017, vandals attacked the church building of a Catholic congregation that has criticized the governments handling of a devastating toxic waste spill. In 2017, several Catholic activists and bloggers and Protestant pastors were jailed, even deporting a Catholic professor to France and a Protestant pastor to the US. Rescue workers carry poultry at an area affected by the eruption of the Fuego volcano at San Miguel Los Lotes, Escuintla, Guatemala 7 June, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso GUATEMALA, June 8: The search for survivors from deadly eruptions of Guatemalas Fuego volcano was temporarily suspended on Thursday due to dangerous conditions for rescue workers, as the death toll from the disaster climbed to 109, authorities said. Residents should stay away from the still-dangerous area, said David de Leon, a spokesman for national disaster management agency CONRED. The death toll from Fuegos most violent eruption in four decades has been gradually rising and now stands at 109, the Central American countrys disaster and forensic agency Inacif said. Authorities have said that a communication breakdown between CONRED and volcanologists in Guatemala delayed evacuations from the surrounding area. Guatemalas public prosecutor said on Thursday it would open an investigation into whether protocols were followed to inform proper decision-making in the handling of the disaster. Rescue teams have been searching frantically for survivors and victims in the ravaged landscape, covered in ash and lava. The eruptions, which began on Sunday, have showered volcanic ash over a vast area and spewed deadly, fast-moving pyroclastic flows through nearby towns. The U.S. government expressed its deepest condolences to the victims on Thursday and said it was sending emergency aid at Guatemalas request, including an unspecified amount of financial resources to help with food, water, and sanitation. The White House said in a statement it was also dispatching aircraft to transport burn victims for treatment in Florida. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) raised concerns about the economic cost of the disaster in the poor Central American country. We should not underestimate the scale of this disaster. Critical, emergency needs are still enormous, and affected communities will need sustained and long-term support, IFRC President Francesco Rocca said in a statement on Thursday. Rocca noted that ash had fallen across more than half of Guatemala, covering areas where agriculture is crucial. We hope it will not mean a secondary disaster, he said. The IFRC has pledged more than 250,000 Swiss francs ($253,000) to support rescue efforts, and said those worst hit would need at least a year to recover. The suspension of rescue efforts around the volcano may be lifted if conditions on the ground improve, CONRED said. Volcan de Fuego, which means Volcano of Fire in Spanish, lies about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of the capital, Guatemala City, near the picturesque colonial city of Antigua, a UNESCO world heritage site. Sayyed al-Houthi: Conflict in region aims to control human's thought [08/June/2018] SANAA, June 8 (Saba) Leader of Yemeni Revolution,Sayyed Abdulmalik al-Houthi, said on Thursday that the conflict imposed on the Islamic and Arab region is a conflict over the control of human's thought. "The US and Zionist invasion powers and their allies from some states of the region seek to control the region's peoples through taming them and influencing their thought," said Sayyed al-Houthi in a speech he delivered on the eve of the International Day of al-Quds (Jerusalem). Al-Houthi called on the Yemeni people to participate in the rallies to be held on Friday in the capital Sanaa and in Hodeidah city to mark al-Quds Day and to renew the vow to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque from its enemies. In his speech, Sayyed al-Houthi underlined that the al-Quds Day is the day of awareness. "The supporter of Al-Aqsa should be an enemy of the Al-Aqsa enemies", said al-Houthi. He added that the al-Quds Day exposes the treasonous regimes, in forefront of which are Saudi and UAE regimes. "The Gulf states' media are launching systematic distortion campaigns against the resistance axis," Sayyed al-Houti said. He called on the people of Yemen and free Arab and Muslim peoples to support the resistance powers, topped by Lebanese Hezbollah Party, politically and culturally. The Saudi and UAE regimes pay billions of dollars to finance sedition, and hundreds of billions to the US Treasury in return for the humiliation and hostility of the Palestinian people, al-Houthi added. BA Saba PEOPLEaS UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES Maharashtra State Unit Ad Hoc Committee Convenor: Mihir Desai; Members: Sandhya Gokhale, Rajni Bakshi, Sitaram Shelar, Dolphy Dasouza, Alex Damello, Lara Jesani Email: pucl.maharashtra[at]gmail.com Date: 06.06.2018 PUCL, Maharashtra condemns the arrest of Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut and Rana Jacob on 6th June 2018 PUCL strongly condemns the vindictive and arbitrary arrest of Advocate Surendra Gadling, Mr. Sudhir Dhawale, Mr. Rona Wilson, Ms. Shoma Sen, Mr. Mahesh Raut and Mr. Rana Jacob on 6th June 2018. They have been reportedly booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), on the allegation of spreading controversial pamphlets and delivering hate speeches in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence that broke out in January 2018. Even before their arrest, systematic raids were carried out by the police at their premises early in the morning. It is reported that the above persons are being taken to Pune on transit remand from their respective locations by the Pune police. All these above persons have been active in various movements and organizations, and have publicly defended the rights of Dalits and various sections of marginalized people. The simultaneous arrests at all India level (Nagpur, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi) by State authorities, smack of predetermined planned attack on people who have been protesting against injustice and atrocities perpetuated by various State and non-State Hindu right-wing groups. These arrest amounts to blatant violation of citizenas rights to freedom of expression and voicing dissent, and is clearly a move to target individuals working for rights of the marginalised sections of society, and to produce a chilling effect on voices of dissent. This has been a standard protocol followed by State for years. Under the garb of countering aNaxalitesa any democratic protest is labeled as unlawful activity against the aState.a People are arrested and incarcerated in jail for years. They are subsequently released as the State fails to prove their case. The whole purpose being to crush any protest against injustice, deny people their basic citizenship rights, deprive them even of their basic means of livelihood. Prejudicial narratives that above persons are amaoist sympathisersa or atop maoist operativesa is already underway in the mainstream media. We are all aware that in the recent violence in Bhima Koregaon area following the Elgar Parishad in January 2018, Mr. Milind Ekbote and Mr. Sambhaji Bhide, both belonging to Hindu right wing organizations, against whom many complaints and FIRs have been lodged, were denied anticipatory bail even by Supreme Court. But the State Government has not arrested them yet. These two pro-Hindutva leaders, have a history of allegations against them for causing communal and caste tensions, rioting, and were alleged to have desecrated the Samadhi of a Dalit icon in Pune on 29th December 2017. Both of them have deep links with the RSS and are clearly being protected by the ruling dispensation. Meanwhile, people who have been protesting against the very violence are being targeted by the government. We are also aware that Professor Saibaba, who suffers 90% disability from a post-polio paralytic condition, has been lodged in Nagpur jail in most inhuman conditions under similar charges and even denied bail in violation of all fundamental rights and human dignity. This government has failed to protect people against violence perpetuated against them. It has failed to take even preliminary action against persons like Mr. Bhide and Mr. Ekbote who are implicated in the violence but is trying to suppress people who are protesting against that very violence and have been consistently working for social justice. We condemn the state reprisals being ordered against the activists and unequivocally demand that Adv. Surendra Gadling, Mr. Sudhir Dhawale, Mr. Rona Wilson, Ms. Shoma Sen, Mr. Surendra Gadling, Mr. Rana Jacob be released immediately and raids being carried out at premises of various activists be stopped. We further demand that Mr. Bhide and Mr. Ekbote be immediately arrested and that the investigation and trial against them be conducted in an expeditious manner. We demand that stringent action be taken against the Hindutva forces spreading communal and caste hatred and violence, and demand justice for victims of the Bhima Koregaon violence. Mihir Desai, Convenor, Ad-Hoc Committee, Peopleas Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL), Maharashtra The Polisario and some MEPs who support its separatist thesis lived a dark Thursday (June 7, 2018), at the European Parliament in Brussels, while holding what they called a major inter-parliamentary conference. The conference was attended by Vincent Piket, Head of the Maghreb Division at the European External Action Service (EEAS). EEAS manages, on behalf of Federica Mogherini, the EUs diplomatic relations with non-member countries and leads the Foreign Policy and Security Union. In his address, Vincent Piket deflated the Polisarios claims under the dumbfounded gaze of MEP Ivo Vajgl, who was moderating the meeting, and the separatists supporters, including Development Minister of South Africa, one of the rare countries fiercely hostile to Morocco and its territorial integrity. Piket immediately cut short the whimsical ambitions of the separatists of Tindouf who seek to hamper the solid partnership between Brussels and Rabat. The Polisario is not the only representative of the Sahrawi populations. It is not recognized by the (EU) Member States. It is a reality and a political fact that we cannot deny, he said, recalling that the European Court of Justice has at no time upheld the Polisarios arguments in its judgments of 2016 and 2017. On this basis, the EU, as a partner of Morocco can in no way strike deals with an entity that has no legal identity, that has no legal personality and that no Member State (of the EU) recognizes, argued Vincent Piket. The European official also made it clear that the Sahara issue is a matter that comes under the exclusive competence of the UN and that the EU will not make decisions on this issue. Vincent Piket stated further that contrary to what the Polisario considers a moral victory, it lost and the ECJ asked it to pay the costs of the proceedings. Therefore, the EU-Morocco agreements remain valid from the point of view of European law and international law, he insisted. The so-called Polisario representative in Brussels, Mhamed Sidati, has found no better way to respond to these remarks than to engage in a violent diatribe against the European institutions. He admitted that his clan is deeply concerned by the approach taken by the EU in the framework of the renegotiation of its trade agreements with Morocco. Intro Greetings! I am a political scientist , specializing in International Relations , my research and teaching focus on ethnic conflict and civil-military relations . I watch way too much TV, and I like movies as well so I tend to write about both and find IR stuff in pop culture. I rant alot about American politics and sometimes about Canadian politics. I like to take ideas I once learned a long time ago and apply them to whatever strikes my fancy. If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). "Treatment of sex offenders depends on whether they've challenged rules" | Main | "Why Arent We Spending More on Prisoner Education?" June 7, 2018 Any suggestions for Prez Trump's "growing list of potential pardons or commutations"? The question in the title of this post is prompted by this ABC News article headlined "Trumps solo act push for presidential pardons likely to grow, WH officials say." Here are excerpts: The White House has been working to prepare documents for a growing list of potential pardons or commutations under consideration by President Donald Trump, two senior administration officials told ABC News Thursday. "You don't want to be the person empty-handed when he's asking," one of the officials said. "Need to be ready when the boss is ready to go. Officials describe the push for pardons as "a solo act," pointing directly to Trumps pushing for more and more names. White House aides believe Trump is grasping for names he knows like Martha Stewart and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, sources told ABC News, while the aides lobby the president to consider also more unknown Americans who have been behind bars for nonviolent crimes. The sources said they expect the president's list to grow in the coming weeks. "He's doing it his way and he likes seeing how quick the process has been," one of the sources said. The White House, as ABC News has reported, has been going around the Department of Justice, which is usually heavily involved in such cases. I sincerely doubt Prez Trump or his aides read this blog and its comments, but one never knows. So, dear readers, with Prez Trump reportedly "pushing for more and more names," let's give him more and more names. Especially in light of modern marijuana reforms, I hope someone points Prez Trump and his aides to the Life for Pot site which has detailed lists of Nonviolent Inmates (over 62) Serving Life without Parole for Marijuana and Inmates(under 62) Serving Sentences of Life without Parole in Federal Prison for Marijuana. And I cannot help but view John Knock as the first among equals on that list, in part because of the amazing work his sister has done to bring attention to his story and those of other similarly over-sentenced federal defendants. The amazing Shon Hopwood and FAMM's Kevin Ring has been championing the cause of Matthew Charles (discussed in this recent post), so I am hopeful that his name is already on the radar of folks at the White House. But I know there are thousands, likely tens of thousands, of persons who can make a reasonable case for receiving clemency in the form of a commutation or pardon. I welcome names to be listed and cases to be made in the comments. UPDATE : This Washington Post WonkBlog piece spotlights a ready source for clemency candidates. The piece is headlined "Its not just Alice Marie Johnson: Over 2,000 federal prisoners are serving life sentences for nonviolent drug crimes," and it starts this way: On the advice of Kim Kardashian, President Trump on Wednesday commuted the prison term of Alice Marie Johnson, a 63-year-old great-grandmother, who in 1996 was sentenced to life without parole in federal prison on nonviolent drug and money laundering charges. It's a somewhat surprising move coming from Trump, a president who has publicly called for executing drug dealers. But Jordan's case underscores how many nonviolent drug offenders are serving life terms in federal prison. According to federal corrections data analyzed by the Sentencing Project, a criminal-justice-reform group, as of 2016 1,907 federal inmates were serving life sentences for drug offenses, which are by definition nonviolent (more on that below). An additional 103 offenders found guilty of those crimes were serving virtual life sentences, which the Sentencing Project defines as sentences of 50 years or more. Under federal law, there is no possibility of parole for crimes committed after Nov. 1, 1987. June 7, 2018 at 10:33 PM | Permalink Comments I remember when you castigated Obama at every turn. Now you heap praise. Pathetic. Posted by: dontask@gmail.com | Jun 9, 2018 7:41:18 AM Post a comment Large group of former prisoners urge Senate leaders to move forward with FIRST STEP Act | Main | Any suggestions for Prez Trump's "growing list of potential pardons or commutations"? June 7, 2018 "Treatment of sex offenders depends on whether they've challenged rules" The title of this post is the headline of this lengthy new Detroit Free Press article. I recommend the piece in full, and here is how it gets started and additional excerpts: Eight months after the U.S. Supreme Court effectively upheld a decision saying parts of Michigan's sex offender registry law one of the toughest in the nation were unconstitutional, thousands of former sex offenders who thought they'd be off the registry by now, or facing less severe restrictions, have seen no changes. The law remains in place, unchanged, with the state defending it in more than three dozen lawsuits many of which it has already lost. The controversy involves a ruling two years ago by the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati that said provisions enacted in 2006 and 2011 and applied to offenders convicted before then violates constitutional protections against increasing punishments after-the-fact. Last October, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's challenge to that ruling, effectively upholding it. The rules prohibit offenders many of whom have gone years if not decades without committing any crimes from legally living, working or even standing within 1,000 feet of a school, a regulation that many say makes it hard for them to work, or to pick up or see their kids at school, and has forced some to give up jobs and homes. The rules also require offenders to immediately register email addresses or vehicles and report to police as often as four times a year, in some cases, for the rest of their lives. Because the appeals court decision came in civil cases and not class action lawsuits, the state has maintained those rulings apply only to the specific plaintiffs who brought them. And with the state Legislature failing to change the law, registrants find themselves in a legal morass, with the requirements they must comply with almost wholly contingent on whether the offender has successfully gone to court. Michigan now has the fourth-largest sex offender registry in the country, with 43,623 registrants on its database, more than the state of New York, which has 40,623. The disparities can be wide. One man convicted 17 years ago of eight counts of sexual contact with several girls under the age of 13 sued prosecutors, arguing that the rules keeping him on the registry with his photo, name, address listed publicly for life were unconstitutional. Last November, after the Supreme Court declined to take up the 6th Circuit decision, the state Court of Appeals agreed, saying those rules no longer apply to him. But it's different for another man convicted of touching two girls under the age of 16 while drunk 24 years ago in another state but who has had a clean record since. Last September, as a "Tier 2" offender, he was expecting to come off the registry after nearly a quarter century. But he was abruptly told by police that his case had been reviewed and that since one of those girls was under 13, hed stay on the list and be listed among the worst offenders on "Tier 3" for life. To this day, under Michigan law, he's subject to all those restrictions from which the first man has been freed.... In Michigan, any legal certainty about what is required of thousands of sex offenders is almost nil. While some local prosecutors like those in Wayne and Oakland counties no longer enforce cases involving retroactive applications of the law, it's far from certain that others are following suit. Macomb County prosecutors, for instance, declined to answer the Free Press' questions about whether they are still enforcing those restrictions. And Michigan State Police which oversees the registry says, legally, all restrictions remain in place. The states top law enforcement official, Attorney General Bill Schuette who is running for governor wont say whether the 6th Circuit Court decision should be applied statewide, his office refusing comment. Prior related post: June 7, 2018 at 09:57 PM | Permalink Comments Ex-sex offenders in Michigan need to organize themselves into a radical political self-defense movement similar to the Occupy Wall Street movement. For those who live in groups should think about what the Black Panthers did ca. fifty years ago: forming a political block; teaching self-defense courses; etc. Maybe if these ex-sex offenders make Michigan's law unenforceable to the point of putting police and prosecutors' lives to needless risk, then the state's political establishment will get the message. When anti-draft groups during Vietnam forced the government to use draconian measures against war protesters, the government had to drop prosecutions of more common crime offenses just to devote their resources at huge tax payer expense to target the anti-war and anti-draft activists. If former sex offenders did the same, they could effectively tie down law enforcement enough to force law enforcement and politicians to re-think their sex offender laws. Posted by: william r. delzell | Jun 8, 2018 9:22:14 AM More attorneys need to take on sex offender case Pro Bono. This abuse of constitutional and human rights is not going to get any better until it's fought in court, and sex offenders don't have money because the politician's have helped make them unemployable. These same type laws will come back to bite you in the butt if not stopped now. Posted by: Book38 | Jun 8, 2018 8:35:09 PM William: Sounds like a good plan. Nothing else will stop these demons that are destroying society with their totalitarian ways. These aren't politicians. They aren't citizens. They are devils. Period. Only organized resistance will bring them to heel. Maybe one day the judiciary will wake up and realize that any crime that is cruelly and unusually punished is against the core principles of the United States. A Revolution was fought against the crazed majoritarian devils that now rule. Posted by: restless94110 | Jun 8, 2018 8:38:42 PM Personally, I would love it if every time a politician said "$EX offender" that they immediately got a bullet right between the eyes. Would be well deserved. A Registered person might have harmed no one, one person, or perhaps even several. But a lying, harassing, terrorist politician harms millions for decades. They deserve death. And similarly, I can't see enough government buildings blown up. I think it is great when a person gets tired of the idiotic harassment and retaliates. I would love to see every single person who is arrested for a BS Registry offense to silently and violently retaliate. Why aren't Registered people shooting up government people? Night clubs? Malls? Schools? I do wonder. For those of us that want to retaliate legally, obviously that includes first of all ensuring that the Registries are even more worthless than they naturally are. Registered people should be around children all the time, anonymously very often. A Registered person in those situations should think about how people could be attacked and try to understand how Registry Terrorists think their Nanny Big Government lists could prevent it. Registered people should never support any criminal regime that supports Registries. Never support their law enforcement criminals. Let the hate grow. Much can be done to retaliate. Posted by: FRegistryTerrorists | Jun 10, 2018 12:56:26 PM Post a comment Aerial photo taken on May 4, 2018 shows a container dock of Qingdao Port in East China's Shandong province. The port of Qingdao and the port of St. Petersburg has established friendly relations. Under the guidance of the "Shanghai Spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and pursuit of common development, Shandong strengthened cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states. [Photo/Xinhua] A freight train to Central Asia is seen at a railway station in Jiaozhou, East China's Shandong province, May 7, 2018. Under the guidance of the "Shanghai Spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and pursuit of common development, Shandong strengthened cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states. [Photo/Xinhua] File photo shows a production line of Haier-Ruba Economic Zone in Pakistan. Under the guidance of the "Shanghai Spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and pursuit of common development, Shandong strengthened cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states. [Photo/Xinhua] Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on June 8, 2018 2018/06/08 At the invitation of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey will pay an official visit to China from June 10 to 15. Q: On June 7, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced a temporary ceasefire with the Taliban from June 12 to 20 as a way to implement a fatwa issued on June 4 by the Afghan Ulema Council. President Ghani in February proposed peace talks with the Taliban with no strings attached. What is your comment? A: China commends this announcement by the Afghan government on having a temporary ceasefire with the Taliban. China never believes that military options will help solve the Afghan issue. We hope that all parties in Afghanistan could make concerted efforts to launch peace talks as soon as possible and commit themselves to peace and stability in Afghanistan. China firmly supports the "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned" reconciliation process and will continue to play a constructive role in that regard. Q: The bill under deliberation by the Australian Parliament on countering foreign interference now has support from both sides of the Australian politics. And it will likely be passed into law within weeks. Do you believe that this legislation specifically targets China and does this legislation have any bearing on whether China will agree to the Australian Foreign Minister's visit to China? A: Does this legislation you mentioned explicitly say that it is directed at China? Reporter: Australian Prime Minister Turnbull has previously mentioned China in the early days of introducing the legislation into debate. But the legislation itself does not mention China. A: China's position is very clear. We develop ties with other countries following the principle of mutual respect and non-interference in others' domestic affairs. We hope that all countries could cast away the Cold-War and zero-sum game mentality and carry out friendly exchanges and cooperation on the basis of equal treatment and mutual respect. As for visits by any Australian senior official or leader, China has made its position clear many times. In principle, China would like to conduct exchanges and cooperation with other countries following the spirit and principle of equality and mutual respect. As for the specific visit you asked about, I have no information on that at present. Q: A statement by the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, the governing party of Ethiopia, on June 5 said it would fully accept and implement the 2000 peace agreement with Eritrea as well as the ruling made by the Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission (EEBC) over border demarcation. What is your comment? A: China hopes that Ethiopia and Eritrea could properly resolve their dispute through dialogue and consultation and normalize their relations. We welcome the statement made by the Ethiopian side. Both Ethiopia and Eritrea are our friendly partners. China stands ready to work with the international community and continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace, stability and development for the Horn of Africa. Q: On the eve of the Qingdao Summit, Russian President Putin has arrived in China for a visit. What will be discussed between the two sides? What does China expect to achieve from this meeting? A: We have talked about President Putin's attendance at the Qingdao Summit and his state visit to China. This is President Putin's first state visit to China since his re-election and also the first meeting between the two heads of state in 2018, marking a core event for bilateral relations in the first half of this year. This afternoon, President Xi Jinping will hold large-group and small-group meetings with President Putin. The two presidents will jointly meet the press and attend signing ceremonies and welcoming banquets. The two sides will also sign and issue important political documents, summarizing and making plans for bilateral relations and specifying the principle, goals and priorities for China-Russia relations and all-around cooperation for the time being and in the near future. We believe that President Putin's visit fully demonstrates the high level and uniqueness of the China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination and will achieve fruitful outcomes amid cordial and friendly atmosphere, thus providing strong impetus to the development of bilateral ties and all-around cooperation. Besides the official events, President Putin's state visit also has other highlights. So please keep following his state visit, and we will also release relevant information in a timely fashion. Q: What is China's expectation for the Iranian President's upcoming visit and his attendance at the SCO Summit? What will be discussed during the leaders' meeting? A: Iran is an observer state of the SCO. At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will pay a working visit to China while attending the SCO Qingdao Summit. The two heads of state will have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest. Since the establishment of the China-Iran Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries have been moving forward on all fronts. China would like to work with Iran and take President Rouhani's visit as an opportunity to strengthen bilateral cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative and steadily move forward China-Iran relations. Q: Reports say that Myanmar's government is reviewing the Kyaukpyu deepwater port project backed by China. Sources said that Myanmar's economic officials were looking for ways to negotiate down costs for the planned port. Some are concerned that it could ultimately fall under Beijing's control if Myanmar were to default on its debt. What is your comment? A: China and Myanmar are friendly neighbors, and we have been conducting close economic and trade cooperation. As far as I know, the Chinese company took part in the project through international bidding, and the two sides are now in business negotiations. We support the Chinese company and the Myanmar side in developing the Kyaukpyu port project in accordance with the principle of equal consultation, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes so as to promote the local economic and social development and improve people's livelihood. Q: The US side said that the symptoms displayed by the US Consulate General staff in Guangzhou because of the so-called sonic waves are similar to what their diplomatic staff experienced in Cuba. Has the US side informed China of this case officially? Is China still investigating this case? A: I gave my answer to the relevant question yesterday. As for the previous report that US diplomatic staff stationed in China were allegedly affected by the so-called sonic waves, the relevant Chinese authorities have carried out serious investigation and informed the US side of the result. By far, we have found no reason or clue that would lead to the situation reported by the US side. China will ensure the safety of foreign diplomatic staff in China, including those from the US, in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. If the US side has any new information or leads, they are welcome to share with us, and we will make further investigations. Q: Will the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue be discussed at the upcoming SCO Summit? What diplomatic efforts has China made when the DPRK-US summit is just around the corner? A: All parties are closely following the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and there are also adequate channels for the parties concerned to communicate and talk about it. We hope that the upcoming SCO Qingdao Summit could focus on the theme of the summit as well as practical cooperation in various fields under the new circumstances and carry forward the Shanghai spirit so that the Qingdao Summit will inject new vitality into the SCO. Regarding the DPRK-US summit, we have noted that recently the US and the DPRK have made positive progress in preparing for the summit. We hope that the summit could be held as scheduled and achieve positive outcomes and more steps can be taken in the direction of politically resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. China will continue with its positive and constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. Q: On June 8, China and Japan will launch the maritime and air liaison mechanism. The two defense ministries will be able to have direct calls via the hot-lines to avoid conflicts and hold regular meetings. What is your comment? A: China and Japan share the same goal when it comes to crisis management in the East China Sea. It is of great importance for the two sides to establish and launch such a mechanism in the sense of managing crisis on and above the sea and preserving regional peace and stability. China-Japan relations have been put back on the right track. We attach importance to the positive messages that have been sent out by Prime Minister Abe and the Japanese government on improving ties with China. We hope that Japan could continue to work with China in the same direction and consolidate the momentum to improve bilateral ties with concrete measures so as to usher in a new prospect for China-Japan relations. Chinese Ambassador WU Peng Meets with Mayor of Freetown Mrs. Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr 2018/06/08 On May 30, 2018, the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, His Excellency WU Peng met with the new Mayor of Freetown, Her Worship Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr Ambassador WU congratulated Her Worship Aki-Sawyerr on her assumption of duty as Mayor of Freetown and welcomed her visit to the Chinese Embassy. Ambassador Wu said that Freetown is the political, economic and cultural center in Sierra Leone and has huge potential for development. Under the leadership of the new city council, Freetown faces new development opportunities and broad prospects for win-win cooperation with China. The Chinese Embassy will support green and sustainable development of Freetown as it has always been doing and is ready to offer help within its capabilities. The Mayor briefed Ambassador Wu on the new municipal governments overall plan for development and stated that Freetown is densely populated and suffers from urban diseases. The city council will listen carefully to citizens concerns and resolve their problems effectively and efficiently, bringing new outlook for the capital. She expressed gratitude for Chinas consistent support to Freetown and wish to further deepen the friendly cooperation with China in her tenure. The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. In observance of Pride month, two local theater companies are offering thought-provoking plays that answer important questions in the lives of contemporary LGBTQ people: The Pink Unicorn Primal Forces Theatre at Empire Stage How on Gods green earth can you be both a boy and a girl? Thats the question Trisha Lee, a widowed Texan housewife, must sort out when her child makes a startling confession in Elise Forier Edies The Pink Unicorn, the latest Primal Forces Theatre production opening June 13 at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale. Trishas mundane small town life is thrown into turmoil when her teenage daughter announces she is gender queer and starting a Gay/Straight Alliance at her high school. After the school principal rejects the application for recognition as a school club, Trisha must choose sides in her rapidly dividing town. I was totally captivated by the script and its truthfulness, humanity, humor and transformative message, said director Genie Croft, the mother of two gay children. The importance of The Pink Unicorn is rooted in its insightful, clever writing and the exciting challenge of bringing Trish's deepest thoughts to life on stage, as she wrestles with her socially conservative background and the profound love she has for her daughter. Trish's journey is laden with hilarious moments, the fight to give her daughter human dignity and the right to be her true self. Croft turned to award-winning South Florida actress Laura Turnbull to star in this one-woman show with a wide range of characters. Laura is such a multidimensional actress. She can play all the comedy, all the drama and all the humanity, Croft said. Primal Forces Theatre presents The Pink Unicorn June 13 through July 8, at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Dr. in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $30 at PrimalForces.com. Mr. Parker Island City Stage As a writer, I wondered what would happen if I found myself in my fifties and started dating again, explained playwright and star Michael McKeever. Happily married to his longtime partner, award-winning director and playwright Stuart Meltzer, McKeever conjured up such a situation in which a middle-aged man who has just lost his own longtime partner wakes up in bed next to a much younger man. Ive always marveled at how quickly the world has changed for the gay community and the whole concept of dating has evolved and is so far removed from where it was when I was single in my thirties, explained McKeever, citing the influence and popularity of apps like Grindr and Tinder. Im all married and settled down. I could never do that. McKeever started with the premise of the fish out of water scenario, but that quickly gave way to something much more moving, an intimate portrayal of that concept. What happens when you lose someone who has been a part of your life for so long and the world is so different? How do you cope with the utter terror of stepping foot into this strange new world? The world premiere of Michael McKeevers Mr. Parker will be presented June 14 through July 15 at Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Hwy. in Wilton Manors. Tickets are $35 at IslandCityStage.org. Doug Ford will be the new premier of Ontario after the Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) Party won a majority of seats in the province's election on Thursday (June 7). Early results indicate that the PC Party won approximately 74 of the province's 124 ridings. The New Democratic Party (NDP) will form the province's opposition with Andrea Horwath re-elected in one of the roughly 40 NDP seats. The Ontario Liberal Party formed the government in the province, but only won seven ridings. Premier Kathleen Wynne was one of the seven Liberals re-elected. In the week leading up to the province's election, many PC Party candidates issued statements in favour of the province's former slots-at-racetracks revenue sharing agreement. When we brought in the Slots at Racetracks Program it was considered a win-win, said re-elected MPP Jim Wilson (Simcoe-Grey) in a release. It solved the governments problem at the time of where do we put legal gambling without having to open up new sites. The program was working for everyone." Wilson's statement said that the Ontario PCs will launch a working group to consult with the horse racing community and gaming proponents to bring slots back to racetracks as quickly possible. That sentiment was echoed to those in Fort Erie by Ford himself. Im a big supporter of the horse-racing industry in fact, the biggest track in the country, Woodbine, is right in my riding, said Ford to a gathering in Port Colborne. According to Niagara This Week, Ford stated he'd waste no time in making sure the expanded gaming returned to Fort Erie Racetrack and put the revenue sharing agreement back in place. Since arriving in the barn of trainer Ettore Annunziata, eight-year-old mare Barynya has shown steady improvement. Although she found herself in Yonkers Raceways bottom class for non-winners of $5,000 last five as recently as April 24, shes earned a chance to compete in the $44,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace Friday night (June 8). Annunziata bought Barynya this spring as a means of replenishing his barn. After most of Annunziatas horses were claimed away, leaving him with a two-horse stable, Barynya caught Annunziatas attention. The Australian-bred by Blissful Hall out of the Perfect Art mare Lombo Anatasia began her stateside career in December 2016 and had a modest 2017 campaign, winning three of 26 starts and earning $39,725. Despite her average stateside performance, Annunziata believed Barynya contained hidden potential. The 83-year-old horsemen knew she was a Group 1 winner and earner of $380,000-plus and he believed he could bring her back to that form. I like New Zealand and Australian horses, I seem to do very good with them. I knew I could probably get more out of her, Annunziata said. According to what weve seen, shes a super mare. She made over $300,000 in Australia. You cant make $300,000 in Australia unless youre a champion, and she was a champion and I really believed I could get it out of her. Annunziatas 'super mare' came to his stable off a second-place finish in a $7,500 overnight at Yonkers February 22. Annunziata believed she was sore and applied a less-is-more approach to her routine to get her sound. Theres no mystery, theres no big things. As a matter of fact, the less I do, the better she gets, Annunziata said. At the farm, shes out 24 hours-a-day and thats what they like. Its like theyre in the wild again. I dont know what it is, but I guess the method I use is no secret, he continued. What they do is go back to nature. What I mean is, (treat them like) a horse, dont (treat them like) people. They give this, they give that, try this, try that. All I know they eat grain and grass, all they can eat. Thats it. Thats the rule everybody should play by, of course everybody thinks they know better, but in this case theyre wrong. Annunziatas method appears to have rekindled the champion within Barynya. She posted a three-length win in a $7,500 overnight at Yonkers April 24 before repeating the following week in a $10,000 overnight. She finished third next out while up in class again before finding the winners circle in her next start May 25 in a $22,000 race. Last time out, Barynya shipped to Saratoga to win the $14,500 Filly and Mare Open Handicap in wire-to-wire fashion. She stopped the timer in 1:52.1 and posted a final quarter of :27.4. Last week, she really surprised me going 1:52.1. She was super, Annunziata said. Friday night (June 8), Barynya will step up in class again as she looks to win her first local distaff open. Barynya drew post two and is an 8-1 morning line with Joe Bongiorno in the bike. Barynyas seven rivals include 2-1 favourite Newborn Sassy, who will start from an assigned post eight. The Jim King Jr. trainee won the Matchmaker Consolation before posting three straight wins at the open level at Harrington and Yonkers. She was the beaten favourite in her last start May 25 from the outside post. Mach It A Par is a 4-1 chance after finishing second to Newborn Sassy on May 18 and drawing post six while Freakonomics is 5-1 and brings a three-race win streak into the distaff feature. Annabeth, Medusa, Motu Moonbeam, and Delightful Dragon complete the field. Shes a nice mare, she got a nice post. My luck, I usually get bad posts. Hopefully well do good. Actually, Im looking to beat them, hows that? I hope she wins the race. Shell be good. Right now, shes very good, Annunziata said. First post time Friday night at Yonkers is 6:50 p.m. (SOA of NY) BlackBerry Limited has announced that it is collaborating with the Government of Canada to modernize their operations centers during G7 ministerial meetings and the 2018 G7 Summit. Using BlackBerry AtHoc, a crisis communication platform that includes AtHoc Alert for mass notification and AtHoc Collect for field reports, the operations centers are able to efficiently mobilize and secure the flow of critical information by delivering updates to targeted lists of recipients in real-time. We are honored that the Government of Canada has chosen BlackBerry to support their operations, said Sanjay Saini, SVP and GM, BlackBerry AtHoc. Whether in times of crisis or during a high-profile event like the G7 Summit, reliable and secure communications are crucial. BlackBerry AtHoc technology enables real-time information exchange across organizations, their people and devices, providing them with the necessary details to make informed and safety-critical decisions. Additionally, BlackBerry is one of the companies that has been selected to demonstrate its innovative solutions at the 2018 G7 Innovation Showcase. Many G7 government departments and agencies, including the Parliament of Canada, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Defense and New Zealand Parliamentary Service, trust BlackBerry software to keep them safe and secure. BlackBerry AtHoc A leading networked crisis communications platform, BlackBerry AtHoc applications run on a cloud platform to deliver a unified and secure end-to-end solution capable of real-time collaboration with anyone, anywhere and across virtually any device. BlackBerry AtHoc is a suite of integrated applications used to safeguard millions of people and thousands of organizations around the world: AtHoc Alert automates alert notification AtHoc Collect enables in-bound reporting AtHoc Account automates personnel accountability process AtHoc Connect enables secure communication with other organizations @Technuter.com News Service COAI has concluded its Annual General Body Meeting for the financial year on 7th June 2018, with the announcement of its leadership for the term 2018-19. Mr. Sunil Sood, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Vodafone India Ltd., who was Vice Chairman of the industry body for the last two years, will now hold the position of Chairman while the Vice Chairman will be Mr. Ajai Puri, Chief Operating Officer, Bharti Airtel Ltd, Mr. Sunil Sood has been the Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Vodafone India Limited since April 2015. Mr. Sood served as the Chief Operating Officer at Vodafone India Limited since February 3, 2012 and served as its Director of West Zone. Mr. Sood is a part of the senior leadership team at Vodafone India and is responsible for the day to day operations and the P&L management for all circles in the country. He also spearheads the new business development initiative of Mobile Commerce for the organization. He is a Telecom Veteran and has been in the industry for over 12 years. Prior to joining telecom, he has had a long career with Pepsi in various roles within India and abroad, he served as the Chief Executive Officer at Pepsi in Bangladesh. He has also spent four years in Nigeria where he was working to establish the market for Nestles milk and infant formulae in the country. Mr. Ajai Puri is the Chief Operating Officer (India and South Asia) at Bharti Airtel Limited. He has been with Bharti Airtel since 2004 and has held several senior leadership positions including Director Market Operations, Director and CEO DTH, and CEO Kolkata & West Bengal, Odisha. Prior to joining Bharti Airtel, Mr. Puri served as the Business Head Foods at Cargill Foods India. He began his career with VST India Ltd, an associate company of British American Tobacco (UK). Mr. Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI, extended his heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Gopal Vittal and Mr. Sood, for their bold and courageous leadership over the last year, one of the most challenging periods in the history of Indias telecom sector. He further expressed confidence in their work to steer the Association and the sector towards long term health, sustenance and stability. Mr. Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI said that, We would like to thank our leadership for their guidance and support during one of the most challenging periods in the telecom sector and further express confidence in their ability to steer the Association and the sector towards long term health and stability. The sector has been one of the primary drivers of Indias economic growth, contributing 6.5% to the national GDP. While, the industry is reeling under INR 7.64 Lakh crore debt and the additional investment of INR 2 Lakh crore is still required over the next two years to fulfil the dream of a Digitally connected India, we are sure the partnership between the Government and the sector will get stronger and these targets will be achieved. The National Digital Communications Policy 2018, recently unveiled by the DoT, holds significant promises for the industry that has been facing difficult times over the last few years. This will also boost Governments key initiatives like Digital India and SmartCities. New technologies like AI, Machine Learning as well as Robotics and Automation promise to make our lives much easier while significantly diversifying the revenue streams of the telcos and making room for significant differentiation and long term viability. It is also designed to place India at the forefront of the global Knowledge Revolution, added Mr. Mathews. The AGM was followed by an informative High Level Leaders Panel Discussion on Going Digital People, Places, Things, which saw contribution from senior delegates from the Government and the industry leaders including Mr. N. Sivasailam, Special Secretary, DoT, Ministry of Communications; Mr. Sunil Sood, MD & CEO, Vodafone India and Mr. Nitin Bansal, MD & Region Head India, Ericsson. Italys populist deputy Prime Minister has rallied to the defence of police officers who were hospitalised by a migrant gang during an illegal goods seizure. One Carabiniere officer received a broken nose and the other chest injuries as they retrieved counterfeit goods, including 160 fake designer bags, and were attacked by a group of Senegalese migrant street vendors. Footage of the attack shocked Italy as it spread on social media, and highlighted worries that the country is overwhelmed by the number of illegal migrants trapped there thanks to European Union (EU) rules. The attack occurred near the famous Piazza dei Miracoli, in Pisa, Tuscany, according to Corriere Della Sera. After the officers were taken to the hospital, disturbances reportedly continued, with some of the Senegalese traders trying to calm down their more violent and disruptive counterparts. Matteo Salvini, leader of the populist co-governing Lega party, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of the Interior, shared footage of the attack on Facebook, writing sellers attack the carabinieri and promising solidarity and best wishes for a good recovery. He added that more expulsions for illegal immigrants and restoring a climate of legality to our cities is my goal. Italy's lucky they now have a new populist prime minister running the country , Matteo Salvini, and he's willing to deport illegal migrants from north Africa back to where they belong, and has defended local police in a case involving the interlopers:They'd better work fast, and not allow any corrupt justices and other politicians to get in the way. In fact, they'd do well to modify the country's legal system too, so that "lawfarers" can't cause trouble for critics of Islam. Labels: Africa, immigration, islam, Italy, jihad, terrorism, war on terror Romney predicts Trump's re-election AP, Park City : He once called Donald Trump "a con man," but Mitt Romney now predicts that Trump would "easily" win his party's presidential nomination in 2020 and "solidly" win a second term. Romney, the GOP's failed 2012 presidential nominee from Massachusetts, now a Republican Senate candidate in Utah, made the prediction Thursday as he welcomed dozens of high-profile business and political leaders to a mountainside retreat in Utah Thursday night. As he has every year since 2012, Romney played host to an invitation-only summit focused on the future of American leadership at home and abroad. The future, he predicted, would feature Trump as America's leader at least for another six years. "I think that not just because of the strong economy and the fact that people are going to see increasingly rising wages," Romney said, "but I think it's also true because I think our Democrat friends are likely to nominate someone who is really out of the mainstream of American thought and will make it easier for a president who's presiding over a growing economy." The remarks from Romney marked a sharp reversal from his original impression of Trump. Romney briefly served as the face of the so-called "Never Trump" movement before the 2016 election. He delivered a scathing speech in Utah before the 2016 election, calling Trump "a con man" and "a fake." Yet Romney's criticism has softened since then. And now, in the midst of a Republican Senate primary campaign, the former Massachusetts governor appears to be embracing Trump and his leadership role in the modern-day Republican Party. He delivered the remarks on the first day of a three-day, closed-door summit in Utah's mountains. The Associated Press was allowed to listen to Romney's remarks during the event's opening reception. Dignitaries on the guest list feature included House Speaker Paul Ryan, billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner in addition to actor Seth Rogin, former Starbuck CEO Howard Schultz and former Domino's Pizza CEO Patrick Doyle. Can there be successive prosecution? (From previous issue) : The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, is essentially akin to the Money Laundering Protirodh Ain of Bangladesh, as it creates the offence of money laundering and also laid down provisions of recovering/confiscation of proceeds of a crime, making it very much parallel to the Money Laundering Protirodh Ain of Bangladesh. 6. The Respondent No. I Anti-Corruption Commission of Bangladesh started inquiry into the matter vide `y`K/wetAbyt I Z`sI-1/gvwbjUvwis/61-2013/31836 and then, they also opened another enquiry through their Integrated District Office in Sylhet, vide Memo No. DUDOK/Special Enquiry and Investigation- I/Money Launders Prevention/ 80-2014/35611 dated 4-12-2014. 7. The Respondent No. I obtained an order on 2-1-2014 from the Respondent No.4, Senior Metropolitan Special Judge, Dhaka in Permission Petition No. I of 2014 freezing the Bank accounts of the petitioner and his wife. 8. After completing the enquiry the Anti Corruption Commission has initiated the present case lodging the FIR against the writ petitioner and 4 (four) others. 9. Respondent No. I, Anti-Corruption Commission, contested the Rule by filing affidavit in opposition. It is contended by the Respondent No. I that the writ petitioner has challenged the criminal proceeding and investigation invoking the writ jurisdiction under Article 102 of the constitution which does not fall within the perview of Article 102 of the Constitution; moreover, the petitioner being a fugifive from justice have no locus standi to file any application/petition before any court of law including this Court. The investigating officer having obtained permission from commission by the Memo No. `y`K/wetAbyt I Z`sI-1/gvwbjUvwis/61-2013/31836 properly investigating the case in accordance with law and also the Integrated District Office in Sylhet vide Memo No. DUDOK/Special Enquiry and Investigation/Money Launders Prevention/80-20 14/35611 dated 4-12-2014 enquired into the case and found prima facie case under section 4(2) and (3) of the Ain of 2012 against the writ petitioner along with 4 (four) others and thereafter, the commission lodged the FIR. And, as such, question of harassment does not arise at all and, as such, the Rule is liable to be discharged with cost. 10. Mr AJ Mohammad Ali, the learned Advocate appearing for the writ petitioner submits that offence of money laundering is a transnational crime and the petitioner had already faced prosecution under the proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in UK for committing offence of money laundering and for the same offence the writ petitioner cannot be prosecuted again in Bangladesh under the Ain of 2012, as the essence of the alleged offence under the Act of 2012 and the allegations made in the FIR are same or substantially similar to the offence with which the writ petitioner has already been prosecuted in the UK and awaiting for the outcome of the sentence and, as such, the action of the Respondents goes against the very principle of law and of natural justice. 11. Mr Aly then submits that the principle of 'double jeopardy' is enshrined in Bangladesh's legal system as a fundamental right in Article 35(2) of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, which provides that, no person shall be prosecuted and punished for the same offence more than once; thus, the actions of the Respondents have violated the fundamental rights as guaranteed under the Constitution and are illegal, malafide and violates the principle of natural justice. 12. Mr Ali further submits that ingredients of the alleged offence under section 4(2) and (3) of the Money Laundering Protirodh Ain, 2012, is as same as the offence with which the petitioner had already been prosecuted and convicted in the UK. Any subsequent proceeding including the impugned proceeding and investigation is a fresh proceeding is prohibited under Article 35 (2) of the Constitution and, as such, the petitioner cannot be tried for the second time and hence the initiation of the present proceeding is liable to be declared as unlawful and is of no legal effect. 13. He referring to Section 403(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, also submits that initiation of the present case is also barred by the said provision of law. 14. Mr Aly referring to clause 7 of Article 14 of the 'International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights (herein after referred as ICCPR) finally submits that Bangladesh is one of the signatory states of the said covenant and the Government of Bangladesh, being a signatory to the Covenant, is bound by the Article 14(7) of the Covenant where it provides that no one sh all be liable to be tried or punished again for an offence [or which he has already been finally convicted or acquitted in accordance with the law and penal procedure of each country. And, as such, the action of the Respondents are in clear violation of the said Covenant and is liable to be declared illegal and without lawful authority. 15. Mr Md Khurshid Alam Khan, the learned Advocate appearing for the Respondent No.1 submits that after lodging of the FIR the petitioner is a fugitive and thus, he has no locus standi to file the writ petition through attorney or authorized person. He also submits that it is well settled by the Appellate Division that a criminal proceeding or investigation process cannot be challenged invoking Article 102 of the constitution. He further submits that the writ petitioner committed offence of money laundering in UK and accordingly he was convicted and sentenced. The writ petitioner having brought a huge amount of money from London to Bangladesh illegally again deposited the same in the different bank accounts in Sylhet, Bangladesh in his name as well as in the names of his wife and other relatives and also invested some portion of money in share-market and by purchasing land-flats. Thus, the writ petitioner has committed separate and distinct offence of money laundering as defined in Ain of 2012 and it has no nexus with the offence of money laundering committed in London. Thus, the question of double jeopardy does not arise at all. 16. In course of hearing of the Rule Mr Khan has informed the court that the Commission after completing the investigation of the case in the meantime submitted charge sheet against the writ petitioner and 4 (four) others, which fact was not denied by the learned Advocate for the writ petitioner. 17. As per desire of the court Mr Mahbubey Alam, the learned Attorney, has participated in hearing. He submits that since in the Ain of 2012 the provision of 'International Double Jeopardy' has not been incorporated, and, as such, this principle cannot be applicable as a matter of right or automatically. Thus, the plea of the writ petitioner for interfering with the criminal proceeding relying on the said covenant that is clause 7 of Article 14 of ICCPR is misconceived and not tenable in the eye of law. He further submits that annexure-J series, the copy of the case summary, statement of information from Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), were not attested or authenticated as per provision of Section 86 of the Evidence Act and, as such, those documents have no evidentiary value and thus, there is no scope to consider the same in deciding the present issue. 18. In this particular case the moot question is whether the initiation and continuation of the impugned criminal proceeding is barred by the principle of 'international double jeopardy' in view of Article 14(7) of ICCPR adopted by United Nations Assembly, where Bangladesh is one of the signatories. 19. We would like to address the above issue in two ways. Firstly, whether Article 14(7) of the ICCPR or any other provisions of the same prohibits successive prosecution for the same course of conduct in which an accused was prosecuted and convicted in another sovereign country under its own law; and secondly, whether the principle of 'international double jeopardy' doctrine will be applicable in this particular case. 20. Mr Ali, the learned Advocate for the writ petitioner, has extraneously argued that since writ petitioner once faced trial and convicted by a competent court of England for committing the offence of money laundering, he cannot be prosecuted further for the same laundered money in Bangladesh under the Ain of 2012. 21. Article 14(7) of 'International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights [ICCPR)' provides that no one shall be liable to be tried or punished again for an offence for which he has already been finally convicted or acquitted in accordance with law and penal procedure of each country. 22. This provision is almost similar to Article 35(2) of our constitution. So, Bangladesh has incorporated the provision of Article 14(7) of ICCPR in its constitution. And, as such, there is no room to say that Bangladesh being a signatory country of the said covenant ignored or deviated from the ICCPR. 23. In this particular case, it transpires that the writ petitioner is being prosecuted has not been tried and convicted 'in accordance with the penal law and penal procedure' of Bangladesh. The ICCPR does not prohibit successive prosecution of an individual in exercise of power given in law of Bangladesh as his earlier prosecution and conviction was not under our own penal law and penal procedure. He was prosecuted and convicted for act or conduct occurred beyond the territory of Bangladesh and under law of another sovereign country. 24. Bangladesh as a sovereign entity has the power independently to determine what act shall constitute offences and to punish such offences, by enacting laws. And thus, the court of law of Bangladesh, a sovereign entity, exercises these powers given in its own law and not that of any other state or country. Prerogatives of sovereignty of Bangladesh are the power to enforce its own law. 25. Admittedly, the accused was prosecuted, tried and convicted in UK under its own law and it was done under the distinct source of power and consequently there can be successive prosecution in Bangladesh for the same course of conduct which does not violate the prohibition on the doctrine of double jeopardy as guaranteed in Article 35(2) of our Constitution. For the words 'same offence' indisputably refers to act and omission punishable under laws enacted by our sovereign parliament and it does not refer to that punishable under law of any other foreign country. The principle reflected in Article 35(2) of our constitution is further confirmed in Section 26 of the General Clauses Act of 1897 and in Section 403 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1898. 26. Bangladesh a sovereign entity shall determine what act or omission committed within its territory constitutes an offense in exercise of power under its own law, not that of the other. Therefore, no violation of the prohibition on double jeopardy results from successive prosecutions under the relevant penal law of Bangladesh, because by one act the accused has committed two offences one is beyond the territory of Bangladesh which was punishable under law of UK a distinct sovereign entity and now is being prosecuted for the same act constituting offence punishable under law of our own. 27. It is to be noted that the territoriality principle is the most common basis of jurisdiction and is widely regarded as a manifestation of state sovereignty. At its simplest, the territoriality principle denotes that a sovereign state has jurisdiction over conduct or act or omission that occurs within its territorial borders. The 'separate sovereigns' doctrine allows for two states to prosecute for the same offence occurred within jurisdiction of both locations. Thus, literary ICCPR does not prohibit successive prosecution of the offence committed by same course of conduct under a distinct law of a sovereign country. 28. Prosecuting and convicting of a Bangladeshi national for an offence committed beyond territory of Bangladesh creates no bar for his or her successive prosecution for 'same act' in exercise of power given under our own law. The doctrine reflected in Article 35(2) of our constitution does not extend to any offender prosecuted and convicted in a country of distinct sovereignty, under its own statute. 29. From annexure-J series, copies of case summary and statement of information from Crown Prosecution Service, UK it transpires that though the name of writ petitioner was Misbauddin but he changed his name in UK as Robin Chowdhury; he faced trial in the crown Court, at Southwark, UK in Indictment Trial No. T 20117476 and on 24-8-2011 charged was framed against him in total 18 counts and only count No. 15 was related to transfer money from UK to Bangladesh. The other counts of charge were under Fraud Act, 2006 and also under Crime Act, 2002 for transferring money from UK to Thailand, Switzerland and Tunisia. The writ petitioner on the following day (25.8.2011) pleaded guilty to 13 counts of charge on the indictment and accordingly he was convicted and sentenced. 30. In view of the above facts it is crystal clear that the writ petitioner was found guilty on admission on so many counts of charge including laundering money to Bangladesh and accordingly convicted and sentenced. And, as such, at this stage it is very difficult to hold that both the offences are same and also there is no scope to declare the proceeding of this case illegal and without lawful authority relying annexure-J series, which are not admissible in evidence in view of the provision of Section 86 of the Evidence Act. 31. Moreover, the money which was brought to Bangladesh by the writ petitioner was eventually possessed, transferred and converted knowing that such property is proceeds of crime. Thus, new and distinct offence of money laundering has committed in Bangladesh by the petitioner and accordingly the present case has been initiated. 32. In view of above, it cannot be said that the accused is being prosecuted twice for the 'same offence' merely for the reason that he has been convicted for the same act which constituted and offence punishable under the law of UK. It transpires that the accused allegedly by a single act violated laws of two sovereign states and thereby committed two distinct offences and thus the instant prosecution relating to an offence punishable under our own law even for the same act does not breach the doctrine of 'double jeopardy'. 33. In the case of Hussain Mohammad Ershad vs Bangladesh. reported in 21 BLD (AD) = 7 BLC (AD) 67 Page 69, it has been held: "True it is that the Universal Human Rights norms whether given in the Universal Declaration or in the Covenants are not directly enforceable in national courts. But if their provisions are incorporated into the domestic law they are enforceable in national courts. The local laws, both constitutional and statutory, are not always in consonance with the norms contained in the international human rights instruments. The national courts should not, I feel, straightway ignore the international obligations, which a country undertakes. If the domestic laws are not clear enough or there is nothing therein the national courts should draw upon the principles incorporated in the international instruments. But in the cases where the domestic laws are clear and inconsistent with the international obligations of the state concerned the national courts will be obliged to respect the national laws but shall draw the attention of the law makers to such inconsistencies." 34. In the case of Saiful Islam Dilder vs Government of Bangladesh, (reported in 50 DLR, 318) the decision of the Government handing over of Anup Chetia alias Golap Barua, an Indian citizen who was engaged in a movement for right of self determination of Assamees People, to Indian Government was challenged on the plea that extradition of Chetia to India in absence of any extradition treaty would violate the provision of Article l45A of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The writ petition was rejected in limine and the High Division observed that; "Now it remains for us to consider the case cited from foreign jurisdiction. At the outset we must say that observations made therein are pious expression to secure international fundamental human right, norms obtaining in different declarations and covenants of different state parties to such instrument and have little binding force on the municipal courts. Such views no doubt have opened a new horizon of International Human Right law but in international human rights law interpretation adopted by national courts can at best only be persuasive authority. In Ramoz vs Diaz, the right of a foreign power to demand the extradition was created by treaty. And in US in absence of statutory or treaty provision no authority exists in the Government to surrender a fugitive criminal to a foreign Government. A careful reading of the judgment will show that the decision rests on Article VI of the treaty of Extradition made between Government of the US and the Government of Cuba. Article VI of the treaty exempts extradition of a fugitive charged with political offence from the treaty. But Extradition Act, 1974 of our country does not provide such exemption. Therefore, the decision which is only of a persuasive value and decided placing reliance upon Article VI of the Extradition Treaty has no manner of application "to the facts of the instant case." 35. In the case of Bangladesh vs Unamarayen SA Panama, reported in 29 DLR 253, question arose whether private foreign companies enjoy immunity from arrest and seizures. 36. The High Court denied such immunity to be accorded to private foreign companies and deelined to protect them from arrest and seizures. The court observed, "immunity is available under public international law to persons and properties of classified persons mentioned in the list which is usually filed by foreign missions and international agencies". 37. Where there is clear domestic legislation on the disputed issue, the court gives effect to the domestic law, not to customary norms of international law. This particular aspect of domestic law vis-a-vis international custom was raised in the case of Bangladesh vs Sombon Asavhan, reported in 32 DLR (AD) 194. Bangladesh Navy captured three Thai fishing trawlers for illegal entrance and fishing in the territorial waters of Bangladesh. The question was whether the trawlers were within the territorial waters or the exclusive economic zone of Bangladesh. Instead of applying existing international law regarding territorial waters, the Appellate Division settled the issue on the basis of Bangladesh Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act, 1974, which lays down specific provisions for maritime boundaries for Bangladesh. The Appellate Division has observed: "It is well settled that where there is municipal law on an international subject the national court's function is to enforce the municipal law within the plain meaning of the statute". 38. It further held: "the point touches international law, since three fishing trawlers are involved and they have been captured from a place over which Bangladesh claims sovereignty. We are relieved from entering into long discussion of diverse laws, conventions, rules and practices of international law since there is complete code provided by our municipal law." 39. Recently, our Appellate Division, in the case of Abdul Quader Molla vs Government of Bangladesh (Criminal Appeal No. 24 of 2013 heard along with Criminal Appeal No. 25 of 2013, page-131) has held: "Nothing but the provision falling within the above constitutional periphery can be law and provision having force of law within the jurisdiction of Bangladesh. Therefore even any international obligation or responsibility undertook by the Government cannot have any force of law within the jurisdiction of Bangladesh. It will appear from the above provisions of the constitution, it is the parliament in general or the president under certain circumstances legislate and not the Government and the Courts of law do not require to have regard to the acts of the Government including entering into treaties or adopting the convention when interpreting the law. Though International Convention, could be recognized upon ratification it could be applied in our country only when its provisions are incorporated in our Municipal laws and thus for enforcing any international covenants under any convention to which this country is a signatory the provisions of the convention have to be incorporated in our domestic law. Any international obligations/responsibilities of the republic or any under taking taken at the international level or any norms/practices, 'howsoever regularly honoured by the state at international interactions, cannot be applicable in the domestic tribunal of the country unless the same is incorporated in the domestic law by a legislative action." 40. In the above case Appellate Division has further held: "There is no rule of CIL prohibits our domestic tribunal to proceed with the trial as per our domestic legislation, and, as such, it can be safely said that rules of public international law allows our domestic tribunal to proceed with the trial as per our Act. In short, the rules of international law whether applicable or not, our domestic tribunal has the jurisdiction to continue with the trial in any manner acting in derogation of the rules of public international law." 41. It is true that the issue of 'International Double Jeopardy' is of increasing concern and importance, and this decision may will have an impact in the development of the law. But, said concept of 'International Double Jeopardy' is not directly enforceable in domestic court unless it is incorporated in domestic law. International law ought to be transformed into State law before it could be applied in State territories. In other words, international law must be specially adopted or incorporated within the municipal legal system by way of implementing act of the legislature: Since the principle of 'International Double Jeopardy' has not been incorporated in the Ain of 2012 and, as such, there is no scope to enforce the said principle within our domestic legal system. . 42. Further, it is well settled that there is no scope for quashing a criminal proceeding under the writ jurisdiction unless the virus of law involved is challenged. 43. Having considered and discussed as above. We find no merit in the Rule. Accordingly, the Rule is discharge. However there is no order as to cost. 1 Henna festival held at Jatiya Press Club Jatiya Press Club family members decorated their arms with mehedi at a mehedi festival organised by the club on its auditorium on Friday on the occasion of holy Eid-ul-Fitr. UNB, Dhaka : A henna festival arranged by the Jatiya Press Club and Dhakabashi, a local club which works to uphold tradition and cultural heritage, was held at the Jatiya Press Club on Friday ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. Addressing the programme as the chief guest Food Minister Advocate Qumrul Islam said "The government is sincere to protect national tradition from cultural aggression." Philippines Ambassador in Dhaka Vicente Vivencio T Banddillo also attended the programme as a special guest. A cultural programme was also held with the participation of the club members. Imams, Islamic scholars urged to work for national welfare City Desk : Trained Imams and Islamic scholars can play a vital role in welfare of the nation as they have social responsibility in this regard. The present government under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly for freeing the nation from all sorts of terrorism, militancy and drugs. The Islamic scholars should extend their whole-hearted cooperation towards the government endeavor. The views were expressed at a pre-Iftar discussion titled "Role of Imams and Islamic Scholars for building a society free from terrorism, militancy, corruption and drug-addiction" in Rajshahi. Rajshahi district and city unit of Bangladesh National Imam Samity organized the event recently at Nanking Darbar Hall. Large number of Islamic scholars and Imams joined the meeting discussing ways and means on ensuring peace and tranquility everywhere in the society. Chaired by the samity's city unit president Hafez Mobarak Karim, the meeting was addressed, among others, by former mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Divisional Director of Islamic Foundation Syed Amin Uddin Mahmud, Professor Abdus Salam Al Madani and Associate Professor Barkullah Bin Durul Huda from Rajshahi University and Mufassire Quran Abul Kashem Faruqui. The discussants unequivocally called upon the Islamic scholars and leaders to play their due role in wiping out drug-addiction and terrorism from the society. They said the Islamic scholars should engage themselves in the campaign. They should take the responsibility in making the society free from all-sorts of social menace. Former Mayor Liton observed that Islam has no relation to any sort of crime and any other anarchic activities rather it is a religion of global peace and tranquility. He underscored the need for proper motivation and counseling to the new generation so that they could supplement the government effort to culminate terrorism. The present government is determined to combat crimes and terrorism with collective efforts of all quarters especially the imams and other religious leaders, Liton added. Easy ways for metropolitan living in your home Life Desk : A sustainable lifestyle and unclustered living is not just a present-day trend, but the need of the hour. Optimum utilization of space and a neutral colour palette can work wonders as a background for a modern-day home, say experts. Nikhil Tiwari, designer and founder of Topstona and Jade Davies, Interior Designer at MKM Luxe Suisse, natural stone-based wall claddings, suggest how to capture the essence of metropolitan living in your home. Space: Optimum utilization of space. Sleek accent furniture, minimal design, wall decor accessories with utilitarian properties can optimize a space and bring the element of minimalistic metropolitan decor. Wall decor: Don't overlook the wall space. Add eclectic wall accents, as well as wall, mounted lights to give an edge while making the rooms look bigger. Use light colours of paint on the majority of walls and use wallpaper on maximum one wall in each room to avoid making the space look smaller. Add large mirrors where possible to increase light and give the effect of more space. Neutral palette: Neutral colour palette can work wonders as a background for a modern-day home. Playing with textures and layering of furnishing pieces with a backdrop of neutral walls can make simplest of decor make a bold statement. Furniture: Modular furniture will allow you to create living areas that work to your exact requirements, even if you have got an unusually shaped room or you want the option to change how the pieces are placed together in the future. Less but large-scale furniture and decor can create a theatrical drama to play with the philosophy of modernism. Small multiple decor pieces make a room look smaller and cluttered, hence, for city apartments large pieces are the way to go. - IANS | New Delhi Put counter-trafficking law into force NONE of over 3,500 cases filed under the counter-trafficking law across the country has disposed of since the formulation of the act. It has left the victims and their families in utter frustration. They are also deprived of getting remedy and compensations. Whereas the perpetrators are threatening them to withdraw the cases due to relax mood of police. Lengthy legal process and absence of separate tribunal have made the situation very critical. Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act was formulated in 2012 but its rules are not framed till the date, according to a newspaper report. We know that recruitment agencies and their brokers lure the underemployed people arranging them decent job compel to sell their ancestral house, farmland or take loan at a high rate -particularly in the rural areas. Human Trafficking Monitoring Cell of Police Headquarters recorded that 114 trafficking cases in the first three months of the current year. The number of human trafficking cases increased to 778 in 2017 from 677 in 2016. We think, the government must be 'more labour-friendly' to execute the relevant laws to protect the rights of the country's migrant workers. Experts called for facilitating formal labour migration to reduce trafficking incidents. It is urgently necessary to reduce procrastination in the existing legal system. By this time, the trafficking victims should be given psychosocial counseling to help them recover from the trauma. It's a complete shambles that Parliament had enacted an excellent law but the authorities are yet to take any step to implement it. On the other hand the traffickers are enjoying privilege. In some cases police hesitate to touch them due to close linkage with the ruling high-ups. A Thai court in 2017 sentenced an army general to 27 years' jail in a landmark human trafficking trial that focused regional attention on the lucrative underworld trade. But not a small fry in Bangladesh has faced such trial. As unemployment rate is exorbitant, we think the human trafficking may be increased due to lack of enforcement of laws. Here, the government must generate employment and increase legal migration facility to address the problem. Besides, cancellation of agency license those involve in the trafficking can also check the trouble. But first of all, the government should immediately frame the rules for the act to expedite the prosecution. Budget to make commoners` life harder The fat and lofty budget that was presented before lawmakers in Parliament on Thursday brought no good news for ordinary citizens and businesses but rather mounted pressure on taxpayers to meet the legendary thrust of corrupt bureaucrats and politicians and lockless state-owned banks' vaults. News media tagged the budget of Tk 464,573 crore for 2018-19 fiscal an unattainable budget with higher targets based on fragile economy and revenue collection. If we consider the recent macroeconomic trends of the country, targeted revenue collection and higher expenditure to please public servants, the finance of development works and wasting money into the black hole of banks is simply playing havoc with the citizens money. In the outgoing fiscal, the annual development programme implementation was lowest while tax and revenue collection have fallen flat. The budget speech that falsely gives a glowing picture, belying the reality is a blueprint of the "technique of successful failure" as the budget story exposes the constant "capability trap" that the country's economy is mired in. This year's ADP implementation so far is a meagre 52.42 percent, meaning we have to finish up the rest 48 percent job in the next three weeks, an impossible task. Our tax-GDP ratio has barely crossed 7 percent when the original target was 13 percent. Revenue growth is only 17 percent when we need a 30 percent plus acceleration to accomplish the job at hand, another distant dream. Yet, the Finance Minister in his budget speech has claimed the government's "enviable capacity" for rapid implementation of socio-economic development plans. In 2010, Finance Minister Muhith spoke of a "modern, efficient, corruption-free and service-oriented" public administration. Five years down the lane in 2016, he admitted that the AL government could not bring necessary reforms in the public administration. This year, he made no mention of reforming the civil bureaucracy. While banks are reeling due to non-performing loans, health services are in a dilapidated condition, and education lacks quality, how can the government expect a high growth rate? There is an acute shortage of skilled manpower, especially in the middle and high level management, exposing the fact that education is lacking quality. The bizarre budget is nothing but a pro-election budget as national elections are expected in this fiscal, the government expanded the social welfare net and exempted VAT to aid the poor amid rising inequality. Blessings on Rasulullah (Sm) Abdul Muqit Chowdhury : The Holy Quran proclaims Islam as the final Code of life for mankind: "......This day have I /Perfected your religion /For you, completed /My favour upon you /And have chosen for you Islam as your religion.... "(Sura Mayeda 5: Ayat 3, The Holy Quran Translation and Commenary by A. Yusuf Ali) "And this is a Book/Which We have revealed/As a blessing : so follow it/And be righteous, that ye/May receive mercy." (Sura An'am 6: Ayat 155. Do) This Ayat informs us of the perfection of religion and completion of the blessings of Allah. This final message came through Hazrat Muhammad (Sm), the greatest Messenger of Allah. He is the last of the series of Messengers of Allah -the Seal of Prophets. Discussion on any worship or ritual of Islam (Salat, Fasting, Hajj, Jakat or any) will remain incomplete if we don't focus on the greatest Messenger. The Holy Quran reveals : "O Prophet! Truly We/Have sent thee as/A witness, a Bearer/of Glad Tidings, /And a Warner, --/And as one who invites/To God's (Grace) by His leave,/And as Lamp/Spreading Light." (Al Ahzab 33: Ayat 45-46, Do) Al Quran says, "We sent thee not, but/As Mercy for all creatures." (Sura Ambia 21: Ayat 107) In The Holy Quran Translation and Commentary Allama Yusuf Ali explains the jurisdiction of this Prophethood in the following way : "There is no question now of race or nation, of a 'chosen people' or the 'seed of Abraham' or the 'seed of David' or of Hindu Aryavatta; of Jew or Gentile, Arab or Azam (Persian), Turk or Tajik, European or Asiatic, White or Coloured: Aryan, Semitic, Mongolian, or African, or American, Australian, or Polynesian. To all men and creatures other than men who have any spiritual responsibility, the principles universally apply." Rasulullah (Sm) brought the universal message for emancipation and salvation of mankind and welfare of the creatures of the universe. The Holy Quran reveals : "God and His angels/ Send blessings on the Prophet:/ O ye that believe! /Send ye blessings on him /And salute him /With all respect." (Sura Ahzab 33: Ayat 56. Do) We feel proud of the highest praises for our beloved Messenger of Allah (Sm) from the greatest personalities of the world irrespective of caste, creed or colour. Allah's best Mercy to mankind is the Revelation of the Holy Quran and sending of Hazrat Muhammad (Sm). The believers have to express their allegiance to the Messenger of Allah. By practicing self-restraint and patience in fasting, the Muslims submit to the Will of Allah and recognise their allegiance to the ideals of the Messenger of Allah. Offering of Salams to the most dignified Hazrat Muhammad (Sm) is a great virtue, specially in the month or Ramzan. Acceptability of any worship to Allah depends greatly on the believer's love and salutations to Rasulullah (Sm). So we should not forget to avail the opportunity to offer salams to the friend of Allah in this Holy month, while Allah Himself send blessings on him. 3 more 'drug peddlers' killed in 'gunfights' Staff Reporter : Three more suspected drug peddlers were killed in separate gunfights in Thakurgaon, Rangpur and Dinajpur districts early Friday amid the ongoing anti-narcotics drive which formally began on May 12. In Thakurgaon, an alleged drug peddler was killed in a gunfight with police in Bhadresswari Bandar village check-post area of Ranisankail upazila around 1:30am. Deceased Shamim Hossain, 42, was a resident of Bhabanandapur village in the upazila, said Ranisankail Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Abdul Mannan. In Rangpur, alleged drug dealer Abu Musa Biskalai, 27, was killed in a shootout with law enforcers at Kukurul Amertal intersection of the city around 3:30am. Biskalai was the son of Abdul Kuddus, a resident of Hanumantala slum in the city, said Kotwali Police Station OC Babul Mia. In Dinajpur, police recovered the bullet-hit body of a man from Kharipara area of Sadar upazila. The identity of the deceased could not be known yet, said Kotwali Police Station OC Redwanur Rahim. Police claimed that the man was killed in a gunfight between two groups of drug dealers, the OC added. 3 arrested with 71 gold bars UNB, Dhaka : Law enforcers in separate incidents arrested three people, including an Indian national, along with 71 gold bars at Sylhet MAG Osmani International Airport and Benapole checkpost on Friday. In Sylhet, a joint team of Customs Intelligence and Armed Police Battalion (APBn) arrested a man along with 60 gold bars weighing around 6.968 kg at the Sylhet airport in the morning. The arrestee is Iqbal Hossain, 26, son of Sheikh Ahmed of Madhyam Kanchan in Chattogram. Joynal Abedin, additional police super of APBn Sylhet-7, said a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines from Mascot, Oman landed at the airport around 10:05am. On suspicion, the team searched the luggage of Iqbal, a passenger of the flight, and recovered the gold bars worth Tk 3.86 crore. In Benapole, Customs Intelligence members arrested two alleged gold smugglers, including an Indian national, along with 11 gold bars worth Tk 60 lakh. The arrestees were identified as Anjan Saha, 30, son of Anil Saha of Bahela area in Kolkata, India, and Lavlu Bepari, 25, son of Abdul Mannan Bepari of Zanjira upazila in Shariatpur district. According to Benapole Customs Intelligence officials, a team conducted a drive in check-post area and recovered the gold bars from the stomach of the two arrestees. A case was filed with Benapole Port Police Station in this regard. The Undead Archives I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world. Yes, the decision belongs on the local level No, no one should be able to dictate whether people wear masks Vote View Results The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. Facebooks knowledge of how social media like its own Instagram affects teenagers came to light in testimony last week before the Senate. Do you believe social media can be safe for young people to use? You voted: Members of the opposition New Democratic Partys (NDP) leadership were among those who responded to a call from well-known social and political activist, Dave Roberts, to protest the spate of sex crimes here. The group of about eleven (11) protesters staged the picket adjacent to the Back Street entrance of the High Court yard, last Tuesday. According to Opposition Leader and NDP president Dr. Godwin Friday, "Dave Roberts is a very important citizen, and he has encouraged people to come out and stand up against sexual violence, and we have to support him on this. Dr. Friday described the crimes committed against women and children as a national disgrace, and a very serious matter which needs to be addressed with urgency. "It would certainly be addressed when we take office, but we hope that it would be addressed sooner, thats why we here, he told THE VINCENTIAN from the picket line. NDP Vice-President and Parliamentary Representative for Central Kingstown St. Clair Leacock told THE VINCENTIAN, "I am here in the most personal and private of capacities to express my strong objection to the rape culture in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. "I have daughters and six grand-daughters, so I am even more sensitive to the violence. I am calling on us men to lead from the front, and to lead by example, to save the future of our country by respecting our women and children. Roberts, a regular caller to local interactive radio programmes, said he used that medium to call on the nations men to protest the rape of women and children, and a number of persons responded to his call. He said the initiative was sparked by a news report last week that another child was allegedly raped here. He said he also called on Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and the opposition leader to make "a profound statement "on the issue. "I am really disturbed with what is happening to our women and children, Roberts said. Among the other persons on the picket line were NDP 2015 General Election candidate for the Central Leeward constituency Benjamin Ben Exeter, opposition senators Kay Bacchus-Baptiste and Shirlan Barnwell, NDP General Secretary Tyrone James, talk show host Bert Francois, political activist Robert Patches Knights, and elder statesman and lawyer Bayliss Frederick. Dr. Godwin Friday, Leader of the Opposition, chose to deal directly with the issue of his citizenship, which he described as a distraction. "I was born here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines My navel string buried in Bequia. I grew up in Bequia . These assertions were part of a seemingly well-crafted response by Dr. Godwin Friday, Leader of the Opposition, to those who have claimed that his Canadian citizenship debars him from being a Member of Parliament in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). He made them during his weekly radio programme carried on Nice Radio last Monday. The Bequia-born Friday emphasised, "So this is my home. My first allegiance is to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. If you wanted any proof, I came home when I was asked to serve my country. I came because my first allegiance is to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the place of my birth. But moreover, Dr. Friday dealt with the issue in accordance with the Constitution of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He stated unequivocally that his Canadian citizenship does not bar him from being a Member of Parliament in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG. Instead, he said, it makes him "doubly qualified to do so. " the thing that qualifies you to be a Member of Parliament is Section 25 of the Constitution [of St. Vincent and the Grenadines] and it says that you must be a Commonwealth citizen of the age of 21. I am a Commonwealth citizen twice over, if anything. I am twice qualified, Dr. Friday said. Turning to voting in elections, the Opposition leader, a practising lawyer, reasoned that the Vincentian Constitution recognises one citizenship, "Commonwealth citizenship, , that "it is not a question of dual citizenship [but] Commonwealth citizenship. He further reasoned, "I am a Commonwealth citizen because I am a citizen of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, having been born here. Im a Commonwealth citizen because I am a citizen of Canada. With respect to the issue of pledging allegiance, with some persons advancing the view that in order to become a citizen of Canada that he had to swear allegiance to that country, Dr Friday dispensed with this as being frivolous and unfounded, with the argument that the pledge of allegiance he took in Canada was to Queen Elizabeth II, the same person to whom Vincentian parliamentarians have been pledging allegiance. Queen Elizabeth 11 is Head of State of both Canada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. "I swear allegiance, whether you like it or not, to the same person: to her Majesty The Queen, he said. Rolissa Ballantyne (inset) and other students from allied countries and members of the press engaged in an open forum, sharing their experiences when studying in Taiwan. The National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST), established in April of 1924, is the largest unified campus grounds in Taiwan, covering some 293.3 hectares. It boasts 26 departments, 35 masters programmes, 8 doctoral programmess, 1 international bachelors degree programme and 2 international masters degree programmes. These programmes are distributed among the faculties of Agriculture, Engineering, Management, Humanities and Social Sciences, Veterinary Medicine and the International College. The NPUST has positioned itself as another option for Vincentians desirous of pursuing tertiary level studies, and are invited to take advantage of the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Taiwan Scholarship and the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) Scholarship programmes, facilitated through its embassy. MOFA and ICDF Scholarships The MOFA Taiwan Scholarship programme was launched in 2004 to encourage outstanding students to pursue studies in Taiwan, leading to a deeper understanding of Taiwans culture and academic environment. It was created specifically for the benefit of countries with whom Taiwan enjoyed diplomatic relations, but special considerations have been given to students from other countries. The ICDF provides scholarships in undergraduate, graduate and Ph. D fields in partnership with universities throughout Taiwan. SVG benefits from Taiwan scholarships Since St. Vincent and the Grenadines established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) on August 15, 1981, the two (countries) have maintained a very close relationship. But it was not until 2004 that, in a bid to further promote knowledge, understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries, Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the first four scholarships were offered to Vincentians to pursue studies in Taiwan. Since then, over 143 Vincentians have taken advantage of scholarship opportunities in Taiwan. One of those is 26-year-old Rolissa Ballantyne of North Union, whom THE VINCENTIAN caught up with during a visit to Taiwan. Ballantyne is a final year student pursuing a Bachelors Degree at the Department of Agriculture and International Cooperation at NPUST. She is a graduate in Business from the Girls High School and Environmental Science from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College, and having decided that agriculture was her passion, gained acceptance from the NPUST and was successful in obtaining an ICDF scholarship through the local embassy. According to her, the first year was a challenge, having to learn a new language Mandarin. She admits her Mandarin could use some work, but she was able to learn from her classmates, and they were very eager to learn the English language from her. Fortunately, her classes are conducted in English. She adds that her studies in Taiwan have further heightened her interest in agriculture, particularly in animal nutrition. Ballantyne urges more Vincentians to research and apply to the school and take advantage of the scholarships offered by Taiwan. There are currently two Vincentian students among thirty-two from partnering countries, taking advantage of ICDF Scholarships at NPUST. And even if a scholarship is not granted to every person who applies, according to one St. Lucian student, "It is great to do your research as you may find that even without the scholarship, the cost for education at universities in Taiwan can be quite affordable. President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Indian Heritage Foundation (SVGIHF) - Junior Bacchus is grateful for the general acceptance of the annual commemoration of Indian Arrival Day (IAD) here. Bacchus made this known as he addressed a ceremony last Sunday morning at Indian Bay, to mark the 157th anniversary of Indians to St Vincent and the Grenadines on 1st June, 1861. The ceremony, in part, comprised a re-enactment of the arrival. "We are thankful that the government has acknowledged that on the 1st of June, Indians arrived here in St Vincent (and the Grenadines) It is an official recognition day It is not a , as we dont have enough Indians to clamour for a holiday, like those in Trinidad (and Tobago), Bacchus declared. Bacchus also referenced this recognition in terms of the impact persons of Indian descent have had on the economic activities of St Vincent and the Grenadines. "When the first batch landed here, .. they brought that entrepreneurial spirit that is still thriving, Bacchus reasoned, adding, "You can go around Kingstown and you see the many Indians who have set up businesses. The SVGIHF President hailed such a legacy as fruitful to the local population of East Indians. Re-enacting the landing Sundays re-enactment involved a journey by boat from the Blue Lagoon Bay to Indian Bay, where persons of the SVGIHF were presented with registration certificates with their names, as was done in 1861. Retracing the journey, Bacchus said that the records show that 258 persons made the first journey, which left Madras in India and travelled via the Cape of Good Hope, to the Caribbean. But he noted that, according to data, two babies were born on the journey, thus making the final count 260. "They arrived at the Edinboro Harbour, that was the port of entry at the time... They were given their names and then they came around here to Indian Bay, where they were distributed to go to their various estates, Bacchus continued. The records show that there were eight such journeys made from India to St Vincent and the Grenadines, bringing a total of 2474 persons who came to these shores. However, Bacchus said, that from that total, 1141 got the right to return to India, with the remainder settling in communities such as Richland Park, Calder, Argyle, Park Hill, Rose Bank and Layou. In addition to those communities, there are pockets of Indians in diverse parts of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Also addressing last Sundays ceremony was Kandhi Kangal of Trinidad and Tobago. He encouraged the SVGIHF to continue to document its activities, which would add to the days growing acceptance. Following the ceremony at Indian Bay, a Brunch, featuring Indian cuisine, was held at the Murrays Heights Hotel, Mc Kies Hill. Monty Roberts, former NDP MP for North Windward, is confident that he can bring back the constituency to the NDP in the next General Elections. Former New Democratic Party (NDP) Parliamentary Representative for North Windward Monty Roberts has made clear, his intention to be a candidate in the next General Elections. "For us in North Windward, political history is on our side. It is a constituency that has never been in opposition, and I want to promise you here this afternoon, that when the next General Election is called, North Windward will be among the winners, Roberts said at the NDPs convention held at the Greiggs Primary School last Sunday. He went on to say that he was the present caretaker for the constituency but he was not yet confirmed to be the candidate. "There are those who think that I should not return, but I did not return on my own. I want to make that very loud and clear. I am here because the people of North Windward ask me to return, he said. But, he said, he was not selfish and if there was another individual who thought that they had the ability to bring home North Windward for the NDP, then he will give way and give them his full support, as he has done over the last four elections. "In the meantime, as I go about quietly and cool, Im getting my job done, eh. Roberts said that he had a good team working with him, and the people of North Windward were coming back to the NDP. "There are some who are still afraid to come forward, but every single day there are dozens calling me, meeting me on the streets and indicating to me that they hear that I am coming back and if I am coming back then they are also coming back to the NDP, the former MP said. Roberts enjoyed a 12-year stint as the Parliamentary Representative for the constituency. He was first elected into office in 1989 and retained his seat in the 1994 and 1998 General Elections. Roberts did not contest the elections in 2001 when Ruth Woods ran for the NDP and lost to the Unity Labour Partys (ULP) Montgomery Daniel. L-R: Eddison Thomas served as an acting Headmaster before entering active politics; Elvis Daniel was attached to the SVG Community College where he was known to be an outstanding Mathematics teacher and Kenroy Johnson, a Curriculum Development specialist, contributed to creation of curricula for the OECS. An article of the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed between the Government the SVG Teachers Union in 2005, is, in fact, superseded by Section 26(1) of the Constitution of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This was the (summarised) ruling handed down by Justice Brian Cottle last Monday. Justice Cottle was considering a claim seeking to declare that Article 16 of the Bargaining Agreement did not contravene Section 26 (1) (d) of the constitution, which states inter alia, "no person shall be qualified to be elected or appointed as a representative or Senator. If he subject to such exceptions and limitations as may be prescribed by Parliament, holds or is acting in any public office or is a paid member of any defence force of St. Vincent. Article 16 of the Bargaining Agreement accorded public officers, teachers included, the right to apply for leave-of-absence for not more than six months, and without pay, to offer themselves as candidates in a general election. The claim had been brought following the governments refusal to reinstate three teachers, who had resigned their positions to contest the December 13, 2010 general election, as candidates for the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP). The claim was laid in the name of Oswald Robinson, president of the SVGTU, and the three teachers: Elvis Daniel candidate for North Windward; Kenroy Johnson candidate for North Central Windward; Addison Thomas candidate for South Central Windward. It also sought to have the court rule that the Government had acted in bad faith when it refused to grant leave requested by the three teachers, to facilitate their contesting the general election. The claim further asked the court to: direct the government to reinstate the teachers in the substantive teaching positions they held prior to the general election or to posts equivalent to those positions; and to award damages for losses suffered as a consequence of failure to reinstate the teachers. Admittedly, no official leave was ever granted by the Public Service Commission (PSC) when requested so to do by the teachers, and even though the PSC did communicate concerns with respect to the request - citing Section (26 (1)(d) of the Constitution - the three teachers resigned their positions and contested the elections. The communication from the PSC is said to have reached the three persons concerned, some three days before nomination day. Richard Williams, lawyer for the defence (government) argued that Article 16 of the Bargaining Agreement was void and offensive to Section 26(1) (d) of the Constitution. He also advanced that government had no jurisdiction over the PSC, to wit that it could not direct that body to reinstate any officer, since the PSC enjoyed constitutional right of independence in its power to hire and fire. Lawyers for the claimants Ruggles Fergusson and Shirlan Barnwell argued in favour of consideration of wider constitutional consideration, e.g. fundamental rights and freedoms (freedom of association, etc.) But Justice Cottle, in his ruling, made clear the distinction between the Article 16 of the Bargaining Agreement and Section 26 (1) (d) of the Constitution. Article 16 he described as buttressing the right of association, while the latter was a clear prohibition of public officers offering themselves as candidates for political office. Having set the parameters, Justice Cottle, prefacing his ruling with expressions of concerns of loss of benefits accrued over decades, in direct reference to the three teachers, ruled that the claim had no basis and dismissed it accordingly. St. Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guards fleet will get a major boost by the end of September this year, with the addition of a highly sophisticated Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV). This assurance came from this countrys Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr Ralph Gonsalves, as he addressed last Saturday nights Presentation and Awards Ceremony for activities held during the 2018 Police Week. Speaking at the Police Canteen, located in the Kingstown Vegetable Market, Dr. Gonsalves informed, "It s a re- conditioned vessel which will give over twenty years (of) service, and it is costing us close to seven million US dollars and we have already paid down the deposit. The OPV is a "highly sophisticated piece of equipment, Dr. Gonsalves noted, and explained that it is fitted with apparatus to deal with those who are engaged in human trafficking and other forms of trafficking. Disclosing some of the vessels capabilities, and sending a stern warning, Gonsalves boasted, "And they see us park up there doing work, and they think they can outrun us We have something in the Offshore Patrol Vessel which we just exit right there, which can take care of you. "I just want to advise all those who may think of wanting to get into those types of activities, that we are coming extra prepared for them, the Minister for National Security added. In preparation for the arrival and the deployment of the vessel, persons have been sent to Barbados for training, with arrangements being made with the authorities in Trinidad and Tobago for additional training if needs be. The Prime Minister indicated that more personnel could soon be employed to suffice the complement needed to adequately man the services of the Coast Guard. Once acquired, Dr. Gonsalves said that it will put St Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard fleets above the others in the OECS. The provision of portable lavatories is a requirement at all mas functions in SVG. The New Democratic Party (NDP) has denied that the late removal of two portable lavatories stationed at the Greiggs Primary School and used during the partys convention rally last Sunday, was a deliberate act. In a press release issued June 5, the NDP apologized and stated that the members took full responsibility for the late removal of the lavatories. It had been reported in the local media that the principal, Margaret Lewis Jackson was forced to send the students home early on Tuesday this week, saying that the stench emanating from the portable lavatories was unbearable. But, according to the press release, the school was power washed twice prior to the event. "Unfortunately, at the end of the convention the portable lavatories were not removed from the premises as intended, the release stated. "It is being suggested by some who should know better, that this lapse, to which the early closing of the school on Tuesday was attributed, was intentional. This is far from the truth, the release continued. It was noted that the NDP had an agreement with a contractor to have the lavatories removed, but this did not happen and as soon as the situation was brought to the attention of the leadership, the comfort stations were removed. Kenette Bess business place in Redemption Sharpes, in which he was shot. Inset: Kenette Jessie Bess was said to be making a success of his Ital Food business following a term of imprisonment. A young man is fighting for his life in the Intensive Unit at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, after being shot ten (10) times about his body. The man, 26-year-old Kenette Jessie Bess, was shot while at his business place (Ital Shop) in Redemption Sharpes, on Tuesday 29th May around 2:00 pm. According to reports, two men came to Bess shop and ordered food. As Bess turned to attend to the mens order, they (them) let loose a barrage of bullets in the direction of Bess, hitting him several times, and then fled the scene. Most people in the community were tight-lipped about the situation, but described the victim as a humble youth, who was trying to turn his life around after being released from prison about a year ago, following a gun-related matter. "Jessie a humble youth.. all the man a do is sell his ital. Most time he dey by his Ital shop .. or if things slow in the afternoon he go home and come back later. The man have a daughter to live for all thing, one resident told THE VINCENTIAN. The resident went on to express his frustration with the crime situation as it exists currently in the country, and the justice systems "inability to send a strong message to the criminals. "People worry because the criminals keep getting away and that a mek them get braver, said the frustrated man. "The police come put up yellow tape, take pictures and say them a investigate, but after that you dont really hear anything, the resident added. Similar sentiments were expressed by a relative of the victim, who did not want to be identified. The relative said that since the shooting incident, they heard from the police once and have since received no information from them. They relatives - however, expressed hope that the young man "would pull through. According to a relative who had visited Bess at the Hospital, Bess sustained damage to his lungs and intestines, and had to undergo major surgery. That relative was confident that the injured man would survive since he ".. did a open heart surgery in de past and he survive, he strong so by the grace of God he go pull through. Meanwhile the police have confirmed the shooting as one involving two men who attacked Bess, "with the intent to commit the offence of murder by shooting him about his body with a gun. The Lufthansa Group said that in 2017, the aircraft of the passenger fleets required an average of just 3.68 litres of kerosene to transport a passenger 100 km (2016: 3.85 l/100 pkm), marking a new fuel efficiency record. This represents an improvement of 4.5 per cent compared to the previous year. The Lufthansa Group has thus more than satisfied the airline industry target of annual efficiency gains of 1.5 per cent. All airlines belonging to the Group contributed to this achievement. "This is the welcome result of our continuous fleet modernization and efficiency programs. To make our operations as environmentally friendly as possible, we will continue to invest in economic, fuel-efficient and quiet aircraft. We also want to take a leading role within our industry in the important area of sustainability," said Carsten Spohr, chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, in his foreword to the Sustainability Report "Balance" published today. The Lufthansa Group works continuously and systematically to improve the environmental compatibility of the services it offers internationally. In 2017, the aviation group commissioned 29 new aircraft, including the highly efficient A350-900, A320neo and Bombardier C Series models. In total, the Lufthansa Group currently has on order around 190 aircraft that are expected to be delivered by 2025. Moreover, Lufthansa Group's fuel efficiency experts implemented a total of 34 fuel-saving projects in 2017, which sustainably reduced CO2 emissions by around 64,400 tons. The amount of kerosene saved was 25.5 million litres, equivalent to the amount consumed by about 250 return flights on the Munich-New York route with the Airbus A350-900. The positive financial effect of these measures amounted to EUR 7.7 million. Extensive information, key figures and interviews on these and other topics of corporate responsibility can be found in the 24th Sustainability Report "Balance" published today by the Lufthansa Group. Reporting is in accordance with the internationally recognized GRI standards of the Global Reporting Initiative. The report's cover story entitled "Creating value sustainably" provides Lufthansa Group stakeholders and the interested public with insight into how the Group operates sustainably and responsibly along its value chain, thereby generating added value for the company, its customers, employees, shareholders, partners and society at large. TradeArabia News Service TCN News Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has strongly refuted the allegations being spread by certain elements on social media that cases of copying took place in some entrance tests of the University. Mujib Ullah Zuberi, Controller of Examination at AMU said that such allegations were totally baseless and unfounded as no report or complaint in this regard from any center has been received so far. He said that such accusations, aimed at sullying the image of the University and vilifying its reputation, are nothing but motivated and premeditated. Support TwoCircles Zuberi further said that over the last few days, entrance tests for several courses including MFM/MTTM, M Sc (Biotechnology), MCA, MA (Mass Communication), BE (Evening), B Lib & I Sc and MSW were held at different centres in Aligarh, including University schools, and no cases of copying were reported anywhere, except one case at the AMU ABK Girls School during the admission test of B Lib & I Sc on June 4 last in which a candidate was caught with a mobile phone. In this case, too, the mobile phone and answer sheet of the concerned candidate were confiscated and the candidate was handed over to the police after registering an FIR against him, he added. Zuberi made it clear that University examinations, including entrance tests, are conducted with utmost care and security arrangements, and every examination center is monitored by an Observer, Centre Superintendent and his team and Invigilators. He clarified that no case of copying or cheating has been reported by any observer, center superintendent or the invigilator from any center. Zuberi said that the persons, who are making allegations now, should have brought any such case to the notice of the concerned Observer, Centre Superintendent, Invigilator or any authority of the University immediately after the test. Making allegations on social media after many days of the conduct of the tests seems to be an afterthought and motivated, said Zuberi through a press statement. I love sitting with my son on the mirpesset in the evenings. He doesn't have a ton of patience for just sitting and watching the sky change colors, but I can usually entice him out for at least a little while. Last night we sat on the mirpesset and I lit the citronella candle on his request. When it came time to go inside for his bath, he wanted to blow it out, but then he paused. "We should say a blessing," he suggested. Generally speaking we make blessings when we light candles, not when we extinguish them, but I didn't say that. (I don't ever want to quash his spiritual impulses.) I said, "Okay, go for it." "Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu melech ha'olam," he began ("Blessed are You, Adonai our God, sovereign of creation" -- the opening words to many Jewish blessings), and then paused. "Wait. I don't know the rest of the words." "You get to use your own words," I told him. He thought for a moment. "Thank You God for the light of the candle. When I blow it out, may Your strength flow through me," he intoned. "Beautiful," I murmured. And then he blew out the candle. (Which took a few tries; they're designed to be resistant to breezes!) When the flame went out, a plume of smoke rose and curled and danced up and around, revealing hidden currents. "Look, Mom," he said, "there's God's strength, flowing through the air!" Talk about sanctifying the ordinary. Thank You, God, for the privilege of nurturing this extraordinary soul. The Republican Party of Armenia lost its parliamentary majority when MP Samvel Aleksanyan announced on June 6 that he was leaving the faction. Aleksanyan's defection now leaves the formerly ruling Republicans with 52 out of 105 seats. He joined five other Republican lawmakers who have jumped ship in recent days and are expected to support Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Yelk bloc, as well as their allies in the ARF Dashnaktsutyun and Prosperous Armenia parties. As Eurasianet writes, this new balance of power in parliament opens a path for a snap election, a priority of the new government that brands itself as an interim one. Earlier this month, Republican bosses had signaled that they were ready to discuss a snap election. They also were expected to approve the government program, a blueprint of new cabinets social and economic policies that should be presented in the National Assembly this month. Now, however, any potential drama has been averted: by effectively controlling the majority of votes, Pashinyan and his team are no longer in need of favors from the Republicans. Aleksanyans move comes one week after the National Security Service accused his family-controlled holding of large-scale tax fraud worth of estimated $15 million. The episode was a part of an anti-corruption purge announced on May 19. Unlike high-profile anti-corruption campaigns in Russia and elsewhere in the post-Soviet space, Pashinyans cabinet is not aiming to jail those involved in economic crimes. The NSS head Artur Vanetsyan has said he considers reimbursement of damages made to the state sufficient grounds for dropping criminal charges. Also on June 6, Armen Unanyan, a businessman accused of customs brokerage fraud totaling $7 million, said that he had already repaid $4 million to the state and was preparing to return more. The Republicans are also being stripped of governorates, which in the past have been a key tool for the party to gain its electoral victories. Pashinyan is in the process of appointing new governors for all of Armenias 10 regions from the ruling coalition of Yelk, Prosperous Armenia and ARF Dashnaktsutyun. With the end of Republican control in parliament, Yerevan city government becomes the party's last legislative stronghold. RPA controls 46 of 65 seats in the city council, and Republican mayor Taron Margaryan has made clear that he had no plans of resigning. The party also maintains control over other local legislatures. Perhaps the key Republican holdover is Armenias General Prosecutor, Artur Davtyan, who has insisted that there are no political prisoners in the country. Through the prosecutors office, as well as several judges suspected of taking orders from the Republicans, the party may still exercise indirect control over the judiciary. Nevertheless, more and more court hearings have been ending in a fashion that suggests the erosion of Republican influence. Since mid-May, half a dozen jailed opposition figures have been released on bail or police bond. Guarantee letters for some of them were signed by Yelk bloc MPs, including the current First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. In a new onslaught on moderate President Hassan Rouhani, former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has attacked the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the signature foreign policy achievement of the incumbent administration. As Al-Monitor providing reporting and analysis from and about the Middle East writes in the article Ahmadinejad attacks Rouhani, Khamenei over nuclear deal, in remarks published by Iranian media June 5, Ahmadinejad claimed that Rouhani was the cause for the United Nations Security Council resolutions against Iran over its nuclear program. The remarks were reportedly made during a trip to the northwestern city of Tabriz on May 31. "The pretext for all the resolutions and sanctions was [from developments] that were before my presidency and when the current president was responsible for the nuclear [file]. I told them to release [relevant information] and [asked] why they are depicting me as guilty?" said Ahmadinejad. Of note, Rouhani served as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council for 16 years (1989-2005). Between 2003 and 2005, he led nuclear negotiations with the E3 (Britain, France and Germany), which ultimately failed mainly due to US pressure. Subsequently, during Ahmadinejad's presidency (2005-2013), six resolutions were passed against Iran by the UN Security Council. The former president also claimed that he had suggested to top state officials that he be given six months to make nuclear-related sanctions ineffective, but that this was not accepted and that the senior leadership consequently decided to enter the secret talks with the United States in Oman. Ahmadinejad also took a swipe at Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying, "Despite all the claims, the sanctions are back. We dont seek to [say that] a person is blameworthy, because all officials approved [the deal]. We want to [learn] from experiences. We still dont know what happened in the [nuclear] talks. The members of parliament still state that they havent seen the content of the [nuclear] agreement." In an article, moderate Asr-e-Iran slammed the former president over his attack on Rouhani and the JCPOA, writing June 5, "Ahmadinejad has seemingly forgotten that most of the problems of today in Iran is because of himself and his governments decisions. Ahmadinejad, like an inexperienced youth, was flexing his muscles against the other sides." Moreover, the pro-reform Entekhab news site criticized Ahmadinejad for his apparent attempt to evade accepting responsibility for the series of UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran. The news site said June 5, "Ahmadinejad's positions during his presidency indicate that he basically didnt care for international institutions such as the UN Security Council in terms of their legality. And as a result of such thinking, he didnt recognize any resolution and decision by these institutions." To bolster its argument, Entekhab quoted remarks by Ahmadinejad on Nov. 24, 2008, when he said, "When the Western countries were witnessing Iran's growth and progress, [they drafted] a resolution every day and [passed it] against us in the Security Council. I tell them today to pass as many resolutions as you want so that the venue where resolutions are passed becomes [destroyed]." Turkey attracted $2.2 billion in investments in the first quarter of 2018, according to Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT) President Arda Ermut Thursday. As Anadolu Agency writes in the article Turkey attracts $2.2B in investments in first quarter, Ermut said Turkey also attracted one percent of all foreign direct investments in the world in the last 15 years. "We do not see a perceptual disorder in investors who invest directly in our country," he said. He said investors' perception was focused in the long term and Turkey's performance in the last 15 years had influenced this result. "Based on this performance, there are confidence and long-term investments in our country," he added. He highlighted that Turkey will be more positive in the second half of the current year in terms of investments. "73 percent of all investments in the 2002-2010 period were in the services sectors, but in the last period investments in the industry and energy sector have been rising," Ermut said. Turkey, which attracted $15 billion investments till 2002, has now attracted $194 billion investments since 2002, he said. He said six of the top 10 investor countries come from the EU but investments from the far east, central Asia, and Gulf countries were increasing. "This situation is a positive development to reduce Turkey's fragility," he added. He said the country continues to attract investments despite problems such as the 2016 defeated coup. "57 percent of investments in 2016 came after July," he said. Meetings of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Turkish ministers with investors abroad produced positive results, Ermut said. Mentioning credit rating agencies' credit scores on Turkey, he highlighted: "Their influence on investors is limited. Turkey's growth in the last 15 years with records bring into doubt these agencies' scores." He also said investors, who avoided Turkey in the last 15 years depending on credit rating agencies, incurred losses. He said Turkey took several steps to reduce the current deficit and increase savings such as incentives for the individual annuity insurance system and decreasing imports. The 135-billion-Turkish lira ($33.6 billion) incentive package, which will support 23 projects by 19 selected Turkish firms, was revealed in April. It is expected that the incentive package will narrow Turkey's current deficit by nearly $19 billion as they are expected to boost exports by $6.3 billion and cut imports by $12.3 billion. Touching on early elections in Turkey, he said the fact that the election was made in a short time and that the investment was weak in the summer period was positive in terms of investments. Turkey needs to continue with growth and dynamism, and it requires to increase value-added production and technology, he said. "We prioritize investors who are reducing our imports and raising value-added production; Turkey needs to attract investments in petrochemical, information technologies, energy and logistics sectors in the coming period." This year, the positions of Russian universities in the world's top universities ranking QS World University Rankings have significantly improved. Regional Director of Eastern Europe & Central Asia of QS Ltd (UK), Zoya Zaitseva, said that for the first time since the release of the global rating in 2004, the Russian results are exceptionally positive: "We entered the the world's top five fastest-growing countries. Four countries that are ahead of us in terms of dynamics are the countries, where one or two universities have made a big leap ... Russia appears in press releases around the world. I do not know whether we will notice this in terms of submission of applications by students or interest from our colleagues abroad, but the fact that Russia will be recognized in international Russian releases will work in our favor." Speaking about this year's rating, Zaitseva noted that five thousand universities were considered, and one thousand entered the final list. "There were 60 new entries in the global rating, of which three are Russian universities. This year, Eastern Europe has shown the highest results. Russia, Poland, Hungary, and other countries in the region are all working to increase their universities' participation, increase the representation of their universities in the global arena," the expert said. According to academic polls and employee surveys, this year Russians mostly demonstrated progress as well. "168 Russian educational institutions were mentioned in employee surveys. 173 Russian educational institutions were mentioned at least once by academic experts. In comparison with the results of the past years, this is a serious growth, which works in favor of not just classical but also industrial universities. Rankings by subject and cooperation of our educational institutions affect the international recognition. Out of 27 Russian universities that entered the QS World University Rankings this year, 20 universities demonstrated growth, one university moved down the rank, while three universities held their positions. They were able to keep them, despite the large number of new occurrences of the world, in spite of the aggressive policy on the part of Indian and Asian universities," Zaitseva said. Lomonosov Moscow State University is the 90th in the ranking. This is the best result since 2004. In addition, according to Zaitseva, "the most noticeable growth in the top-500 global ranking from Russia's ones was shown by the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, by rising from the 501-600 group to the 446 position. The Samara University made it to the 701-750 group from the 801+ group. The Tomsk State University year showed the best dynamics since 2012, by moving up 323 ranks to the 277th place." Director of the Department for Government Policy in Higher Education of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science Alexander Sobolev believes that the achieved heights are the result of systematic work of Russian state universities over the past 10-15 years. "There is a certain pool of world-class universities in Russia. Out of 27 universities included in the ranking, 17 are universities from the Project 5-100, and 10 are universities that are not part of this project. They are moving projects of innovative universities, federal, national, research ones - Bauman Moscow State Technical University, MGIMO, engineering and humanitarian universities, Southern Federal University, which recently had no means of state support and works within the entrepreneurial university model, Saratov University, Plekhanov University." Project 5-100 is a state program to develop major Russian universities, launched by the Ministry of Education in accordance with the decree of Vladimir Putin on May 7, 2012 "On measures for the implementation of state policy in the education and science field." The project aims to improve the prestige of Russian higher education and bring at least five universities from among the project participants into the hundred best universities in the world according to the three most authoritative world rankings: Quacquarelli Symonds, Times Higher Education or Academic Ranking of World Universities. Sobolev believes that world-class universities are distinguished by research work and a deliberate strategy, a clear focus on the tasks that universities want to solve. In his opinion, there are four directions, which activities lead to such impressive results: "Research, internationalization, openness of universities, application of modern education technology. Everything that is related to participation in global projects: reputation, graduates, career tracks. It is built into the whole system of interaction with regional, national and transnational communities." According to the director of the Department for Government Policy in Higher Education, Russia's leading universities have a modern scientific infrastructure: "There are three thousand laboratories only within the Project 5-100, of which about one thousand are headed by leading Russian and foreign scientists with good international programs. This is evidenced by a citation rate. We have monitored the increase and quality of publications on the results of our monitoring and scientific monitoring. The growth is very high. Over the past two years, the number of publications increased 1.3 times, and the citation rate increased significantly as well. That is, the dynamics of Russian universities is increasingly improving." Sobolev asserts that leading universities have learned to work in international networks: "There are joint educational programs, an international collaboration, which increases the attractiveness of our universities for foreign students and foreign teachers. The international appeal of our universities is becoming a critical factor in their success." Canada is flatly rejecting Donald Trump's suggestion to reinstate Russia in the G7, CBC reports. Before departing for the G7 summit in Charlevoix, Que., the U.S. President called on the G7 leaders to let Russia back in. "It may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run. And in the G7, which used to be the G8, they threw Russia out. They should let Russia come back in. Because we should have Russia at the negotiating table," he told reporters. But Canada, which pushed for Russia to get the boot in 2014, is not onside. "Our position has not changed," said Adam Austen, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland. The state of emergency declared in the wake of the July 2016 failed coup attempt may be lifted after the June 24 elections, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. "God willing, we will review the state of emergency after the elections and we may lift it. We will work on it after we form a cabinet. The issue will not linger on for so long. We will take a step and move on," Erdogan said during a live broadcast on private broadcasters CNN Turk and Kanal D. Parliament voted in April to extend the state of emergency imposed on July 20, 2016, by another three months for the seventh time. French troops are expected to move to Syrias Sunaym region, located east of the Euphrates, which is home to French cement factories, once the Manbij deal between Ankara and Washington is actualized, Yeni Safak reports. Turkey and the United States earlier this week agreed on a Manbij roadmap that focuses on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated PYD/YPG terror group from the northern Syrian city and on stability in the region. France has no role in the deal, so eyes have turned to the country regarding its presence in the region. Once the Manbij deal is implemented and the terror group withdraws from the region, French soldiers are also expected to withdraw. It is expected that the French troops will relocate to Sunaym, which is positioned 15 to 20 kilometers to the east of Manbij. Russian energy giant Gazprom has filed a petition in a Switzerland court seeking access to documents which allowed Swiss bailiffs to seize the companys assets to compensate Ukraines energy firm Naftogaz, RT reports. Gazproms assets were seized in compliance with the February decision of the Stockholm arbitration court. The ruling required the Russian corporation to pay the Ukrainian side compensation of $2.6 billion for a shortfall in the delivery of gas to Ukraine. Gazprom appealed the verdict, arguing that Ukraine's Naftogaz stopped buying the contracted amount of gas in 2015, replacing it with reverse supplies from Europe, in breach of the existing contract. The Russian company says it has received no official documents confirming implementation of the Stockholm courts ruling so far, but confirms that the seizure proceedings are taking place. The company [Gazprom] has filed a petition to the Swiss court to get a full access to all the materials in the proceedings to potentially appeal against the actions by the court bailiffs, according to the statement, seen by Russian business daily RBC. Gazprom also pledged to file a similar appeal with the Dutch court, which reportedly began seizing company assets in the Netherlands. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the United States remained Germanys closest partner outside Europe. However, there were significant differences that could not be ignored, and Europe needed new partnerships. He took aim at US President Donald Trumps actions on the Iran deal, trade and climate change, saying the president was willfully ignoring the negative consequences that his decisions would have on Europe and focusing solely on U.S. interests. "None of that will make the world better, safer or more peaceful. We were used to relying on what had been agreed. That has fundamentally changed," he told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Maas called for creation of a European security council, an idea backed by Chancellor Angela Merkel, and said ending the current requirement for unanimous decisions on foreign policy and security issues would make the EU more agile, Reuters reported. Maas also called for Europe to forge alliances with other regions, including countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday floated an idea to set up a way to resolve trade disputes between the United States and its allies, a French official said as consensus appeared to elude G7 leaders at a summit in Canada, Reuters reported. U.S. trading partners are furious over President Donald Trumps decision last week to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, the European Union and Mexico as part of his America First agenda. Some have retaliated. The official described Merkels suggestion as a shared assessment and dialogue mechanism, but gave no further details. The proposal, made at a meeting ahead of the two-day Group of Seven nations summit in La Malbaie, Quebec, was strongly supported by other leaders present, the official said, adding that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was ready to invest personally in it. The introduction of the Russian surface-to-air missile systems S-400 into service will minimize the countrys external dependence, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Turkey Suleyman Soylu said. "The purchase of S-400 air defense missile systems meets Turkeys national interests that have nothing to do with politics. The Russian systems minimize Turkeys external dependence. This is very important for our country," TASS cited the interior minister as saying. The minister explained that Turkey has the right to ensure its security, and for this purpose buys Russian surface-to-air missile systems. Thousands of Shiite Muslims marched in the capitals of Iran and Iraq today to mark "Jerusalem Day," in an annual protest against Israeli rule over the holy city and show of support for the Palestinians. Later on Friday, thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were to head to the perimeter fence with Israel to stage the latest in a series of mass protests against the blockade of their territory by Israel and Egypt. Friday's protest was also being held to mark Jerusalem Day, instituted by Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Earlier on Friday, organizers urged Gaza residents to head to the perimeter fence with Israel after Muslim noon prayers. The call was issued through mosques and loudspeakers mounted on cars that toured Gaza neighborhoods, ABC news reported. On Friday morning, Israeli army drones dropped incendiary materials on piles of old tires to make them unusable for the later protests, Gaza organizers said. The Jerusalem Day protests are being held each year on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The day is known in Arabic as "Al Quds Day," a reference to the city's historic Arabic name. Italys new government will be discussing any issue, including the status of Crimea, the country's Deputy Prime Minister, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said. "It is an issue of the foreign minister. We will be discussing everything," Salvini said when asked whether Crimea might be recognized as part of Russia. Salvini is a leader of the Lega Nord party that formed a coalition government with the Five Star Movement. In October 2014, he visited Crimea in the capacity of the party leader and a member of the European Parliament (MEP). The European delegation was then the first to pay a visit to the Black Sea peninsula after the referendum on reunification with Russia. Lega Nord was the first to recognize the results of the referendum, TASS recalls. Russia's Central Bank is ready to solve the problem of unsustainable banks even at the cost of temporary nationalisation, Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina said. "This raises certain questions: how fair is the competition between private and state banks, and so on," the Central Bank head admitted. "But I'm not inclined to exaggerate the importance of the state's share in the banking sector," she said. "There is a trend, it is not very good," Nabiullina said. "But, in our opinion, it does not have any huge negative consequences for the banking system," RIA Novosti cited her as saying. "We must solve the problem of unsustainable banks even at the cost of temporary nationalisation," the Central Bank governor concluded. The advisor on macroeconomics to the CEO of the 'Opening-Broker' brokerage house, economist Sergey Hestanov, speaking to a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that most part of the banking sector nationalisation has already been implemented. "Most likely, such high-profile events as last summer will not be repeated. The banking sectornatio nalisation is undesirable, on the one hand, but, on the other hand, not catastrophic. Last summer there was a certain dissonance: Russia's economy is about 70% state-owned, but its banking system, on the contrary, is mostly private," she explained. "Theoretically, in the future, when the cleaning of the banking sector is over, the Russian Central Bank can take steps to privatize it, but in practice it will not be realized for a rather long time. Most likely, the Central Bank will start talking about denationalization now, but in reality we will not see any steps within a period of less than 10 years," Sergei Hestanov predicts. The head of the department of stock markets and financial engineering of the Faculty of Finance and the Banking Business of RANEPA, Konstantin Korischenko, in turn, drew attention to the main problem of increasing the share of the public sector in the banking system. "The question is whether state banks are more effective in fulfilling their tasks in financing the Russian economy than private banks," he said. As for the denationalisation of the banking sector, it is only possible to talk about those banks that are controlled by the Russian Central Bank. "The Central Bank can take such measures solely as the owner of banks that came to it through the Fund for the Consolidation of the Banking Sector. In addition to Sberbank and organizations that have passed through the Consolidation Fund, all other banks belong to the state not through the Central Bank, but in other forms," Konstantin Korishchenko said. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed the joint Russian-Chinese statement after the negotiations. According to the statement, the sides express their intention to build up cooperation in all areas, and for this purpose they will be developing strategic trust-based dialogue at high and top levels and continue to develop mechanisms of bilateral intergovernmental, interparliamentary, interparty, interagency and interregional cooperation. "Russia and China agreed to hold closer contacts on strategic security in the conditions of growing instability. Amid growing instability and uncertainty in the world, the sides continue to develop contacts on strategic security, support intensive dialogue between the ministries of foreign affairs and step up bilateral coordination at the corresponding international venues," the statement says. Russia and China are also going to step up coordination between their armed forces. "Russia and China intend to further build up strategic contacts and coordination between their armed forces, improve the existing mechanisms of military cooperation, expand interaction in the field of practical military and military-technical cooperation and jointly resist challenges to global and regional security," the statement runs. According to the document, the two countries will use to the full extent the mechanisms of cooperation in the law enforcement and security, enhance interaction along these lines and jointly safeguard their security and stability, TASS reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin has started his state visit to Beijing today at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Following a formal welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing, Putin first with Premier Li Keqiang, telling him that Russia-China trade and economic ties have "gained a good tempo, and we are looking for new spheres of cooperation." Li, in turn, said bilateral trade is expected to reach $100 billion this year and voiced a readiness to expand cooperation in both traditional and new spheres, including nuclear energy. Putin also met with Xi Jinping ahead of a summit featuring their two countries and six Asian states. "Cooperation with China is one of Russia's top priorities and it has reached an unprecedented level," ABC News cited Putin as saying. Xi said the two countries have "always firmly taken the development of relations as a priority direction." They have "resolutely supported the other's core interests ... and jointly proactively participated in international affairs and global governance," Xi said. The director of the Center for Studies of Eastern Asia and the SCO of the Institute for International Studies of MGIMO, Alexander Lukin, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that Vladimir Putin's state visit to Beijing is taking place against the background of the highest level of Russian-Chinese relations in the history of contacts between the two countries. "Officially, our relations are a strategic partnership, which means that, in fact, our views on world development coincide almost completely. State visits are held annually - either the leader of China travels to Russia or our leader goes to China to discuss the main issues of bilateral relations and the global situation," he said. According to the expert, a significant part of the agenda between the Russian president and the Chinese leadership will be occupied by international problems. "First of all, this is the situation on the Korean peninsula. Russia and China have been actively advocating the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula for many years, and largely due to their efforts, the position of North Korea has become more constructive. Naturally, the leaders need to discuss their actions and positions in the case of every result of US-DPRK talks," Alexander Lukin drew attention. "As for the bilateral agenda, we have a lot of issues here as well. In addition to the obvious topic of exporting hydrocarbons and selling electricity to China, for example, the issue of building a nuclear power plant in China is possible. We are also negotiating the dedollarization of our cooperation and the world economy as a whole, various Chinese payment systems operate in Russia already on a par with European and American ones. China is actively investing in the Russian economy, about $1 billion a year. And it is likely that agreements will be reached in these areas," the director of the Center for Studies of Eastern Asia and the SCO of the Institute for International Studies of MGIMO expects. The 44th meeting of the G7 group of the worlds seven richest countries is taking place deep in Quebec in eastern Canada today. The worthy agenda of gender equality and economic prosperity proposed by the host, the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is already deep in the shadow of an unprecedented series of rows among the G7 members. The combined pressure of six France, Germany, the UK, Japan, Canada and Italy to persuade US President Donald Trump either to stick with the Iran nuclear deal or to reconsider his determination to impose tariff barriers on steel and aluminium imports has so far failed. From steel tariffs to Iran sanctions and climate change, the U.S. president will find himself isolated from other Group of Seven leaders at the summit in Quebec. The meetings on Friday and Saturday will be the first opportunity for Americas closest allies to express their frustration in face-to-face meetings with Trump after he imposed steel and aluminum tariffs last week, the Guardian reported. French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that he will not sign the summits traditional joint statement unless progress is made on tariffs and other contentious issues, an official in his office said. Macron has concluded that other G-7 leaders must stand up to the US president, Bloomberg reported. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is promising to challenge Trump on the environment, and European leaders will be able to press their request for exempting some EU companies from Washingtons revival of Iranian economic sanctions. On Iran, the battle now is to protect EU companies from US sanctions. The UK, France and Germany have signed a joint letter demanding that European companies are spared from US sanctions imposed on Iran after Trumps decision to pull out of the nuclear agreement with Tehran known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Moscow and Washington are discussing a possible meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a diplomatic source said. "We are thinking about the presidential summit, and in conversations with American partners this question emerges. But there are no agreements yet," RIA news agency cited a source as saying. Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported citing an unnamed European official, that Putin raised the possibility of holding such a meeting in Vienna this summer during his visit to Austria earlier this month. According to the paper, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told the Russian leader he would forward the initiative to Trump. US President Donald Trump says Russia should be attending a summit of the G7 group of key industrialised nations. Arriving at the summit, Trump said he regretted the meeting had shrunk in size - potentially putting him at odds with other members on another issue. "You know, whether you like it or - and it may not be politically correct - but we have a world to run and in the G7, which used to be the G8 they threw Russia out, they should let Russia come back in," he said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitriy Peskov responded to Trump's remark, saying that Moscow is "focused on other formats." The G7 summit, which groups Canada, the US, the UK, France, Italy, Japan and Germany, is being held in the town of La Malbaie in Quebec, Canada. U.S. President Donald Trump said after White House talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the two leaders were working together to improve trading relations and that Abe promised new Japanese investment in the United States. At a joint news conference, Trump said Abe told him Japan was buying "billions and billions of dollars of additional products of all kinds - military jets, airliners from Boeing, lots of farm products." "Were working hard to reduce our trade imbalance which is very substantial, remove barriers to U.S. exports and to achieve a fair and mutually beneficial economic partnership," Reuters cited Trump as saying. "The United States seeks a bilateral deal with Japan that is based on the principle of fairness and reciprocity," Trump added. Abe, in turn, said he had a detailed and candid exchange of views with Trump and the discussions focused on North Korea. Trump said his administration encouraged Japanese investment in new plants in the United States. "The prime minister told me that will happen. We want new auto plants going into Michigan and Pennsylvania and Ohio," he stressed. Two alleged militants have been killed in a counterterrorism operation in the North Caucasus region of Ingushetia, he National Antiterrorism Committee (NAK) said. Ot was noted that security troops killed the two individuals in Ingushetia's largest city, Nazran. According to the NAK, the two militants planned a series of terrorist attacks in the region. It provided no further details, Interfax reported. New rules on PPP investment issued Updated: 08:29 - 08/06/2018 Dong Nai provinces general hospital built in 2015 as a PPP project__Photo: Sy Tuyen/VNA As per Article 4 of Decree 63, Vietnam encourages the investment in the form of PPP in the following fields: 1. Transportation; 2. Power plants, power transmission lines; 3. Public lighting system; water supply system; drainage system; wastewater and waste collection and treatment system; public parks; car parks, houses and yards for keeping cars, vehicles, machinery and equipment; cemeteries; 4. Head offices of state agencies; official-duty housing; social housing; resettlement housing; 5. Health; education, training and vocational training; culture; sports; tourism; science and technology, hydro-meteorology; IT application; 6. Trade infrastructure; infrastructure in urban centers, economic zones, industrial parks, industrial clusters, IT parks; technical infrastructure in high-tech parks; incubator facilities, technical facilities in common working areas to support small- and medium-sized enterprises; 7. Agriculture and rural development; services to develop production associated with processing and consumption of agricultural products; 8. Other fields as decided by the Prime Minister.- , , , , From June 19, PPP investment projects will be implemented according to Decree 63/2018/ND-CP (Decree 63). This decree prescribes the fields, conditions, order and procedures for investment in the form of public-private partnership (PPP).Decree 63 was signed by the Prime Minister on May 4, replacing Decree 15 effective from April 10, 2015. After more than three years of implementation, Decree 15 has created a unified legal framework to attract private investment in infrastructure in line with international practices. However, to date, according to Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vu Dai Thang, as quoted by baodautu.vn, almost no PPP project in any sense under Decree 15 was implemented. The projects that have been developed and operated in the past period are regulated by the old legal framework set out in Decree 108 of 2009. Projects implemented in accordance with Decree 15 are still in the preparation stage of investment.The new regulation is expected to remove difficulties and obstacles arising in the implementation of PPP projects in the past time, vigorously promoting this form of investment in the future.One of the most important changes brought about by Decree 63 concerns the equity capital of investors in PPP projects. Accordingly, the investor is responsible for contributing equity capital and raising capital from other lawful sources to carry out the project under the signed project contract. In particular, the equity capital ratio of investors will be determined as follows: For projects with total investment of up to VND 1.5 trillion, the ratio of equity capital of investors must not be lower than 20 percent of total investment; for projects with total investment of over VND 1.5 trillion, the ratio of equity capital will be determined on the following principle: For the capital amount up to VND 1.5 trillion, the equity capital ratio must not be lower than 20 percent; for the capital amount in excess of VND 1.5 trillion, the equity capital ratio must not be lower than 10 percent.Under Decree 15, the required equity capital is at least 15 percent for projects with total investment of up to VND 1.5 trillion, and at least 10 percent for projects with total investment of over VND 1.5 trillion.Reviewing the practical implementation of BOT projects from 2011 to 2015, it can be seen that the poor financial capacity of investors is one of the weaknesses affecting the quality and progress of the projects. According to information from the State Bank of Vietnam, banks capital poured into BOT projects in this period accounted for 85-90 percent of the total investment capital of these projects. This means that the equity capital of BOT investors accounted for only 10-11 percent of the total investment of the projects.The requirement on higher equity capital to be contributed by investors to the projects will ensure that only investors that have sufficient financial resources can participate in implementing the projects. It also helps stabilize the credit system in the country when the credit limit has been reached as warned by the State Bank.According to Nguyen Danh Huy, head of the PPP Department, the Ministry of Transport, in principle, the higher the equity capital ratio is, the more easily credit institutions will lend capital for the project. But raising the equity capital ratio also leads to an increase in the cost of investment capital, as the return on equity is often higher than bank interest. Therefore, it is reasonable to set a minimum equity ratio of 20 percent, considering the possibility of acquiring credit and the capital cost of the projects.Decree 63 also allows investors to contribute equity capital according to a schedule as agreed in the contract, helping reduce the financial burden for investors and waste of resources.Pham Van Khoi, Chairman of Phuong Thanh Company, which contributed capital at Phap Van - Cau Gie BOT Joint Stock Company, told Dau Tu (Investment) newspaper on May 14 that according to the old regulations his company had to fully contribute over VND 1 trillion in equity capital just three months after signing the contract, although the capital needs were spread over three years of implementation.Additionally, the new decree expands the sources of funding used for the States participation in project implementation. In addition to state budget funds, funds from government bonds and local municipal bonds, ODA and concessional loans from foreign donors, according to the new rules, the State may use other resources to support PPP investors, such as the value of land use rights, public assets, infrastructure assets, the right to operate works or provide services.Decree 63 also regulates in detail the States participation in PPP projects. The state-contributed funding must be used to support the construction of works to ensure financial viability of the projects. Such funding will be allocated from public investment funds in accordance with the law on public investment or from public assets in accordance with the law on the management and use of public assets. Particularly, and the contributed funding of the State allocated from public investment sources will not be used for Build-Transfer projects. The funding amount in support of the construction of auxiliary works, compensation, ground clearance and resettlement, which is allocated from public investment funds, will not be included in the total investment to determine the equity capital ratio.Another remarkable new point in Decree 63 is the simplification of procedures and improvement of project efficiency and management effectiveness, thus opening up more opportunities for foreign investors.The Decree stipulates more clearly the competence, order and procedures for approving investment policy for PPP projects, with or without public investment funds, in accordance with the law on public investment.Specifically, the National Assembly will decide to invest in national important projects (1). The Prime Minister will decide on investment policy for the following projects: group-A projects using 30 percent or more of central budget funds or less than 30 percent but over VND 300 billion in the total investment of the projects; group-A projects that apply BT contracts (2).Ministers and heads of ministerial-level agencies or government-attached agencies will decide on investment policy for projects not falling into the above-mentioned cases (1) and (2).Provincial-level Peoples Councils will decide on investment policy for the following projects: group-A projects not falling into the case (2) above; and group B-projects using public investment funds; and group-B projects apply BT contracts (3).Provincial-level Peoples Committees will decide on investment policy for projects other than those falling in the cases (1), (2) and (3) above.The project implementation process will involve the following stages: making and appraising the pre-feasibility study report; deciding on investment policy and announcing the project; making, appraising and approving the feasibility study report; selecting investors; negotiating and setting up a project enterprise, signing a project contract; and finally carrying out the project, finalizing financial matters and transferring the project.Decree 63 also clearly states that the stages of making and appraising the pre-feasibility study report and deciding on investment policy are not required for group-C projects, but the projects must be announced them after their feasibility study reports are approved.Based on the practical requirements of the PPP projects, competent state authorities will decide on the selection of investors through bidding after the technical design and cost estimate are approved. Ministries and ministerial-level agencies will issue guidelines on the implementation of this content within the scope of their management.The new decree spells out more clearly the procedures for the implementation of high-tech PPP projects with the aim of creating flexibility in the implementation process and cutting time and costs during the project formulation phase.Taking into account the specific nature of PPP projects, Decree 63 has simplified many procedures, shortening the investment preparation phase. In particular, the procedure for issuing investment registration certificates has been abolished in line with international regulations that the PPP contract is the most important legal basis of the project, but not the investment registration certificate. Under Decree 15, the Ministry of Planning and Investment issues investment registration certificates for important national PPP projects, projects of ministries and sectors, and projects located in two or more provinces; provincial-level Peoples Committees issue investment registration certificates for group-A, -B and -C projects in their respective localities; the issuance of this certificate takes 25 days, which slows down the implementation progress of the project.Decree 63 also provides for disclosure of project contract information to ensure transparency and to enable state management agencies to manage information and databases on PPP projects.While the development of a PPP Law is still in the initial stage, many problems arising in the PPP project implementation are expected to be tackled when Decree 63 is enforced in the direction of more strictly managing the quality and value of the works to avoid loss and waste of national resources, especially land resources, and expanding the methods of payment to investors given increasingly limited land funds.- HA NOI The Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) has successfully divested capital from its finance subsidiary, the Post and Telecommunication Finance Company Ltd (PTF). VNPT has earned over VN1 trillion (US$43.67 million) from the divestment. Founded in 1998, PTF is Viet Nams first finance company. It is fully owned by VNPT and has a charter capital of VN500 billion. Financial statements from PTF show profits of VN21 trillion and VN19 trillion in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Withdrawal from PTF is part of VNPTs plan to divest from its non-core businesses. According to VNPT chairman Tran Manh Hung, the outlook for VNPTs divestment process is quite favourable as three of its companies the Telecommunication Technical Service Joint Stock Company (TST), Viteco Viet Nam Telecommunications Technology Joint Stock Company and Nha Trang Post Hotel Joint Stock Company are attracting investors. The companies have also completed the valuation procedure at the beginning of June, he said. The groups mobile revenue, especially in terms of card sales, has stood at only 96.1 per cent in the past few months, thanks to changes in management policies on subscriber information, scratch cards, and the reduction of promotions for pre-paid subscribers from 50 per cent to 20 per cent, Hung said. VNPTs equitisation plans also face a challenge in the form of a land use plan. VNPT said it hopes the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) can clarify the matter soon to allow VNPT to equitise on schedule. The company has also asked the MIC to allow it to actively select and lease privatisation consultancy services in accordance with the law. VNS SYDNEY A South Korean tourist was found safe and "in good spirits" six days after falling into a deep ravine while taking photos from a mountaintop in northeastern Australia, officials said. Rescuers said the chances of survival for 25-year-old Joohee Han had been "near zero" after spending nearly a week without food in the remote area. Han disappeared on Jun 1 after telling friends she was going to climb Mount Tyson, a peak in bushland south of Cairns in northern Queensland state, police said. She was not reported missing until Wednesday, when police, soldiers and emergency crews launched a search, finally locating her Thursday stuck in a deep ravine near a waterfall. She was winched to safety by helicopter and taken to a local hospital suffering only minor injuries. Han told rescuers she slipped while taking photos from a rocky outlook and was knocked unconscious for around five hours from the fall. She tried crawling out through heavy undergrowth but could get no further than the waterfall, where she remained for six days. "Shed managed to find in the ravine running water coming down the rockface. The entire time she was missing shed had no food with her at all," said Hannah Gaulke, the Queensland Ambulance service flight medic who treated Han in the helicopter. "Despite that, shes actually in really good condition ... in good spirits," Gaulke said. "From all the data that is known, and from even the data the police have, this is a first for someone in these conditions, where temperatures overnight had dropped below 10 degrees Celcius," she said. "She had minimal gear for survival and for that length of time her chances of survival were near zero." AFP Deputy ang Thi Phuong Thao from the northern provine of Nam inh stressed the negative consequences of such vices, both physically and mentally, on children which are already in dire need of proper attention. VNA/VNS Photo Lam Khanh HA NOI Top lawmakers on June 7 urged for sustainable poverty reduction in ethnic and mountainous areas and the tackling of child abuse to be given priority in the National Assemblys action programme next year. Discussing the National Assemblys supervision programme of 2019, National Assembly (NA) deputies said such activities were urgent and fitting with the countrys social and economic development. Deputy Au Thi Mai from the northern province of Tuyen Quang noted that of the 13.6 million ethnic people in Viet Nam, accounting for 14 per cent of the countrys population, some 10 million are living in under-privileged areas. Despite attention and investment from the Party and the Government in recent years, those areas are still the poorest in the country, Mai said, adding that the poverty rate in ethnic areas is on average three times higher than the average rate of the country. On top of this, many ethnic minority villages are still not connected to the national power grid, and households have limited land for cultivation. Governments policies for ethnic minority areas still have loopholes and routinely fail to meet targets, she added, urging the National Assembly to closely supervise the sustainable poverty reduction programme in ethnic and mountainous areas, which was implemented in 2011, to solve shortcomings and develop more appropriate policies. Pointing out recent cases of children abuse, deputy ang Thi Phuong Thao from the northern provine of Nam inh stressed the negative consequences of such vices, both physically and mentally, on children which are already in dire need of proper attention. According to statistics from the Child Protection and Care Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, by the end of 2017, Viet Nam had an average of 2,000 children suffering from serious abuse who now require special care. This number is increasing, Thao said. She noted statistics from the Ministry of Public Security saying that in the first five months of 2018, more than 600 sexual abuse cases were reported, of these 84 per cent were on children. There are more than 10 agencies and organisations across the country responsible for child care and protection, but the situation is still ongoing, Thao said. To thoroughly solve this problem, child care and protection need to be added into the NAs supervision agenda, she said. Deputy Trieu Thi Thu Phuong from the northern province of Bac Kan asked for supervision on fire prevention and protection work, noting the increasing number of fires that caused severe loss of life and damage to property this year. The deputies also listened to a report on the revised Law on Peoples Police. The revised law had seven chapters, including 48 clauses, and supplemented four clauses, revised 31, and removed one clause from the previous 2014 law. In the afternoon, the deputies discussed in groups the revised Law on Peoples Police. VNS In Box: Land lease of special economic units to be adjusted: PM HA NOI Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has affirmed that all opinions on the land lease period crafted in the draft Law on Special Administrative-Economic Units of Van on, Bac Van Phong and Phu Quoc will be considered, and reasonable adjustments will be made to meet peoples aspirations. Recently, the regulation on land lease of 99 years in the draft Law on Special Administrative-Economic Units of Van on, Bac Van Phong and Phu Quoc has been a hot topic among the community. Speaking on the sideline of the National Assembly (NA)s fifth session on June 7, the PM stressed that the Government has listened to opinions from intellectuals, citizens, NA deputies, experts and the Overseas Vietnamese community. We must be open to opinions to make necessary changes to the bill, while creating a sustainable environment for investment, business and growth, and safeguarding the countrys independence, sovereignty and freedom, as well as its national interests, said the PM. He noted that special administrative-economic units have been applied in many countries, including China and Japan, with mixed success. The Government leader noted that there were some misunderstandings about the land lease issue in the bill and clarified that the land lease will only applicable during a certain period, and will be considered every year, not for an endless duration. Meanwhile, investor structure will be calculated carefully with a specific ratio for each country, he said adding that it is unnecessary to worry about a monopoly of investors from one country at any particular special unit. This will also be specified by the law to make a necessary legal environment, said the PM. We have gathered peoples ideas and presented them to the NA for discussion, ensuring that peoples voice is heard. The NA will decide the land lease period, he added. He also highlighted the need to create a favourable institution and investment environment to enhance competitiveness, and underlined that prioritising national interest is of great significance. The bill is expected to be adopted during the NAs fifth session. VNS Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (r) receives Speaker Wesley W. Simina of the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia on June 7. VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat HA NOI Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on June 7 held a reception for Speaker Wesley W. Simina of the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia, who was leading a high-ranking delegation on an official visit to Viet Nam from June 5-15. Taking into account the comprehensive and extensive talks of the delegation with the Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and other specific proposals for enhancing bilateral relations, the Prime Minister emphasised that Viet Nam attaches great importance to developing the relationship and multi-faceted cooperation with the Federated States of Micronesia. The PM also expressed his belief that the visit by the Micronesian guest will help tighten the relations between the two countries and the two legislatures. The visit is hoped to chart a new chapter for cooperation between the two parliaments in particular, and the two countries in general, said Wesley W. Simina. He said the two countries have exchanged visits, cooperated in agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, environment, and climate change while their law-making bodies have set up active cooperation mechanisms. He said he expected that exchanges, people-to-people activities and cooperation in education, economy and trade will be promoted in the future. Wesley W. Simina expressed his hope to boost cooperation and twinning relations between Micronesian and Vietnamese localities. PM Phuc agreed with the guests opinions and said the two countries need to increase the sharing of experience in national development. As geographical distance is not favourable for the bilateral cooperation to grow as expected, ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries should be proactive in exploring cooperation opportunities, he said. He suggested that the two sides launch negotiations on some cooperation agreements to provide a legal foundation to accelerate the trading in farm produce, consumer products, and agricultural machinery, and seek to invest in infrastructure construction, tourism and telecoms. Viet Nam wants to share its experience in cooperation in areas with potential, like agriculture, aquaculture, seafood processing, industrial tree plantation, tourism development, education and training, he affirmed. The PM suggested that the two countries continue working together and supporting each other at regional and multilateral forums and organisations. He hoped Micronesia will back Viet Nams bid to run for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council in 2020-21. He asked Micronesia to support the stance and effort of Viet Nam and ASEAN in maintaining peace, stability, maritime and overflight freedom, security and safety in the East Sea, stating that Viet Nam welcomes effort of all countries to contribute to the work. VNS HA NOI The National Assembly passed an amended Law on National Defense on Friday morning. A highlight in the amended law is to level the playing field between civilian businesses and those that were set up by the army, many of which came under fire during recent years. There have been calls by lawmakers to draw a clear line between national defence and economic objectives for those businesses, said head of the NAs National Defence and Security Commission Vo Trong Viet. The Ministry of Defence is working on a process to restructure such businesses with a goal to reduce their number from 88 to 17. Once the process is completed, there will be no business units that are entirely economic-driven under the defence ministry, and those remaining businesses will be subjected to the same regulations and policies as their civilian counterparts, Viet said. The new law will see the army recall its investment from businesses it is dropping. During previous NAs meetings, lawmakers were reported to have voiced concerns over such businesses economic functions and whether they should be entirely focused in their national defence objectives. Viet noted that those businesses are part of an important mission to maintain a foothold in remote areas, borderlands and islands, and to support ethnic communities in economic development. Some of their projects are atypical in a sense that they may serve both civilian and military purposes if needed. The amended law is a continuation of the NA and the army commitment made during the last NAs meeting last July. General Vo Hong Thang, head of the Peoples Army economic unit, was quoted as saying the Central Army Commissions stand was very clear that only businesses that serve both national defence and economic purposes will remain after the restructuring. With an 88 per cent approval rate, the amended law, with seven chapters and 40 clauses, will come into effect on January 1, 2019. Viet Nam Coast Guard Lawmakers are working on a draft law on Viet Nam Coast Guard, the countrys police force at sea who maintain order and security and protect the nations sovereign rights. They stressed the importance of a clearly defined function for the force, saying that while the coast guard has many tasks, they should only be responsible for a number of key objectives. NA deputies also noted that the coast guard must work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cases they see fit to seize foreign vessels and citizens of foreign countries. Regarding the organisation of the coast guard, lawmakers are split. Some voiced their support for the force to become a branch under the Ministry of Defence while others said this may be viewed as a move to militarise conflicts at sea. Deputies Nguyen Phuong Tuan and Nguyen Minh Hoang cited the example of the Chinese and Japanese coast guard saying that they have been organised as armed forces and such a move is necessary to improve its capacity to enforce the countrys laws at sea. The Viet Nam Coast Guard could be considered as the equivalent of the land border patrol force at sea. In cases of conflicts, they will be our first responders, said NA deputy chairman o Ba Ty, regarding its organisation, each country is different and we shouldnt try to impose a model from elsewhere in Viet Nam. The laws top priority is to help the force grow and build capacity to carry out its missions, said deputy Tran Thi Dung. VNS AK LAK Half a year ago, the couple Ly Seo Xi and Trang Thi Tong moved to a temporarily iron-sheet house on barren land in which there remain tree roots. Their 18-month-old baby, Ly Thi Hoa, who had her hand burned by boiled water four days ago, is playing on the ground, and occasionally crying out in pain. Xi said that he bought medicine for his young daughter. The pain will wear off after a few days. My house is too far from the hospital so I cannot take my daughter there, he told Nong Thon Ngay Nay (Countryside Today) newspaper. His house is one of thoses located in an isolated area in the middle of a forest in Ea Sup District in the Central Highlands province of ak Lak, where there is an without electricity, clean water, schools or clinics. The area is called Zone 286 of Cu MLan Commune, and is some 15km from Yok on National Park. The commune is home to more than 100 migrant families, with nearly 700 residents in total. They moved here to earn a living off of the forest. About 500m from Xis family is 78-year-old Ly Seo Cos house. The old man has been living in the Central Highlands region for 11 years. Before migrating to Cu MLan District, he used to live with his children in Mrak Commune in Krong Pak District, about 160km from Cu MLan District. Since settling down in the isolated commune, his grandchildren stopped going to school. They went to school when we lived in Mrak Commune. Now the closest school is 20km from my house. When they grow up, they will tend to the fields with their parents. When they get older, then they will get married. Thats all, he said. Fourteen-year-old Ly Thi Tra had to drop out of school before finishing grade 5, since she and her parents moved to the isolated area. Now I stay at home to take care of my younger sisters and brothers. I miss school, she said. Instead of going to school, all the children of more than 100 migrant families in Cu MLan Commune stay at home and do housework, or follow their parents to the fields. Facing thieves Running a small grocery store as a main source of living, Ly Seo Xi and his wife did not expect one day someone would break into their property and rob it. One day, my family went away for the whole day. When we came back, there was nothing left, even the chickens and dogs were gone, he said. His family did not dare to report the thief to the local authorities. We have to accept the loss, and we can do nothing because we are migrants and live here without permission from the local authorities. I had to take a loan of VN20 million (US$870,000) to buy new goods for my shop but do not know when I can pay back the loan, he said. Twenty-six-year-old Cu Vi Xa bought a new land lot covering 3ha in Cu MLan Commune. Shortly after a new house was built on the land, some strangers armed with weapons came and claimed the land lots ownership. Xa did not do anything but took his wife and children to hide in the mountain area. We just moved in so we do not dare to fight with them, he said, adding that two migrants died in Ea Bung Commune when they tried to react to land claimers aggressive actions. Sung Xe Cho, 50 years old, a migrant from Yen Minh District of Ha Giang Province, said, Our life is so simple that we only need water to drink and land to plant seeds. We only want to live and earn some money from the land. We have become a community, he said, adding that the migrants intend to tell more of their relatives to move to the land. We want to ask for local authorities permission to set up a village with a school and a community house, he said. According to Ea Sup Districts Peoples Committee, the local authorities have mobilised sources to stabilise and improve the lives of migrant families. However, due to a limited budget, the projects have yet to have a meaningful effect on the daily lives of migrants. While waiting for proper solutions from local authorities, the migrants will continue to live together in an isolated oasis. VNS HCM CITY HCM City is seeking further support from international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) in socio-economic development, said authorities at the annual meeting between the HCM City Steering Board for INGO Affairs and INGOs held on June 7 in the city. The meeting discussed INGOs societal contributions between 2015 and 2017, reviewed INGO activities last year as well as the first five months of the year, and sought feedback from INGOs. Attending the meeting were a representative of the US Consulate General in HCM City, Pamela Pontius; deputy head of the HCM City Emulation and Commendation Board, Ngo Thi Hoang Cat; and chairman of the HCM City Union of Friendship Organisation (HUFO) and leader of the HCM City Steering Board for INGO Affairs, Huynh Minh Thien; among others. Thien stressed the importance of INGOs assistance and cooperation in conducting humanitarian and development projects in HCM City. The meaning of humanitarian projects is not only about technical and material support but enhancing the capacity of local staff and fostering mutual understanding between the people of HCM City and other countries, he said. HCM City will continue to create favourable conditions for INGOs, he said. On the occasion, the citys Peoples Committee granted merit certificates to 13 INGOs, while HUFO offered certificates to 31 INGOs and seven companies with outstanding contributions to society. HCM City has 160 INGOs with official licences, including 67 from the US, 61 from Europe, 30 from Asia Pacific and two from Africa, up one organisation compared to last year. In 2017 and the first five months of 2018, HUFO and members of the HCM City Steering Board for INGO Affairs assisted in legal procedures for two INGOs that ceased to operate; allowed 19 INGOs to organise international conferences; and assisted in visa application in 115 situations, among other activities. Although the citys socio-economic development last year witnessed a slight improvement, achieving steady economic growth this year remains a challenging target, Thien said. Considering the citys rapid population growth, it is in need of long-term material and technological support as well as cooperation from the international community, he added. HCM Citys GDP reached 8.25 per cent, up 0.2 percentage points year-on-year. VNS HA NOI Human traffickers are getting more sophisticated using high tech methods such as mobile phones and social media accounts to target young girls in remote mountainous areas leaving enforcements agencies with a mountain to climb to keep the girls safe. Colonel Tong Chinh Phuc, head of the Lao Cai Province Border Guards Department of Drug and Crime Prevention and Control told Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper that human traffickers targeted teen girls between 15-16 years old who were not well-educated and had limited social awareness or under disadvantaged circumstances. They developed new techniques such as using mobile phones or social networks to approach the victims. As a result, victims were found in new areas such as Yen Bai, Ha Giang, Son La and ien Bien and many were secondary and high school students, he said. Chau Thi Dung (not her real name), 17, and Chau Thi Chinh (not her real name), 16, have shared their stories. The two girls lived in Chu Lin Village in Lao Cai Districts Sa Pa Town. Chinh had a friend request from a boy named Sung Seo Trang in Muong Khuong District on her mobile phone. The boy offered to take Chinh to go to his house and get married. However, he took the two girls to the Chinese border area. Chinh said they were bought by an old couple. They managed to escape and asked for help from local police. They were sent back to Viet Nam after three months. Vu Thi Sinh (not her real name), a student at Bat Xat 2 High School and a human trafficking victim, shared the same story with the same method. Sinh was offered to go to a house in Muong Khuong District. She and two other girls were transported to Chinese border. Sinh was sold to be a wife of a Chinese man, and got help from local police eight months later. The other two girls were taken back to their homes after two months in China. Pham Hoang, a teacher from the school, said they had encouraged the girls to continue studying. One of the girls was so ashamed after her ordeal, she decided to quit school. Colonel Phuc said criminals no longer entice girls with promises of jobs, but pretend to be businessmen or even border guards to entice them. Ly Thi Su (not her real name), a HMong ethnic minority girl in ien Bien Provinces Muong Nhe District, said she was trafficked by her boyfriend who pretended to be a Thai doctor. Another victim in Lai Chau Provinces Sin Ho District was in the same situation. Luckily, the girls parent suspected the man and asked for help from local border soldiers and she was rescued. Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Quoc Phong, head of Lao Cai Provinces Border Guard, said that the man was found to be in the trafficking ring in the province. The man used a nickname to lure girls and earned between VN3.5-7 million (US$154-308) for each case. Figures from the Governments Steering Committee for Crime Prevention and Control showed there were more than 2,700 human trafficking cases with roughly 6,000 victims between 2011 and 2017. Of that, 450 cases were for marriage purposes and the rest were girls who were tricked into trafficking. More than 80 per cent of the trafficking occurred in border areas between Viet Nam and Cambodia, Laos and China. Authorities also realised that education methods to help potential victims were not working. Mua A e, chairman of Xa Ho Communes Peoples Committee in Lao Cai Province, said they organised activities to educate local people about trafficking crime. However, it did not help much. According to the committee, about 80 per cent of the households owned mobile phones. Criminals took advantaged of this device to approach girls instead of showing up at the commune and talking to the potential victims. As a result, the commune had no effective preventive methods for such cases. Nguyen Tuong Long, head of the provincial Sub-department of Social Evil Prevention and Control, said the traditional methods such as inviting local people to training sessions or distributing leaflets were not effective, especially for ethnic minorities. Long said the sub-department has worked with schools to bring the education session on trafficking to students. Those who used to be the victims would have their talks at schools or markets to increase the effectiveness of the work. Le uc Hien, deputy director of the Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs Social Evil Department, said under the regulations, victims would be supported to attend vocational training courses, given financial support of VN1 million ($44) or have loans to set up their life. However, Hien admitted the procedures to prove themselves as victims were quite complicated as most returned without personal papers and had to wait for authorised agencies to chase culprits. The ministry also guided localities to protect and support victims. Localities needed to study and build a mechanism to support victims to reintegrate into the society. The ministry estimates the hotline 1800 1567 has received more than 10,000 calls since it came into operation in October, 2013. Of that, 232 calls were transferred to police forces and 92 victims were rescued. VNS KHANH HOA Police in the central province of Khanh Hoa on Thursday handed over to the police of China two Chinese men wanted by the police of Maoming city, Guangdong province. Xie Jin Ping, born in 1976, and Xie Ying Po, born in 1979, were arrested in an apartment in Loc Tho Ward in Nha Trang City. They were charged with allegedly organising and leading criminal gangs, opening illegal casinos, organising wildlife trafficking, deliberately causing injuries and illegally detaining people resulting in deaths. The Ministry of Public Security in China had sought Viet Nams support to hunt down the duo. Khanh Hoa, which has had more than 700,000 Chinese tourists so far this year, is becoming a haven for criminals who enter the province as tourists. In November 2017, the provincial police arrested two wanted Chinese criminals belonging to Chinas Guangzhou province. In June last year, two other Chinese criminals from Guangdong province surrendered to the Khanh Hoa police. VNS LAS VEGAS A man was arrested Thursday in California in connection with the fatal stabbing of two Vietnamese tourists in Las Vegas. Julius Trotter, 31, was arrested after a car chase in Chino, California, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said in an email. The arrest came a day after police in Las Vegas said they were seeking a man in his late 20s with a tattoo just below the neckline. According to AP, police have characterised the killings of the two Vietnamese tourists - Nghia Boi Sang, a 39-year-old woman and Nguyen Le Ba Khuong, a 30-year-old man - as a robbery-murder. Sang and Khuong were part of a tour group of Trieu Hao Tourism Company and were director and employee of the company, respectively. They were stabbed to death on June 1 at the Circus Circus Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. Police said the tour group arrived May 31 in Las Vegas from Los Angeles. Police were summoned the following day after hotel security went to the room at the request of tour members who were worried when the two didnt show up for a trip to the Grand Canyon. Police Lt. Ray Spencer said the attack probably happened around the time someone reported hearing arguing in a room on the 21st floor of the hotel. Elevator security video showed a man going to the top floor of the hotel just after 4am and again about 45 minutes later wearing a backpack that police said belonged to Khuong. Trotter was sentenced to five years of probation in Las Vegas last year after pleading guilty to felony resisting a police officer with a weapon, in a case where a felony reckless driving charge was dismissed, AP reported. VNS HCM CITY More than 270 children aged 8 to 14 are taking part in a summer programme to design a smarter and more child-friendly city. The programme called Children Innovate: a Smart and Child-friendly City kicked off on Friday (June 8). It was organised by UNICEF Viet Nam in collaboration with the Saigon Innovation Hub (SiHub) under the citys Department of Science and Technology, Department of Planning and Architecture, and Arkki - School of Architecture for Children and Youth in Finland. The programme creates an environment for children to express their opinions about decisions that may affect them, said Marianne Oehlers, chief of programme partnerships office at UNICEF Viet Nam. It consists of 11 creative thinking workshops during this summer for children, including vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Each workshop lasts for five days with a daily schedule from 9am to 4pm. There will be three hands-on working sessions during each day. Participants will use clay, wood, computers, Sketch up and Microsoft Hololens to express their ideas. Nguyen Phi Van, chairwoman of Saigon Innovation Hubs Board of Advisors, said: Our aim is to provide kids with human-centered design thinking, important skills for the 21st century, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) knowledge. Twenty-five children took part in the first workshop, she said. "I find the program a lot of fun. We have learned many ways to build a child-friendly city based on our own views, said Hoang Mai Anh, 11, from Tran Van On Secondary School in District 1, who attended the first workshop. All the ideas and projects will be displayed at an exhibition during Creativity and Innovation Week in October to urban planning experts, decision-makers and the public. The best ideas and projects will receive awards from the organisation. The programme is part of the citys Child Friendly City Initiative Project that runs from 2017 to 2021. VNS Figures from the Work Safety Department showed that more than 8,950 labour accidents were reported last year, affecting 9,173 workers, of whom nearly 930 were killed. Photo vov.vn HA NOI Many enterprises have been neglecting to report to authorities the accidents that occur at their workplaces, hurting labourers safety and making it difficult for the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) Department of Work Safety to undertake a nationwide evaluation of workplace accidents. Figures from the department showed that more than 8,950 labour accidents were reported last year, affecting 9,173 workers, of whom nearly 930 were killed. More than 1,200 of those cases occurred at workplaces where employers and workers had no contracts. However, the department said that the real number of work accidents in such places must be higher than that. Last year, only 18,885 enterprises, accounting for 5.4 per cent of the total number, reported occupational accidents. The rate the previous year was nearly 7 per cent (18,377 out of the total number of 265,009). Nguyen Thi Thoan, from northern Hoa Binh Province, told Lao ong thu o online newspaper that she has been seeking help from authorised agencies to chase a couple who owned a fish sauce business in Ha Nois Thanh Tri District for years. The couple hired her son to work for them several years ago. He died due to electric shock when trying to open the electronically-locked gate of the business. The couple told her it was an accident. They promised to give her compensation. However, after several years, Thoan has not received the money she was promised. Desperately in need of money to pay hospital fees for her ill husband, she travelled to Ha Noi and found out that the couple had left. Theres nothing left. Theyve moved. No one knew where they moved to, she told the newspaper. Thoan was not the only case. In fact, many private and small-scale businesses tend to ignore or tried to hide labour accidents. Vice chairman of Ha Nois Labour Union Le inh Hung said that many employers tried to negotiate and compensate the families of injured labourers instead of reporting the incident to the authorised agencies. The reason, he said, was low awareness of employers of the requirements for work safety reporting. Most feared that the authorised agencies would point out shortcomings or violations of labour safety and insurance regulations, forcing them to pay fines or even close their businesses. Hung said authorised agencies loose management, complicated procedures for reporting labour accidents and a shortage of strict penalties for violators contributed to the problem. Vice chairman of Viet Nam General Federation of Labour Mai uc Chinh said that the decree fining those who ignored the report on labour accidents was not strict enough. The federation plans to propose to increase the fines. In addition, procedures on reporting labour accidents should be simplified and could be done via the internet to save time for enterprises. Enterprises should be active in updating legal documents on reporting labour accidents, he added. VNS HCM CITY Viet Nam has been ranked one of the 10 best places to visit by the worlds most popular travel guide, TripAdvisor. Iceland tops the list followed by Greece, Mexico, Portugal and Morocco. Viet Nam, which was named among the worlds 20 fastest growing travel destinations in 2016, has overtaken its neighbour Thailand for the first time. Thailand came in 9th, three places behind Viet Nam. Foreign tourist arrivals to Viet Nam in January-May skyrocketed by 27.6 per cent year-on-year to more than 6.71 million, according to figures from the Viet Nam Statistics Bureau. Viet Nam is loved by both local and foreign visitors for its natural beauty, cheap prices, vibrant nightlife and memorable travel experiences. In April TripAdvisors readers had also voted An Bang Beach in the Hoi An as one of the 25 most picturesque beaches in Asia for a third year in a row. Viet Nam targets 17-20 million foreign tourists a year by 2020. VNS HCM CITY Leading Swiss carrier Edelweiss has announced the start of a bi-weekly service between HCM City and Zurich starting on November 15 this year. It will operate an Airbus A340-300 aircraft with a capacity of 314 passengers. The flights will leave HCM City on Tuesdays and Fridays. Some travel agencies are already accepting bookings and plan to sell tickets online. The first ever air route between Viet Nam and Switzerland will reduce travel time, and promote trade and tourism, officials said. Edelweiss hopes to carry 10,500 visitors from Switzerland to HCM City every year. According to a report from Viet Nams General Statistics Bureau, in the first five months of this year Viet Nam received 16,500 Swiss tourists, 4.2 per cent more than in the same period last year. VNS HCM CITY Located on ang Van Bi Street in HCM Citys Thu uc District, Nam Thien Nhat Tru (Southern One Pillar Pagoda) is not only a place of worship for local Buddhists but also a well-known tourist destination thanks to its unique architecture. Modelled after the One Pillar Pagoda in Ha Noi, Nam Thien Nhat Tru consists of a small one-room temple hall rising on a 12-metre pillar. Made of reinforced concrete, the Southern One Pillar Pagoda worships the Multi-armed Quan Am (Goddess of Mercy). It is in the middle of the 600sq.m Dragon Eye Lake, which is home to fish, tortoises and lotuses. Spread over a hectare, Nam Thien Nhat Tru was built in 1958 by Superior Buddhist Monk Thich Tri Dung based on a design by architect Nguyen Gia uc. It has become an integral part of the cultural and spiritual life of local Buddhists. VNS SAN FRANCISCO Facebook acknowledged Thursday a software glitch that changed the settings of some 14 million users, potentially making some posts public even if they were intended to be private. The news marked the latest in a series of privacy embarrassments for the worlds biggest social network, which has faced a firestorm over the hijacking of personal data on tens of millions of users and more recently for disclosures on data-sharing deals with smartphone makers. Erin Egan, Facebooks chief privacy officer, said in a statement that the company recently found a bug that automatically suggested posting publicly when some people were creating their Facebook posts. Facebook said this affected users posting between May 18 and May 27 as it was implementing a new way to share some items such as photos. That left the default or suggested method of sharing as public instead of only for specific users or friends. Facebook said it corrected the problem on May 22 but was unable to change all the posts, so is now notifying affected users. Starting today we are letting everyone affected know and asking them to review any posts they made during that time, Egan said. To be clear, this bug did not impact anything people had posted before -- and they could still choose their audience just as they always have. Wed like to apologize for this mistake. Facebook confirmed earlier this week that China-based Huawei -- which has been banned by the US military and is a lightning rod for cyberespionage concerns -- was among device makers authorized to see user data in agreements that had been in place for years. Facebook has claimed the agreements with some 60 device makers dating from a decade ago were designed to help the social media giant get more services into the mobile ecosystem. Nonetheless, lawmakers expressed outrage that Chinese firms were given access to user data at a time when officials were trying to block their access to the US market over national security concerns. The revelations come weeks after chief executive Mark Zuckerberg was grilled in Congress about the hijacking of personal data on some 87 million Facebook users by Cambridge Analytica, a consultancy working on Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign. AFP STOCKHOLM A Swedish court on Thursday sentenced a radicalised and rejected Uzbek asylum seeker to life in prison for terrorism after he mowed down pedestrians with a stolen truck in central Stockholm last year, killing five people. The assault mirrored other truck attacks in 2016 that left scores dead in France, Germany and the UK. It occurred as Sweden grappled with the aftermath of having taken in more migrants per capita than any other country in Europe. Arrested hours after the April 7, 2017 attack, Rakhmat Akilov, 40, who swore allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group on the eve of the assault, said that IS members had given him the green light on encrypted chat sites to carry out a suicide attack in the Swedish capital. However, the jihadist organisation never claimed responsibility for the assault. The Stockholm district court convicted Akilov of terrorist crimes for five murders and 119 attempted murders in one of Stockholms busiest shopping streets. Three Swedes -- including a girl who would have turned 12 on Thursday -- were killed along with a 41-year-old British man and a 31-year-old Belgian woman. Another 10 people were injured. Akilov, who confessed almost immediately to the attack, expressed no remorse during his nearly three-month trial. His gaze often remained empty, even when photographs and footage of the bloody attack were projected onto a large screen in the courtroom. The effects (the attack) had on Sweden were rather severe and his intention was to scare the Swedish public, senior judge Ragnar Palmkvist said. He acted with the direct intention to kill as many people as possible, the court said in its verdict, adding that Akilov would be expelled after serving the life term, which averages 16 years in Sweden. After swerving wildly to hit as many people as possible, Akilovs rampage ended when the truck smashed into the facade of a large department store. Another judge in the trial, Carl Rosenmuller, said Akilov saw the victims as pins in a game, not human beings. An explosive device -- made up of five gas canisters and nails -- did not explode as planned and caused fire damage only to the truck. Akilov fled the scene, running into a nearby metro station, and was arrested several hours later after being identified by public transport video surveillance images and eyewitness reports. Disappointed Investigators found text messages on Akilovs cell phone with contacts identified only by pseudonyms, and whom Akilov said were high-ranking members of IS or the Islamic caliphate declared in parts of Iraq and Syria. While the text messages indicated Akilov consulted with his contacts on how to carry out his attack, prosecutors have insisted that he acted alone. Authorities said Akilov intended to force Sweden to stop participating in the global coalition against IS" and to "spread fear among the population. Sweden, a non-NATO member, has around 70 military personnel based mainly in northern Iraq to provide training as part of the US-led coalition against IS. Akilov told the court he had planned to die as a martyr and did not expect to survive the attack. His lawyer Johan Eriksson said Akilov was disappointed with the verdict and was contemplating whether or not to appeal. Suzanne Diamantakidou, 59, who was almost hit by the truck and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after the attack, told the daily Expressen that she was happy with the verdict. Gone underground After arriving in Sweden in 2014, on the cusp of a huge wave of migration to Europe, Akilovs application for residency was rejected in June 2016. He later went underground to avoid expulsion and worked odd jobs in construction. The father of four, who drank alcohol and used drugs according to colleagues and acquaintances, lived alone in Sweden. His wife and children stayed behind in Uzbekistan. After the attack, Swedish authorities were heavily criticised for having failed to find Akilov and expel him from the country. While the government has since adopted a series of measures aimed at ensuring that rejected asylum seekers really do leave Sweden, only 1,000 of 3,000 who were definitively rejected actually left the country in the first three months of 2018. Security and immigration are two of the main themes dominating Swedens general election campaign ahead of a September 9 vote. The Scandinavian country has registered 400,000 asylum applications since 2012 -- or one for every 25 inhabitants, a record in Europe -- with a peak of 162,000 applications in 2015. AFP TAVAS Great War Flying Display April 2018 by Phil Buckley On the weekend of 21-22 April 2018 at Caboolture Airport, north of Brisbane, Australia, The Australian Vintage Aviation Society (TAVAS) held its Great War Flying Display to honour the 100th anniversary for the downing of the legendary German ace, Baron Manfred von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron. As many may know, it was an Australian infantryman who was credited with shooting down the Red Baron near Vaux-sur-Somme, France on April 21st, 1918. TAVAS is the only organisation in Australia dedicated to flying military aeroplanes from WWI. They have amassed a large collection of aircraft from the era. All of them are reproductions or replicas, but some have original compoents installed. TAVAS is a self-funded, not-for-profit flying museum and uses its collection to edcuate people on what is now a largely overlooked era of aviation history. The Great War Flying Display, although primarily devoted to WWI aviation, also included WWII and modern military aircraft to demonstrate how technology has developed since 1918. AIRCRAFT ON SHOW TAVAS presented their collection to the public throughout the weekend display. The flying display included their 1909 Demoiselle, 1910 Henri Farman III, 1915 Fokker E.III Eindecker monoplane, 1916 Sopwith Triplane, 1917 Neieuport 24, two examples of the 1917 Fokker Dr.I Triplane (one red and one black), a 1917 Bristol F.2b and a 1918 Fokker D.VIII. Not on show were their circa-1901 Whitehead N.21, 1909 Johnson monoplane, 1917 S.E.5a, Fokker D.VII and 1933 Flying Flea. Interestingly, in Australia, there are only six aircraft with operational rotary engines and three of these are found within the TAVAS collection. One of these is installed in their Fokker E.III Eindecker and another in the Fokker D.VIII. AIR SHOW ACTION The flight program on the Saturday actually fell on the centenary of the Red Barons demise, so that was the most popular day of the event. A reeneactment on both days saw the Bristol F.2b engage the Red Baron in his Fokker Dr.I. The dog fight would eventually lead over re-enactors dressed as Australian troops, firing up to bring WWIs ace of aces to the ground. TAVAS aviators put on a skillful flying display in the Fokker Dr.I and Bristol F.2b which enabled visitors to see what a WWI mock dogfight might have looked like. The present day Royal Australian Air Force contributed displays as well, with an F/A-18F Super Hornet from RAAF No.1 Squadron performing each day, and a 36 Squadron C-17 Globemaster III flying in on the Saturday. A small team of RAAF members also manned a display booth on the ground helping to promote the roles and available RAAF careers to the public. Other acts included assorted flights by a deHavilland DH.82 Tigermoth and DH.60 Moth showcasing vintage interwar biplanes. A loose formation flyby of the Bristol F.2b with a slow flying RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornet to honour 100years of military aviation was a drawcard too. The Fighter Pilots Academy Yak-3U Steadfast put on an impressive demonstration as well, ripping the sky up with its fast, aerobatic displays with some serious g-forces. With the Yaks wingtip-mounted smoke generators turned on, the fighter carved fascinating smoke lines across the sky. A military trainer heritage flight took place too, featuring the CT-4, Winjeels, SNJ and Wirraway. Across each days events, various flight experience rides took place, with Tigermoths, Harvards and other civil types taking wing to further encourage visitors to actually experience aviation. A POSITIVE STEP TOWARDS WWI EDUCATION The creation of TAVAS has proven to be a worthwhile and productive venture. It is filling an important gap for Australians, who havent had a proper representation of WWI aviation on the air show display circuit for many years. The limited number of static WWI museum displays around Australia are important, but can never truly bring a full understanding for the sights, sounds and smells of an active aircraft in the sky. There is a visceral link to the past which a living, breathing flying machine can present so much more clearly than a motionless museum exhibit. There were many celebrations for the anniversary of the D-Day invasion over this past week, but one special event took place over the Normandy beaches themselves. This was performed by the current members of the 107th Fighter Squadron in the present day Michigan Air National Guard, stationed at Selfridge ANGB. Back in WWII, the forebears of the current squadron performed vital tactical reconnaissance flights in the buildup to the invasion. We thought our readers would be interested to read a story about the 107th and their recent overflight of Normandy with a pair of Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, one specially painted in D-Day celebration markings. They lead in a fleet of C-130 Hercules transports with more than 500 paratroopers aboard for a recreation of the drop over Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the French seaside town which proved of vital importance to the success of the invasion. Story and photos by Tech. Sgt. Daniel Heaton 127th Wing NORMANDY, France For the first time in 74 years, the Red Devils have performed reconnaissance over the beaches of Normandy, France, and reported that today, freedom reigns. The view was markedly different in 1944. The Red Devils of the 107th Fighter Squadron flew over northern France Sunday, as part of the official ceremony to mark the 74th anniversary of D-Day, the massive Allied invasion of the European mainland in World War II. The successful invasion ultimately led to Allied victory over the Axis Powers. In 1944, the 107th, then designated as a Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, flew several hundred reconnaissance missions over the beaches of Normandy, France, allowing the Allied High Command to plan an invasion path. In 2018 flying their first mission in France since World War II two 107th pilots escorted a group of nine C-130 Hercules and similar aircraft from multiple nations as they dropped about 500 paratroops near Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France, the same town where paratroopers landed as part of D-Day. The 107th provided more than 9,000 intelligence photos to the Allied High Command in the weeks before D-Day. The photos showed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of defensive positions along the beach, placed by the army of Nazi Germany in advance of the expected invasion. More than 1,600 U.S. soldiers died during the D-Day invasions. Though highly costly in terms of human sacrifice, the invasion allowed Allied forces to gain a foothold on the European mainland and begin the march to victory in the war. Thirteen 107th pilots were shot down and killed in action during World War II. Three others who were shot down spent part of the war as a Prisoner of War. We talk about our heritage but to actually see it and to talk with the veterans who are here and the people who lived through it, that is a game changer, said Brig. Gen. John D. Slocum, the 127th Wing commander, of which the 107th Fighter Squadron is the oldest component. To see where we came from, I think it inspires us all to dig a little deeper as we respond to todays challenges. Slocum is part of a small contingent of Michigan Air National Guard Citizen-Airmen representing the 107th Fighter Squadron at the D-Day events. The Michigan personnel were able to coordinate participation in the D-Day commemoration while enroute to exercise Sabre Strike in Latvia in northern Europe. Michigan and Latvia have been aligned in the State Partnership for Peace program for more than 25 years. During the flying portion of the commemoration, two 107th pilots, call signs Sherlock and Monk, flew several passes along the beaches themselves, just as their counterparts did exactly 74 years ago. This time, there was no enemy fire. It has been nothing but an incredible welcome here from everyone we meet. It has also been a very emotional experience, when we think about those who served in our squadron and truly set the standard that we try to live up to today, the 107th Fighter Squadron commander said. Names of 107th pilots are withheld for operational security reasons. Today, the 107th squadron, along with the rest of the 1,700-Airman strong 127th Wing, is based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan. Additional Images Draken International has been awarded the $280 million Adversary Air (ADAIR) II contract to provide adversary air services at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada through December 2023. Adversary air, or Red Air, is training that simulates real-world threat scenarios. As the sole provider of adversary support for the USAF, Drakens team of highly qualified pilots fly the companys advanced fighter aircraft to simulate non-western tactics against USAF assets.To support this contract, Draken will provide over 5,600 annual flight hours supporting combat readiness training. These aggressor missions include beyond-visual-range engagements, operational test support, dissimilar air combat maneuvers, offensive and defensive within-visual-range maneuvers, as well as advanced multi-ship tactics. The Nellis ADAIR program, utilizing contract air services for Red Air training, began as an 800-hour proof-of-concept in the fall of 2015. The program has evolved considerably since that time and over the next five years, Draken will continue to expand its presence at Nellis AFB including daily flight schedules of 18-24 commercial ADAIR sorties supporting the USAF Weapons School, operational test missions, Red Flag exercises, Formal Training Unit syllabus rides from Luke AFB, as well as combat readiness training missions out of Hill AFB in Utah. In addition to Luke, Hill and Nellis, Draken has also completed numerous successful deployments to Holloman AFB, Edwards AFB, MCAS Yuma, MCAS Cherry Point, MCAS Miramar, and NAS Patuxent River. The company has also supported training missions worldwide for our allied NATO partners, including operations in France and Leeuwarden Air Base in The Netherlands. As the only commercial adversary operator with certified tactical fighters employing advanced radars and 4th generation capabilities, Drakens A-4 Skyhawks equipped with APG-66 radars and L-159 Honey Badgers with GRIFO-L radars have proven to be highly effective adversaries for the USAF, ANG, USMC and international partners. The company recently added 22 Mirage F-1M/B and 12 Cheetahs to its fleet, furthering its commitment to expand capacity and capabilities. Both fleets of supersonic, radar equipped jets are extremely low-time, affording Draken the ability to provide the warfighter highly effective 4th generation adversary training for decades to come. Draken International, a global leader in advanced adversary air services announced back in December the acquisition of twelve South African Atlas Cheetah fighter aircraft, reinforcing the companys focus on providing advanced capabilities to its clients. Draken also acquired 22 Mirage F1M and F1B fighter jets back in November. As the demand for increased capacity of adversary resources continues to soar throughout the Department of Defense (DoD) and globally, Drakens new Cheetah jets will provide the USAF, USN, and USMC an advanced radar-equipped supersonic platform to train against. Drakens continued efforts to invest in aircraft modernization will ultimately provide the warfighter credible and challenging threat representation. Drakens entire fleet of A-4s, L-159s, F-1M/Bs, and Cheetahs are currently going through a modernization program referred to as RED STORM. The RED STORM modernization program includes a number of enhancements including a helmet-mounted cueing system, high off-boresight captive training missile, and datalink technology, resulting in a force multiplying architecture of advanced capabilities. The financial benefits for the military to contract out this work are many-fold, as it saves the wear and tear on active duty, front-line aircraft which would otherwise be employed in the job. The cost savings are enormous; a Draken International jet costs the taxpayer roughly 20% of what a standard front line U.S. military jet, like an F-16, would cost to operate and as little as 10% in comparison to a 5th generation type like the F-35. Quite simply, it is a much more expedient and cost-effective way of doing business to contract out the work to a company like Draken International. The tax-payer no longer has the year-round burden of owning a large fleet of adversary aircraft, nor the cost of employing the highly skilled personnel involved in maintaining and flying them. Draken CEO Jared Isaacman stated, We are thrilled to be able to continue supporting the US Air Force at Nellis AFB through the ADAIR II contract. With an ever-growing fleet of capable, cost-effective fighter aircraft, we will continue to enhance our capabilities to provide realistic, threat representative ADAIR for the USAF and Joint partners alike. David Smilde and Hugo Perez-Hernaiz look at some of the important issues in post-election Venezuela. One merits special attention because of how much we can generalize it. It's the sometimes hidden importance of informal diplomatic relationships. However, the Joshua Holt release shows the potential of cross-national, back-channel networks among politicians (see a stellar series of articles by APs Josh Goodman who reported on this development in March, and as the Holt release evolved here and here). All parties agree that the key player in the Holt release was Senator Bob Corkers chief of staff Caleb McCarry. McCarry was a member of the Boston Group, a network of US and Venezuelan legislators who engaged each other back during the 2002-04 period. This group included Maduro, then a legislator, his wife Cilia Flores, as well as then politician and now businessman Pedro Diaz Blum. Diaz Blum brought Lacava into the network which brokered Holts release. Senator Orin Hatch of Holts home state of Utah was also involved in the dialogue and described his experiences in Time Magazine. The entire experience shows the power this type of cross-national back channels can have to broker deals. More broadly, the Boston Group and other efforts to open networks with members of the Maduro government could become fundamental conduits for channeling pressure into a transition back to democracy. In response to a request from Ortega, McCarry explained the mechanics of NED project funding, emphasizing the organization's bipartisan support within the U.S. After debating the topic, the group members agreed to refrain from making any public statements about GOV accusations that the USG is spending millions of dollars to assist opposition groups since it might affect the Boston Group's own existence. In response to McCarry's outline of the proposed Boston Group television project, Rangel promised support and resources. Shortly after the April 14 election and Maduros investiture as president, the foreign ministry announced that former Chavista legislator Calixto Ortega would be heading to Washington to become Venezuelas new charge daffaires. Ortega had been a part of what was once known as The Boston Group which was founded in 2000 to try to promote improved understanding between Venezuelan legislators and their U.S. congressional counterparts. This is why the dismantling of diplomacy these days is so devastating. The Boston Group was a legislative initiative intended to promote dialogue and had bipartisan support from the U.S. Congress and the Venezuelan government. It involved difficult discussions and was careful not to do anything that might jeopardize its existence. From a leaked cable These below-the-surface interactions, which really need support from the involved governments to work, can pay enormous dividends. I hope the Trump administration is open to such arrangements in the future, but the treatment of the State Department does not currently offer optimism. In an interview , former Ambassador Patrick Duddy talks about how the Boston Group's connections persisted well after its members ceased meeting.So this was formed during the Clinton administration and those relationships resolved a problem 18 years later. 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Foreign Colonization Is AMERICAN DOMESTICATION RIZZO IS DEAD IN PHILLY. LONG LIVE FRAUD IN THIS GOD FORSAKEN CITY. America: One Big INTEREST ONLY Loan US Government USED Americanized Blacks' To Achieve Its African Goals Why Did You Hear This Admission About The US/NATO Actual Destructive Goals From 'WHITE TRiUMP', While The "We Are In The White House Negroes' Never Pushed President Obama To Admit That The Coup In Libya North Africa WAS NOT A 'Humanitarian Mission', As 'The Black Commander In Chief' Told The World? What Is The 'American Containerized Black' Tribe GIVING UP In The Name Of PROGRESSIVE DISARMAMENT, Which Will Later Be Used Against Them Toward Their Destruction, That Will Be Called 'Social Justice'? A Major Step In Protecting Black Valuables Investmented We Are Now In The "Or Else WHAT" Stage Slavery In Libya North Africa 2017 6 Years After The "Humanitarian Mission" - Not A Peep From "Black Grievance Studies" Professors Perfect 1.0 'Spiritual Whiteness' Is No Respecter Of Skin Color The "Blackest" Moment In American Jurisprudence A Ninja Got Himself Kilt Last Night Few Colonial Subjects Will Ask "Who Were They Fighting Against Between These Two Historical Points" The Qualifications For Admission Have Increased Street Pirate Adverse Community Experience Creator When The Colonizer Becomes Aware Of The Need To Find A NEGRO CONFIDENCE MAN PARTNER The Revenge Of LBJ After MLK "Stabbed Him In The Back" Over Vietnam #BlackLivesMatter Is NOT A GOVERNANCE Movement It Is ONLY A POLIITCAL OPPORTUNISTIC Movement With Up To 75% Of The Homicide Victims In Philly Being Black This Means That About 126 Black People Murdered In 2015 Have Not Triggered More National Awareness Than The Cherry Picked Small Number Of Inductees In The "Black Civil Rights Homicide Victim Martyr Hall Of Fame" That Is Used As A Reference Of The Status Of Black People With Reference To White Americans "#All Killers Of Black People Are Equal Street Pirates" The "#BlackLivesMatter" Movement Must Prove That It Is More Than The 'Ideologically Bigoted' Analog To "Police Racial Profiling" By Eliminating Its Propensity To 'Walk Past Dead Black Bodies That Don't Fit Their Agenda' On Their Way To The Protest Rally On The Downtown Public Square. The Flag Of A New Colonizer Is Hung At Full Staff Sudan - To-Damned-Day The Manifestation Of Progressive Feminism As A Cultural Replacement Download Video: .mp4 CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK UNIVERSITY Agrees With Her Logic As A Logical Extension Of Her "Progressive Fundamentalist"/'Social Justice' Inference BUT It Is An Assault Upon The 'Functional Culture' That Is Needed For The Black Diaspora To Find Its Purpose From "My Queen" To "My Bitch" In A Few GenerationsCONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK UNIVERSITY Agrees With Her Logic As A Logical Extension Of Her "Progressive Fundamentalist"/'Social Justice' Inference BUT It Is An Assault Upon The 'Functional Culture' That Is Needed For The Black Diaspora To Find Its Purpose THE NINJA WHO GOT HIMSELF KILT YOU ARE A WITNESS TO A REVOLUTION IN "HAMSTERDAMN" Thanks To The Progressives I Can Now Breath Getting Your Ass Whipped In Prison Is Not A Choice. Silence In Public Reaction To It Is Kermit Asks That You Be Consistent A Friend Of "Black Community Development" The Capture Of The Assassination Killer Of Kim Jones Of Philadelphia Should Be Top News Among Those Who Value "Black Lives" Maybe You Are Being "Colonized" Today? The Henry Dee & Charles Moore Martyr Hall Of Fame & Last Chance NIT Tournament "Black Consciousness" Is NOT Proven By A Large Headcount A Black Man Seeing Crying In Philly After A Loss At The Hands Of A Street Pirate A Question Of Personal Values And Community Priorities And Black Media Agenda I Want To Be Allowed To Develop Into Maya Angelou Dr King's Pulpit Then And Now The Americanized Negro Has Known No Rivers Beyond The Urban Water Supply Spigot The Fire Hose As A GPS Coordinate Depicting Black People's Coordinates Upon "The Struggle" If After 20 Years Of Observations I Am On To Them, The Fact That The Media Has Been Echoing Them For 50 Years Without Challenging Them About The DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEAST OF THESE UNDER THEIR CARE - Points To A Conspiracy Converting "Safe Passage" From Municipal Street Sign To A Consciousness Within The People The Embedded Confidence Man's Press Agents Blow Smoke Rings As Circular References The SUPERIORITY Of White People's Thoughts Material Access To Consumer Comforts Is Not Indicative Of A Greater Consciousness Mayor Nutter's Lessons Learned Gen Edmund Pettus C.S.A. - Thanks You He Cracked The Code On Black Progressive Outrage In This House We Still Believe In God!!! Tavis-You Blacks Need To Fire The Negro Generals Who Have Failed & Get New Leadership The Inside Threat That Lurks Outside Of The Window Of Community Consciousness My Faith In Institutions That I Once Trusted To Indoctrinate My Children Will Forever Be Shattered Regulatory Capture The Black Racial Services Machine A Miscalculation On The School Busing Program To Social Justice Full Faith And Confidence Of The Office Of The President Of The United States The First Black Man In World History Who Is Able To Execute The Foreign/ Military / Economic Policy In The Name Of The United States Of America And Not Get Arrested In Doing So Because He Runs The Federal Prison System. His Power Is So Venerated That "The Blacks" Have Even Stopped Protesting Against The Actions Of The US Government Because They Fear That Their Outward Expression Of Discontent Against The Government Might Hurt His Chances At Reelection. The First Black Man In World History Who Is Able To Execute The Foreign/ Military / Economic Policy In The Name Of The United States Of America And Not Get Arrested In Doing So Because He Runs The Federal Prison System. His Power Is So Venerated That "The Blacks" Have Even Stopped Protesting Against The Actions Of The US Government Because They Fear That Their Outward Expression Of Discontent Against The Government Might Hurt His Chances At Reelection. Who Diverted The Community's Eyes Off Of The Prize In Pursuit Of Shortsighted Political Gains? As I Increase The Scope Of My Sample For Observation It Is Becoming Clear To Me That The "Machine Effect" In Metro-Atlanta That Distorts And Disrupts The Development Of Black People Is Not A Geographic Phenomenon But Instead Is Rooted In Lack Of Conscious Awareness Beyond One's On Provincial Interests And, More Importantly, The Absence Of A GOVERNING OVERLAY That Can Push Back Against These Misappropriations Of "The Black Community Development Consciousness" NYOil - Ya'll Should All Get Lynched Why Haven't Those Who Claim To MANAGE Your Community Told You The Dimensions Of The Space? The Rabid "Embedded Black Fox Confidence Man" The Mayor Of Philly Learned What The Korean Merchants Already Know A Black Man Is Not Equal Until He Can Commit A "Civil Rights Violation" With His Actions The Elephants In Africa Are Not Republicans Bishop Henry McNeal Turner Obama - The First American President To Bomb Africa w/o Massive Protests From "The Blacks" Prison Radio Speaks To BLAX News A Foreshadowing In "The Motherland" What About All Of The Black Executions That The Police Or The State Did Not "Sponsor"? The Pathway Upon Which The Hijacking Occurs With The Loss Of Black American Consciousness Comes This Detachment With the failure of the institutions within the Black Community to develop ORGANIC COMPETENCIES domestically there is no chance that the interests of the diasporatic Blacks can be protected by American Blacks who are more focused in domestic political affairs. The main utility of this video will be to make the American Negro "angry", increasing his resolve in "VOTING HARDER" as his means of fighting against racism, this according to his present consciousness. :'( The "Mission Accomplished" Banner Hung By The Black Progressive-Fundamentalist A People's Consciousness Fused To An Agenda Not Of Their Own My Relative Ideological Position Malcolm X Called You A "Race Traitor". CF Calls You A "Racial Consciousness Misappropriator"` The "Racial Consciousness Mis-Appropriators Malcolm X Picture On Your Blog" Removal Project Racism Chasing - The Ultimate Hustle The Nationalization Of The Black Community Consciousness The PPP&HWBC Blog Supports The BAOHPEH, Inc Evaluate The Varacity Of The PROCESS Of Judgment Not Merely The Verdict Rendered Community Management 101 Profiles In Community Consciousness Make Black America Happy Once Again When We Were Colored Schuyler And X The 10P's In The Pod Of The Black Establishment Progressive Politicians * Perpetual Protesters (Civil Rights orgs) * Policy Influencers (lobbyist groups, think tanks) * Press Operatives (the Black Press - "The Progressives Town Criers") * Performers (singers, rappers, actors) * Preachers w/ and w/o Pulpits * Public Intellectuals (Humanities Professors) * Public School Teachers * Pro-Union Labor Forces * Posters (Bloggers) (Civil Rights orgs)(lobbyist groups, think tanks)(the Black Press - "The Progressives Town Criers")(singers, rappers, actors) Don't Shoot Me Street Pirate! I Am Attempting To Be A Positive Asset To My Community Will The Black Comunity Recover From The Hijacking Of Its Consciousness? The Use Of "Slave/Jim Crow Images" In Black Political Debate - Evaluate The Agenda The use of "slave imagery" is common in ideological discourse among Black people today. The best way to appraise the veracity of the agenda of the presenter is to distinguish between those images which are used to cajole Black people into "Ideological Unity" versus those images used to bring consciousness to the sad fact that in far too many cases today - the man holding the gun is a Black man, his disturbed consciousness allowed to fester because the balance of our community organizers are focused on external political affairs. They sell us on the notion that when our people assist their political/ideological external partners in their success that these individuals who suffer from BENIGN NEGLECT will be cured - no longer terrorizing us. In the circular reference that is their struggle - the more damaged individuals that matriculate through the local institutions that they now control per their struggle, the louder their call for continued UNITY and redirection lest our community's long time external adversaries start terrorizing us again. They successfully avoid community scrutiny of their stewardship of our key "Human Resource Development" institutions. I Am A Man!! The Photographic Negative Of The Black Progressive Blogs That Focus On What White Folks Are Doing Black Racism And Race Hatred Blog Stuff Black People Don't Like Chicago Lady 216 - The Crisis Of Consciousness WITHIN The Black Community You probably do not have the Flash Player ( Get Adobe Flash Player Here ) installed for your browser or the video files are misplaced on your server! Consciousness Mission Accomplished I Support The "Corporate Premise Security Equality Project" New York Times Demographic Mapping The Antidote For Fear And Ignorance Antidote to the use of the tactics of FEAR as propagated by 'confidence men' to prompt a people toward a certain direction that is against their permanent interests is the development within these masses a base of Knowledge. When this knowledge is applied to their daily lives this builds up their Competencies. As a result their "Standard Of Living" is increased toward the a favorable level. Obama Commemorative Plate = "Mission Accompished - An Ensnared Black Community" Black Male Un-Demployment Rates In "Mission Accomplished" Cities The Conflict Between The Civil Rights Pharisees Vs The Neo-Progressive Establishment Players You probably do not have the Flash Player ( Get Adobe Flash Player Here ) installed for your browser or the video files are misplaced on your server! From Reactionary Transactionalism To Management Of Our Community Ideologically Polarized Vision Ted Kennedy & Black Independent Consciousenss People Who Aide & Abet Street Pirates Need To Hear These Words & Instead Pursue Absolute Justice THe NAACP & Rachael Maddow See These Guns As INFERIOR To Guns Used By Right-Wing Militias ** No matter how many guns these Street Pirates gather and no matter how many Black people are killed - these "equal human beings" will never been EQUAL in the mind of Civil Rights Pharisees and their White Snarling Fox Liberal co-conspirators because there is no ideological and political advantage in going after them. The Rallo Tubbs Fan Club Blog Archive Those Who Have Their Conciousness Focused "Within The Black Community" Page Views - Last 7 Days It was an election week in California, and Gavin Newsom's hair was everywhere. Here's what you missed. California Senate Forwards Bill to Create State Bank for Marijuana, High Times It's about damn time. Read more. Protesters Block Google Buses in San Francisco, Citing 'Techsploitation', The New York Times First it was the tech buses that raised the ire of anti-gentrification tech buses. And then, those hella annoying scooters. This week, the twain collided. Read more. Baby bust: Bay Area housing prices go up, births go down, The Mercury News Buy a house, have a baby, turn 30or so it went once upon a pre-housing-crisis. Read more. Tosca Cafe Owner Ken Friedman Is Out Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations, SF Eater Bye Felicia! Hello, April Bloomfield. Read more. Adorable 897-square-foot Palo Alto home asks $2.5 million, Curbed SF Yes, srsly. See the pics. Misima Drilling Update Sydney, June 8, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Kingston Resources Limited ( ASX:KSN ) (Kingston or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on drilling progress at the Misima Gold Project. The major diamond drilling campaign is targeting extensions to the existing 2.8Moz gold resource and drill-testing of newly discovered exploration targets at Umuna East Side. Kingston's program of 10,000m this year is the first gold exploration drilling on Misima for more than 15 years.Highlights- Diamond drilling program on schedule for 10,000m in 2018- Dispatch of samples to commence shortly- Initial results anticipated in Q3Drilling is progressing well, with the diamond rig achieving budgeted daily metres. Samples will soon begin to be dispatched to Lae for analysis with results anticipated next quarter. Relationships with local land owners and the broader community on Misima are excellent, and the Company enjoys the full support of the local people as it works towards its goal of ultimately recommencing mining operations on the island. Particular focus has been placed on hiring local employees for the Kingston and drill contractor's workforce. This has resulted in the current workforce being made up of more than 80% local Misimans, and more than 90% Papua New Guinea residents overall.Kingston MD Andrew Corbett commented "The Kingston team on Misima continues to impress with mobilising a major drilling campaign on Misima with no safety incidents and full support from the local landowning groups. Alongside the drilling program, field work continues to advance a number of additional exploration targets outside the current resource. It is also extremely pleasing to see the impact Kingston is having on the ground first hand through local employment and reinvestment into the local community."To view figures, please visit:About Kingston Resources Limited Kingston (ASX:KSN) is a metals exploration company. Currently the Company's priority is the world-class Misima Gold Project in PNG, which contains a JORC resource of 2.8Moz Au, a production history of over 3.7Moz and outstanding potential for additional resource growth through exploration success. Kingston currently owns 70% of the Misima Gold Project. In addition, Kingston owns 75% of the Livingstone Gold Project, WA which holds a 50koz resource and is the site of ongoing exploration and a number of high-grade historic intersections. BBC Radio Interview with Harry Greaves Perth, June 8, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Prospect Resources Limited ( ASX:PSC ) ("Prospect" or "Company") is pleased to provide to investors the below web address to a recent BBC interview with Harry Greaves, Executive Director. To view the interview please copy and paste the address into your web browser:This interview is also available on the Company's website at http://www.prospectresources.com.au/media About Prospect Resources Ltd Prospect Resources Limited (ASX:PSC) is based in Australasia with operations in Zimbabwe and is a publicly listed company. We are committed to creating value for Prospect's shareholders and the communities in which our company operates. Our vision is to build a Southern African based mining company of international scale. Butte County, Calif.-- District Attorney Mike Ramsey say 69-year-old Christine Rowe plead no contest to a felony count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. This count stems from a head-on crash on Highway 32 in September of last year. The crash left 22-year-old Luis Saucedo, of Corning, dead. District Attorney Mike Ramsey says Rowe's blood taken at the hospital that night revealed a blood alcohol content of point .18%, more than twice the legal limit. Rowe will be sentenced in August. Workchain Ltd owners and directors Phil Tong and Adam Hinkley encouraged five senior staff at the company to get the temporary workers out of the scheme so the company could avoid making pension payments on their behalf. Financial controller Hannah Armson, HR and compliance officer Lisa Neal and branch managers Martin West, Robert Tomlinson and Andrew Thorpe then worked together to opt workers out of the NEST pension scheme using its online system. Derby-based Workchain (formerly known as Smart Recruitment UK Ltd), which has offices in towns and cities across the Midlands and the neighbouring counties, would have been able to avoid paying pension contributions if the offence had not been detected. A joint investigation into Workchain involving The Pensions Regulator (TPR), the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, Derbyshire Constabulary and Nottinghamshire Constabulary was launched after NEST reported its concerns about Workchain to TPR in May 2014. Darren Ryder, TPRs Director of Automatic Enrolment, said: Workchains directors saw denying their temporary workers pensions as a quick and easy way to save the company money. Both they and their senior staff thought nothing of misusing NESTs online portal. Thanks to the vigilance of NEST, their attempt to cheat the automatic enrolment system failed. Automatic enrolment is not an option, its the law and the law is clear - no one can opt a worker out of a pension scheme, even if the worker agrees. Those who try to avoid their pension responsibilities in this way face prosecution. TPR prosecuted Workchain, the two directors and five senior staff for an offence of unauthorised access to computer data, contrary to section 1(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1990. This is the first time that TPR has launched prosecutions for this offence. All of the defendants pleaded guilty to the offence when they appeared for the first time at Derby Magistrates Court today (7 June). District Judge Jonathan Taaffe committed the case to Derby Crown Court for a sentencing hearing on 28 June 2018. However, knowing the best way to offer it to staff isnt as clear-cut as it could be, says GRiD, the industry body for group risk protection benefits (employer-sponsored life assurance, income protection and critical illness). Provided the payments to beneficiaries are paid through a discretionary trust, they do not form part of the deceaseds estate so can be paid quickly (without the need for probate) and free from inheritance tax (IHT). For many years, the way to do this was to use a discretionary trust written under pensions legislation. Ironically, the introduction of the pension tax simplification regime in 2006 introduced some complexities for group life assurance. Excepted Group Life Policies (EGLPs) provide a simple alternative way of arranging life cover independent of a pension. For some people, particularly those who had protection for their pension tax position, life assurance could be provided more efficiently in this way. This means that benefits are disregarded when assessing pension tax charges. As the value of the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) has eroded and the simplicity of a non-pension arrangement has appealed to more employers, an increasing number of employees have been enrolled into EGLPs. However, EGLPs can have drawbacks: the discretionary trusts holding them are subject to possible entry, exit and periodic charges and can be complex to administer. As a consequence, employers have to pay for expertise in setting them up and monitoring them. It can also be extremely difficult for executors to accurately complete IHT forms if an EGLP benefit has been paid as it falls between the available reporting forms and the executor is unlikely to know how the policy was arranged in any case. Number affected The number of employees covered in EGLPs - so potentially affected - is 782,674, across 7,130 schemes*. Cost to employers The cost of administering the reporting and collection of taxes far exceeds the amount collected. Government figures show that the amount collected each year is no more than 1m. Yet, annually, the cost of administration is estimated to be 1.75m, to which can be added the cost of legal and technical advice. This figure is estimated to be close to 24m, paid over a number of years. Benefits for SMEs GRiD believes reducing compliance, legal and administrative costs in this area will both save employers money as well as encourage more SMEs and other businesses to provide cover for their employees. SMEs may well be put off of doing so because of the perceived cost, yet this sector often has the most need to provide GLA. Many SMEs are family-run businesses, and when employees die unexpectedly they often fund expenses from their own pocket. Providing death-in-service benefits helps protect them as well as their staff. What is GRiD doing about it? The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has called for evidence and experiences about perceptions of Inheritance Tax. GRiD has responded, laying out the benefits of GLA, and in particular EGLPs, for employers, employees and society as a whole. By providing quick financial support to dependants, the death benefit supports the aim of building resilient households and may lessen any potential call on state support. As these products are provided in an employment context, cover is frequently provided for many employees without medical evidence so that it is inclusive for those with some health problems who may not be accepted for a personal policy or only with an extra charge. For many people, particularly low- to middle-earners, this can be the only protection cover they have and ensures that they or their families do not fall back on the State. GRiD has called for: An exemption from potential entry, exit and periodic charges to IHT when the sole asset of a discretionary trust is an EGLP Removing the requirement that all members of an EGLP have the same benefit calculation Aligning the potential beneficiary classes for EGLPs and benefit-in-kind rules Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD said: Group Life Assurance is a very popular benefit. Its often one of the first protection benefits that employers offer their staff: its easy to understand, and provides a tangible financial benefit. The last thing we want is to put off employers from offering it, or add to their costs for doing so. We want to make it easier for employers to look after their staff, this has a direct benefit to Government so we hope they take our recommendations on board. The Situation of Minorities in Iraq After ISIS On 12 May 2018, for the first time after the defeat of ISIS and the Kurdish referendum of 2017, parliamentary elections were held in Iraq. The vote was marked by internal disjunction along sectarian lines, as reflected in the prevalent constellation of three fractions, namely Sunnis, Shias and Kurds. It remains to be seen how the outcome of this vote in post-ISIS Iraq will impact the situation of the country's Kurdish, Turkmen, Assyrian and Yazidi minorities, who have been victims of sexual violence and other serious human rights abuses. It has become more than apparent that in any scenario of national reconciliation, national minorities have to be included in political discussions and have to be granted their human rights. In December 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced that, after three years, the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) had been defeated in Iraq: "Our heroic armed forces have now secured the entire length of the Iraq-Syria border. We defeated Daesh [ISIS] through our unity and sacrifice for the nation. Long live Iraq and its people". This forward-looking optimism is more than necessary in a post-ISIS Iraq that has been ravaged by years of violence and destruction. At the same time, however, such confidence might seem ironic, given the country's widespread devastation and its people's suffering. After all, figures released in 2017 paint a gruesome picture: the most recent cycle of violence and warfare caused by ISIS caused 71,611 civilian casualties and displaced around 441,000 people. This humanitarian crisis has disproportionately affected Iraq's most vulnerable people, subjecting minorities, such as the Assyrians, Iraqi Turkmen and Yazidis to gross human rights violations and abuse. In order to better understand the post-ISIS ordeal these minorities have to endure, basic understanding of their cause and identity seems essential. The Assyrians in Iraq are Christians and therefore represent an ethno-religious minority. Because of their religious belief, they had been subjected to violence and intimidation already before the arrival of ISIS. Between the US-led invasion in 2003 and the years prior to the Iraqi civil war, the majority of approximately 1.4 million Christians in Iraq had already fled their ancestral homelands, following political instability and religious persecution, leaving only 350.000 Christians in the region. The majority of Iraq's Christian population belongs to the branch of Syriac Christianity, whose followers are mostly Assyrians. The Yazidis, or The Santa Fe College Police Department arrested two more men on Thursday accused of being connected with the theft of 11 animals from Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo in May. Santa Fe student Austin Bruno, 19, was charged with two counts of burglary and two counts of grand theft. Daniel Dipasquale, 18, was charged with attempting to deal in stolen merchandise. Courtesy of Alachua County Jail Inmate Lookup Austin Bruno According to a SFPD arrest report, Dipasquale had knowledge that people had plans to burglarize the zoo and steal the animals. He allegedly offered $3,000 to buy Mani, the squirrel monkey taken during the burglary on May 23. Courtesy of the Alachua County Jail Inmate Lookup Daniel Dipasquale SFPD got a warrant Wednesday evening and was helped by the Clay County Sheriffs Office in contacting people at Brunos residence, according to a Santa Fe College media release. Bruno turned himself into SFPD early Thursday morning. SFPD Chief Ed Book said Bruno participated in stealing the animals and that he did not give any information about the remaining animals, which are two gopher tortoises and two box turtles, according to the media release. The gopher tortoises are in need of medical treatments, which they were given at the zoo. SFPD is continuing their investigation and may find more people connected with the case, according to the release. Dipasquale was put in the Alachua County Jail Thursday and will be seen by a judge Friday morning to be assigned bail. Bruno was put in the Alachua County Jail Thursday and a judge released him without bail that afternoon. Anyone with information regarding the animals can call SFPD at 352-395-5519. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Turkish scrap import prices became firmer in the week ended Friday June 8 with demand for steel from the countrys mills increasing after the United States implemented its Section 232 tariffs on imports from the European Union, Canada and Mexico, effectively leveling international markets. This trend was in contrast to scrap prices elsewhere, however, with weak demand in India and Taiwan resulting in softer import prices. Turkey imports Turkish deep-sea scrap import prices increased this week, as expected, following the decision by the US to impose Section 232 import tariffs on steel from Canada, the EU and Mexico, which had previously had a temporary exemption. Turkey had not had any exemption. Scrap demand in Turkey had been expected to pick up after the US imposed the tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminium imports on June 1. It was expected that Turkish steel mills would start to export into the US market again, now that other suppliers face similar tariffs. A steel producer in the Marmara region booked a European cargo late on June 1, comprising 20,000 tonnes of a 75:25 mix of No 1 and No 2 heavy melting scrap (HMS), 18,000 tonnes of a mixture of plate and structural scrap (P&S) and HMS 1, and 2,000 tonnes of busheling, at an average price of $334 per tonne cfr. On June 5, a steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a US cargo comprising 12,000-14,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $340 per tonne, and 16,000 tonnes of shredded and as much as 2,000 tonnes of plate and structural scrap (P&S) at $355 per tonne cfr. The same mill also booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 3,500 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $340 per tonne, 23,000 tonnes of shredded and 1,500 tonnes of bonus at $355 per tonne cfr. And another steel mill in the Marmara region booked a 40,000-tonne US cargo, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $342 per tonne and shredded at $355 per tonne cfr. The breakdown of this cargo was not revealed at the time of publication. On June 6, a steel producer in the Marmara region booked a US cargo, comprising 12,000-14,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $340 per tonne, 16,000 tonnes of shredded and 500 tonnes of plate and structural scrap (P&S) at $355 per tonne cfr. On the same day, a steel mill in Northern Turkey booked a US cargo comprising 34,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $347 per tonne and 8,000 tonnes of shredded at $355 per tonne cfr. Another steel mill in the Izmir region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 27,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $341 per tonne and 3,000 tonnes of bonus at $351 per tonne cfr. And on June 8, a steel mill in the Marmara region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 28,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $344 per tonne and 5,000 tonnes of bonus scrap at $359 per tonne cfr. US exports Ferrous scrap export prices on both the East and West Coasts of the United States decreased in the latest bulk sales to Turkey and South Korea, with offers also softening for containerized scrap. On the East Coast, Turkish mills returned to the US export market on June 5 with two cargoes booked at $340 and $342 per tonne cfr respectively for HMS 1&2 (80:20). The prices for this grade were down by $11-13 per tonne from the previous East Coast sale to Turkey on May 4. The second cargos composition, which was previously unreported, has been confirmed to be 10,000-12,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) and 28,000-30,000 tonnes of shredded scrap. On June 6, a third East Coast cargo was sold at equivalent prices to Turkey. This cargo contained 12,000-14,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $340 per tonne cfr, and 16,000 tonnes of shredded scrap and 500 tonnes of P&S at $355 per tonne cfr. Despite the steep drop in prices for HMS 1&2 (80:20) on the East Coast, shredded scrap prices only fell by $4 per tonne compared with a transaction on May 4. This matched domestic US shredded scrap offers in Philadelphia for June, which fell by $20 per ton to $345 per ton ($355 per tonne). Even though domestic and export prices for shredded scrap were at parity on a delivered basis, sources said that shredded scrap prices in the bulk export market were comparable with the domestic Philadelphia price on a shipping-point basis. One reason why there was firm demand for shredded scrap in the bulk export market was because it has a higher metallic yield than HMS 1&2 (80:20), making shredded cheaper in the recent cargo. With the yield of shredded scrap at 92% and HMS 1&2 (80:20) at 88%, those prices are equivalent to $385.86 per tonne for shredded scrap and $386.36-388.64 per tonne for HMS 1&2 (80:20) on a metallic yield basis. Meanwhile, containerized shredded scrap on the East Coast was trading at $335-340 per tonne fas over the past week, down on the high end from $335-345 per tonne two weeks ago. Sources said that offers were drifting closer toward the bottom end of the price range. On the West Coast, prices for containerized HMS 1&2 (80:20) have trended downward for two consecutive weeks, with buyers seeking to reduce the offer prices due to weaker demand, according to market participants. Prices fell to $310-315 per tonne fas this week from $325-330 per tonne two weeks ago. Taiwan imports Import prices for containerized HMS-grade scrap in Taiwan dropped further this week amid persistently poor end-user demand in the spot market. Deals were concluded at $325 per tonne cfr Taiwan in comparison with last weeks $335-340 per tonne cfr Taiwan. Demand was not strong, with a very few end-users purchasing only small quantities. A major buyer purchased about 1,000-2,000 tonnes at the above price, according to market sources. Bids for US-origin containerized cargoes were made at $325 per tonne cfr Taiwan, with most sellers prepared to offload materials at that price. A crackdown on the smuggling of ferrous scrap out of China has not had any effect on the Taiwanese spot market so far, but could increase demand for non-Chinese scrap in other parts of Asia such as Vietnam. Bearish sentiment is expected to persist in the meantime because demand in Taiwan is not expected to pick up any time soon, with the approach of summer, when electric-arc furnace mills reduce their electricity consumption. Household consumers are given priority for electricity supplies during the hot season. India imports Prices for containerized shredded scrap imports into India dipped this week after deals were done at lower prices, with the market remaining subdued. Several deals for UK-origin material were done at $375 and $377 per tonne cfr Nhava Shava, but material was available in the market on offers as low as $370 per tonne with the same delivery terms. Middle East-origin material was offered at $360 per tonne cfr Nhava Sheva, while deals were heard for UK-origin HMS 1&2 at $345-350 per tonne this week. The continuing fall in the Turkish scrap price this week kept sentiment in the Indian market negative, as did the imminent monsoon season in India. This is also likely to bring prices down, market participants told Metal Bulletin. Turkey domestic Turkish domestic auto bundle scrap prices moved down in line with the weakening imported scrap values, while ship scrap prices remained stable from the previous week, sources said on June 4. A number of steel producers in the country reduced their buy prices for auto bundle scrap by around TRY20-90 ($4-19) per tonne delivered. Metal Bulletins weekly price assessment for domestic auto bundle scrap (DKP grade) in Turkey was TRY1,380-1,560 ($305-345) per tonne delivered on June 4, narrowing downward from TRY1,380-1,580 per tonne a week earlier. Cem Turken, Mugla,Turkey; Carrie Bone, London; Paul Lim, Singapore; and Mei Ling Toh, New York, contributed to this report. Posted on: June 8, 2018 11:12 AM Archbishops from around the Anglican Communion have been giving their views on the importance of the Lambeth Conference. Every bishop in the Anglican Communion will be invited to Canterbury, England, for the Lambeth Conference 2020. Two years ahead of the event, planning is gathering momentum and anticipation is mounting. The Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS) has been speaking to Archbishops around the world to ask their views on the Lambeth Conference, and will be publishing a series of short videos in the coming weeks. The chief executive of the Lambeth Conference, Phil George, said today that the planning for the event was going extremely well. He told ACNS: There is a lot to do and the staff team is now being built up. We are very, very excited that we will have it all ready for the summer of 2020. The first of the video vignettes is published today, and features Archbishop Albert Chama, Bishop of Northern Zambia, Archbishop and Primate of Central Africa, and Chair of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa (CAPA). It along with some of the other vignettes was filmed last month in Nairobi during a recent meeting of Anglican Primates from CAPA. From the look of things and from what I am hearing from my bishops, is that everyone is looking forward to the Lambeth Conference because this one, they think is going to make us as a Communion to come out with something tangible, Archbishop Albert said. For example, we have got issues that are cross-cutting the Communion. We have got gender-based violence: our women have been treated badly and not only in the secular communities but even in the Church you find that people are violently treated; and issues of discipleship, and also issues of economic empowerment, issues of how can we get that strong determination to preach the Gospel to the world. I am excited because even in the just ended CAPA meeting, the Primates were all affirming these . . . as things we want to be on the agenda at Lambeth 2020. He said that he was looking forward to sharing these concerns with my other brothers in Christ coming from different situations or contexts and also sharing their stories. And out of that we will come together and come up with something that will help the church to be effective in its ministry. Our bishops in the Province of Central Africa, we are all geared up. We are all geared up and are looking forward to that. Archbishop Albert also spoke about last years Primates Meeting that took place at Canterbury Cathedral in October. The way the discussions went for me, there was a lot of charity, he said, a lot of give and take, and also, we were mostly discussing issues that were so much affecting people on the ground; and those are issues that people would think the Church would worry about . . . for example: environmental issues, discipleship, how do we walk together in the preaching of the gospel in spite of our differences. So, for me, that meeting was really good. More vignettes will be published here over the coming days. Posted on: June 8, 2018 1:05 PM Representatives of five Christian denominations have met to discuss the ongoing implications of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ). The JDDJ was signed by the Lutheran World Federation and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in 1999 and was said to have resolved the major doctrinal dispute that sparked the Reformation five centuries earlier. The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion at the time, Canon John L Peterson, described it as an event which encourages Christians of all traditions and is a cause of rejoicing for all who pray and work for the unity of Christ's Church. In the years that followed, the World Methodist Council, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the Anglican Consultative Council have all formally adopted or otherwise associated themselves Declaration. The signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in Augsburg in 1999 was a milestone in Catholic-Lutheran dialogue and was built on 30 years of continuous ecumenical dialogue between the two Churches. The substance of the Declaration was affirmed and welcomed by the Anglican Consultative Council at their meeting in Lusaka in April 2016. In October last year, on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby presented a signed copy of the ACCs resolution to the to the General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, Dr Martin Junge, and the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Bishop Brian Farrell during a service in Westminster Abbey attended by the General Secretaries of the World Methodist Council and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. In their meeting this week in Rome to discuss the implications of the widespread support for the Declaration, representatives of the five churches agreed to hold a consultation in March next year, to include a public lecture or panel discussion about ecumenical relations. We have now five signatories of this ecumenical declaration, LWFs Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations, Kaisamari Hintikka, said. We feel we are called to ask together what kind of spiritual and ecclesiastical consequences the JDDJ might have for our churches. We are witnessing momentum in our shared ecumenical journey. This consultation is meant to appreciate and to use that gift, which calls us to healing the wounds in the body of Christ. This consultation will be the beginning of a process that aims to respond to the aspirations of the people in the pews. We want to offer our churches recommendations in order to grow in communion. The Anglican Communions Director for Unity, Faith and Order, Canon Dr John Gibaut, was at the Rome meeting. He told ACNS: If the JDDJ is the key that help us unlock the core doctrinal issue from the Reformation, and the Anglican Communion, the World Methodist Council, along with the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church now laid claim together to this common key, the possibilities of opening new doors of ecumenical growth and cooperation are vast. Posted on: June 8, 2018 2:34 PM The Council of Churches of Malaysia has stepped up its campaign for the release of Pastor Raymond Koh, who was abducted 15 months ago. In a statement issued this week, the ecumenical group said that urgent action is needed to find him, Amri Che Mat, who was abducted 18 months ago, and Joshua and Ruth Hilmy, who were reported missing 14 months ago. The authorities have not located them, neither have they explained their disappearances which have troubled millions of Malaysian residents, they said. The CCM welcomed an ongoing inquiry which has succeeded in surfacing leads which may, if diligently pursued, lead to real progress, it said in its statement. We note especially the testimony of witnesses on 29 and 30 May that a whistle blower from the police force has alleged that the police are complicit in the abductions of Amri and Raymond. CCM urges the Home Minister to take immediate actions to ensure that the whistle blower and other potential whistle blowers are protected. We also urge him to assign independent investigators to ensure that all leads are faithfully and diligently followed, the victims are found and the perpetrators are effectively prosecuted. Amri Che Mat is a social activist. He was abducted on 24 November 2016. Joshua Hilmy is a Christian convert from Islam. He and his wife Ruth are both pastors, and have not been seen since 30 November 2016. Raymond Koh was abducted on 13 February 2017. CCTV footage shows his car being blocked by three vehicles. Kim Yong Un cant pay his hotel bill This is an amusing little story which illustrates how the absurdity of economic sanctions can worm their way into the society at large. Kim Yong Un you know, fattie who runs North Korea wed rather like him to be at a summit where we can all talk through how well beat him up unless he gives up those nuclear bombs. Yet he cant turn up because he cant find a place to stay: Just one day after President Donald Trump announced the US-North Korea summit is back on, the US and Singapore are looking for ways to bear the cost of Kim Jong Uns accommodation, including the North Korean leaders preference for a five-star, $6,000 a night hotel. The Washington Post reports that paying for North Koreas accommodation during the June 12 summit would conflict with US Treasury Department sanctions and require a waiver to be signed to temporarily bypass them. North Korea cant pay the bill. Because that would mean the hotel taking money from North Korea and that cant happen because of the sanctions against North Korea. The sanctions existing because of the Big Bad Bomb problems. Kims trip to Singapore, which would be the furthest he would have travelled as leader, has posed a number of logistical challenges for White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Hagin and Kims the de facto chief of staff Kim Chang son. Although Mr Hagin is open to footing the bill, US Treasure Department sanctions require a waiver to be signed before America can pay for his luxury stay, the Washington Post reported. America cant pay the bill because that would mean spending money on Kim Young Un. Something theyre not allowed to do because of the sanctions. You know, the sanctions over the Big Bad Bomb problem. The Big Bad Bomb problem wed like to sit down and discuss with Kim Young Un. I admit to finding all of this amusing. Although not quite as amusing as something that happened a couple of decades back. I was doing business with the government of North Korea. No, its OK, it was legal back then. They had to issue a letter of credit its a promise to pay, backed up by a bank that there really will be payment and their bank refused to issue one. It wasnt for a lot of money, not a lot for a country that is. $250,000. But their bank one in Singapore as it happens refused to issue it on the grounds that North Korea didnt have that much money. Who knows, maybe its not about sanctions now, perhaps they just dont have the cash? Tim Worstall Posted: 8th, June 2018 | In: News, Politicians Comment | TrackBack | Permalink (ANSA) - Trieste, June 7 - Italians have become so used to hate speech and fake news that they worry about them less, according to a SWG survey presented on Thursday. Some 53% of the 1,000 people interviewed said they are concerned about language on the internet expressing hatred of a particular group of people, compared to 70% last year. Likewise, 59% of Italians said they are worried about false stories that appear to be news, compared to 65% in 2017. The results of the survey were presented at the second edition of "Parole O_stili", a project to raise awareness of verbal and written violence, underway in Trieste. Two thirds of respondents said they think hate speech and fake news are here to stay, while the phenomena are perceived as a problem by more educated Italians in particular. The survey also included a sample of 400 employees and 100 managers. Some 58% of employees said aggressive and disrespectful language is widespread in the workplace and 47% that it has increased with respect to 10 years ago. Instead 81% of managers claimed companies are the target of hate speech and fake news and 59% said they had difficulty controlling their brand image on line. ROME - The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia announced a joint vision for economic, developmental and military integration through 44 joint strategic projects and 20 deals. According to Al Arabiya, the deals came after Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chaired the first meeting of the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council in Jeddah. During the meeting, the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council's Organizational Structure was declared with the objective of accelerating joint co-operation on the implementation of targeted projects and programs. The Council's vision aims to promote the two countries' global stature in areas of economy, human development, and political, security and military integration as well as ensuring welfare and happiness for their peoples. ''We have a historic opportunity to create an exceptional Arab model of cooperation. Our solidarity and unity protect our interest, strengthen our economies and build a better future for our peoples,'' Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed said at the end of the council's meeting. ''We are the two largest Arab economies, forming the two most modern armed forces. The economies of Saudi Arabia and the UAE represent a gross domestic product of one trillion dollars, our joint exports rank fourth globally and amount to $750 billion, plus AED150 billion annually invested in infrastructure projects, which generates huge opportunities for bilateral cooperation,'' he concluded. GAZA - The marches to the Gaza border will continue indefinitely, ''until our main goal is achieved: the immediate and unconditional removal of the blockade of the Gaza Strip, to ensure a better future for our next generation'', Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has said. In a long political document issued last night, Haniyeh mentioned two objectives for the continuing protests that were launched no March 30: reiterate the 'Right of Return' for millions of Palestinian refugees and to protest against the transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem, which he said was a challenge to the Muslim community across the world. He went on to call for the setting up of an international commission of inquiry to document serious human rights violations that he said Israel had committed on recent weeks along the border with Gaza. Haniyeh called for ''the criminals, the soldiers of the occupation and their commanders'' to be brought before an international court. Tunisia to ban all plastic bags from 2020 Awareness-raising campaign planned (ANSAmed) - TUNIS, JUNE 8 - There will be no production, importation, selling or distribution of non-biodegradable plastic bags in Tunisia from December 31, 2019. The announcement was made on World Environment Day by Minister for the Environment and Local Affairs Riadh Mouakher. Tunisia is this continuing its fight against plastic bags that it launched in December 2015, but began having an effect in March 2017 with a ban on non-biodegradable sacks in supermarkets and in pharmacies starting on March 1 of this year. Producers' figures show that the use of plastic bags in supermarkets - which account for 30% of total plastic use - was reduced by 94% in the first year of the application of the new regulations. The December 31, 2019 date was chosen for the total ban, the minister said, after taking into account the needs of manufacturers and distributors, in order to give them time to convert production and adapt to the new regulations. Mouakher also underscored the ''need to change the mentality of users on the perception of the harmfulness of plastic bags'', adding that an awareness-raising campaign would be brought in to foster greater efforts for environmental protection. (ANSAmed). ROME - At least 38 civilians were killed including many children in an airstrike Thursday evening on the Zardana village in the Idlib province of Syria. The northwestern province is under the control of opposition forces. Reports were from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and the White Helmets rescue workers. Airstrikes in the area with so many casualties have become rare in recent months due to a de-escalation agreement between Russia, Turkey and Iran covering the zone. The airstrike hit an area crowded with the internally displaced who had fled other Syrian regions, just after the evening meal marking the end of the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Sources, who say that the attack was carried out by Russian fighter jets, note that the death toll could rise due to the high number of seriously injured. Israeli air force conducts massive Gaza bombing simulation Raedy to intervene, says official (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, JUNE 8 - Dozens of Israeli fighter jets on Thursday simmulated attacks on hundreds of objectives in the Gaza Strip. ''As part of a large-scale exercise,'' an air force official quoted by the military spokesman said, ''we simulated assistance to our ground troops. We made use of precision airstrikes, which make it possible to conduct multiple attacks in a short time.'' ''We are ready for an intervention that is requested of us,'' he added, in what seemed an implicit warning to those holding mass protests in Gaza. (ANSAmed).